Week Three - Happy One Month For Me!

Dearest Family,

This week has been full of lots of different activities.

At the beginning of this week, I was able to invite two of the sisters that we are teaching to be baptized. They both said yes!! Their Baptismal date was set for September 14, but they have to go to church at least 3 times before they can be baptized here, and we weren't able to get them a ride. So the date has been pushed back a week. It was a really neat experience though. I am very glad I had that opportunity to teach someone, and see the light in their eyes change.

On Friday my companion went on exchanges with the other sister training leader in our apartment, which means that the other greenie and I were together, which was fantastic. :) We had met each other when we first came out to the field, and had a blast with each other then, and then Friday made it even better. We were able to go to her area, which is now City Creek, but it used to be Highland 2... Sound familiar?? It should, that was the ward that we used to live in. Me and Sister Straatman, the other greenie, went to our old house! It looks excatly like it used too, only the walls are a brownish color, and not white. I miss the white. We were able to go in and talk to the family that lived there. They have only been in that house for one month. They moved from Arkansas, and are happy to be in California. We talked to the mom, and gave her Sister Straatmans number. She is going to call when her husband gets to Cali. He still has work for another two weeks. Isn't that exciting!! This family was so nice, and we were happy to see them!! I did tell the family that I lived there.  That was why they let us in.  I was the key into the house and Sister Straatman is now the key to the work. :)

I was also able to go to the ice cream social that night for the other ward. Everyone kept coming up to me and telling me to say hello to you... I don't remember their names though... They also wanted to see a current picture of the family, so I am going to use the picture of the family that we took before I left.

We also had zone conference this week, and that was amazing!! The spirit was so strong, and we were able to learned more about how to do missionary work!! It was amazing listening to President Van Cott teach with the spirit!! We learned a lot about how to get members to help with the missionary work. It was fantastic!!

So, yesterday I was asked to speak on Missionary Work. It was kinda difficult to get up there, and prepare a talk with out a computer. I was able to find one talk online before we left last week, and then was reading through ensigns before I gave my talk. It was difficult to write. I wanted to focus on the member missionary work, but I didn't want it to sound mean. I guess it went really well though, because like half the ward said it was amazing. I liked being able to speak on what I was doing. I am going to type a copy up, and email it to everyone so that you can read it :) (See post below)

Last night we were teaching a lesson after dinner, and it was amazing!! We taught this family about missionary work, and about how we have to have the light of Christ. We used my little key chain flash light, and some glow in the dark stars as visuals. We talked about how the kids could be kind at school, and what they could do to be that light of Christ. We told them that as we do kind things, Christ shines His light on us, and we then shine our light to others. We explained that when their friends saw what they were doing, that they would wonder what made them different, and then that they could talk to them about Christ. it was the cutest thing!! We challenged them to do at least one nice thing at school today, and then to tell their mom what they did at dinner. It was amazing to see these little kids's faces light us with excitement to do missionary work. :)

I love what I am doing, and what I am teaching to others. I am so happy to be able to teach children how to be missionaries now.

BTW, I am one moth old!!! It is crazy to think that I have been out for a month. It feels like I left you all like yesterday. I know that the lord is blessing me, and will keep blessing me.

The work is slow, but moving. I am so happy to be here! I love you all so much!!

Week Three - Talk on Missionary Work

(The following is the talk Chaylee gave in church this past Sunday)

Talk on Missionary Work – August 25, 2013

Good morning Brothers and Sisters,

To introduce myself a little, I am Sister Randall.  My family is currently living in Saudi Arabia, and I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. However, the Lord sent my home for my mission. I was born in the Redlands Hospital, and was blessed in this very chapel.

Being on a mission was not something that I had planned. I had decided when I was younger, that I wasn't going to serve a mission, because I was going to be married by the time I turned 21. (The congregation laughed right here.) Things changed though when I received my patriarchal blessing. In it I was told that I would, “be blessed to serve as a missionary and bear witness to the world of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Now, being who I was and already have a plan for myself I thought, "yeah right (laughter from the ward) Heavenly Father, if you want me to serve a mission, you better figure something out" (more laughter). About four months after I got my blessing, during the October 2012 General Conference, President Monson changed the age for missionaries. When that happened, my immediate thought was:"fine, I guess I will go" (more laughter). After some health trials, and a lot of prayer on my part, I finally received my mission call. It was a huge blessing to serve in the Redlands CA mission, and then to get sent to my home area as my first transfer. I am so thankful to be here, and am very excited to serve with each and every one of you.

If you look in the dictionary a missionary is defined as “a person commissioned by a church to spread its faith or carry on humanitarian work.”

The fifth Article of Faith states, “We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophesy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in the authority to preach the gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.”

The Article of Faith and the dictionary both have similar definitions of a missionary. One of the differences between the two is that the dictionary states that the missionary is commissioned by the church, where as the article of faith states that a missionary is called of God.

But the article of faith doesn't just say 'missionary', it says 'man'. We have all been called by God to preach the Gospel to everyone.

My older sister just got home from her mission six months ago. When she got home, she showed us a blog of one of her old EFY kids. (EFY stands for Especially For Youth.  This is a youth summer camp that Tysha participated in as a counselor.  She refers to those in her groups as her "kids") This Elder is serving in the same mission that she just got home from. In a letter he wrote to her, he said that he and his companion were walking down a street, when a thrown rock almost hit them. They looked up and saw a man standing in an alley swearing at them. The Elder then takes off after this man who started to run away. The Elder chases him into his house and starts banging on the man’s door until he opens it. A few weeks later, the man that threw the rock got baptized (insert laughter from ward). On the blog, the Elder posted this man’s testimony. He said that when the Elder came chasing after him, he was terrified. The elder ended up teaching this man. After just one hour, he says that, “the same young man who scared me half to death, he filled my soul with light.” The man used to think that our church was a cult, but now he is a member and realized how beneficial the church is towards his life.

We can talk to anyone, preferably we won’t go chasing anyone down (laughter), but we can have a simple conversation with a friend. If the Lord could soften the heart of the man the Elder worked with couldn't He soften the hearts of our neighbors, friends, and co-workers? I promise you that He can, and He will.

Elder William J. Bennett in the April 1972 General Conference started “… the door is wide open and many opportunities are available for doing missionary work – if we are just alert and will put forth a little effort.”

We need to be God’s lights. We were not sent here to shove our wonderful gospel into people’s faces. We were sent here to be His examples, and to show people the Gospel. Others will wonder what the light we have is, and then we can explain what it is, and what we study.

Currently, my companion and I are working on talking to everyone. At first I was trying to figure out how we were going to talk to everyone, and make it all gospel related. To be honest, I was a little scared about this.

This past Thursday, we had an experience that changed the way I thought.

After we got out of an appointment, we started to pull away from the curb. We saw an adorable cute little baby, and her mom. Sister Young then suddenly stopped the car, and rolled down the window. We talked to this mother, and commented on the baby. We found out that this little baby ended up eating through the moms bible, and her Mormon bible (insert more laughter). She asked us if we were moving into the complex, and we told her that we were just teaching some other sisters, and that we were missionaries. We gave this mother our number, and she told us that she would call, because the Lord keeps putting people in her way that are trying to do the Lord’s work.

That entire conversation happened because we thought she had a really cute baby, and we wanted to tell her.

If we are kind and considerate, and really show people that we care, then they will want to know what makes us different.

In Preach my Gospel there are a couple of pages with missionary quotes from the different prophets. President David O. McKay stated “True Christianity is love in action. There is no better way to manifest love for God than to show an unselfish love for your fellow men. This is the Spirit of Missionary Work.”

Brothers and Sisters, I know that this gospel is true. I know that the Lord provide us with the Book of Mormon to help us in these days. I know that we have a prophet today to lead a guide us as we go through the craziness of life. I know that my Savior and Redeemer love me, and that I am a child of God. I know that no matter how far from my family I am, I will also have the love of my Father in Heaven to surround me with strength and peace. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Week Two

August 19th, 2013

I do have to say that it is kinda weird to think that on Sunday, I will have been on my mission for one month. It is just crazy how time has gone by so quickly. I feel like I have only been on my mission for like a week. Everything goes by so quickly. It feels like I was just emailing everyone like yesterday. Craziness!!

Emily is back in town, so I got to see her on Sunday!! :) (Her college roommate, and daughter of the Bishop) It was exciting. My companion and I were about to walk into sacrament meeting, and then all of a sudden I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, and it was Emily!! I went to hug her, and then realized that my arms were full and has to put all of my things down, and then got to hug her :P It was exciting. My companion and I have decided that we are going to take Emily out with us :P

Right now, we are visiting a lot of single sisters. In our ward, there are about 49 single sisters. A lot of them have been divorced, widowed, or were never married. We are going around, making sure that they know we are here to help them out, and letting them know that their Lord loves them.

We are also going and teaching a few people that the Elders have told us to go and see. We are teaching these two sweet sisters that have both had strokes, and they are looking for God. Every time we go and see them, they are begging us to go to church. We keep telling them that we are working on it. It is just hard. Neither of them can drive, so we have to find someone who can take them to church. The bad thing, is that we still don't know many people in the ward, so we are struggling a little. We did bring up the need for a ride in Ward council yesterday, and we now have help in finding them a ride. Yay!! :)

We are also teaching a sister who is a very less active member. She was baptized into the church when she was really young. She got married, and raised her kids all in the church, but then something happened with her husband, and she fell away from the church, and hasn't been back for over 30 years. She actually called us, and wanted to see us. We have gone over once, and we are bring her back to the gospel! She wants to be back so bad, and she says she is going to do all that she can to come back. We are so very excited for her!!

We also met a man last night, who has a very interesting story. Last night, me and my companion were about to do companion study (didn't do it in the morning, because we had ward council at 7:30) and then we got a phone call from our district leader. He told us that he was really worried about a man named Rex McBride. Apparently Rex has manic depression, and when our district leader told us about him the first time, he forgot to mention that little detail. Nobody had seen Rex in about three weeks, and the elders were getting really worried. So, at 7:30 pm me and my companion run out of the apartment to make sure that the man was okay. We get to his house, and he answers the door, and the first thing he said was, "isn't it getting a little late for you darling sisters to be out and about?" I thought, didn't say, yes, it is. We aren't allowed to be out after dark unless we are at an appointment, because President Vann Cott doesn't want anything to happen to us. Which makes perfect sense to me. I don't like being out after dark anyways :P So, we go in, make sure that this man is alright, and he starts telling us his story. Apparently, this man was excommunicated for some reason. He is actually grateful for the church disciplinary procedure, and understands the church. He has one of the strongest testimonies that I have every felt about the gospel, and was sharing so much with us. So much, that we ended up being about 15 minutes late for curfew. Our roommates, district leaders, and our zone leaders were all calling us. It was crazy to be sitting on the couch and feeling the phone vibrate. We were informed by our zone leaders, that when we can't seem to end our visit, and the phone is ringing, to answer the phone, and use that as an excuse to leave. Now we know :) It was really neat to her this man's story though. He has been through so much, but still loves the gospel and what it teaches. I have decided that I am going to do all that I can to get this man closer to baptism.

I love you all bunches!!

Week One :)

August 12th, 2013

Hello Everyone :)

This week has been an emotional roller coaster.

I found out that I was going to be serving in the Highland area on Tuesday, actually before I sent you that email saying I was safe and sound :P The night I got my trainer, which I think was Wednesday, we met with the elders that were in the area before us. While we were talking, the elder said something about the new bishop for the Amber hills ward (think the ward we weren't in) was someone named Holmes. I thought he was kidding, and asked him if it was Homes, or Holmes. He said he had no idea, only that he looked really young. I immediately thought, Troy isn't young, I guess he kinda looks young though. It was funny. I was thinking about it the entire night, and the next day. (The Holmes are good friends of the family. Chaylee is serving in the area we lived during her first four years of life.)

Me and my companion had decided the night before that we were going to go see some people that the old elder told us about, and we had a lesson planned with a couple. Right before our lesson, we were sitting outside of the house, and we decided that we needed to find a ward list. We ended up calling our mission president, who is out of town until the 19th, and then started with the members in the bishopric. We called the ward clerk, who didn't answer, and then the second counselor, and then the 1st counselor, and finally we called the bishop.

It was so exciting to hear Julie's voice on the phone. She had no idea that I was there. Troy was at a bishopric meeting, and we were supposed to be headed into a lesson, so we said we would call her later. While on the phone she had asked if we wanted dinner, but we said no, because we had our lesson. Well, we went to the door for our lesson, and nobody answered. I decided with my companion to call the Holmes back, and then Troy answered. It was so exciting!!! We went out to dinner, and then went to their house, and talked for a good hour and a half. Troy is such a good bishop. He wants to get all the single sisters, who haven't been coming to church, to church. He gave us a list of about 50 names of these sister, and we are working on getting to know them.

Emily was sadly not home. She went up to Utah to spend time with her grandma. Apparently she is really sad, and is having a hard time with all of her friends being on missions. My trainer and I decided that when she gets back, we are going to take her out with us. I am hoping that I bringing her out with us is going to make it easier for us to get to know the area, and will hopefully get her to put her papers in. Who knows :P (Emily is the Holmes daughter and Chaylee's college roommate)

My trainers name is Sister Young. She is from Highland, Utah, and we figured out that her house and our house in Utah, are three minutes apart :P We decided that we have to go to each others weddings :P Sister Young has been out for only 6 weeks. She didn't even finish the 12 week training program, and then president put her as a trainer, and a sister training leader. She feels a little overwhelmed with everything, and a little inadequate. We are working on it though :) I love her so much!!! In our apartment there is also another set of sisters, who are serving in the City Creek Ward, which is the ward that we lived in. It is so exciting to tell stories. I have decided that I need them to go and tract our old house. Only problem is that I don't know the address :P

Right now, we have no investigators, like at all. It is a little sad to make goals that we think we can make, and then have to put zeros in for the actual. I am struggling a little with that, but I read my patriarchal blessing last night, and it really testified to me that I am supposed to be here, and that I am supposed to teach someone. It may have meant that my job here is to get all the less active members back to church. There are a lot of less active members, and we are having a hard time figuring out what is going on.

I just decided that I am going to need to send you in a letter a map of my area. They have it set up, so that the sisters get the safe areas, and the elders are in the not so safe areas. The stake president and my mission president worked on that for a couple of hours together. The ward is still a little crazy. They just changed the boundaries, so no one knows what ward they are in, or where they are going. We are working through it though. The relief society president is Sister Miller. You know her, because she knows me :P Apparently Shanae and her daughter were really good friends. Me and her son, Jared (I think) are the same age. I am going to have to get to know them a little more :P

The area is nice. It is a little weird to drive around, and remember things. I see people, and think, do i know you?? It is a little different, but I love it. The Lord sent me here for a reason, and I am going to have to find out why :P

I do get to go to the temple this transfer. We will be going on August 12th, i think. We are able to go quarterly, and will go whenever they tell us to go. The work here is slow, but I am doing me best :)

On our flight, there were 32 missionaries, and like 6 other people who werent missionaries. It was neat being on that flight, listening to everyone talk about what we were headed to :P

Chaylee's 1st Area

Chaylee's 1st Bishop

We received this wonderful email from a dear friend of the family - and Chaylee's first bishop.

"This is Sister Randall with her first companion in her first ward with her first Bishop.  Love you guys"

We were tickled that Chaylee was called to serve with out dear friends.  We were not even aware that he had been called as bishop of the newly organized ward the week before.  Later Bishop Holmes sent us the rest of the story.

"I was speaking my Stake President about Sister Randall and the amazing circumstances that brought her here and he said, “Well, then you need to know the rest of the story”.  He proceeded to tell me that the Mission President called the Stake President and said “I have some Sister missionaries that I would like to assign to your Stake, where would you like me to assign them?” The Stake President said, “I gave a knee jerk reaction and told him to assign them to “X” Ward.  When I got off the phone, I felt something was wrong, so I called the Mission President back and told him that I felt impressed that Sister Young and Sister Randall should serve in the Amber Hills Ward and if he could reassign them there.”  That’s how it happened.  Pretty amazing to me.  I guess the Lord really wants Sister Randall to serve in the Amber Hills Ward and I’m so happy to have them.  They are excited  about the work and I’m giving them plenty to do.  We have 65 single sisters in the ward, 54 of which are over 30, with children or widowed.  So, I asked them to visit each one, make an assessment and come to ward council ready to report.  They have jumped in with both feet and I really need their help.

I’m so happy that Sister Randall is in our ward.  She will be a good missionary.  I’m happy to serve and hope that I can help the people in this Ward."

August 2nd, 2013

Hey Everybody!!

Second, I have my travel plans. I am on Delta Air Lines Flight 4753. I am leaving the MTC at 4:30 am, and my flight leaves at 8:45 am. When I get out of security and find my gate, I am going to call you. I am going to buy a calling card, so you wont have to worry about that. My entire district is on same flight!! It was so exciting to figure that out!! We are all excited to get out into the field, and start teaching!!

This week has been very crazy, I have decided that I don't want to go to the clinic again. It is not my favorite place. Thankfully the people are all nice, and they know my name :P Like I said, more will be explained in my letter that you should be getting today or tomorrow. (Chaylee's stomach became very painful. They became concerned that she had appendicitis and so they sent her to the hospital for a CT scan. It turns out that it was not appendicitis, just a really bad stomach bug. Thankfully)

A sister training leader is like a district leader, but only for the sisters. I am supposed to make sure that all is well with them, and things are going smoothly. I wasn't able to show the new sisters around on Wednesday, because my doctor told me that I had to stay in bed, which was really sad. :( I did say hi to them, and introduced myself. I have talked to them a few times, and they seem to be excited. They are all from Utah. It is kinda funny.

I am feeling much better. I can keep my food down, and am not having any more pain in my abdomen, which is so very nice. The only bad thing is that I feel like I am living in a fog, and I am very dizzy all the time. I am going to drink lots of water and Gatorade, and we are hoping that it is because I am dehydrated. Cross your fingers!!

They still do have devotional on Tuesdays, but I wasn't able to go to that, because once again, I was told to stay in bed by my doctor. On Sunday the cheerleader coach for BYU talked to the sisters in Relief society, and we had a couple that works at the school here to talk to us at the fireside.

My companion says it is crazy in Nigeria. We like talking about each others countries with each other, and comparing how she lived to how I lived :P She lived there for a year, but her family have lived there for 2. I have a roommate for Hawaii, and she is amazing!! She is 24, and like it when we call her g-ma :P It is exciting. My other roommate is from Houston TX.  We all love each other!!

I tell everybody that I grew up in Georgia, and that currently my home is in Saudi Arabia. I love seeing there faces when they hear that!!

I love you so much!! Talk to you soon!!

Chaylee's Bed in the MTC

The elders in Chaylee's MTC District

July 26th, 2013

Hello Family,

The past couple of days have been great :) I am learning a lot, and absolutely love my companion and my roommates :)

Things are going well. It is very busy here, and I am so glad that it is P-day. However, we had to wake up even earlier than we did not on P-day. We had to do service at 6:05 this morning. It was a little early. :P

My companion is great. She actually went to BUYI and her family is living in Nigeria. It is fun having her here :) My roommates are also in my district. Out of the two new missionary districts that we talk to, there are only 4 girls. That is 4 girls to 16 guys. We are a little out numbered :P it is fun though :) One of my roommates is from Hawaii, and the other is from Houston Texas. We are all going to Redlands California, English speaking :) It is really fun :)

The food here is good. I am eating more than I normally do, but I am not getting enough sleep. I am so tired, I just keep hoping that by Sunday my body will adjust, and everything will be better :)

I am learning a lot about the gospel, and the way I learn. .

I love you guys!! I will be on again a little later today. We get 60 mins total every P-day. Which is more than Tysha and Shanae had, it is a new thing. They are trusting the missionaries more, but if we do something wrong, it all gets taken away.

Chaylee's MTC Compaion - Sister Whitford

Sister Kelke, Sister Randall, Sister Whitford, and Sister Davidson

Elder O'Neal, Elder Peterson, Elder Allred, Elder Weaver, Elder Grig, and Elder Robison
Sister Chaylee Randall, Sister Davidson, Sister Whitford, Sister Kelke