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December 5, 2016--FOREVER A MISSIONARY

12/6/2016

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¡Hola!

    I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's the truth: I am finishing my full-time missionary service in the Dominican Republic. It's totally surreal. I've been here long enough that it feels like the mission is going to keep going on and on, like I'm simply headed to my next area...not actually being transferred home. These 3 transfers in Ivan Guzman have been the fastest and best months of my life; I'm glad to end so happily:) I have loved "raising" Hermanas Vazquez, Christenson, and Neff so much and have learned a ton from them. They are amazing, and I know they're going to take care of the area well.
     We had such wonderful things happen this week and worked hard until the end. Amazing progress was made with 16-year-old, inactive Ariel, who came back to church yesterday! He will be officially reactivated soon, along with less-active Rhina, an incredible single mom who's been coming to church consistently the past month and a half:) Us 4 Hermanas had a blast practicing English with teenagers at Brigham Young School! We also got to perform at a Christmas concert that some other missionaries put on to jump start the work there, and it was so fun! More members helped us teach lessons this week than any other time this transfer; I'm so grateful to have served in such a loving ward that supports missionary work so much! I will miss these members muchísimo. We did a special musical number in Sacrament Meeting yesterday, and it was the most joyful thing to see Anthony bless the sacrament for the very first time:):) I am SO proud of him, Starlin, Victor, and all the youth who have made such big changes in their lives. Almost all of them got up and bore their testimonies, and the light of Christ that they emanated was incredible. Nothing in my life has brought me more happiness than to see them and others I've taught take action and turn their lives around by depending on Christ.
    Matthew 10:39 tells us that "he that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." As I have lost myself in the work of the Lord the past year and a half, I have truly, finally found my life. I have learned and internalized what is most important: God, the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and family. To have been able to share that knowledge with my brothers and sisters every day has been the greatest thing ever. I'm going to do everything I can to keep sharing it--in the airport, on the plane ride home, and for the rest of my life:) As the prophet Joseph Smith testified, "After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the gospel."
   I'm thankful for everyone I've met as a missionary: everyone I've contacted in the street, the faithful Church members, investigators, each of my companions (Hermanas Flake, Dibble, Alas, Gonzalez, Black, de Leon, Perez, Ventocilla, Vazquez, and Neff), President Nuckols, and all the other missionaries in the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo West Mission. What a crazy, amazing ride it's been. It's been the most nutsy roller coaster ever, and I wouldn't trade it for anything:) I'm very thankful that Heavenly Father sent me here to this country. I'm grateful for a knowledge of Christ's restored gospel. I know, without a doubt, that He lives and will come again. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church and is God's kingdom here on earth. I have a testimony that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that Joseph Smith translated it by God's divine power. I'm grateful for a living prophet, Thomas S. Monson, who guides us in these latter days. I know that through priesthood authority, we can follow the Savior's example and be baptized. We can be saved. Families can live together forever. We can live with God again. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all things are possible. As His representative, I testify of these things in His name, Jesus Christ. Amen.

"Of all the service you give, none is greater than to help people choose to qualify for eternal life."
   -President Henry B. Eyring

Con mucho amor,
    Hermana Randall
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November 28, 2016--VIRGINIA WAS BAPTIZED!!!!!

12/6/2016

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¡Buen día de la República Dominicana! 

    Ay mi madre el tiempo esta pasando demasiado rapido pero estamos trabajando muy duro hasta el fin del traslado. This is it, people: the last week of my full-time missionary service, and I'm giving it my all. We've been working so hard these 5 weeks of the transfer, and we're not going to slow down. This week was full of the Lord's miracles; He guided us to more new investigators in 1 week than we've had the rest of the transfer combined! We met golden investigator Yelissa's sister, Carolina, who is also golden and accepted the baptism invitation! Recent convert Victor had invited his neighbor, Cesar, to his baptism, but we hadn't gotten to teach him, and then Cesar came to church last Sunday! We finally sat down with him, and Cesar really wants to learn about the gospel--he even asked how long it takes to be baptized!
    Our Haitian investigator, Junior, has now been to church 5 times in a row!! it's going to take a little while to teach him all the lessons, and he needs to gain a testimony of everything he's learning, but I know that he can pull through. After weeks of Katherine and Juan never being home for our appointments and not answering the phone, we finally taught Katherine yesterday! She's been reading the Book of Mormon lots and is finishing 1 Nephi, wahoo! She said that it's strengthening her testimony, improving her relationship with God and Jesus Christ, and that it's changing the spirit of her whole home and lifestyle!! Wow!! That's exactly what studying el Libro de Mormon should do. Through that and prayer, Katherine has also received the confirmation that Joseph Smith was a prophet called of God. She's still working on gaining a testimony of our living prophet and wants to learn more about him, so one of the things she's doing is watching the "On the Lord's Errand" movie about President Thomas S. Monson.
    On Tuesday, it dropped down to 79 degrees, and I was a popsicle!! Seriously, it was so cold, like people were wearing coats...pretty sure I'm not going to survive in snowy Utah haha:) That day, our Hermana Leader came to do splits with Hermana Neff, so I went to La Venta to work with cute BYU greenie Hermana Irwin for the day, and it was so much fun:) Wednesday was the training meeting for all parents and newbie children. I learned some awesome things about helping my daughter, getting references, contacting, and obedience, fue muy chevere. Hermana Neff has been improving a lot, especially with Spanish and personalizing her teaching. Thanks to her, my English has definitely improved these past weeks haha:) Thursday was Thanksgiving, yay!! But we celebrated it on Friday with our American neighbors and some other, and oh my goodness, the food was divine...I would've been content to just sit and soak in the aroma of it all because it smelled so darn good:) That morning, President and Hermana Nuckols came to district meeting. wow, President is the most inspired man ever; I'm so grateful to have had him as my mission president.
    Saturday morning, our youth had a temple trip, and Starlin and Anthony got to go for the first time!! I'm so proud of them for making it this far and being so strong; they will be amazing full-time missionaries. They're excited about finding their own family names to do temple work for. This stake loves genealogy work--it's the highest indexing stake in the country! Saturday was also the day of VIRGINIA'S BAPTISM!!! She has been so incredibly prepared to receive the restored gospel and can't wait for her husband, Amable, to be baptized in January. They're planning on getting sealed next year to their baby daughter, Amanda, in the temple and are thrilled about the prospect of becoming an eternal family:):)
    Although Christmas started being celebrated here in September, the spirit of it has really been felt the past few days with the releasing of the Church's new Christmas video, which can be found at https://www.mormon.org/christmas/light-the-world?play=hero  We're showing it to everyone: contacts, investigators, members, and we're asking you all to share it on social media. It's about service and following the Savior's example; it shows us how we can "light the world," which is this year's theme. I know that every follower of Christ is a light to the world, and I've seen here how just one person--one light--truly can make a difference. As we always say, "Every member, a missionary." I'd like to share the words of our mission "commission," which we recite (in Spanish) every day. They're the words of the Apostle Bruce R. McConkie: 

"I am called of God. My authority is above that of kings of the earth. By revelation I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my master and He has chosen me to represent Him--to stand in His place, to say and do what He Himself would say and do if He personally were ministering to the very people to whom He has sent me. My voice is His voice, and my acts are His acts; my doctrine is His doctrine. My Commission is to do what He wants done; To say what He wants said; to be a living modern witness in word and in deed of the divinity of his great and marvelous Latter-day work. How great is my calling!"

Con amor, 
    Hermana Randall
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    Hermana Melissa Anne Randall

    Dominican Republic Santo Domingo West Mission

    July 15th, 2015 - January 2017

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