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  • Writer's pictureSister Allen

Hum and Drum (and a Christmas miracle)



(*waves through the phone screen* HI)


About the title, the hum very much alludes to the Christmas songs that we've been singing with closed lips until we're officially allowed to start belting them out starting tomorrow and the drum is in honour of the terrifying man with paint on his forehead who wanders around the city center chanting words in an unknown tongue and banging on his little drum. We ran into him while getting gelato with Vinicio on Saturday. I could hear him coming from a mile away and gripped Sister Yate's arm in fear. Anywho. You should google him. We promised ourselves we're going to stop and talk to him the next time we see him. Wish us luck!


The CHRISTMAS MIRACLE IS THAT WE BOTH GET TO STAY IN DUBLIN FOR ONE MORE TRANSFER!! I'm absolutely elated that my longest area gets to be a wee bit longer. These 6 weeks are going to FLY by, mind you, but ever since our first few days together Sister Yates and I have had our fingers crossed that we get to stay together for Christmas! Mooooostly so we can drive around and look at Christmas lights and drink hot chocolate, but also for many Other Reasons™️ and Good Things To Come™️.


Speaking of Good Things™️, this week was full of 'em:


While we sat on some steps and watched two seagulls eat an open tub of butter and 10 others attack a slice of cheese that fell from the sky, we invited Jefferson to be baptized and he accepted a baptismal date for February! The spirit was so strong and he is so great! Honestly it's looking iffy for baptisms to be legal even by then, so if you could keep us in our prayers that would be dandier than an Asteraceae taxicum officianale.


(In case you need more proof that we're living in a fallen world, not even 6 hours later, those very same steps were frequented by a group of chavs that were completely off their faces and singing and screaming at the top of their lungs. Honestly just made me all the more thankful for the gospel and the way my parents raised me!!! #giveThanksNotDrugs)


On Saturday Daniel asked US if he could be baptized but we said no (jokesss), then we had a very tender, tear filled lesson about the resurrection with Joao and Grazi. Afterwards Joao was like, "do these lessons have to stop when church opens back up again?" and we said, "ummmm actually no we're doing this at least once a week until you tell us to leave you alone" and he was so happy with that answer!!!


God led us to a couple more software engineers to teach (huh honestly not sure why I'm such a nerd magnet) and a returning member named Laban!


At least one of our friends was SO drunk when we called them!


We got to go to Babs' house for Thanksgiving without breaking any laws!


Basking sharks exist!


I spent half my exercise time one morning watching seagulls fight over a piece of trash through my binoculars!


On our way to buy groceries this morning a woman was throwing bread into the and I had to drive through an actual cloud of seagulls and then bread started falling from the sky! Seagulls are wreckless and chavvy but also the source of 53% of my entertainment so no complaints.


Honestly life is just REALLY weird and a constant uphill battle at the moment, but we love it!!!

Wouldn't have it any other way.


A more spiritual note to end on:

Brothers and Sisters, this gospel is so true. Like, SO true. I gave a talk in church yesterday and spoke about how gravity is true for everyone in every country, and how the gospel is too!


Then we taught an athiest right after who was yelling at us and interrupting us and basically his logic made absolutely no sense and wasn't actually logical and....also he was really empty and sad.


HOWEVER. The magic of the gospel is that it withstands EVERY experiment upon the word without fail! Those who act on it in small and simple ways are filled. With peace, and joy, and inspiration, and all manner of other wonderful things. We just gotta have enough faith to press the big green button that says "UNLIMITED BLESSINGS" then actually press it by doing the small and simple things that prophets invite us to do through scripture and modern day revelation. For example: President Nelson's promise recently was SO TRUE! We chose to focus on gratitude this week and as a result found a lot of joy and things to laugh at despite some pretty dumb things that also happened this week!


Soooo I invite you to experiment upon the words of Christ and read a verse of the Book of Mormon if it's been a while, (or never!) send a verse to someone else if you can already feel so now, and also to have a great FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER YAY!!! Genuinely hope you all had a magical Thanksgiving in the land of the brave and the home of the free! Just remember you're never more free than you are when you're following Jesus Christ and His chosen servants! I'd love to hear about how President Nelson's invitation changed you!


Still convinced Cain is bigfoot,

Sister Allen

(or Monique, depending on who you ask. Our new friend Patricia is convinced that's my name and we haven't corrected her yet)








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