Week 42

Hello Family!

This week has been a wonderful week, but filled with more up's and down's that I've ever had on my mission.


This last October General Conference something very strong that stuck out to me was the fact that 5 out of the 15 apostles and prophets spoke to the youth and how hard times lay ahead for this chosen generation. When i noticed this, i told myself that i would spend extra time with the youth on Sundays and during the week and hopefully get them excited to be missionaries and future families of the covenant. I want to tell you about an experience that i had this week that left me more devastated and heart broken than i have ever been in my life.
There is a young lady in our branch who found the church and with no family support, joined about a year ago. I knew that we had to get her very active in church activities and such to keep her going because her church attendance was already drifting away. To make a really long story a little shorter, one night we got a call from this girl and she said that as she's gone to church these last few months she hasn't felt the spirit, she feels like she doesn't belong and wants to leave the church. We talked for about 30 or so minutes and the phone conversation left me on my knee's, in tears, begging that she wouldn't leave. I thought about her future family and how it would be so hard to raise a family without the gospel. I thought about all the happiness and blessings that were going to be very hard for her to find without the church. But she still chose to leave, and we couldn't do a thing about it. I was devastated.
All in all, this was a testimony builder to me that the Prophet and his Apostles know whats going on in this crazy world. Satan works so hard on people at a young age and it makes me so sick and gives me a unbelievably strong desire to do all that i can to destroy him and his kingdom. I was sad to see her walk away from the greatest thing that ever happened in her life, but she made a choice and now all we could do as a branch was pray, fast, and continue to be there for her when she needs it.

Despite the downs of the week, i wanna talk about some good and fun things that happened!

This last week we had the opportunity to teach 2 new families who are so awesome!! Haha. One lady went out to Utah to buy a horse and got introduced to the church out there. She came back and we had the chance to teach her about the Gospel. She LOVED it. She was so curious as to why the bible never spoke about how families can be together forever. We told her that plain and precious parts have been taken away from the Bible and Lord has been merciful to us in giving us the Book of Mormon. At the end of the lesson she said "the hole that has been in in my heart since i had my first child was beginning to be filled!" It was an awesome experience. It made me especially grateful for what I've learned growing up.

Us and the Manchester missionaries decided one night on ex-changes that we were going to go caroling!! Haha. It was a blast! :) We sang Christmas hymns and gave people Joy to the World DVD's. I love this time of year.

As i was watching the Christmas Devotional last night from the 1st Presidency, i had an over-whelming feeling come over me. I was SO grateful to associate myself with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. So many happy people, an amazing choir, and some of the most Christ like men on this earth. I have come to the conclusion that we will NEVER understand how truly lucky we are to be members of this church.

I'm leaving this area really soon here and I'm very very sad. I've gained so many new friends here, and we have so many people still in the process of learning about the church and i want to stay and watch them progress in the Gospel. But the Lord needs me elsewhere. I love this gospel and the stability it provides me with. I know that it's true. And nobody can ever take that away from me!

I love you all so much! Thanks for everything that you do and the support you give me. It would be hard without it.
Thannk you for the Christmas tree Momma!! :) haha i loved it!

Love Elder Russell