Week 73

Wow.. This week has been wonderful!! :)

 

I have mentioned just a little bit about a girl we were teaching named Sam Nelson. She was baptized this last Saturday and it was marvelous. :) It was a very unique baptism due to the fact that the baptismal font at our church was under construction so it took place in a pool. Haha..  But it couldn't have worked out more perfect!

        We held the service in the backyard of a members home, and it was BEAUTIFUL. The weather was perfect, and there was a beautiful lake in the background of the people givings talks. We had a speaker system and it was picture perfect. As people were trickling in to come sit down, we had Mormon Tab Choir playing and it was so cool to see how the spirit was so strong in the backyard and people recognized it. Then when it was time for the baptism we went over to the neighbors pool (who are non members) and Sam was baptized by her good friend Nick. SOO sweet! Haha!

        Sam's father has been an inactive member for 14 years.. He felt as though he was pushed into the church when he was young. Sam's mom is not a member, and also her little Brother Nathan is not a member. As we closed the baptismal service and sang Hymn #301 I am a child of God, I watched Sam's dad's eyes fill with tears. He was moved by the spirit in a way that he has never felt before.. After the service he gave me a big hug and told me that he had never felt that way before. I told him it was the spirit telling him that this is true. And he knows it is. SO powerful. One of the great experiences i'll remember for the rest of my life. We are working with her Mom and little Brother to help them be baptized. Its going to be near impossible to say goodbye to them.. I get knots in my stomache even thinking about it. :(

 

This baptism was very special.. (As they all are.) I prayed day in and day out that I might be able to baptize at least 1 person while I was serving here in Quincy. And as Sam was baptized the Lord answered my prayers..

Then about 15 minutes after the service had ended I received a call from President Jergensen telling me that I was being transferred and released from my calling. I sat there in silence realizing how timely the baptism was and how perfectly it all worked. I looked back on the last 3 months, an realized how great God had been to me at times when i didn't even know it.  Then I thought about how literally the exact same thing happened to me in Ankeny. An over-whelming feeling over came me and now i know more than ever that the Lord truly does help us reach our richeous goals and desires. It was so amazing. Its amazing how blessed we are.

 

Mom thanks for your package. It was wonderful!! Don't send anymore stuff to that address though because as of this Thursday I will no longer be in Quincy.

I'm really sad to leave and I have gained some wonderful friends here in Quincy. I can't wait to come back and visit someday.

 

I think thats all I got this week.. I'm excited to enter a new phase of my mission. Its new, exciting, and adventerous. Thanks for all you do for me! I loooooveee you all!

 

Love Elder Russell