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!