More Replies to Birthday Wishes

Kimi, 
Thanks for sending me all of those! And no, I didn't baptize her (Jenny). She was in my first ward and I have no clue why she wrote me. That's weird. I don't even know her. I talked to her like 2 times when I was in Constituyentes, ha. But ya, she's weird and what she wrote is even weirder. But thanks for sending them to me! I love you. You're a great sister! Thanks for everything!
Love your little bro,
Elder Despain

P.S. Tell Stephanie felicidades! for her call and wish her the best for me. And tell her to work hard every second because the time just flies by, and also tell her never to forget her purpose of why she is out on a mission and never forget that we are out serving the Lord through inviting people to come closer to Christ through faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. If she works hard and always thinks of that, she will have tons of success and bring many souls to their Heavenly Father.

Christi,
Thanks so much for your letter! I'm glad to hear that all is going good for you, and that you are doing Pampered Chef. That sounds really fun and something good for you. I'm sure that your kids are really big. It's crazy that I have been gone a year, haha, but I'm glad that I am here. I hope that you can continue to have success in your shows and that you all can stay safe! I love you so much! I couldn't have asked for better sisters. You all are so amazing! Thank you for all you do for me and the great example that you have always been for me. I love you and miss you. Tell your kids and Jason that I say hi!
Love your little brother,
Elder Despain

Birthday Wishes to Randall from Facebook

Allison Jane Sorenson

Happy Birthday Randell!!!!!

Joan McKay Brinton

Feliz Cumpleanos Hermano Depain!

Gina Burnham

Happy birthday Randall Celebrate missionary style!

Spencer Ward

Randal... breffress.

happy bday

Nanette Brinton

Even though you can't read this, I want you to know I am thinking and praying for you everyday. Happy happy birthday. Love you bunches!

Julie Burnham

Happy 20th little brother! I love you!

Louigi De

happy bday brother!!

Jenny Arroyo

hola muchas felicidades por cumplir muchos añoste jiji que sse la pase muy cien

Missi Jo

Happy Birthday Randall!! Miss you!

Jessica Joy Despain

Happy birthday cousin!

By the way, did you baptize Jenny Arroyo?  Is that why she friended you on facebook? 

Happy Birthday!

Love,
Kimi

Replies to Birthday Wishes

Hola Kimi

 I haven't had time to read your email but I am going to print it and read it! Thanks so much for writing me and for sending me Birthday wishes. It's pretty crazy that your little bro is 20 isn't it, haha. And that he has almost been gone for a year, haha. Well, I love you so much. Thanks for your letter. I couldn't ask for better sisters or a better family. We truly have the greatest family ever! Love ya!

Love your little bro,

Elder Despain

 

Hola Julie,

 Thanks so much for the package and for the email and for the Birthday wishes! Haha, I know I'm getting pretty big!!!!!!!! haha, but I don't feel any different. Really it doesn't even feel like my birthday, haha, but I love it here and I'm so glad I get to be here. But I do miss you all ! I love you so much. Thanks for all you do for me. You're an amazing sister. I could ask for a better sister! (he meant I couldn't, but we have to tease Julie since he said he could ask for a better sister) I love you! Cuidense!!! (Take care) and make good choices, haha! Love ya!

Love your little bro,

Elder Despain

Zane's Letter and Randall's Reply

Dear Uncle Randall,
10-29-10

I am making my mommy type you a letter from me so I can say hi!  I miss you!  How is Mexico?  Daddy traded the jet ski yesterday for a motorcycle that goes on dirt.  I like to sit on it with Nate and pretend I am driving it with all the sound effects too.  I wish you were here to ride it with us.  Daddy says we are going to take it to Arizona to the reunion.  I am exited to go camping.  On Tuesday, I am starting preschool.  I am so excited.  In a few weeks, I will be starting soccer.  I love soccer.  I pray for you in Mexico every day!  I love you!

Love,
Zane Michael Gifford

 The picture is me waving at you!

10-30-10

Thank you Zane for the letter.  I love you too!  That is pretty cool your dad got a dirt bike, I mean a bike that goes on dirt, haha, and I love soccer, too.  I get to play it with Mexicans every Monday. I'm glad you like it too.  When I get home I will play soccer with you!!!  Because soccer is really fun!  Well, have fun at the big dirty.  I love you!  I love you too, Nate and also you Kimi and Mike even.  Well Mike, a little, haha no just kidding I love you too Mike!  Well good luck in preschool! Love you all!  And miss you too and I am praying for you all daily as well!

Love Tu,

Tio (uncle) y Hermano,

Elder Despain

Kimi's Letter and Randall's Response 9-27-10

How are things going with your new companion?  We were supposed to feed the missionaries this week on Tuesday.  However, we found out yesterday that they are white washing the area and transfers are on Tuesday so we won't be feeding them.  It is kind of sad because they are working with a girl to get baptized and she will be one of our Laurels.  Her friend is in our ward but is inactive and so because the new girl has been coming to church, so has the inactive girl.  There was a tentative date set for the 9th, but is sounds like that may not happen now.  I hope switching the Elders will be a good thing and not a bad thing.  Well, it sounds like we will be babysitting the little boy, which is good, and will be starting next week.  This means that this is kind of our last week of total freedom.  We are having a LARGE heat wave here.  It is supposed to be 109 today in Southern California.  This is hotter than it normally gets in the summer and it is the last week of September.  We are going to go down to the beach today.  It is 10:24 this morning and 92 degrees outside already.  It is crazy.  Oh well, this is getting long so I will end now.  I love you and we hope that you are enjoying Mexico and your mission.

Love,  Kimi

My companion is great and we are working really hard and just tearing it up out here.  Its great, we had 2 baptisms this week!  So about your missionaries, I know that it is hard on members when missionaries get changed because I have seen that happen with my companions, but one thing to always remember is that there couldn't be a bad change.  What I mean by that is that their mission president who does the changes is called of God and he recives revelation on where to put elders and how to do changes.  I don't know this mission president of your elders but I know he is called of God and that if he made that change that it will be for the better. Every missionary has his calling and is in each area for a reason and they will touch the hearts of people that other missionaries couldn't.  So maybe these new elders will be about to touch the heart of this girl in a way that the others couldn't and be about to baptize her.  I have seen a lot in my mission so far that the Lord prepares people for the missionaries and as these new missionaries enter they will have people that are ready to hear the gospel from those missionaries.  So don't worry.  All will be good, haha.  I have been so blessed by being here and every day my testimony grows more!  I love to share this gospel.  It brings the people happiness as they live it and it bring me happiness to share it.  Always look for ways to share the gospel!  I love you so much.  Thanks for being a great sister.  You are in my prayers.  I love you!
Love Your Little Brother,
Elder Despain

Aug 2, 2010

Hey Family!
Everything here is great! This week we got two couples married and 3 people baptized Elia, Federico, and Liset!!! The husband of Liset is already a member from when he was a kid so we didn't baptize him but we did reactivate him along with baptizing his wife. He has been inactive since he was ten and he is now 25 and his wife is 19 and they have 2 kids and another one the way. This baptism was really great because I felt like it really completed a family with the marriage and helped them on the path of righteousness by her baptism and his reactivation and also started a good path for their kids to be strong in the church and it was just great. Also, Elia and Federico it was great because they have kids and it really brought their family closer together. It was great.

Mom to answer some of your questions from your letter. First, it is crazy that Tate is already done and please tell him hi for me. My companion is great and we are working hard. Combios (transfers) are this week on Sunday but I don't think that there will be many changes. We had a zone conference with the president this Jueves (Thurs.) and he said that he didn't think there would be many changes. He wants us to have more time in each area, so I think I will keep my comp. My Spanish is okay but I wish it was better. It is a million times better then when I got here so that's good, haha. About your Spanish, my advise for you mom is use it and get the practice. For me the books don't help much, it's the practice. When you use it, you learn and when you make mistakes you learn faster. I want you to know that I am praying for grandma and I hope that she will be able to have the strength to finish out their mission. Also, please tell Randa thank you for the post card. I loved it and tell her I love her and thank you. The weather here is good. It was rainy all last week and half this week. I used my sweater, haha, but the second half of this week has been way hot. It's weird. The weather changes so much every day. It's hot then it's cold then it's hot and rainy and then it's cold and rainy. It's weird. I have never been in weather that changed so much, like it changes within the day from cold to super hot. It's weird but it's all good. The food here is great. I love it. My favorite things so far would have to be chili rellenos, or I really love tacos de pastor*, they are amazing. I couldn't tell you what kind of meat the pastor is but I like it and it is good. I will have to send a picture some day of what it looks like. It's kinda crazy. It is like a big hanging thing of meat and they just cut some off when you order it and then they grill it and then put it in a taco with pineapple or onion or sometimes both but its great. I love it. The tap water is not good here. The people don't even use the tap water because it is so bad. There are people that drive up and down the streets daily and they sell big things of water so everyone buys those for their houses. My daily schedule - I don't know what to say because it is different every day. One thing that is always the same is lots of walking but its good, I don't mind it. Yes. Satan works very, very hard on those that are about to be baptized. I have seen that with like every investigator. A problem always comes up right before baptism, but the Lord has His ways of always helping it to work out when we have faith and patience. Mom just so you know I might have to use my card this week to get money out or sometime soon because me and my companion helped pay for one of the marriages so I might not have enough mission money so if I use it, that is why. We are having a little trouble with the Bishop again but I know that if we bear it with patience that it will all work out. It can be hard because we don't understand why, but sometimes I think the Lord tests us to see if we will turn to Him and do what He wants even when we don't know why. So that is a little trial right now but with the Lord's help, we will get through it and the people will be able to be baptized. The Lord has prepared a specific time for every person. Oh ya, this week it hailed once that was weird and crazy. The street was all white and it looked kinda like it snowed but it was just hail, weird haha. Well, I love you all and I thank you all for everything that you do for me and for your prayers. I can testify to you that the Lord hears and answers prayers. He wants to hear from us and when we ask, He answers. I have a testimony of this and also that this church is true. Do all that you can to live this gospel and you will be blessed. I love you all and I miss you all.
Love
Elder Despain

*Note from Kimi - I looked up tacos de pastor.  It is actually tacos al pastor (Shepherd Tacos) which is the Mexican version of a Shawarma or Gyro. It is made of pork that is marinated and then cooked on a stick. It sounds yummy! Here is a picture I found.

Advice For Pre Missionaries

Note from Kimi: I wrote to Randall and asked him what advice he would give to pre-missionaries and this is the e-mail he sent back.

Tell them that I wish I would have listened more in seminary and learned more of the Scripture Mastery scriptures. I wish that I had studied Preach My Gospel, that is a big one that will help them so much if they read through and study every page in Preach My Gospel. Also, I wish that I had read the Book of Mormon all the way through more times. So just tell them read every day and get through the Book of Mormon as many times as possible before their mission. Also, study and apply as they read in Preach My Gospel and also in the scriptures.

Elder Despain

Hey Family!

So I did get letters in the pouch this week!  I got the first ones from you mom so I am hoping I will get letters every week now through the pouch.  But please put the dates on the letters so I know when they are from.  It looks like they are taking about 3 weeks to get to me, haha.  But it was great to get letters and to hear about how everything is going!  Everything here is still going good!  This week we had 3 baptisms.  It was great!  We had one on Viernes (Friday) and 2 on Domingo (Sunday) after church.  Friday was Candy!  Sunday was Moses and Juan Carlos.  They were great.  I will send you pictures of them.  The work is going good here and we are working hard to get more investigators and get all of them closer to baptism.  It is so great to be able to see how much this gospel blesses those that we teach.  This gospel is truly amazing.  I love it so much and I am so thankful that I have had it in my life, my whole life.  I'm so happy that I have the opportunity to be here and bring these people that happiness that I have had my whole life!  So I told you about last Sunday and how it rained really hard and I sent you pictures of it.  Well, my shoes that I was wearing that day are still wet, haha.   It has been over a week, haha.  But my other shoes are really great and are super water proof and it has been fine just wearing those.  If any other missionaries that are going out ask about shoes, tell them to get Hush Puppies beause they are way better then my Eccos.  But this week has been crazy.  It has rained a ton more then normal.  It pretty much rained all day, every day this week. 

On Saturday, we were walking from a lunch appointment in Zopate and it is like a 10 minute walk, but it was pouring rain and the road was like a river.  So we were walking on this wall and on one side of the wall was the road that was like a river and the other side was a big really steep hill.  So we are walking on this wall so we don't have to walk in the river of water.  I was like 5 meters in front of my companion and I turned around to see if he was still keeping up.  When I turned around, I started leaning way too much to the side of the great big hill and I was like about to fall.  I was doing the waving arms thing, trying to get my weight back centered.  It was crazy.  I was like half bent backwards but I saved it, some how, and got my weight back centered.  It was crazy and it would have been horrible if I fell, haha.  My companion said he saw it and was like praying I would not fall, haha, but then after I saved it and was all good, we just busted up laughing.  It was great.  We got pretty wet that day too.  But ya, haha, funny story.  Probably isn't that funny to you all, but if you were there you would have laughed and thought it was crazy, haha. 

This week we were in charge of the noche de hogar (Kimi's note - actually translates to Family Home Evening) it was like a ward activity and the part we were in charge of was about Lehi's dream.  So we made like a tree and a great building and stuff out of cardboard and then we got like yarn for the road.  Then, we blind folded some of the kids and then there was one person trying to guide them to the road and to the tree and then the rest of us were all saying to go other places.  It was super funny and went really good!  Then on Sunday, we got to be part of the program and got to sing a bunch of songs.  But there were only like 6 of us singing and ya I am not the best singer, haha.  It's even harder in Spanish because I don't know the words perfect but it went really good.  I was glad that I could help out in the program. 

So there is this lady in our ward that comes to church every week and her 13 year old son is a member.  So we went and visited her to see why she hadn't been baptized and she said it was because she wasn't married to her husband, or person she is living with.  So then we set up an appointment to talk to her husband-person (Fredrico).  When we met with Fredrico and asked him if he would get married to her so she could be baptized, he said yes.  It was so great.  He is a really cool guy too, but has never had an interest in the church.  But he is fine with his wife and son getting baptized.  So next week they are getting married and then she (Elia) is getting baptized the day after they get married.  But the last time we were at their house and we were talking to her about the baptism after she getts married.  Then out of no where, Fredrico just asks, "What would we have to do to get married in your temple?"  This was an amazing question because he has never been interested in the church.  So we explain all about how you have to be a member and be baptized and then wait a year and all this.  And then he asks about the word of wisdom and so we talked all about that.  Then we asked if he would stop drinking and smoking and be baptized with his wife and he said yes!  It was amazing and so next week after they get married they are going to be baptized!  It is so great!  And hopefully we will have at least one baptism this week as well!  So it's so crazy, yesterday was 1 month in Mexico for me.  It is crazy and the time has gone by so quick.  Well, I am doing great and Mexico is amazing!  Thank you again for all your letters and emails!  I love you all so so so much!  I miss you all!  But I am glad I am here and have the opportunity to be a instrument in the Lord's hands.  This work is amazing and this gospel is amazing.  The church is true!  I love you all, thanks for everything!

Love,

Elder Despain

aka Wedo to all the people here haha
wedo=(means white person)
(Note From Kimi - it is actually guero - the slang for white person which sounds like "wedo" to the untrained English ear according to the internet)

It's Official!

Elder Despain made it safe and sound to the MTC. He had a big smile on his face as he walked away with the three Elders that met him to escort him in. At least two were from Mesa and attended Harris 1st Ward a few weeks ago, sat behind our family and Mom and Dad talked to them. Mom said it was a tender mercy for sure. Mom and Dad will have to put up pictures and give more details.