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

Some weeks are the bomb!

Ya know some weeks as a missionary are BOMB and some are just tough! And this week was on the tougher side! You'd think this week would have been the BEST because Jack was being baptized buuuuut that's actually the reason why it was so tough! So we went to Jack's baptismal interview and geez the interview went on for almost 2 hours! I had no idea what was going on and boy was I frustrated! After what felt like 4 years, Elder Yardley came in and told us that Jack would need to be interviewed by President Zarbock over the phone on Saturday before the baptism! So me and Sister Fehoko fasted, prayed, and prayed some more but it turns out that Heavenly Father has another plan for Jack Hadley! and it might be a little while till we see him enter the waters of baptism! 

Saturday night I was realllll upset. I felt like things were starting to get real good and that I really was making a difference here on Pohnpei! I couldn't understand WHY this had happened with Jack after we had worked SO hard. I then turned on a talk by Elder Christensen and he spoke of how the Lord chastises those He loves and how we must accept and even ask for His correction. Missions are hard, but it's the hard that makes it so great! If it wasn't tough then Heavenly wouldn't be able to shape us into who HE needs us to become. Missions are a GIFT.

But let's get real! the WHOLE week wasn't bad! So first off I learned a BOMB trick from my girl Sister Bowers that changed everything. She taught me to boil a pot of water and then put that in the bucket so then it's like taking a HOT bucket shower! holy crap it's like I'm living in the states! BEST thing everrrr! ALSO. I found Snickers ice cream at the store and I almost started to cry! That was pretty close to the hot water. EVERY week is a blessing here on Pohnpei. Even if it's tough, it's a blessing! Missions go by wayyyy to quick so I got no time to be upset! I LOVE this Gospel, my Savior, and being His missionary!

Kalanghan kumailllllll! love you all!

xoxoxox Sister Russell

Happy Mom Day!

yo! yo homies! Today was the best day EVER because I just talked to my MOM!! Mother's day is the most bomb holiday ever! good heck. But not only was today but this week has been gooooood.

So lemme tell ya about a little miracle we saw last week! So we knew we needed to teach Jack the Word of Wisdom but were a little hesitant because we knew it's be a problem. We went into the lesson and geez was it going rough. He grew up in a REALLY tough situation and has been drinking and doing drugs since he was 12! He has a hard core addiction to beetlenut (an island drug) and chews anywhere from 20 to 60 a day! I felt hopeless in that lesson. Sister Fehoko was teaching and I was praying so so hard to know how I could help him understand. When all of a sudden it just came to me. I talked to him about how would treat a gift that Heavenly Father had given him. I asked him if he'd do things to ruin that gift or if he would try his best to take care of it and all of a sudden things started to click. he wasn't quite sure what to say and just looked at us and says "I'm speechless. It all makes sense now." HOLY crap are you for reals? he decided that day that he would live the Word of Wisdom and as of today it's been 2 weeks that he's been 100% drug free! He explained to us the energy and joy he's had in his life since quitting drugs and I'm just like DUH.  Heavenly Father really does prepare His children to receive the Gospel. Like what drug addict just drops everything like that? The Lord sure is helping us out!

I also learned a BIG time lesson this week about how God answers prayers. I have had a question that I've been struggling with and oh geez I was getting nothing! So I decided to do something and boy did Heavenly Father stop me and put me on the right path! and I knew He'd answered my prayers because my mind was clear and for the first time I felt peace about the situation. I'm not quite sure where I'd be without this Gospel! 

Also, with Mother's day today and it being away from my mom it helped me realize just how LUCKY I am to have her in my life! My mom has been my best friend for my whole life and geez do I miss her! I'm not sure what I did in the pre-earth life to get sent to her! Moms are the BEST!

thankssss for the support and love! love you alllll!

LOVE. Sister Russell

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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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