Just a day just an ordinary day... lol!

MONDAY: We went to the mall and it started pouring rain but daffer insisted that we continue our journey. LOL She is one crazy white sistah!  We all found out that Elder Norlund and Elder Alade were leaving our district and then Elder Vernon was going home. Its like the heart of the district is leaving but its okay i'll manage (: I got a sweet package from The Shields! THANK YOU SO MUCH! It made my day! I finally stuck elder vernons glasses in jello, SWEET REVENGE.

TUESDAY: Okay I cant put into words how much I loved my district. We had our last meeting together and it was 
so spiritual. Everyone cried...EVERYONE. We bore our testimonies, sister daffer and elder vernon sang to us ( WHICH WAS SO GREAT) and we heard the last remarks from everyone leaving.I gave elder vernon his jello glasses and then elder norlund started eating it and had jello all over his suit. That Elder cracks me up!!

WEDNESDAY:We ended up being at transfer meeting early so we walked around talked to people. Elder Alade and Elder Norlund decided to bestow upon me the most swankified glasses they found on the road last week. LOL I was pretty nervous for my new companion and I asked Elder Vernon to give me a blessing and it was beautiful. It was such a comfort to know that I have people around me who hold the priesthood authority and use it in such a way that blesses all those around them. That was my last memory of elder vernon, i think thats a pretty good one dont cha think?! We all sang in transfer meeting that was fun! My new comp. is from Australia! Sister Aiono! She is precious! Also she loves black people A LOT, So thats good because if she didnt this whole mission thing would be real awkward.

THURSDAY: PLANNING DAY....& I had subway.

Friday: Crazy miracles! we ended up running into a lady named mary woods and come to find out we were suppose to meet with her the first day on my mission and she wasnt home. We went back and she still wasnt there. But now we are teaching her!! (: I am really loving looking for miracles in each day even the really hard ones...

Saturday: I seriously live on the craziest street in ATL. They had a parade and blocked off all the streets....I was so annoyed..plus were low on miles. Whoo. We found lots of investigators today. I am really missing my crazy little fart sister. Anyways im sorry this weekly update kinda stinks...All I am really thinking about is taking a nap LOL

Sunday: Twas a great day! Brother moore is seriously the best missionary ever!!! He invited his granddaughter and  great grands to church!! (: SO COOL!! (:

Box of sunshine from the Shields' Family

Jello prank :)

Elders taking your camera and being crazy!  

New companion from Australia! 

Pranks :) 

Twas a good week in da hood!

Monday:  We went to Atlantic Station, thats an outdoor mall and its so awesome! Its wayyy better than San Tan, for example celebrities shop there! Guess who walked right past me? Ne-yo!!! YES NEYO! Atlanta is pretty great. I did not however get a picture...he was trying to hide it hard core. I should have gone up to him and asked if he could use a prayer and asked if he wanted some salvation (: haha Anyways we went to H&M and the guy in there said that Usher always comes in and shops in the kids section (; You know i will be going to H&M more than necessary to find me some usher! (: Mosquitos dont bother me anymore thanks to a lovely member, she gave me skin so soft from avon, I dont think yall understand how glorious this is.

 

Tuesday: We sang in district meeting. that was fun. So update on the pranks after district meeting we were in the kitchen eating lunch then I was like CRAP!! OUR CAR!! & Sure enough the elders pranked us! They put a fish on our car and a sticky note that said "things just got fishy". It was really a clever prank!! Sister Daffer striaghtened my hair...little did she know it'd be that big of a challenge. Its pretty long, but I like it curly because I dont have to try so hard. haha

 

Wednesday: I made the elders dinner because no one signed up to feed them. So I made them spicy cajun chicken alfredo and they LOVED it! I used 2 boxes of spaghetti!! Then we went to our sweet investigaors house who's from China and they gave us water...IT WAS BOILING (not to mention it was a hot day already). The grandma doesnt speak any english & she loves her some sister russell. She likes to hug me and feed me like im a small child. It is quite precious.  I finally did some family history. I actually found 4 people on my dads side which is cool considering i know zip about my black family history. I am going to make it a goal to do family history once a month.

 

Thursday:  PLANNING. I am feeling UBBERLY fat. I dont think I have ever been this bummed about my appearance before in my life. So I have been striving to pray for heavenly father to let me see myself as he sees me because right now all I see just haunts me. This morning I read Mosiah 16, which was comforting because it was about christ. Then I read " Maintaining an eternal perspective" and that was pretty amazing. I need to think eternally. He said in the talk " When our day to day challenges loom before us, it is natural to focus on the here and now. But when we do, we may make poor choices, become depressed, or experience hopelessness. Because of this human tendency, prophets have admonished us to remember the eternal perspective." Then sister daffer just was the cherry on top. She shared D&C 6:33-36 and I started to cry. The elders got us dove chocolates for making them dinner, that was sweet. One of our investigators told us that she prays for our husbands everyday, that the lord will prepare him for us. I thought that was really sweet. (:

 

Friday: Hungout at the church while sister daffer and elder vernon practiced singing for the district meeting. Elder Vernon is such a talented soul! He plays the guitar and the piano really well also hes a good singer! He doesnt believe so but whateves, his opinion is not valid. LOL We found out why one of our investigators wasnt answering our calls, hes in jail! #LOCKEDUPANDWONTLETHIMOUT We had to change for the garden at the church and the elders left their car unlocked and i totally took advantage of that! I stole both of their bags, a pack of oreos and their sunglasses. The garden was fun. Brother Moore likes to tease me and call me Miss Brown, also make fun of my hair. But he's bald so It doesnt really hurt my feelins'. 

 

Saturday: SISTER DAFFERS BIRTHDAY! (: Also we had our first baptism today!! Brother Willie Johnson! Elder Norlund was like Micheal Jordan and Willie is the basketball because he got slam dunked in that water! It was soooo awesome! Willie calls us his angels, its precious. Willie missed the bus so he had to walk 4 miles to the church, hes an older guy and when he told us that my heart melted! OMG! I GOT MY FIRST WHITE INVESTIGATOR!! :D So excited! We went to IHOP for sister daffers bday!

 

Sunday: It twas the sabbath day. not much else. I danced in the rain & that was really fun. OH. I almost forgot Sister Iverson stuck honey on our toilet seat......& I woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom & literally stuck to the toilet. I thought it was Sister Daffer who did it to me. But it was a great prank, i'll have to keep that in my wheelhouse.

 

I want to invite you all to really read the book of mormon. Drink from the pages and learn about the teachings, the stories and the people. It will bless your life. If you dont believe me try it. Seriously...you spend most of your time reading text messages, emails, facebook feed...Read something that will bless your life and those around you. So get off this website and go read (:

 

-Love Sister Russell

WEEKLY EMAIL YO!

Monday: We went to Ardens Garden and OH MY WORD. BEST SMOOTHIE PLACE EVA. I loved it soooo much. Also they are way cheaper than Jamba..so you know where my spare change is going! I took a 20 minute nap...word to the wise: don't ever take a nap if you are not getting your maximum amount of rest, so not worth it. We went and looked at all this awesome art with the other sisters. Then we went to TARGET. Yes, target! I found one. It was quite glorious as David Arch-ya-beautiful would say. We had dinner at the Gentrys home. All you people that were in Gateway Gardens Ward any of yall know Marsha and Jeremy Gentry? Anyways they're great!

Tuesday: CINCO DE MAYO! Yeah... we celebrated it in our district meeting. The Terrys brought some Mexican cookies and little drinks. I did not partake. I really have been reflecting on each day and I really love looking at the personal progress I have been doing! After the meeting we went to Churchs and let me just say when theres chicken there cant be a miracle far behind. The lady that worked there asked me what I was doing and I explained we were missionaries. And at that moment I didn't feel like I was saying any of the things I was saying...straight up holy spirit. Everything I said sounded too perfect and I knew it was him because I was feeling so spiritually uplifted in the churchs pick up line! Holy spirit rocks, always be worthy to have it with you ALWAYS! I put some of the elders socks in the fridge...pranks are so great. (:  Had salmon for the first time and LOVED IT!

Wednesday: I had African food again. I also went to a members house and she gave us a salad which was cottage cheese, lettuce and fruit. I gagged just smelling it and so I stuffed it all in my mouth and then hurried to the bathroom and threw it up. I felt so bad but it had to happen. Sister Daffer got a kick out of it. Our district is singing on mothers day so we started practicing today. The elders bring honey because they think it will help them LOL

Thursday: Planning day. I made some mothers day cards for the women here in the 30308 who fulfill all my motherly needs. We have a new investigator she's from China and shes awesome! (: Worked in Brother Moores Garden and got eaten alive by mosquitoes! Oh my word.

Friday: Practiced for our song today and that was fun. The shaky knees fest is right next to our apartment so all the roads are crazy. It was 90 degrees today...can you say SWEATY? Our district leader and zone leaders are the sweetest! They called us today and said a prayer for us and our families. #muchlovefomyelders

Saturday: Practiced our song. Elders got me back for putting their socks in the fridge a second time...lol. They didn't learn the first time! They put honey all over our car door handles. I wrote down the type of women I think our elders will marry. That was fun to see their reactions...most of them were accurate.

Sunday: We got to the church and at 9:30 the power goes out. So were all just chillin in the dark. So we started sacrament meeting in the dark and that was all we were going to do if the power didn't come back on. It made me realize that the main reason why we go to church is to partake of the sacrament...the rest of it really is irrelevant. The lights turned on halfway through the sacrament prayer. We sang for church and everyone loved it!! (: Then sister daffer and I taught in relief society about the book of Mormon and how it is the keystone of our religion. After church I stuck a braid on the elders car with a sticky note saying " THINGS JUST GOT HAIRY LOVE THE SISTERS". Oh cant believe I almost forgot. You know the guy who plays Napoleon Dynamite, I met his twin brother! He has the coolest Man bun ( Tyler you would be jealous!), his name is Dan and he served a mission in Japan. Im going to talk to him more next Sunday!  I talked to my sweet mama & fam yesterday! That was fun...then afterwards I realized I didn't even say happy mothers day.. So mom Happy Mothers day! (:

If any of you lovely people wanna send me some recipes to make some yummy quick meals....I wouldn't be mad (; Love yall!

xoxo

Sister Russell 

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