the Adventures of Sister Russell: November 4, 2013

okay TRANSFERS.

goodbyes are stupid.

holy moly you guys it was nuts.... sooooooo i didn't realize how much i loved everyone in that area. haha and how much i loved everyone in the district, we were all way close, and saying goodbye to those sisters was the WORST THING IN THE UNIVERSE. haha okay i won't be a downer much longer just one second.

so they tell you.... love the people with all your heart! give them everything! dedicate every minute to them! so... you DO!!!!!! and then..... they rip your heart out......................... and you basically never know when you're gonna see your investigators and everyone ever again... :( haha ooooh man i'm being dramatic but I'M NOT. but no i am, you guys know me, don't worry!

I got assigned to Valrico spanish, with my companion hna meldau! but turns out we just cover two english wards, and we translate for anyone who doesn't speak english! this area doesn't have much spanish... it's way sad, we met the bishop's wife and the handshake thing gets me EVERY TIME, haha she went to shake my hand and i gave her a hug and i almost CRIED cause i was like ooooh man this is not a spanish area or ward or people aaaaand i feel like i just got switched to english. nooot what i expected. BUT. the wards are amazing, they work so well and really are supporting the mission work. and we got permission to teach english too, so hopefully the teaching pool opens up now. i'm actually really excited, i've learned a ton already this week! being humbled every day, and learning to trust the Lord, and i already love the people here, they're amazing and we have a lot of work to do!! WOOOOO!!!!!

OKAY LET ME JUST TELL YOU. i met two famous people already... pretty much... i feel like i'm in hollywood!!!!!!!! so ya know when that ship got taken over by pirates? a few years ago? well..... the main engineer in the ship that APPARENTLY stabbed the pirate captain guy is TOTALLY IN OUR WARD!!!! and i met him and shook his hand... probably the same hand that fought the deadly battle on that dark dangerous ship!!!! so cool. hahaha AND i met this kid who is totally on nicklelodian... not how you spell it. whatever. but he's an actor and ittttt's pretty cool.

SO HERE'S A COOL STORY. a member has been wanting us to visit their less active son who's into fire spinning and slack lining and african drums and cool stuff! and so we went on an adventure to find him through this offroading trail into this WAY gorgeous land and it was way cool, and found this old house in the depth of the trees :) and it was exciting, we knocked and met shannon, she's way awesome, she lived there but not the son, he lived in a trailer on the same land a little further up! but she's awesome, totally gonna get baptized. anyway JUST SO HAPPENS that this LA comes walkin down the hill! his ride for work hadn't showed up and so he was gonna come and wait for him, so we barely caught him and were able to talk a bit, and we're goin back this next week aaaaand i have a vision of him being reactivated and her being baptized and them falling in love. :) and then getting married in the temple. so that'll be fun.

there aren't a lot of stories this week, we met a ton of people and leadership from the ward mostly, and i learned about all the people in the area! there's definitely some work to do, i'm excited to do it.

OH!!! mom! ya know the orange dress with the yellow stripes? how you said you could be a candy corn in that! and i said yeeeah... WELL I WAS A CANDY CORN FOR HALLOWEEN. haha so i did that for you :)

oh man everyone sorry this is so short! you're all probably glad actually. haha i feel like this week was boring in the email BUT IT WAS STILL GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!! sorry!

I learned a lot though, and man i'm just so grateful for everything i do have. there was an amazing lesson on gratitude in relief society and sometimes things just FILL YOUR HEART AND MIND SO FULL and i was just like yeah we DEFINITELY need to live every day in thanksgiving! this life is amazing! there are beautiful trees and a sun and nature and people and technology and everything!!! what the heck?? why does anyone ever complain?? why do i ever complain?? haha it makes you miserable and lets satan RIGHT into your heart, to make you unhappy. life is so good, even when it isn't it is. there is so much to see and recognize.

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH. so dang much. SOOOOO DANNNNNNG MUUUUCH!!!

I am SO GRATEFUL for this mission. and for what it's teaching me and the people i meet and everything. definitely not a sacrifice, i recieve SO MUCH MORE than i give. that will never be a question. I am sure of it, this is a blessing.

MAN. i just love you all.

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER!!!!!!!!!!!

be happy, smile, laugh, serve, love, all the good things you can do.

byeeeee :)