From the Mountains to the Coast, the Lord knows his servants........week 44

My dear family,

Sounds like everything is going well for you all. Tell Grant to not worry about it, its just another transfer :} I'm glad to hear that Clayton is progressing. It sounds like everyone is doing well. I give you all of my love across the miles. And please give a grand thank you to everyone who has written me but I haven't had time to write back (particularly Brother Minor and Brother Marks).

Well family, the Lord knows His children and sends His servants where they are needed. I have moved from Amilcingo in Cuaulta Morelos to Acapulco Guerrero. Its true, Elder Russell is going to preach repentance the cruise liners. It is going to be an adjustment for sure. I am here with an Elder Zepeda that I knew from Cuaulta and we are serving as the Zone leaders here in the rich part of Acapulco called Costa Azul. It is a great opportunity for me to grow and learn from Elder Zepeda. Its really neat because I already know a few of the Elders here including my companion. It is great news for me as we can begin to work the fastest we can.

I will speak about leaving Amilcingo more when I return home but I will say that my time there and these past few days were extremely sacred for me. I would to say what Troy said when he commented that I believe that these experiences cannot be described properly through Internet. But nonetheless, Elder Russell has a heart very full.

I wish you all the best of luck in all that you do. Im am doing fantastic and watch out if I return home really tan. I love you all and take care!

Love,

Elder Russell

P.S. I still haven't received my package but I believe that I will have it this week.

Really Pumped Up to Do the Work........week 43

My dear family,

Wow, I cant believe that Elder Russell finds himself there in the house again. I was thinking about it a bit this week as I realized that I there is only one Elder Russell left in the mission field. And this Elder Russell is doing all he can to get the work going here in Amilcingo. I will be fasting this week for Clayton and praying that everything goes ok.

I´m a bit nervous because I feel that I am going to have changes next week. I really really really don't want to leave this area. Right now we our ward is really pumped to do the work. The bishop is really excited and is preaching to all the ward that if we do what we have proposed here, we will have a stake here in one year. If the bishop continues with this excitement, there is nothing to stop us from obtaining this goal. This week we are planning our first major weekly service project. We are organizing the ward so that we will have shirts of ¨helping hands¨ with a bunch of wheel barrels, weed whackers, and shovels to get the work going. We are going to get this ward moving. I love it. We were talking to a member from another local ward and he asked us about what we are doing in our area. After explaining a bit of everything he stood in awe and turned to his wife and said, ¨wow, we are in the wrong ward.¨ That´s right! Amilcingo is so cool that not only are we setting the example for those in the community who do not know about the church but we are also bringing the other members!

This week was a rather emotional week for me. We have been working on a lot of projects and trying to get the ward ready to go all out with their goals, initiatives, family counsels, and callings. I feel like I am trying to put the last pieces to the puzzle here in this ward so that they can take everything that we have left with them and run with it. I have seen a change here I am never going to forget. I see how there are people who were rather down and without much interest in the church to become member missionaries who are asking us for the book of Mormon and time to meet with friends of theirs. I love so much this ward and the people that are found here. I laugh because I tell the people that absolutely nothing bad is going to happen to us in this city. Because if somebody was to try something, I firmly believe that the people of this town would leave their houses, organize themselves, find the people that tried something, and beat them up. I love missionary work :)

This week we had the opportunity to sustain Brother Alfredo as our ward mission leader. He is one of my first converts and after having baptized his own son, he is now going to be directing us, organizing the missionary efforts in the ward, and presiding in the meetings related to us. It was an experience very special for me. He is going to be an excellent ward mission leader and I couldn't think of anyone better.

Well family, if I don't get the chance to write to you next week you will know why. I am praying that of all the places that I could go, anywhere but the offices. We are going to see if the Lord has a bad sense of humor or no :)

Family, take care. Know that I love you all and never forget that you are members of the Church of Jesus Christ. We have taken upon ourselves the name of Christ to be his disciples. We are willing to serve Him and keep His commandments. We have made the choice to seek the true happiness in our lives and invite others to have the same. May God bless you my dear family.

Love,
Elder Russell

P.S. Elder Russell, si todàvia no se ha dado cuenta, los mexicanos tienen su propio lenguaje muy chistoso. Disfrúte todo lo que es ´chido´ ´qué tranza´ y ´no manches´. Disfrúte estar con esta raiz tan especial del pueblo de Dios. Esfuércese un buen hermano y le amo. Hizó bien, pero no ha acabado compadre :) Apenas empezamos.

I feel like an invincible missionary........week 42

My dear family,

What a week. We just had a very powerful Zone Conference that was something that I absolutely needed. I feel like an invincible missionary. I am glad to hear the updates about Clayton. I hope and pray that he continues successful in his testing. I enjoyed talking to the family and seeing how everyone was. My prayers continue in your behalf.

This week we have seen a lot of miracles. Every single day is a miracle. Elder Pineda and I have a lot of fun seeing everyday how the Lord blesses the work here. Every time that we work and strive to do the work of the Father, we find that He helps us. I love it. We do not find that the Lord grants us the grand miracle that we ask Him but gives us the right portion so that we can continue demonstrating our faith. It is like the example of Nephi. He prayed to God that he could break the ropes with which he was bound. Does the Lord give him the strength to break the ropes and show to everyone that he is a man of God? No, the ropes were loosened. He was persevered and continued to serve diligently. I believe that being a missionary is like being Nephi. ´Ok, we have this situation. We need you to help us with these things. I would be great if you could give us the strength to do this and this and that.´ I find that He most often doesn't give us the grand miracle that we ask but He always gives us a miracle. I don't know why I always remember the story but I like to relate it to the Odyssey. The main character was in the middle of the ocean. At this point in time he was very close to drowning. But in his prayers he is granted a special shirt if i remember right. This permits him to live but he still had to swim a bit. I relate it to missionary work. As well as with Job. ´Do what you want with him, but you cant take his life´. We see every single day how the Lord gives us a ´shirt´ or how He looses the ropes for us. But after all is said and done, we still get to swim.

We talked a bit about the ward with which we are working right now. I love this ward so much! We have seen how the fire of their testimonies has rekindled and with a lot of heat. We are still gathering the goals of the ward for this month but what we are seeing is that the members of the ward have personal goals for this month that exceed the goals of the ward for the year. You have to watch out in Amilcingo because the missionary work is contagious. This week we have many appointments with friends of the members. I feel like I have very little time left here but I have a goal. I want to see the attendance of the ward double and every family participating in the work of salvation here through their own monthly goals. Watch out because Amilcingo has some serious work to do!

It is my witness that Jesus is the Christ. This is His work and His glory. So that we could return to live with Him, He gave us the precious gift of the family. It is the greatest and most important institution in the eyes of God. Protect it. Love it. And put it to work. When we do, the work of God if brought to pass with power. May we do so is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love,

Elder Russell

An amazing week........week 41

Dear family,
It sounds like the family has had a lot of events that have passed by these past few days. it sounds like everyone is running around crazy and busy. I am doing the same right now. I am going to check with President Spannaus to see what he says about Oovoo but ill let you know.
Im running a bit crazy right now as well but i want to give my congratulations to Joy for the newborn. Congrats family and i pray that everything will continue to be well with you all. Until Wednesday.

Love,
Elder Russell

We are in Full Throttle........week 40

My dear family,

As usual, we are running today and I have only a few moments. For mothers day we are going to use Skype and if you can send me your information it would be really welcomed. I believe that I will give you a call this week or the next Monday. We will see how everything plays out. And tell Grant to work really hard. I thought that he still had more time. Wow, 2 weeks. Tell him that he has got a lot of work to do.

I would like to share a story of something that happened this week for us. We have been preparing this ward for a very long time. We have a goal that in one week we are going to be in full throttle with organization, administration, and families that are showing leadership in the ward under the mission plan that we have. This past week Elder Pineda and I felt that we had already put the wall of faith for the people here. We felt that we had prepared the people in the best way that we know how. We felt that the people in one way or another were tired of listening to the words of the missionaries. We prayed and fasted this week for the way to touch the hearts of these people. This weekend we received our answer. This weekend President Spannaus came with his wife accompanied by the Área Seventy Elder Cabrera to our Stake Conference. The words that they said were exactly the answers to our prayers and fasts. They helped us clarify the last details in our preparation and inspired and challenged the members of this stake to do exactly what we have been asking them to do for the past 2 months. The whole time I was awe struck with the comments as they were dead on. The Lord knows His children. And in order to help us, He sends others to satisfy our needs. I know it is true. The Lord just opened the door to success in Amilcingo. Elder Pineda and I are very very excited. The bishopric is behind us and we are going to see the work of salvation appear in this ward. Missionary work is so cool!!!!

Take care family, I have to run. Love every moment of this beautiful time that we have to be here in this earth. To bring to pass the immortality and the eternal life of man, God created us. Let us be His work and His glory. It is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love,
Elder Russell