Weekly Email July 25, 2016

HEY Y'ALL! 

I am no longer in Paulding County anymore....they sent me to NEWNAN! I love it! I have always had good views of Newman because of Elder Leavitt. He raved about it all the time when i was in my first district. My new companion is sister Christ! I LOVE HER SO MUCH ALREADY! A few days before transfers i started to ask heavenly father who my companion will be and her name and face kept coming into my mind! then at transfers when we found out we were companions we were so PUMPED! 

This week was fabulous! We were working so hard. I love this work. I love being obedient. There is no other way to do the Lords work! Its so rewarding to come at night and you are just physically and spiritually whipped. We have been working on building up our teaching pool and boy you better believe we did it! We just work really well together, everything just flows. We both know why were here and what we need to do! i love serving a mission so much. I am so grateful for the ability to make choices and improve each day. I was thinking about how i don't want to be the "typical missionary" the attitude of well i'm towards the end i don't need to work as hard...but that is not ME! I dont have time for that mentality!! I gotta prepare everyone around me, my mission is short but so is our probationary time here on earth! This urgency doesn't start with a badge and nor does it end with a badge. It began when i had the ability to speak! I am so grateful for Alma in the book of Mormon in chapter 9 vs. 16-17, he is telling them that the lamanites were wicked because of the traditions of their fathers. When we fall into the tradition of things it takes away our ability to receive personal revelation. ex: I'm a catholic because my family is catholic 

We must find out truth for ourselves, we can only lean on those we love for so long. We must develop and shape our testimony. I am so grateful for this gospel and for the joy i feel and have felt this week! 

I am sorry that i didn't write much...i forgot my journal at home but i'll talk to yall next week!

-sister russell 

Weekly Email July 18, 2016

Hey Y'all! 

This week i realized i just cant handle applying for schools while also being a missionary...i feel so weird. so applying for schools is going to be postponed until i get home and can focus on just that. 

Sister Nau and I being sister training leaders we have to host a sisters pday( where all the sisters get together)! We threw ourselves a birthday party! It was super fun and thats why i look like a goon with nylons on my head....IN HONOR OF SISTER MANZER! (: This week was a good one! I really focused on Christlike attributes and it really helped me. I studied humility and patience. My companion is fabulous at being patient. She truly is an example in my life of what kind of patience i would like to acquire! 

This week was eventful we had multiple people seek us out and tell us what we believed was hogwash and told me that i belonged to a church that degraded black people and yadda yadda yadda. The lady that told me that i just said "ma'am I know this church is true and i am not stupid. I wouldn't belong to a church that degrades me or my family. i know i am a child of god and i am told nothing short of that in the Mormon church." I always get a little feisty when people tell me stuff like that luckily we walked away before i could hear her response to what i said. 

We went to food truck Friday in downtown Dallas, it was super fun! Tons of people and we just handed out pass along cards like crazy!! I got a tigers blood shaved ice and i should have known i was going to be let down because HELLO! BAHAMA BUCKS IS CELESTIAL. 

I found out i will be getting transferred and i am super excited about it! I love change and i have been in this area for 6 months!! I am anxious and so looking forward to meeting my new companion...maybe my last!? i know that every person i have met on my mission has helped me become a better version of myself, whether i want to acknowledge it or not. HEAVENLY FATHER LOVES US! I know he is aware of me in the big events in my life as well as the insignificant and silly ones. 

I read this morning in John 8 about jesus and the women who committed adultery and it really occurred to me the saviors love! This chapter is about the pharisees and the scribes bringing her to jesus and asking what should we do with this adulterer...and after he says "He that is without sin among you,let him first cast a stone at her" then they all leave. Then when it is just the savior and her he asks where are thou accusers? I love that. i love that he acknowledges that everyone is gone and even at that i will not accuse you. HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT IN THIS STORY WHERE IS HER ADULTEROUS PARTNER? BECAUSE I ASKED THAT TODAY... and then i thought that when we are brought before god to be judged no one will be there with me i will be judged for my own doings. I love how the savior ends this whole fiasco with the sweet merciful, encouraging words "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." HE LOVE US! HE WILL NEVER CONDEMN US! He will never say oh look who's coming back to me again begging for forgiveness...weren't you here like 2 days ago?? HE LOVES US! DON'T THINK ANYTHING LESS!

Love,

Sister Russell

Weekly Email July 11, 2017

Hey y'all! 

This week was really a lot better than last week. i apologize for not sending one last week! It was a really good week, i felt my saviors love everyday! We were able to go to zone conference and really focus on being obedient missionaries and really being more committed to serving god and those of Georgia! I really just left having such a strong desire to serve the lord with all of my heart might mind and strength! I am so blessed that the lord told me to serve a mission i am richly blessed in this moment and i cannot imagine the amount of unseen blessings. Serving others truly does change things. 

I chose to fast this week because i needed to know what to do with my life and i needed to start applying to schools and so forth. I was freaking out but my loving mother sister foote comforted me and told me in the most loving way to calm down and that the lord has got me! That same day i fasted and i was doing my personal study and i was reading in Mosiah 15 and this is what i received.

VS. 14 "brought good tidings"...pioneers..

VS. 15 "mountains"...utah has mountains...

VS. 16 "publishing peace"...ENSIGN (church magazine) publishes...

UTAH! My answer is move to utah. i am really grateful for the scriptures. i know that the lord has given us worthy tools to be better men and women. I am excited to start applying to schools and figure out my life. keep me in prayer though because i am also really stressing. 

This past sunday they realigned four stakes and dissolved all the wards and made new ones! I am very excited to see where i will end up! i hope i end up in one of these wards, i really was struggling with covering the wards that i did but i am grateful the lord saw that there were many struggling in the previous situations. These boundary changes are answers to my countless pleading cries unto the lord! (: 

I am so grateful for this gospel. I pray that yall will have a blessed week and remember the savior and his countless sacrifices he made in your behalf. I mean the least you could do is be a little more active in your church or the church and make time to do the things you know you NEED to do. It might take effort...(MOST THINGS DO) but it will be worth it. (: Commit to be a better daughter and son of God and stop putting your blessing and relationship with God on the back burner. 

LOVE SISTER RUSSELL

Weekly Email July 5, 2016

Sister Russell didn't write a weekly email so you'll have to see what she was up to in pictures :)