Weekly Update -- July 25th, 2016

Hello everyone,

President called yesterday after Church to give me an early heads up on the changes which will take affect tomorrow morning. After just six weeks here in Fraustro, I'm getting changed to Alizondo Real C in the zone Topo Chico (where I started out actually). The reason the President called was to ask me if I would be Zone Leader. It came unexpected to me because of my short time here and accompanied feelings of unpreparation, but if there's one thing that I've learned this past change, it's that the Lord fills the gap between one's capacity and the responsibility of the calling He gives. However, he doesn't fill it if that person doesn't work to full capacity. I know I'm going to learn a lot these coming weeks and do a lot of praying.

This past week we were very blessed to have a great experience with an experience with the bishop's daughter going to visit a less active friend of her's. We saw some ladies trying to lift a washing machine into a car, so naturally we stopped and offered our help. We took the machine to her other house, then took a stove back, then a slightly larger stove to the second house, then back at the first house, we swept and mopped. Suprised by our service, they were understandably very receptive to our message. The member quickly made friends with the five or six other teenaged girls who were there, also inviting them to a mutual activity. It was such a great opportunity for us to share the gospel with them, having lost their Dad in an accident recently. One of the girls said she wanted to run away with her boyfriend because of poor relations with her Mom, but very readily accepted the invitation to pray. Even the bishop's daughter said she was very uplifted to be able to share her testimony, strengthening her desire to serve a mission in just a couple of years. It's those kinds of experiences that make me love this area and a bit sad to leave, but I know I can leave well seeing the progress that has happened in my short time here.

Honestly, when the call came, I was a bit bummed to have to leave, but I have seen good progress in this ward. Although I won't see this family progress or Vanessa (a 15 year old soccer player who has a baptismal date for this coming Sunday) get baptized, I know Elder Aguilar and his new companion will take good care of it. I want to invite you all to listen to the talk by Larry R. Lawrence called 'What lack I yet?'  A great talk that helps us realize how we can continue progressing on our own with the help of divine inspiration. I really liked the theme of progressing at our own pace which our Heavenly Father knows perfectly. Thanks for all of your prayers, love you!

(https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/what-lack-i-yet?lang=eng)

-Elder Allgaier

Weekly Update -- July 18th, 2016

Hello everyone!

Crazy week this last week in a great way. Elder Aguilar and I are working a ton on looking for new investigators and we've had a huge amount of help from the members with references and accompaning us in lessons, we're so blessed. For those efforts, we found a teenager named Oscar (about 16 years old) who came to church for the first time yesterday in his cousin's ward, where the cousin was baptised just a month ago. Honestly, I've only seen him one time so can't say much about it, but we're very excited for him! We also found a family who met with the missionaries a while ago but slept in on their baptismal date! The Mom is actually a member but hasn't gone to Church in a while, but they sound like an awesome family.

A cool experience we had this week was when we had the first Fraustro ward choir practice! I was probably the most excited of anyone about it having talked in ward counsel about it so many times as an idea to strengthen testimonies of the current members. Music really is one of the best ways to invite the spirit. I wore my music tie that Kristyn gave to me and we practiced 'God be with you til we meet again' learning about what the hand movements mean, how to sing harmony and it was a pretty good turnout of about 25 members. I think the sandwiches we brought might've given a little incentive as well.

I invite you all this week to take a trip to mormonchannel.org to see what kind of music you like that might be there. I really like listening to it during computer time to help me feel the Spirit more as well. I hope you will have the same experience. Thanks for everything and happy one year mark Hermana Kendziora!! Love you all!

-Elder Allgaier

District activity going to 'Parque Fundidora' which is an old steel processing factory that they converted into a public park!

And then we went to a buffet, similar to Cici's, called Josefino's.

Divisions with Elder Martinez

Zone picture

4th of July? Could be, but not sure..."ran out of time".

4th of July?

4th of July?

4th of July? 

Not sure what this is. Elder Allgaier ran out of time to describe. : ) He's not even in this picture!

Not sure what this one is either, but he's in the back on the right this time.

Weekly Update -- July 11th, 2016

Hello everyone!

Kind of a crazy week, we had short changes so Elder Juarez went to the area where my new companion just came from in Morelos stake. My new companion is Elder Aguilar from Guatemala and he's awesome! Apart from being a great fùtbol player (playing with the zone this morning) he's super humble and a hard worker. We're thinking this will be his last area seeing that he has 20 months in the mission which only motivates us more to make it the best area of his mission.

We're working right now in finding new investigators and the members are being awesome with helping us in that part. As missionaries, we can knock 100 doors, but it can have less affect than just one reference from a member because the relationship is already established. Missionary work is a lot more effective when the members are involved. I invite you to talk to one of your friends to listen to the missionaries this week! I know that you, the missionaries and the friend will be uplifted by the experience, even if they don't end up being baptized. Anyways, we're looking at about seven references this week, including a few youth from the young women's president who is going to come with us to visit them. Hermana Mora, she's awesome.

That's about it for the week, kind of boring, but I'll end with a cool experience. We were knocking doors the first day together as companions, Elder Aguilar and I. SUPER HOT. Plus, it was a super long street, but when we knocked on a certain door she invited us in to rest from the heat. Angel. Among talking for a few minutes, she told us she had seen a lot of signs telling her to come closer to God recently including getting a job to be able to rest on Sundays answering a prayer. At the end, we wanted to say a prayer and she said, 'Elder Aguilar should say it! He is sent from God!' Love you guys, take care in the heat this week!

-Elder Allgaier

sorry for no pictures this week, I remembered the cable, but the battery died... I promise for the next week there will be pictures!

Weekly Update -- July 4th, 2016

Hello everyone!

It's kind of weird because I just wrote a few days ago, but a few notable things have happened since last Wednesday. One of the most exciting was a stake missionary activity we had last night teaching a few short classes to the members (including about 30 future missionaries and 2 ex mission Presidents) how to furthur participate in the mission work. The other companionships taught 'How to share my testimony' and 'How to relate the gospel into daily conversation' while Elder Juarez and I taught 'How to contact'. Very fun activity and a chance for us experienced Elders to help others share the blessings of the gospel to friends and family. A member gave Elder Bandy, our Zone leader, the best compliment of the night saying, 'wow, missionaries are so humble.' One of the best things a missionary can hear.

I'll be a little short on this one, but I have to mention America's birthday. Happy birthday USA. We spent the day after a few meetings celebrating by eating American Cheeseburgers and American ribs and American Potatoes and drinking American Sprite and Mexican Coke. Have to be honest, Mexico has won the coke contest. I invite you all this week to ponder who you will vote for this coming election. I tie this into the gospel because it is a principle that government and Church be one in purpose, both work better united. Let's keep America a great country by voicing our opinions. I feel especially passionate thanks to my good buddy Bryce who is now in the fight to make that continually possible. Love you all and thank you for your prayers.

-- 

-Elder Allgaier

...Pictures to come, can't find a cable right now...

Weekly Update -- June 29th, 2016

Sorry for the late update, everyone. I didn't get this until Wednesday evening.  It's worth the wait, though, as always! : ) --Elder Allgaier's mom

Hello everyone!

First of all, happy two day belated anniversary to the best parents in the world. Love you Mom and Dad!! Second, I'm writing today (wednesday) and not Monday because of a zone temple trip we went to this morning. The temple is awesome. We always go for the first session, usually coming from a metro and bus ride, making it tough to pay 100% attention. But today, upon ending the session, I felt so relieved of all of the stress that many times accompanies new changes on top of the challenging missionary life. I feel the importance especially now that Tyler is preparing to get married, Mom and Dad are celebrating their anniversary and personal experiences gained here on the mission of the importance of temple work. Here's a swing, this week I invite you in the first paragraph to visit the temple closest to you and really feel the Spirit that is there. Even if you happen to not be a member of the Church reading this, various temples (such as the Washington DC temple) have visitor's centers for everyone.

Upon arrival in Fraustro, Elder Juarez and I set to work right away with thinking of ideas to invite more people to Church and strengthen the members. Two ideas have been starting a ward choir and holding a fútbol tournament for the area's youth in the court we have out back. The former has been slightly more successful than the latter with the Bishop talking to a YSA member who conducts in sacrament to direct the choir. I really feel like it'll be a great opportunity to build testimonies, feel the Spirit stonger and just learn new hymns. Sometimes we get caught in the trap of singing the same songs over and over again. The tournament has yeilded some success, but not many youth have come. There is one group of 'cholos' from the ages of 14 to 16 who come every once in a while to play just for fun because there is a court there, but never come to Church. Could you imagine that group of 8 kids as a Priest's quorum? We'll see how it goes over these next few weeks. 

-Elder Allgaier

Service project making CONCRETE from CEMENT and other materials covering a hole in the Bishop's store

Inside the store

Divisions with Elder Jimenez

Pizza thanks to a member

Temple trip today! (Elder Allgaier is the first one on the left, back row.)

Thanks Elder Chadwick for the temple picture