...It's Been A While ;)

Christmas Day Skype Session with Elder Alley :)

December 28, 2015

There's really not much to say haha. Church was good yesterday! I spoke in sacrament meeting for the Arbor View Ward, and then we taught the Gospel Principles class for the YSA Ward. They both went super well I thought.

In fact, I don't know if I've mentioned this yet, but it's just really stuck out to me on my mission that I truly love teaching. My favorite thing to do is stand in front of a white board and teach, and demonstrate, and share insights, and foster discussion on Gospel Topics. I find it invigorating! It's made me wonder if that should be a career field I look into. Some sort of job that will allow me to teach in settings like that. Who knows... Just a thought!

Other than that I just want to thank you all for the great gifts I got! Mom and Dad, Ashley, Aubrey, Grandma, MomMom, Mimi, the Carpenters, thank you all so much for thinking of me and sending something my way this Christmas! It means a lot to a missionary who is far from home and family this special time of year, but your thoughtfulness made home seem not too far at all:)

Last thing I wanted to ask about, will I be getting a new calendar to use for 2016? Idk if you made one, or if Uncle Marc made a family one like he usually does. I would really like one if I could! I loved using mine this last year. I have it up by my study desk and I write down on it when important missionary meetings are coming up like zone conferences or interviews with President. If there's any sort of Alley family 2016 calendar out there, I'll take it. If not, I'll go buy myself a cat calendar probably.

Anyways, that's it from me, love you guys! It was the highlight of my Christmas getting to talk to y'all! You all look great and are probably my favorite Alley's out there. ;)

Los quiero muchisimo! Talk to ya later!

-Elder Alley

My Joy is Full

Temple trip

A sister in Elder Alley's area texted this pic.
(I LOVE the members in Vegas---Elder Alley's mom)

December 21, 2015

Blessed. That's really the main thing that was on my mind this past week.

I am just. So. blessed.

So many missionaries don't get to see the fruits of their labors while they are in the field and that is just as honorable and worthy of missionary service as anything else. However, I got the opportunity this past week to get to see some of the fruits of my labors while still here wearing the name tag. 7 people I have worked with on my mission got baptized this past weekend. I was able to be at every
baptism and spoke at all, but one. haha. I have not ridden a spiritual high like that in some time. I have found myself not asking for anything really in any of my prayers the last several days. I just spend the whole time thanking Heavenly Father and trying to show gratitude for how blessed I have been.

And not just this last week, but it really did hit me this past weekend just how blessed I've been through I my whole life. The family I've been given, the friends I've made, the experiences I've had. Being born with this knowledge, having the chance to spend 2 years sharing it. I don't know.

I stand all amazed!

It was a good week. I can go into more detail when we Skype:)

Be sure to ask me about one moment specifically. I would type it, but I just don't think I'd do it justice. Ask me when we're Skyping about what happened with Elder Walker and I in the font at the Águilas baptism.

Also, we got got to go with Chris to walk around the temple grounds yesterday. It was so peaceful and spiritual on the grounds, and it was super cool seeing the temple at night. It truly was a great week! I can't wait to tell you more when we Skype! Love ya!


-Elder Alley

The Week Every Missionary Dreams Of

My good buddy Caleb. He's a stud guy who came out with us a lot. He is leaving for his mission to Milan, Italy this Wednesday. I know he's going to do great things over there!

December 14, 2015

I will say that I am very excited for Christmas week next week, with Skyping home and the Christmas spirit reaching its peak and all that, but I think that I've never been more excited as a missionary for any week, than for this one coming up right now.

That's because we will be having FOUR baptisms this week!!! Thursday at 6:00 PM our good bud Kyle (the one who asked us how quick we could teach him the lessons last week) will have his baptism. Then Saturday morning at 12:30 a mom and her son that we've been teaching will be getting baptized, and then later Saturday at 5:00 Chris (YSA Ward) will be getting baptized! I am so stoked for this week. It's going to be a lot of coordination and running around trying to get programs made and printed and invitations extended and details finished, but that is the kind of stuff every missionary lives for :) I truly am so blessed to be where am I, doing what I am doing, and seeing some of the fruits of my labors so instantly.

I dare say this week will be the best Christmas gift I could ask for.

This last week was a lot of fun. We set a record for this area. We had the most Member Present Lessons and most total lessons that have been taught in this area in a single week in a looooooooong time. And on top of that we did exchanges with other missionaries and one of our new AP's Elder Johnson came with us on exchanges for a day. We've been running around all week and I'm pretty tired. However, we don't get much of a rest today because in order to get some of the people we are working with fully prepared for baptism, we are having lessons with them today in a little bit. It's a small price to pay for helping people to the waters, and I'm glad to pay it!

So life is good, baptisms will be happening, the members house who we live with is all decorated in Christmas gear and that makes me happy to come home to at night :) I can't ask for much more than this! It is going to be a wonderful week, and then the next one is Christmas Week!

I love you all and hope you have una semana fantástica!

-Elder Alley

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Me and my new companion, Elder Anderson

Full of Christmas spirit!

December 7, 2015

Christmas lights, and music, and First Presidency Devotionals? You know what that means! :) It must be my favorite time of the year again! If you know me, you know I love Christmas time! I'm so super stoked to be a missionary for one last holiday season. People are just naturally nicer, more charitable, more receptive this time of year.

This first week of the transfer went really well. Elder Anderson and I are getting along very well. The kid's a workhorse, and I'm loving it! There was one little slip up in our companionship unity, however, as we were helping the Saure's put some Christmas lights on their house. Elder Anderson wasn't holding the bottom of the ladder secure, and it slipped out from underneath me as I was up near the roof. Although my cat like finesse ;) allowed me to land gracefully onto my feet, it did bruise my big toe pretty bad and I strained some of the tissue in my foot. So the doctor told me no more P-Day basketball for a couple weeks. It's ok though, I have forgiven Elder Anderson and our companionship is stronger than ever:)

In other news, we are potentially going to be baptizing up a storm this month! From the Silver Stone Ward we have 3 people set to get baptized in the upcoming weeks. 2 are a mom and her son. The son's name is Luke and he is one of the most spiritual kids I've ever met. On Sunday he got up to bear his testimony! And he gave elder Anderson and I a shout out from the pulpit! They're set for the 19th. Then, the 3rd person is a crazy story. Yesterday we walked into church for the Silver Stone Ward and the very first lady I shake hands with to introduce myself to as the new elder in the Ward says, "Elders, my son's friend has been coming to church for over a year and knows it's true. His parents said they wanted him to wait until he turned 18 to get baptized. His birthday was yesterday. How quick can you give him all the discussion? He wants to be baptized next Thursday."

WHAT!? That's the kind of stuff missionaries would die for! We had a lesson with him today (that's right, P-Day lessons, we're just that consecrated) and he is totally set on this. He just turned 18 and wants to serve a mission in a year. We will be meeting with him every day until next Thursday to get him all the discussions in time to be baptized.

Then, we also have my main man Chris in the YSA Ward! We watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional with him and had a lesson as well over at his friends the Wong's house. We set a specific time for his baptism, so it is a go! December 19th at 5:00PM!  If everything goes according to plan, we should have 4 baptisms before I even Skype you guys for Christmas.

Also, we had a special MLC (Mission Leadership Council) on Friday where Bro. Donaldson of the Presidency of the Missionary Department Skyped in and gave us some fantastic insights on how to do more effective missionary work. Elder Anderson and I are excited to put them to use in the upcoming weeks.

I'm loving life right now and I'm praying and hoping that everything this month turns out to be as amazing as it is shaping up to be. I love you guys and I'll talk to ya next week! Cuídense!

-Elder Alley

#ASaviorIsBorn

Our zone won the Clean Car Trophy for the cleanest cars at Zone Conference.
It's kind of a big deal. Just sayin'. ;)

October Transfer Meeting

A nice zone pic (check out that great posture)

Some of the best missionaries in the NLVW Mission ;)

It's starting to feel like the most wonderful time of the year
and these are some of the most wonderful people in the world.

Just before I "killed" Elder Adamson.
*killed=sent him home because his mission was over

November 30, 2015

Quick! Stop reading this email and go to christmas.mormon.org! I'll let you check it out for a couple minutes...




Pretty cool huh!? If you remember the "He Is The Gift" initiative from last Christmas, this is a completely similar initiative the church is doing for this Christmas Season, and we are excited as missionaries! We have special pass along cards and a video to show people all about the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ! And that will be THE focus for our mission this next transfer.

Speaking of transfers, I am super excited for this next one. There are some big changes happening. The Elkhorn Springs zone will be combining with the Tule Springs ("Tooley") Zone and making The Springs Zone. My new companion will be Elder Anderson from Sugar City, Idaho. I am STOKED to be with him, he is a huge stud and, not to mention, one of the best looking missionaries in the field, so our YSA Ward numbers will probably be improving over these next couple weeks;) haha! We came into the field together, but since I was in the MTC for 6 weeks I go home a transfer before him. Speaking of that, due to changes in MTC departure dates, I will now no longer be coming home June 28th. I will be coming home a week later, on July 5th. So, my hopes of only having to spend one 4th of July in the field will not be coming true, but I'm excited that I will be given just a little bit longer to serve the Lord:)

This last week was fun, but full of lots of preparations for Elder Adamson to go home. I'll be honest, I love Elder Adamson and I know I've found a lifelong friend in him, however, I'm very excited to be with a companion who is not going home soon. It was kind of hard having to be a bystander as he did all his preparations and everyone gave him advice on post mish life and how happy they were that he would be seeing his family soon, so....it'll be nice to not have all that anymore haha. In all seriousness I'm super excited for this next transfer, and for my new companion!

With the work, our only investigator that is progressing is C, but he is doing awesome! We fasted with him this past week so he could receive an answer as to when he wants to get baptized, and he ended up telling us that the 19th is when he wants to do it, so now we are working with him towards that. On thanksgiving we had about 4 different families sign up to have us for dinner, and we also played some football with a bunch of college kids and our missionary team held our own!

Last thing, with the changes, I'll be covering a different ward. I will continue in the Arbor View and Centennial Hills YSA wards, but instead of Elk Ridge I will now be covering the Silverstone Ward in the Tule Springs Stake. Other than that, it is just going all out for this Christmas Season and telling everyone about the good tidings of great joy of the birth of our Savior!

To end, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I would like to say that I am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity to serve as a missionary. I'm grateful for the people I've met and the experiences I've had that have changed me and helped me come to know who my Savior is. I'm grateful for the Nevada Las Vegas West Mission, for the companions I've had, for the knowledge I've gained. I'm grateful for my loving family that has supported me and are huge examples to me! I'm grateful for this Gospel and for the peace and joy it brings into my life. I know this Church is the only true and living church on the earth and that it is lead by Jesus Christ himself. I love y'all and I hope you have a great week!

-Elder Alley

Tired....so...tired

This is the former Elder White. He completed his mission in San Antonio a little over a week ago. The last ward he served in was in New Braunfels and his Bishop was Bishop Alley! And now he is in the Centennial Hills YSA Ward where I am serving :) I was at the chapel and he walked in and looks at my name tag and says, "This is a long shot, but you don’t happen to have family in San Antonio do you?” And, of course, I say “Yes, I do. My uncle is a bishop down there” and we made the connection and it was super crazy!

At the Zion's Youth Symphony

The first pic is us driving TOWARDS Vegas. 

As you can see...

We are waaaaaay out on the outskirts.

November 23, 2015

This last week was an exhausting one! But in a because-of-all-the-hard-work-we-did kind of way ya know? I was on exchanges with 5 different missionaries this past week and 3 of them were all less than 3 months out on their missions so I had to really lead the work for the day a lot. I spent most of the week just going to bed as soon as possible after daily planning due to how tired I've been recently. All the exchanges were due to sick companions and also Elder Adamson had to do some things to prepare for going home, and we have another elder in the zone going home with him, so they would go off and do their things and I would stay and work. Someday that will be me having to prepare for that, but today is not that day! Haha So needless to say I did a lot of running around and I was beat.

The two highlights though for this past week were the Mission Tour with Elder Corbridge and the Zion's Youth Symphony.

The mission tour with Elder Corbridge was awesome. I won't be able to truly share the knowledge and wisdom he gave us over email, but I will share two specific things he shared that really stuck out to me. First, in our special MLC we did I asked him to share with us things he has learned in his time as a general authority in how to best help people understand the need for consistency with gospel principles. He shared that there are two ways to get people to do things. 1) manage them 2) inspire them. He then talked about how managing is using outside forces to make people act the way we want, while inspiring them allows them to use their own internal motivation to change and become who they need to become. I thought that was awesome!

Secondly, in his actual tour he did with us he made a comment about the relationship between the Atonement and Jesus Christ that really stuck out to me. He said that we often times don't give enough focus on Jesus Christ, and that we focus too much on just the act, and not the person. To put it in other terms, think of it this way:

The Atonement doesn't forgive us of our sins.
The Atonement is what put Jesus Christ in a position so that HE could forgive us of our sins.
The Atonement doesn't comfort us.
The Atonement gave Jesus Christ the necessary knowledge and experience so that HE could comfort us.

It just makes you look at it in a different way, a more personal way. As Ive started to look at it like that I've feel that I've grown a more personal relationship with the savior. It makes Him more real for me. It makes me focus on a face and a person, rather than the vague concept of an act. It was a beautiful insight!

Then last night we got to go to the Zion's Youth Symphony again, and this time it had the group, GENTRI, as the guest artist! Yupp, the same group Mom and them saw at the Women's Conference. It was a spectacular performance, my favorite one of the three I've been too, by far. We went with Chris and the Wong family. It was a super fun night and we are so blessed as a mission to get to attend them.

This next week is the last week of the transfer, so I'll be officially killing Elder Adamson this next week. I'll find out on Saturday who my next companion will be. Our goal is to make this one of the best weeks ever so that he can finish his mission on a high. I'm excited! I love this work and I love you all! Have a muy Bueno week!

-Elder Alley

In the Grind

A picture of Elder Alley and Elder Roskelley that a kind member texted me. :)

November 16, 2015

First and foremost I would like to give a big ol BIENVENIDOS to Sis. Alley who has officially left the stray dogs and sticky rice of Bangkok and is now returned home to the thriving metropolis of Spokane, WA. I'm so über proud of you and the great missionary service you gave:) You truly were an inspiration and a motivating force to all of us fellow Alley missionaries in the field, and it's been a pleasure working in the vineyard with ya:) Have fun wearing pants and hugging boys and watching Netflix. Just don't forget to read your scriptures and pray in Thai!

As for the last week, it was pretty solid again. We have one investigator from the YSA Ward who is progressing swimmingly:) He is so solid. We taught him the plan of salvation this last week and afterwards he just sat there and was like, "This is all so new, and so deep, but...it just feels right." And we just said to him, "Well, that's because this isn't really the first time you’ve heard this, this plan was already explained to you before you were born, in the pre mortal existence!" And he thought that was just the coolest thing since chopped liver. He came to church with us yesterday, too!

We also found two new investigators yesterday! The family we had dinner with invited some non-member friends over and we were able to chit-chat during dinner and slowly break the ice and then teach principles of the gospel without them even realizing it and then after the dinner we were able to actually sit down and teach the message of the restoration and they liked it and want to keep meeting. I've seen a lot of success on my mission from having dinners with members when they invite someone not of our faith to join. It's such an easy and super effective missionary opportunity!

Other than that, this week we had zone conference and we gave a zone training meeting and went on exchanges. I went on exchanges with an Elder Roskelley this past Friday. That kid reminds me SOO much of Michael it's ridiculous. He's like a more quiet version of Michael, but some of his mannerisms were very familiar to me haha. There were parts during the day when it really just felt like I was with Michael again. It didn't make me sad, but it sure made me miss my bro! Needless to say, I've got a soft spot in my heart for Elder Roskelley now.

And despite elders reminding me of my brother, my sister finishing her mission, and running around doing a lot of "going home preparations” for Elder Adamson, I have managed to not get trunky! (So no need to ask me, Dad lol). But, it's been strange for sure. There's a different vibe to the transfer when you're killing your companion.That’s just how the mission be, though.

Tuesday we have a mission tour with Elder Corbridge of the Seventy who is coming to our mission. Today we are doing a specialized MLC with the leadership of the mission where he will give us some instruction and that will be cutting our P-Day short a couple hours today #consecration so that's why the emails are coming in early. Anyways, it was a good week, and I'm glad to hear Ashley made it home safe and sound:)

Love y'all!

-Elder Alley

My Kind of Week!

Elkhorn Springs Zone

Baptisms are my fav

Temple trips are also my fav

Our sweet mission truck.
As you can see our zone covers the outskirts of Vegas

November 9, 2015

AHHHH! ASHLEY WILL BE WITH YOU GUYS IN LIKE 5 days! That's so cool. :) You guys better enjoy her! That will officially make Jake the senior Alley Family missionary now. I only will get like 3 weeks to be the senior missionary :/ haha, but it's all good! Be sure to take videos and pictures and send them to me! I'm so happy for that reunion for you all, I get all smiley just thinking about it!

This was one of those weeks where you just wish every single week could be exactly like it:)

It started out with a surprise of really cold weather! We hit 43 degrees at one point, quite the contrast from the 120 that I was dealing with just a couple months ago. Then we had MLC, which was really good, and then I had exchanges on Thursday with Elder Rathjen, one of our district leaders from Kansas City, Kansas. He is a super nice guy and we had a peachy keen time on our exchange.

The highlight was definitely Saturday. We spent the whole day at baptisms. The first one was a girl in the YSA Ward. Elder Adamson was actually the first one to teach her when he was in a different area and then she got referred to the YSA Ward, and then he actually was the one to baptize her so I was happy for him. She is one of those cray stories where a couple months ago she didn't even really believe that there was a god, and now here she is getting baptized as a sign to God that she wants to follow Jesus Christ! Those are the best mission stories.

Then it was the baptism for Sis. Ross! So many people came for it that we ended up having to move into the chapel because the Relief Society room couldn't hold us all. President and Sister Ahlander even came! :) It all went super well and the Ross family was just beaming with joy and they've already set the goal that in exactly one year, they will be entering the temple to be sealed for time and all eternity as a family, which means.... ROAD TRIP FROM BYU IN A YEAR! I'm going to be soooooo stoked for that. That's one of the blessings of serving here. I’ll be able to come back for cool things like that. :) Elder Adamson, Elder Gee and I are already making plans for the trip. THAT is what missionary work is all about, putting families together and helping people receive ALL the blessings of the restored gospel. It just makes me so happy that I couldn't sleep that night because I was filled with child-like joy thinking about going to their sealing, and also just how blessed I am right now.

That was seriously one of the biggest themes this week for me: gratitude. I couldn't even grasp completely just how much I've been blessed. To be here, doing this, serving a mission, and to be able to see the fruits of our labors, and see the joy of the Gospel in this family, it's the sweetest experience of my life. I wouldn't trade these moments for anything.

Then, on Sunday, we had one of our investigators come with us to church with his friend who is a member's family. He enjoyed it a lot, and it was actually a bit different this week because we had a general broadcast from Salt Lake. Elder Robbins, Sister Reeves, Elder Corbridge, and Elder Oaks all spoke and their talks were awesome. Elder Corbridge (who is actually coming to visit our mission on our annual general authority mission tour in 2 weeks) dropped a spiritual bomb on all those who have wavered in their faith by the recent policy change from the Quorum on church policy regarding children of same-sex couples. As a church, we are separating our selves more and more from the world. We are going to hit a point here soon where it will be impossible to be a fence-sitter. You're either going to be 100% for God or 100% for the world. There will be no inbetweeners.

I had a very spiritual experience his week where I really just promised God that my decision has already been made. I'm on his side. No doubts, no wavering. Consecration to its fullest. If I lose friends, so be it. If I'm hated, so be it. If the rest of the world disagrees with me, so be it. I know whose side I'm on because I know what's at stake here. It's not a popularity contest. We are talking salvation. Eternal progression vs. no increase at all. Being with my family forever vs. losing them after death. The stakes are high and an unpopular opinion isn't going to make me forfeit everything I’m striving for. These are the last days people. The separation of the wheats and the tares. I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ, now and forever. I've cast my nets and I'm following him down the path to eternal life, feel free to join me.

BOOM. Spiritual rant over. Thanks for indulging me. :) Anyways, really good week, amazing baptism, I'm super happy. This week is zone conference and then next week is the mission tour and then it’s thanksgiving and then the transfers over. Time moves too fast, gotta make the most of it while I still get to wear the name Tag!

Love y'all, have an awesome week :)

-Elder Alley

PS
To answer your questions:
1) I'd like to go back to Spanish and be in the Rainbow Vista Ward in the Red Rock Zone. It would be my dream to do 2 or 3 more transfers here, and then train a new missionary in Spanish in Rainbow Vista to end my mission!

2) President has said that with the amount of time I have left I could easily go back to Spanish, but it really will just depend on the leadership of the mission. If enough new leaders rise up from the younger missionaries, I'm sure I'll drop and go back to Spanish, but if not then they'll probably keep me a zone leader.

3) We have had several families offer to feed us on Thanksgiving, and I guess our stake puts on a Turkey Bowl that we're invited, too, so that should be fun. :)

Él Día de Las Brujas

With Elder Ross, a recent RM from Brazil. He served in the same mission
as Mitch Rogers. (Elder Alley's friend from home.)

So the Ross family made this giant statue to welcome their son home from his
mission. I'm expecting something of at LEAST this caliber when I get back.
Otherwise, I'm getting in the car and driving myself back to the airport. 

This is next series of photos were taken at interviews courtesy of Sis. Ross 

This is Pres. Pratt. He was the CCM president when I was there. He lives in the
stake I'm serving in. We chatted it up in Spanish. #CCMmemories

Mission Office shenanigans

On Monday, we participated in a pumpkin carving activity at a neighborhood
pot luck. Now you may be asking, "Elder Alley, why did you just carve a giant
hole in your pumpkin?" Well, to the artistically uninclined it may look that way. But
any true artist will recognize that I made a reflective, thought provoking modern
art piece. When you look at my pumpkin you see what you want to see. You
might see the Statue of Liberty formed from the guts still inside or you might
see emptiness and hollowness that represent the lack of depth in our current
generation. You're right both times. And that's called art.

Great thing about living with members: pets! This is my buddy, Buddy.

Well I hope every one just had the most spooktacular Halloween ever! They take it pretty serious down here in Vegas. For me it's always just been another stepping stone to Christmas :), but for sure this last week was a good one!

The family we found on Sacrifice Saturday is doing well. They all really want to take their time and spend a while investigating before they make any decision. However, the 12 year old son is super into it and came to church with us. His parents said if he wants to get baptized that they're totally fine with that and he said he does! So we are going to be working with him now. 

We fasted on Sunday to find someone who is searching for the truth. The family who has us over for dinner that night invited their friend to come eat as well. We ended up teaching their friend the first lesson right after dinner and he accepted a baptismal date! It was cool because we got in the car afterwards and we were talking about how golden he was because he was actually searching for answers before he met us, and then it clicked right there: he was he answer to our fast!

Sunday was overall crazy because one of our wards starts at 8:30am and then both the other ones start at 1pm so we had to go on exchanges for all of church. It was fun, though, because there is one guy in the Elk Ridge who is preparing for a mission and we've really hit it off. He was my comp for all of church and we had a really good talk afterwards about missions and life and all that good stuff. I think that's probably been my favorite part about being English so far is that I've actually been able to connect with the youth in our wards more so than when I was in Spanish wards.

Other cool story of the week is the Ross family. Sister Ross is getting baptized this Saturday! She married a RM about 25 years ago and has been investigating the church ever since, but has never actually gotten baptized. Their two kids grew up in the church and their son just got back from his mission in Brazil (the same one that Mitch Rogers was in) and is going to be the one to baptize her! We are super excited for that!

We also have MLC this week and our temple trip on Friday. So it's going to be another jam packed week but I'm looking forward to it!

I guess the last thing that happened I should mention was that we had a fun little Halloween. We had to be in our home by 6pm, but the mission approved certain movies that we could watch. So we watched "Freetown", which was a real good story about missionaries in Liberia in the 80's during a civil war, and then we also got to watch "Finding Nemo"! Random fact, whenever I watch that I always remember a time way back when we watched it and Uncle Jon was with us and all the fish in the tank are making comments about the dentist and naming all sorts
of equipment and stuff and Uncle Jon was just dying at that part. I don't know why I always remember that, but I do :)

That's it for this week I guess! Take care and talk to ya later!

-Elder Alley


P.S. Tell Uncle Matt that Gluteus is proud of him for being called as a bishop and that I'll be visiting him after I get home to give him some pointers on how to run a "Missionary Work" minded ward. I seriously have notes. haha

That Time They Changed My Mission Call...

Baptism!

Friday Night Kick Off for Sacrifice Saturday

Do you know who this is? This is none other than the former Elder Horn
who served in the Brentwood Ward about a year ago and definitely had
dinner with the Alley family and who just happens to be the grandson of the family with whom
I live. He also said that when Michael got sent on his mini-mission Michael went and served
in the area of Canada where he was serving at the time. He remembers Michael super well and
was so excited when I told him that he has already been out for over a year on his full time
mission in West Virginia!

The visit that rocked the Matrix lol

New comp, Elder Adamson

Pre-Sacrifice Saturday

Post Sacrifice Saturday recounting of success stories

October 26, 2015

SOOOOOOOO MUCH HAPPENED THIS LAST WEEK THAT IT WILL BE LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO DO IT JUSTICE OVER AN EMAIL SO IM JUST GOING TO APOLOGIZE FOR THAT BEFOREHAND.

With that said, this past week was insane.

Like the title explains, I feel like with the transfer call I got, that they might as well have just given me a new mission call. Everything about my life right now is just so far away from what it was just a week ago that it's weird to think about. The only familiar thing are the missionaries here that I've known from before, but that is literally it haha!

So I'll just walk you through my week and hope that you can get the gist, but like I said, it'll be impossible to truly get across just how much craziness happened these past 7 days.

Monday
Pack, cleaned up, went to President's house and got to meet the new missionaries. Went to transfers, got Elder Adamson, hopped in my new 2015 Chevy Colorado (that's right;), drove off with Elder Adamson to a YSA (Young Single Adult) Family Home Evening activity..........
To say I felt out of place, is an understatement. I've been hanging out with little old Hispanic ladies for the last year. I was surrounded by....young, white people. I had to learn how to mingle and socialize with my own demographic all over again. It surprised me just how accustomed I had gotten to Spanish culture, and how awkward I felt in my own.

Tuesday
Got to meet the new zone, it's really small haha. 13 of us total. In Vegas there were 23. So a little smaller, but a little easier to foster a family vibe. There's some super nice elders here so I'm excited to get to know them better! Then went out, got to know the area, knocked some doors, met the bishop of one of the 3 wards we cover. (BTW covering 3 wards is insanely hard/fun).

Wednesday
Got to meet "S". A 24 year old, with long hair, a massive beard and who shreds on the electric guitar. We are working with him for the YSA Ward. Haha Again, one of those "We're definitely not in Spanish anymore" moments. Then met a family who the elders here were working with last transfer and found out they were from Mexico and I spoke Spanish with them a little bit. Then we picked up AP Elder Rogers at night for another full day exchange with the Assistants.

Thursday
Spent the day with Elder Adamson and Elder Rogers. We got hard core bible-bashed by like 4 different people as we were tracting throughout the day, which was not very enjoyable, and rarely ever happened in Spanish. But, that's how mish life be sometimes. Overall good day, though.

Friday
Had an extra training with the zone to prepare for Sacrifice Saturday (more details later). Got to teach a young guy named "J" for the YSA ward. It was cool because the YSA kids are all super pumped to come out with the missionaries so they actually call us looking to see if we have appointments! That definitely has not happened to me before! Went through the day and then I got picked up by some members from the Bonanza Ward to take me to the baptism of Marcelino! And I got to baptize him! It was soooo awesome going back to be there for that, Marcelino was super happy for his baptism and the spirit was obviously very strong. It was hard to have to leave again afterwards. It was the most Spanish I had gotten to speak in a while. But, I went back and we started a fast as a zone to kick off Sacrifice Saturday!

Sacrifice Saturday
This is the idea. Mission-wide. All 180 or so of the missionaries here on the west side of Vegas. Saturday, October 24th. From 10AM-8PM Nothing. But. Tracting. For 10 hours straight, we were on our feet, outside talking to people. Didn't stop for meals. We went on splits with members, with youth, with other missionaries. I personally knocked almost 200 doors. As a zone we talked to over 500 people, just in one day. And we're still waiting to hear about the mission totals. There's so many cool mini stories that happened through-out the day I wish I had the time to write them out, but I don't. Just know that the coolest part was that Elder Adamson and I had set a goal to find 5 new investigators that day. The 2nd door we knocked, a family let us in and we taught them and got 4 new investigators right then and there. Then.....8 hours straight of knocking and walking and talking, but nobody let us in. In the VERY last neighborhood, at the VERY last house we try, the VERY last person we talk to, lets us sit down and chat and we teach and he offers a prayer and feels good and says if he comes to church and likes it that he will get baptized!!! At the very beginning of the day (like 10:15AM) and at the very end of the day (7:55PM) we taught lessons and found 5 NI (new investigators) from them. And in between, was non-stop tracting/contacting. My legs were SOOO sore at the end of the day, but I felt so accomplished:)

This email is a hefty one, but so much happened. In fact, something so completely random, and unexpected, and mind-boggling happened to me Saturday morning that I would normally take a whole email to just talk about it, but that day was so awesome after what happened that even KYLE STARR randomly showing up at the members' home where I live Saturday morning to bring me breakfast because he was driving through Vegas on his way to Arizona, wasn't the best part of the day. (Sorry Kyle, you know I love you!) But literally, it was crazy. Sister Saure knocks on our bedroom door and says, "Elder Alley you have visitors!" which made no sense because missionaries don't have visitors. Then I came out and saw Kyle and Andrew Baird and we probably only talked for a total of 3 minutes and then he was gone. It felt weird to see him. It felt like a glitch in the Matrix. Because my mission life and my pre-mission life are like two separate lives and they collided with one another for a second and it truly felt strange lol Crazy....and then I went into 10 hours straight of tracting haha:)

Sunday
Covering 3 wards means a whole lotta church on Sundays! From probably 8AM-5PM we were in sacrament meetings, Ward councils, missionary coordination meetings, gospel principles classes, priesthood classes, a priest Quorum class, and others. It was so weird to be back in English wards, too, and the YSA Ward was the first time for me as well since I was never in one back home pre-mission. Then that night the YSA Ward had a "Sundaes on Sunday" activity where they get together for ice cream and ping pong and games and stuff once a month and the missionaries go because a lot of people will bring their friends who aren't members and we get to meet them there. But again....I've been with little old Hispanics ladies for the last year so I felt sooooo out of place being there. I did my best to remember my socializing skills haha but it was for sure a shock. The last thing for this week was the Spanish sisters that cover our same area asked me to come give a blessing to one of their people. I guess I'm going to be the north part of town's resident Spanish blessing giver because only hermanas cover the area up here and I live closer to their areas then the other Spanish elders. So it was a trendy mercy from the Lord to get to speak some Spanish for a little bit to end the week:)

So Yupp, there ya have it! It's a really, really long email this week, but it was a jam packed week.

If I had to summarize how I feel about what all has happened since transfers it would be: different. Being here in English, some stuff is nicer, some stuff I preferred back in Spanish, some things are easier, others harder. There's not one that's better than the other, it's just....different, really, really different lol:)

Anyways, thanks for sitting through all that! Love you guys! Hope you have an awesome week!

-Elder Alley

Note From Elder Alley's Mom: The visit from Kyle wasn't intended to be a visit. He was being very mindful of mission rules. He just wanted to drop off breakfast and a note for Elder Alley and then leave, but the members were trying to be nice and insisted he stay and at least say hi to Elder Alley. (I loved Elder Alley's description of how surreal that was. His two worlds colliding and since when do missionaries have visitors? lol) So sweet of Kyle to think of him. Elder Alley has such supportive friends. :)

Pero....no hablo inglés. (But...I don't speak English.)

 Mission Leadership Council

 Saying goodbye to mis amigos

October 19, 2015

............................Transfers literally never fails to get me. I've always had some sort of idea of what is going to happen, and then something completely different takes its place. So on Friday night this last week the AP's called us with our transfer call. I was a little nervous, but I had a pretty good idea that I might be going to this one specific zone. Elder Walker found out that his new companion was going to be Elder Maldonado! (My mission dad will be coming to replace me haha.) Elder Walker is excited because it will be the first time he has ever actually had a native Latino companion. And then came my call....

"Elder Alley you will be going to the Elkhorn Springs Zone with Elder Adamson!"
"But...there's no Spanish missionaries up there...."
"Yupp, you're switching to English!"
".........pero yo no quiero hablar inglés." (Translation for you gringos: "...but I don't want to speak English."

So yeah. I am going to be an English missionary now. They're switching me because they want me to remain a Zone Leader in the mission so I'm going to go be a ZL up in that zone. I'm actually a little nervous to be honest, because all I've known for the last 15 months of my life has been teaching in Spanish, contacting on Spanish, sacrament meeting in Spanish, studies, dinners, members all in Spanish! Haha this is going to be quite the change.

Some other comparisons for you to see the grand change coming up for me. Las Vegas Zone is the largest in the mission; Elkhorn Springs is the smallest. I've only ever covered 1/4 of a ward and shared it with other companionships; in my new area we are covering 3 different wards (2 family wards and 1 YSA Ward). I'm currently in the most economically challenged area the mission has to offer; Elkhorn Springs is mostly affluent, white people. Vegas Zone is the closest to the strip; ES is the furthest north zone in the valley.

So, yupp, it's going to be quite the change. I'm super nervous, but really excited. Elder Adamson is awesome! He is 20 years old, a big guy who played linebacker in high school and is super funny. We are going to get to mob around in a truck too :P We are actually pretty good buds already and he called me when we got the news and we talked about how stoked we are to be comps for his last transfer before he goes home (so I finally get to "kill" someone in the mission). So that will be super fun!

Other than that this last week we gave a Zone Training Meeting that went super well. We did this one activity where we blindfolded one person in each companionship and put them in a dark room that had a tv playing a movie and two different speakers playing two different things. Then one by one their companions went in and grabbed them and lead them through a course that lead them to the chapel where we had a tv playing the Because He Lives and Because of Him videos. We talked about how that related to what we do as missionaries. How people are trapped in a dark world with no real purpose or direction in their life and the media is constantly throwing things at them, keeping them unable to focus on anything bigger. Then we, as missionaries, get to pull them out of that dark room and bring them to Jesus Christ. The Spirit was super strong in the chapel as we talked about all that. It was a really cool experience!

Then we had a lot of lessons this week and we were able to make a lot of progress with a lot of people. Hopefully, one of our investigators is actually going to get baptized next week! (I would get to return for that:)

As of right now all I'm really trying to do is mentally prepare myself for this big change on my mission taking place today. Here's hoping it all goes well! Love you all and have an awesome week!

-Elder Alley