Happy New Year!

I hope all of you had a fabulous Christmas!! I sure did. =)

Monday we went and bought some craft stuff to make our ward mission leaders some super cute ornaments.  I will attach a picture. They will never forget about us =)

Christmas eve!  We had district meeting, that was fun like always.  Then we just went around to a bunch of members houses and shared 'The Legend of the Candy Cane' as the Christmas message.  Later we had dinner at Sayre's.  Then we played charades for an hour or so.  So fun!  Then all the Sayre's got to open their Christmas pajamas and we were just enjoying watching.  But Brother Sayre gave us a present and it was our Christmas pajamas!  It made me so happy to get those!  Me and Sister Bowler match.

Christmas day was fabulous.  Me and Sister Bowler had our own Christmas morning opening our presents and stockings.  We each had multiple stockings because people kept giving us some.  Haha =) Then we got to go back to Sayre's (I'm surprised they aren't sick of us yet) and call our families.  I got to face time for an hour and it was fun to see everyone!  Dont really remember what we talked about, but it was nice to just chit chat and see everyone's personalities again.  We got to play ticket to ride.  After Sayre's we went around to members again sharing our Christmas message.  We went to a family and Madison had gotten a Ukulele for Christmas but didn't know how to tune it.  So I got to help her tune and and showed her how to play it.  I really didn't want to leave that house!  But we had to :P  Hopefully we can go there again and I can play it.  I miss my Ukulele.

Thursday we contacted lots of people.  Nothing really exciting or different.

Friday we taught Lee again.  He is the non member that we stopped by the first time and offered to 'practice' discussions on.  He really is not going anywhere.  He is set in his ways.  He told us that if God had a religion then we would all be part of that religion.. yet, he said he has his own religion where he is the only member.  So it was confusing and I'm pretty sure we couldn't have stressed agency and the importance of organized churches any more then we did.  So we decided that we aren't there to soften his heart and convert him... we are there to strengthen his wife.  Because first, we were an answer to her prayers when we showed up on her doorstep and offered the lessons.  And second, during this last lesson we felt impressed to sing How Great Thou Art before we taught.  And we had her in tears, it was her favorite song.  So that was cool.  We love her, and hope we can continue to strengthen her!

Saturday we did more contacting.  And again... nothing really happened.  Lots of people weren't ho

Sunday after church ( we talked in one ward about missionary work) all three of our appointments canceled.  So after dinner we got permission from President to watch Ephraim's Rescue.  So we went to Brother Sweet's house and watched it!  I loved it!  I don't know why I never saw if before I left.  It was nice to watch a movie.  Haha.

That was my exciting week of Christmas.  I hope I don't bore you all with my letters.  I try not to make them boring.  And I hope I don't repeat things. haha =)  I don't always remember what I wrote in my other emails.

Next week is transfers.  That 6 weeks went by crazy fast!  My area is splitting so I will probably go one way and Sister Bowler will probably go the other.  Which is sad because I really like Sister Bowler.  I want her for another transfer!  So if anyone sends me anything this week make sure you sent it to the mission office: 1008 W. Sanetta St. Nampa, ID 83651

Sister Bowler and a goat. 

Something I said in my talk yesterday is this... my purpose as a missionary is to bring people closer to Christ.  Every missionary's purpose is to bring people closer to Christ.  And as David O' McKay says, "Every member a missionary" it is every member's purpose to bring people closer to Christ!  So I challenge everyone this year to be a missionary and bring someone closer to Christ by loving and serving them!  That is what missionary work is. =)

Happy new year!

Love you all

 See... I really am out in the country.  Sometimes =)

Sister Radmall

Merry Christmas!

Hey everyone..

I hope you all have felt the joy that Christmas brings.  The sweet music that talks about Christ.  My companion and I have been listening to Christmas music all month and we love it.

This past week was kind of hard.  But it was good. We started out really excited because we had 2 appointments EVERY night.  We were going to be busy.

Monday after p-day.. both appointments canceled.  So we went and taught fhe to the Sayre's.

Tuesday was a new missionary training for my companion.  So we went and hung out with other missionaries learning how to be better missionaries.  It was fun.  The trainers go in a different room from the newbies and talk.  I'm just gonna say that my companion is perfect =)  After that we had 3 lessons planned and one canceled.  So we got to teach but not as much as we planned.

Wednesday we taught a couple lessons.  Remember how last week we taught a non member on the spot (Lee)  we taught him again.  It was as good of a lesson as the first.  But hopefully we answered some  more of his questions.  His member wife loves to have us over though.  She said she enjoys watching us interact with her husband and answer his questions.  Then we had dinner with the Lunas (the people we live with)  they took us out to a yummy place within our area. I had breakfast.... the pancakes were literally the size of my head.  Tons of food.  Then we got to go to mutual.  The YW were having a pajama party.  We were invited because there were a couple non members.  So we made ourselves known to them =)  It was fun.

Thursday was zone conference.  Tons of fun!! I played the organ for the opening and closing songs.. and I played the piano for 2 musical numbers, then I played the organ as background while President Cannon read luke 2.  It was so much fun!! =)  I got to practice a bunch during the week.  Loved it!  We got to watch two movies... one about the book of mormon (forgot the title) and Mr. Krueger's Christmas.  Sister Bowler and I and our zone leaders (elder Streeter and Rodgers) were going to sing Silent Night A Capella and it was going to be amazing, we were really really excited. But elder Streeter was sick so we didn't get to sing it.  Lame, but oh well.  Both our appointments canceled so we didn't have much to do that night.  Sister Bowler got nerf guns at the zone conference so every night we have been having nerf wars =)  It's is awesome.  Then we go into a fit of giggles and start rolling around on the floor.  It's bad.  We have way too much fun =)

Friday... no one was home! We didn't get a lot done.  It started snowing pretty hard while we were at dinner so we stayed a little longer because the roads were incredibly scary.  Then we went straight home because I didn't want to drive at all.

Saturday morning we went around and shoveled snow again... this time we put pants on. Haha.  We didn't get a lot done again.  Went to our ward mission leaders is pretty much it.  But a funny thing did happen at dinner =) ... His brothers were coming over for christmas (they are single) and he was hinting to us to stay until they got there.  As soon as they got there he started telling them to stop being shy and shake our hands.  Before they came he told us that we needed to give them our address so they could write us.  He was pretty much setting us up with them. It was so awkward and hilarious!  Never exchanged addresses (good thing) but it was so funny.  That night we went home early again because the snow on the roads had melted during the day and froze to black ice later.  So that was fun.

Sunday we got to go to 3 Christmas programs.  Got a little bit long after the 2nd... But they were all super good.  Later we had 2 lessons but one canceled. So we helped a lady dip chocolates and put them on plates.  Then we taught Sandra again!  The lesson was not near as good this week as it was last week.  Poor Sandra was falling asleep while we were talking to her.  Haha.  She was so tired.  She doesn't want to be baptized yet.. but she is thinking about it.  She just 'doesn't want to jump into it so fast'.

That was my long week!  It wasn't bad, but not as good as last week.  This week will be better hopefully!  It's gotta be since it's Christmas =)

I hope you all have a fabulous Christmas!  Remember Christ, even through the hustle and bustle of the season.  He is the reason we are here, he is the reason we celebrate.  He gave his life so we can be resurrected and return to our father in heaven.  He is the perfect older brother.  He would do anything for us.. he DID do everything for us.  He is so amazing.  I am so grateful for the opportunity I have every day to gain a better relationship with him.

Merry Christmas!

Love, Sister Radmall

Best Week So Far!

Hey everyone!
 So I have really been giving my whole self to the people of Idaho.... I give my time, my energy, my talents, my blood.. and my hair. I cut all my hair off! 11 inches. I donated it. So that was weird. I love it though. It's so much easier to take care of, and It doesn't get as stat-icky and it looks so much healthier. =) I'm just going to go through my week because there were so many amazing experiences.

 Monday.. cut my hair, had a good lesson with a less active family. The spirit was there and we are becoming their friends. So that is good!

 Tuesday..We have been going around to all the less actives and sharing a Christmas message. Because it is Christmas, a lot more people let us in! The relief society Christmas part was fun. We sang some songs with them, but then had a lesson to go to. It was a good lesson. All the kids participated really well. Hopefully we said something that helped the parents. That is the family with the huge Great Dane. We found an over aged youth that we are going to start teaching and she is going to be baptized. Her mom isn't active so hopefully during the lessons we can help her!

 Wednesday... we taught the Mortensens (I sent their picture a couple weeks ago, the older couple)

He is so smart and knows so many scriptures. At dinner he would always pretend to be an investigator. So we just offered to teach them. It was really fun. He made it hard for us and we learned a bunch. He said he wants us to be the best missionaries we can be, that's why he made it hard. Later that night we were going to Sayers to ask a question but sister Sayer wasn't home so we couldn't go in. We decided to go somewhere else while we waited for her to get home. We went through the ward directory and a name stood out to us both so we went there. She is less active, and she seemed really lonely. So we shared a Christmas message, and talked to her for a bit. Cheered her up and let Sayers know later that she needs a friend. That was awesome. Someone in the 30th ward asked me to play the piano for the ward Christmas party on Friday. So I was excited about that. Got to practice a bunch on Thursday and Friday.

 Thursday we taught a lady named Sandra. She is the one with liver failure. Her friend came over and bore her testimony before, but had to go back home because her kids were home alone. Then we taught her the restoration and I think she felt the spirit. Her dog was kinda distracting though. :P I practiced the piano at the church for a while that day. They were kinda hard songs and I needed lots of practice. 

Friday, we visited so many less actives and shared messages with them-- it was awesome! We shared at least 20 messages this week! Did some more piano practicing and helped set up for the party. Then later was the party and for the program the choir did a flash mob and started singing in the audience it was fun. And I played the piano pretty good. Not perfect, but not bad.

Caroling with the Elders on Saturday Night

Saturday was the best day ever! So was Sunday. Saturday we visited some referrals but they weren't home. On our way to the next place we planned I saw a road that one of our referrals lives on but we didn't plan to visit. The car pretty much turned itself that way and I was like "Let's go visit Wanda" So we went and visited her. She is a member, her husband is not. We went in and asked if we could share a Christmas message. She said "Of Course! Let me go get my husband.. he's not a member" She went and got him and he was a little grumpy because he had just gotten up from a nap. We shared our message then we were talking and I asked if we could practice the discussions on them since we are so new. He didn't seemed thrilled, but agreed. We asked when we could come back and he was like "oh, I thought you meant right now." So we did it right then! Taught the restoration, answered a lot of his questions and concerns and committed him to read the witnesses in the Book of Mormon. His wife told us yesterday that she had been praying for something like that and we were an answer to her prayers =) She didn't want to bring it up to him because he is not interested in religion at all. That was an awesome experience.. and we are going over there this Wed! Kinda scary, but awesome! After that we went to Kip's with Brother Stokes to teach him the Plan of Salvation. He was in a really good mood and he was talking and participating really well. I extended my first baptism invitation! And he said yes. Not until March, but he is still going to be baptized =) he came to church yesterday too. I think he liked it. Later was the normal drop off progress records to WML's. We had a really good report this week and we were so excited. it was fun. Sayers were in Utah so we didn't go to their house. 

Sister Radmall and Sister Bowler teaching the Plan of Salvation

Sunday..after the 9 hours of church we taught Sandra the plan of salvation. The most amazing lesson yet! We had one of the ward missionaries there and Sandra's friend from across the street. The spirit was so strong. She didn't have many questions and the two sisters that came with us bore their testimonies so well it was amazing. Then the idea to invite her to baptism came to my mind and I kept holding off. But then I started to get really hot and I couldn't cool down. LOL. So I finally got the courage to invite her to baptism (second invitation this week) and as soon as the words came out of my mouth I cooled off and could think straight. She didn't accept, but she said she was going to pray about it. I have a really good feeling about her. She is so sweet and so strong. I just want her to accept! Haha. Oh ya, and I gave a talk in 30th ward. It was about the gift the savior gave us, and the gifts we can give in return. I read the poem I read at my farewell and EVERYONE has asked me for a copy. So I just carry tons of copies in my bag. Haha.

That was my fantabulous week! We are hoping for a good week this week too. We are busy. Lots of less active teaching and member teaching. So it's going to be good =) I love you all! Remember to think of the Savior this Christmas season. Think about the wonderful gift of the atonement. He overcame death and sin so that we can live with our families and with Heavenly Father forever!

 Love, Sister Radmall

Merry Christmas from Sister Bowler and Me

Quilting, Snow, and a Special Baptism

 shoveling snow at home

Hey y'all

This week was a really good and fun week, though not very productive.

On Monday we taught a less active family and the spirit was really strong there.  The Dad of the family got choked up when reading one of the scriptures we read to him.

Tuesday we went to help a lady in our ward make a quilt.  We helped cut fabric and pin it so she could sew the crazy quilt together.  It was fun =)  The rest of the day we visited people but not many people answered.  We got invited to activity days again.  So we went and they had a gift exchange.  I got a hot cocoa mug.  Then we decorated cookies.  Those girls love us to pieces.  They were fighting over where we should sit.  Haha.  There is a non member girl that goes and soon we will hopefully be teaching her family!  Later was a relief society Christmas party.  Another gift exchange.  It was pretty intense.  Lots of running around. Lol... I got some lotion at that one.

Wednesday we helped set up for the Savior of the World play going on that night.  Then we taught a lesson to a less active couple.  They are so sweet.  And I just wish I could get into their heads how important church is!  We will get there =)  Later was the play.  It was really good.  Very spiritual!  We invited a bunch of people but no one showed up either night :/ So that was pretty lame.  But I had a really good experience!  On Sunday I was sitting in front of a someone we had taught previously.  During sacrament meeting I felt like I should share a scripture with here.  Seemed silly because I had no idea what she was having a hard time with.  But I did.  I wrote down the scripture and put down a little testimony of it then as we were leaving I set it on her lap and smiled then we left.  On wed she came up to me and gave me a giant hug and told me I was an angel.  She had read the note when she got home and she said that scripture helped her a ton.  It was a testimony builder for me because it helped me see that I really was acting on the spirits promptings. =)

Thursday we helped out at a relief society party again.  Served food and sat and talked with the ladies.  Lots of fun.  Later we taught a member family the plan of salvation.  But instead of teaching it we had the kids answer the questions, so really it was them teaching us.  It was more fun that way and probably more benefiting for them. There was the play that night again.  No one we invited showed up.

Friday we did exchanged with the sister training leader.  Sister Bowler went with her and sister Dunkle came with me.  It was fun to spend a day with sis. Dunkle again.  Friday night was 34th ward's Christmas party and we had a really cool experience there.  There was a homeless couple passing through and the bishop invited them to the party to get some food and get warm.  So they came and sat by us.  They were so sweet and they kept saying that the feeling in the church was so good.  They had a Book of Mormon already and he was reading a bunch of books about Joseph Smith... so I don't know why he isn't LDS yet. Haha.  We couldn't really offer to teach since they were headed to Oregon the next day.  But we gave them a tour of the church.  It was humbling to hear their stories. It snowed friday morning.  And sister Dunkle was so funny.  She was like a little kid on Christmas.  She sat by the door for like 10 minutes just watching it snow.  She was like, "it's so sparkely! I keep waiting for it to stop snowing and start raining."  It was great =)  We went and shoveled a lot of drive ways that morning in our skirts.  They don't plow the roads here!  So every single road is a sheet of ice and it is so scary.  They barely even sand the intersections.  Obviously the snow here doesn't usually stay. 

Saturday was Mandy and Triston's baptism!! My first investigators =)  It was amazing.  Mandy hurt her foot and is on cruches so we went back and helped her so she wouldn't fall down the stairs.

 Mandy and Triston before

  I felt so much love and excitement for them as they both went in the water and came up clean and ready to receive the Holy Ghost.  I asked Mandy what had made her decide to get baptized and she said that her mother in law had been trying to get her baptized for 12 years.  All the missionaries that she saw couldn't answer her questions fully.  But we did.  She didn't even ask any questions while we were teaching her, but apparently she didn't need to ask because the spirit answered them.  That made me feel so happy.  And made me feel like a successful missionary!  I love them so much =)

 Mandy and Triston after

 Later that day was 9th ward Christmas party.  It was Hawaiian themed. The entertainment was hilarious.  People dressed up at the dispicable me minions danced and it was just really funny.  Wish I had pictures but I don't. Sorry.

Sunday was another long day at church.  And afterwards both me and sis Bowler were so tired.  Sis Bowler is getting some kind of cold so she isn't feeling well.  We went to the Christmas devotional at the Sayers and I almost fell asleep.  We just had absolutely no energy.  But that's alright. =)

That was my week... Like I said, fun and busy, but not very productive when it comes to actual missionary work. It has been really cold though.  Not as cold as in Utah it sounds like.  It's been in single digits most of the day.  This week it will be back up to 40. I'm crossing my fingers =)  I hope you all have a great week.
Remember Christ in this Christmas season.  Remember the greatest gift anyone could ever give which is Christ's atonement.  Find ways to repay him by serving others and standing as a witness of him at all times and in all things and in all places.

Love you all! =)

Love, Sister Radmall

Thanksgiving Week

Well.. I'm a trainer.  Crazy huh?  It's fun though =)  I think I am better and more determined when someone looks UP to me rather then EXPECTS something of me.  So I feel like I am doing better as a missionary since I have to be the example.

Last Monday we had a training meeting and dinner at the mission home.  So we got nothing done on Monday after p-day.
Tuesday we had to go pick up our new companions who just arrived from the MTC like I did two months ago. We were there all day so we got nothing done on Tuesday either.  I got my companion, Sister Bowler.  She is awesome.  She is so determined and ready to work.  Now that we are all settled in and we are starting a new week we are going to do lots of work.  Hopefully we can find lots of people to teach.  Sister Bowler is a lot like me.  She went to LDS Business college to get an interior design certificate, which is what I have! =)  So we both like to talk about interior design.  And she doesn't think I'm crazy when I start drawing sketches and floor plans during breakfast and lunch. Haha.

Wednesday we had dinner with President and Sister Cannon.  That was fun!  I felt kinda bad for Sis. Bowler.  First dinner in the mission and it's with the president.  But it was good.  I shared the poem that I gave in my farewell talk with them and they really really liked it.  Later we had some fall through lessons and just visited people. Got a bunch of referrals.  So that's good.

Thursday, Thanksgiving!  We hung out at Sayer's most of the day.  It was fun!  We had dinner at 2 then played games for the rest of the day.  We played Ticket-to-Ride.  Reminded me of home.  I felt right at home there, so that was great!  Later we went to the Sweets and had some pie.  I tried pumpkin pie again, even though I don't like it.  Still don't really like it --but I can handle it. Lol.

Friday was just a lot of visiting members to get referrals and such.

Saturday was Brennan's baptism.  It was great.  I gave the baptism and holy ghost talk.  They did it before the Stake baptisms because Brennan has a short attention span.  So my talk was like 5 minutes and most of it consisted of questions for Brennan so I could keep him focused.  After that was Mya's.  She is the most precious girl ever.  Adorable!  She was so excited to get baptized.  She told everyone she saw afterwords that she got baptized.  I saw Esther Palmer!! She was at the stake baptism and she came over and said hi.  I showed her a couple pictures of the family and we talked about Trenton and who still lives there and all that fun stuff.  Hopefully we will be able to go to their house for dinner in a couple weeks.  I want to see the rest of her family =)

Sunday was another long day of church and meetings.  7:30 to 4, and fasting.  But it went by pretty fast.  We both bore our testimonies in two of the sacrament meetings so that the ward could see us and here our testimonies.

We decorated our apartment yesterday.  Sayers and one of the bishops gave us 2 little Christmas trees and some lights and ornaments.  So we put that up.  It feels like Christmas!  We listen to Christmas music almost constantly.  Love it! =)

I think that's all the fun stuff going on... I hope it is anyway.  This Saturday is Mandy and Trystin's baptism.  I am so excited!!!!  Mandy hurt her foot this week so she has a boot and crutches.  She told me that if she needs some extra help then I am going to have to get in the font with her.  haha.  So that will be interesting. I discovered that she had only started coming to church at the beginning of October.  So when I was in the MTC.  I thought that was cool.

I felt really disappointed yesterday.  More then I ever have... So our investigators that are trying to stop smoking were doing really well.  We went over to see how they were and they suspiciously wouldn't let us in.  Said they were sleeping.  So I hoped that they really were just sleeping but had a feeling they were smoking.  Then we drove by their house yesterday  (which is right across the street from the tobacco store "When you gotta habit") we saw them walking home from there smoking :/ It was really sad.  Especially since they were so determined and excited.  I really thought they would do it.  Hopefully they can do it again.  I'm praying for them.

okay... now I think that is all =)

Have a fantabulous week everyone!!

Love, Sister Radmall

P.S. this is a good scripture! D&C 101:32-36 =)