Week 94 Senri: 安全第一

Hey Everyone!
I am way sorry that I was not able to get an Email off last week, I unfortunately ran out of time and wasn’t able to write one. But I am going to repent and write one this week.

This last week was full of great steps of progress for some investigators and some disappointing setbacks for others. We had a couple of our investigators with a baptismal date that decided that they weren’t as willing to be baptized as they had thought and we have been deeply disappointed by their decisions, but we look forward with hope for those of our other Investigators whose commitment to follow the Savior is deepening as they take more steps towards making that covenant of Baptism. Besides that we are trying harder to work more with members and help them fulfill a new goal that they have as Senri ward, to get a church building in Mino that can be much closer to all of the Members and will be easier to invite friends and less active members to attend. They have said that in order to accomplish that goal we are going to need 30 more active members than we now have. So we are going to do everything that we can to progress towards that Goal. We are excited to talk with the Ward Mission Leader about what steps and actions we are going to take in order to achieve this goal that will bless this ward so much. 

I also got in a little crash this last week but was miraculously scratch free for the most part. Despite the high speeds at which we were biking all I had was a couple of bruises and a cut on my knee. #Miracles #NotInjuryProne 

Love you all and hope that you have a fantastic week!

Elder Allred

This was the immediate aftermath of my crash (notice that my backpack is lodged into my front tire and that my back tire was actually the one that ended up on top of me.) 

Note to self: no more adjusting my backpack while riding #安全第一

Week 93 Senri: Registration

Due to BYU registration Elder Allred didn't have time to send out a group letter.  He did send a couple of pictures:

Funny hats with bad English 😂 

One of the missionaries drew this rendition of the Plan of Salvation

Week 92 Senri: Book of Mormon Week

Hello!

It was a fantastic week here in Senri. As a Zone we did a Book of

Mormon week where we challenged all of the missionaries to see how

many copies of the Book of Mormon they could give out in a week. At

the end of the week we had given out 83 copies of the Book of Mormon

as a zone! It was so amazing all of the effort that all of the

missionaries put into finding a teaching people about the Book of

Mormon and answering their questions of the soul with the Word of God.

So many miracles were seen and it was truly a happy week. It is

incredible to see the scripture be fulfilled that says, “My sheep hear

my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” (John 10:27). We are

excited to hear what happens as each of the missionaries continue to

teach and invite those that have found and have followed the voice of

the Good Shepherd.

Our investigators are also looking really good. A lot of them are

coming to church each week and making great progress towards Baptism.

We are excited to continue to nourish them as we continue to find more

who are ready to come unto Christ. This last week we did a Flyer hand

out activity as a District and started doing the Book of Mormon

Challenge and were able to give out several Book of Mormons and also a

person came up to us and recognized us as missionaries and told us how

he had met with missionaries before he had moved to Japan and wants to

meet with us again. The miracles that we are seeing make it so clear

that God is at the head of this work and that we are but instruments

in His hands. I love being a missionary so much, it scares me to watch

time fly by. I hope you all have a great week!

愛しています！

Elder Allred

Last P-day Elder Dayley, Shingo Kyoudai (a member in Senri ward), and I went up to Minoo Waterfall.

Week 91 Senri: Missionary Menu

ハロー！
What a week of revelation and inspiring instruction. Elder Renlund came to our mission and did a Conference with our whole mission and brought us tons of encouragement and love. He also did a Nation wide broadcast for members and missionaries and told all of us how we could better work together to see tons of miracles and success. I am so excited to do as he invited and make our Ward a Missionary Menu with the Ward Mission Leader that they can peruse for ideas and make an order of the activities that are the most applicable to them in their specific circumstances and according to their taste. It is sure to cook up some mean miracle meals (...my jokes are going downhill...).

The Zone has also been looking really good this transfer. All of the District leaders are really working hard and have big visions and goals for how they are going to bless and strengthen their districts this transfer. We are seeing and are excited to continue to see many mighty miracles occur here in the Kita Osaka Zone.

We also had a great week here in Senri. Sunday was especially wonderful with 4 Investigators coming to church and all of them staying for the full 3 hour program. As we taught them at church it seemed very clear that all of them were definitely going to be Baptized and continue on down the path to Eternal life. It is such a blessing to be apart of their Gospel Journey and I am so excited to see them take that step of Faith and enter into the waters of Baptism. I am so grateful for the blessing that it is to be working here this transfer. I love the Work of God! I hope that you all have a fabulous week this week!

有難う御座います！

Elder Allred

I took lots of pictures from last weeks Preparation Day to Osaka Castle

Week 90 Senri: Mother Dear I Love You So

Happy Mother’s Day!!!

Mother’s Day means Family Skype Calls!

I love my family so much and I am so grateful for the blessing it is to have such an amazing family! I have learned so much from them and feel so much love and support from them. The calls are just too short to be able to express just how much they all mean to me. Tell your families how much they mean to you. Show your families how much they mean to you. I am so grateful that families can be together forever! I hope that you and all your mothers and all your families have a wonderful week! Love you all!

Elder Allred

Week 89 Senri: Transfers are Coming

Hey Everyone,

It has been another fantastic week in Senri! We did a 30 30 English/Gospel program at a member’s house with his friend and it went so great. We taught him the restoration and the member bore his own powerful testimony and in the end the friend told us that he feels that the message of the restoration is true, and wants to be baptized and follow Jesus Christ. We weren’t however able to set a date because of his busy schedule and his father who might be opposed to him joining, but we definitely look forward to working more with him and his member friend. We also had a second appointment with a member and their son who just got in a divorce. We talked with the son about how God is his Father in Heaven and can help him when he is down. We talked about Baptism and how it is being born again as a fresh start with Christ as his Savior and the Center of his life, and he told us that that is what he wanted. We did set a date with him and have made a plan to teach him the lessons before that date. He also told us that he would come to church each week so that he can learn more and prepare himself for Baptism. His mother was so happy that he had made that decision and told us afterwards that she had been praying for her son for many years. It was such a powerful and Spiritual experience to see the Joy of the Mother and the Hope of the son as they were united by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We look forward to continuing to work with these great Children of God as they make steps and commitments to come unto Christ. I have been so grateful to have been able to see so many miracles here with these members in Senri. I am grateful for the Love that I have been filled with as we teach and testify and invite as many people as we can to come unto Christ. I can feel what Yamashita Choro of the seventy said about making eternal friendships with those of whom we teach and serve. I feel such a connection to everyone we are working with here and I can’t wait for the day where we can see them enter the waters of Baptism and receive the immense Joy of this Gospel.

I have been so grateful for the miracle it has been to work here in Senri. We are working with the Ward to get several things started that will only add to the miracles. With transfer calls coming up I am hoping with all my heart that I can stay here in Senri to see the fruits of the so many things that we have seen get started. Next transfer we are scheduled to see 5 amazing investigators with such sincere desires receive the ordinances of Baptism and Confirmation and there are 2 or 3 others who are very close to making that same commitment, but ultimately I understand that Christ is at the head of this work and I will go where He wants me to go. I know that he has a plan for this mission and the people here in this area and for me, and if it is to stay I will gladly stay, and if it is to go I will willingly go. I love this work and the Mercies of our God. I can’t wait to see what this next week has in store. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Elder Allred

Our musical number at District Meeting