Week 86

Holla!! Haha whats up family! Man.. SO good to hear from you

I got an email from Kylee Runia saying she was going to Independence Missouri! Super exciting! Congrats!

All you other friends have to tell me where your going too!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! :) By the way. Haha.. We're going to be going to a few members houses so that will be fun!

I've got a new companion.. Fresh out the MTC.. Haha his name is Elder Jones! And he's from Rexburg Idaho! Pretty cool.. He's pumped to be on a mission and I can tell its going to be a great 2 transfers.

This is one of the funnest times of my mission simply because I get to look back and remember how insecure and scared I was as a new missionary. I never realized how far I have come untill now. Its amazing. I've been transformed by the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I love it. I love the Gospel so much.

Unfortunately some not so good things happened this week with our investigators.. We have quite a few that are struggling with opposition. But I think it will be good here in the long run. We just have to pray and work and show them the way..

We have investigators who are struggling to stop smoking.. One of them wakes up at 5:30 every morning and thats when he first smokes.. So in order to help him quit one morning we showed up at his door at 5:30 in the morning.. And said.. "We're here to make sure you keep your promise you made to God to not smoke." He was SHOCKED! Haha.. But it worked and he went a whole day without smoking and he's severly cutting back from his usual habits. Love it.. He thanks us every time we see him for coming.

We have a family who commits to us everytime we have a lesson that they will study the scriptures as a family EVERYNIGHT. But everytime we follow up with them it NEVER happens. SO last night we went over to their house.. at 9:00 at night, knocked on the door, and walked in. I yelled at the kids to come downstairs for scripture study. They came in, they sat down with their Book of Mormons.. We had a prayer and they started studying the scriptures and we walked out of the house to get home on time.

I've learned that you HAVE to go the extra mile if you want people to do what you asked them to do. You have to go to the extreme if you want a guy who's been smoking since he was 12 to quit smoking. Because thats extreme.

I love my mission with all my heart. Yesterday we had an amazing experience. We headed to Des Moines and there Elder Don R. Clarke of the First Quorum of the 70 instructed us for 4 hours. It was truly amazing. He taught us about going the extra mile with investigators.. And how our relationships with them should be. I loved it SO much. The Church has got to be the greatest Organization upon the face of the Earth. There is nothing like it.

Mom.. I DO NOT WANT ANYTHING FOR CHRISTMAS! Please don't send me anything..

There is a Recent Convert here named April.. She's a single mom and is SO awesome. And all I want you to send me is a set of new scriptures for her to have. Possibly engraven with her name if at all possible.

Not a quad but Book of Mormon and Bible seperately! And in black color! Please let me know if this is possible! This is all I want for Christmas.

I love you all SO much. Have fun in St George!! :)

Thanks for being the greatest family a missionary could have..

Love Elder Russell