Christmas in Canada

Hola familia 

It was so good to talk to you on Christmas! Hahahaha even if you told me my hair is ugly.....thanks;) So this week started out with my birthday which was so much fun! We went to a members house for dinner and they are so sweet and surprised me with a birthday cake. I sent you the pictures last week. Then Tuesday the 22 we had our Mission Christmas party and it was so fun! We got to be with all the missionaries in all of Calgary and oh man it was fun. I was so excited to see Hermana Dean and Hermana Ratliff! I love them so much! We didn't have a ton of appointments this week because everyone cancelled for Christmas but it was good stopping by the members. We had Christmas Eve with our Branch mission leader and all the other missionaries which was so much fun. Then we came home and pulled all the mattresses into the family room and had a big sleep over. Then at 6:30 we opened all our presents together and got ready for the day. We then went over to the other sisters apartment and had a Christmas breakfast.  We met the zone at the church and played soccer, volleyball (with a soccer ball kind of hurt) and scatter ball. It was for reals so much fun!! Then after Skype we visited with the cute little old ladies in the branch who were having Christmas alone and then we ate dinner with the Morales family whom I love so very much!!! Legit they are the sweetest family ever! Carla is their daughter and she is getting ready to serve a mission. Its amazing! The rest of the week has been work work work. Its been so cold!! So cold! Can I just say though that Christmas on the mission is seriously one of a kind. I cant explain it but I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to serve. Everyone is always so worried about being away from their families at Christmas but it is almost like Christ knows it will be hard so he gives you extra love and you feel so happy inside. I am so grateful for my Savior and for his birth. Its going to be a grate week in the Kingdom of God! Love you familia! It was such a tender mercy to skype you on Christmas! I Love you! Happy New Year!

Love

Hermana Allphin

Happy birthday pictures

This is my birthday party a couple of days before Transfers.  

This is familia Pompa! They got this cake and surprised me at dinner.

My last week being 19

These sweet sisters got transferred they are the very best I love them sister Earnhardt and Allard Hahahahah my coat makes me look like Count Dracula! Best shadow ever! When you don't have your dad and you can't get the jar open....you just cut out the top;) Christmas spirit in Canada reminds me of my dad! Apparently sisters are $3.00 at Walmart;)

Its almost Christmas....its practically here!!!!!!!!!!

Hola Famila

So this week was transfers and everyone is the Spanish program was changed except for the 4 Spanish sisters so good news. Hahaha we met with Luis this week and wished him luck heading to Mexico! He is going to do amazing things there! He lives really close to the church so he was so happy about that. He is amazing with one of the most wonderful testimonies in the entire world. I feel so happy that the Lord gave me the opportunity to teach him. We met with Leila and her son Luis who is getting ready to be baptized and he is so excited! It was so amazing! He is the sweetest little boy ever! He reminds me of Hunter hahaha so much! We also had this amazing lesson with Jorge who now has a baptismal date for the 2 of January!! We are so happy!!!!! Seriously!! I am so excited for him. The lord has prepared him in so many ways he is amazing! We taught the plan of Salvation and the spirit was so strong in the Lesson. It was so incredible! We had a lesson with Claudia and she loved the Plan of Salvation as well. I cant believe the miracles! I can see the Lord's hands so much and I feel so blessed. We also were finally able to meet with this wonderful family in our branch this week. They are less active and we having been trying so hard to get a lesson with them. For real we having been trying since August and finally we got in and had a lesson and it was so wonderful. The spirit was so strong and we were able to bare our testimonies about Jesus Christ! All for Christmas time. We have also been going Caroling with the zone which is freezing cold but so much fun! It has been a wonderful week. Sister Wagstaff was transferred because she is training so we had a little early birthday party this week. I can believe I am 20 years old. Hahahahaha that is so crazy! I cant believe it! Hahaha I love the wonderful sisters I live with so much! 4 man pad is seriously the best! We are so happy to be getting ready for Christmas this week! Its going to be a great week in the Kingdom of God! Love you all so much! Cant wait to talk to you on Friday! Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love

Your now 20 year old Canadian missionary

Hermana Allphin

Christmas is a time for miracles

Hola familia

Okay are you ready for this (drum roll) We have two new investigators!!!!!! Leila's son Luis is officially an investigator with a baptismal date for January 9th! Brittan Grace its your birthday! Lucky day I think;) He is so cute and super excited! So awesome! Then are you ready to hear about Jorge. So we met Jorge and it was so cool because I asked where he was from and he said "Colombia" that's when I was like sweet so i started to speak in Spanish. He got so excited and then he looked at my tag and was like "La Iglesia de Jesucristo...." and then he was like "contact me!" so we gave him our number and he gave us his and we set a lesson. Crazy right! I was like this sounds to good to be true. So we went to the lesson and it was incredible. He went to the church in Florida and really loved it but when he moved he couldn't find the church when he came to Canada. He has been looking for the true church and has gone to a lot of different ones. When he saw my tag he was so excited because it was the same church in Spanish. So he could communicate and people could understand. The first lesson was really good and I felt the spirit so strong. We invited him to church and he came! He came an hour early just so he wasn't late for anything. He loved it!!! I taught gospel principles because it was my turn and I was so nervous. But here is the thing it wasn't me teaching the lesson I don't even remember what I said. The spirit was so strong. It was all about the life of the Savior. Let me tell you every time you mention the Savior and his atonement the spirit is there quicker than ever. After church he came up to Hermana Morgan and me and said "Hermanas Baptize me. I want to be baptized as soon as possible!" I almost fell over and died I was so excited! The Elders told us later that he commented in Priesthood and said he would love to join the church if they would have him. There are so many wonderful prepared people in this world. The field is white already to harvest is totally right. The Lord knows his people so well. We have a lesson with him today with a member and I am so excited!! I am so happy for Lelia's son Luis and Jorge. Claudia is doing amazing as well. I feel so blessed that I am not getting transferred and that I get to serve these people here in the branch. It is so wonderful. To see the Lords hands is incredible. I love it so much!! Its going to be a wonderful Christmas! I love you familia. Only 12 more days and then we get to Skype! Whoohoo! Love you love you love you!!!!

love

Hermana Allphin

Chinooks are the best!

Hola familia

So I should probably tell you that I am doing all the weather in Celsius hahaha so yes it was -20 but no worries it was in celsius. This week was warm though. I am back to my lighter jacket. So Calgary gets these interesting things called Chinooks. That is when this random hot air comes in and gets trapped and then everything heats up by about 10 degrees. So right now it is a nice sunny day. Still colder because its winter but it is nice. So this week we had a lesson with Claudia and it was amazing! She is super incredible i just love her. The lesson was amazing too! She is so prepared. She came to church on Sunday and we have a lesson with her this week. I got to sit by Leila at the Christmas Party, which was the best, and I just love her. Luis has already chosen his baptism date! The day after his birthday!!! So excited! He is the sweetest little boy ever! The coolest thing ever is that he watched Meet the Mormons and he loved it so much. He watched it because his mom in a recent convert and he wants to go on a mission one day. I just love him! He is only 11 almost 12 and he already knows he wants to be a missionary. The mission is so crazy and amazing! It is the best thing in the entire world. I can believe its transfers soon. This transfer has flown by. Love you so much familia. No worries I am staying plenty warm thanks to the Chinooks;) It going to be a great week in the Kingdom! 

Love

Hermana Allphin

P Day

When pens freeze....

Hola Familia

So this week has been an adventure for sure. It was really cold this week I pulled out all of my coldest winter cloths to go tracking and the adventure was real. Yup legit me pen froze so I we couldn't write our phone number on the Mormon.org card hahahaha. So funny! Can I just say that fasting works! It totally works. So there has been a little bit of sadness going around the mission because the work in November has been really slow. It was booming in October and now we all have to refill our teaching pools. So Hermana Morgan and I decided that we were going to find new investigators this week. Not just us but all the Spanish Elders in the branch too. So we decided to do a fast just the two of us and oh my goodness miracles happen!!! Let me tell you what happened! That day this less active that we having trying to get a hold of for months called us!!!!! We have an appointment set up with her and I am just so happy!! Then we worked hard all this week but we couldn't seem to find anyone. So then Saturday rolls around and oh my miracle. We go to lunch with this sweet lady in the branch who invited her friends over to meet the missionaries. One family of friends didn't show up but her friend Claudia that she had invited to church the week earlier came. She is the sweetest lady ever!!! Hermana Morgan shared the message and gave her a book of Mormon. She was so happy and said that she had always seen them but no one had ever given her one. It was awesome. So Sunday came around and guess what she came to church!!!! She came to church and stayed all three hours and now we have an appointment with her on Wednesday!! Then Miracle number two. We saw Leila at church and we haven't been able to meet with her in a while just because its been busy so I went up to talk to her and she pulled me aside and said her son Luis wants to be baptised too!!!!!!!!!!! I am beyond excited!!!!!! So we are going to start teaching him to get him ready for his birthday and a baptism! This was an incredible week in the Kingdom of god! It just keeps getting better too! The Elders all had lessons with potential investigators too!!! Both sets! Isn't that amazing! The work is coming the lord has prepared so many people! I am so happy!! Oh and we found out that our wonderful and incredible STLs who we live with Sister Wagstaff and Kendrick had fasted that somehow we could find two new investigators and fasting is real because hopefully by the end of this week we can all find who the lord has prepared. The lords work is timed perfectly! Seriously I am so happy that I get to see his hands! He is truly incredible! So its going to be a good week in the kingdom of God! Love you familia!

Love

Hermana Allphin

p.s oh man I really am frozen Hermana check out these tracking pictures Hermana Morgan I took. It was -10 with windshield so it was actually -20! But no worries mom that coat is amazing it kept me warm! Love you so much! Hahaha I love it!

The Montreal Temple Dedication

Hola Familia!

So the temple dedication was so amazing! We worked hard all week but and had some great things happen but the best part was the Temple dedication! So on Sunday we got the Stake Center about 9:15 and the dedication starts at 10:00 and there is no Spanish translation. So Hermana Morgan and I are like "uhhhh that's not going to work." Everyone kept telling us "Hermanas there is only French and English do either of those work?" I am over here like umm No they speak Spanish...Not French! So all the missionaries and the technology guy for the stake are all running around frantic trying to find the Spanish channel for the Branch. Hahaha it made for an adventure. We got it all worked out in time for the Dedication though so all was well. The talks were so good! And they were so cool in Spanish! Seriously so good. Luis and Leila both loved it! Luis cried a little bit at the end and they both were so excited to be able to go the temple in a year. I just love them so much! I loved to see how much they feel the spirit and the light of Christ in their eyes. We taught Nanci this week, we were not able to teach her family but we are going to keep trying. She is amazing! Truly she is! We have some potential lessons set up this week so I am super excited about that too. Its going to be a good week in the Kingdom I think! Love you familia! I hope you have a wonderful American Thanksgiving! Love you lots!!

Love

Hermana Allphin

The snowman is because we were walking all day and got bored. The one with coat is my STL sister Kendrick and I go home with her! 9 months together! And the last one is Sarah Morales she is the cutest little girl ever! 

when los Conejos turn white

Hola Familia

So this week has been a little slow not going to lie. We have been working really hard though. We just had a lot of our appointments fall through. It's been really cold! Hahaha but the sun is for sure still shining! We had zone conference which was really cool! I love it! I love hearing from President Miles! He is such a good mission president! Seriously! It was really awesome and I learned some really good things that I cant wait to try with the work. We have an appointment set up with Nanci and her family for this week I am so excited for that! Its going to be so grate! I just love her! She is the cutest! This transfer is flying! I can believe the Christmas season is already starting! Everyone's lights are starting to go up. Its so funny because so many people full on decorate here. For Halloween oh my goodness so many cute houses decorated!!! All the Christmas lights are starting to go up! SO CUTE! Hahaha it totally reminds me of dad. Life is good. We are working hard here! Keep on praying for us and the work! Oh and we get to watch the Montreal temple dedication! I am so excited for both Leila and Luis to see it! SO AMAZING! I love you so much familia!

Love

Hermana Allphin

The lord works in interesting ways

Hola familia

So some interesting things happened this week. First of all my companion and I got in with Nancy again for another lesson and it was so good! We asked her if she read the book of Mormon and she said that she hadn't because her mom stole it to read it! We were so excited! She then said that her sisters wanted to learn more about it too! So we are going to have a lesson with them as a family this week!!!!!!! I am so excited Nancy is the cutest ever! I just love her! I know her family is just going to be incredible too! We had an interesting experience on Friday. So Hermana Morgan and I had this person we were suppose to go and see in the south part of the area, but for some reason we felt really strongly that we should go and stop by these people up on central. We didn't have the kilometers for both (because we are only given a certain amount every month). So even though all logic said we needed to go to Evergreen (south) we went on a wild goose chase up in Central. We didn't really even get dinner we went to this little store and boat Spaghetti sauce, tortillas, and frosting. I was a little peeved because we searched and searched for an hour to find this house and we finally found it. This lady wouldn't not let us in because she thought we were Jehovah's Witnesses. I tried so hard to explain. "Nope no worries just the Mormons." but hahaha all is well. So we went to go find this other house and it was cold and super dark and we were in the downtown which is kind of sketchy sometimes. Haha but we found this house and it turns out its one of our less actives! She just happened to be home and let us in! She was just so wonderful and it was a miracle. I saw the lord's hands so much! Seriously! We are going to start visiting her and I just love her. The mission is incredible! Even when you have stressful days and people don't answer the door its incredible! Seriously! I really love it! The Lord is incredible! This week is going to be awesome! I love you so much Familia! Have a wonderful week!

love

Hermana Allphin

El bautismo de Leila

Hola familia

So Halloween was jammed pack full of amazing things! We had Leila's baptism which was amazing! She was so happy! So excited! The spirit was so strong I have never been so happy! Between her and Luis I just am so happy! I was a little stressed that morning because we had a little bit of confusion but everything went really smoothly! Hermana Dean got transferred but because President was so loving he let her go to the baptism with Hermana Ratliff. They are so cute! I just love them both! They are doing so amazing in the Ward. We also dinner with the Morales family. I just love them! We got to talk to Carla who is going on a mission. Then because we had to be in by 6 we got to go home early. It was so much fun! Transfers were crazy I feel like they were an eternity ago. Hahaha but its been awesome! We got all the cookies delivered and it was so much fun! Hahaha I felt like a little kid again. It was awesome! Sunday was amazing too! We got to church and Leila was confirmed and she was smiling from ear to ear! I loved it! Then we went to class and she bore her testimony and I started to tear up. She bore her testimony on the gospel and missionary work and how grateful she is! I just love her. Hermana Morgan is playing the piano for the primary program so we got to go to primary with Leila's son Luis which was awesome! Then Luis our recent convert got to receive the Aaronic priesthood! He was so happy! I just love the Lord so much! Its incredible to see him work and to see his hands. Leila loves the branch so much but I was so grateful that her friends from the ward came to support her in the branch. The work is good. We are just finding some more but its amazing here. Its snowing right now so let winter begin! I love you so much familia! Wish me luck driving in the snow....hahaha love you!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love

Hermana Allphin

El Bautismo de Luis

Hola Familia

So this week was such an incredible week! Seriously! I just loved it! We had Luis' baptism and it was amazing. Hermana Dean and I woke up early to go and fill the font and it was freezing outside. We got everything set up for the baptism at 10. About 9:40 our branch mission leader showed up haha and then the rest of the branch members showed up....but Luis was missing. Hahaha oh my goodness we were a little stressed. We had the brother doing the baptism, the people giving the talk, the rest of the branch missionaries, everyone.....except Luis. Hahaha so we were a little stressed but no worries familia that's not how the story ends. About 10:15 Luis came walking through the door. Hahaha I have never been so releaved in my life. It was one of the happiest baptisms ever. So spiritual! I was smiling from ear to ear. He gave his testimony and oh my goodness it was beautiful! I cried just a little. Then he was confirmed on Sunday and that was beautiful too! It was wonderful! He is getting the Priesthood next Sunday and I am so excited! So excited! Leila came to church and stayed all three hours and it was wonderful! She loved it! She is so excited for her baptism and confirmation too! It was so cool! The whole branch is excited. They haven't had a convert baptism is a long time and now they have two! So much fun! Oh man I just love them so much! This week we also made cookies because we are going to door bell ditch the whole branch with the cookies and put a missionary twist to it. Hahaha to be honest I am not sure how its going to work but I am excited! So we made over 500 cookies over a two day time period at our ward mission leaders house. Hahaha so sorry mom I let you down....I cant bake or cook for my life. It was the biggest struggle. The elders were the one cooking hahaha Hermana Dean I and I just kind of stirred...hahaha whoops. We also carved pumpkins for P-day. Oh my goodness so fun! We all wore stripes and carved pumpkins! I love my STL's so much! It has been so much fun living with them. This is transfer week so everything is changing. Crazy! Sister Joseph is headed back home to New Zealand! Oh man I am going to miss her! Just love her so much! Crazy! But so much fun! Wish us luck with Leila's baptism on Saturday! Love you Familia

Love

Hermana Allphin 

The morales family!

Making cookies

This is Luis! And these are all the missionaries in the branch. This is our Halloween party! We got these huge wax lips and I look like....I don't even know! Hahaha and then Sister dean and I just messing around;) hahaha the adventure is real!

When the spirit is strong... you cry!

Hola Familia

So this week we had two lessons with Louis and both where so spiritual! Seriously! I just love him! He has one of the strongest testimonies I have ever heard! Serioulsy! So beautiful! I am so excited for you! Leila also went to church with her son Louis! It was so amazing we had a really good sacrament and I am so excited for Louis' baptism this Saturday. He is so excited! So that is going to be our week planning. It was so amazing we had a lesson with Louis and he asked us why we have to cry when we feel the spirit. I just laughed. Haha seriously I ask my self this question everyday. Hahaha its just the way the spirit is I guess. We are super excited for this week though! We have his last lesson tonight before his interview! I am so excited for him! He is amazing! Love you family I hope that you have a wonderful week!!! Wish us luck with the baptism!

Love

Hermana Allphin

This is my zone when we went on the hike! They are the best! 

Thanksgiving....in October

Hola Familia

So sorry that I am writing you on Tuesday yesterday was Thanksgiving for Canadains hahaha it was so funny though! We had Thanksgiving with a member in our ward and we ate tacos....and pie! Best Thanksgiving ever! I love tacos so much! It was amazing! So this week Louis has a baptismal date for the 24th of October! Whoohoo!! I am so excited! He came to church on Sunday and my ward mission leader came up to me and Sister Dean and said "since you have an investigator and its fast Sunday one of you should bare your testimony" I was like oh no.....that means me. My Spanish is still not the best in the world but I got up there and it was so scary. Hahaha but kind of fun. Member trust we will do anything for member trust. Haha but the best part was the closing hymn in Sacrament was "How great thou art" and oh man it was so powerful. We noticed that he stopped singing half way through the hymn and after the prayer we looked over and he was crying. He looked at us and just said "that was beautiful" I was so happy! I have never seen such a humble man. He is incredible. The Elders were so nice to because we are a kind of a small branch so we don't have a gospel principals class unless we have an investigator. So when Louis came to church we were all scrambling and I guess the ward mission leader told the Elders that they were teaching it. So they just winged it and taught the class for us. Then they took Louis to Priesthood. I was so grateful! After church we went to say goodbye and he was like "ok Hermanas so we will have a lesson on Tuesday, and baptism on the 24th" He is so excited we are just so excited for him!! Leila didn't got to church but we have a lesson with her this week. We are so excited for her too! We know she is getting excited too! Its been an adventure! Last P-day Hermana Dean and I are went on a hike with the zone! SO MUCH FUN! Canadian mountains are so much bigger than Utah's mountains. They are gorgeous! Well its been an adventure! This week should be good! Love you so much familia! Hope you have a good week!

love

Hermana Allphin

The water was soooo blue!!!

We hiked to this little waterfall

Don't cry over spilled milk....

Hola familia 

So this week we had a second lesson with Louis with the members that he live with on the Plan of Salvation, oh my goodness gracious it was so good!! No joke! It was super good! I almost cried a couple times but I didn't. We teach him tonight and we are super excited. He is so excited to learn. He just wants to know more. I hope that conference went well for him. We also taught Leila and it was super cool because at the end of the lesson she said "so who do I need to talk to get baptised?" We died so excited! So we put her on date for the 31st of October. Halloween! Haha it was super cool because that morning Hermana Dean and I had prayed super hard on which date and felt like the 31st and when we came to lesson she was ready. I am beyond excited for her! She is so sweet! I just love her. We also went to the food bank this week. So the Spanish missionaries every week go to the food bank.....oh my goodness. So funny! It actually kind of fun. So our job this week was to put the food into their carts at the end of the row. So we are all working and I was trying to be fast so I take out this milk carton....that's when it all went wrong. The edge of the milk caught the crate, I ripped the side off and it went everywhere. All over me, all over the lady, and the rest of the food. Talk about embarrassing. Haha the lady just looked at me. I bust up laughing which made it worse I think but it was kind of funny. No worries though I got her a new milk Carton;) We also had Conference like the rest of the world and guess what I totally guessed Rasband! NO joke! We were looking at the 70 and just by random I was like "its totally going to be Rasband because he has a cool name" Next thing we know hahaha it was Rasband. Hahaha so funny! Hermana Dean and I just bust up laughing! But I am excited for the new apostles! They seem awesome!  This week is going to be awesome I am super excited! We are going hiking for p-day today! Whoohoo the adventure continues until the snow comes. It did snow a little bit but lucky for us it didn't stick. Haha but crazy its getting cold winter is coming for sure. Love you family! I hope you have a wonderful and fantastic week!!

Love

Hermana Allphin 

So check out these Canadian signs

Naturally we had to reinact it