It's been an adventure

Family!

I am so excited to see you all tomorrow! This week has been the best last week ever! On Thursday I went to my last LTMs with all the Spanish missionaries in Calgary. It was so fun! I got to see the Missionaries in the branch for the last time and say goodbye to them. I have loved serving in the Spanish program! Legit these people are like my brothers and sisters! They are the greatest missionaries ever!

I have spent the whole week meeting with and seeing members for the last time. It's crazy how many of these people have changed my life. I love these people and am sad to leave them but I am grateful for the adventure that I had here in Calgary. I was able to visit Leila and Luis for the last time as well. It was so sweet! I love them both so much! I was able to talk to Karla on the phone because she is out of town and just say goodbye to everyone I love. 

Saturday we went to the temple. It was incredible I have loved having a temple in my mission. My mission was seriously hand picked by the Savior for me I know it. The temple has been such a sanctuary for me and it was so awesome getting to end my mission with a temple trip. I got to see Hermana Dean for the last time and give her a huge hug! I love her so much!! She is such an incredible missionary! I have loved serving with my 3 companions. 

Sunday was such an adventure! I talked to so many people and church and I gave my final talk/testimony. I was super nervous but it was such a privilege to be able to share with the whole ward my testimony. After wards I sang with Hermana Ratliff in relief society (which is super funny because even after 18 months I still can't sing but all is well). Then I went to my last ESL class and got to be with all my students. They are all so cute! They were like "your going back to America? Why? We like Canada? When are you coming back?"  hahaha I was like oh well not for a long time. Then they all started moaning! hahahah I love the ESL class they are the best! Bishop and his wife both called me to say thank you which was my favorite part of last night. It was just so sweet! I really love and respect Bishop Gonzalez! He and his wife are in incredible and it has been a privileged to serve with him. 

The adventure continues. I have love this place so much! This mission has been the most amazing and rewarding thing that I have ever done. I am so grateful the countless opportunities that I had to really know who my Savior was. I have loved working a long side of my Savior and to see how he works with his children! I am excited for the next adventure to come! I don't think I will ever forget this place. It has become so sacred to me. This has been the greatest blessing I could ever ask for. I love you familia. I will see you real soon!

Love

Hermana Allphin

Let's test your faith hermana!

HOLY! This has been one of the busiest weeks on my mission. We had to Zone Training Meeting which were super good. I got to bare my testimony in both of them and it was really awesome! I almost cried in one of them.....hahaha I might burst into tears for my homecoming. It's just really incredible the thing that we learn as missionaries. The mission really is a sacred place for us. So this week I decided that I was going to put forth all my faith to help find people in the others sisters' area while we were on exchanges. Its was so cool! We prayed and just went for it. I made it a goal to legit talk to every single person I saw! Some experiences were really cool....others hahaha well lets just say not everyone is super nice. All is well though because I saw so many miracles! It took all the faith that I had but we saw miracles!! It's so cool how the Lord works. I learned such a valuable lesson that we earn our referrals from everyone including the Lord. But also that the Lord is so merciful! He loves us and he truly walks with us. I have no doubt that he has been with me each and every lesson of the mission. We also had the ward picnic which was so fun and as I was there I realized that the ward was like my family! They treat us like family and they are so loving! It was such an adventure this week. Sometimes its really hard to follow every prompting of the spirit but when we do oh man see miracles. We got to teach a lesson on the street to this man named John. He was carrying he groceries and we ran up to help him. We talked to him for a good 30 minutes, taught the entire Restoration, gave him a Book of Mormon, and he gave us his address to come back. So cool! My call has got to be one of the greatest! I street contact and track in English but all our teaching is done in Spanish. I have learned so many cool things from both Languages. Its been such a blessing! Well family wish me luck this week! It's going to be a great one! Love you so much!!!!

Love

Hermana Allphin

MIRACLES

Hola Fam!

Okay are you read for this miracle! Hermana Ratliff and I got this referral from Salt Lake and we finally got an appointment with them. So we called them and they told us that we could come over and share a message on Friday. When we went over the man who answered the door was very kind. He was excited to have us over for dinner and invited us to the back to eat some tacos. When we went to the backyard however we had something we didn't expect. It wasn't only him, his wife, and 4 kids. It was his entire extended family as well. There was 30 people there and they all speak Spanish! They all wanted to talk to us as well. I have never had anything like that happen. Hermana Ratliff and I were able to talk about what we do and talk and meet the entire family. Some of them were visiting from Mexico, but the family members who were visiting gave us their emails so we could stay in touch. I have never ever seen a miracle like that. It was just so amazing because Hermana Ratliff and I had been fasting to find the people who were ready to be taught and baptized. Then out of no where comes this entire family! They already act like members and are SO sweet! It was truly a blessing! I am loving seeing these miracles. It's just really amazing to see how much the Lord changes people. My self included. Today I gave my testimony in my last Zone training meeting and it was just so interesting to reflect on how much the Lord has done for me. I can't wait to see this family again. We have a return appointment on Friday so wish us luck! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH FAMILY! I love you and I hope that you have a wonderful week!

Love

Hermana Allphin

When it rains it pours

Hola fam! 

Hahahahaha I totally forgot that Canadians summers are full of rain. It rains SO much and this week it rained like everyday. Hahaha it makes it an adventure expect for my feet are always wet;) I don't think my shoes are very built for rain. We met with the guy from Venezuela and it was awesome! He reminded me of Luis! He is this sweet little old man and oh man he has so much faith. It's always such a testimony builder to me when I meet people who have so much faith. It like boosts my own faith. He said he was praying so hard to find where the church was so he could go and take the sacrament. He prayed and got the prompting to go to the store. So he got up and went and while he was there he saw the Arbour Lake sisters. He said he didn't know how he was going to talk to him all he knew was that God had put them in his path. So we went up to talk to him (just so you know this guy doesn't speak a WORD of English) and thought "well I don't know how I am going to talk to them but the Lord will provide a way!" So then they called us and we were able to help him over the phone and then meet him this week. Cool huh! We also were walking to an appointment this week when this guy stopped us and said "hey can I ask you a question about Jesus?" we were like uh "yeah for sure! Hahaha that's why we are here." Turns out that he speaks Spanish and we set an appointment with him and had a lesson with him on Sunday. We had to pass him off the Spanish Elders in the Branch because he lives out of our area, but the lesson was still so good. He has so many questions and he said he would read the Book of Mormon! It was awesome! Then the last miracle for the week was that we had two potential lessons in the same neighborhood and these two people both weren't there when we went. It was kind of disappointing but as Hermana Ratliff and I were talking the walk of shame back to the car this family pulled up. We had made the goal to talk to everyone so we started to talk to them. Two of them didn't say a word and dad answered with a very thick accent. We asked were they were from and found out that they were from El Salvador. So we quickly switched to Spanish and had like a 10 minute chat with them. We explained what we do and asked if we could come back and they said yes. But here is the coolest part, the mom gave us her number. She asked for our number and then gave us hers! That never happens! Like Never! We called her last night and have an appointment set up for this week. It's so cool to see how many miracles there are. The Lord love us a lot! Well familia I hope that you have a good week! I love you!

Love

Hermana Allphin

More Pictures

Our 4th of July out fits

canada day pics

An American in Canada;)

Hola fam!

I hope you had a good week and are enjoying the 4th of July! Hermana Ratliff and I are very much representing the United States today! Hahaha sometimes I like being an American! This week was SO busy! Where do I begin.....well we did two zone meeting trainings so that was fun! We had to take the bus all week because we were out of our Kilometers for the month....so we were walking and running to appointments in the rain. Hahaha we had to take the train and the bus too and some of our travel times was like 2 hours. We were traveling down town this week and get on the train and all of the sudden the train stops because it had hit a pedestrian!!! Let me tell you something about Canada there is no jay walking! Canadians walk where ever they want! They are allowed to, it drives me nuts! They little will just walk out in the middle of the street and expect you to stop for them! Even if you are going 60 Kilometers per hour....it's crazy! hahaha but it's good it was an adventure. We also walked around the entire east of Calgary to head to an appointment. Hahaha it took a solid 2 hours to get there....hahaha but we contacted a ton of people and two of them were Spanish. We actually had the coolest thing happen this morning. We have been trying to find investigators for everyone so if we find someone Chinese we try to hand signal and call the Mandarin Elders and have them contact them through the phone. So the English sisters did that this morning and we have a potential lesson set up! This family just came from Venezuela 10 days ago and the English sisters contacted them pulled out the phone when they realized they only spoke Spanish and we set up a lesson. Isn't that SO cool! Our zone is really good at working together! We are all working hard to find new people! One of our Members moved back to Vancouver this week and she came by before she left and gave us a whole freezer full of meat. Hahaha it was awesome! So we have been having Pancakes and bacon for breakfast every morning since. We are still working with our investigators and praying to pick up news ones as well! The Lord is amazing!!! Well love you familia! Have a great 4th of July!!! 

love

Hermana Allphin

Calgary's June rain

Hola Fam!

This week it rained.....a lot! Hahahah We had two really good lessons with Esperanza and in the second lesson that we had on Saturday she said the prayer and it was SO powerful! It was so beautiful I started to cry. We talked about the reason we pray and the blessings of prayer and the Spirit was so strong. We also talked about the Sacrament and the reason we take it! They were both really good lessons. We also had a lesson with Yaritza. It was so crazy because we were on exchanges so my companion didn't speak Spanish. Hahaha so we are on exchanges waiting for the member so I don't have to teach the lesson by my self and it's pouring rain. Hahaha poor girl I made her stand in the rain for 15 minutes until the member came. So we get into the lesson and we are soaking wet hahaha Yaritza was so sweet and ran up stairs to get us some towels. Hahaha but the it all worked out in the end. We taught the Plan of Salvation and the lesson was SO good! That is my favorite lesson to teach! It brings so much hope and I love seeing it in the investigators eyes. The cool thing was that her mom (who doesn't want to learn about the gospel) always sits in the Kitchen and listens to the lessons. We are in the living room and she sits in the kitchen and listens to every word. Cool huh! The spirit was so strong and I know that they both felt it. We have more lessons set up with both Esperanza and Yartiza this week. We have lessons with our other investigators as well and some potential lessons so hopefully all goes well. Its going to be a good week! I love you so much familia!!! I hope that you have a wonderful week!

Love

Hermana Allphin 

June is almost gone! How is it almost done?

Hola Fam  I can't believe how fast this week was! I feel like I just barely wrote you two days ago. Crazy! So this week Hermana Ratliff went on two different exchanges which is always from. Hahaha it makes me grateful for my calling. It super hard to give a message in English rather than Spanish. I am grateful for my calling. My calling really is the best! We also had Language Training Meeting which is always fun! We have it once a month and it is SO much fun! Its fun because we always see the other sisters (our previous companions) its legit the best!! We had a really awesome lesson this week with Yaritza! She is our investigator who was a referral from the Elders recent convert! We haven't had a lesson with her since April and we finally got a hold of her set up a lesson and went over on Friday! It was So good and she remembered like everything from the restoration. It was so cool! So we taught part of Plan of Salvation and have another lesson with her this week!! The spirit was so strong and it was kind of funny because we had to change our lesson plans at the last second but it was SO good! hahaha its funny being back with Sister Ratliff. She is SO funny and we just kind of wing it. People will ask "How long have you been out in the mission?" and I am like "16 months" and she like "14 almost 15 months" and everyone is like "oh wow sisters she are almost going home!" hahaha we just laugh because this time last year we were companions but I had been out 4 months and she had only been out 3 hahahaha so the reaction was a lot different. It been good. We are working and praying hard. Its going to be a good week! I love you familia! I hope you have a wonderful and incredible week! Love Hermana Allphin

Meeting President Nelson

HI fam!

Guess what?!?! President Russell M. Nelson came to my mission! It was so cool! We got to see him on Saturday! We woke up at 4:30 and left at 5:30 am to be down in Lethbridge at 8:00 It was SO cool! This is my second Apostle in the mission and oh man it is So powerful when they come. They walk it in and the spirit is like "bam" there so quickly! It was so awesome! Kind of sad because I had to say goodbye to the Spanish missionaries serving in the South. Most likely I wont see them again which is always sad but kind of cool that we have a little Spanish program and we are all friends. We had another lesson with Esperanza and it was good!. We also had our new investigator Adriana come to church!!! It was SO awesome! She is so cute and she loved it!! It was SO great! We had transfers and Hermana Dean was transferred to the branch which means I will be finishing here in the ward. My comp is........HERMANA RATLIFF!! I am so excited!!!!!!! I love her to death!!! This is our third time being comps and oh man I just really missed her!  Our first appointment back together it was so funny! We went to see this little old lady in our ward who like to make us hand squeezed lemonade. It's so good but she always has us drink the entire pitcher. Well I forgot to tell Hermana Ratliff so we went and got lunch. Hahaha we get there and the sweet sister pulls out this pitcher of Lemonade and we drank the whole thing. We had legit food babies. Our stomachs were sticking out SO much. Hahahaha after at a different dinner we were joking with the Elders and I was like "I have never had to pray to eat food until the mission!" hahahaha because its so true sometime you are so full you feel like your stomach is going to explode and then you just keep eating because you don't want to offend anyone. Hahaha we all joke that we are going to be 702 lbs by the end...hahaha! We have some good work ahead of us and its going to be awesome!! The field is still white and still ready to harvest. We have a really good week planned!! I am excited!! Well family I hope that you have a wonderful week! I love you SO much!!!

love

Hermana Allphin

fotos

It is summer in Canada!

So my week was so busy I was looking back through and it feels likes its been two weeks since I emailed you all. Monday Hermana Dean and I went to the Calgary Tower for lunch and it was so much fun! Its so cool! They have this restaurant at the top that spins so you get to see the entire city! It was so beautiful! We got to go and see this sweet lady in our ward for the last time. She is moving to Vancouver until December. It was so fun! We love this family so much! They said next summer they are coming to Utah so they want to come and see Hermana Dean and there. Wednesday we had the coolest miracle. We had a lesson set up with Esperanza that cancelled. So we were like "well were should we go?" it was 8:00 so we had one hour. We had gotten a referral from a set of English Elders and so we were like "okay well let's go contact them" So we went over there. There was no one home but we decided to keep walking. Hermana Dean decided to ask this little kids playing if they knew of anyone who spoke Spanish in the area. He was like "I speak Spanish I am from Colombia!" Next thing we know this little 11 year old boy was taking us around the entire complex showing us where every Spanish family lives. They best part was he stayed with us and every house he would knock and yell "hey the missionaries are here, they are from the states, they speak Spanish. They have a message to share with you. Its only two minutes so come and talk to them" It was the coolest thing ever and it worked. We successfully found 13 Spanish families all because this sweet little boy. He stayed with us the whole time and at the end asked if we were going to visit his family. It was SO amazing!! Biggest miracle and tender mercy. We got back in the car to head home and the Hermana Dean says "that just proves Preach My Gospel is right! We talk to everyone!" it was such an amazing moment. We also had a powerful lesson with Esperanza! Hermana Dean and always testify so hard at her lessons. There are just some powerful lessons that you teach on your mission. For me it has for sure been with Esperanza. We also got to do a missionary panel for the Stake Relief society activity. It was so amazing!! Legit! It was so spiritual because it was Hermana Dean and I, this return missionary senior couple that served in Greece, an RM from the Toronto Mission, and an whole room of future missionaries with their moms. I am telling you it was powerful! It was a very good week. Can't believe the transfer is over!! It has gone so fast! Well I love you familia! I hope you have a good week 

Love

Hermana Allphin

When you listen to the Spirit

Okay are you ready for this.....okay first off I have to tell you the story about Marlon. This happened last week but I forgot to write it. So we have this lady in our ward and she is such a good missionary. We hadn't seen her in a while and we felt really prompted that we should go and visit her. So we did and we felt super prompted to share a scripture in Ether. So we did and we told her how powerful her testimony was. All of the sudden she got really quiet and says "do you have a paper? hurry get me a paper!" So we gave her our planners and she writes the name Marlon and his number and says "Don't say his name out loud! After you leave call him! He need God!" So we do and he answers and tells us we can come from a lesson. It was just barley out of our area so we went with the Central Spanish Elders. All four of us taught the lesson and it was SO powerful!! The next Sunday we told the hermana and her face lit up. She said "oh my gosh I thought of him with the scripture that you sent me. He is my husbands friend so that's why I couldn't say his name out loud. I knew he needed the Lord. I can't believe that you came to visit me and shared that scripture." It was such a testimony builder to see how the Lord works. Following promptings works! We also had another moment like that this week. Our appointment cancelled and so we prayed to know what to do and Hermana Dean says "lets go stop by this family we ate with in March and haven't seen since." I had totally forgot about them but when Hermana Dean said she had that prompting I felt the spirit really strong. So we went and when we did the husband answered the door and we went upstairs to find the hermana had been Super sick....and no one knew. Hermana Dean gave a super power testimony and I started to cry a little bit. I couldn't believe that no one knew. The Lord was so direct with his prompting. It was so powerful. We also went to MLCs in Lethbridge again which was fun. Road trips with Sister Trimble and Sister Blauser are so fun. It is also so uplifting to hear President and Sister Miles' testimonies. I love them so much!!! Thursday we picked up a new investigator named Adriana. The lesson was SO good. She is a referral from one the members in the English ward. She is so sweet and really wants to learn! We are excited to begin teaching her. We we got there she was like "so who is going to teach me when you go home? I want to keep learning?" hahaha she also told us that she wants us to come every Thursday! I am so excited to teach her. She is so open to learning about the gospel and she wants to invite her older daughter and mom to hear the lessons too!! It was amazing! She didn't come to church but little by little. We had a lesson with Esperanza and she came to church. I really do love her. She has such a sweet spirit and testimony. The spirit was very direct this week!! It is amazing to see how he works! Well familia I hope you have a wonderful week! 

Love

Hermana Allphin

we went to the zoo!

Zone Conference at the Temple

Hola familia

Sorry I didn't email yesterday....the Library was closed. This week started out so fun! We went to the Zoo on Monday with Hermana Fernando in our ward! It was awesome!! So much fun!! We went to the temple for Zone Conference! Can I just say I have never felt the spirit so strong! Something about all the Elders and Sisters I am serving with in the temple. President and Sister Miles gave their testimonies after and the spirit was SO strong. We had spent two months preparing for this zone conference. President gave us this big book of Atonement talks and I have loved reading them. It's incredible how much you really get to know the Savior when you are doing his work. It takes a lot of spiritual strength but its incredible how much strength the Lord gives you! We also had a lesson with Esperanza. Hermana Dean and I are praying so hard for her. She has the sweetest testimony and is just so close. We have another lesson with her this week. She is an amazing lady and teaching her has really strengthened my testimony. Church on Sunday was incredible too! Its been a super spiritual week. I am so grateful for the Lord and all that he has done for me and all that he does for me! I am glad the wedding went well! I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!

Love

Hermana Allphin

Its sunny and feels like Spring!

Hola familia

Well this week we went on two exchanges which were both super good! I went with Sister Patterson who is one of my dear friends in the mission! We just ended up laughing and talking the whole time! No worries we were laughing and talking while working! Hahahaha I love her so much! After exchanges we went to visit this sweet little old lady and she made us this pie......it was green. Hahahaha I was like "oh no...its green" hahaha but it was actually good. I also went on exchanges with Sister Lyu who is the biggest sweet heart ever! We found 3 Spanish houses! She was amazing! We had a lesson with Esperanza and we talked about the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was a really good. The spirit was really strong. She is so close!!! We are praying with all our hearts that she will have the desire to be baptized. She is so sweet and we love her so much! We have a good week ahead of us! We are headed to the temple with President and the Zone for Zone conference. Its going to be fun!! I am excited! We also ate dinner with this sweet lady in our ward and it was so fun! She helped us cook and it was so good! She is so sweet! Well the adventure continues up here in the North. Last thing I want to say. Shout out to my sister who is getting married tomorrow! Chantelle Marie I am beyond excited for you and so happy that you found Mike! I hope that you have the best day of your life. You are going to be an incredible wife! I know it because you have been the greatest older sister in these last 20 years! To say you are one of my best friends doesn't even do it justice! I love you so much! I am so proud of you and know that you are going to be the most beautiful bride! Do not forget to send me pictures!!!!!!!!!!! Love you

Love

Hermana Allphin

exchanges and learning to cook!

So there is this deer....that is so random.....we had to take a picture!

There was no one on the train!!! And we helped with young womens

This is the famous lake Louis

Service at the the Gonzalez' the elders moved cement and hna dean and I planted flowers

Young Women!

more of banff

throw back to little luis' baptism

Sis. Wagstaff, Dean, and I 

January of this year

Mother's day round #2

Familia!

It was so good to see you all yesterday! Hahaha you all look SO different! Its so strange! Hahaha so I know I talked to you all yesterday....hahaha but I forget to tell you all about my week. So we got ready for mothers day this week. It was super busy now that I am looking back it was crazy busy! Haha but all is well busy is good! We had a lesson with Esperanza she is so sweet! She told us that she had church scheduled in every week haha and she said when she goes back to Montreal she wants to go to church there too. Hermana Dean and I were so happy to hear that but....she still doesn't quite know if she wants to be baptized. She came to church on Sunday and we had such a good Sunday school lesson! We are meeting with her today so that will be awesome! We also did service with the Gonzalez family this week and they are awesome! It was so funny because the Elders were all moving cement and they were like "hermanas do you want to help cook? And plant flowers?" hahaha it was so funny! It was fun! They are such a sweet family they make me laugh a ton! Well familia it was so wonderful to talk to you! Mom I hope that you had a wonderful mothers day! That was the last Skype! That is so crazy! Time is flying! I love the mission so much! Everyday is just so amazing!! We have a wonderful week ahead of us! Love you!

Love

Hermana Allphin

To Banff we go!

Hola Familia!

So this week we made it to Banff!! As missionaries we get to go once a year and this week we had these wonderful and sweet members that took us. Jenny and Jamil they are a newly wed couple in our ward. They both served missions and they offered to take Hermana Dean and I because we had never gone. It was probably one of the most beautiful places! We had so much fun!! Hermana Dean took lots of pictures so I will be sending them. We also got to go to MLCs this week, hahahaha always and adventure! But are you ready for the biggest miracle of all? So this week it's been kind of crazy with Esperanza. She has some pretty big trials in her life so us and the bishop have been working with her. I am not sure how it is all going because as missionaries we have to stay out of most of it but, we had a beautiful lesson with her on Friday night. We taught the Plan of Salvation and it was so amazing. She said that she honestly felt something and she had been reading and praying to know if it was true. We were only planning on teaching the first half of the lesson so as we talked about the Atonement and we invited her to be baptized. She hesitated and said she would pray about it. She really likes the church but she lacks the courage. We decided to all pray together and she gave the most beautiful prayer. She started to cry and the end and then after the prayer she looked at Hermana Dean and I and bore her testimony. She said "it is horrible why I had to come to Calgary but the people I have met here have changed my life. I have never seen the Lord's hands so much." It was a gorgeous testimony. Then at church on Sunday it was fast and testimony meeting and the spirit was so strong. After Sacrament she was talking to one of the members while her daughter Halima was talking to another family, and all of the sudden one of the members grabbed me and said "Hermana she is crying." I looked over to see Esperanza in tears. When I went over to comfort her she began to tell me that she had this strong feeling inside of her that she couldn't explain. She sobbed and I just gave her the biggest hug. She said that she had wanted to bare her testimony because she just felt this feeling so strongly. Then she looked at me in the eyes and said "I don't know why I am crying? I am so happy!" I can not describe it! In her eyes I saw the light of Christ I knew with every fiber of my being that she was feeling the spirit. It made me tear up because that morning I had been praying so hard that she would receive a witness that the church was true. I saw her and she knows. That's why I came! For those tender mercies and moments like that! We have a lesson with her this week and we want to invite her to be baptized again. The next lesson is the gospel of Jesus Christ so it is so perfect. I have grown to love her so dearly. I don't think I will ever forget lessons and moments like that. I have seen it with every single one of the recent converts while they were investigating. That moment when they get it, they know and you see Christs light fill there eyes. I can't describe it but it is real! Well pray that all will go well this week and we can extend the baptismal invitation to Esperanza. I love you so much Familia! Have a good week and I will talk to you on Sunday!

Love

Hermana Allphin  

Hermana Morgan went home!

First of all I just wanted to give a HUGE shout out to my trainer and companion of 5 transfers Hermana Katie Morgan! She successfully and honorably finished an 18 month mission speaking Spanish here in Calgary! Morganita I am so happy for you! I love you and I am going to miss you tons! Go kill it in Pittsburgh! Hola Familia! So this week we said good bye to Hermana Morgan it was so weird to see her go. We also had a lot of transitioning with transfers. I am so glad I didn't get transferred,(hahahaha like I knew I wouldn't because sister Ratliff is still training) transfers are so stressful! The Elders had Johnny's baptism on Wednesday! It was so good! They were both so happy! The ward was so happy, we were so happy! All around baptisms are the best! No matter who it is. We had a lesson with Esperanza this week and it was so good. She is so sweet and the spirit was so strong. We were able to talk about the restoration and she loved it. She said she really loves our church because usually she isn't a big church person. She came to church on Sunday and I think both her and Halima loved it. We have a lesson with them this week along with Edgar and Juliana. Funny story about singing in Sacrament. So heaven knows I don't have the best voice and in sacrament the hymns were all off. Hahaha so usually I try to kind of sing loud because no one really knows the songs but yesterday all the hymns were to low for me. Like the organ was an octave low or something so I was trying so hard to sing and I sounded like a man....Esperanza just looked at me and tried to sing along with me anyways. Hahahah then the next hymn comes and I had never heard of this hymn in my life. Not one person was singing in the congregation and I look down and I realize why....we were singing a different hymn that was being played! SO funny! I lost it! I was trying so hard to compose myself. It was so funny! It's those little funny moments like that where you just love your mission. Hahahah Esperanza and her daughter Halima are amazing! It is going to be a great week! Love you familia!

love

Hermana Allphin

Elder Chirstofferson came!

Hola Familia!

So this week has been such a spiritual week! Finding out about Grammy passing away was a little bit of a shock to me but the Lord has lifted me and comforted me throughout the week. She was incredible and I love her so much! I have no doubt that she has been able to see her three missionary grandchildren this week. Tuesday we had a lesson with Edgar and when we went he had a new person there. Her name is Juliana and she just got to Canada from the Dominican like a week ago. We taught the first lesson and let me just say it was one of the most powerful first lessons. It started out a little rocky...Edgar had lots of doubts. We tried to bring it back and bring the spirit. It was okay until Hermana Dean shared the first vision. Let me just tell you I am so proud of my companion. Her rock in the church is her testimony of Joseph Smith and it shows. She shared the first vision and as she shared it Juliana's mouth dropped open. The spirit was so strong and I swear I saw it click in her eyes. I was able to give my testimony of Joseph Smith and The Book of Mormon and I felt to spirit so strong. Especially testifying of the Book of Mormon. We have a lesson with them again on Tuesday and I am so excited! Every Missionary lives for moments like that on the mission. That's when you really remember why you are out here and it changes you. Seriously the chance that I have to share my testimony has changed my life. It's funny how the Lord works that way. We also had LTMs (language training) which is always fun because we get to see the whole Spanish Program. Hermana Morgan (my trainer and previous companion for 5 transfers) was able to bare her testimony as she goes home this week. Her and an Elder and then we all start to go home one after the other... One transfer after the other! Isn't that crazy! We also were able to go to the temple with her and the other spanish sisters. These Sisters are my dearest friends in the mission. When you all only have 3 companions and you all rotate and are the companions multiple times...you get pretty close. It was hard saying goodbye to her but I know that she is going to do awesome going home! We also had a lesson with Esperanza who is our new investigator also. She has a lot of trials and it is so vivid that the Lord is reaching out to her. We met with her on Friday and her and her daughter came to church with us on Sunday! They loved it and the Ward was so kind and loving to them! I was so happy! Then Saturday we got to meet Elder Christofferson!! He came and oh my goodness the Spirit was so strong. The second he walked it I could just feel it through my whole body like "he is for sure an apostle of the Lord!" I have so many note of the things he said. It was incredible truly! He is so funny too! Like he was up there cracking jokes! It was awesome! He talked about a lot of things but one thing that stuck out to me was prayer. He talked about how God is there listening and how we can invite the spirit more and receive revelation more clearly is by being grateful. Then he bore his testimony of the Savior. SO powerful! It gave me chills. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to meet an Apostle while I am a missionary. Well I love you so much family! Hope you guys have a wonderful week! 

Love

Hermana Allphin

And here is our beloved spanish Program!

this is ESL!

LTMS hermana Morgan's last

this is the new view and check out the polka dots....we went on exchanges so we were together all day like this