Week 15

Man oh Man.. This weekk has been great. Soo busy!

Last monday.. Elder Ferrin had to start saying goodbye to a lot of people! It was pretty rough.. We had such good relationships with all the people that its hard to leave. I cant even imagine leaving this place. I am dreading the day.

On wednesday.. We got to go to Nauvoo!! And that was the most spiritual temple experience i have ever had! I loved it soo much. Bro&Sis Stone, the people we live with and the people who took us to Nauvoo had some family names they wanted us to do! And they were the parents and we were there 2 sons. It was soo cool. We did everything for them. Me and Elder Ferrin baptized eachother for them and confirmed eachother. I really felt like we were brothers. It was a really cool experience. We sealed them to the family and took out endowments for them.

Then the coolest part of the day was when the temple president came and talked to us and he said that "i have recieved a spiritual confirmation that the family you have just done names for is rejoicing up in heaven for the work you have done for them. And they want to thank you" And i could honestly feel it. I knew that the family we did it for was so happy! And that brought me more peace than i have ever felt before. It's amazing how the Lord works. And how great is plan is for each of us!

Well.. On Thursday i got a new companion!! Haha its been pretty fun.. His name is Elder Clarke! He's an awesome guy! He's from ogden and has been out about 10 months!And im excited to continue serving with him! Im showin him the area and its been fun!

Me and Elder Ferrin last week tracted into this guy named Ross a little over a week ago.. And he didn't seem interested really.. But he said to call him and remind him about church on Saturday! So saturday night.. I was calling Less-Actives and reminding them about church and there commitment that they made to come! And then all of the sudden Ross's name popped into my head!! So i gave him a call.. And he said he would come to church! So he came to church and he loved it!! He said he felt so welcomed and be-friended! He said he wants to learn more so after church we taught him the first lesson and he asked him to be baptized and he said yes!! We've got some work to do.. But i have a great feeling about him!

Then yesterday.. After church.. We were riding bikes out of the church parking lot.. And we saw this family hangin out outside! They are the Akakapo family. A African American family from France.. The mother didn't seem to interested.. But the Dad and the kids seemed pretty interested! I have been praying and fasting for a family every week and i hope this is the one! And if not.. Thats ok but i have a good feeling about them! We talked about how families can be together forever.. And they liked that! So i hope so badly that they will read the book of mormon and pray about it! Please pray for this family!

Well thats all i got for this week.. It was a great week! I hope all is well!

BJ&MEG, RACHAEL, JED&COURTNEY!!! EMAIL ME! slackers..

Mom.. Dad.. I love you thanks for everything! Your the best!

dad i loved those 2 stories and i have some people that NEED to hear that. So thanks!

Lex.. Thanks for emailing me! Glad things are going well!

I love my family so much. You all mean so much to me!

Love Elder Russell

week 14

Hello Family! What an awesome week it was! I left my camera at home.. So i wont be able to send pictures!! :( Ill get them to you next week!

I know i told you I would email you guys on Wednesday because P-Days moved to Wendesday on transfer week... But we will have no time because we are going to the temple! :) So we email today!

Unfortunately... Delorus got a little scared and backed out... She knows the church is true.. And she knows about the priesthood.. And she believes everything.. But on Thursday.. She decided not to go through with it.. She was scared and was coming up with some excuses that weren't really valid in any way! And she said that a couple of her daughters told her not to do it and it would be a mistake. I was so upset when she said told us this.. But hey.. Thats alright! I guess its not her time! We did all that we could do!

Also on another sad note.. Hadassah's dad... Lives in Indiana! And he was going to come down for the baptism! He's actually a member and wanted to baptize Hadassah! But he unfortunately couldnt make the trip and wont let Hadassah be baptized by anyone else but him! Which is understandable..! She was very sad tho.. And was looking forward to being baptized! She's going to Indiana this summer tho to get baptized! So thats good..

So all sad news out of the way... Saturday was the best day ever!! Holy cow.. I have never felt the spirit so strongly.. Madison and Abbie were baptized! Such an awesome experience! The spirit was so strong.. And everything worked out perfectly.. :) You could just see that they were sooo happy and that they knew that there lives had changed forever!

Haha.. I have got to tell you guys the funniest story tho.. We were takin pictures by the front doors of the church on the day of the baptism.. And i just so happen to look out the glass doors and a loose cow ran by the doors!! hahah! Only me and one other person saw.. And nobody really believed us! We all busted out the doors and saw the cow running into someone's back yard! So me and Elder Ferrin cornered it and it acted like it was going to charge.. So we backed off! Haha.. It headed back to the main road and then we saw this group of like 10 people chasing after the cow! Sooo funny.. ONLY IN IOWA!! hahah! We laughed about that the whole rest of the day! :)

On Sunday i had the wonderful opportunity to confirm Abbie a member of our church! It was a very spiritual experience!! As i was giving her the blessing i felt very prompted to promise her certain things.. And to bless her with certain things.. I felt like i was more directed by the spirit in that instance that i ever have been in my life! And it was perfect because i was a little nervous and the spirit took over and it went perfectly!

I love having the spirit in my life.. There is nothing better!

Me and Elder Ferrin had an awesome opportunity last Friday night at dinner. The members we were eating with are very awesome and have both served missions.. And both of there parents had been mission presidents! We were sitting at the table with 2 former mission presidents, there wives, and a very missionary minded family! It was a very cool experience! We taught them the Doctrine of Christ.. And it went very well! Then they talked to us about the power we have as missionaries.. And the ability we have to promise blessings! It was a very eye opening experience and a very spiritual one! One of the 2 presidents left us with a prayer and it was so awesome.. The spirit was so strong.. When he just talked you could feel the spirit! I want to get to that point while im out here on my mission! Ill never forget that night!

This week was an awesome one for sure! I am sad to have Elder Ferrin go home.. Im gonna miss him. He's taught me so much. Its gonna be VERY weird getting a new companion! Not sure how i feel about it yet.. Haha.. But nonetheless it'll be an awesome experience! :)

I read a talk this morning on "doubting yourself" and it was amazing.. It felt like something i needed to hear. I have been worried about if i am going to be able to show this my new companion the ropes of Muscatine.. And if i will be able to keep up the awesome pace me and Elder Ferrin have been going at! And as I read the talk I was comforted to know.. That if i give it my best.. And my all.. It will all be ok! And the lord will provide a way! Its amazing how comforting the feeling of the spirit is! I count on it everyday of my life.. It means so much to me!

I love you and miss you all.. I pray for you everyday! Im glad things are going so well with the business and you guys are getting busy!

Mom.. Thank you for everything! Keep working hard!I love you and your the bomb!

Dad.. Thanks for the words of encouragement and that story of our ancestors at Nauvoo.. Thats pretty sweet! I will share that with others! Keep sending your gospel doctrine lessons! You had some really awesome stuff on there that im going to use while teaching!

Thanks for everything! Being a missionary is the best! :)

Love,

Elder Russell!

Week 13 Mother's Day!

Hello from Iowa!! It was soo good talkin to you guys yesterday!! Oh man.. I loved it! So good to see all your faces again and talk to everyone!

Ha Berklee and Behr have definately changed the most.. Its only been 3 months.. But they just looked.. Bigger! hahah!

Anyways.. This week was so awesome.. I told you guys a little bit about Madison having trouble.. But she's back and we have got her going again and she is excited!

This week has potential to be the best week of my life!! Haha.. Im looking forward to it quite a bit! 4 planned baptisms.. And A TRIP TO THE NAUVOO TEMPLE!! :) next Wednesday. I cant even tell you how excited i am for that! Its going to be soo much fun! I love the temple sooo much and cant wait to go do a session! :)

I want to tell you a quick story that happened last week that i forgot to tell you yesterday..

Madison wanted to give a talk at her own baptism and we said she could of course.. Well last friday when we met.. She had already had it written and she read it to us. It talked about all the people that have helped her get to this point in her life. She talked about how a lot of missionaries had just said hello to her.. But never talked to her about the Gospel. Her eyes teared up and she expressed how grateful she was for Elder Ferrin and I, and us listening to the spirit to stop and talk to her. We were all crying and the spirit was soo strong! She also talked about where her life would have probably gone and now where it is headed after meeting with us.. She expressed so much thanks and ended by saying.. "my life is now on the path that its supposed to be! And it feels soo great."

MISSIONARY WORK IS THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD! Seeing the spirit enter into people's lives in the greatest gift i could ever ask for. There is nothing better than that feeling inside you when you know you've done the Lords work.

Delorus is still going strong on the Word of Wisdom! She says that everyday she feels a little better as she wakes up.. And she's convinced its because she is keeping the Word of Wisdom! And it is!! :) She is sooo awesome! And i cant wait! Her's and Hadassah's baptism is on Sunday!

We were at a members home last night for Mothers Day dinner.. And me and Elder Ferrin talked about the Doctrine Of Christ. It is amazing how strong the spirit is when you are talking about the simple steps of Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End. The spirit is so strong because this is what Jesus Christ taught!! When we teach people his Doctrine i feel like i am saying and doing what he would say and do! Its amazing! We talked about how amazing the Gift of the Holy Ghost is.. And how it is the greatest gift we will ever be given on this life. And its true.. Without the Holy Ghost.. None of us would be where we are today!

Please please keep praying for the people we are teaching.

We have 2 Baptisms on Saturday.. and 2 on Sunday. Pray that they will be strong in the final days before the big day! Satan will be working on the very hard!

I LOVE MY FAMILY! Thanks for everything you do and all the examples you are to me!

Mom.. Your the bomb! haha! Thank you so much for everything! You too Dad!

and send me that Alex Boye CD as soon as you can! And any others you might have!

Love,

Elder Russell!

week 12

Hello from Iowa!

Ha this week was an AWESOME week! Everything seems to be falling into place for Elder Ferrin and I this last couple weeks together. We have been working so hard and fasting that we'd see a baptism together... We have 4 baptismal dates.. And life couldnt be goin any better! :)

Delorus and Hadessah, despite all the drama thats going on with Mary, have a date set for May 14th! This last 9 weeks... We have been trying and trying to figure out Delorus's concern.. And we got it out of her! Ha she's worried about 2 things.. Tithing.. And the water!! hahahah!! She's been terrified of water from quite some time.. And we showed her a baptismal video and she loved it! She said oh thats not to bad! haha! We just laughed and laughed when we figured out that that was her concern.. She was embarrassed to tell us.. But she thought it was pretty funny too! But everything is set for them to be baptized on May 14th! So that will be pretty sweet! :) I just hope and am praying that nothing comes up!

The other 2 dates are soo SWEET! Madison O'Brien who's 17, and her little sister Abigail Enriquez who is 8! :) We have had quite a bit of trouble with there parents signing the baptismal papers.. But everything has worked out and its been a awesome blessing to watch the way be paved for them to be baptized!! We taught Madison the Word of Wisdom this week.. And she LOVED her tea.. But one morning while we were studying we got a text that said, "i stopped by at the gas station on my way to school and did NOT get my daily cofee" and we told her we were proud of her and to keep pushing forward and following His commandments! She then said "it was hard at first then i remember the blessings you guys promised me if i obeyed the word of wisdom and for the first time coffee sounded gross to me!" hahah! Me and Elder Ferrin were just soo happy to hear her say that! There date is also on the 14th!! Ha so Lord be willing... We're going to have an awesome day on May 14th!

Please pray for these people to help them have strength to make it :)

Like i said above... Everything just seems to be falling into place for us! I love this gospel and i love how every single day i learn more and more that my Heavenly Father loves me and is watching out for me! As is he for everyone!

Haha.. I have a funny story for you guys! We tracted into this guy named Tino.. And he wanted to learn more right there and then! So we taught him the restoration on his porch. He admitted that he had a little to drink before we showed up... Ha as we went through the lesson his eyes were just wide open and he ate up everything that we were telling him! He loved it! :) Then at the end we wanted to leave him with a prayer and so we stood up in a circle, and lets just say that Tino is a very emotional guy when he has had a few beers..! haha he started hugging us during the prayer and stuff and he was hugging elder ferrin when he was saying it! hahaha!! sooooo funny! I dont know how i held back the laughs during the prayer.. But it was fun.. He told us that he loved us and it was a really cool experience actually! We're going back to visit this week sometime! hahah!

PLEASE SEND ME MUSIC!! NO MORMON TAB CHOIR THO.. I GOT ENOUGH OF THAT! haha! THE ARTIST HAS TO BE LDS.. AND THE MUSIC HAS TO BE UPLIFTING AND TALK ABOUT SPIRITUAL THINGS! SO IF ANYONE HAS ANY GOOD MUSIC I'D LOVE IT :)

Mom- Thank you for the email! And yes i will be able to call you next sunday! ill call after church sometime so anywhere from 12:30 to 1:30 be looking for a call! The DVD i need is the Reflections of Christ DVD and Soundtrack.

Dad- Thanks for the advice! Your letters are so awesome! I print them out and use them that week! Start sending me a copy of your Gospel Doctrine lessons please! And a few people want copies of your book! haha! So send me the website where they can buy it at and if you can.. 1 or 2 copies of the books!:)

Lexee!! PLEASE get the family together somewhere somehow next sunday. I have skype set up for me.. So ill call you sunday after church and so we can set it up! :)

Jed! THanks for the email and the update! I couldnt look at the pictures tho.. Because it leads me to another website.. And i can only stay on this one for email!

Grandma Wright! The mail you sent me is waiting for me at the Post Office! I wasnt there to sign for it so i have to go pick it up at the post office today! :) thank you for that!

Grandma Russell! Thanks for your email! :) I love hearing about the family and everything! Im glad your doing well! Its good to hear from you! Thanks for everything! Ill email you next week. I dont have much time!

I love my family! Best family in the world.. Thanks for everything! I'm very excited to see you all next week! Via Skype. Haha.. Ill talk to you on sunday! :)

Love Elder Russell!