The Work Here is Slowly Progressing

 A good week here in Warner Robins!  The work here is slowly progressing! This week we had our zone meetings in Macon so that was fun! We got to see all of our friends and have a great meeting with them. We also had our stake conference this week so Saturday and Sunday.  We where in Macon for those and again it was great to see everyone and to be able to here the messages from the stake leaders and our mission president.

We also where able to have a lesson with Evon a investigator who is on date for the 16th of July with a member and it was awesome. The spirit was very strong and we where having a great lesson and then we realized that there was smoke coming out of the kitchen. She had left some thing going on the stove so that ended that lesson haha. For the rest of the day we called and texted people that the past sisters had contacted and never went back. I got a few angry people who didn’t want to be talked to but we also got a few that said we could come by some time. One of those was Ms. Betty, she answered and I told her who we where and she said she would love for us to come by that she was going through a lot and needed to talk. So we set up a time and I told her we would be by soon. Turns out that the Elders used to teach her years ago and she moved. So we went over to her house and she was waiting outside her house for us and we went in and there was no furniture at all. So we sat on the floor and talked for a while. She told us that they just moved in and she is taking care of her daughter’s kids so they live there too. But they got bedbugs in their last house so they had to get rid of every thing and move. We ended up talking to her about the restoration and she really liked it! We invited her to be baptized and she said yes she would think about it. So that is good! She is a sweet lady I really hope that she progresses!

Valorie was also able to come to stake conference on Sunday with the Kosaks and afterwards we went over to their house for lunch and a lesson. We taught the plan of salvation and she seemed to take it all in and really understand it. She is so awesome! We invited her to get baptized as well and she said yes that she would like that some time in the future. So hopefully the next time we see her we can come up with a date. She is so open I love her!

Every Sunday we go and visit the Poppe family. They are a less active returning family, we invited them to stake conference and they came! That night we went over to see them and they told us that they really where debating on coming or not because they got there really late and they where only able to catch the last two speakers. But they said they where so glad they did because those talks where meant for them. So we talked about conference for a while and then the temple. They told us that they are so sick of not being able to go into the temple and they are going to do every thing they have to do to get there and be sealed! I’m so excited for them they are a great family!

The lord is really blessing this area! Transfer calls came this week and I am staying here with Sister Maher one more. I hope that as we continue on that we will be able to see many more blessing and people who are excited to learn more of this amazing message! I love y'all thank you for your prayers and support! This is a picture of me and Sister Maher trying to take a cute picture in our matching outfits hahah. and a picture of my planner cover this transfer!

Love Sister Randall

Ten Things I Love About Being a Missionary

Well another week here in Warner Robins! This week we worked to get the area book organized and try and see as many less active members and part member families that we could. A couple adventures from this week, Sister Maher and myself went on a walk the other night and I heard some thing in the bush.  So I went over and looked and there were two baby cats! So I ran home and got a box and a can of tuna and we tried for about a good hour to get them into this box haha. We ended up getting one so we took it and put it on our screened in porch and it was having a fit! We went back to get the other one and we could not get it.  He was way to fast so we headed home defeated and when we got there the mama cat was out side our door and she was mad that we had her baby on our porch.  So we tossed some tuna at her and got her away from the door so we could let the cat out of our porch. So we almost had a cat but by the end of it the only thing we came home with was smelling like tuna! The other adventure for the week wad we went out to Byron a small town in our area, to see some less active members before our dinner. Well we went to about 10 houses and no one was home so we where a little tired of knocking with no answer so we headed back to town. On our way we found a big antique mall so we stopped and went in and walked around and it was a good break.  I found this awesome salt and pepper shakers though hahah! Well this week was my 10-month mark! So here are ten things I love about being a missionary!

1. I love the people of Georgia!

2. I love all of the missionaries that I have met and the friendships we have!

3. I love the scriptures SO much!

4. I love the relationship I have with my Father in Heaven.

5. I love the southern culture! Y'all, the food, waving at ever one, hospitality, the respect.

6. I love the growth that missions give you.

7. I love my nametag! And the chance I have to wear his name on my heart every day!

8. I love my mission president and his wife and all they do for us!

9. I love the love that I have felt as I have served as a missionary

10. I love feeling like I make a difference.

There are so many more things that I love about being here! I am so glad that I am here serving. I would not trade it for the world. I love y'all.  Thank you for all your support and love! I forgot to put my address on here the last couple weeks so here it is: 121 Margie Dr #1502

        Warner Robins GA, 31093

Send me a letter if you want to! I love hearing from y'all!

Love,

Sister Shelby Randall

Probably the Longest Week Thus Far

Hey y'all! 

Wow what a week it has been, probably the longest week thus far. Tuesday we had our district meeting and that went really well.  We had great trainings and we are becoming a lot closer as a district. After district meeting we all went out to Golden Coral for lunch because that is the Elder's favorite place to go haha. We also got to see a couple people and teach some less active recent convert families. Wednesday we had Book of Mormon class at the church. During the class we got a call from our mission president so we stepped out and took the call. He had all three of us on the phone and explained that due to a couple situations that a Sister in our zone is with out a companion so he would need Sister Andruski to go down to Dublin the next day and be companions with the Sister there. That was kinda a shock and short notice in the middle of a transfer. but we told him yes and then we got to work seeing every one in the area to say goodbye and to help her pack so Thursday was a full day! So now its just me and Sister Maher here in Warner Robins, we are a little stressed out because this is kinda a white wash for us.  We don't really know too many people here. So we are starting fresh! We do have one investigator named Valorie that we are working with and she is awesome! We had dinner with her last night and had a great lesson about the restoration! I hope and pray things start looking up here and the work will go forward! I love y'all, thanks for your support! Here is a pic of the friend that I found above my bed this week! hahah love y'all

Sister Shelby Randall

Zone Conference, Repentance

Hey y'all!

 Well this week was good! We had our zone conference this week a lot of great messages and good to see all the missionaries from the different areas and zones. President shared a great lesson on what repentance really is. Something that I thought was interesting that he mentioned is “Are we truly repenting or just stopping the action that we are doing?” Repenting is a full change of heart and character and just stopping is not a full change of heart just a change of action. I thought that was a great thought for the week. We had a good week got to meet more people and work more with some of those that we have met the last couple of weeks. It’s weird that I have been here for three weeks already! I feel like I just got here yesterday! Today we went to Andersonville the prisoner of war camp for the confederate armies in the civil war or as I learned today from a very opinionated southern man “That the correct term for the war was " the war of northern aggression" so yea hahah. But it was cool to see and it was really fun. But apparently every thing that "they teach you western kids in those text books is wrong about the war" according to that man haha. We also went to Lanes Peach Packaging and had peach ice cream! So that was really yummy. Things here are good!  Thank you for all your love and support!  I miss you and love y'all!

Sister Shelby Randall

Michelle, She is So Awesome!

Hey y'all! Well it was a great week here in Warner Robins!  We got to see a lot of people! More people than I am used to coming from our small teaching pool in the Valdosta area.  So that has been fun getting used to seeing so many people a day. The one person that I would like to share with y'all is Michelle, she is so awesome! She reminds me so much of Connor! She has a great desire to change her life.  Its amazing to see that desire in her. She has had such a hard life and is struggling with addiction to many substances, but regardless of all that she has such a hope that she can change. I don’t know what it is but I tend to have at least one investigator in each area that has a serious addiction. hahah. But it has been such a blessing to be able to watch people over come that in their life and come out a new person.  We also had zone training meeting this week and that was awesome! I got to see some of my friends from previous areas. Elder Beckman was there from Pine Mountain! It was great to see every one! Well I hope y'all have a great week and I hope to hear from you soon! Love y'all!

Sister Randall

I’m Now in Warner Robins Georgia

Wow what a week! Well I got transferred so I I’m now in Warner Robins Georgia! It’s close to Macon about 20 minutes away! So I am also in a trio, my companions are Sisters Andruski and Mayher! They are awesome! I thought I was going to hate being with two other girls but it has been awesome so far! We get along great and there is a lot of work to do here! So I am excited to get started and the ward is so supportive of the missionaries so it’s exciting! I was able to talk to my family yesterday and that was great! It was good seeing my family and talking with them. It’s crazy that I’m now at 9 months so halfway finished! I have finally gotten to the point that this feels like my home; it’s hard to imagine Arizona as my home ha-ha! When people ask me where I am from I almost say Pine Mountain Georgia! This is finally becoming my life.  This just feels normal now! I am so blessed to be a missionary.  It is an amazing experience and I would not trade it for the world!  I love y'all.  Thanks for the support and the love!  I hope to hear from you soon!

Love,

Sister Shelby Randall

It Has Been the Best Week of My Life!

Wow what a week! It has been the best week of my life! This week was the week leading up to Connor’s baptism, so every day we saw him and taught him!  He also got his own place so he isn’t living with his mom any more!  So we helped clean it up and make it nice! Saturday was a miracle day! There where 4 convert baptisms! The 2 sets of Elders had a baptism and so did we!  So we had back-to-back baptisms all day with Connor’s being the last! He was so excited for his baptism!  I have never seen that kid so happy! It was so beautiful to watch and be apart of! I talked at his baptism and during the talk I asked him “How he was feeling? And he said, "I feel at peace and I also feel relieved." I found it amazing that he used those two words the Gospel of Jesus Christ really does give us peace and relief. Leading up to the baptism Connor had to be smoke free for a week and as I thought about it, this is the first week in his life since he was 9 that he has gone with out using a drug.  He is so amazing! After the baptism we called him that night and he said " Wow. I never thought that I would be a Mormon." Hahaha! It was so funny! That night we had transfer calls and so we called in and listened to the names be called and mine was one of them. So as of tomorrow I will no longer be in Valdosta. It has been bitter sweet. My first couple of transfers here I never thought I would make a difference in any ones lives. It was hard to see that what I was doing was affecting any one. But when we went to church on Sunday where there used to be 4 seats filled in our small meeting room (including the missionaries) there where 35 people in attendance in the YSA branch! It was a powerful fast Sunday and I could not stop the tears from coming! Seeing Connor confirmed was amazing and then the Stake President stood up and thanked me for all of the work that I had done there. It was emotional standing up and sharing my last testimony in the YSA branch. We left right after sacrament meeting and traveled to Macon for the mission leadership council to hear Elder Tony Parker speak to us. It was amazing and powerful experience to hear him relay the message that Jeffery R Holland had for the Georgia Macon Mission! I will never forget that meeting! After we returned to Valdosta we went to the Swanks house to say goodbye and talk and I got a phone call from the branch councilor. He told me that he just wanted to thank me for the impact that I had on him and the branch and that I would be missed. Again because I am a baby I was so emotional. I never thought that I would make an impact on Valdosta but seeing Connor get baptized and reflecting back on all the people I have met I can see that the Lord blessed me with the ability to help his children here even if it was small. But the impact Valdosta has had on me has been nothing short of great!  What a blessing it has been to be here and be trusted by my Heavenly Father to minister in this great part of Georgia! I love y'all cant wait to hear from you!