last email

You are all invited to Sam's Homecoming on Sunday July 29 at 9 am at 1440 Raddon Drive in Sandy!!  Brunch at our house right after!!

Sam returns home Thursday July 19 at 10 am!!  (He has requested Cafe Rio and a thick, peanut butter, chocolate, banana ice cream shake!)

Thanks for all of your love and support!

Hello,

This is most likely my last group email. Next week I will be exploring Mada before my return. I have a couple of days left here in Fort D. I will be leaving on Saturday to head up to Tana. I will stay in Tana for my last Sunday and then there are just three days left of preparing to go home, saying goodbyes, and having last interviews.

Living here in Madagascar has changed me a lot. I have learned many lessons on my mission that have been preparing me for my life ahead.

This has been a great week!  I am trying to stay focused and enjoy the last bit of time I have here.  I have been working hard these last few weeks trying to make them count.  The work here just keeps going. It has been weird giving people baptismal dates for after I leave. It has been even weirder setting up return appointments that I won't be present at.

Just the other day we ran into an old investigator that we stopped visiting because our schedule was too full and she was not committing too much at the time. We decided to set up a new appointment with her. We taught her about The Restoration again and emphasized all the aspects of Christ's church that were lost and are now restored in the church today. At the end of the lesson she just told us, "I know that last time we met I didn't want to be baptized for a year, but now i just want to become a member of Christ's church. What do I need to do in order for that to happen?" I was thrown way off guard and just started getting excited telling her that we will help her accomplish that. Those are the bittersweet moments as you near the end of a mission. I won't be here to help her with that process but other missionaries will.  I really hope to find out in the next month or so that the people I am finding and teaching now got baptized.  That would be way cool.  I have no doubt that they will be, but I will keep in touch with the future missionaries.

I am so excited to get started in life!  I will see you all very soon!
Sincerely,
Elder Allen

Emotions - "Do you have the faith not to be saved?"

Hi,
 Just in case you haven't heard, the Bubonic Plague has gotten too bad for us to stay in Madagascar so the church evacuated the entire mission this week and reassigned us all to new missions.  I have been reassigned to the California, San Fernando Mission.  It is a temporary assignment, but I only have 9 months left so this may be where I finish my mission.  We all have hopes of possibly returning to Madagascar by February or March, but not sure that will happen.

This is my first real day in California. It has been a long flight coming from Mada to South Africa then to Paris and then coming from Salt Lake to California. It was hard to stop in Salt Lake. It felt like i was coming home, but instead of seeing my family, I had to get on a fourth flight to Cali. It has been a hard couple of days preparing to leave one of the greatest places in the world!!

We have had restrictions placed on us as missionary and we knew this could be a possibility, but we never really thought it would happen.  President Foote tried really hard to keep us there but keep us safe. He is an incredible man.

On Wednesday we were put on lock down, which meant we couldn't leave our apartment.

On Thursday we got the call that we were being evacuated and leaving Madagascar after being told not to leave the house for two days.  We were told to pack quickly and not to tell anyone we were leaving.  I packed up and then got taken straight to the airport on Thursday with my baggage. I ended up not getting on the plane though because I had an expired visa. They detained me until we could show proof I was legal in their country.  So I stayed in the mission home until Saturday.  Until then we just stayed in the mission office watching people leave little by little.  It was so hard.  Everyone was getting reassigned to new missions and having to evacuate.  Sister Foote was so sad, she felt like she was losing all of her kids. It was a sad experience and I do not recommend it.  Some people went to La Reunion with Pres. Foote, some went to Zambia, some went to South Africa, a few of us came to California, and some went to Arizona.  My trainee went to St. George.  Even though we are all over the world, the First Presidency said we will always be "Madagascar missionaries!"

I did not leave Madagascar until Saturday the 21st of October at 3:00.

I got to watch some movies on the long flights over to America. I am pretty caught up with movies now except I held off on Star Wars.  I am still adjusting to the new life style and culture here in California, it is literally the opposite of Mada. I will miss Madagascar a lot especially Pres. Foote. My new mission area is Solemint California that is apart of the San Fernando Mission. My companions are an Elder House and an Elder Bergeron. This morning I had to throw out some of my old beat up clothes and go buy some new ones. I got some new pants and shoes that the mission is going to pay for. My old ones were not acceptable, especially my gray shirts.

I am still pretty sad at the moment about the change. I had to just drop and leave all of my Investigators and members back in Ambohibao. I didn't get to say good bye.  I had a couple of families that were supposed to get baptized last Saturday but now they are not. I am not sure what happened when we didn't show up.  It all just kind of sucks. I hope as time goes on I will adapt more and find a purpose here in California.

I keep being reminded of the recent talk in the last General Conference that said, "Do you have the faith not to be saved?" Sometimes we pray for things that we want and when we do not get what we want our faith decreases. That talk was all about submitting yourself to Gods will and having the faith that whether you get what you prayed for or not God has a plan for you that is for your benefit. It makes me think about my faith in God's plan for me as a missionary. Whether I have the faith in his plan for me here in California or not. I prayed a lot to hopefully one day get to go back to Mada but I think i just need to have the faith not to be saved. I know God has a plan for me here. I will continue to work hard and hopefully one day find the reason that I came here.

Sincerely,
Elder Allen


My mom sent me these thoughts and it made me feel a little better.  These are thoughts from a dad of one of the Elders in my mission in Madagascar.  (Elder Snow's Dad) It helped me see a new perspective and realize that this needed to happen:

"Just random thoughts on all of this:  
(1) the Mada missionaries need to be encouraged to SYL (study your language) with each other as much as possible, especially with the newer elders who are going to be missing the language immersion experience they would usually get.  Some, if not all, of them WILL be returning to Madagascar and they'll need to be able to hit the ground running when they do.

(2) I think some people (myself included at first) thought this evacuation was premature. Then I thought about the disaster it would be if they waited until the situation was more serious.  Several neighboring countries were already talking about imposing restrictions on inbound travel from Madagascar.  How do you evacuate the missionaries once that happens? Also, the kinds of things missionaries do every day (going door-to-door, meeting and speaking with large numbers of strangers) are exactly the kinds of things you cannot do when you're dealing with an epidemic of a 100% fatal, airborne disease. And what if a missionary did get sick or even worse, helped spread the disease? As disappointed as we all are, it's pretty easy to see the wisdom in this decision. 

(3) The Lord has proven himself to be a master of backup plans, and he has one for this. All of those investigators and members will be provided for and we need to trust in him.  He KNEW this would happen and the pieces are in place for the work to go forward and the elect will not be lost. 

(4) Our sons are capable and strong young men who are going through this because the Lord knows they can handle it. It's tough, but part of the mission experience is to find out what you're capable of doing in partnership with the Lord.  This is one of those great unique opportunities. 

(5) Everyone needs to read Elder Bednar's talk from the April 2017 Priesthood Session of General Conference https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04/called-to-the-work?lang=eng. It's been quoted below, and it's perfectly inspired, comforting, and timely."

Just Be Positive & Generous

Hello,

My email is a day late because my new comp was really sick yesterday and I had to stay home with him, so I didn't get a P-day to get to the Cyber.  But he is all good today so I had a little bit of time to email.

Madagascar has become a little weirder for us missionaries. The Bubonic Plague is getting pretty bad so it has restricted us from doing a lot of work. We can only visit the people we already had for fixed programs. We also have to just walk really far everyday because we cannot take a bus. We have two other missionaries living with us now because they were evacuated from their area because of the Plague. It gives us time to make good meals though so that has been great. We have been eating like kings lately.

General Conference was really good this year. I really got a lot from all of the talks. One thing that I particularly noticed was the importance of just being a positive generous person. Also, gaining from hard things. Life can be a hard stressful thing or it can be an amazing experience full of joy. It all just depends on our attitudes and focus. If we learn to put Christ at the center of our lives and look outward in order to bless others then we can receive that joy. Sometimes we are not in a situation or place to gain or receive for ourselves but to give and help others. We are not just receivers and takers. We are to be used to bless the lives of others. God can use us to do marvelous things and to benefit someone else, but it requires us to allow him to do that. That is why we must put Christ at the center of our lives.

Sincerely,
Elder Allen

I Can Feel His Love

Hello,
This week has been wonderful and hard at the same time. I got to speak to my family on Skype which was great.

Also the end of the transfer for us has come and my Companion Elder Wilson is heading to Tana. I am staying in Tamatave and Elder Todd Olsen is coming up to me. It is his last transfer so I am killing him here in Ambolomadinika.  I will probably need to stay for another transfer to show the next guy the area. I love this area though so it is all good. I also lived with Elder Olsen before in my last house so this transfer should be great.

My area is doing pretty good right now. We just had some baptisms so we are kind of in a phase of searching for and finding new investigators. Although, the branch here is really strong and full of really spiritual people.

I have a testimony that there is a God, and that he loves us very much. I know that because I can feel his love and know that every one else can as well when they follow his will. Faith is one of the most important aspects of the Gospel. It is actually the first Principle of it. If you do not have Faith then nothing else matters. There are many people that believe that Faith is believing in things that we cannot know are true. That is false. Faith is a hope for things that are not seen however are true. Also Faith is truly related to a seed. It becomes nothing and sometimes dies if you do not nurture it. If we do not give faith in God a chance and follow it, then we will surely lose it. I know that this is true, I have experienced it myself. It is not good enough to have a simple belief on its own. We must act upon it. I can surely testify that if anyone has a desire to know whether there is a loving Heavenly Father and that he continues to guide his children here on earth today, then you need to try and obey all of his commandments and apply all the principles of the Gospel in your life. Until we do so, we will continue to have doubt and be unsure. But as soon as we do so we will instantly feel the power of his holy spirit in our lives and will not be able to deny the answer that we receive.

Sincerely,
Elder Allen

We Cannot Wait Around

Dear America,

I heard the news.

Madagascar is still doing good. This week Elder Band and I have been bringing some members to come teach with us. During a lesson the member asked our investigator where he works, he told him that he is still looking for a job. The member told him of some good places to find jobs and even some openings that he knows of. The investigator said that he was waiting for God to guide him to a new job. The member told him that maybe God sent him to tell him of those job openings. The investigator did not agree with him.

The Malagasy people are so funny and weird sometimes... All the time. After that lesson, the member told us that if he is going to wait for God to show him everything that he needs to do then he will never do anything.

This reminds me of a story in the Book of Mormon. The Brother of Jared had a problem. He needed to find a way to light up the inside of his boats during their journey across the sea. Instead of just asking God to tell him what he should do he offered a solution, but still with the intent of needing God's help. He asked God to touch the stones and make them light up. God was more than happy to help.

That is how we need to live. We cannot wait around waiting for God to do stuff for us. We need to work, and find the solutions to our own problems. If we do our part and do all that we can do first, then God will handle the rest if we ask.

Love,
Elder Allen

P.S. I have a sweet guitar in my apartment so I get to play guitar everyday.  I haven't found a piano yet.  There is an electronic one at the church, but they take the cord when no one is using it.

I Love Madagascar and all its Weird Perks!

Hello,
This week has been the adjusting week, to the food, culture, everything. I am also starting to do things on my own like buy stuff from the store in Malagasy and get to know someone. The language is coming slowly, but at least it is coming, thankfully.  We teach about six to seven lessons a day and I am still not able to add much but a couple of statements here and there. So my comp has had to teach on his own most of the time. I am able to add more and more of my thoughts everyday though so that is good.

The people and families we teach are so awesome. I wish I had pictures of their homes because they are so interesting. The other day we were invited into teach this family and on the way to their room or house I guess there were giant pigs. The path was like a skinny wood hallway with a short roof so we had to go right through these pigs. I thought they were going to eat me along with the slop on the floor that they were inhaling as we stepped over them.  I have seen some of the weirdest things here that are so normal now. Like cows just walking down the street in the middle of traffic.



I am starting to get used to the breast feeding thing. I have never been weirded out by breast feeding before but here you can have a mother just start doing it right in front of you as you teach her and her family, which is fine. The weird part is the kid is usually like six or seven.  We always walk on the sketchiest wood paths that could break at any moment and you could fall into a swamp that is full of who knows what.

I love this experience!!  I love Madagascar and all its weird perks! I love the gospel and being here sharing it with these people has made me love it even more, because i have seen it bless lives and bring so much happiness. There are so many questions that people have including me about life and after life. And if you just read the Bible and the Book of Mormon you can find the answers. I am so thankful that God continues to talk to us and give us guidance. I am thankful for a prophet that has the authority to receive revelation from God. I know that because God loves us he gives us things and ways to know how to make it back to him and be happy in this life and in eternity. The way you can know this is true by seeking and trying. If you act and do your part to find truth then God will do his part and make it known unto you. But if you do not do anything God will not do your part for you. We need to act. Read, ponder about it, then pray and ask God if it is true. He does not want us to be lost.
Thanks for listening,
I hope life back home is going good.
Sincerely,
Elder Allen

Testimony of the Prophet Joseph

LAST WEEK IN THE MTC.  

SAM FLIES OUT NEXT MONDAY SEPT 12 AT 3:30 PM. 

HE IS READY TO GO!

Hello,

I got my flight plans for Madagascar today. I am excited and ready to go even though I cant speak Malagasy very well. I am the travel leader for my district. If someone gets lost or misses their flight it is my fault. Hopefully we all make it there.

Until I am in Madagascar I will not have much to share, so I have just been sharing my spiritual thoughts from the week.

I have been studying and praying about the Joseph Smith story a lot lately. Specifically, why did he do all that he did? If he did not actually see God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, then why did he try so hard to start a restored church of Jesus Christ? He did not receive any gain, a higher social status, or money. He actual received the exact opposite. His life was full of one hardship after another because of what he was doing. So why would he keep trying so hard to fulfill this purpose?

Joseph Smith actually had his life threatened unless he would admit to not having seen God and Jesus Christ. He refused to deny it... This is because he could not deny it.

When Joseph Smith was just a young man his family and himself were confused about which church to join. They all taught similar doctrine but were all a little different. One night he was reading in the Bible in James 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God". This touched his heart and he decided to do as this scripture directed. He went to a quiet place, knelt down before God, and opened up his heart to him. This is his own account, "I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun which descended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me i saw two personages who's brightness and glory defy all description standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me calling me by name saying, this is my beloved son, here him."

The only way a person would go through so much peril, sacrifice, and devotion throughout their whole lives is if this happened to them. Joseph Smith was a latter day prophet. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. When his children lose their way he will not leave them alone to figure it out by themselves. He loves us too much. He provides a path for us to follow. It is up to us to decide whether we are going to follow it or not.

Joseph Smith restored the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That information is the second most important thing we can come to know. The first is the coming and Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ.

All of these things about the life of Joseph Smith should not be the reason someone comes to believe in its truth. A sure testimony of Joseph Smith and the Restoration only comes through asking God yourself. If you do with a real, sincere, intent to receive an answer, then the feelings of the spirit will make it known unto you.

That is why i believe what Joseph Smith saw and did was real.

Love,

Elder Allen

The Good, the Bad, and the MTC

The good, the bad, and the MTC

The MTC drowns you in the gospel. I have been reading the Book of Mormon and am trying to finish it before i leave to Madagascar. It is full of life changing lessons and teachings.

A word that has been on my mind a lot lately is "humility". It is the key to receiving answers and direction. Pride is like a Dam that cuts off all access to revelation and spiritual guidance.

I watched a video called "The Will of God" the other day, i'm sure a lot of you have seen it. Go watch it again. It is the best analogy about trusting in God and his plan for each of us.

God is our father in heaven, he loves us and knows us all personally. I believe he has placed us all in families, situations, and places that he knows will lead us back to him. Sometimes things happen that make life seem hard and unfair. God always wants to help us but he cannot with out our consent. Any one that thinks they can do it on their own is just too proud and stuck in their ways to grab the rope when they are down in a pit.

In the video "The Will of God" a gardener cuts the branches off of this massive current bush, when he is finished he notices the bush is crying. When he asks the bush what is wrong the bush replies, "How could you do this to me, i was making such wonderful growth and you cut me down. The Gardener replies, "listen little current bush i know what i want you to be, not a big shade tree but an abundant fruit bush. And one day you will realize that i loved you enough to cut you down, so that you may grow into something better than before." This relates to us and our Father in Heaven. All he asks of us is to trust him and his plan. When we are having hard times just know that they wont last, this is because of the Atonement. Christ sacrificed everything so that we maybe able to have a rope to grab when we are stuck in a pit.

I have been humbled many times in the MTC, Malagasy is a hard language to learn. Sometimes i find myself getting frustrated and thinking that i could do so much better as a missionary if i could speak English. Then i remember that video. The Lord knows what he wants me to be and if i endure to the end i will see the fruits of my labor. I will understand the principle that my Father in Heaven cuts me down so that i may grow into something even better.

Love,
Elder Allen

This is a link to that video for anyone interested, it is fairly short and a beautiful message for everyone:

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-01-014-the-will-of-god?lang=eng

The Will of God www.lds.org God uses love-inspired correction to guide us to a future we do not or cannot now envision but which He knows is the better way for us.

(click on picture to watch video)