A mi familia y amigos,
Hola de el CCM! Guess what? I'm officially halfway done being at the CCM!! (you say it "say-say-emmay:D) Time really does not exist here, so it feels like we've been here forever, but I also can't believe how long I've been away from Utah! I jst pretend that I'm back at college and will see everyone soon enough, and that makes it easier:)
I LOVE MY COMPANION!! Hermana Flak e is the greatest , and we get along so incredibly well--I'm very lucky:) She's been coming out of her shell more and is picking up some of my quirky voices and habits haha we have a blast together:) I'm so glad that she goes to BYU because then we can hang out lots and lots when we get back! My district continues to get closer and learn more about each other each day; theyr'e good Elders, andhalf of them are going to the West mission with Hermana Flake and I, and the others are serving in Santo Domingo East.
The MTC President's wife had a great little talk with the Hermanas about how hard it was for her to serve as mission presidents in Mexico and then to leave again to serve in the DR. Her life was absolutely incredible before all this, and hearing how she endures and sought comfort from the Lord really helped me:)
Investigators we practice teaching are just our teachers with wigs and a different life story, so we never get to teach real people seeking the Gospel. Last Friday, we got to go the the university in Santo Domingo and teach!! The 28 of us who came on July 15th/16th walked around campus and talked to anyone we could! We had Restoration pamphlets and 2 Books of Mormons, and we wish they'd given us more to hand out! We definitely learned that we don't know much Spanish, but everyone was SO nice! We got two people's numbers and handed out everything we had. We talked with one lady for 15 minutes and gave her a Book of Mormon, and she was really happy! Hermana Flake and I even got stopped by a man who asked us if we were preaching on campus, and HE SPOKE ENGLISH! Halelujah! His name was Callo, and he lived 5 minutes away from an LDS church but had never been inside. He said he'd call the missionaries in his area (we wrote the phone numbers on the pamphlets if they want more information) and read the pamphlet!! He said he was Christian and looking for an even better church!! The light of Christ was totally in his eyes, he is SO ready!! What a great experience:)
Satan backed off this week, yay!! I've had a much easier time being here, and time is going by faster than it did that first week, so happy day! We get to listen to Vocal Point hymn arrangements in class, and it saves my life + totally brings the Spirit--they are saving my life right now, nothing besides the scriptures makes me happier:) The choir did super great!! "Come, Come, Ye Saints" will forever be a "mission song" for me now:) I'm so proud of them, and they said they want to keep singing, so I'll put something together for our last Sunday here. I love getting to work with these phenomenal missionaries and be their choir director:) We got to watch "The Testaments" on Sunday and "The Saratov Approach" today, that was fantastic! Watching and listening to everything is completely different on a mission--you're perspective is so different. I love this Gospel so much it's ridiculous!!! Why would you not want this??
Elder Claudio Zivic of the Quorum of the Seventy spoke to us at our devotional this week! He and his wife are from Argentina, and he is the first counselor in the area presidency here. They talked about a variety of subjects, everything from time management to the importance of a mission. They both talked in Spanish, but we had an English translator, so that was good:) He is a true servant of God--Elder Zivic spoke with power and conviction, and it inspired me. I want the faith he has!
I've pumped out a million pages in the Book of Mormon this week, and I really loved Alma 5 when it talks about repentance, I encourage you to read it!! I've felt the Spirit so much when I read the pages of the truest book on Earth. I'm so grateful for the knowledge of the Restored Gospel that we have so readily available to us. I love my Savior, I'm relying on Him and our Father in Heaven a lot right now; through Christ, all things are made possible, I know that to be true. Thank you all for your words of encouragement and love! I'm thinking of you and can feel the power of your prayers! 2 Nephi 31:20 my favorite scripture, read it!!
With love,
Hermana Randall
Hola de el CCM! Guess what? I'm officially halfway done being at the CCM!! (you say it "say-say-emmay:D) Time really does not exist here, so it feels like we've been here forever, but I also can't believe how long I've been away from Utah! I jst pretend that I'm back at college and will see everyone soon enough, and that makes it easier:)
I LOVE MY COMPANION!! Hermana Flak e is the greatest , and we get along so incredibly well--I'm very lucky:) She's been coming out of her shell more and is picking up some of my quirky voices and habits haha we have a blast together:) I'm so glad that she goes to BYU because then we can hang out lots and lots when we get back! My district continues to get closer and learn more about each other each day; theyr'e good Elders, andhalf of them are going to the West mission with Hermana Flake and I, and the others are serving in Santo Domingo East.
The MTC President's wife had a great little talk with the Hermanas about how hard it was for her to serve as mission presidents in Mexico and then to leave again to serve in the DR. Her life was absolutely incredible before all this, and hearing how she endures and sought comfort from the Lord really helped me:)
Investigators we practice teaching are just our teachers with wigs and a different life story, so we never get to teach real people seeking the Gospel. Last Friday, we got to go the the university in Santo Domingo and teach!! The 28 of us who came on July 15th/16th walked around campus and talked to anyone we could! We had Restoration pamphlets and 2 Books of Mormons, and we wish they'd given us more to hand out! We definitely learned that we don't know much Spanish, but everyone was SO nice! We got two people's numbers and handed out everything we had. We talked with one lady for 15 minutes and gave her a Book of Mormon, and she was really happy! Hermana Flake and I even got stopped by a man who asked us if we were preaching on campus, and HE SPOKE ENGLISH! Halelujah! His name was Callo, and he lived 5 minutes away from an LDS church but had never been inside. He said he'd call the missionaries in his area (we wrote the phone numbers on the pamphlets if they want more information) and read the pamphlet!! He said he was Christian and looking for an even better church!! The light of Christ was totally in his eyes, he is SO ready!! What a great experience:)
Satan backed off this week, yay!! I've had a much easier time being here, and time is going by faster than it did that first week, so happy day! We get to listen to Vocal Point hymn arrangements in class, and it saves my life + totally brings the Spirit--they are saving my life right now, nothing besides the scriptures makes me happier:) The choir did super great!! "Come, Come, Ye Saints" will forever be a "mission song" for me now:) I'm so proud of them, and they said they want to keep singing, so I'll put something together for our last Sunday here. I love getting to work with these phenomenal missionaries and be their choir director:) We got to watch "The Testaments" on Sunday and "The Saratov Approach" today, that was fantastic! Watching and listening to everything is completely different on a mission--you're perspective is so different. I love this Gospel so much it's ridiculous!!! Why would you not want this??
Elder Claudio Zivic of the Quorum of the Seventy spoke to us at our devotional this week! He and his wife are from Argentina, and he is the first counselor in the area presidency here. They talked about a variety of subjects, everything from time management to the importance of a mission. They both talked in Spanish, but we had an English translator, so that was good:) He is a true servant of God--Elder Zivic spoke with power and conviction, and it inspired me. I want the faith he has!
I've pumped out a million pages in the Book of Mormon this week, and I really loved Alma 5 when it talks about repentance, I encourage you to read it!! I've felt the Spirit so much when I read the pages of the truest book on Earth. I'm so grateful for the knowledge of the Restored Gospel that we have so readily available to us. I love my Savior, I'm relying on Him and our Father in Heaven a lot right now; through Christ, all things are made possible, I know that to be true. Thank you all for your words of encouragement and love! I'm thinking of you and can feel the power of your prayers! 2 Nephi 31:20 my favorite scripture, read it!!
With love,
Hermana Randall