We Made It.......

So I gotta start off and share my crazy news. My new companion is freakin SISTER BOWERS!!! ahhhh I'm not kidding. Who the heck gets to be companions with their best friend? YAY. best transfer call of my life.  

I really wasn't supposed to get a new companion this transfer but here's what went down last week! So remember how I said that all the missionaries were sick? Well I kinda left out that Sister Alanzo was BY FAR the sickest. Last Monday we got a call asking if she was getting better and because she wasn't on Tuesday she got shipped off to Guam! I really was the luckiest missionary ever to spend a few weeks with the funniest human alive. Right before leaving she told me she would be going to Utah when I got home so YAY! So I spent the whole week with Sister Bowers and Sister James covering mine and their area! Which made for a week full of FUN stories.

But one of those sweet experiences was being able to go to a branch for the first time! Growing up in the church I have always gone to a ward and when coming to Pohnpei I was put into a ward which has been such a HUGE blessing. However, going to the Uh branch yesterday was seriously the cutest thing ever. The members there were so humble and so willing to do anything to help. & what made it even better was that we were called on the spot to give talks, we taught primary, OH and we were asked to teach Relief Society! So really bless up for the Sapwalap ward.

So before coming on a mission I KNEW the Book of Mormon was true. But gosh not like I do now! The other night we were having a lesson and one of the investigators in the Uh area shared her testimony of the Book of Mormon with us. She explained to us that if her husband is late coming home from work and she is alone with the kids at night that she opens up the Book of Mormon and puts it at her door way to protect her and her kids. Or if there is a storm or she is scared she will open a few Book of Mormons and put them around the house. I'm not sure I've ever met someone with such a sweet testimony of the Book of Mormon. Being with her strengthened my testimony of the Book of Mormon and I sure am grateful for that experience! Like good heck. The Book has gotta be true. If not, then what the HECK am I doing?

 I'm really the dang luckiest missionary to serve here on Pohnpei! and even luckier because now I get to do it with my best friend!! wahoooo! 

LOVE. Sister Russell

Grateful for Running Water.....hahahaha!!!!

So this past week I had a humbling experience that was just another testimony to me that 

Heavenly Father truly is in the smallest details of our lives! So for this whole week Sister Alanzo and I have had NO water (good thing it rained a whole lot this week!) & no one could figure out what was wrong! We first thought that our neighbors were just turning off our pipe. But after a few visits up there, we came to find that there must be something wrong with the pipe! So Sister Alanzo, me, and the Welter family (Nedleen and her family!) decided we would follow the pipe from the big tank at the top of the hill to our house! Within about 20 minutes Adas found the broken pipe! We were able to put it back together and I almost started to cry hahaha. I was so sick of hoping it would rain so that we could fill up some buckets to shower and do our dishes. I let my pride get the best of me and a little bit of self pity was settling in. But things were going to get better because we fixed the pipe! So we go to the small tank by our house and NO water was going into it. At this moment I was about 33 seconds from calling United Airlines and getting myself shipped off Pohnpei. But before doing that (luckily) we ran home to check again. Still nothing. So we went back up to our tank and I sat in the car while Sister Alanzo went to go check! STILL no water. I put my head to the steering wheel and humbly asked my Heavenly Father for His help. Before I was able to say amen I heard the water begin to flow and Sister Alanzo yell "It's working!" and sure enough, it was! I'm not quite sure HOW but He is so so aware of each one of us. & if you don't think so, look a little closer! Geez. I'll never take running water for granted again. Situations like this just don't happen in America.  

These past  2 weeks have been so so good! Last week the Zarbocks had their last Zone Conference on Pohnpei and the last weekend it was their last MLC in Guam! It was cute because the Christensens (senior couple) put together a tribute to the Zarbocks kinda thing and each of the Zone Leaders and STL's were about to share a simple way that the Zarbocks have touched their lives. Dang it was cute! Saying goodbye to them was HARD! I'm a better person because I knew the Zarbocks, that's for sure!

Life's good over here in Mesihsou. Me and Sister Alanzo laugh ALL the time. She literally is the funniest person I've ever met & I just love her.

Also, our investigators? going places.

Pohnpei? The bomb. (except when 6 cockroaches come flying out of the air con during district meeting. hahah not so bomb)

I'm a happy happy missionary and life is gooooood!

Thanks for the support!

LOVE. Sister Russell