Time to Bloom

My dear dear dear familia y amigos,

  I just love you! I have had quite the roller coaster week but I have found that I find a lot of joy in expressing love to others, so I hope all of you can feel a little more loved after reading an email of mine. As always, there's so much to say but no time, so just a disclaimer my emails really only give a small glimpse of how I'm doing. But I'll do my best. 

  So first, after I ended my emailing last Monday, all the sisters in the valley in our mission went with our mission president and his wife up the canyon to Brighton to see the beautiful fall colors. So fun

and so beautiful! It is so wonderful to talk to other, more experienced missionaries and be strengthened by them. Example of how our missionaries are from diverse places as well, I met a sister from Kenya who gave up being on her national soccer team to come on a mission, a sister from Ukraine who learned English for her mission, and a loveable sister from Tonga. Pictures included. 

  We had intercambios, exchanges again this week! It was lovely to learn from my STL Hermana Ramos, and help her put one of her investigators on date! We had some crazy things happen like being out later than planned because someone wanted a blessing, being asked to translate at a store for a member, and meeting crazy connections in a Chick-fil-A in Murray(classic Utah).

  Also big news we had our mission tour this week! That means that a member of the first quorum of the Seventy, Elder Duncan, came to see how our mission is doing and speak to us! He said when he started that he and his wife did not come with talks prepared, but were ready to teach according to our 19:26). He also said something I really loved "An amazing mission doesn't mean every day is fabulous, but your mission is peppered with the best days of others lives."

needs. Wow it was awesome! He listened to our concerns and then proceeded to teach us things all sorts of things about being better missionaries. The biggest thing I took away was to have more faith in all the things that are possible. Like having 40 investigators! And how if someone isn't ready now for the gospel, don't give up on them! Pick a future date to check up on them! It's easy to be overwhelmed, but it was a fabulous reminder that "with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew

  To be honest, I hit a low low this week with my faith. So even if I sound like I'm doing well, I always need all of your support! But it really helped me to remember why all of this is worth it. For those moments when someone prays for the first time, when someone feels the Spirit and their heart starts to change, and those days I yet look forward to with much anticipation, watching people I love so much make promises with God through baptism and the temple! One day! 

  We really are posed for miracles, we have four missionaries in our ward and none of us are even native spanish speakers. Two of us are greenies. And our mission president just told us this week that he received the revelation that the "pruning period" of our mission is over and NOW is the time for us to bloom and see the fruit of our efforts. We can have the faith that there ARE the prepared out there for the gospel! A bit about our investigators, we have our sweet wonderful, 10 year old Samantha on date for baptism and confirmation next month! Her family is less active and coming back, and we've seen miracles in her mom's life. We love their family so much. We also have a struggling mother on date, who surprised us by bringing all of her kids to church on Sunday! And they were early! Love them! 

   I testify that Jesus Christ lives and HIS way is the path to happiness in this life! 

Mucho mucho amor,

Hermana Alley 

P.S. I was so excited to receive two packages in the mail last week! Thank you Hamiltons for the adorable greenie package and my mom for the sweets and letters from my Dad.