September 9, 2013

HELLOOOOOOOO!!!!!

okay so i hear there was a dang awesome storm and i'm SUPER JEALOUS. well. we get those a lot here too... but it was in Utah! so i just uh yeah. that's pretty awesome. 

alsoooooo my sister leaves to albania or somewhere weird really soon speaking adri.... something awesome. hahaha i have a BAD MEMORY. BUT I'M SO EXCITED FOR HEEEERRR!!!!!

okay guys lets see. big week. EVERY WEEK IS A BIG WEEK. first of all.... i found out the date i'm coming home.............

AUGUST 20th!!!!!!!!!! ....... super weird. too close. NOT ENOUGH TIME. 

okay anyways. first of all!! really quick. from last week! on the exchange there were these two gangsta kids walking around in DA HOOD area we go to, haha, and we started talking to them and it was way intimidating but then it was AWESOME cause they were WAY INTERESTED ACTUALLY! and they were english so we passed them off but they're already being taught and he had been praying for help for a direction or church to go to etc and um yeah. so that's cool :)

so we had the BEST DAY EVER on wednesday. 

let me tell you about it :)

nearing the nightish hours, we had three more lessons. EACH... a very good potential. and EACH....... planned to teach the restoration... :) 

so we went to the first, super cute oldish couple, sweetest people ever, we teach it. they LOVE IT. we bring up the BAPTISM invite... they ACCEPT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

next lesson...... cute mexican family i'm in love with. that the UNCLE CAME TO CHURCH I TOTALLY FORGOT TO TELL YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D................. anyway we go to teach them... we teach the uncle, the mom, and the 11 yr old daughter the restoration, the mom has always been happy with her church so hasn't been too interested, but after the first vision we ask how they feel. Alfredo, (the tio) says... i think it's true... actually, i know it's true! (:0!!!!!!) 

 then the DAUGHTER says yeah you know it's true cause of the way you feel... (:D!!!!!) and then the MOM EVEN SAYS... yeah when you said it it was like YOu were the one in the woods, it was powerful, you could definitely feel it. oooh MAN GUYS BEST FEELING EVER. so then we challenge them to baptism and at first they're all like... weeeeeeell we've already been baptized and don't need to be again.... and we're all like... weeeeeeeeell actually there's authority, etc etc etc, we explain we testify, ask again, and they say YESSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and alfredo starts joking about with the daughter when she's gonna get baptized they have to change her name, haha, and that means he ACTUALLY SEES HER GETTING BAPTIZED!!! man i love them so much you guys you have no idea how happy i was!!! they are just amazing, the best family. all so good hearted. PRAY FOR THEM!!!! their last name is the Morenos :)

and THEN we went to this other ladies house, and started teaching her, but man the spirit is so cool and it never gets old how cool it is when it gives you a specific prompting and you follow it and it was REAL LIFE. we were about to share the first vision but i was basically forced by the spirit to cut my companion off. haha and just ask her what was on her mind. and then she opened up about all this drama with her daughter and how worried she was etc etc and we were able to make her an awesome promise about her family with the gospel and then she listened and accepted the baptismal invite and HOLY MOLY it was just really cool. i love being here. and being a missionary. and having the Lord work through me. it NEVER GETS OLD. all these stories, every day it's just as amazing. i dunno if they get old to you guys but.... well. I JUST LOVE IT. 

anyway. we had an interesting experience... went to go find a potential, and found her after forever, she lives in a tiny little trailer house though, and the minute she opened the door oh man i have never smelt so much smoke in my life. she invited us in and we went in and weeee got so sick. hahaha then turned out that she was actually into some vooooooooodoo stuff that we're supposed to stay away from no matter what out here. Hna despain didn't know what she was saying and she told me some CREEPY stuff and i was like oh alRIGHty then uh we have to go actually. and hna despain almost set up a new appt. and time and everything, hahaha anyway so we politely left....... and... yeah. went home, showered. that's about it! I'm just grateful to be in the gospel. 

right after that we went to a less active and taught about the atonement and it was such a GOOD LESSON. she said the closing prayer and started crying and it's just HOLY COW THERE IS SO MUCH PEACE IN THE GOSPEL. when you really have it in your heart and you feel it it's just INCREDIBLE. it's power is amazing. 

okay Jose my little adopted grandpa. he is SO ANXIOUS to just do missionary work! he says his dream is to be one of us, on a full time mission riding bikes every day and going out! haha he is so cute. he just never feels like he's doing enough, and i'm like JOSE! you are being the best member missionary already and you've been a member for a month! 

also we saw my other adopted grandpa bernardo, he is adorable. he's 90 yrs old! i sent a picture of him and me and hna judd a while ago. he's so funny, his daughter (who hates the church) actually came out yesterday and stayed for the lesson though!!! so that was a big step! 

OH!!!!!! and a member just had her baby and it was just really awesome cause her husband has to deliver it, aaaaand yeah. it's adorable. that's about it :) 

well guys i just wanna testify of this work. and being a missionary is such a blessing, the love you get to feel for these people out here??? it's heaven sent. i'm serious. they always tell you how your worthiness and how hard you try and your diligence in studies will effect how well your investigators receive the message, and i was just thinking about that the other day, and thinking about my investigators, and their families, and how desperately i want them to except this message and just feel the happiness i feel. iqual with my family and friends, all you guys at home. It's just this.... MAN I CAN'T EVEN USE WORDS TO DESCRIBE IT. haha this crazy exploding feeling in my heart and i just want every single person to feel it. every single one of you!!! and these people here. and if that is even SLIGHTLY determined on how obedient i am and worthy and how hard i work? oh MAN you better believe i will not waste a minute out here. i will not break the tiniest rule, I will try my hardest and pray for them so dang hard every night, cause i just LOVE THEM. i mean I have a long ways to go.. haha i'm trying though. every day! it's all we can do. just try. messing up doesn't matter as long as you keep trying. 

i hope you all know how much i love every single one of you. i really do. and OKAY HOW GREAT IS LOVE??? i just was reading this old talk about it, and how it's just a gift from God to be able to feel love, and any love you feel is from heaven. and you feel a little piece of it, and how love is unbeatable, it's the strongest thing out there! when love is your motivation you'll do anything. that's why it's so important to figure out your relationship with the savior. understand it, and understand him and his role, and you will come to feel that love for him. and THAT will motivate you, that will give you the strength to get through a lot. and he will help you. i promise he will.

NEVER GIVE UP. just keep going. you are worth it, you are important, and you are here for a reason. 

well. sorry i talk so much! haha if you made it to the end of these always super long emails. uhhh i love you guys :) 

I DO!

SOY LA HERMANA RUSSELL!!!! UNA MISIONERA DE LA IGLESIA DE JESUCRISTO DE LOS SANTOS DE LOS ULTIMOS DIAS!!! Y SOY MORMON!!!!!! 

con MUCHO AMOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hermana russell :)

that's sister kenagy and sister davis!!! english sisters, oodles and OODLES of fun they are.