Hola!
I had a strange sensation this week: I was cold. It's been wonderfully cloudy and rainy all week, like the streets flooded so bad that they became rivers! I'm super grateful for the lack of sun!:)
On Tuesday, I went on splits with my best buddy, Hermana Balls, in Quisqueya, and we got to teach lots of people, wahoo! Our awesome ward mission leader, Neal, got married on Thursday, and even though it was the night before his wedding, he still wanted to have one last correlation meeting on Wednesday:):) Other sweet thing: we found out that darling Daniel and Starlin Martinez gave up their jobs to go to EFY the other week. Can you believe that? They have made such incredible changes in their lives--it's amazing to see the difference in them and Victor, who blessed the sacrament yesterday, while Starlin and Daniel passed it:) Plus, less-active Patricia came to church for the third Sunday in a row!! So wonderful to see her progress like this! Sunday was Dominican Father's Day (because ya know that Dominicans just do whatever they want, including changing national holidays), so the Bella Vista ward had a fun Dia del Padre activity, and seriously everyone showed up! What a miracle! I have loved getting to know these members so much:)
Friday morning, my life did a ginormous somersault. President Nuckols called and asked me to WHITEWASH one of the Elders' areas!!! WHAT?!? Apparently, there are a lot of Elders leaving and a lot of Hermanas coming in this transfer, so a new area needs to be opened for las misioneras. That means I'll have to find everything without a companion who knows the area: people's houses, the grocery store, Internet, todo. It's going to be a ton of work, but that's not all...I will also be TRAINING a new missionary!!!! Ahhhhhh you can imagine that I've been freaking out a bit; there couldn't be a bigger challenge than to do both of these big things at the same time.
For the very first time, President has asked both members of a companionship to train. Yep, Hermana Ventocilla will also be training!! Plus, Hermana Balls will be finishing the training of a Jamaican Sister in another area! In that same house lives 2 of my old companions who are serving together: Hna. Flake (MTC) and Hna. Alas (my 'step-mom/mom' of Hna. Ventocilla); however, Hna. Alas is finishing her mission, so Hna. Flake will be training as well! All 3 of us will be 'mommies' in the same zone!! Entonces after 7 straight months of intercom contacting in 2 of the richest areas in the mission...I will be staying in the capital! Crazy! The area I will be whitewashing is called Ivan Gusman in the zone of Las Caobas, and Hna. Balls will officially be my Hermana Leader for half of my mission, ha! I never imagined going back to a 2-man house, but wow, what an absolutely insane adventure I'm about to have.
All of us have been feeling inadequate and anxious, but I read D & C 68:6 and Elder Mervyn B. Arnold's talk from this past General Conference. He said, "When [God] commanded Moses to rescue the children of Israel, Moses was afraid, just as many of us are afraid. Moses excused himself, saying, "I am not eloquent,...but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue."
The Lord reassured Moses:
"Who hath made man's mouth?...have not I the Lord?
"Now therefore go, and I will be with they mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."
In effect, the Lord told Moses, "You can do it!" and you know what, so can we!"
I'm about to learn, more than ever, the real meaning of the phrase, ¨Whom the Lord calls, he qualifies.¨ I will only be able to handle the responsibility with the Lord´s help. He has helped carry me during these past 3 transfers in Bella Vista, and He will guide me during these last 3 of my mission. The Spirit gave me peace yesterday during church, especially when I got to play the song I arranged, "Brillan Rayos de Su Luz," and shared my testimony. It's been hard saying bye to everybody, but I know that God needs me to be His servant in another place, and I'm willing to do whatever He asks of me.
Wish me luck!
Hermana Randall
I had a strange sensation this week: I was cold. It's been wonderfully cloudy and rainy all week, like the streets flooded so bad that they became rivers! I'm super grateful for the lack of sun!:)
On Tuesday, I went on splits with my best buddy, Hermana Balls, in Quisqueya, and we got to teach lots of people, wahoo! Our awesome ward mission leader, Neal, got married on Thursday, and even though it was the night before his wedding, he still wanted to have one last correlation meeting on Wednesday:):) Other sweet thing: we found out that darling Daniel and Starlin Martinez gave up their jobs to go to EFY the other week. Can you believe that? They have made such incredible changes in their lives--it's amazing to see the difference in them and Victor, who blessed the sacrament yesterday, while Starlin and Daniel passed it:) Plus, less-active Patricia came to church for the third Sunday in a row!! So wonderful to see her progress like this! Sunday was Dominican Father's Day (because ya know that Dominicans just do whatever they want, including changing national holidays), so the Bella Vista ward had a fun Dia del Padre activity, and seriously everyone showed up! What a miracle! I have loved getting to know these members so much:)
Friday morning, my life did a ginormous somersault. President Nuckols called and asked me to WHITEWASH one of the Elders' areas!!! WHAT?!? Apparently, there are a lot of Elders leaving and a lot of Hermanas coming in this transfer, so a new area needs to be opened for las misioneras. That means I'll have to find everything without a companion who knows the area: people's houses, the grocery store, Internet, todo. It's going to be a ton of work, but that's not all...I will also be TRAINING a new missionary!!!! Ahhhhhh you can imagine that I've been freaking out a bit; there couldn't be a bigger challenge than to do both of these big things at the same time.
For the very first time, President has asked both members of a companionship to train. Yep, Hermana Ventocilla will also be training!! Plus, Hermana Balls will be finishing the training of a Jamaican Sister in another area! In that same house lives 2 of my old companions who are serving together: Hna. Flake (MTC) and Hna. Alas (my 'step-mom/mom' of Hna. Ventocilla); however, Hna. Alas is finishing her mission, so Hna. Flake will be training as well! All 3 of us will be 'mommies' in the same zone!! Entonces after 7 straight months of intercom contacting in 2 of the richest areas in the mission...I will be staying in the capital! Crazy! The area I will be whitewashing is called Ivan Gusman in the zone of Las Caobas, and Hna. Balls will officially be my Hermana Leader for half of my mission, ha! I never imagined going back to a 2-man house, but wow, what an absolutely insane adventure I'm about to have.
All of us have been feeling inadequate and anxious, but I read D & C 68:6 and Elder Mervyn B. Arnold's talk from this past General Conference. He said, "When [God] commanded Moses to rescue the children of Israel, Moses was afraid, just as many of us are afraid. Moses excused himself, saying, "I am not eloquent,...but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue."
The Lord reassured Moses:
"Who hath made man's mouth?...have not I the Lord?
"Now therefore go, and I will be with they mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."
In effect, the Lord told Moses, "You can do it!" and you know what, so can we!"
I'm about to learn, more than ever, the real meaning of the phrase, ¨Whom the Lord calls, he qualifies.¨ I will only be able to handle the responsibility with the Lord´s help. He has helped carry me during these past 3 transfers in Bella Vista, and He will guide me during these last 3 of my mission. The Spirit gave me peace yesterday during church, especially when I got to play the song I arranged, "Brillan Rayos de Su Luz," and shared my testimony. It's been hard saying bye to everybody, but I know that God needs me to be His servant in another place, and I'm willing to do whatever He asks of me.
Wish me luck!
Hermana Randall
-Last Sunday with my Peruvian
-My old companions, Hermanas Flake and Alas, came to visit Quisqueya before Hna. Alas goes home (it was her first area)!
-Disney night, starring Mulan, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and Snow White:)
-Patricia's turtle
-Nothing like a green banana stalk! Those and plantains are super common here.
-Adios Neal! Last time with our ward mission leader.
-District leader turning 20:)