September 29 2008

Hey Everyone-
These past couple of days has been beautiful and we are starting to see much of the fruit of the labors we have preformed. I have felt like this transfer has been very busy in trying to build our teaching pool and diligently seeking those elect sons and daughters who are ready for our message. We have been blessed so much and we are now teaching a lot of people! I know in these next couple of weeks we will see baptisms! I have been very touched by the spirit and with the knowledge of how central it is in this work, it’s everything! Without the Lord’s spirit I am simple and weak and my inadequacies are very apparent. But when I have the companionship of the spirit, I feel my shortcomings become stronger and I can literally see the Lords hand guiding me and making me a tool in his hands and allowing me to do things that I normally am unable to do!
We had a great week, Tuesday we spent the first half of the day helping build a shed! It’s been a huge project and we were able to put the roof on along with its shingles! The rest of the day was the continual process of finding! We also had a lesson with Lori, we watched the movie The Testaments. I have personally seen that movie about a hundred times but it continues to always touch me. Later that evening we had the opportunity to give a Baptismal interview to one of our District Leaders investigators! We are looking forward to her being baptized on Tuesday; she had been investigating for over a year! Wednesday was also a good day; the main thing that happened was a lesson with a guy named Vince. He is a former Catholic Priest but fell away because of doctrines he didn’t agree with! We had a three and a half hour conversation with him; he is a very intelligent man and was at one point a professor at a University. Now I felt very inadequate in being able to carry a conversation with him on worldly matters, but when we talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation I was teaching him eternal truths that made sense to him but were very new in his eyes! He believes Joseph Smith could be a prophet and we are now teaching him about the Book of Mormon!
Thursday was Interviews with President Moffat, he always speaks inspiring words and it was exactly what our missionaries needed to hear, he spoke about remembering our Covenants and Obedience. Our Mission is actually very obedient but if we want the blessings of heaven to pour upon our Mission, we need to continue to be Obedient. That night we had three lessons. We once again met with Lori and then we met with a wonderful less active family the Lords, they have three children who haven’t been baptized. Then we worked with Tony trying to teach him how important it is too pray and find out for himself if the Book of Mormon is true! He is slowly getting closer to really striving to find out what we are teaching him is true. He is so close but will be out of town this week to Germany! He works for Boeing and travels all across the World and trains all the military on certain products! Saturday I went on exchanges with the Assistants, it was very adventurous. As we were tracting we came across a black bear and her cub about 25 feet away, about 30 minutes later we saw a bobcat and then on the way home we saw a herd of Elk! It’s so gorgeous and my companion loves it since he is a huge hunter! The exchange went very well and I think I will be staying another Transfer!!!
Sunday went well, we had some marvelous experiences and even miracles but I feel like I don’t have the time nor the words to express it! So Mom and Dad you will have to wait until I send my journal home! Oh and Anna was confirmed a member today in Sharon, Vermont! She is so happy and such an amazing example of faith to me! Sunday night we had a lesson with a young couple whose only objective was to try and destroy our faith! Right when we walked into the home we could feel the spirit depart and we felt cold and I was shaking, at the time I didn’t recognize or notice why, but we soon found out! The wife had a Book of Mormon and tried to disprove it, we resolved her concerns and she really had nothing else to say after, but we did express to them it can’t be disproven. For hundreds of years scholars have tried and it’s always the exact same points they make against our church but, “The standard of Truth has been erected, no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing, persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies assemble and calumny may defame but the Truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly and independent”...(Joseph Smith)
My Testimony is ever maturing each and every day and it takes the joy of the work but also the Opposition to shape it and make it become a strong beacon! I know this gospel is true with all my heart and I can’t deny the spiritual witnesses I receive. I am once again blessed with a great family and friends who support me! I love you all so much!!!
Elder Russell

Good Day...

Katie's Baptism

Jason and Companion

September 15

Hey Everyone!!
It has been another amazing week; I especially have loved the weather, BLUE SKYS!!! Ha I know that won’t last for very long so I cherish every day!! But I am just so happy and I feel like the Sons of Mosiah, in describing the joy that I have received! This has been my greatest happiness to share the gospel with others and to witness their very countenance and even their lives become brighter because of Christ and the Book of Mormon! I will often lie awake at night thinking about this work and the people that I have touched, yet I know that it hasn’t been me at all but the Holy Ghost. This gospel truly is the source for all lasting and eternal joy! I have been meeting with IngaLisa and seeing her become excited to go to young women’s and seeing her mother come back to church and give IngaLisa full support! I receive such amazing and motivating letters from Anna and to see how happy she is, words can’t describe it. She is going to be baptized in Boston this week!!! Katie is start ing to adjust to the Utah lifestyle and Culture and I can see how much she is enjoying it, yet she knows that her faith is being tried! All these little experiences have been amazing and I love the eternal relationships I am building with those I teach, I pray I can always be a part of their Lives!
We had a great week; Monday was full of running around and getting all of our Preparation day things done! Tuesday we did a lot of tracting and visiting members. Wednesday, we had a Zone Meeting, I felt the spirit of our Zone and how we have become united, but I think Motivating and Encouraging other missionaries is an important part of this work, in which I am more than happy to do! I want to see them succeed and be happy, but it does take patience and diligence. Thursday we helped a member who is 80 years old build a shed from scratch!! Ha I have enjoyed that and I now have no desire to build a house on my own considering all the work it has taken just for a shed! Friday I went on an exchange with Elder Meijome from Florida, we had a lot of fun and saw some success. That night we visited with IngaLisa! Saturday was such a blast; we had a huge BBQ with the stake with thousands of people and tons of food and rides! We got to talk with all the members and the friends they had in vited, we even saw some people from the street we had invited!! I am excited to see what the Stake is finally doing about missionary work and we can move things along in the wards!! We need each members help if we want to succeed!!
I have just had a wonderful week and so grateful for the support I receive from family and Friends, you’re in my thoughts and my prayers. I hope you understand how busy I truly am. I will be catching up on my letters to all of you soon! I know the power of the Book of Mormon not only in my life but in the lives of others, it’s real! I am a witness of that! I hope and pray that you will always read from its pages every day and I promise there will be new meaning in each day and a greater light in your countenance!! I love you all so much!
Elder Jason Russell

Tripple XXX Burger

Sept 2nd 2008

Hey Everyone-
I have had an amazing week; I have a new companion, Elder McCausland from Springville, Ut. He was my very first Zone leader a year ago and I really look up to him and am very excited to learn from his example, he is very learned in the bible and a great teacher. We are a lot alike and seriously having so much fun and we both have such a desire to teach people about the Gospel. I am thrilled to see what this transfer has in store! I really wish I could remember the specifics for each individual day.
Monday thru Wednesday all seemed to be centered on having my companion become familiar with his new area and meeting the members and all the people we are teaching! We spent the remainder of the time just knocking on a ton of doors and were able to find a lot of potentials! We know that there are so many people prepared to receive the message that we have to share but it’s all in a matter of finding them!
Thursday we got our entire Zone together to have a meeting, and then we played games to get to know each other and to build unity. During these meetings we are always furthering our skills as missionaries! That night we went to stop by IngaLisa and say hi to her and her family, she had gotten braces on and was in a lot of pain, so I gave her a priesthood blessing. It’s always amazing to me to think how loving our father in heaven really is, to be able to use His power to relieve IngaLisa from pain and this same power was used to create worlds without end. He truly does care about the simple things of our lives as well as the great! Oh, I also talked to Anna! She is doing great and loving Boston, she will be attending church there and I just pray she will always stay on that path that will lead her to baptism. I just know how much joy this has brought her and will continue to bring her!
Friday was Zone Leader Council where we all gathered together in President Moffat home and discuss how we can improve this mission! I always love coming together and talking with the other missionaries but I also love hearing the words of President Moffat and see the spirit work through him and also sustain him in his calling! There is nothing better than receiving free food as a missionary!!
Saturday and Sunday were the most exhausting and tiresome days for me but very fulfilling, we did a lot of tracting. We are working very hard in trying to build our teaching pool! Well that about sums it up for me, I am again going to the Famous XXX burger today for an Elders Birthday and we also get to go to the Temple!!! But I hope everyone has a great week, love ya!
Elder Russell