We were flying down the mountain!

Well I am doing alright! Sister Skaleski told you about us getting
stuck on the mountain right? Well if you didn't then well let me tell
you. We got up to the very top of the mountain and its like 0 degrees
and the wind is blowing like 40 miles per hour. When we got to the top
we opened up our coats and leaned forward about 45 degrees and the
wind was holding us up! We had to clime the mountain on all fours
because it was slick and steep! It was getting late and we decided to
take what we thought a easy path back to the car, so we are hiking
down and then there is a super super steep hill about 200 yards long
and it was all ice! there were bushes all around us so all three of us
said well its getting super dark and we are super late, so we decided
to slide down the icy hill. What we would do is we would lay on our
backs with our legs facing down and we would slide and grab bushes and
then slide and grab bushes! We did this for an hour and you would
slide and miss the bushes sometimes and then you crash into the bushes
and that hurt but we were flying down that mountain! It was super
scary but super fun! We had our missionary Restoration Fireside that
we put on for Delta Junction! We put a lot of work into this thing! We
had nerators and singers and conversion stories and a slide show and
piano playing the whole time! It was super awesome and we had food and
deserts! Lots and Lots and Lots of Non members came because we
challenged everyone to bring someone! and they did! Haha I will have
to tell you the rest of it on Skype on Christmas!
So Elder Mccusker came out with me from the MTC and he is now AP and
He told me that there will be 30 new missionaries coming in next
transfer and only 7 leaving and then the transfer after that we will
be having another 30 new missionaries and only 7 leaving! Where are
they going to go? haha usually only like 5 or 6 would come out! Well
those were two highlights that I thought I should share! A lot more
went on these past couple of weeks but that's for later! I love you So
much!

Pictures from the Skaleski's Delta junction!!!

At the Skaleski's

The Skaleski's home

Elder Russell's new companion!

In the dog yard

Packer fan. WHAT?

MUSHING!!!!!!!!!

My new limo!!! Alaska style!

Mushing!!!!

Learning to do dog mushing!!!

"Faith,Hope,Charity and Love" D&C 4!

Well I am not going to layout Monday through Friday but I will tell
you of a couple of days! This week has just been super busy and the
work is progressing!

Friday- We went and helped Laretta with her pig farm, a couple days
before Friday we went and caught 10 baby pigs and put them in a pen.
We showed up on Friday and they all escaped!!! ugh that was terrible!
So we went and fixed the pen and we should be catching them all again
in the coming week! We also helped her break all the ice out of the
Pigs drinking bowls! The days are getting colder and colder! We then
had Zone Meeting, we of course had to Skype in! The main points was to
Make Exchanges more effective and making sure that our miles don't go
over! ( Its kind of hard when people live forever away from you! haha
but we have actually been doing really really good with our miles! At
night we went over and taught Mary Treybal and we finished the new
member discussions with her! Finally! haha We taught her all of the
Laws and Ordinances. We then had dinner with my dads twin! Dallin
Wrigley and his family! We then went and saw our ward mission leader
brother Taylor. We told him the stuff that needs to be reported and
announced at ward council on Sunday because we wont be there! We will
be in Tok!

Saturday- We woke up and drove to Tok! Which is a 2 hour drive! We
went and saw a ton of Families! It was sweet! We picked up a couple of
referrals and a couple of Potentials, almost got shot, that was fun!
We stayed in the Bergs bed and breakfast cabin! There was a lot more
stuff going on this day but that is for when I get home! :)

Sunday- We did our studies and went and had breakfast with the Berg
Family! We didn't have a working toilet in our cabin so we had to go
use the out house in freezing cold weather! Quite the experience! We
then went to church, not in a church building but in the Branch
Presidents living room! There was a total of 10 people not including
us. I gave a talk in Sacrament along with a high counsel man that was
visiting! I gave a talk on "Faith, Hope, Charity and Love" D&C 4! It
was one of the most spiritual sacrament meetings I have ever had in my
whole life! It is amazing that the Lord is Present in a little home
with 10 members! I am so glad that I was able to experience that! We
then talked to the Branch President and he is a pilot and he has been
talking with President Robinson and they have been talking about Me
and Elder Modlik being flown into the Native Villages throughout the
North! We will be having dinner with the Master Chief in a couple of
weeks! Branch President said that he feels like it is time for
missionaries to start going to the Northern villages!

Well that's part of my amazing week! I love you guys! Stay safe and warm!

Love
Elder Russell
Alaska Anchorage Mission
Delta Junction & Tok

The Lemon family from Alaska!

Sister Lemon and her son Wyatt stopped by from Alaska to share with us the love they have for Elder Russell! Wyatt is going to serve in the Ukraine! Thank you Lemon family!!!

Best teaching week in Delta!

Monday- For P-day we went and did some quilting! woot woot! It was
probably one of my best p-days ever! haha. We had a  super spiritual
lesson with a less active family, the dad wants his kid to be baptized
and he wants to become active again. It is the Carston family!

Tuesday- Today we had transfer meeting, and of course it is in
Anchorage which is 350 miles away so we had to Skype in and watch it!
My trainer is going home, Elder Landon. His time is up. That's crazy
how time flies! Had a lesson with Bill, how he made it through
life was by playing guitar in bars and things like that, and he has
not played in years!!!!! like 30 years was the last time he touched
one. People have been trying to get him to play for so long now, and
guess who got him to play????? The one and only missionaries! haha. We
then went and saw Brother Mcneal who is also less active and we found
out why he has not been coming to church, because someone told him
that the sacrament was only passed on Fast Sunday! He would always
show up to fast Sunday but not any other Sunday. He told us that he
will start coming more now that he knows that! haha goof ball! :) We
finally got in with this family that I have been trying forever and
they loved us!!! We will be seeing them at the Ward Halloween party!
We then went to the Gas Station and we walked in and talked to this
guy that was all tattooed up with gauges in his ears! We had a nice
chat and invited him to the Ward Halloween party and he said he will
go with his family!

Wednesday- We went to the Steak house and talked to this man who is a
Jehovah's witness and he wants us to teach him next week and answer
some questions! Boo Yeah! Had Lunch with this less active guy named
Joe Erickson and he made us Ribs, Mashed Potatoes, and corn! Sooooo
Gooood! haha we finally found out his concern, how? Well we just asked
him! haha easy as that. We then went and helped this lady at her pig
farm.

 Thursday- We went and took a load of wood from sister kirk and gave it
to this lady that is in need. Had dinner with the Lemon family and
there son Wyatt is going on a mission in 4 days to Ukraine, so we had
him act like a missionary for our lesson and we taught the Restoration
to the rest of his family with him teaching as well and boy did the
whole family start crying! haha it was awesome!

Friday- We went and helped the Carston family unload pellets for there
wood burning stove, and then taught them a lesson! Went over to
Skaleskies and sister Skaleskie told us that Zoya and John the people
that we went dog mushing with, they want to take the discussions! Me
and Elder Modlik were jumping up and down! We taught a new member
discussion to Mary Treybal and we are now done with the commandments!
We then had the Halloween party and the Chili cook off! We were the
judges!

Saturday- We went and saw our investigator Richard who is a seventh
day advent and we taught him about he Priesthood and invited him to
church. Dinner with the less active Rhile family and we had a good
lesson, spirit was super strong! We then went to Wyatt Lemons
fairwell. And he introduced us to some of his friends that are not
members and they want to meet with us.

Sunday- We woke up did our studies and then went to church at 10 but
when we showed up there were no cars there, so we were like what the
heck is today not Sunday, did they cancel church because it was to
cold or what, but then it dawned on us.... it was daylight savings!
haha dang it, no one told us! Richard showed up to Church!!!!!!! He
loved it! The Carston family also showed up! Dinner with the krauses
and they brought some friends and we ended up teaching them and picked
them up as new investigators! They want to meet with us again!

Man what a jam packed week! Best teaching week in Delta! The work is
progressing and nothing will get in the way of that! Me and my
companion are striving and doing really good at being Exactly
Obedient! Obedience brings blessings but Exact Obedience brings
Miracles! I love you guys! Stay safe and warm out there!

Elder Chad Russell
Alaska Anchorage Mission
Delta Junction & Tok Branch