Week 18

FAMILY!

Wow.. What a great week! Monday is here again and i cant believe it!

I want to start out with Ross!! Saturday he was baptized!! :) The ward member who Ross wanted to baptize him wasn't able to get work off.. So he asked me if i would do it and i more than willingly accepted! Everything went perfectly.. They said when he came up out of the water he had the biggest smile on his face and he said he couldnt help it.. It felt so good! He was confirmed on Sunday! He is such a great guy.. Dad in your email you talked about using your priesthood and i love using the priesthood. As priesthood holders we have something very special! Ross wants to get his friends and family members coming to church.. And everyone he knows! So i know that a lot of good will come from this! And i'm very excited!

Next.. I want to tell you about our 2 other baptismal dates that we have! For June 25th! On saturday during the day we usually visit less active members and give them a boost to come to church the next day.. Well this one family has never showes up to church and at first i was like ehh.. Its just going to be a waste of time if we go there! But then something very strongly told me that we need to go to this familys house!! And when we got there is was very apparent that we didnt really go for this family. There was a 17 year old kid there.. His name is Skyler Ketelsen! He is a AWESOME kid! He loves nascar.. haha..(Rachael) He has been a baptist his whole life.. But he said that when he would go to church he said the stuff they were teaching just wasnt making sense in his head or his heart..! He has been prepared by the lord! We met him on Saturday.. And he came to church the next day! We hooked him up with the young mens program here(which is awesome) and he LOVED it! Then in Iowa City they had a priesthood meeting and he caught a ride with some ward members and had a great night! Then about 5 minutes ago.. hahha he walked into the library and came over and said hi to us! At the end of our conversation just a couple seconds ago.. He asked us if he could be baptized earlier than June 25th! So we're gonna work something out wiht him tomorrow! He is such a great kid and wants to do the right thing! It was no accident that we met this kid!! I kno that for a fact! :) Im excited for him! He's already mentioned that he wants to serve a mission! hahah..

The other person is HADASSAH!! :) She is my best friend here in Muscatine and we have had so many fun/funny memories with her and her family. Her Dad was holding her back from being baptized because he lives in Indiana.. And we figured out that he has absolutely no custody over Hadassah and its up to her mom Mary.. So Hadassah asked Mary and she said of course!! So awesome! And im praying that Delorus will come along with her! The only thing that is holding her back is tithing.. If she pays her tithing she wont have enough money to make it throughout the rest of the month! And we have told her about a million times that the lord will provide a way! And all she has to do is take that leap of faith and everything will be taken care of and turn out the way the Lord wants it to! And she just cant do it! So we'll see. I hope Hadassah is a big push for her! I love them soo much! They've been with me since day 1 here in Muscatine! And.. Hadassah is going to girls camp this Wednesday! Which will be awesome!

So yesterday.. Sunday.. Was the best Sunday of the mission so far! Our mission President was driving back from Nauvoo and he stopped for church on Sunday! And.. Elder Ferrin and his family came back and visited his mission and so he was there with his whole family!! :) It was soo much fun! We spent a big part of the day visiting old families and eating lunch and dinner together!! Elder Ferrin is the man! And it was soo good to see him again! It was really hard saying goodbye again.. And i felt like i got way close to his family in a matter of a day!! It was so special and i can tell ill be friends with him and his family forever!

I love being a missionary. Its really the best thing i could be doing with my time! I cant believe June is almost already half way over.. It blows my mind! Anyways.. I love you all.. very much! And miss you too!

Mom.. If you could send me by baptismal clothes that would be awesome!! White pants and a white tie!! Please! :) i love you.

Sounds like you are all doing well! And im glad to hear that!

G-MA Russell thanks for the email! I love hearin from you!

I gotta go now.. I love you all! Thanks for everything!

Love Elder Russell