Transfer Week: January 19th message

I'm still in New Plymouth!  Super excited!  And I'm still with sister Clegg.  Makes me wonder if I will stay with her for the rest of our missions, or if she will leave for our last 6 weeks.  Hopefully we stay together the whole time. 

We had a crazy week.  I'm so ready for the sun to come out!  Why does the first month of the year have to be the longest and most dreary?  I guess that's better than the middle of the year being that way.

On monday we played some minute to win-it games.  It was pretty fun.  A lot of the missionaries just wanted to play sports... they are boring.  But those that played with us had a fun time! =)  

Then we went to teach Zelle at the Grovers.  It was a pretty good lesson.  Taught her the restoration.  She is 15 though, so I'm pretty sure everything we said went in one ear and out the other.  haha.  We will see if she is interested next week.  Her mom who is less active listened and loved it though.  

Tuesday we went to the Hortons and played Catch Phrase for a while.  They said that we really bring the spirit in their home and really lighten things up.  They love it because it's really hard for them right now.  Their mom is still suffering with cancer.  I also did the twins' hair.  Braided it so it would be curly the next day.  They loved it!  I really love that family.  It's so sad to see them all suffering so much.  I'm glad I am able to be their friend!

Wednesday we went to a stake correlation and talked about how to better the missionary work in the stake.  It went well.  Our stake president is awesome!  After that we came back to New Plymouth and contacted a bunch of people.

Thursday we were at Horton's again. We helped them go through clothes that were too small for the girls. They really appreciated it.  Got it done quick.  Then we went to the Moscrips for dinner.  They invited us over with 2 of his business partners. (this is the millionaire family).  It was awesome.  We had some great gospel conversations.  And they asked us lots of questions about missionary work.  It was good, fun, missionary oriented dinner.  Something both me and Sister Clegg needed.  It was definitely a rich business man's dinner. 

Friday We just contacted a couple people.  Not a lot happened.  Saw and talked to a couple people we haven't for a while, but nothing really came of it.  There are those days that you are there for a reason and you touch their lives and they let you know.... and then there are the days where you don't feel like you are doing anything.  On those days what you are actually doing is growing and helping yourself.  Learning how to be diligent even after a long hard day.

Saturday we took Mike to the Spanish baptism.  He seemed to like it.  We just wanted him to witness a baptism, to see what it's like.  The Spanish sisters and elders actually needed me to play the piano.  They didn't know anyone who could play come thou fount.  They sang the same thing sister Bailey did in La Grande.  Come thou fount music with Joseph Smith's first prayer words (In Spanish).  It worked out perfectly since I had written the music to the arrangement.  So I played for them.  It was pretty cool.  I'm so grateful for my talent of piano!  It is so much fun.  And I love being able to help people and brighten their day with it! =)

Sunday was really long.  We were both kind of tired of church and ward council.  In both ward councils they didn't really talk much about missionary work.  They talked about menial things for ever.  So we were frustrated.  Then our investigator that promised would come didn't.  So it was just a frustrating day for both of us.  But I got spiritually fed a LOT.  During sacrament meeting the word 'Soul' stood out to me in the sacrament prayers.  I thought about how it doesn't say anything about our bodies in the prayers.  Only our souls.  The sacrament is food for the soul.  It really does clean and strengthen us for the rest of the week.  Before yesterday I just took the sacrament without a ton of thought.  I thought about Christ and what he did for me, and I thought about how I could be better during the week.  But I never thought about the strength the sacrament could give me.  Reading the scriptures and praying every morning is a spiritual boost for the day... taking the sacrament is a spiritual bomb that lasts the whole week!  It's pretty cool! =)  So that helped my day get better.  And the Mia Maid adviser came into Relief Society and asked us if we would come teach her class because there wasn't a lesson prepared.  So we went to Young Womens and they asked us all kinds of questions about being a missionary.  It was so fun! I hope we got them excited to be missionaries!  That gave us the push we needed to go work the rest of the day.  I love church!

That was our crazy week.  Lots of ups and downs.  Pushing through hard times and looking back at all the blessings.  Good week =)

We are reading Jesus the Christ together as a companionship.  It's a long process but we are almost halfway done!  It is such an amazing book!  I am learning so much about Christ.  I'm also reading 'The Continuous Atonement' by Brad Wilcox.  Also an awesome book about Christ.  They are so good.  I recommend both of them =)

Love you all!

Remember that Christ doesn't just make up the difference, he IS the difference!  He isn't asking us to repent so we can pay him back, but so we can learn for ourselves.

Love,

Sister Radmall 

January 15th email: From the Mouth of Babes

We had a really fun week.  It was pretty busy though.  And both me and Sister Clegg are emotionally, spiritually, and physically worn out!  But we still push through and get 'r done!

Exchanges this week were with the Parma sisters, Gibb and Miller.  And the Spanish Ontario trio, Gutierrez, Stadler, and Carrasco.

I got to go to both Parma and Ontario.  On exchanges no one one was home.  Then later I learned that no one was home in New Plymouth either.  Or Fruitland!  I think everyone everywhere was just gone!  But I met a really awesome member family.  Sometimes on those bad days you meet someone who just cheers you up!  It's a fantastic thing.  I'm very grateful for those people.

The other exchange was on Friday and Saturday.  I went to Ontario to the Spanish area.... needless to say I understood nothing.  =P  So that was weird.  But it was very cool to listen to the sisters teach and know exactly when they were bearing their testimony because you can really feel the spirit when testimonies are borne.  The spirit speaks to all whether they understand or not.  In all languages.  I had never experienced that before.  So it was an amazing experience for me!

We were able to teach Sheri this week.  She started out saying she had gotten her answer to know if the church is true.... she said she got the answer that the church was right for some people, but not right for her.  We didn't know what to say.  So talked about discerning spirits.  And how sometimes God with holds our answer for a big so we can learn.  Though she said it wasn't for her, she didn't sound very confident in that answer.  She kept saying that she felt lost now.  We explained that is because she wants the church to be true, God is just letting her figure things out right now.  So she pushed her baptism to Valentines day.  She still wants to get baptized, so that's good!  I'm sorry if that made absolutely no sense.  I did my best.  haha.

We went to a less actives house this week and had a really good conversation with her and her husband about church.  Then she came to church on sunday!  It was so awesome!  I love seeing less actives come back to church.

We help out at the senior center every week.  In the thrift store and serving lunch.  We have a lot of fun there.  Trying to make ourselves known in the community.  Everyone loves us.  Hopefully we are making a good impression for the church!

On Sunday we went to teach a young family.  They are active members.  But she asked us if we could teach her the lessons so that she can teach her little girl the gospel when she gets older.  She lacks confidence in her teaching skills.  So we have been teaching her simply and trying to help her teach.  This week we asked her to role play to her little girl, Nichole, who is only 6 months old.  She didn't feel comfortable and didn't know where to start so we did it.  We have never taught a baby before.  Haha!!  It was so adorable though.  Because as we were teaching her the first discussion... the restoration, she had the funniest reactions.  It seemed like she understood everything we said!  She probably felt the spirit.  At the climax' and exciting parts she would lean in and watch you so intently, then she would make a screech or something and get so excited.  It was so funny.  I had to take a video.  Babies are really just so close to the veil.  Honestly, one of the things I am super excited to do in 3 months is hold a baby.  It's been way to long!  haha =)

So that was our week.  It was an interesting one, but still good.  I love it here!

I found this scripture in Romans 5:19 this week....

"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."

Our example shows whether it's a good example or bad example.  So be a good example!!!! =)

Love you all!

~Sister Radmall

January 5th Message from the Field

Hey! So this week just kind of flew by.  It consisted of 4 exchanges!  So needless to say... I'm really glad to be with my companion.  She is the best.  I am much more appreciative of her now that I can't be with her all the time.

Monday we went on exchanges with Sister Paxton and Ma'ukoloa.  I was in Fruitland with sister Paxton... and walking.  That was fun, and cold.  I was exhausted.

Tuesday all day I was with sister Paxton, then we did a last minute exchange with the other Fruitland sisters Tuesday-Wednesday.  They live in the same house, so I just switched beds.. haha.  I stayed in Fruitland again with Sister Johnston this time.  Sister Fox went with Sister Clegg.  This time we had a car.  I am so grateful to have a car!!!!  

New years day I was with my companion!  It was nice.  We saw a lot of people.  It was awesome.  Went down to sand hollow and taught our investigator, Jesse.  He doesn't remember a lot of things.  But he has a sincere heart and will probably get baptized soon.  =) 

Friday brought another exchange.  2 actually.  We went to Weiser's district lunch and had a short exchange with the McCall sisters.  Sister Bowler! And Clarke.  They are doing great together, so we didn't feel like we needed to use that many miles to do a 24 hour exchange.  Then Sister Keyser came to New Plymouth with me and Sister Nelson took my comp to Weiser.  But guess what she kept!  Our phone!  So we had no phone.... and we got lost going to dinner!  So we stopped and asked an older guy who was out shoveling his walk if he knew how to get there.  He didn't because they just moved from Boise.  But he knew who we were!  He said he loves the sister missionaries.  His wife is a member and he referred to himself as a 'dry Mormon'.  We asked if we could use his phone to call our dinner, and we got directions. Then we gave Hank our number so he could call us for help with unpacking.  It was a blessing that we ran into him.  A miracle!  And it wouldn't have happened if we had a phone.  So I'm really glad we didn't have a phone that day.  Even though it would have been nice to have. =)  God is in everything... everything happens for a reason.

Saturday we worked on a list of less-actives that the relief society president gave us because she didn't know if they lived there or not.  So we went searching.  We didn't find any, but we did find our non-member friend who goes to the exercise class with us.  We didn't know where she lived, but then we found her!  We introduced the Book of Mormon to her and committed her to read it.  Hopefully we can start teaching her! Her name is Phillis.  She is super sweet!  Then we went to Alona's, our possible Russian investigator.  They were having a Russian Christmas party and invited us in.  haha.  It was kind of awkward.  We didn't really stay long.  But it was good because we made our selves known to her co-workers.

Sunday was a long day of meetings.  Both ward councils. It was good though.  A lot less overwhelming than the first time when I knew nobody!  Now I know most of the people.  I'm loving this area.  I'm getting my bearings pretty good.  Know my way around mostly, and I know a lot of people now.  =)  I can't believe next week is the last week of the transfer!  December went by way too fast.  I knew it would... but I didn't think it would go that fast!

Sister Clegg and I got our trunky papers on Saturday.  Weird?  I think YES! So I filled them out and mailed them.  I'll be done with my mission April 14th.  It's comin' up fast.

Thanks for all the Christmas cards and wishes this last month.  They really boosted my spirits and made me feel loved and happy.  =)  

Love you all!

~Sister Radmall