Hey Everyone-
It’s been such a busy week; I hope I can remember all of the stuff we did. The weather has been getting better and I am looking forward to seeing the sun a lot more. Tuesday was a beautiful day and we were also able to go to the Temple. What a wonderful place it is and the spirit was so strong, it was hard to believe that was my last time on my mission. We also had interviews this week, President and I discussed the ward and how much I love it. I pray that I’ll be able to stay another transfer with my companion! I have loved serving in the Office, every day is something new. Wednesday my companion and I were able to go to the Everett mission and pick up two of the new Malibu cars. We meet with their office staff and got to say hi to their mission President and Assistants. We had to make two trips since one of us would drive the van while the other drove behind in the new car! We drove past Bothell and I remembered the Edwards used to live around there! Friday we helped move some Elders into an apartment. Like I said there is always something new going on each day but finding those to teach is always our priority. Saturday we spent most of our day doing yard work at our less active/investigators house (Sister Price and her ten yr old daughter). We shoveled and spread 12 yards of dirt and by the end of it, our muscles were giving out! Ha-ha! It’s been amazing to see how the Lord has softened
Sister Price’s heart. She is now ready and committed for us to teach her daughter. We are going to walk around the Temple grounds this week with them! The work has been going forward and I love my mission! The weeks are flying by and it’s been so fun with my Companion! I am out of time because they are about to kick me off! I love you all and pray that all is well with each of you!!
Elder Jason Russell
Site Updated by his parents..
Monday, April 27, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
Easter Email
Hey Everyone-
I hope everyone had a great Easter. Easter was wonderful for me even though I missed family and friends. I have had two weeks to prepare a talk and I had prayed a lot over what I should speak on. I know I was truly inspired. My talk was only five minutes and I was asked to speak on the Atonement! That topic is so beyond me and I am inadequate to even explain it but I did know a little about what the Atonement means to me as a missionary. So I titled my remarks, “The Atonement to a Missionary and the Mission of the Atonement” I shared the story of a young Discouraged missionary who wrote home to his father, His father gave him very simple words, “Forget yourself and go to Work”. The young Missionary (who happened to be the Prophet Gordon B Hinckley) went into his home and covenanted with the Lord that he would try to forget himself. He immediately felt a new light and joy come into him! It was in that exact moment, that precise minute, that the Atonement was able to comfort him and give him hope. The Atonement meant more to him than it had before! Such is the Power of the Atonement and Such is the experience of every missionary! I explained a little more about what the Atonement means to a missionary and then I testified of the Mission of the Atonement and used scriptures to express what Christ went through. So that was my talk this Easter Sunday! We were able to go to two dinners in which both families had brought “Investigators”. It went well and I am so happy to see the members starting to reach out to their friends. One lady is from China and after we showed the “Finding Faith in Christ” DVD, she wanted one and we’re hoping to start teaching her soon! Well it really was a great week. I hope that Easter was a good experience for everyone and you were able to “Come Unto Him.”
Most of the week was Zone Conferences. So we got to travel to all of the various locations with Elder Wilson and inspect all of the cars and show a power point presentation on “Driving Distractions.” We put some funny video clips in the presentation about being “distracted” and then it got serious when we showed them a lot of severe accidents of missionaries. Elder Wilson is always putting his personality in his presentation and bought an antique sword and told everyone it was the sword of Laban! He compared the Sword to the use of a car and how they both can be deadly. We of course got to be feed very well this past week
I love you all so much and thanks for the support and prayers!
Elder Jason Russell
I hope everyone had a great Easter. Easter was wonderful for me even though I missed family and friends. I have had two weeks to prepare a talk and I had prayed a lot over what I should speak on. I know I was truly inspired. My talk was only five minutes and I was asked to speak on the Atonement! That topic is so beyond me and I am inadequate to even explain it but I did know a little about what the Atonement means to me as a missionary. So I titled my remarks, “The Atonement to a Missionary and the Mission of the Atonement” I shared the story of a young Discouraged missionary who wrote home to his father, His father gave him very simple words, “Forget yourself and go to Work”. The young Missionary (who happened to be the Prophet Gordon B Hinckley) went into his home and covenanted with the Lord that he would try to forget himself. He immediately felt a new light and joy come into him! It was in that exact moment, that precise minute, that the Atonement was able to comfort him and give him hope. The Atonement meant more to him than it had before! Such is the Power of the Atonement and Such is the experience of every missionary! I explained a little more about what the Atonement means to a missionary and then I testified of the Mission of the Atonement and used scriptures to express what Christ went through. So that was my talk this Easter Sunday! We were able to go to two dinners in which both families had brought “Investigators”. It went well and I am so happy to see the members starting to reach out to their friends. One lady is from China and after we showed the “Finding Faith in Christ” DVD, she wanted one and we’re hoping to start teaching her soon! Well it really was a great week. I hope that Easter was a good experience for everyone and you were able to “Come Unto Him.”
Most of the week was Zone Conferences. So we got to travel to all of the various locations with Elder Wilson and inspect all of the cars and show a power point presentation on “Driving Distractions.” We put some funny video clips in the presentation about being “distracted” and then it got serious when we showed them a lot of severe accidents of missionaries. Elder Wilson is always putting his personality in his presentation and bought an antique sword and told everyone it was the sword of Laban! He compared the Sword to the use of a car and how they both can be deadly. We of course got to be feed very well this past week
I love you all so much and thanks for the support and prayers!
Elder Jason Russell
Monday, April 6, 2009
April 6th
Hey Everyone-
What an Amazing week I have experienced, of course the Highlight was listening to the inspired words of the Prophet and Apostles. I look forward to hearing each General Conference. Although I will be able to always read their words and remarks in the Ensign. I wish I had a way of capturing my thoughts and feelings when I first hear their words. I have found it wonderful to listen to the Still Small Voice of the Lord and to find out how I am doing; the Spirit will always tell me those things that I can improve upon. I wish I had my notes here at the Library, so I can tell you the insights I learned and remember which talks touched me the most but I do remember Elder Jeffery R. Holland’s talk. Throughout my mission I have cherished listening to his words. I have a number of his talks and they have all touched me. So when I have a chance to listen to Elder Holland, I get excited because I know it’s going to be very spiritual and have significant meaning for me. I relate to him the best! I can’t wait to read all that he has written. As always I also love hearing from our Prophet. He has such a gentle yet profound way of speaking.
This week we also had something unusual happen, we woke up Wednesday morning and got a Phone call from the Office explaining that a Missionary, Elder Stevens, who was returning home to Alaska from his mission in Guatemala, was stranded here! I guess there were volcanoes going off in Alaska that prevented him from returning and his flight had been delayed in Seattle. So we went to pick him up from the Hotel that he had stayed at (I am sure it was very weird for him being by himself). He spent the entire day with us! He was so much fun to be around and got along so well with me and my companion. We compared the differences of each other’s missions and he was often shocked at how little we baptize but he was also in awe at how well we live (cars, nice apartment etc...) every mission has its positives and negatives, but we are all able to change drastically and help others to come unto Christ! We made a lot of trips to Seattle, to give blessings and take Elder Stevens to the Airport etc... I have loved being able to see this beautiful place I serve in and experience what it’s like in the city. My companion and I are doing wonderful and I love serving with him. We are working hard and having glimpses of success, it’s been hard but we know we can baptize someone in April! How blessed I feel right now to be able to serve the Lord and to also have a testimony of this Great work. I know my mission well set the foundation of the rest of my life and I am glad to witness the change the gospel has had in others lives! I love each and every one of you and during this Easter Season I pray that we will all come to know the Savior more through Prayer and Scripture study. I encourage everyone to take the time to reflect on what his sacrifice has done in our lives and then to act upon what the Spirit is telling us to do in our hearts! I love you-
Elder Russell
What an Amazing week I have experienced, of course the Highlight was listening to the inspired words of the Prophet and Apostles. I look forward to hearing each General Conference. Although I will be able to always read their words and remarks in the Ensign. I wish I had a way of capturing my thoughts and feelings when I first hear their words. I have found it wonderful to listen to the Still Small Voice of the Lord and to find out how I am doing; the Spirit will always tell me those things that I can improve upon. I wish I had my notes here at the Library, so I can tell you the insights I learned and remember which talks touched me the most but I do remember Elder Jeffery R. Holland’s talk. Throughout my mission I have cherished listening to his words. I have a number of his talks and they have all touched me. So when I have a chance to listen to Elder Holland, I get excited because I know it’s going to be very spiritual and have significant meaning for me. I relate to him the best! I can’t wait to read all that he has written. As always I also love hearing from our Prophet. He has such a gentle yet profound way of speaking.
This week we also had something unusual happen, we woke up Wednesday morning and got a Phone call from the Office explaining that a Missionary, Elder Stevens, who was returning home to Alaska from his mission in Guatemala, was stranded here! I guess there were volcanoes going off in Alaska that prevented him from returning and his flight had been delayed in Seattle. So we went to pick him up from the Hotel that he had stayed at (I am sure it was very weird for him being by himself). He spent the entire day with us! He was so much fun to be around and got along so well with me and my companion. We compared the differences of each other’s missions and he was often shocked at how little we baptize but he was also in awe at how well we live (cars, nice apartment etc...) every mission has its positives and negatives, but we are all able to change drastically and help others to come unto Christ! We made a lot of trips to Seattle, to give blessings and take Elder Stevens to the Airport etc... I have loved being able to see this beautiful place I serve in and experience what it’s like in the city. My companion and I are doing wonderful and I love serving with him. We are working hard and having glimpses of success, it’s been hard but we know we can baptize someone in April! How blessed I feel right now to be able to serve the Lord and to also have a testimony of this Great work. I know my mission well set the foundation of the rest of my life and I am glad to witness the change the gospel has had in others lives! I love each and every one of you and during this Easter Season I pray that we will all come to know the Savior more through Prayer and Scripture study. I encourage everyone to take the time to reflect on what his sacrifice has done in our lives and then to act upon what the Spirit is telling us to do in our hearts! I love you-
Elder Russell
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