Week 58

Wow.. So many life lesson's learned this week! Its been almost too good!

Ha before i start..Thank you G-MA Russell for the package! That was great! :)

We had a lesson this week with an older man who is an Elder in his church. We walked in and he told us how he had a Mormon friend growing up and he was always impressed with him and his family but didn't know to much about our church. He then proceeded to tell us ALL the problems that his church was having.. They had just gotten a new pastor and half of the congregation didn't like him and were threatening to leave if they didn't get a new one. From their previous Pastor, who decided to put an addition onto the church that cost $150,000, they were in debt up to their eyeballs, and couldn't get the congregation and even the leaders of the church to pay their tithing! Then he asked "does your church deal with any of these issues?" We looked at each other.. Then back and him, and said.. "nope.. we don't" You have NOO idea how good it felt to honestly answer him with that reply! Haha! He was amazed and asked a million question's about our church government and how it runs and he was in total shock. Then he said.. "Its a perfect system."
Then we told him how we just got a new Bishop and he was called straight out of the congregation! There was no application or no interview's or no council to vote who it would be..! The new Bishop didn't have a certification from some college saying "congratulations your now certified to lead a church!" Then we began telling him how he was called by God and everybody in our congregation received a spiritual witness that he was the one to be running our church at this point in time. And not one single person left the church because of it.
Friends.. I do not lie when i tell you that his Jaw literally dropped. And it stayed there for probably 5 minutes. We bore strong and fervent testimony of how this was the one and true living church upon the face of the earth and that it was the same exact church that Christ set up while he was on the earth. Then we asked him to join our church. He said that he would join if he knew all the things we were saying were true and we will continue to teach him about the Gospel and Joseph Smith. He will be absolutely ridiculed if he leaves his church he said.. But he says he would have to do what God would have him do! And that is perfect!! :)

I have learned this week that the power of fasting and prayer is SO real.. I have been praying harder than i have ever prayed to find people to teach and this week it came. We taught more that we've ever taught this week and we have a lot of people now learning about the Gospel. It's almost too good! I love it so much! I have learned more in the area of my mission that any other. I have been put to the test and i am now seeing the results of enduring through hard times and disappointment. The blessings will come.. I know that to be true.. Even if its 3 or 4 months down the road they will come if you fast and pray for help.

I have like 5 other stories that i want to tell you all but i have gotta get going! I know the Church is true with all of my heart. The saint's of the Church aren't perfect.. Nor do we claim to be.. But the system by which the Lord has given us to run the Church is perfect. That's why it allows us to live life the way we do. I love it soo much! THnaks for the emails and things!! You guys are all just the greatest.

Haha Love Elder Russell