The Hood

Hey ya'll this week was crazy! I got to go to the hood thanks to my comp! Hahaha We went down in there to find a potential investigator and I was so scared! There where dog fights and people yelling at us, "Hey white girl come over here white girl! And we went up to the persons door and she let us in and it smelled like pee so bad.  This lady was crazy!  I mean she was one nut shy of a coffee table! So we talked to her and prayed with her and we came out and there was a big group of guys standing there and they said, "Hey we want Jesus and my companion was like okay so she started teaching them.  I just stood there and so she got done talking and they said,  "Hey give me your number and we just ran away! I thought I was going to get shot up in there! Hahaha! It was 8:30 mind you! So any ways, I was so done.  I just cried and was like I need to go home!  I can't love these people! But I pushed threw and the next day we had a miracle day! We had so many lessons and one lady just walked up to us and was like come in my house and teach me "I need help!"  There have been so many times this week that us being in the right place at the right time has brought so many people comfort. It's so weird that we are just walking down the street and people see us and they cry to us and tell us all of there life because they know who we are. I was thinking about this and I told my comp,"People know who Christ is and know that they can cast their burdens on him and its cool to see how because we represent him people can do that with us!"  I love this church and I love my mission.  I know that hard times come but it will all be worth it in the end.  I love ya'll and hope to hear from you soon! 

Sister Randall

Here are some pictures that Shelby sent this week!

First Night in the Mission Home, Met New Companion

Hey y'all!

 Wow this week has been crazy! The flight to Georgia was probably the worst thing I have ever experienced in my life! It was crazy rocky and it was just bad, but we made it! It is so green here I can't even believe it! We stayed the first night in the mission home.  I love the Cottle's so much!!! We just had meetings and interviews that night and the next day we had transfer meetings. It was really cool because John Shmit from the piano guys came and played because he was there picking up his daughter from her mission.  He is so talented!!!! My comps name is Sister Walker,  she is so great!! I'm her last comp so I'm killing her hahaha but she is so amazing! She is from Smith ville, Utah I think right outside of Logan! She is the best trainer.  I learn so much from her! So the area we are in is called Pine Mountain.  We cover a bunch of towns.  The town we live in is Hamilton.  We have one stop light and a dollar general. HAHAHA! But its really awesome and crazy! We have some people that live in these crazy big houses and some who's trailers are falling apart. Im going to have to get over my fear of germs lol.. but its been amazing and I love these people! Its funny because we can go in one persons house and they have Obama posters everywhere and then we go to the next house and it's confederate wallpaper. HAHAHA I'm in the south! We met an awesome guy named Jacques the other day,  He wants to know more about what we teach and he is so golden I can see it! I love these people so much and I love this Gospel! I'm so grateful I get to serve here! Can't wait to hear from y'all!!!!

Pictures:
Sister Randall LOVES Chicken!!!
Sister Randall & Sister Walker's House!
Lunch with President & Sister Cottle!
She is definitely in the SOUTH!  She thought this sign was funny! 

From President and Sister Cottle

Dear Brother and Sister Randall,

We were so delighted to meet your daughter as she arrived in our mission on Monday and to be able to spend time orienting her to this new phase of her service.  On Tuesday morning we had our transfer meeting which included instructions to the missionaries, inspirational talks, some heartfelt testimonies and assignments to their first companion and area of service.  Following the meeting, Sister Randall and her companion traveled to Hamilton, Georgia to her first assignment.

We know she will prosper here in the days ahead and assure you that we will do everything in our power to help her find joy in her service and success in her labors.  Your weekly emails will do much to support Sister Randall as she labors in this wonderful work.  Sister Randall will be able to email home on Preparation Day which is each Monday.  Just a reminder, when Monday happens to fall on a national holiday, those who use the public libraries will not have access to a computer, therefore, they usually email on Tuesday instead.

Your missionary is about to make an eternal difference in the lives of others.  We hope you will be encouraged and comforted by this quote from President Lorenzo Snow.  “There is no mortal man that is so much interested in the success of an elder (sister) when he is preaching the Gospel as the Lord that sent him to preach to the people who are the Lord’s children” (Millenial Star, July 16, 1894, p. 451).

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all you have done to prepare Sister Randall to faithfully serve a mission.  We look forward to getting to know her as we serve our Heavenly Father here in the Georgia Macon Mission.

Attached please find a photo of Sister Randall with Sister Cottle and me.  We are extremely pleased to have your daughter here serving with us.

With great appreciation and love,

President and Sister Cottle

Georgia Macon Mission

She Made It!

I just got this and it made me so very happy!  Sister Randall is in Macon Georgia!

This is just a short note to let you know that your missionary arrived in the Georgia Macon Mission safely.  Today is such a long day for them that I will be sending out only a group photo today.  You will receive an individual photo of your missionary with President and Sister Cottle on Wednesday.  Everyone was in good spirits and anxious for dinner since they had been up since about 3 am already.  Tomorrow they will find out where they are assigned and who their first companion in the field will be.  But for now…

Good night,

Sister Westbrook

Secretary

Georgia Macon Mission

Airport Phone Call

It was a bitter sweet morning.  Shelby called around 6am.  Shane answered the phone and said "Is this Sister Randall?"  With the sound in her voice you knew she had tears flowing down her cheeks, "Dad it's Shelby!"  I ran and woke up the kids and everyone got to talk to her.  It was hard for some of my kids to talk!  Their emotions were high and although they wanted to encourage her, they miss their sister very much!  We talked about her suitcases costing $60 and that she was a little nervous.  There was 50 Elders & Sisters traveling to Macon today.  The flight left and 8:30 UT time and was a four hour flight.  Then once they land in Georgia it will take them another 4 hours to drive to Macon.  She will be exhausted when she gets there.  After talking to her I got a text on my phone from a random person who snapped a picture and sent it to 4 of the "NEW MACON MOMS!"  What an angel he was for doing that.  I will cherish this picture!

2 Gingers from Qc!

Sister Randall & Sister Hubble in the MTC.  2 Gingers in the MTC from QC!

P-Day, Getting Ready to Head to Georgia!

Hey everyone! Today I get a p-day to do my laundry and stuff because we ship out Monday morning to Georgia! I'm so excited but so nervous! This week has been amazing and very difficult.   We had two Elders from our district go home.  It was really hard to see them leave. We really are all a family, but we also got to teach our first real investigator! 
She was so amazing and really wants to learn more.  We challenged her to be baptized but she wants to learn more first. We don't get to teach her anymore but I gave her my email and I hope she really comes to know what we teach is true. Some of the investigators we teach are already members but she told us she isn't and she also pulled out an anti Mormon packet and wanted us to answer her questions so that was fun! hahah but I love you all and I'm so excited to be doing the Lords work. I hope to hear from you soon! 

MTC Pictures

Here are the pictures we have received from Shelby while she is in the MTC.  She leaves on the 17th to Macon Georgia!  We all miss her terribly, but we know that she is serving the Lord and doing what she needs to do at this time in her life! 

WE LOVE YOU SISTER RANDALL!

SHELBY'S COMPANION, SISTER GAILY FROM ST. GEORGE, UTAH

THE DISTRICT GANG!

THIS IS A GIRL FROM QC THAT SHELBY HAS KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME, I DO NOT KNOW HER NAME.  I WILL UPDATE LATER :0)

First Week in the MTC

Hey everyone! This week has been amazing! The mtc is so great. I love it

here! My comps name is Sister Gaily and we get along so great! She's from St

George and we are the only sisters in our district. Our district is so

crazy we are like one big dysfunctional family. We taught investigators on

our second day and that was really scary but i am learning so much more

than I ever thought i would! right now we have three investigators sunny

Adrian and Erica Adrian is set for baptism and we are teaching her more

next week. we haven't met with sunny yet but we are so excited to meet with

her. and our last investigator is Erica we meet with her tonight and we are

challenging her to be baptised. even though its not really a baptism and

its just role play i really love each one of them. we also taught David

this week and it was so powerful we all where crying David was just our

teacher pretending to be an investigator but it was so real and afterwards

he told us that it seems like we have been here a lot longer than two days.

Sunday we went to the temple on a walk and to take pictures it was fun but

the best thing was choir we are singing a song called johns song and its

like a gospel pop song.we are singing back up to Nashville tribute band! they

are great so if you see that song on their next CD buy it cause that's me

haha. we also got to watch a devotional called character of Christ. and it

was the most amazing talk i have ever hear if you get a chance you should

really listen to it. today we went to the temple and it was so amazing!!! i

am so glad for the opportunity i have to serve and for the great people

around me and every thing I'm learning! my testimony has grown so much and i

ha vent even been here a week! i love you all and i have 60 minutes so i

would love to hear from you! PS dad i have hit like 11,000 steps and 50

flights of stairs beat that! And there are so many people here from QC!

Love,

Sister Randall

Future Macon Georgia Missionary!

Grand Canyon, Wilson's, MTC Goodbye Pictures

Ok sorry for the photo over load but I want to post these pictures of our last trip with Shelby while in Utah!  We had a wonderful week starting with a long road trip.  Shane told Shelby, "I can not send my AZ daughter to Georgia without her going to the Grand Canyon.  So we made a little detour and visited for a few hours.  After that adventure we stayed the night in Page, we were tired!  The next morning we drove to the Manti Temple!  It was so beautiful.  We were able to do sealing with Shelby and it was such a neat experience.  From there we headed to The Wilson's house.  They were so good to let us stay with them for almost a week.  It was so fun getting to visit and play games with the kids.  We stayed up late every night and regretted it the next day but boy it was fun!  We spent a few days shopping for the last minute missionary items that Shelby needed (well, dad loved Mr. Mac and he shopped for himself there).  On the 4th we went to the airport to pick up my niece Sister Armenta who would be serving in Reno NV.  She was able to spend a few days with us!  While at the airport to get Sister Armenta,  we were able to see the homecoming of a sister missionary that was serving in AZ.  She was the missionary that Shelby served her "Mini Mission" with.  Her name is Sister Bleak and when she saw Shelby she just cried and told her "Shelby you are going to be a great missionary!"  It was such a tender mercy!  The next day we went to the MTC!  It was so hard to tell her good bye!  We all knew the time was coming to say it but man it is hard!  I know she is exactly where she needs to be! We are so excited to hear from her and watch her grow spiritually!  Heavenly Father has truly blessed us with a wonderful daughter and we are so proud of her!

Grand Canyon Fun!
Manti Temple

 We finally made it to the Wilson's!  We had some much fun with their family! Heavenly Father has blessed us with wonder friends that we consider FAMILY!  Little Sophia with the watermelon shirt called Shelby "Cheryl" the whole time we were there.  We played games and watched movies (only missionary appropriate ones)! We went to this YUMMY Donut store and got breakfast one morning.  Oh my these were the best donuts ever!  We got to shop at Scheels and that is where Shelby found the giant bear to take a picture with! Oh ya and Tricia said it was ok to take a selfie in church.

Airport to get Sister Armenta (lower picture)  Saw Sister Bleak (above)  It was so great!

 Salt Lake Temple!  We were able to go and do sealing with Sister Randall & Sister Armenta!  It was a good day!  The Temple is so beautiful.  Shelby did not want to take pictures and so that is why you see the look on her face when her dad kissed her on the cheek.  They are so much alike!

We stopped at the Ice Cream Creamery just up the road from the MTC.  I think we were all trying to prolong the good bye time!  After we sat and had a rocky road shake, we walked outside and knew we better say good bye here!  It was so very hard!

This is the last picture we got to take at the MTC!  And then in a matter of seconds Sister Randall & Sister Armenta were gone!  I know that they both will be awesome missionaries!  As they entered the MTC that day they were able to meet up with their cousin Sister Giles who is now serving in the Baltimore Maryland Mission!  What a wonderful time to have 3 members of our family serving the Lord.

Go Sister Randall & make a difference!  Georgia is LUCKY to have you!