Happy Halloween!
Many people here think that this holiday is of the devil haha but with 3 Americans in the house, we weren't going to let it pass by! Yep, that's right: Hermana Vazquez and I officially have our brand-new babies!! My second daughter is university basketball player Hermana Neff from Snowflake, Arizona. She is unlike any companion I've ever had, and we're doing great together:) The last time I had an American companion was in January, and the last time my comp was taller than me was my trainer/mom (guess it was a recessive gene;D); it's really weird getting used to. Hermana Vazquez's baby is Hermana Christenson from Highlands Range, Colorado, who's super good BYU friends with my cute cousin, Abigail Sears! It has already been so much fun living with both of my daughters and my granddaughter--it's going to be an awesome transfer together!
Last week, I said that all of us were going to need the gift of tongues. Well, it's looking like I need more help with English than Spanish hahaha it's been hilarious as I've struggled along, like I'll talk in English but use Spanish grammar, and I often hold up or point to objects (like a glue stick) and ask, "What is this?" Apparently Espanol has stripped away my Utah accent, and my native Minnesotan one has come back, ha! And, as the people are telling me, disque my Spanish has a European accent, not a Gringo one; go figure:)
Now that we've divided Ivan Guzman, both companionships have more time to visit everybody we need to and find new investigators. We don't have many investigators on my side, so Hermana Neff and I have spent lots of time searching for prepared people and helping less- and inactives. We hadn't found anyone new the whole week...until we taught a dad named Doni yesterday, who has 5 kids and multiple siblings who've been members of the Church for 15 years!! Missionaries visited him 2 years ago, he wasn't ready, but now may be the time for him and his family to accept the gospel!
Our other miracle of the week was Katherine and Juan. We finished teaching the Plan of Salvation last night, and they finally accepted a baptismal date for December 19th!! They still haven't gone to church yet, but Katherine is already reading in 1 Nephi 13 in the Book of Mormon and is praying to know if the Church is true! I love the desire both she and Juan have to know:)
Yesterday, I gave a talk in sacrament meeting based off of Elder Kevin W. Pearson's April 2015 Conference address, entitled, "Stay by the Tree." It's about the prophet Lehi's vision of the tree of life as a powerful parable on enduring to the end. One of the parts that really struck me was this:
"Once we enter into covenants with God, there is no going back. Giving in, giving up, and giving out are not options. In the kingdom of God, there is a standard of excellence for exaltation. It requires valiant discipleship! There is no room for average or complacent disciples. Average is the enemy of excellence, and average commitment will prevent you from enduring to the end."
WABAM! Then my favorite scripture: 2 Nephi 31:20
"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."
Con amor,
Hermana Randall
Many people here think that this holiday is of the devil haha but with 3 Americans in the house, we weren't going to let it pass by! Yep, that's right: Hermana Vazquez and I officially have our brand-new babies!! My second daughter is university basketball player Hermana Neff from Snowflake, Arizona. She is unlike any companion I've ever had, and we're doing great together:) The last time I had an American companion was in January, and the last time my comp was taller than me was my trainer/mom (guess it was a recessive gene;D); it's really weird getting used to. Hermana Vazquez's baby is Hermana Christenson from Highlands Range, Colorado, who's super good BYU friends with my cute cousin, Abigail Sears! It has already been so much fun living with both of my daughters and my granddaughter--it's going to be an awesome transfer together!
Last week, I said that all of us were going to need the gift of tongues. Well, it's looking like I need more help with English than Spanish hahaha it's been hilarious as I've struggled along, like I'll talk in English but use Spanish grammar, and I often hold up or point to objects (like a glue stick) and ask, "What is this?" Apparently Espanol has stripped away my Utah accent, and my native Minnesotan one has come back, ha! And, as the people are telling me, disque my Spanish has a European accent, not a Gringo one; go figure:)
Now that we've divided Ivan Guzman, both companionships have more time to visit everybody we need to and find new investigators. We don't have many investigators on my side, so Hermana Neff and I have spent lots of time searching for prepared people and helping less- and inactives. We hadn't found anyone new the whole week...until we taught a dad named Doni yesterday, who has 5 kids and multiple siblings who've been members of the Church for 15 years!! Missionaries visited him 2 years ago, he wasn't ready, but now may be the time for him and his family to accept the gospel!
Our other miracle of the week was Katherine and Juan. We finished teaching the Plan of Salvation last night, and they finally accepted a baptismal date for December 19th!! They still haven't gone to church yet, but Katherine is already reading in 1 Nephi 13 in the Book of Mormon and is praying to know if the Church is true! I love the desire both she and Juan have to know:)
Yesterday, I gave a talk in sacrament meeting based off of Elder Kevin W. Pearson's April 2015 Conference address, entitled, "Stay by the Tree." It's about the prophet Lehi's vision of the tree of life as a powerful parable on enduring to the end. One of the parts that really struck me was this:
"Once we enter into covenants with God, there is no going back. Giving in, giving up, and giving out are not options. In the kingdom of God, there is a standard of excellence for exaltation. It requires valiant discipleship! There is no room for average or complacent disciples. Average is the enemy of excellence, and average commitment will prevent you from enduring to the end."
WABAM! Then my favorite scripture: 2 Nephi 31:20
"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."
Con amor,
Hermana Randall