Yo Yoooo...

 

another week in the coolest mission EVER cheeeeccckk!

So here's my bad news for the week. Jack went to Kitti (the other side of the island) for a funeral and we haven't see him this whole week! Worst. His baptism will be pushed back a little but that's ALL GOOD. There must be a reason! We'll just keep on praying that he'll make his way back over to Mesihsou SOON.

But other than that this week has been BOMB. On Saturday we had a baptism for Hillary and Depo! Their parents are recent converts of the elders who served here before we did and for some reason the kids weren't baptized yet! It was cute though because they got baptized in the ocean and the night was perfect! Right up until the closing prayer when a typhoonish storm decided to roll in. ahhaha good timing. Ohhhhh and right after the baptism we went to see one of our investigators, Olter! hahahah we walked up and realized that they were having a party so we thought we'd peace out and come back tomorrow but NO we got thrown right in! I've never realized how awkward missionaries are until you get them thrown into a Pohnpeian party! We just about died. hahah. gotta love being a missionary.

ALSO. We've been working real hard with the cutest 16 year old ever, Cynthia! We've be teaching her for some time but had big time problems with permission to be baptized! Howeverrrr with a whole lot of prayers my girl Cyn got permission! & not only that but she's helping us teach her family & now her brother & sister are on date tooooo! I'm sure on day her family is going to be REAL grateful for her sweet example. it's crazy how often you see little miracles like that as a missionary! Heavenly Father is in the details for sure!

OH and Tuesday was goooood! Birthdays are dang weird in the mission field. But I was on exchanges with Sister Bowers (not planned ;)) so you know it was the BDE. 20 is old. Like geez that's half way to 40!

it was a DANG good week! Like everyyyy week in the mission field! 

LOVE. Sister Russell

and the teenage years are over......

Hellloooo and happy happy Easter! So, if you guys didn't already know, Pohnpei is a little behind the rest of the world and so we got to watch conference yesterday and on Sunday! and oh geez wast that bomb. Watching conference is like being home for 33 seconds. And what made this conference even better was watching as Jack (remember him from last week?) listen to intently as if he was nervous to miss even one word. There were moments when I would start to doodle in my notebook or day dream about who knows what and when I would snap back into it I would look at him and realize just how fortunate I am to hold the calling I do! I thought I understood the Atonement before my mission, but as I watched a man who had been stuck in darkness before meeting with the missionaries and now was filled with so much light! The lord truly prepares His children to accept His Gospel! 

This past week the senior couple, Elder and Sister Fulton, joined me and Sister Fehoko to go see Jack. We taught of Jesus Christ's life and the great blessing of the Restoration. We each bore testimony of the Book of Mormon and of Christ's love for Him. We gave him a specific chapter in the Book of Mormon and asked that he read it before we came back the next day. As we returned on Wednesday we walked into his house and there was a new light in him! We asked about his reading of the Book of Mormon and he told us that he KNEW without a doubt that it was true. He had stayed up all night reading it side by side with the Bible and noticed that there was a different feeling as he read the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon has power in it! That's for sure!!

This week was a blessing! As is every week here on Pohnpei. I'm so so lucky to serve here on this crazy island! ALSO. Thanks for the bajillion emails and the birthday wishes! I've got a whole lot of support at home so thank you thank you thank you!!

Life is GOOD.  I feel like I learn 391705800 lessons every week in the mission field and a BIG one I learned this week is that your attitude changes everything! Which is really really REALLY true. If you've got a happy attitude then everything seems to work out!

THANK YOU again! sending loooots of love from Pohnpei!

LOVE. Sister Russell

Hey, hey, heyyyyyyy

Heyyyy Kumal koaros. menlau mahk on ngehi! I had NO time last week on email and didn't get to group email! But don't you worry! I'm good!! These past two weeks have been a little crazy. So about 3ish weeks ago I got REAL sick and when I went to Guam last week my companion pulled President Zarbock to the side and told him all that was going on and how she was nervous about me. Soooo I got pulled into President's office and he came to the conclusion that I would be given 1 week to get better and if I was still sick then I would be pulled to Guam to serve there! (I told him that wasn't an option but he wasn't really  listening) So as you can imagine on Monday I was pretty down, like WAY down. But Tuesday came and we were out and something just clicked! Being sad and upset wasn't going to make me get better and life is a whole lot better when we are happy! Life got a whole lot brighter on Tuesday! 

And THEN on Wednesday Heavenly Father handed me and Sister Fehoko a perfectly prepared investigator. I've never met someone like Jack. he tries a new church every week because he feels like something is missing. Then on Thursday as we were in a lesson he looked at me and said "what am I feeling? I can't explain it, but it's warm and peaceful." THEN on Friday we had a lesson with him that I will never forget. I've never seen the adversary and Heavenly Father work so hard against each other. But it's a good thing that light will ALWAYS take over darkness. & don't you worry because Jack is now on date for the end of the month! He asked when was the soonest he could receive the gift of the Holy Ghost! like when the heck does that happen?? BEST DAY EVER.

 Heavenly Father answers prayers and He is in the details of our lives. I've never seen His hand so great in my life than I did last week. #blessed!

I know a lot of the blessings and success that I've found on my mission has come from the prayers of you all so thank youuuu!

Xoxoxox. Sister Russell

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