We Know What We Need to Do and We Do It........week 89

Dear family,

I love to hear that all is well. We didn't baptize Alma this past week because she was unavailable but this Saturday at 5 she is going to be baptized. Eros is going to baptize her too. These are the most joyous moments of the mission.

I don't have much time today but I would like to share a quick story. Felipe blessed the sacrament this past Sunday. He was really nervous but he did an amazing job. As I sat next to him in the chapel, with his white shirt on and a tie, I thought to myself, ¨if there is no other opportunity to bless than in the life of this man, I feel that I am successful.¨ I was deeply moved by this man. As we are working to help his family so that they can come with him to church, I am repeatedly moved by the conversion of this man. As we make and keep covenants, nobody has to tell us what to do. We know what we need to do and we do it. We don´t have to invent ways to get them to participate, they do it alone. Felipe made a covenant with God and that is enough for him. I am so proud of him. I hope to reflect such a conversion.

My dear family, I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have no idea where I would be without it. I am so grateful for my dear family and the Gospel. They are everything to me. Jesus Christ rose the third day and lives today. I know that we are guided by prophets and apostles today. May we follow their examples is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love,

Elder Russell

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the Greatest Treasure........week 88

Dear family,

What an amazing weekend! We have been so richly blessed to hear the words of the living prophets and apostles. I was very touched by this General Conference.

Something that I would like to mention about this last General Conference was an a very clear impression to simplify my life. It's true that there are things to do, they never get over with. However, I was particularly enriched by the comments of the First Presidency and Elder Ballard. If I haven´t told you beforehand, these 4 men alongside my parents, my family, President Spannaus, leaders in my youth, and President Packer are my superheros. Something that President Uchtdorf said that stayed with me, ¨even though something is good, it does not mean that it requires our time, resources, and talents.¨ Do the most important. The sessions were amazing but I believe that is all that I am going to mention about it for right now.

We are working really hard. We have a baptism lined up for this weekend of the lady named Alma. She is Eros´s mom (convert of a few months ago). We have various families that are progressing as well that we expect to be baptizing in this month. I will keep you all informed as the weeks come. Honestly, I am loving the mission. I learn each day something that would have taken years to understand. I see the lives of the honest in heart change under the influence of the Spirit. Today made me laugh because I received what the Elders called the ¨call of death¨. Or in other words, the call that they ask, ¨Do you still live here? Will you arrive at this airport?¨ I had to laugh because Elder Gosnell, who is going to finish in 4 weeks made fun of me that I am now a marked man :) But we are working harder than ever. I would like to share a story of this past week. We were running around town between Conference session and while we were doing so, I had been praying that after doing an interview for some Elders, that in the transport (la combi) we would find a family willing to hear the Gospel. We we got in the combi, I looked around and to my surprise, there was a woman named Ana with whom we had lost contact for around 2 months. We taught her briefly in the combi and as we got off, I told Elder Gosnell, ¨God answers our prayers.¨ It may be like Nephi who wanted to break the bands but they were loosed, but God answers our prayers.

My dear family, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest treasure that I have. Thanks to it, I know who I am, why I am here, why I have a family, and where will we go after this life. I know what I must do while I am here on earth. It is simple yet beautiful. I love my Savior Jesus Christ as He has provided the way for me. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to serve my Heavenly Father in this day and age when the Gospel is here in it's fulness. What a joy is the Gospel of Jesus Christ! May we share it daily is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love,

Elder Russell

Don't Mess with Your District Leader... HOO RAH!........week 87

Dear family,

Well family, I´m glad to hear that everything is going well for you. It´s so amazing for me to part of a family that has a rich tradition in missionary work. I love being Elder Russell!

This week I would like to call it ¨Hoo Rah¨. You know how the military, when they have work to do, they get themselves pumped up by crying ¨Hoo Rah.¨ Recently, I have felt like a military soldier. First off, last Tuesday we had a Zone meeting and our District meeting afterwards. I am really excited to be a District Leader and I had been preparing for the meeting with some ideas that I had had. So as we were in the meeting all the sudden the room began to shake. I didn´t notice until one of the Elders told me, ¨hold up, it´s shaking.¨ The truth was that we were all really calm about it. We decided to leave the building and we stepped outside to see a bunch of telephone and light posts dancing in the streets. It was pretty cool. As everything calmed down, we entered back into the building and this same Elder said to the District, ¨Wow, pay attention to your District Leader, the Lord know who He has called.¨ That´s right. Don´t mess with your District Leader! So the first reason why I feel this way is that my first District meeting shook Iguala :) Hoo Rah!

Secondly, we are getting some serious work done here in Insurgentes. Last week I had the most successful week of my mission. We have learned how the Lord is really willing to bless us if we do all that we can. We have been working SO hard. Everyday is everything we got. When we have to find somebody in 15 minutes and we have done all that we could have, we then can ask God that He would do His part. And if we have done ours, He always does His. So for the greater understanding that I have obtained that I serve the Master and that this is His work, Hoo Rah!

And thirdly, because I cut my hair and I look like one.

I have come to understand how true the Gospel of Jesus Christ really is. I love how it applies to absolutely everything. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. The only thing that will interrupt me that I give much fruit is my inability to know what I have to do and discipline myself to do what the Lord requires me to do. If my goals are set and my plans are made, then my daily self discipline is the only factor which will set me apart as mediocre or exceptional. Or in other words, how well one repents of his sins. I have grown under the hand of the Master. I have been taught and I am called to preach repentance unto the world. I am a representative of the Savior Jesus Christ. This is His work. He knows us. He will always bless us as we keep His commandments.

I would like to share a quick story with you. This week we met a Cardoso family. This family had talked to missionaries in the past and had gone to the church a few times. We were surprised and we began to teach them how God restored His Gospel and His Priesthood authority through the prophet Joseph Smith. As we were explaining about the Spirit and how we come to know if what we are teaching is true, the father named Julio sat pondering to himself. He read the pamphlet various times until he turned to us and said, ¨It is the Spirit! He answers us through the feelings of our heart and our mind!¨ As we had felt the Spirit in this lesson, in this moment the Spirit flooded the room to testify to this man of his relationship with God. He stopped us and said, ¨This is true! This is true! I have felt this before in my life but I could never explain what it was. It is the Spirit of God.¨ In this moment we invited him and his family to be baptized. At this time, we thought that his family would accept but he would not because the man is very cautious of others. It was the opposite. His family expressed their concerns and their doubts. When we asked Julio, he solo said, ¨if it is part of the process, then yes.¨ This man bore a powerful testimony to me. Lord, if you require it of me, then yes. Thus is the faith of Julio.

My dear family, live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Do what the Father expects you to do and you will find no greater joy. I love my Savior Jesus Christ. For His Atonement I am redeemed from sin. I love Him and I love His work. May we never lose sight of the joy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love,

Elder Russell

I'm Still Here........week 86

Dear family,

Everything is great. We had changes this week. Elder Gosnell and I are still here but they called me to be District Leader. So I´m running a bit crazy right now. I could run but I couldn´t hide.

We had stake conference with Elder Tenorio. They changed the stake presidency. Really cool. We have a ward mission plan that will be functioning this coming week and we are working like none other time in the mission. I absolutely love being a missionary. Take care family and I will update more next week.

Love,

Elder Russell

There is Nothing Better........week 85

Felipe's Baptism

Dear family,

Well, the work is going very well here. This Friday we baptized Felipe. Felipe is one of the most noble people that I have met. I mentioned that he is a professor of Engineering in the state university and has a firm testimony. His baptism was one that I won´t forget. As we were teaching Felipe, they offered him a promotion as one of the directors of the school. To the offered he told us ¨I rejected it. I want my time for my family and to serve in the Church. I don´t want to be tempted to drink in these situations. Its better that I don´t.¨ To say the least, I have thought much of my father. Thanks Mom and Dad, as Nephi, I was born of goodly parents. I see Even before his baptism, this man has shown a lot of faith and determination to follow Jesus Christ.

A week ago, we had a baptism of a girl named Kirle. She is the daughter of a woman that we helped activate. We were preparing the baptismal font for the service by throwing some chemicals in the font. The water comes out green so we have to throw some chemicals in and afterwards some men come to vacuum up all the grime that is in the water. However, last week the people didn't answer us. With a bit of embarrassment, we decided that there was nothing we could do. 5 minutes before the baptism, Felipe shows up to see it and we show him the font. He stops and tells my companion ¨ummm, your font is dirty. I have the vacuum to clean it up.¨ So he ran, got in his car, drove home and came back to clean the font 5 minutes before the baptism. Little did he know that he was cleaning the font for his baptism as well. I have been very impressed by this man.

It is great to hear that things are going along well at home. I will pray for Clayton.

This Friday we had a Conference in Chilpancingo with Elder Tenorio. It was one of the best conferences that I have ever had. He talked about goals, plans, discipline, prayer, and desire. Of course I loved it. To tell you the truth, it was one of the pivotal moment in my mission. He spoke of all the points which I needed. Trust in the leaders of the Church. They know what is going on.

Well family, another wonderful week in the mission field. I absolutely love being a missionary.

There is nothing better. Take care dear family. May God continue to bless you as you keep His commandments.

Love,

Elder Russell