So Great were the Blessing 's of the Lord

Let me start off by saying how much I love you all. You are all a light and a beacon in my life and a true inspiration. You all make me want to be better and better each and every day. For this I am profoundly grateful because you really have helped me to become and keep becoming who I should be. This last week was intense, we were running from place to place for Zone Trainings, and at these the Zone Leaders and sister Shamo and the AP’s do some training with the missionaries while President does interviews. We had one of those every day except for Wed. and Sat. and Sun. this last week. I really learned a lot while going to these meetings. One of the greatest things I have learned is that, wow can I forget certain things pertaining to the scriptures so easy. It just reminds me how important it is to read them every day and really make the scriptures become a part of your life and in doing so you are truly feasting upon the words of Christ. This is something I feel very strongly about, 1 Nephi 15:24 tells us the effect the word of god can have upon us and what it will do for us. This is the one thing we must hold fast to in our lives where there are many things competing for our attention and trying to lead us away from God and happiness we must never forget those times and experiences when we were so happy and think what was I doing? When I think of that it almost always something pertaining to the Gospel or something that would be connected to it somehow. It makes me happy, I know it is Truth that is being taught, not some fictitious creation of someone’s imaginative mind, no it is not that, it is pure truth that can only be discerned spiritually. How amazing it is to know we can find out what is true by testing it, living it and then knowing if it be of God or of man? I love that.
I had the chance of going to Poole and we went on exchanges for a short while and I was able to go and teach Joan Caines, she is doing so well, and is staying strong in the gospel. My heart was full of happiness to see her progressing and staying steadfast in the faith. Also on that exchange we met this amazingly sweet lady, she kept asking us questions about what we do and how it all works and what not. We asked her what she believed and it was a very bazaar thing but we just listened and talked with her. I really thought she was so great. We then had a discussion about truth and what it is and how we can only know if we try it with things pertaining to the gospel and God and then we invited her to learn more and it was the nicest and most kind rejection I have ever had as a missionary, it was sad to see this sweet lady reject something that would truly help her more than she could ever realize. If there is one thing I keep learning is as a missionary we are truly only assisting in this work, at the end of the day God is the one that does the Converting with the agency of the one that is seeking him and they must choose him....
And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father...-Moses 7:33
We need to help them in making a correct choice by loving them and showing them the only way to true happiness is choosing him our father. To me this verse is a sweet gentle fatherly voice crying out for us to choose him; please choose me, your father. Each and every day we must choose him and in choosing him we will be abundantly blessed by our great and eternal Father.
Now here is a contrasting story, We were finishing up a training meeting in Reading and had just had dinner with President and Sister Shamo, and Elder Christensen was needing to find some short sleeve white shirts so we put it into the Satellite Navigator and it was leading us there in Reading to a ASDA, well it led us slightly the wrong way, and we had to back track and finally we arrived to the ASDA. Well it took us into the wrong parking lot, we were slightly annoyed with everything not working like we would of had it work but none the less we started going into ASDA, and Elder Christensen let these two people who pushing a cart in go first, then he said hi to one of them and he was a happy sounding guy so we started talking to him and soon asked where he was from because we knew it was not England, but found out he was from Venezuela. He was amazing, so kind and prepared by the Lord to hear the gospel. His wife and son then came out of one store and we talked for 10 min with them and set up a time for the Elders to go and teach them. The next day the missionaries in Reading went and taught this amazing family, they said you have those who are prepared and then you have these people. It was such a blessing to see how God is really in control of all things that are happening and we must just follow his lead. Soon these people shall be preparing for baptism and there family will be so blessed by the Gospel in their lives.
I love you all so much, have a good week!
I took money out of my account because I needed to buy a new suit as I only have the American one right now because my other one was thrashed, but it is getting fixed.
Much Love,
Elder Garren Allred