Hey y'all! It's so hard to figure out timing for these
letters. I wish I had time to write everyone individually, but as I've learned
time is very precious. You would not believe the week I've had! It's been
incredibly hard but at the same time so amazing. My companion is Sister Hansen.
She's the BEST. She's been out 10 months now and in this area (The Colony) for
3 months. I was so nervous about having a hard companion, but I couldn't have
asked for better. We work together perfectly. So our zone has been the lowest
baptizing zone in the mission, but I'm determined to change that! It's a super
hard first area, but The Lord knows I can handle it. I'm still waiting for Him
to convince me that I can handle a bike mission..in the 100's..in a skirt.. in
high humidity..I have never felt sun like this. I drink like six water bottles
every day. I also already have the worst tan lines! It's incredibly difficult
work, especially when lots of people aren't home during the day. I'm
guessing we bike around 6 miles throughout the day- that might even be low. But
somehow we make it through the day. There have been times when it seems like
everything is going wrong, but we just laugh about it. Laughing is like manna
for the soul haha it keeps us sane. Although it's hard there have been moments
every day that makes it all worth it.
Our investigators are sooo amazing. It's incredible how much
I love them after just meeting them. Aimee and Jeremy are probably my personal
favorites. Jeremy is getting baptized August 10th with his daughter Daisy! We
are so happy for them. Aimee was baptized at 8, but when inactive her teen
years and went down the wrong path. She and Jeremy recently decided they wanted
to raise Daisy in a good church and Aimee remembered how great our church was
so she went on mormon.org and found us! We
started out working with just Aimee and Daisy- the dad wasn't interested at all
during the first lesson, but eventually he started joining every lesson! Now
he's getting baptized and says he believes it's all true. They are such a
beautiful, strong family. Aimee is a cancer survivor and her trials in life
make mine look like a piece of cake. Jeremy has recently been her anchor thanks
to his new faith. It's so incredible seeing the blessings of the gospel change
a family firsthand. I love them.
This other girl we are working with is 18 and her name's
Cindy.. She's had I think 2 lessons in the
past, but with our last lesson we retaught The Restoration. She's been coming to church for a long time with her aunt,
but has never felt ready to be baptized so we invited her to read The Book of
Mormon and pray about it and she'd get an answer. Yesterday at church I asked
how it went and she said she got an answer! - funny how that works ;)
Also there have just been times when we felt like we needed
to be somewhere or stay on a certain street and we end up teaching The
Restoration to a person who happens to come right to us! So we have a lot of
potential investigators. On Saturday, it's usually really hard finding people I
guess because everyone is on the lake or a waterpark. It's way too hot to
simply be at the normal park and nobody stays home. So we were having no luck.
We prayed and I kept having the thought to go to a parking lot, but I thought
that was silly it was too hot nobody would want to talk in the parking lot.
However I eventually told my companion and she said Walmart would make the most
sense. We split up and I had the feeling to go up to a lady sitting in her car.
Long story short she is super prepared! She's moving into our area Aug 15 and
said we could come teach her. We talked forever getting to know eachother and
she's had lots of mormon friends so she knows a lot already. Her names Vanessa
and her husband is Patrick so hopefully that leads to something!
The hardest thing I've had to do this week, physically at
least, was a service for a lady in our ward. She's freshly divorced and her ex
was pretty awful and we ended up shoveling a huge pile of dirt(clay) into a
wheelbarrow and dumping in a field. It took us about an hour and a half in 102
degree weather. I have never worked so hard in my life, but it was so worth it.
It was a surprise and it meant the world to her!
The people here in Texas are so great. Most of them have
such a great faith and love for God. Everyone wants to do Bible study and talk
about religion, but sometimes that makes it hard for them to accept our
message. There are also some people with very strange ideas out there. One lady said she believed in mermaids and one other investigator said he believed in vampires. So with mermaids and vampires I just
couldn't keep it together. I was literally biting my tongue and praying not to
judge the entire time.One last normal/crazy story. We had to drop a potential
investigator:( It was sad but we couldn't help but find the humor in what he
said. He said he honestly didn't want to join or anything, he just wanted to
see my companion because she looks like Lindsay Lohan haha.
Dallas is great.
Church was awesome. The members are amazing. We are fed every single night! I live with the Stake President
so it's a super nice home. Give people that address because the mission home
mail only gets to us like once a month for zone conferences. I love you all.
The letter I sent is a bit outdated so when I reply to letters it will be a lot
better. Fill me in on your life! I love you all so much, but I love
being a missionary. I LOVE it. I'm so thankful for this opportunity to serve
God 24/7. It's exhausting, but so worth it. I'm serving with everything I have.
Be strong at home and know I think of y'all every chance I can.
Best address to mail me at while I am in this area: (otherwise it take a month for letters to arrive from the mission home address)
Sister Kristina Dalling
c/o Stuart
and Cindy Alleman
2812
Treasure Cove
The
Colony, TX 75056
Email: (however, letters are best!)
Kristina Dalling <kristina.dalling@myldsmail.net>
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