Ayyooo....

Wahoooo! It's Mondayh again! Every missionary would be lying if they said they aren't stoked when it's Monday! But really this week was a good one!! President Zarbock flew in from Guam on Tuesday with Sister Zarbock for Zone Conference! (seeing Sister Zarbock is the best thing EVER) And the training by President was so so good! It was centered on repentance and we can help ourselves and our investigators understand that repenting is such a happy thing! I LOVED that because it's so dang true! When we repent we turn back towards God. It brings light into our lives and prepares us to meet our Heavenly Father again! I love it!

Sooo this week we were our seeing investigators and I had this impression to go see an old lady that me and Sister George used to teach! So we went and saw Ruth, she was sitting alone in here house and invited us in to have a lesson. (she's so dang Protestant so having a lesson is sometimes hard) She then went on to explain to me that for some reason she was really struggling with the death of her husband and 2 daughter but couldn't explain why because it had been years since their passing. So offff course we teach about the Plan of Salvation and how one days she can see them again! Which lead to a baptismal invitation and a "I'll pray about it." Which is GOOD ENOUGH! it was so so sweet for me to see the Lord guide me exactly where I was needed.

So another GOOD day this past week was on Tuesday when I went on exchanges with the sisters in Sekere! And I got to spend the whole day with Grace George as my member present! We laughed ALL day! She's like my family on this island and being with her for the day was the biggest tender mercy! She's a total idiot but I LOVE her.

Another tender mercy I saw was I have this investigator, Roseleen, and on the week of Christmas she yelled at me telling me that she never wanted to see us again and that she hated everyone in this church. hahah OKAY. But this week we were out and she stopped, apologized, and asked if we would come back and see her! Annnnd now she is on baptismal date for next month!! I've been praying and praying to soften her hard and would you look at that!! He sure did!

So boo yah! Life is GOOD right now! Life as a missionary is dang simple and I love it! I know Heavenly Father needs me on this island, at this time! There's no where else that's more important for me to be!

Lessons learned by Sista B, Wari, and Poki

1. Life's way easier when you don't give a crap.

2. Be grateful for running water.

3. As a missionary you literally water the power of Satan and Heavenly Father working against each other every day.

4. Rotten coconut juice is THE grossest thing I've ever come in contact with.

5. HUMBLE YOSELF.

Love you alllll! Xoxoxoxo

Sister Russell

Hey! and Happy New Year!!

Hey! Hey! Heyyy!

Another week done just like that!! Sometimes it freaks me out how quickly weeks fly by! So this week was GOOD. Remember Nedleen?? The lady who was baptized with her son a few weeks ago!  Adas, Nedleen's daughter, was baptized this week! Wahooo! and also the dad is preparing for baptism for the beginning of February! So once he is baptized hen the road to the temple begins!! Nedleen told me that she has already started saving! The closest temple is in the Philippines but just you wait! Soon enough there will be a temple on this crazy island!

So this week I don't have any WAY crazy stories. Didn't hit any pigs, no one was licking my feet, and no frogs were in our toilet! But I do have a funny one! So here's a little background... On Pohnpei, dating isn't a thing!! The guy just kinda says he wants to marry the girl and then the girls just says yes or no! It's SO weird. So this past week Sister Pokipala and I are in a lesson with a guy and I'm in the middle of a sentence and he just cuts me off and asks me if I'll marry him after he is baptized! hahahaha no. But GOOD thing I had a Pohnpeian companion who taught me that if you say yes, even if you are joking, you are obligated to marry them! hahahahah Pohnpei is so weird. & I think the elders might be getting a new investigator real soon!

Oh geez I love this place! Some people are DANG weird but boy do I love them!! The decision I made to serve a mission was by far the best decision I've made. The Lord has blessed me so so much. LIFE'S GOOD.

Lessons learning this week! (by Sister Bowers, Wari and Pokipala)

1. Take everything out of your pockets before you wash your clothes.

2. Don't get butt hurt when your comp calls you fat, just take it.

3. People from Papua New Guinea really don't eat people.

4. But Tongans really do hate Samoans.

5. Sister missionaries make everyone uncomfortable.

Okay peace out girl scouts!! Kasalel Kumaiiiilll!

LOVE. Sister Russell

Merry Christmas

Yoooo everyone! 

So OF COURSE this week was the best week ever! because Christmassss! and with the addition of Christmas and getting to see my cute family, Nedleen and Nomad (her son) got baptized!! Wahoooo! That was a dang hard baptism and a whole lot of work. But it was SO worth it. Right before she went into the water she was just sobbing. holy crap it was cute! The Church is WAY true my friends! Sooooo then the next morning (Christmas morning) I am walking to church with her and she just goes on and on and on about how after her baptism she prayed all night and thanked Heavenly Father for me! It was such an eye opener to me & such a tender mercy! I was so grateful to see that these prepared people ARE waiting for me! I just need to have the faith that things will work out for the good!

Christmas was FUN though! On Christmas eve the missionaries acted out the manger scene for the members! And you know that I was the best Mary everrrr lol. And then on Christmas we proselyted like crazzzyyyy and shared a message about Christ! Best Christmas ever huh?

Things I learned this week:

1. There 1000000% are people on the other side of the veil. Good and not so good! (Ask me when I get home!)

2. Celebrating Christmas on an island is the way to goooo.

3. I miss my mom!

4. Don't EVER give up on anyone! Some people just take a little longer to accept the Gospel.

5. I LOVE POHNPEI!!

okayyyyy everyone! I hope you all had the BEST Christmas's everrrr! 

Ayyyyooooo...

Helllloooo and I'm back on Pohnpei!

I'm training a new sister, Sister Pokipala! She's from Florida but her family is originally from Hawaii! She's awwwwesome! She's 19 and we are having the best time together!

So I picked her up on Wednesday (which was filled with trainer and trainee meetings)! Then we proselyted on Guam on Thursday and then flew out early Friday morning! & oh did I miss Pohnpei! The only good thing about Guam is that I got to go to Taco Bell! hahahah but HOLY CRAP was I nervous to go out proselyting when I got back to Pohnpei because if we are being honest, Pohnpeian is just not quite there yet! However, it's crazy because someone will talk to me and though I can only understand like 60% of what they are saying, I know what they re talking about and I am given words to reply! The gift of tongues is SO real. 

ALSO. This week I have found that as I push through difficulties that the Lord will lift us during those trials and we will see miracles! So here's the story! Saturday night I was struggling! likeeee big time! Struggling with the work, training a new missionary, trying to be a leader on this island to the sisters, Christmas, and my brothers wedding this week! And we go to get in the car and 3 girls run up to us and ask where our church is! So we invite them to church, they agreed, and then on Sunday we had a lesson with the 3 of them and all 3 accepted the invitation to be baptized! Now how sweet is that?? The Lord truly does bless His missionaries!

Okayyyy everyone! Thank you so much for the love and support! Oh and happy wedding week to Taylor and Hannah! Love you all!!

LOVE. Sister Russell

I'm Good....

SO FIRST OFF, thank youuuuu to everyone for all of the kind words of encouragement and prayers this past week! I'm slowly but surely regaining my strength and hoping to be back to being a normal missionary this week! 

Sooo in the Micronesia, Guam Mission there are 7 different islands that missionaries serve on! And Guam is BY FAR the nicest of all the islands so if missionaries ever get really sick then they usually have to go to Guam to get better assistance in regards to their health. And since I first got sick one of my biggest fears was that I would get sent to Guam and wouldn't get sent back to Pohnpei! So on Tuesday I went to the hospital for some testing and to hopefully receive some medication that would solve the problem. However, the hospitals here are a little rough and they couldn't test for what they thought I had and consequently couldn't give me the medicine I needed to fix the problem. So I'm sitting in the hospital with Sister Bowers and she looks over at me and says, "don't you cry, everything is going to be okay." which of course makes me cry haahahah. So we drive home, talk to the mission nurse, and get news that I would be flying out for Guam on Thanksgiving. It's safe to say that Tuesday was a rough day! However, on Tuesday night the Elders had heard that I would be going to Guam and came over to give me a blessing. And with that blessing, life got a little brighter! I KNEW that my Heavenly Father was aware of me and I KNEW that everything was going to be okay. Sooooo fast forward. It's Wednesday night. I'm packing my bag, getting ready to go to Guam when Sister Shupe (the Mission Nurse) calls! All the flights to Guam were booked for 10 days out!! So she put me on a special diet and we are going to see if I'm well enough to stay on Pohnpei after this week. Wahooooo!! 

And on Thanksgiving it was a tender mercy for me to see that on the day I was supposed to leave for Guam we put 3 new people on baptismal date who's hearts had previously been hardened towards the idea of baptism. I was needed on Pohnpei that day and I have a feeling that I'm gonna be needed on Pohnpei for a whole lot longer!!

Again, THANK YOU. I've felt the prayers from loved ones at home and I sure am grateful for all of you! Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Xoxoxoxo. Sister Russell

Hospitals and Heaven Helps....

These past two weeks have been nothing short of HARD. Since last Thursday I haven't been able to keep ANYTHING down which has lead to a few late nights in the hospital, a priesthood blessing, and a whole lot of times on my knees. And though it's been a difficult time...I know without a doubt that if we allow them, trials bring us closer to our Father in Heaven and Savior. There was one especially hard night where I was SCARED that my mission would be coming to a close. I was bawling. Then I heard a knock on the door! The senior couple!! The Fultons have been watching over my these past few weeks and felt prompted to come see me that night. And just before leaving Sister Fulton leans over to me and says.."let the Atonement heal you." I can't begin to explain just how much I NEEDED that simple sentence. And though I'm not fully healed yet, I'm getting better! EVERYTHING will be okayyyy!

But for GOOD NEWS this week.

The Elders contract was up on their house soooooooo they moved into our house and me and Sister George moved in with the Uh sisters which means I get to live with Sister Bowers a.k.a my BEST friend on the island!!! Wahoooo! And living with her makes bucket showers about a thousand times better because we can just laugh through it together! 

I'm not quite sure how but I know that somehow everything is going to be okay! Never in my life have I been so grateful for bucket showers, HUGE spiders, being dirty 24/7, the Pohnpeian language, and being a missionary on this crazy island! I LOVE IT. And never again will I take it for granted!!!

Sending loooooooots of love from Pohnpei! happppyyy Thanksgiving!!!

Xoxoxo. Sister Russell

Lost Crabs...

Soooo to start off here's my stupid island story of the week 

So me and my companion are at one of our recent convert's houses having a lesson. As we are getting ready to go they hand us a bag with 3 crabs in it! Not thinking anything of it we took the bag, put it in the back of our car, and headed to our next appointment! Sooooo we go about the day and both of us had totally forgotten about the crabs! So at this point the crabs have been in the car for about 6 hours and I open up the back to get some pamphlets and I see this ripped up garbage bag. I was so confused. So I ask my companion what it is and she freaks out hahahahaaha we lost the crabs. And if we are being honest I'm kinda scared of crabs. Soooo we go to a member and ask if they can search our car for the crabs! and liiiike 20 minutes later he found and killed all 3  BOO YAH. 

In regards to the work, things are GOOD! Mesihsou is a whooooole lot different thatn Sapwalap! There are 4 BIG churches in our area and that has caused some serious problems for us! In Sapwalap we taught like 6 to 8 lessons a day to investigators and in Mesihsou we are working with less actives a lot and teaching like 3 lessons to investigators! And this week I was FRUSTRATED. I was jealous of my friends serving in the states! Being around normal things, eating normal food, and speaking english! It took me realizing that this is where I am NEEDED. And remembering that this work has nothinnnng to do with me! That I'm simply a tool in the Lord's hands and I don't wanna be a dull one! 

So after I got it together and put my big girl skirt on we went to see on of our investigators, Minaco! She broke down to us about some of the trials she was facing. We just listened and listened and prayed and prayed! We went into the lesson planning on teaching the Plan of Salvation but as we sat and listened to her (I only got like 50% of what she was saying) we both felt impressed that she needed the Book of Mormon! The Book of Mormon has provided me with answers and comfort and I KNEW it could do the same for her! That lesson was one of the sweetest experiences I have had yet!

Before coming to Pohnpei I had read the Book of Mormon multiple times and thought I had a testimony of the strength within that book! My testimony of the Book of Mormon has been tried and strengthened so much over these past few months and now I know without a doubt that the Book of Mormon is true and can work miracles in the lives of those who read it!

IT'S ALL TRUE I PROMISE. There's no way in heck I'd be here if I wasn't so dang certain!

LOVE, Sister Russell