¿Como esta mi gente Americana?
Happy mango season! I love this time of year so much! I understand now what the islanders who came into Jamba Juice meant when they said that the mango smoothies were nothing compared to the real thing haha:)
This week was flashback to Ocoa. The water was so cold that I couldn't handle it anymore, so I went and heated some water on the stove, and I actually took a bucket shower hahaha it was worth it:) But then the next day...the water stopped coming altogether...for a couple of days. And we couldn't get ahold of the landlord. So we've been living in a state of filthiness. But hallelujah, we got ahold of the guy after church, and we have agua now, wahoo!
Other good things: we learned how to make Venezuelan empanadas (SO yummy), we were blessed with wonderfully soft, cushioned chairs for the Relief Society room (first chapel in the mission to get them), and received several references of less-actives to find! We've been spending a ton of time looking for these menos activos, seriously. One of them will pull through, I know it!
Guess what? We finally taught the Restoration this week! Yippee! Scary that I was a bit out of practice, but wow, it felt so good to explain the First Vision and testify of a living prophet. We were also finally able to teach Alex! He had read the whole Word of Wisdom pamphlet beforehand, so he had his questions ready, and he committed to stop smoking. He still hasn't come to church yet, but we'll get him there:) Hermana Ventocilla and I finished teaching the Plan of Salvation to Yennel, the woman who was raised by a Jehovah's Witness and married a Jew, so she didn't understand who Christ really is. I love getting to explain that those who never got to hear the Gospel or chose to reject it on Earth will have a second chance to accept it in the Spirit World:)
You may think this is impossible, but I have found a companion who talks even more than I do haha and sometimes she even eats more than me, which is saying something because she's half my size:) I'm so happy: my new zone leader is an Elder who I graduated from Viewmont with!! Go Vikings! Other fun connection: Hermana Nuckols, the mission president's wife, came to the Bella Vista ward for church, and I found out that she and President used to live in my old Minnesota stake, ha!
While she was there yesterday, I gave a talk about el sacerdocio: the priesthood, or the authority and power to act in God's name. Doctrine and Covenants 121:36 tells us that "the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven." Most of the world doesn't realize that right now, we have the same power that Jesus Christ used to perform miracles 2,000 years ago. That really is incredible. I feel so blessed to have a family where every single male member, 12 years and older, is a worthy priesthood holder. So thank you to my dad, brother, grandpas, uncles, and cousins who are wonderful examples to me of righteously exercising God's divine authority. Yo se que hay solo una iglesia con el sacerdocio verdadero y que tenemos la misma organizacion de la iglesia que Jesucristo establecio cuando El estuvo aqui en la tierra. Testifico que tenemos un profeta viviente y que el es llamado por Dios para dirigirnos y guiarnos. Estoy muy agradecida por este conocimiento precioso y espero que siempre podamos ser dignos a ejercer la autoridad sagrada del sacerdocio. Love you all, have a delightful day!
Con amor,
Hermana Randall
Happy mango season! I love this time of year so much! I understand now what the islanders who came into Jamba Juice meant when they said that the mango smoothies were nothing compared to the real thing haha:)
This week was flashback to Ocoa. The water was so cold that I couldn't handle it anymore, so I went and heated some water on the stove, and I actually took a bucket shower hahaha it was worth it:) But then the next day...the water stopped coming altogether...for a couple of days. And we couldn't get ahold of the landlord. So we've been living in a state of filthiness. But hallelujah, we got ahold of the guy after church, and we have agua now, wahoo!
Other good things: we learned how to make Venezuelan empanadas (SO yummy), we were blessed with wonderfully soft, cushioned chairs for the Relief Society room (first chapel in the mission to get them), and received several references of less-actives to find! We've been spending a ton of time looking for these menos activos, seriously. One of them will pull through, I know it!
Guess what? We finally taught the Restoration this week! Yippee! Scary that I was a bit out of practice, but wow, it felt so good to explain the First Vision and testify of a living prophet. We were also finally able to teach Alex! He had read the whole Word of Wisdom pamphlet beforehand, so he had his questions ready, and he committed to stop smoking. He still hasn't come to church yet, but we'll get him there:) Hermana Ventocilla and I finished teaching the Plan of Salvation to Yennel, the woman who was raised by a Jehovah's Witness and married a Jew, so she didn't understand who Christ really is. I love getting to explain that those who never got to hear the Gospel or chose to reject it on Earth will have a second chance to accept it in the Spirit World:)
You may think this is impossible, but I have found a companion who talks even more than I do haha and sometimes she even eats more than me, which is saying something because she's half my size:) I'm so happy: my new zone leader is an Elder who I graduated from Viewmont with!! Go Vikings! Other fun connection: Hermana Nuckols, the mission president's wife, came to the Bella Vista ward for church, and I found out that she and President used to live in my old Minnesota stake, ha!
While she was there yesterday, I gave a talk about el sacerdocio: the priesthood, or the authority and power to act in God's name. Doctrine and Covenants 121:36 tells us that "the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven." Most of the world doesn't realize that right now, we have the same power that Jesus Christ used to perform miracles 2,000 years ago. That really is incredible. I feel so blessed to have a family where every single male member, 12 years and older, is a worthy priesthood holder. So thank you to my dad, brother, grandpas, uncles, and cousins who are wonderful examples to me of righteously exercising God's divine authority. Yo se que hay solo una iglesia con el sacerdocio verdadero y que tenemos la misma organizacion de la iglesia que Jesucristo establecio cuando El estuvo aqui en la tierra. Testifico que tenemos un profeta viviente y que el es llamado por Dios para dirigirnos y guiarnos. Estoy muy agradecida por este conocimiento precioso y espero que siempre podamos ser dignos a ejercer la autoridad sagrada del sacerdocio. Love you all, have a delightful day!
Con amor,
Hermana Randall
My little Peruana:)
Hermana Kohlert from our zone headed to the same area in Ocoa where Hermana Ventocilla and I served!
"Now, dear, you really shouldn't scare the people out of their houses just so that they'll seek refuge in the church." :)
Venezuelan empanadas!