Russell's Email 12-2-10, THE LAST EMAIL OF THE MISSION

Family, What's all this last email stuff? It's the end of the transfer (almost), and that's all it feels like... I really can't fathom the thought, even though it's a few days away. Thanks for those lovely reminders that my mission is almost over lol.

This week has been much better. The Lord is watching out for us and as we do our best he is helping. I was worried about finishing strong and so I knew I needed to get away from my area, at least for a day, so I went on exchanges with the zone leaders yesterday and we had a good day. When Elder B. and Elder V. were in my area yesterday, they found a couple new people to teach and set someone for baptism. I know God loves it when we go on exchanges, and he gives special blessings on those days.

Last week Elder V. and I spoke in both of our wards. It was a really good experience and I felt it did a lot for the trust level of the wards we cover. I have a new gratitude for the McMinnville ward and their love for the missionaries. If I am ever a bishop, I will have a note on the pulpit that has the missionaries names and I will have all the new missionaries share their testimony their first sunday. This whole transfer I have worked to build ward relationships one dinner at a time, and to speak in church you build that relationship with the whole ward at once. I love it. I also started with my joke, and this is how it went, "I would like to go ahead and apologize, usually my mom writes my talks but she had to give a talk today too so I had to write my own..." Always gets a good laugh, but after the primary sang "Love is spoken here" I cried and told them you didn't write my talk because you were talking. tender moment that I Wanted to beat those little kids up for, they made me cry in front of the ward.

funny story- Yesterday morning the phone rings and it's sister Christensen wanting to talk to my comp. Elder V., happy birthday! Huh? He asks, "I forgot today is my birthday." Because his watch said Nov 31 and he didn't switch it, he forgot his birthday. I thought it was hysterical! lol

Things are going well here, and we have a good rest of the transfer planned out. I'm looking forward to the rest of the time because every day will have something that will force me to be productive. No better way to finish strong than to have no choice. :)

Thanks for your compliments. I'm still not perfect, and sometimes I wonder if I have accomplished what Heavenly Father needed or wanted me to, and that helped me to feel his approval. Love ya'll.

Russell's Email 11-25-10, titled "Every New Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginning's End"

Wow, do that was the most in email that I have had lately... I'm not really sure where to start for this week.

This week and this transfer continue to be a trial. I'm finding more joy and more satisifaction in the work though. Something I think that needs to change when talking to members is really their racking their minds of who missionaries have previously talked to. We just found this super sweet girl who has taken the lessons before but has had some really bad things happen to her in the past and she just didn't understand the healing power of the atonement, that's all she really needs to understand. I hope we will get to have a lesson with her soon but it took her company and us talking to her for the member to remember that she was taught before... I dunno. fun stuff.

It's been a decent Holliday so far. We managed to secure only one dinner appointment with a ton of other invitations. We will probably make enough stops to secure enough food to last me the rest of my mission lol. That's weird to say.

Things are going well and we have started to exchange with a lot of missionaries when they have teaching appointments to give Elder V. can have teaching opportunites. I think that's the best way and we are trying hard to find in our own area.

Russell's Email 11-18-10

This week has been pretty good. It's been another trial and more hard work, but I'm just doing my best. That's all I can do, and so I'm working to "cheerfully do all things that lie within my power."

Really not very much has happened. We have been working really hard to try to find and to teach and to bring people to Christ. It's rough when the people aren't receptive, and there's not many people to begin with. One older inactive couple we talked to said, "How'd you find us?" People aren't always here to hear the gospel, but to hide from the Church. When I hear that it makes me sad and I think about President Eyring when he said, "When I get tired, or I think I deserve a break, I think, "Remember him." Jesus didn't take a break, even after he had suffered and then was crucified, he immediately went and set up the work in the spirit world. No breaks till the work is done...

I'm having a good time and enjoying serving. I really want to keep having fun and working hard, despite the success or lack thereof. I'm really trying to do everything that I can to finish strong.

We have zone conference tomorrow with Elder Bowen of the 70. I'm excited for the conference and I look forward to the opportunity to hear from a general authority.

With the last world wide leadership training, there was some changes made in the ward mission program. I guess I could use the balance of my mission to focus on getting the ward mission running up to speed with the new instruction from salt lake. I believe that would be good and help out a lot. Maybe that's my new goal lol

Thanks for ya'lls love and support. It has not been easy these last few weeks and I am just really doing my best but it's been hard. I don't know if I could manage this without your love, support, and prayers. Thanks so much.