Monday March 20th, 2017

Hey guys! I can't believe that I've been out for 9 months tomorrow! That's crazy! It's gone by so fast!

Earlier this week, we went to visit Hector and Luis. Hector is 11 and Luis is 9. They're super smart, and have desires to learn more about the gospel. At the end of the lesson I felt prompted to invite them to be baptized, and they accepted. Now if we can only get them to church. We're gonna work on teaching their mom this week as well.

The steep steps going up towards the church

The Ward Mission Leader

We also went to teach Mario. He's a really good guy, but he was really contentious this week. It seemed like he was just trying to find ways to combat what we were saying. We invited him to pray and read the first pamphlet again this week.  We have an appointment with him on Wednesday, so hopefully he's cooled down by then, and actually prayed and read his pamphlet.  He's super smart, which is good, but can be hard because he reads with "Natural" eyes, and not "Spiritual", so he doesn't understand things completely, and often has questions from previous lessons, which is at times frustrating.

A little while ago, we had made a contact to a young couple named Jesus and Marivel. They're about 30 or so, and have two little kids, one being only 6 months. We passed by to teach them this week, and were joyfully accepted. They have their own juice business, and Jesus has another job, so we can only teach them together on Thursday and Friday, but they're awesome! Their business is closed on Sundays, and Jesus doesn't go in till 2 in the afternoon, so this week we're gonna invite them to go to church.

This morning we got together with Elder Meadows and his companion, and some of the members of the ward, and played Volleyball and Basketball. It was pretty fun, but it got super hot! Our feet got really hot with the concrete court!

Editor's note:  This video and photo were sent to Alisa on Facebook from Olga Raquel Arias Chong.  She is the Bishop's wife in the ward where Forest is serving in Culiacan, Mexico.  Raquel asked for the homemade pizza crust recipe that we use at home.  She had the missionaries over to make it on Monday March 20th, 2017.  They used hot dogs. mushrooms, and chile peppers as toppings.  She sent this video within a few hours of the missionaries being in their home.  Gotta love technology!

I don't just have one scripture for this week, but a story. For this week, I encourage you to read Matthew chapters 5-7. It's the Sermon on the Mount.

I love you guys! Have an awesome week!

-Elder Radmall

Questions:

Dad: I've really come to love reading and studying the gospel. It's something I look forward to every morning.  (How has your scripture study changed, since becoming a Missionary?)

Mom: My shoes are doing great. I felt like an idiot when I couldn't remember the word "Recipe" in the video that Raquel sent you haha and yes, the Restoration video is in you tube  (How are your shoes holding up with all your walking?  (We would love it if you answered the questions in our email too.  )

Holly: I love Enchiladas Suisas (if that's how you spell it haha) so I don't mind cooking those, but cereal is a lot easier haha  (What is your favorite thing to cook?)

Sam: Yes! We would die without one. Actually, for my first transfer, we didn't have one. We just used fans.  (Do you have an air conditioner?)

Dylan: hmmmmm This week we went through the old contacts we've made, and decided on which ones to go back and try to teach, and just about every one that we went back on, accepted us. So that was pretty cool.  (What spiritual thought have you had the most this week?)

Monday March 13th, 2017 

Hey guys!

This week was awesome! I had the best day of mission so far. That morning we went to teach Mary Magdalene, and her mom was there again, the lady we gave the Book of Mormon to. We found out that she was baptized when she was eight, but doesn't remember anything about the church, and that's what sparked her interest in the book. She is now reading it. Later in the day, we had an awesome lesson with Mario. The entire lesson was led by the Spirit. We were able to answer every question he had, and we had a scripture to back it up. It was awesome. Later in the evening, we passed by the store that Lucrecia has, and she had friends there, and they were talking about us. It was a family: the mom, two sons, and a daughter. The dad is working in the U.S. right now. They're awesome! Her sons are super smart, and she said that she's been looking for a church like this for her kids. They don't have anything on Sundays, so that means they can go to church! It was an awesome day!

Culiacan mission with visiting apostle President Russell M. Nelsen (Front row, center, red tie) .  Forest is the 7th from the left on the back row.

We also had interviews with President this week. We were told to go with a gospel question to ask him. I had more than one,and he was able  to answer most of them. He said he's gonna look for the answer to the ones he doesn't know. At the end of the interview, he asked this question: "Is it better to be loved by someone, or have their trust?" his answer: "Trust. God loves all of His children, but He doesn't trust all of them." It was a really awesome interview!

Before the interview, there were  quite a few other elders there, and President was matching them up to arm wrestle. I arm wrestled five times, and never lost both arms. The first two I beat with both arms, I beat Elder Mockbee with the left arm, Elder  Meadows and I tied with the left arm, and I beat President! It was  awesome!

Also this week, I got a Christmas package from the Stake Presidency. Thanks! I also got a letter from Grandpa Tucker dated 2/19/17, and three from Grandma Tucker dated  1/20/17, 2/1/17, and 2/17/17. Thanks for all the love and support!

We were shown a new Restoration video, it's pretty good! I also played the piano yesterday in Sacrament Meeting, and in Priesthood.

Here's the scripture for this week: "They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever." -Psalm 125:1

I love you guys! Have an awesome week!

-Elder Radmall

The Tomateros de Culiacán are a baseball team in the Mexican Pacific League. Based in Culiacán, the Tomateros have won ten domestic titles and two Caribbean World Series, in 1996 and in 2002

Questions:

Dad: It's hard to find investigators that don't work in the morning, so we don't have a whole lot to do in the mornings.  (What is the hardest part of your day?)

Mom: We have not had pizza yet...  :(  (Did you ever get your homemade pizza?  If so, how was it?)

Holly: We don't have any scheduled, but I'm pretty sure that this new family will progress pretty quick.  (Do you have any baptisms scheduled or any investigators that are close?)

Sam: I don't want to have a watch tan-line since I walk  in the sun all  day, so I hook it to my backpack strap.  (Do you wear your watch everyday?  (Samuel got a watch for his birthday.) )

Dylan: Ummm family, the cold, mountains, guns, haha a lot of stuff!  (What are you  most looking forward to for the hunt when you get home?)

Monday March 6th, 2017

HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK DAD!!!

I keep forgetting to share the scripture, so it's going first this week.

It's in Doctrine and Covenants 31: 9,12 and 49:12

"Be patient in afflictions, revile not against those that revile. Govern your house in meekness, and be steadfast.

"Pray always, lest you enter into temptation and lose your reward.

"Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus, who was on the earth, and is to come, the beginning and the end."

Earlier this week, my companion had some chest pains, so we weren't able to work super hard earlier in the week which sucked! We had a pretty good  lesson with Rubén earlier in the week about Enduring to the end.  He told us that he wants to keep the commandments and go to church on Sunday till the day he dies.  It was pretty awesome!

  

  

On Tuesday, Elder Hernandez decided to get his hair cut. We had made the goal of handing out at least one Book of Mormon  a day, so we always carry one in our hands. While we were waiting, I had  a Book  of Mormon on my lap, and this lady walked up to me and just straight up asked me if she could look at my book. I willingly handed it to her and she went and sat down in her chair. From what I could see, she read the testimonies in the front, looked at the index a little, then read somewhere in the middle. Her husband pulled up outside the building, and on the way out, she went to hand it back to us. We told she could keep it if she wanted, so she said thanks and left. Turns out that she's the mother of the lady that cuts our hair, who's name is Mary Magdalene. She said that her mom would read it, so it'll be interesting to see what happens.

 

Cracker cake or Lemon cake

In one of the pictures I'm sending, it tells us that the Nephites had Hondas when they went to war.  It says that they had bows, arrows, and hondas. How is that fair for everybody else?? haha The actual translation of hondas in Spanish, is "slings". but it's still pretty funny haha

  

Don't be jealous, but Jesus contacted us the other day-

On Friday, we were walking in the street,  and this guy stopped his bicycle in front of us. We thought he must be a member since he stopped for us. He asked if we were missionaries, and we obviously told him yes. He was super excited and asked that we come visit  him. He told us his name is Jesús. It was awesome! We told him that we were the Elders, and he said that he's been wanting us to come visit him. It was an amazing experience!

I was asked to bless the sacrament yesterday. It's only the second time I've done it in Spanish. The first time was in the MTC, so it's been a little while, but all went well.

Have you guys figured out what hunts you're gonna put in for yet? 

The last two pictures are of five of us elders in the back of a small van. My companion was riding shotgun. We were  driving down the road with the side door open so  we could get some air.

  

I love you guys! Have an awesome week!

-Elder Radmall

Dad: Mom's homemade treats. :)  (What snacks do you miss the most?)  (Awe...)

Mom: The word that we liked to say in the MTC was averiguar. The program we used to study Spanish said that word funny, so  it  kinda became a joke for us. In the MTC we used it to say a lot of things just for fun, but it's meaning is "to find out"  (What is the funnest phrase to say in Spanish and what does it mean?)

Holly: Pastel de Galletas, también se llama Pastel de Limón  (What's your favorite Mexican Dessert?)

Sam: I miss being with family................ and my guns haha  (What do you miss the most from home?)

Dylan: Thick steak. It doesn't rally exist here.  (What meal do you miss the most?)

Monday February 27th, 2017

Hey guys!

Last Tuesday we had splits with our Zone Leaders. I went with Elder Slocum who is from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Come to find out, he was in Crouch at the same time we were,  and even went to the same show! How crazy is that! As for Elder Sant, he's a really cool guy. We've talked quite a bit. (Elder Sant is a missionary from Carey, Idaho)

  

Trying a new food from Ruben.

We weren't able to work a ton this week due to my companion having a rash on his legs, which sucked. But the meetings with President Nelson were incredible!

The first meeting was on Saturday, but on Friday night at 10:30 p.m. President Gabaldon called me and asked me to play the prelude music the following morning. Of course I didn't deny him, but I was pretty nervous. Before the meeting, we all gathered to take a group picture. All the missionaries minus the missionaries in the Baja were there. Right after the picture was snapped, President Gabaldon called out my name, so I went down to him. He asked me to go play while everybody was shaking hands with President Nelson, and that I would have an opportunity to shake his hand later. After President Nelson shook all of the missionary's hands, he came up on stage and shook the hands of his translators directly behind me, then turned to me and said "I didn't get to shake Elder Radmall's hand." He stopped the piano playing so he could shake my hand, it was awesome!

In the beginning of his message, he said that his plane in Mexico City was delayed for quite a few hours, and since General Authorities don't have a lot of time to prepare their talks for General Conference, he took the opportunity to prepare it there. He said that in General Conference he's gonna say that his talk was "hecho en Mexico" which means "made in Mexico" haha

His message was amazing. He gave us 10 different subtitles that are given to Jesus Christ and expounded on each one of them. One of my favorite parts was when he said that we too often see the name Jesus Christ as a first name and a last name,  and that is incorrect. It's Jesus the Christ. Christ is His title. On Sunday he talked a lot about how parents need to teach the Doctrine of Christ to their children. But not just teach it, teach it in a way that they understand it. He also stressed the importance of having a weekly family home evening.

 

3 Elders serving from the Twin Falls South Stake:  Elder Murillo, Elder Radmall, and Elder Atkins.

 

(Mario's office, an investigator)

Earlier in the week I received a letter from the Higginson family, dated January 7, 2017. (A family in our ward)

Thanks for all the pictures! Sam,  I'm loving the 7B sign! 

I love you guys! Have an awesome week!

-Elder Radmall

P.S.  We did not get transferred this week.

Questions and answers:

Dad: Of healing, no, but of comfort. (Have you had opportunity to give blessings of healing while in Culiacan?)

Mom: Yes, more than once.  ( Have you ever been worried to eat the food that people are serving you because you don't know what it is?)

Holly: We were asked once, but then the priests arrived.  (Have you been asked to bless or pass the sacrament?)

Sam: I wish I had piano sheet music. (What is one thing that you wish had but don't?)

Dylan: Elder Atkins made a list of the type of food he can't eat, so the members make something else.   (How do the members handle feeding the missionaries that are gluten free?)

February 20, 2017


     HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAM!!! I hope you had a great day, I thought about you a lot!

Me, Elder Suerez, Elder Meadows, Elder Calvo, Elder Torres, and Elder Hernandez

     I can't believe I hit 8 months tomorrow. It's gone by so fast! So, this week was super good, then it kinda sucked haha. Our investigator, Mario, progressed like crazy! He had many questions that we were able to answer directly and clearly. One of the main things were his prayers, they were recited. After we taught him about it he said that it just all made sense. 

     We invited him to give the closing prayer, which he willingfully did, and he said that he literally felt a difference. It was awesome! Later in the week, we passed by to visit him, and he's gone back to some of his old beliefs, such as that God and Jesus Christ are the same person, so we need to teach the trinity again. He's super smart, and has read hundreds of books. The lessons with him are some of my favorites.

     About five streets down from our house, a guy was shot in the street. We had the airconditioner going, so we didn't hear the shots, but just about everybody and their dog told us about it. God is watching over His missionaries.

     So, Wendy still isn't a member, and now she works on Sundays, but she told us that she works with someone who is inactive, and talks bad about the church. Wendy defended the church and its standards! It was awesome! She asked us for some clarification on some stuff, and told us that she still hasn't drank coffee. It's been about 2 months without the coffee.

After 3 minutes in the microwave, there were still that many kernels left

At one of our food appointments, they fed us mashed potatoes, chicken fried steak and frijoles.  It. was. awesome. I felt like I was eating food from Idaho again, except for the frijoles, which I love!

     This morning we got together with 4 other Elders and played basketball. I can still grab the rim! I was so happy! I guess I haven't gotten that fat haha

It's been a pretty good week! I love you guys!

-Elder Radmall

Dad: Ummm buena pregunta jaja One embarrassing moment, was quite a while ago, but I told someone that God can forgive them of their fishes instead of their sins. Fish in Spanish is pescado, sin is pecado. They're really close, but it sucked. Lately, nothing really embarrassing.

Mom: haha once.  I'm gonna cut it this week, but not super short.  (Hey, your hair looks good, it's longer.  Have you cut it since Christmas?  It was shooort!!) 

Holly: We're gonna eat pizza with her this week, I think on Thursday. (The Bishops wife in Mexico contacted Alisa via Facebook and asked for her recipe)

Sam: I love feeling the Spirit all the time, and I love scripture study. On that note, how has your scripture study been so far? (What do you like most about serving a Mission)

Dylan: We don't do a whole lot. We have to wash our clothes by hand, buy groceries, and clean the house. So we don't have a ton of time to do a lot of fun stuff. (What fun stuff do yo do on P-Day)