5/16/2011

Hey family!
Well, technically we live in Lakeville. We live with the Lockett family. They have 2 daughters, 1 son, and a dog. We live in their basement. They are super nice and love having the sisters live with them! They missed having the missionaries in their basement during the 6 weeks that they were gone. The kids love having us there and it's fun to be in a family situation :D

Last night was President's Fireside, which if I haven't explained before is when recent converts share their conversion story and testimony. It's so awesome. I was privileged to play the piano! Brother Red Anderson spoke (from Oakdale) and I got to see Sister Sorensen! She told me that Bobbie Smith (the less active I told you about) has realized that she has been feeling the Spirit and everything we, as missionaries, have said is true!!! She hasn't come to church yet, but Sister Sorensen promised to call me when she came. That made me so happy! Moses got a job!! And his wife came to church! So did a couple other of our investigators who we had been working on for a long long time! So exciting!!

In the Northfield Singles Branch we cover the entire stake! We have no campuses or places to find singles so it's been a difficult week. There are 2 colleges in Northfield, but they are both Lutheran colleges and we aren't allowed on campus. I talked to the Sanderson's on Saturday! She sounds like she is doing well. She said that the last thing mom said to her was "You better write or I'll be mad" She feels bad about that. We are trying to get two different programs running in the branch. The first is called 1+. We were going to do that in Dinky Town, but we didn't have time. What it is, is having the members sign up for a lesson or a dinner and then bringing a friend along. Campuses in the Dakotas, Colorado and Wyoming are all running this program and are baptizing EVERY week. We aren't a campus, but we could certainly boost our numbers here! I was looking at the baptismal records for the last year and EVERY SINGLE BAPTISM in the past year was a member referral! And before that they hadn't had a baptism since 2008. The other program is actually something we did in AZ. We called it Wednesday night visits, but we are going to call it Outreach. It will be Thursday nights and we will have members meet at the church, then we will split into groups and go out on predetermined routes to visit single adults in the stake. (there are over 500 YSA in the Stake and over 400 are Less active). So we will visit active, less active, and new high school graduates to extend invites to the branch and activities, and to fellowship our fellow YSAs! If we can get these going and get the members excited, we will have miracles happen. The key is getting people excited to do it! Things are going well though. We have 5 weeks until Sister Stokes goes to the mission home to prepare for her flight home! Hopefully 5 weeks is enough to get things moving! We really want one or two baptisms in June, so lots of prayers for those goals would be appreciated. Our mission is shooting for 60 baptisms that month and we want to be a part of it!!

Well, that's really all that's going on. I think. I feel like tons has happened, but there really hasn't been. Oh, our backyard is GOREGEOUS. It's a beautiful green lawn that leads up to a lake (cuz there are tons of them in MN). It's SOOOOOOOOOOO beautiful. We are so blessed to live in a members home. Anyway. That's how things are going.

I enjoyed the pictures. Austin is certainly changing the most. I can't believe it! He's growing up! Next thing I know he's gonna be taking girls on dates and holding their hands! (ew...that's so weird to think about.) Just as long as he keeps his eyes on a mission, he can go on a few dates...I guess. Congrats on the graduation Miranda! I hope you got my card. I'm proud of you and I am excited for your future!  Shae, good job on completing track! Keep working hard! You are growing up too and it's SO scary. Let me know about news on Josh and Deanne. I'm so anxious. I don't know why, but this is so exciting for me and every time I talk about it, I get emotional and teary eyed. So, let me know! It would be nice if somehow you could tell someone in MN that could tell me. I think my friend and a Recent Convert in Dinky Town was gonna add at least Miranda on facebook...so if she did tell her to text me and tell me! Her name is Stephanie Svobada. She is awesome! Her brother and sister-in-law are NOT supportive, but her parents are at least not mad about it. She is an awesome awesome person and we will probably be friends for a long time! Anyway. I love you all! I've got to write a couple more emails! Keep smiling, have fun with work/school/church etc. Go out and have some fun!!

LOVE YOU!
Sister Randall