25 December 2009

Dear Family and Friends,
May this letter find you filled with joy and love for your dear ones, for the Lord, for His birth, for His life, for His promise of a better world for us all forever. May your hearts be bursting with gratitude for the tender mercies and multitudinous blessings of our Heavenly Father. We send our love, indeed greetings with an attitude stronger than the cords of death. Connections with family and friends in and through Christ are our joy and our sacred burden. Sharing in all life’s experiences with the heart in and through our Savior is the essence of peace and joy in this world and gives hope with surety for a better world even Eternal Life.

Last evening, Christmas Eve, we enjoyed a smooth sail on the ferry from England to the Isle of Man, disembarking, after four hours, in Douglas about 6:00 PM. With us were the young missionaries, Elder Kingsley from South Africa and Elder Cowley from Sandy, Utah. On the outside passenger deck we meet many friendly people, some of whom give us an invitation to visit with them later in their homes. From such encounters on this recent ferry trip, the Lord blessed us with three “call backs”. We are presently teaching a couple who live on the very north end of the island. We met them on the previous ferry ride coming from the last zone conference. Karen (41)wants to get married and be baptized while Jonathan (47)has committed to get married but needs to feel the Spirit to want to be baptized. Last Sunday we had a sweet meeting with them and our Chinese friend Jei Shen (27) in our apartment. We shared a special Christmas message and enjoyed “tea”(dinner) that Sister Allen prepared—vegetables and fish. Jei and Karen both should be baptized in the near future.

Joining us for last evening’s Christmas Eve celebration were the young Elder Kingsley from South Africa, our District Leader and the tall Elder Cowley from Sandy, Utah. We enjoyed a meal prepared by Elder Cowley, his specialty dish of caramelized chicken over rice with sesame seeds. Together we read from Luke 2 the Christmas story. At appropriate times in the reading we sang together “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem”, and “Silent Night”. Our hearts were filled with love. In this simple setting of five of God’s children, repeated over the world countless times, is the real miracle of Christmas manifest—repentance, forgiveness, softened hearts, the healing power of Christ causing us to feel the “song of redeeming love”. We are happy to be together and not alone nor ever will be because of the miracle of the perfect love of Jesus Christ in our lives. Alma 5:26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?[Picture - Shelly Nattida Roberts, Yanisa (Ning) Sananueah, Daneille Yanisa Roberts.] There are experiences that are so profoundly imbued with love, repentance, and forgiveness unto a mighty change in heart that we are left breathless as it were with joy—we are led to say, “that one experience, a gift from God, makes all the effort, time, rejection, separation from family, and trials of faith worth every minute a missionary”—the mission becomes a great blessing, a choice experience to be savored forever. Such has been our blessing with this little family baptized the 12 of December 2009. We bask in the midst of miracles. Sharing heartache and burdens is an equal part of God’s plan of happiness. One such blessing is multiplied by many if we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to feel. Alma 26:37 Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.
D&C 76:23 For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—
Ning said after being baptized and confirmed, “I want to keep this good feeling all the time. How you do it?” Jei Shen is on the right of Sister Allen—she is our “adopted daughter” from China. 24 That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God. [Picture - Ning said after being baptized and confirmed, I want to keep this good feeling all the time. How you do it?” Jei Shen is on the right of Sister Allen—she is our “adopted daughter” from China. ]

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Love, Mom and Dad, Ron and Carol, Elder and Sister Allen.

[Picture - Looking toward the Lakes District, England, across a calm (rare) Irish Sea. The air is always fresh and clean.]

We echo the words Jehovah after the creation, “The earth is glorious” It will be our eternal home.

30 November 2009
Dear Family and Friends,
Back from Liverpool with President’s signature.Joy is a welcome companion of all who serve others in the Kingdom of God on the earth. Joy comes to the one who serves and to the one who receives. Through faith in Jesus Christ and repentance, the song of redeeming love fills our souls with joy. There is always joy in “mud Ville” when we repent. Like mighty Casey, we all strike out at times in life. The burden is heavy and hard to bear both for the batter and for his or her fans but oh the joy that comes from true repentance through Christ our Redeemer. It is greater than all the spoils of the world. We have been privileged to be a “fan” of this dear sister. We have become eternal friends. She had stuck out many times in her life. The Lord blessed us to share her burdens and help bring hope and confidence into her life. Being willing to bear one another’s burdens and mourn with those who have cause to mourn is part of the price we pay to have unspeakable joy with them here and in Celestial glory. Mosiah 18:8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are adesirous to come into the bfold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;
9 Yea, and are awilling to mourn with those that bmourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as cwitnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the dfirst resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—
Following being baptized for her mother and others—near the Preston Temple 10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being abaptized in the bname of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a ccovenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?
These are truly happy people. Lesley and her deceased son have been endowed, she is sealed to her mother and father, and she has done her mother’s endowment—Preston Temple Lesley had been burdened with a cigarette habit most of her life. She had never been truly active in the Church. Several failed marriages and the untimely death of her son had left her without hope for a better life. She did not believe she could ever be worthy to attend the Temple and have the blessings of an eternal family. With encouragement and love over a period of six months, she prayed, fasted, repented, gained faith that she could and would be forgiven. Ours was the “angel’s portion”, the fantastic gift from Heavenly Father to participate in this miracle. Her greatest fear was to speak to the Bishop. When all was ready and she had the recommend in hand, her countenance brightened to reflect the joy in her soul and has increased to this day. D&C 18:13 And how great is his ajoy in the bsoul that crepenteth!
14 Wherefore, you are called to acry repentance unto this people.
15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one asoul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!
16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the akingdom of my Father, how great will be your bjoy if you should bring many csouls unto me!
70th birthday celebration (surprise) for the Douglas Ward Primary President—senior missionaries causing the white handbook to go up in flames.

Senior Missionaries can do many things that the younger missionaries do not do and yet keep the Holy Spirit and magnify their calling, one of which is to sleep with their companion. We can dance, stay up late, take a nap, and watch a movie. All of these things we can do but usually do not do because most of what is good for the younger missionaries is also very good for the senior missionaries. We love being with the young Elders. They are the best—strictly obedient, happy, even joyous of continence and demeanor, truly love the people with whom they are blessed to teach and associate, and food never goes to waste when they are around. We will always cherish our friendship and service with these wonderful young servants of the Lord.


The missionaries teach with power and authority and participate in miracles that can only be understood and appreciated by the Holy Spirit. The first missionaries of this dispensation to preach in the British Isles did so on and around this obelisk in the Preston Market Square. Elders Russell, Hyde, and Kimball preached to large crowds (5000 plus) here in 1837. Years later, in 1933, Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, as a young missionary, taught and bore his testimony in this square his first evening in Preston. “I was terrified,” Elder Hinckley later admitted. “I stepped up on that little stand, looked at that crowd of people, and wondered what I was doing there”. Today missionaries meet many people on the Preston Market Square, many of whom they later teach and baptize. Their
From 1837 to 2009 missionaries have preached the Gospel here on the Preston Market Square.

Artist drawing of the Preston Market Square as it was in the mid 1800’s. approach may go something like this: “Good morning, we are sharing a message, that after centuries of being lost, all the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ have been restored to the earth by God through His living Prophet. There is a book called the Book of Mormon which is evidence of this Restored Gospel. You can hold the book in your hand. You can read it and ponder how the message in the book can improve your life. You can pray to know that the book is true.”

The sun rises and sets continuously over the earth giving us pause to thank our Heavenly Father for each precious day, every day. We are led to sing: “O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds thy hands have made....thy power throughout the universe displayed. Then sings my soul…how great thou art, how great thou art!” Hymn 86.

Each of us is a precious daughter or son of God. We love you all and have this promise and this hope that we may be connected with each other as families in the ever growing Family of God eternally.

We make no excuses for being sentimental and romantic. We send hugs and kisses across the miles because it feels so good and because you are special to us.

Looking east towards England. The sun rises over the Irish Sea. Taken from Clay Head just north of our flat on the Isle of Man.

This is where we run and walk most every day.

Thank you for your love and support.

Mom and Dad, Grandpa and Grandma, Ron and Carol, Elder and Sister Allen.