Tuesday, 27 February 2018

February 26th, 2018 - Going on exchanges with my old companion

Hello every one!

I wish I had something super fun and exciting to tell you but I don't. My life is not that exciting right now. 

I got to go on exchanges with Sister Patac this week which was so much fun! I love that girl! It was nice being with her again it felt just like old times!  I got to take some pictures with the “I love Winnipeg wall”! That is a place I wanted to get a picture with for a long time so I am happy that I finally got it :) 

Well we had zero investigators at church yesterday so we had to drop the dates so hopefully they come this week, this Sunday so that they can get baptized next week! 

I am still trying to get to know the members it would be easier to get to know them if they fed us.  I went from getting fed 6 days a week to maybe 2 it is sad ;(  But oh well I am still trying to talk to them!

I made it a goal that I would take a picture a day so there should be more pictures next week! 
I hope you all have a great week! 

Love,
Sister Russell


PS I got to have lunch with someone I’ve been hoping to see

 

Monday, 19 February 2018

February 19th, - it’s the Final count down


Hello!
I hope you had a fantastic week! 
This week has gone by so quickly because it is already Monday. 
I think the miracle of the week is that we were able to have 6 investigators at sacrament meeting. :) So hopefully we can set days with them to get baptized we have dates with 3 of them :) And we are seeing the 2 families tonight :) 
We have been able to do a lot of tracting. 
We had zone conference on Wednesday and it was really good. I got to sit beside Sister Patac and Sister Kostiuk two of my former companions so that was really nice. Because it was my last zone conference I was able to bear my testimony and give a talk. It really did not hit me that it was my last zone conference until the closing song and I was hold back the tears. Right now I am typing this on the loaner Smartphone we got them during the zone conference. After having this phone I think I will prefer to have an I Phone when I get home. But it works for now.
I will hopefully have a more exciting email next week and more pictures! 

Love,
Sister Russell

--
Ether 12:4 
 ​ ​ 

 Hope is the anchor of the soul



Monday, 12 February 2018

February 12th, 2018 -Back to the city life again... it is a lot louder.

 Hello Everyone :)
I am now in Winnipeg serving in the Dalhousie ward. Dalhousie ward meets at the stake center but I really don't know how old the ward is, it just has a lot of newer development at the south end of the city. Our apartment is older but there are 2 bathrooms which is nice so I have my own bathroom! Ya.  No more chopping wood to heat the cabin when I get up.  I got to see Savannah on transfer day which was so nice and because she is YSA I got to see her after church because they cover all of Winnipeg
My new companion is Sister Karr she is from West Valley, Utah. She is pretty cool! 
So the beginning of the week it consisted of me saying good bye to the members in Bergland. I am really going to miss them. It was kinda like my home away from home. It will always have a special place in my heart! 
Well since being here in Dalhousie we have done a lot of tracting every day. Which is good to be out finding? It is a lot different than being out in the middle of nowhere and there are missionaries everywhere.
I will be getting my rental phone this week on Wednesday at zone conference, that will he weird
Sorry I don't have a lot to report! I hope you see miracles this week. And remember to fed your missionaries :) 
Love,
Sister Russell

-- 
Sister Karr and I 
Manitoba sign
sun dog I have been seeing a lot of them,  so, ya it is cold 
And tri-pan together again well at least for a few minutes






Monday, 5 February 2018

February 5, 2018 – Ground Hog Day

Hello!
So I am getting transferred. I am going back to Winnipeg but to the south side of the city (Dalhousie Ward) so that will be new territory for me. I think the Cabela`s store  is in my area so that is cool!  The companion I will be working with is Sister Carr and I will be greenie busting her so that will be fun.  (Greenie Bustin means I will be her second missionary companion)
So as it was the last few days of January and we had 27 people on our visiting teaching list and we had 11 left to do in only those three days but I am happy to say that we got to either see or send letters to 26 of them and we would have got the last one if we had know where the person on the record lived. She lives in Stratton no one in the branch as ever met her and she is in her one hundreds so she might be now living in the spirit world but I was driving through Stratton and we saw a building that kinda looked like an old persons house and we went up to the door and I knocked and the lady who came to the door said that it was not her  She was nice and said she did not know the lady so it was an experience to say the least. But 26 out of 27 was not bad we were going for the 100%and we were so close and who even knows where that lady is. 
The days here have been kinda cold. They cancelled church yesterday which was sad because it wasn't as cold as Saturday. 
So last Monday we went to a sharing circle on the reserve and a lady named Karen was saying that it is “ground hog” day and Sister Silvennoinen said you actually celebrate it? And Karen was like ya and here in Canada everyone dresses up like a ground hog. And I went along with it saying that I wore a brown skirt and a brown shirt and stuff. And we brought it up with others and they were agreeing to that and the whole week we asked people and they all went along with it. And so on Friday Sister Silvennoinen dressed up like a ground hog, I took pictures and I said well this is the time that I tell you we actually don't dress up. It was so funny! Yes I do have pictures ;) She is such a good sport!
 I was able to see the blue super moon it was super clear out here :)
Love you lots!
Love,
Sister Russell

--
Ether 12:4 
 Hope is the anchor of the soul






Monday, 29 January 2018

January 29th, 2018 - The time goes so quickly

Hello!
Transfers are next week.  The time between them goes by so quick. 
This week we got to see 5 people on our visiting teaching list! We only have 11 more before the end of the month and we have already done 16 so we are really close to being done but sadly so is the end of the month.
We were able to do some service for one of the sister`s in the branch we got to help clean her house before the branch activity that was on Friday. It was a musical fireside and then a movie “Love, Kennedy” which apparently was really good. The music part is all we had time to stay for and she gave a great talk about the hymns in our hymn book! 
We were able to help another non member lady clean her house this week as well.
 We had the youth come out to our place on Saturday to stack the wood and then they could go sledding down our slope I quite enjoy our slope it is great exercise :). With the new pile of wood it should last so it will be good for a while :)
Last night our Book of Mormon read was good.  We read Mosiah 19-21 it was very interesting
I hope you have a good week! 
Love,
Sister Russell 
Ether 12:4 

 Hope is the anchor of the soul

Bergland
I spy with my little eye..... a knife


Monday, 22 January 2018

January 22nd , 2018 - We thank thee for a prophet
Hello! 
How was your week! I’m going to report on two weeks this time.
I have had a lot of things that I never have I experienced on my mission this week. I got offered a cigarette ( I did not take it), I got called mommy, I went sledding in front of our house, and I saw a cat get killed in front of my eyes by dogs and I got to hear from our new prophet Russell M. Nelson!
Last week we were able to watch President Monson’s funeral.  That was really touching.  We were also able to watch (via Skype) a baptism from Sister Silvennoinen old area.  Technology is wonderful except when your phone dies.  The rest of the week was just appointments with investigators and dropping by to visit some people who don’t attend church very often.
So this week has been kind of eventful. We went to International Falls for district meeting and after that we had interviews.  It is much nicer to have in person meetings rather than Skype meetings. We really enjoyed the Tuesday news conference and listening to President Nelson.  Yesterday I spoke in church and well I spoke for 20 minutes or more. I spoke on the reason we need a restoration and about the Book of Mormon I even used 3 quotes that Mom sent me in it :)  And today we went sledding ( I asked permission before, we are only allowed if they are small slopes and not to extreme!)  It was a lot of fun. 
Other than that my week has been pretty normal!
Love you! Hope you have a great week!

Love,
Sister Russell

Ether 12:4 

 Hope is the anchor of the soul
 District Meeting and in front of our wood stove

Monday, 8 January 2018

January 8th, 2018  - 496 days on the mission

Happy first week of 2018! 51 more weeks to go :)
This week has been very crazy but good!
On Monday we drove to Winnipeg for zone conference! And we got to take a picture with the Center of Canada sign which is very cool!
Tuesday we had zone conference which was great! We got to learn about our new baptism goal for our mission 180 convert baptism in 2018! It was very exciting! And we got a lot of training on how to work with members!  and we started out on exchanges.  I went with Sister Jimenez.  And I got to see the Hadfield`s! It was really nice being in an old area even for a day! And I got to see Sister Z who is a less active and I helped with her dishes!
Wednesday I was still in Winnipeg and we also ended the exchange in the evening because everything was closed on Monday we were allowed to do a little bit of shopping so we did that and made it to Warroad at 9 and stayed the night there! It was fun being with the Warroad Sisters.
Thursday we did work in Rainy and we helped Selena take out the carpet in her daughter`s room! It was a lot of fun getting dirty :) 
And then we have been doing some work on the reserves this weekend. And we went to Church it wasn't cancelled so that was nice there were 23 of us there :) 

I hope you all had a great week! 
Love you!

Sister Russell 


Monday, 1 January 2018

January 1st, 2018 The Blackout year has ended

Hello 2018!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Happy New Year! P-day is today! Zone Conference is tomorrow. So we are driving to Winnipeg after we get our emails done.
And to start off with there will be a full moon tonight so look up and she its beauty.  The old Famers Almanac calls it a “Full Wolf Moon” as opposed to the “Full Cold Moon” in December.  
I can`t believe that 2017 is done with! It really has been a great year with new places, new people, new things and lots of blessings! 
I have never missed going to church on my mission! Until now because of extreme cold they cancelled church so that is really weird.  Mind you minus 40 is weird too. ....
This week has just been crazy and cold .... I really miss summer... 
I hope 2018 treats you well and remember to set goals because they help us stay motivated and to work hard!
Love you!
Sister Russell

--
Ether 12:4 

 Hope is the anchor of the soul

Tuesday, 26 December 2017

December 26, 2017 – Boxing Day

Hello!!!
I hope you had a great Christmas! It is always a fun time of the year!
This has been a busy week it was transfer week so Sister Thomson left and she went to Saskatoon and I got a new companion! Her name is Sister Silvennoinen! She is from Finland that is why there is a lot of "n`s" in her name :) She is really sweet she has been out for 6 months now. 
We got to help make food hampers for those in the area in need and help deliver them :) I also got to do missionary work in Warroad while I was waiting for Sister Silennoinen to come so that was fun! We got a group together on Christmas eve in the afternoon and we went Christmas caroling which was great! It was great to sing to those who need that! I am so grateful for the members out here willing to help us with anything and it is like home out here! I am grateful to be out here and for the experiences I have learn! 
As the New Year is approaching we can reflect on this year 2017 and see how the Savior has helped us through it! I know that he lives and all we have to do is open our hearts and let him in! Set a new year’s goal to let him in and how we can help other in 2018!

Love you! 

Sister Russell
--
Ether 12:4 
 Hope is the anchor of the soul


Monday, 18 December 2017

December 18th, 2017 - Merry Christmas

Hello Everyone,

This has been a busy fun week! The highlight was when Jessica got baptized on Thursday evening!!!!! We had a lot of opportunities to provide service this week including stacking firewood, hauling groceries and helping to clean homes. We also had the opportunity to attend a native sharing circle.  It was nice to attend a function on the reserve.
We had our church Lutefisk Christmas party and there were a lot of people from the community that joined us! The Lutefisk even tasted good! (I think I have been here too long.... if I enjoyed Lutefisk)
We got the transfer Email today and............ I am staying here :) I will be in Bergland for Christmas :) .  At this point who my new companion will be is a little in the air.  It is supposed to be a Sister who is from Finland but since we have to cross the US Canadian border so often that may be changed.
I hope this Christmas season treats you well and that you are enjoying light the world!
I look forward to our Christmas day visit.
Love you and Merry Christmas!
Love,

Sister Russell


Monday, 11 December 2017

December 11th, 2017 - I am dreaming of a White Christmas

Hello!
14 more days till Christmas isn't that exciting :)
So we made it safely to Winnipeg and back! The roads were bad to Winnipeg; it took us 6 hours to drive there but we made it safe so that is what really counts!  I got to go on exchanges with Sister Atwood she is from Cardston Alberta. It was weird going on exchanges with someone younger in the mission than me.... I think that means I am getting old.....

On Wednesday we had our Christmas zone conferences! Those are the best ones! The spiritual high! I got to see some old companions which is great! And I got to be with Sister Kostiuk all day. It was so nice seeing her again!!!! I just wish we had more time to catch up. We got to watch a movie as well!  We got to watch “It's a Wonderful life”! It was 2 hours long which was also nice. A lot of it could be related to the gospel but there was too much kissing for my missionary mind....

So we had a lesson with Jessica and she was telling us she even had a countdown until she is getting baptized on Friday and everything.  We left her home and we got a text from her 30 minutes later asking us if she could get baptized in January instead. We were like she was so excited to get baptized on Friday what happen. I kinda had to go the bathroom and so I was like let’s just go back and see what happen. She did not want to wreck her sister’s birthday party by having her mom and her gone and she wanted her siblings there as well and we were like, how about you get baptized on Thursday instead and see was like okay! And so Jessica is getting baptized on Thursday at 7! So we are really excited!

We went over to the Johnson`s and joined their family for going in the bush and cutting down a Christmas tree!!!!!! I think I should do that with my family next year ;) It was so much fun! 
We had an all time record church attendance since I have been at Bergland.  We had 37 people at church!

So transfers are next week! And that will let me know where I will be for Christmas!

Love you! Enjoy lighting the world!
Love,
Sister Russell

Ether 12:4 
 Hope is the anchor of the soul




Monday, 4 December 2017

December 4, 2017 - It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Wow it is already December!
Where did November go! 
The First Presidency Christmas devotional last night was amazing! The middle speaker was very funny!
Well we got to do a lot of visiting teaching on the 30th because it was the last day of the month our bad... we will be better this month!  Our landlords who are not members took us out to a little Church for Supper on Saturday! It was so cute! And there were so many people in that little church and after the meal we got to sing Christmas carols! It was a great way for the people to see us out and about! We got a text from Jess Selena`s daughter telling us that she want to be baptized before Christmas and she leaves for Kenora on the 16th so we have a baptismal date set for the 15th so we have to pretty much teach her all the lessons before that date so hopefully we can see this miracle through! 
One of our local members just got back from her mission to Sweden.  She agreed to help us with a lesson this week. It was more like tripanning than a member present lesson which was really nice
Well today we are off to Winnipeg in some snowy weather to do exchanges with the STLs and for Christmas zone conference! I am so excited for Zone conference, it is the best one! But the weather is really bad today so I am not excited to be driving there today
Have fun lighting the world this week!
Love you!
Sister Russell

--
Ether 12:4 

 Hope is the anchor of the soul

Monday, 27 November 2017

November 27, 2017 - Have you watched it?


Have you watched the light the world video!?!!!! I am getting so excited! Tonight we are having a FHE/fireside on it to get the members here ready for it! The video is so good!.   I watched it on Friday on President Craig’s phone with 7 other missionaries! You should see if the Elders have the little light the world booklets like last year. Our mission did not get them this year so if they have one you should ask for it so I can have it as a keepsake :) 

That is exciting about the football team! Wow Chris babysat?! How did that go?

You remember last week I talked about Lutefisk being a big thing here. I got to help at the Bergland Hall at the Lutafisk supper that they have every year! We went and started helping them at 1230 and we finished helping 830! They really enjoyed our help they did not have a lot of help so it was much appreciated! I am glad we got to help and let them see us in the community as well not just knocking on their doors.

Well we went to International-Falls for district meeting and interviews.  I got to have a good visit with President Craig! My district and I also went out and had district lunch! It is always fun being with other missionaries! On the way back we got to take some pictures of this really tiny church! 
Well I am running out of time! I hope you have a great week! And don't forget to light the world on Friday!  
Love,
Sister Russell

--
Ether 12:4 

 Hope is the anchor of the soul

Monday, 20 November 2017

November 20, 2017  - I ate Lutefisk

Hello!
Transfer week was here and gone and I didn't even know it right?! :)
Lutefisk, well it is a big thing here this time of year. We were at a member’s house and they fed it to us just in case one of us got transferred so we could say that we have tried it before we left. It was just jelly like jello texture but it tasted like fish.... ya 
(For those who don’t know Lutefisk or lutfisk is a traditional dish of some Nordic countries. It is traditionally part of the Norwegian julebord and Swedish julbord. It is made from aged stockfish or dried/salted whitefish and lye. It is gelatinous in texture)
Well not a whole lot happen to talk about this week! 
We got to help out with the Bergland craft sale on Saturday! It was a lot of fun we were in the canteen! And I got to flip burgers so it was pretty easy.  They had about 21 tables and that is the biggest one yet! It was fun to see the community come out and let them see us here, and then we come knocking on their door right!  
We got to paint for a member this week to which was a lot of fun! Ya
I hope you have a great week and look for miracles around you  they are there. 
Love,
Sister Russell
p.s. watch the Light the World video on Friday!!!! It will be amazing!!!!

it is hunting season can't you tell!!!!

Walking to save K`s :)


Monday, 13 November 2017

November 13, 2017: Hello! 


It is transfer email today! AND my whole district is staying the same how often does that happen?! Like never!
So I am going to be with Sister Thomson another transfer! I am excited I just love this time of year! 
Well this week has been good but went by so quick.... 
We had a Family home evening with Barb and Derek! It was so much fun! We played a game where you cannot say the word you are describing and the person that is trying to guess can only ask questions trying to figure out the word or the saying! 
We got the last of our wood so we should be good for all winter! 
There is just so much to write about we have found 3 new investigators this week which is great! 
And we had 20 people at church yesterday including us missionaries!
We had a Branch book of Mormon read that we have every Sunday night and we were in Mosiah 3 and 4! It has been a good week! And I am excited for the next one!
Love ya!
Sister Russell

District photo
Sister Thomson and I 
Landscape this is Rainy River.... notice all the houses




Monday, 6 November 2017

Monday November 6th, 2017 – chinchillas

Hello I don't have a lot of time today! But it was a good week!
We drove to Winnipeg on Monday
Tuesday we had zone conference and it lasted most of the day and we got to Talk a little bit about light the world! Which I am so excited about that again. We also got told that our mission is going to get smart phones which is a really weird thought. Well we were not allowed to go out on Halloween night so we ordered pizza and had a little party while updating our area books and eating! It was a lot of fun! 
Wednesday I went on Exchanges with Sister Jimenez and had supper at a member house and they have chinchillas! It was really cool! It was nice being on exchanges too! 
When we came back there was a fair bit of snow here and ice is forming. 
We got to have a Family home evening with Selena and her family which was a lot of fun! 
Well I love ya! And hope you have a great week and look for miracles in this winter season! 
Love,
Sister Russell
Halloween! 

Who was I for Halloween any guess? :)



Monday, 30 October 2017

October 30, 2017 – 2 Holes in My Boots
Well, we got the first snow of the season which was a blizzard....
I found out that one pair of my boot have holes in them.... I guess I will have to wear them when it is dry out....
Wednesday- Well in the cabin that we live in it heats with wood and there is a church member that said we could have 2 cords of her wood because she wasn't going to use it and wanted to give it to us. Well she said that we needed to get it before the snow came so we called one of the members and ask if he would help us and we could load it into his truck and he was more than willing to help us. And even brought a trailer so we could load in the trailer and the back of his truck so it was the three of us doing it because it was going to snow the next day and the other members could not help us until evening and it would be to dark at that time so we loaded it and then we followed him to our place to unload and we were making good time, we even thought we could get the last of the wood unloaded before it got dark well as he was driving out his truck stalled just like my car did a few years ago so he called one of the members to tow him home and so that was very eventful but it was a miracle that it did not break down on the high way and that we were able to get the wood unloaded before it got rained and snow on.
Sunday- Well at church we kinda ran the show well sort of any ways. We got asked on Thursday night if we could both speak and give a musical number as well at sacrament meeting. So we did that,  I spoke on Elder M. Russell Ballards from this conference this trek continues or something like and Faith in every footstep from him in October 1996 talk it is really interesting you should read them! We got a call that morning asking us if we could teach youth Sunday school so we did that. Then we ended up teaching primary for the last hour of church. So it was really busy but it was good!
Well I am going to Winnipeg today! We have zone conference tomorrow but since we cannot proselyte on Halloween night we have to stay another day for exchanges so we will get back out here on Thursday! Sister Thomson drives in this area because she was here first and that is usually how it goes unless the other person can’t drive. You asked about the Flu shots and usually the church heath nurse is the one that pushes it but she has not yet I will try and get a shot from a health clinic....
I hope you will have a great week and look for them miracles around you!
Love,
Sister Russell
 --
Sister Thomson in the snow
A swan that was in the middle of the road and it was dying so we moved it to the side so no one run it over 
The blizzard

Ether 12:4 

 Hope is the anchor of the soul



Monday, 23 October 2017

October 23rd, 2017 – Indian Summer

Hello!!!
Funny moment of the week! Well we went to one of our investigators houses and we invited him to church on Sunday and he said that he was going to go fishing instead so Sister Thomson and I decided to give him a break for a while before we go back and teach him again. Well anyway we went with a member visiting teaching and the house we end up at was the same guy. We had talked to him less than 30 minutes before and he is the one that answered the door of course but luckily the member that was with us did the talking asking if the person lived there, yah.. You got to love a home with so many different people living in the same house :)

In my studies I found a great verse on Charity and how important it is to have it! It is in 2 Nephi 26: 30 wherefore, the Lord God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love.  And except they should have charity they were nothing.  Wherefore, if they should have charity they would not suffer the laborer in Zion to perish.(Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 26:30)   It is so true!!!!

We got an text from Elder Smith at 6:33 in the morning and said Sisters when is the next time you are coming in to Winnipeg and we respond October 30 and he said can you go into Baudette TODAY
and so we made an appointment so we took our car in the that day and because Baudette is in the states we walked back to Rainy River Ontario, over the bridge to make it to Canada, we had a 10 minute lesson with one of our investigators there and then walked back to the states to pick up our car it only took like an hour to walk from the car shop to the investigators house and then we had to walk back in the wind but somehow we did it faster  because we were running late. So that was another adventure of the week!
Well I hope you have a great week!
Love.
Sister Russell

--
Ether 12:4 
 ​ ​ 
 Hope is the anchor of the soul





Monday, 16 October 2017

October 16, 2017 – Berglund Branch

Monday- well we had supper at the Rencher`s and had a thanksgiving feast. Then we stopped by had a lesson with Millie! It was a great thanksgiving! There is just so much to be thankful for!
Tuesday- We had district meeting over skype we got most of it and it only cut out a few times! It is a true blessing to have technology to be able to do that sort of thing! We went to Rainy River and visited with some of our investigators there. And we got to help Selena and one of her daughters make a scripture box for her scriptures. we had Supper with Mary! Then we went up to the reserve got to be part of a sharing circle up there it was really cool to learn more about their culture!

Well we talked to a guy on the reserves but he told us to come back tomorrow so we did with fellowship We taught him and he even turned down the volume of the baseball game and we left him with the book of Mormon but he said it was to small so we told him that we have reading glasses in our car but we didn’t drive our car up. so the next day we were up and we gave him the glasses he put them on first thing and then as we were walking away I saw that he had already grabbed his book of Mormon and started reading that was the tender mercy moment of this week. Like what are the odds we have reading glass in our car right?! 

My companion is Sister Thomson from Ottawa, Her brother Kevin used to be Chris’s roommate in Lethbridge.  He served in Claresholm for 7 days while he was waiting for his missionary visa to come through and had supper at our house once.  So Kevin Thomson is Sister Thomson younger brother isn't that cool!!!!

Sorry I ran out of time to finish the email! All and All it has been a great week!
Love,

Sister Russell


Our cabin with a wood stove, I've now learned to make a fire 
What are these used for?