I am here in Anchorage!

Well Mom I only have 30 minutes, I just want to let you know that I am here in Anchorage, I just flew in an hour ago! I will be driving down to Soldotna at 1:30 and while we will be driving we are going to stop and go on a beautiful hike with the Assistants to the President! I'm excited! Sorry this is so short! I just want to say I love you and thank you for your support and the things that you do! Love ya!

I will tell you one day about this week!

Thank you soooo much for the pictures! Week was pretty great! I will tell you one day about this week. Haha that probably really bugs you. but I know you can wait. :) hmmmm probably not but your going to have to! haha Sorry im so mean. Yeah theirs not a lot of people here but more than Delta. Man I miss Delta Junction. Well the bears are out and so are the Killer whales and Hump backs. But We still have not seen them.

My studies in the morning!



Lacrosse!!!

Well thank goodnees Exchanges are over!!!

Well Thank goodness Exchanges are over!!! I can now breath! The 2 missionaries arrived Tuesday and left Friday Night. Pretty much all we did was go tracting. We handed out 50 Because He lives cards. Its awesome but now we are out of cards. haha We got Transfer Calls Friday night and Well, Im staying for another 6 weeks and that will add up to 6 months. Foo thats a long time. But President said that he knows that I have Island Fever and he said that I am getting off the Island 2 times this transfer, And sister Robinson said that this is my last transfer here. Haha I cant wait to get off this island! Its hard but I am glad to be here.

Easter Dinner!

So For our Easter dinner we went over to a members home and the father of the house had to go to work because he was called in. So we walked up to the door and saw a propain heater and a table with plates, knifes, forks, spoons, and cups. She told us that her husband is not home and so she cannot let us in, so we are eating outside. So we did and it was snowing! Haha it was awesome!

Book of Mormon Alma 47 (part two)

   Now, that Amalickiah has his army he marched back to the city of the Lamanities, and Amalickiah marries the queen and becomes king of the Lamanites, as he had desired.  All of this would not of happened if Lehonti didn't come down from his mountain.
  Lehonti had the high ground.  Lehonti had the advantage.  Lehonti was fixed in his mind that he would not give into Amalickiah's (Satan's) temptations.

  Do not leave your high ground, don't even take a couple steps down the mountain because that is what Satan desires us to do.  He knows that if we give in just a little bit then he knows he has us.  Satan is good at what he does.  But we have the advantage.  we have God on our side.

  So now read this note again, and replace Lehonti with your name and replace Amalickiah's name with Satan.  As you read it again by replacing the names.  Think of ways how this story can relate to us and strengthen us.

  I know that God loves us.  He loves us so much that he gave us a Savior.  His only begotten son so that if we make mistakes we can be forgiven!  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.


     -Love
                Elder Chad Russell

Book of Mormon Alma 47 (part one)

This week Elder Russell sent out some personal e-mails so I don't have one to post.  But as his mom I want to thank him for his strength and obedience to serve and share the gospel with Alaska. He has built my testimony by his example and his love. He sent a letter to us and he's teaching us from the Book of Mormon in Alma 47.

  So Amalickiah wants to become King of the Lamanites but the Lamanites did not know this, because Amalickiah has a secret plan.  So Amalickiah being an Apostate Nephite who was angry at the Nephites went to the Lamanite King and convinced him to Battle the Nephites. So the King sends out a Proclamation to the people saying that they should gather themselves together again to go to battle against the Nephites.  When the people read this they feared to displease the King, and they also feared to go to battle against the Nephites because they don't want to lose there lives.  so most of them would not fight, but the rest of them obeyed the command and Amalickiah was appointed by the King to be there commander over this army.  The people that did not accept the command of the king ran away to a place called Onidan and they gathered themselves on top of a mountain called Antipas.  They appointed a man to be their leader named Lehonti.
  Amalickiah and his army decide to go after Lehenti and convince him and his people to join his army so that he will have a better chance to take over the Nephites.  So Amalickiah and his army march to mount Antipas and they pitch their tents near mount Anitpas.
  Amalickiah sends a secret embassy in the night into the mount Antipas, desiring that Lehenti should come down to the foot (bottom) of the mountain so that Amalickiah can speak to him and try to convince him to join his army.  But Lehonti  said no, because he was fixed in his mind with a determined resolution that he will not be subjected to go against the Nephites.  So Amalickiah sends them a second time, desiring him to come down.  Lehonti responded, No! Amalickiah sends them a third time and Lehonit says, No! When Amalickiah saw that this was not working Amalickiah went up into the mountain, nearly to Lehonit's camp and he sends his message for the forth time desiring that Lehonti would come down, and he can even bring his guards with him.  Lehonti gives in.
(Verse 13 of Alma 47) " and it came to pass that when the Lehonti had come with his guards to Amalickiah, that Amalickiah desired him to come down with his army in the night-time, and surround those men in their camps over whom the king had given him command, and that he would deliver them up into Lehonti's hands, if he would make him (Amalickiah) a second leader over the whole army."
14." And it came to pass that Lehonti came down with his men and surrounded the men of Amalickiah, so that before they awoke at the dawn of day they were surrounded by the armies of Lehonti."
15."And it came to pass that when they saw that they were surrounded, they pled with Amalickiah that he would suffer them to fall in with their brethren, that they might not be destroyed.  Now this was the very thing which Amalickiah desired."
16."And it came to pass that he delivered his men, contrary to the commands of the king, now this was the thing that amalickiah desired, that he might accomplish his designs in dethroning the King." 
17."Now it was custom among the Lamanites, If their chief leader was killed, to appoint the second leader to be their chief leader." 
18." And it came to pass that Amalickiah caused that one of his servants shoul administer Poison By Degrees to Lehonti, that he died."
19." Now when Lehonti was dead, the Lamanites appointed Amalickiah to be their leader and their chief commander."     ( please read the next post to get the rest of the story )

    

Happy Birthday To Elder Russell!

 

Monday- Was Elder Villegas' first actually p-day on the mission! After we emailed our friends and families we went shopping. Elder Villegas went crazy on his shopping! He spent $140. That's pretty much his whole months allotment. I hope he will learn his lesson! :) For P-day we played basketball and ping pong because he wanted to, so we did. It snowed and he was pretty excited about that. He made his first snow ball ever. But he was freezing! After P-day and dinner we went and contacted a referral that we received from a member in our ward, Sister Pagaduan, The referral was one of the people that she worked with. Their name is the Barogas family. We taught them the Restoration and it was super spiritual! At the End of the lesson we invited the father to say the closing prayer, he first said no but then we showed him how to pray and then we asked again and he said yes. After the Beautiful prayer that he said he told us that that was his first time praying in his life! 

Tuesday- We helped out at the Senior Center, we helped them bowl! After that we just have a good time with them and crack some jokes make them laugh! haha its fun! Had dinner with our bishop and we just talked about hunting the whole time over the dinner table! When I brought up hunting his wife rolled her eyes and said "Here we go" haha and bishop and I were talking a lot about hunting! haha It was funny! Then of course we shared a message and talked to him about what has been going on lately in the work! Nobody was home today... they were either asleep because of work or they were working or just did not want to see us! It was tough but After planning we got a call from the Assistants to the President and they told me that they loved me and were thinking about me. The work is just getting harder and harder, and I was getting down and I really needed that phone call from them! Just reminding me that the Lord is there! 

Wednesday- We had our lovely district meeting today!  Elder villegas' first one! Man me and him are to much alike! Its weird! He told me that his bishop told him that every companion that he will serve with will be the opposite of him. He told me that, that was not true because me and him are like the exact same, except he is Filipino and I am white. haha. Helped out at the Animal Shelter. We had a lesson with Sister Grothe (Less active) and the Gray family came with us. we taught about Prayer and Scripture study. And how not only do we need to feed ourselves physically to survive, but the same thing is spiritually, we need to spiritually feed ourselves everyday! Lesson with our investigators Tim and Teresita, They have been reading the Book of Mormon everyday! Which is awesome because they have not read it in a while! 

Thursday- We had a trainers trainee training that no body told us about until it started. People just forget about us out here in Kodiak. We had nobody for dinner today so Elder Villegas wanted to go to Mcdonalds so we went and the Burnside Family (active) were there and they paid for us! I don't like it when people do that. But Im Grateful. 

Friday- My 20th Birthday! Goodbye Teenager, Hello Old. So to start off my wonderful Birthday we had our Weekly 2 hour planning! Yippy...  We then went to the Old Power House for lunch and we had sushi. I had ill, red Salmon, and Pink Salmon. We then went and drove out to Bells Flats and Helped out a less active member named Larry Evans and he finally opened the door to us and it turns out that he really likes us! So we helped him unload a semi trailer of Animal feed and straw. That was fun! After we got done planning I received a ton of Phone calls from the missionaries singing happy birthday! The only person that knew about or I told about my Birthday was my companion. haha So it was nice, not having all of these people saying happy Birthday to me, because its not about me. haha 

Saturday- All we did today was go to Omar Stratmens Funeral. That was sad. We then helped out at the Women's Shelter by setting up Bunk beads for them! We set up 3 today! They call us to help out with stuff because they trust us. haha they love it when we come and help. They always cry. haha nice people. 

Sunday- Had church and the topic for the speakers was on unity. High councilman was there and gave a talk. We then went and gave the Sacrament to the Morris family at the Hospital. We went and finished the last 2 bunk beds at the women's shelter because they needed them done by Monday because more women were coming in and they needed a place to sleep. 

Well that was my week! Love you guys! Thank you for all the Birthday Wishes!

Old Power House in Kodiak



Went and had Sushi for my Birthday Lunch!