Still working hard...week 94

Dear family,

 

I don´t have much time today but I`ll squeeze in what I can.  Elder Egan and I are working with a few Elders here in Insurgentes for the next 3 weeks and they came in today.  My temporary companion is Elder Reyes and the companion of Elder Egan is Elder Galeana.  They are missionaries who are going to be working with us for 3 weeks.  They went on the mission but for issues returned home.  So we are going to be working with them for the next few weeks to see if they can return to the mission field.  So if I mention their names it is for that reason. 

 

I loved to be able to see and talk to the family.  I felt like it was the weekly Sunday checkup via webcam.  I am so grateful that everyone is doing well.  I don't have much different to say than from yesterday but I am excited to keep working.  We have our Zone Conference this Wednesday and a Ward Mission Activity this Friday.  We got a lot of work to do and we got two more missionaries to help us out. 

 

I love you family.  I am so thankful for you.  May God bless you as you continue to serve in His vineyard. 

 

Love,

Elder Russell

To truly see the hand of the Lord in the lives of the people is the greatest joy that I have.........week 93

Hey family,

Well, the business first. I got your package and THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!  I was super excited.  You know when you are a missionary when you get excited about receiving a toothbrush.  Elder Josh Gosnell came with his grandpa, dad, and cousin to visit the mission.  It was great to see him with his family at church.  He served his mission very honorably.  The directive for the phone call is that we have 45 minutes and we can use webcam.  I am going to see if we can go with a member and call you from their house.  I will call you via Oovoo Sunday at 8:00 my time or 6:00 your time.  Oh and tell Elder Christopher that he is officially dead :)

Well,. I got a lot of talking to do.  The first photo is of an activity that Elder Gosnell and I put together with the members, investigators and converts.  We played a bunch of games. 

 My team got to the finals in tug of war but the ward secretary and his team beat us out.  So close!!

The other photo is of Elizabeth and her baptism a week ago.  She and her sister are so cool.  They love the gospel.  We are working with her mom, dad, and brother so they can join them as well.

The other photo is when we received the package.  I was so excited.  Elder Egan got jealous that I got a toothbrush, toothpaste, and whitening.  I laughed pretty hard.   We are such missionaries :)

 
The other was a baptism of Delia.  A really cool sister in the ward told us that she knew somebody who had already received the lessons but wasn't baptized.  She told us that her friend wanted to be baptized now.  We showed up, interviewed her, and she was ready to go.  A true Eunic.  To my surprise it was Delia.  I had tried to baptize her 4 months earlier.  She had prayed last week and knew that she should be baptized.  Even with all of the opposition from her family she took the decision.  I am so proud of her.  The teenager next to her is a young man who is the only member in his family who just received his mission call.  He is going to Guadalajara.  He is going nuts.

 
 The last pictures are of a man Hector.  The missionaries had passed by his house trying to get him baptized for years.  His brother in law told us that he wanted to be baptized.  We showed up and asked him what had made the difference.  He said that his daughter came up to him one day and asked him, ¨Daddy, are you going to baptized me when I turn 8?¨  The short story, the daughter won.  He had a complete change of heart and has already placed the goal to baptize his daughter in the following February and be sealed in the temple a year from now.  The truth, a great weekend.

 

This past week we had a Conference of Leaders in Cuernavaca.  It was so special to see the President Spannaus, his wife, and almost all of Elders whom I have a close relationship.  It was President´s last training of leaders.  I love President Spannaus.  He has made a tremendous impact in my life.  We are going to have a Zone Conference the 16 of May.  I still have another chance to talk to him and enjoy of his counsel.  
The past few weeks have been filled with emotion.  I have a goal to do more work in these last 3 month than all the work I have done up to this point.  I loved the comments of Elder Egan when we were talking about church yesterday.  He mentioned, ¨Elder Russell, I have never seen a ward more involved in missionary work than this ward.¨  I told him that he was to thank the recent work of Elder Gosnell and I.  To truly see the hand of the Lord in the lives of the people is the greatest joy that I have.  To have leaders and companions who have led me to know and do what the Lord expects of me has been a tremendous privilege and love.  As President says, when you know how to be a missionary, you finish.  I feel a bit like that right now. 

Nonetheless family, I am excellent.  I am happier than ever.  I feel that I know what the Lord expects of me.  I just have to do it.  May we bring the power of Godliness in our lives and in the lives of other through the making and keeping covenants.  Without the making and keeping of ordinances and covenants, the glory of God cannot be manifest.  But when it is done, God begins to bring about miracles in His vineyard.  Of that I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Love,
Elder Russell

The Work of the Lord........week 92

Dear family,

Well, we had a baptism last week.  It was of Elizabeth, Malena´s sister.  I can´t seem to upload the photos so I will send them afterwards.

Elder Gosnell´s last night as a missionary.  We did the ritual of "cutting the tie".  

Elder Gosnell faithfully completed his mission today.  There are always a bunch of mixed emotion with all of that.  I am so excited because I am going to stay here and do you know who is my new companion?!?!?!  ... Elder Egan.  I laughed so hard when they told me.  We are going to work like crazies here.  Elder Gosnell and I learned how to bring about the work of salvation in a ward in these past changes.  It is miraculous how the Lord has taught us how we can bring His work here.  I would like to give you a hint how to do it.  Read DC 101, 103, and 105.  From there study the doctrine of the wheat, the tares, the salt, covenants, and the strength of the Lord.  I mentioned a bit about this doctrine a few weeks ago and it has stayed with me.  It has left a very deep impression on me.

I would like to mention something that the Lord taught me a bit ago.  Every desire that we have can be fulfilled and every problem can be solved if we are willing to make and keep covenants.  We were talking in our Elder´s Quorum meeting a few weeks ago about how to obtain unity in a family, branch, ward, or stake. The brethren had their various answers but I was impressed by what came to my mind.  I turned to Mosiah 18 and the baptismal covenant.  If we are willing to take upon ourselves the name of Christ, keep His commandments, and be witnesses of Him everywhere we go, He promises us eternal life, a remission of our sins, and the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.  So why is there disunity in a marriage, ward, or stake?   It´s because we need to better make AND keep our covenants.  With all other covenants that we make, if we will MAKE these covenants and KEEP these covenants, we will be totally happy and we will be able to return to the presence of God.  Something that has really impacted me about making and keeping covenants is that those who do both parts because the true servants of the Lord here on this earth.  God shows His love and His power through them.

We have learned that here with our members and investigators.  It is interesting to note that every time that we make a covenant, in order to keep that covenant, we must be willing to sacrifice.   And that sacrifice is always for the welfare of someone else.  For example, someone will not be willing to invite his friend to church, stay with him in the classes, and prepare himself spiritually to teach and lead his friend to the waters of baptism unless he has made the covenant of baptism.  It´s simple.  Everything that we do as missionaries and as people requires work.  It requires genuine sacrifice.  As Dad always says, ¨when the call to keep our covenants is convenient, give me a call, I would like to know.¨  We cannot truly bring about the work of the Lord unless we are friends of the Lord, not only His servants.  For the friend knows why the Lord does what He does while the servant no.  And how can we change our fallen nature to a higher plain?  How can we bring the power of God in our lives?  How can we show the power of God in the lives of those with whom we come in contact with?  Through the making and keeping of covenants.

My dear family, I invite you to learn of the conditions of your covenants.  I invite you to make a list of your priorities and put obedience to those conditions first.  As you do so, everything else will fall into place.  I can promise you that in the name of Christ.  You will find every desire satisfied and you will find the solutions to the difficulties that you face.  It is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love, 

Elder Russell

I Got No Time........week 91

Dear family,
I got no time.  Baptisms of Alma and Malena.  Tell you more when I can.

Love,

Elder Russell

Making and Keeping Covenants........week 90

My dear family,

Well this past week was great. We have been working really good. We had the baptism of Alma Saturday afternoon. It was really special. I forgot my camera at our department so I will send you the photos next week. I felt so blessed to be a part of that baptism.

I would like to share something with you that I learned last week that was a pivotal lesson in my mission. It has to do with the importance of making and keeping covenants. I have been studying much of Doctrine and Covenants the past week alongside the history of the church. While reading across some old articles in the Ensign, I read a talk by Elder Bednar that talked about the importance of holding a name and a standing in the temple of God. I learned something so very true: those who make and keep covenants are those who are willing to sacrifice for the Lord. As it mentions in True to the Faith: those who make and keep covenants willingly bring fruits unto God. You don´t have to convince them of nothing. You don´t have to remind them to do what they know they should do. If they are keeping the covenants that they have made with the Lord, when they are asked to sacrifice, they do it. And not only do they do it, they do it well and without complaint. This topic was brought about because we have been working really hard to better help the members of the church to participate in the work of the Lord. All that we ask of them is that they make and keep their covenants. And as Elder Bednar puts it, ¨there is a difference between church attending, tithe paying members who occasionally rush to the temple to go through a session and those members who faithfully and consistently worship in the temple.¨ We came to realize that those who work to establish Zion are those who faithfully and consistently worship in the temple. The first group you have to call them, remind them, pass by, help them out, etc. so that they can participate in the work of salvation. The second, when you ask for their sacrifice in behalf of others, they take responsibility and the do their work well. The exact quote from the True to the faith is, ¨always remember and honor the covenants you make with the Lord. Then you will not need to be commanded in everything you do.¨ We cannot live a Celestial Law if we do not make and keep covenants with the Lord. And we cannot establish Zion unless we live the Celestial Law.

Why was this so impactful to me? When we talk to members and say to them, ¨invite someone to our next appointment,¨ those who do not consistently go to the temple or do not understand their covenants fight it. They try to get around the sacrifice that missionary work is. However, those who faithfully hold a name and a place in the temple of God not only invite but take charge of the spiritual progress of such person. There is a huge difference. I reflected on my own life and it caused me to better understand, appreciate, and live the covenants that I have made with the Lord. If I don´t keep my covenants, I am of little benefit to others or the Church of Jesus Christ. I cannot establish Zion unless I live the Celestial Law. And I cannot call others to help me unless they too are living such law. It was a lesson so simple yet one of the greatest lessons that I have received in my life. The salt of the earth are those who make and keep their covenants. They are the strength of the Lord: those who will establish Zion in the last days. The Lord requires discipleship, complete and total. As John Taylor said, ¨the kingdom of God or nothing.¨

I am a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. I have entered into the new and everlasting covenant of His Restored Gospel. I make and keep my covenants. I am here on this earth to prepare it for the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. My dear family, I prayerfully invite you to sit down and evaluate your lives. Write down your priorities and what order they have in your day and in your week. Write down each one of the covenants which you have made with God. Look at where you covenants fall in this list of priorities. I promise you in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ and as one of His representatives that if you put your covenants first and foremost in your list and you do something everyday to bring them about, your life will become full of peace, fruits, satisfaction, and your purpose here on earth and the reason for the challenges of life will become simple and clear to you. We satisfy EVERY true desire of our hearts as we make and keep our covenants with the Lord. Family, I pray that you may ALWAYS make and keep your covenants. Be consistent and faithful in keeping them. By so doing you will find yourself as you lose yourself in the service of your fellow man. And you will be able to stand before God and he will say unto you, ¨thou good and faithful servant, enter into my rest.¨ That is my goal and my desire for you my dear family and those whom you know. May we do so is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love,
Elder Russell