I know that Randall has pretty much written all this stuff before to others, but I wanted to post it here so he has it for the book we are making this into. For the record, this letter made my day!
Dear Kimi, Zane, Nate y Mike, y = and in Spanish
Thanks for everything you sent me! I loved it all! Except the Peeps, but my companions both loved them so it worked out really good. Ha ha! It's great here y I really love it! The spirit is so strong y I am growing so much every day! My testimony has grown so so much. On Sunday we had Elder Robins from the quorum of the 70 at our devotional. His talk was amazing. It was on the power the Book of Mormon has to convert. It was so great!
I'm super excited for Conference. I don't know how I am going to do it though. My hand is going to kill after it because just in talks here I take like 3 pages of notes so I can't imagine how many I will take on Conference, but it will be great! This gospel is amazing! Sorry so sloppy (Kimi's note: It was very sloppy too :) ) I don't have much time to write! But I did get to go to the temple today, which was great. It was a good break, but still really spiritual, but I am out of time. I love you. Thanks again!
P.S. Sorry it's sloppy y bad spelling. Time is short. There is never enough time in the day.
Love Your Little Bro,
Elder Despain
Monday, March 29, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Email #2
March 26, 2010 email at 4:32 pm
Sorry again about last week. I didn’t bring my paper with me to the lab and so I didn’t have your email address so I guessed and yah, got the wrong one so I am glad I have it now, or at least I think I have it right. I sent that last email so at least you will have it haha, even though it is a week late. Please write me back through dearelder.com though because everyone that doesn’t do that has no time to type emails. They spend the whole time reading emails. I don’t really like that we only have 30 min. It’s so short, it goes so fast so I never have enough time to say what I want to. I’m so happy to be here though. It really is great. I have never felt the spirit so much. I have never grown so much in so short amount of time either but it’s happening and it is crazy. My Spanish is already getting a lot better which is crazy because we don’t even study Spanish that much. Almost all of our time is spiritual stuff but the Lord is really blessing me and I am picking up the language really fast! This week on Monday was our first TRC which is like a practice teaching lessons thing. They have people that volunteer to come in, that you have never meet before, and this week we had to contact 3 people in there and get to know them in Spanish. Then on the 3rd person we had to set up an appointment to come back and teach them and that is all in Spanish, which was hard but good. Then we went back in 10 min and taught them the first lesson which is God’s love, families, prophets, the apostasy, the restoration, Joseph Smith story, the Book of Mormon and pray to know. So that was Monday after only a few days here so it was a little nerve racking but we actually did really good. It went really good and the Spirit was there. It was amazing. It is so crazy how much we teach by the Spirit. There really isn’t anything they tell us to teach, just topics and the rest is all the Spirit. It is crazy though because you really have to make sure you are prepared because the Spirit can’t tell you to teach something you don’t know. You have to make sure you have everything you may need to teach in your mind so that if that is what that person needs, the spirit can touch you and you can deliver the message they need to hear. The biggest thing in the MTC is our purpose, and it is to help others come unto Christ. Well, there is a little more to it but that is the base of it. No matter who we are teaching there is something we can teach them, because it isn’t about converting people. It is just to help them to come closer to Christ so we teach other missionaries a lot to get ready for TRC and the field. I thought that would be hard because they aren’t investigators but really it doesn’t matter. Everyone can always come closer to Christ, no matter who they are. That is what we are here to do, is to help them to come unto Christ so it has really been amazing in here. It’s not like anything I have ever done. You are just so filled with the Spirit 24/7 and you pray and read and study so much. It’s just amazing. This gospel is really truly amazing. I love it so much and I know that it is the true gospel on the earth today. There is nothing that can make us happier here on earth than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is just so great and it blesses us so much. I really enjoyed Elder Robin’s talk about how the Book of Mormon converts, not the missionaries and it is so true. The whole key to it is just reading with real intent. I mean anyone can read and not try to understand or get anything out of it, but if they actually read with real intent, without a doubt, I know that they will know that it is true. There is no way that you can read the Book of Mormon with real intent and pray about it and not know that it is true. I know it is true and I know that prayers are answered. I have never used prayer as much as I do in here and every time I pray, I can feel the blessings I get from it. Thank you for your prayers. I know they are helping me to learn and grow! Please pray for my visa to come through. Lots of elders’ visas are getting held up and they have to go other places or stay here longer, so please pray for that. I know that it will help if you do. I am praying for you guys at home. Tell everyone I love them and that I feel their prayers. I love you. Sorry I can’t write more, but I am out of time. I love you so much and I miss you. Thanks for the letters and packages and remember to send letters through dearelder.com not on email. Time is too short. Love you,
Elder Despain
Sorry again about last week. I didn’t bring my paper with me to the lab and so I didn’t have your email address so I guessed and yah, got the wrong one so I am glad I have it now, or at least I think I have it right. I sent that last email so at least you will have it haha, even though it is a week late. Please write me back through dearelder.com though because everyone that doesn’t do that has no time to type emails. They spend the whole time reading emails. I don’t really like that we only have 30 min. It’s so short, it goes so fast so I never have enough time to say what I want to. I’m so happy to be here though. It really is great. I have never felt the spirit so much. I have never grown so much in so short amount of time either but it’s happening and it is crazy. My Spanish is already getting a lot better which is crazy because we don’t even study Spanish that much. Almost all of our time is spiritual stuff but the Lord is really blessing me and I am picking up the language really fast! This week on Monday was our first TRC which is like a practice teaching lessons thing. They have people that volunteer to come in, that you have never meet before, and this week we had to contact 3 people in there and get to know them in Spanish. Then on the 3rd person we had to set up an appointment to come back and teach them and that is all in Spanish, which was hard but good. Then we went back in 10 min and taught them the first lesson which is God’s love, families, prophets, the apostasy, the restoration, Joseph Smith story, the Book of Mormon and pray to know. So that was Monday after only a few days here so it was a little nerve racking but we actually did really good. It went really good and the Spirit was there. It was amazing. It is so crazy how much we teach by the Spirit. There really isn’t anything they tell us to teach, just topics and the rest is all the Spirit. It is crazy though because you really have to make sure you are prepared because the Spirit can’t tell you to teach something you don’t know. You have to make sure you have everything you may need to teach in your mind so that if that is what that person needs, the spirit can touch you and you can deliver the message they need to hear. The biggest thing in the MTC is our purpose, and it is to help others come unto Christ. Well, there is a little more to it but that is the base of it. No matter who we are teaching there is something we can teach them, because it isn’t about converting people. It is just to help them to come closer to Christ so we teach other missionaries a lot to get ready for TRC and the field. I thought that would be hard because they aren’t investigators but really it doesn’t matter. Everyone can always come closer to Christ, no matter who they are. That is what we are here to do, is to help them to come unto Christ so it has really been amazing in here. It’s not like anything I have ever done. You are just so filled with the Spirit 24/7 and you pray and read and study so much. It’s just amazing. This gospel is really truly amazing. I love it so much and I know that it is the true gospel on the earth today. There is nothing that can make us happier here on earth than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is just so great and it blesses us so much. I really enjoyed Elder Robin’s talk about how the Book of Mormon converts, not the missionaries and it is so true. The whole key to it is just reading with real intent. I mean anyone can read and not try to understand or get anything out of it, but if they actually read with real intent, without a doubt, I know that they will know that it is true. There is no way that you can read the Book of Mormon with real intent and pray about it and not know that it is true. I know it is true and I know that prayers are answered. I have never used prayer as much as I do in here and every time I pray, I can feel the blessings I get from it. Thank you for your prayers. I know they are helping me to learn and grow! Please pray for my visa to come through. Lots of elders’ visas are getting held up and they have to go other places or stay here longer, so please pray for that. I know that it will help if you do. I am praying for you guys at home. Tell everyone I love them and that I feel their prayers. I love you. Sorry I can’t write more, but I am out of time. I love you so much and I miss you. Thanks for the letters and packages and remember to send letters through dearelder.com not on email. Time is too short. Love you,
Elder Despain
Dear Kylee,
Some excerpts from Randall's letter:
"My testimony has already grown so much and my Spanish, wow, it has gotten so much better. It isn't great but it is coming."
"I can’t get over how great it is here the spirit is in everything we do it's so amazing!"
"We wake up every day at 6:30 but it isn't enough sleep. Feeling the spirit so strong all day really wears you out it's crazy. The food here is pretty good, not to bad. I love my companions they are awesome. I am in a 3 some so I get two companions. It is amazing they are awesome. Elder Lawrence and Elder Gibson. I also love all the elders here they are all so great. I have two teachers I spend most of my time with, about eight hours a day in the classroom. Their names are Hermono Dubois and Hermana Bott. They are awesome teachers and teach by it. It is amazing eight hours is a long time but we all wish we had more time, the time flys by. All the Elders have been saying till Sunday is so hard, but not for me it has been amazing. I love it here the lord truly blesses us here."
" I don't think I have prayed so many times in a day and so hard. We pray so much, I pray so much and with all my heart because I need it to get through everything. The time here has been amazing. I know this is where I need to be. This gospel is so amazing it truly blesses my life and every one's life who has it."
" I love getting letters. I have got more mail then my whole district and Elders all put together. It's kinda funny but I love it!"
"I love this gospel, I love the atonement I know that it works in all of our lives."
" I have never been so busy in my life but it is so great."
" Please pray for my Spanish and for my visa to come through. I can't pray enough, it helps so much. It gets me through the hard work."
"My testimony has already grown so much and my Spanish, wow, it has gotten so much better. It isn't great but it is coming."
"I can’t get over how great it is here the spirit is in everything we do it's so amazing!"
"We wake up every day at 6:30 but it isn't enough sleep. Feeling the spirit so strong all day really wears you out it's crazy. The food here is pretty good, not to bad. I love my companions they are awesome. I am in a 3 some so I get two companions. It is amazing they are awesome. Elder Lawrence and Elder Gibson. I also love all the elders here they are all so great. I have two teachers I spend most of my time with, about eight hours a day in the classroom. Their names are Hermono Dubois and Hermana Bott. They are awesome teachers and teach by it. It is amazing eight hours is a long time but we all wish we had more time, the time flys by. All the Elders have been saying till Sunday is so hard, but not for me it has been amazing. I love it here the lord truly blesses us here."
" I don't think I have prayed so many times in a day and so hard. We pray so much, I pray so much and with all my heart because I need it to get through everything. The time here has been amazing. I know this is where I need to be. This gospel is so amazing it truly blesses my life and every one's life who has it."
" I love getting letters. I have got more mail then my whole district and Elders all put together. It's kinda funny but I love it!"
"I love this gospel, I love the atonement I know that it works in all of our lives."
" I have never been so busy in my life but it is so great."
" Please pray for my Spanish and for my visa to come through. I can't pray enough, it helps so much. It gets me through the hard work."
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Randall's First Letter
March 21, 2010
Dear Mom & Dad,
It snowed on Thursday. It was cold but fun. It was light & didn’t stick, but it was fun. I also saw & talked to Rex Self, aka Elder Self. It was awesome to see him & talk to him. Today was Sunday & in church everything was in Spanish, so I only got some of it, but it was still really good. The musical number was “If You Could Hie to Kolob” but it was so amazing & the spirit it brought was great. We had a fireside tonight. It was great. It’s so crazy how many notes I take on talks now. In the fireside, I took 3 pages of notes. It was so great. We sang “High on a Mountain Top” and “How Great Thou Art” and some others, but with those two, I felt the Spirit so strong. They are amazing songs if you listen to each word & put them to heart. I loved it! Then we got to watch the Joseph Smith movie. It was great. I loved it and like every time I watch it, the spirit is so strong. The Restoration is so powerful & like in my fireside, so are the scriptures. The Book of Mormon is so powerful when applied to our lives. Also if you can, would you please send me letters so I don’t have to read emails, because I only have 30 min, but if you send me letters I can read them before that and use the whole 30 min. to write your email. Also, will you please send me Uni-ball Elite pens. They work good. Also, I am not allowed to chew gum so please don’t send any more gum, but I have loved everything else in the package. Thank you so much. So I just looked in my address book and I sent your email to the wrong address. I’m so sorry you haven’t got a letter yet. On Friday, I will resend the email to your correct email. Haha. Sorry:( I love it here. It is so amazing. The Spirit is so strong & everything is just so great. I love you all so much. Sorry about sending the email wrong. I do love you and I did send one, so don’t think I didn’t write. I love you and miss you all! I love you and I will send the email on Friday so please write me letters so I can read them, not emails.
Thanks, love you.
Love,
Elder Despain
PS Wheat Thins or Cheese-Its sound amazing haha
Saturday, March 20, 2010
First email
Sat, Mar 20, 2010 5:20 PM (We didn't receive this email until 3/26)
Hey mom, things here in the MTC are amazing. Everyone here was saying the first days are so hard, just push through, but I am loving it and it hasn't been hard to push through. It is Saturday we have a half p-day today but it will normally be on Friday. Just so you know, I can only write on p-day. It has been hard, though not as hard as some of the elders were saying, but it has been hard. You don’t sleep much, haha because it is really hard to fall asleep but it is getting better. We wake up at 6:30 every day which is early, but it has been okay. The spirit is so strong here you feel it in everything you do, it’s amazing. I love this gospel and I am growing so much. My testimony has grown so much in these couple of days. It is amazing and my Spanish is already getting better. I love my companions. I have two because we are in a 3 some. It is so awesome to get two companions, but really all the elders here are so great. I love them all. My companions are Elder Lawrence and Elder Gibson. They are so awesome. The schedule for the days changes every day but most days we have gym at 6:35 and then we eat breakfast around 8:15. Then we go to class. We are in classes like 8 hours a day which is a lot but the time flies by. I wish I had more time in the day to study. It’s just so amazing and I just am trying to learn as much as I can as fast as I can but the days just aren't long enough. It has been great hearing from you. I am so happy you guys are doing good and thank you for the packages. I think I have gotten more mail then my whole district, 9 Elders, have gotten put together haha, but I love them! The food here is pretty good, it hasn’t been too bad. I just love it here so much. I love my teachers they are Hermono Debouis and Hermana Bott. They are awesome teachers and I am learning so much from them. I just am so grateful to be here and learning. This gospel is amazing. The atonement is amazing. Prayer is the best. I have never prayed so much in my life. We pray all the time and I pray all the time. I have never prayed so hard in my life but it has helped me so much already to learn and grow. I miss you all! I love you all. I wish I had more time to write more people but 30 min is not too long and I am using that all just to get this email to you. Please be praying for me and my Spanish and for my Visa. I can feel your prayers and they are helping me through everything. I can’t say enough how much I love being here and serving the Lord. I know He is blessing you all at home because I am here. I am so grateful for this gospel and I can’t wait to give that to people who don’t have it. It is something you really can’t live without. The Savior does bless us so much and we can’t get through this life without Him. I love you all so much and I’m so grateful for you and the fact that I was able to be brought up in such a strong family having the gospel in my life. I don’t know what I would do without it. My mission is such a blessing and I am so happy being here. I thought my mission wouldn’t start until Mexico, but it started the second I got here. My goal isn’t just to share the gospel with those who don’t have it, but I am also here to bring others closer to Christ and that is everyone, everyone, needs to keep getting closer to Christ. I have become so much closer to Christ through my companions and I know they have because of me. This gospel truly is what makes people happy and without it there will always be something missing. Thanks for everything you have done to get me here. Without you I wouldn’t be here and that would be so horrible because it is so amazing here. I didn’t know the spirit could make you so tired but feeling and teaching through it really drains you! It is so amazing though. I love you all and I will try to write you more later but today’s p-day is very short so I don’t have long to write. I want you to know I love you and please let all my sisters and dad know I love them too. I also want you to know that this is the true church on the earth. Without it we would be lost. Our Savior is here to help us through everything. Prayers are answered and the atonement is real. I love you all so much.
Love,
Elder Despain
The start of a great adventure
The final farewell. Good luck Randall we love you and are praying daily for you!
Mexico City here I comeWednesday, March 17, 2010
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.
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