March 24, 2014

oooh WHY HELLO my friends. my family, my LOVED ONES!! and anyone else in the world that may stumble across these words!!!

what a week i do say what a week.....

okay first I want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOM AND TO SAM AND TO ALL THE PEOPLE WITH MARCH BIRTHDAYS CAUSE THERE ARE A BILLION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU ALL AND yeah happy birthday :) haha

okay second in honor of my mother turning 38 (...... :)) I want to tell you a cool story mom! I just remembered a day back in the day... when I had kind of lost the spirit a little bit. Not by doing anything horrible, but just slowly and because I wasn't doing my daily things that were needed to keep your spirit alive and healthy. So I was starting to feel more distant from the spirit and from church and from juuuust stuff, ANYWAY, the worst part is that i didn't even notice. BUT. one day I was in a bad mood and walked up the stairs and stopped to listen to a video you were watching, one of the patterns of light videos! and i listened and just felt the heaviness on my heart lighten a little bit, and i suddenly realized that there WAS a heaviness on my heart. and I felt that light of Christ touch me again more than it had, ANYWAY so it made me remember slightly what it felt like to have the spirit with you always and i changed some things that day cause I realized I was starving my spirit! haha SO I JUST wanted to say, that because you did something to bring the spirit just in public for anyone to see, just that simple act of your example! you didn't even say a word to me, it effected me a lot, and I'm grateful for you mom:) I LOVE YOU!

anyway!

okay so this week was amazing and difficult and ya know all the normal stuff. 

it was amazing cause the Lord blesses us a lot, and gives us so many opportunities to work hard and show him who we are.
it was amazing because we found so many people this week and taught so many lessons.
it was amazing because I'm building relationships that were hard to build because Heavenly Father is patient with my weaknesses and helps me out.
and because so many people are inspired by God and he does the littlest things to make you feel better, even when it's not a big deal.
and because I get to study the gospel for two hours every morning, and I LOVE IT.
and because we have a prophet, and we get to hear him soon.
AND BECAUSE MY MOM SENT MY MOTAB AND NOW THE CAR RIDE IS SPECTACULAR AND IT LIGHTENS MY HEART THAT ANGELICAL MUSIC!!! haha
and because i still haven't run over a squirrel in my whole time of being here in Florida! (knock on wood) or a cat or any animal of that sort! 

and because we get to see a sunset every day, and a sunrise every morning.
and because I get to testify of what I know to be true, freely and all day every day! 

and because I get to be a missionary. because i get the opportunity to participate in God's big master plan to save all his children :) 

I'm grateful because Heavenly Father loves us, and he cares about us, and there really is a purpose to it all. that's why I'm grateful, because there really is a purpose. and the pain is not for nothing, it's not useless. the trials are not a waste. those moments of defeat do not last. because i know that there is victory. I know there is peace, and I know that we all are becoming the people God wants us to become, when we depend on him. people that are SO MUCH better than what we see ourselves becoming.
anyway, I'm grateful for it all, just to be able to see more clearly and understand it deeper. It's a huge blessing.

This week was hard because Kristen decided to shut us out. Her baptism was this weekend, and gosh let me tell you we love her so much. I was so thrilled that she was coming to Christ, that she was gaining a testimony, that she was pushing away the negative feedback. And man sometimes it's the worst loving people so much, it's makes it the hardest moments on your mission when things like this happen. But, something happened, we don't know what, and now it's in the Lord's hands. 

It was super hard and always will be when you see someone you love reject something you know would bring them happiness. It's hard when someone you love turns away and you can't do anything about it, and ya know just in general there are lots of hard things in the world, right? so many trials, every person we talk to has a trial in their lives. and life is just so full of them. each of you reading this is going through a trial, big or small, whatever it may be. there might be something you are struggling with. I just want to say, that big or small, it'll be okay. do not give up hope. Satan will take all the hard things in life and try to convince you that it is too much, and that you can't do it. Do not give in to his cruel and ridiculous lies. do not give in to his endless and pathetic attempts to stray us from the path of to our Heavenly Father who is waiting to give us everything. DO NOT let him take your peace. Fight back, and fight back hard. this is definitely a daily battle sometimes but heavenly father DID NOT leave you alone, I promise as a representative of Jesus Christ, as a daughter of heavenly father, and as another person who also goes through trials and doubts and fears, that it is never the end, and you are not alone, if you fight through it and hold onto Christ there is nothing that could ever replace what he has to offer you. hold on to what you know, hold on to confirmations you have had, and hold on to the light. because light will always chase away darkness. there is not even a question there. light overrules darkness. so do not let go of the light or you will absolutely get lost in the darkness.

I love you all, so much, and I'm HONESTLY SO GRATEFUL TO BE HERE! 

I know there weren't many stories in this email so I'M SORRY FOR THE BLANDNESS but i love you all and NEXT WEEK WILL BE BETTER! haha 

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER MY FRIENDS! HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!!!!

love hna Russell :)

pretttyyyy bird :)

hna Meldau with the bird! his name is carl!

hahaha, this is my favorite grandma here in Florida, she has Alzheimer's, and she is so cute. She stole my glasses though and wouldn't give them back... haha! she still has them!

this is an awesome nerf gun war battle that we had. we got some pretty great pics... haha! but i'll only send one!