We got your letters!

I'm glad that they made it to you safely! I am super excited to hear your answers! Izzy is so awesome! Tell her that I said happy birthday you little stinker, and that I love and miss her! I love it that Izzy is starting to talk about Jesus Christ! I love the scripture that says that we cannot enter into the kingdom of God if we don't become as little children! I am glad that you had one awesome week! Here is mine!

Monday- Well me and Elder Hayes almost died! We almost drove off a cliff into a lake! Yeah we slammed on our breaks and we slid for about 100 ft because of the ice and I thought for sure that we were going to fall off, but I reacted with a prayer, a very quick and small one because we were about to die, and all of a sudden our truck stopped immediately. I got out of the truck and our front tire was halfway off the cliff and halfway on the ground! we backed up and just sat there for a good 20 minutes without a word being said! We were thanking Heavenly Father for Stopping our truck from going off a cliff!

Tuesday- We had a lesson with one of our investigators at a coffee shop because that is where she wanted to meet! The place was packed but as we were teaching her it felt like we were in our own little bubble! Then we went to the city library to see if we could help with anything in the community and they said that they will give us a call when they do! We had dinner at a part member families house and the dad wants to take the lessons again.

Wednesday- We finally sat down with this less active member that we have been trying to talk to and we finally did, he should be coming to church this Sunday!

Thursday- was 9 degrees C. Which is really really warm! Everything was melting and we walked around with our short sleeve shirts! Walked 8 miles that day because our truck is in the shop being fixed!

Friday- Had another appointment with our investigator but it was in the Library this time! We read with her the 13 articles of faith! She had a lot of questions and we answered them the best we could!

Saturday- was a crazy day! we went over to Todd's house and a movie producer guy was there that is east indie but is from Japan! He is making a Documentary about Jesus Christ and he wanted our view on him! So we gave him the whole spill! He got so excited that he knocked over his tea and it spilled on my Bible! I had to bite my tongue on that one! But my Bible is okay! Then we had a lesson with one of our other investigators and she quit smoking and quit drinking coffee! She has been reading the Book of Mormon! She told us that ever since we knocked on her door her life has gotten so much better! Oh and while we were having a lesson with her she had a passed out  native on her couch! She let him in so that he did not freeze to death out side!

Sunday- Everyone was sick that we were supposed to see! They all had the Flew! I hope that we do not get it!

Well that was my awesome week! I love all you guys!

Here is how my week went!

So this week has been kind of stressful, I don't know why but it just was. Hard to explain really! Haha I don't know why I am laughing, but here is how my week went!

Monday- was obviously P-Day (Preparation Day) and this morning I made it a goal to start working out every morning. Elder Weber (missionary up here in Whitehorse) broke the computers for the second time! But they got fixed thank goodness! I Alley ooped to Elder Hayes. That was his first time slamming the ally oop! We had dinner at the "Bracconiers".... I mean the Miccrackins! I made that mistake in the prayer before we left! they all had a good laugh! 

Tuesday- we had district meeting and I was assigned to give a training on "how to begin teaching". I told them to take out a blank sheet of paper (represents the missionary) The actual missionary pretended to be an investigator and he had to write on the blank piece of paper there name and 2 concerns that they had! Then when everybody did that we went around the room and talked about there investigator and we all had to find a good bullet point from how to begin teaching to help answer there concerns! It went pretty good actually! I shocked myself! Lol. Oh and Elder Hayes ran over a mouse! That was my awesome Tuesday!

Wednesday- That morning we went O.Y.M.'ing (open your mouth) downtown and we handed out this Book of Mormon to this one guy that found a cigarette on the ground and he was about to smoke it and we walked up to him at the perfect time! After lunch me and Elder Hayes went and helped the old people/ well seasoned play bingo! Went to music with Bob (plays the banjo)  with the old people again! They try hitting on us and we just laugh and walk away! Creepy! haha. When we got to our apartment for dinner we ran into our land lord and he asked us what we do as missionaries?! It was one good conversation! Then we did this thing called "Daily Dose" with "Udei" he is from India! We pretty much teach him English! I would of never thought that I would be an English teacher on my mission! The Northern Lights were out tonight. Kind of cloudy but still cool!

Thursday- So get this we had a "Chinook" (Randomly warms up a lot) It was -22 degrees 2 days ago and then it warmed up today to 45 degrees! We finally went tracking with our short sleeves on! Beautiful Day! Drunk Natives tried fighting us and trying to still stuff from us.  We gave them a mormon.org card and left! Then people flinged mud at us! Me and Elder Hayes just laughed and said its okay we have like 5 other shirts! Haha! You get used to it after a while, thats not normal but it is for a missionary!  Am I right or am I right?! Lol.

Friday-  Yesterday I sent a text to this lady that missionaries have not seen in over 2 years and she text us back at 12:30 last night and I woke up and felt prompted to text her back! We text until 1:45 in the morning and all I wanted to do was sleep! Haha but we had an appointment with her today at the church and it went amazing! She wants to meet with us again! 

Saturday- we went OYMing again and handed out a couple more mormon.org cards and a couple of Book of Mormons! We helped Todd P. shovel his avalanche that he had at his house! Because of the heat, there are avalanches going on everywhere! Very dangerous right now but it is getting a little bit colder! 

Sunday- Was of course church We had a ton of meeting that day! After all the meetings we had Lunch at the Gueveras and they made mexican food! Yumm! Then we had dinner at Todd P. place and all that he feeds us is moose! So he made something a little bit different this time! He made Japanese Moose! Yummmmm! haha I love that guy! He wants us to go play Racket ball with him one of these days, and go Ice fishing! 

Well the church is true and I love you guys!

-Elder Russell

Shoveling out a basement/conference was awesome!

Look at all this snow!!!

We shoveled out the down stairs to this basement!!!

Conference was awesome, we talked about power and why we need to be more obedient! I will tell you about he ferry rides in the weekly letter! I am doing awesome and yes I did get the shaver and everything else! Thank you so much! And I think I have enough Hand warmers! Thank you! Haha.

My week... So on Tuesday well we had our studies and then after studies me and Elder Hayes left to Skagway, then we got on the Ferry to Juneau at 2:30 P.M. And on the ferry there was this one lady who came up to us while we were in the lunch line and she said "Hey when you get your food come and sit by me and we will talk about Religion!" Well she was not looking to convert, she just wanted to challenge us, and our knowledge! Well we pretty much did a roll play for 3 1/2 hours and she was asking about Joseph Smith, Polygamy, homosexuality, marriage, repentance, life after death, and pretty much anything that you can think of! Then we ended with a prayer and then we just talked for another 2 hours! Well that was one interesting boat ride! it was crazy because she got her "PHD" in Religion and we were teacher her on top of what she already knew! Crazy Life of a missionary! Then we finally got to Juneau at 8:45 P.M. 

Wednesday we Hiked to the Mendinghall Glacier!

Thursday we had zone meeting!

Friday Was Zone Conference in the Juneau Zone! It is my second one in this zone! Elder Moyle (My Grandpa) and Elder Brower did an awesome job! Zone Conference was really focused on us strengthening our weaknesses! We need to go back to the Fundamentals/ basics! Just like in Sports!

Sunday we left Juneau at 5:30 in the morning on the Ferry back to Skagway! on the way to Skagway we saw a couple of Seals! 

So that was my amazing week! I love you all!

Elder Russell

Alaska Anchorage Mission

Whitehorse Canada

In 4 more days I'll be here 6 months!

Yep 4 Days and I will have been out on my mission for 6 months! Yep time really does fly! Haha it is actually one of the warmest winters that Whitehorse has ever had but this is the most snow that they have ever had! Weird! I'm getting a good workout out of it! That's awesome that papa Kay asked for a blessing! That takes a leap of faith! I'm sorry but I don't have much time here! I am Staying here in Whitehorse for another 6 weeks with Elder Hayes! I will be his longest companion and he was my Greene breaker and Everybody is shocked that I am staying with my greene breaker for 3 transfers! They said that that is unheard of! What does the Lord have in store for me? LOL! Well I am heading to Juneau for zone conference Tomorrow! I Will be driving down to Skagway and then Ferrying to Haines  and Then ferrying to Juneau! this is going to be a fun 10 hours! I wish I could say more but I will be sending you guys a couple of copies of my journal! I love you So much! Tell Bridger and Whitney that to!