BEAR!!!!!!!!!

I saw a BEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bear in Alaska no way! Ha Ha

I cant believe it's been a year....

 I cant believe it has been a year.... its
going by way to fast. I kind of want it to slow down, but you guys
want it to speed up haha but I will be honest! I love serving God and
 he's always watching over me and protecting his missionaries and going
out and serving his children 24/7! I am scared for the time when I get
on that plane to go home, I thought going out on a mission was
terrifying. Home is what I am scared about. Its not you guys, its the
world and it is so much harder to live and to serve others when you
are back at home. I don't know how it will be but that is what I have
heard as I have talked to Return missionaries. They plead for us to
take them out with us and they plead for blessings and ask for our
prayers. That's what I am so grateful for as a missionary is that I
get the prayers of my family and friends and most importantly every
temple session! I feel the power that comes from it! So thank you for
praying for me it has helped me get through those hard times that we
all go through! Please let me know how I can serve you! I feel like I
can do more, not only here but back at home! I pray that when the time
comes that I will be ready with full body armor of God with the sword
of faith and prepared for that day when I get off that plane heading
home! Thank you for all that you do mom, I wish I could just give you
one big hug right now! Because you have been such a great example and
motivation for me to work harder! I see what hard things that you are
going through and so does dad and Heavenly Father! He will be at our
side forever and ever! Do what is right and let the consequence
follow, we are battling for freedom! keep up the good fight mom you
are doing awesome! Let your light shine forth to all the people that
surround you! Keep Heavenly Father in your Thoughts because thoughts
lead to action! Think of God in EVERYTHING that you do! I love you
mom! Here is my week!

Monday- was a crazy P-day! President and sister Robinson called us and
asked if we could help them out with something and that they would
like to talk to us! We were like man what did we do?! Haha all he did
was ask us some questions about the mission. That lasted for like 2
hours! They are awesome!

Tuesday- Well today was a fun and eventful day! So today we had
District Meeting and it was my first district meeting as a District
leader. And it went Amazing! The spirit was so strong! we then went
and helped this lady and her best friend cut some wood and they have a
pit bull named buddy! And Buddy likes to chase cars and so when we
were cutting wood I saw this big truck pulling a small trailer. I hear
from behind me, BUDDY NOOO! and the dog gets hit hard by this truck,
and IT DIDNT DIE! It popped right up and sat next to me and I said to
him, "Well I hope you learned your lesson, and I bet you wont chase
any more cars." He just was sitting down looking up at me and I could
tell what he was saying to himself. "Man Elder Russell, that flippin
hurt!" And I then said "Well duh Scooby doo what were you thinking!"

Wednesday- It was poring rain today and we helped this lady move and
guess what we found!? 2 LACROSSE STICKS! (Sorry Braxton). Me and Elder
Bratt both played back at home! Man we played for like 15 minutes
while we were waiting for a truck! Well I am now going on exchanges
with Elder Kettle who is from American Fork Utah and he has only been
out for 2 weeks!

Thursday- My year mark! Man crazy stuff! Time flies, I want it to slow
down a little bit!

Friday- Well Happy Birthday Eric! Love you man!

Saturday- Today we just went and tracked! We got a couple potentials
out of it! We then Mowed down this ladies forest in her front and back
yard! Why would you let weeds grow to be like 7 feet tall!? I felt
like I was in Narnia fighting all these animals with my weed whacker
and I also felt like Ammon, cutting off all those arms!

Sunday-  Boy was this a spiritual day! I will tell you about it some
other time! :)

I love you guys so much!

Elder Russell
Alaska Anchorage Mission
O'Malley Ward

Oh how could I forget!!!!!!!!

Oh how could I forget!!!!!!!! I went to the temple with my Recent
Convert Janessa! She was doing baptism for the dead! Holy cow was that
awesome!

Sunday we had an awesome day at church!

 Well we got our new mission president and his name is President
Robinson and he is from Bear Lake Utah! This week he has been calling
us and asking for me and Elder Bratts help this whole week! So this
letter is going to be short.

Fourth of July was fun! We helped in the office pretty much all day
but when we got out of the office we went and taught Terrence our
investigator and the only thing that he needs a testimony of is Modern
Day Prophets, so we taught him about Modern Day Prophets and he said
that he will pray about it! We then went and saw the Hells Angel guy!
He was fun! He got a calling to be a family history guy! We then got
invited to a BBQ at bishops house!

Sunday we had an awesome day at church! Bro. Leach who is a returning
member passed the sacrament today for the first time ever and his baby
was blessed by his wife's dad! Then Bro. Pintar (Also a returning
member)(80 yrs old and the last time he attended church was when he
was 8!) He has been to church for a month now and he is progressing
like crazy) He got ordained in the office of a priest today and he is
the 2nd assistant in that quorum! We then lost our keys to the truck
and we looked everywhere and after 20 minutes of looking Elder Bratt
was like "Ummm we should probably pray" Well why didn't I think of
that! haha so we prayed and of course we found it! And we drove
happily ever after to our next appointment! haha Well sorry that this
letter was not a long one but its been a crazy busy one!

I love you guys!

Elder Chad Russell
Alaska Anchorage Mission
O'Malley Ward!

P.S. I cannot believe it will be a year on the tenth!

Pictures from a awesome week!

These are the pots we used to help fill the baptismal font!



Bye, Bye President and Sister Beesley :(

The Baptism was amazing!!! June 2014

The Baptism was amazing!

Of course you are my favorite mom! You are my only mom, so that
automatically makes you my favorite mom I have no choice! Haha JK!
Haha Your the best! The Baptisms were amazing and crazy and sooooooo
stressful! Elder Bratt (*Brought) is from Pleasant Grove Utah he is
almost 20 but looks like he is 16! Haha he is one of my great friends
on the mission! Um I still sleep the same. President Robinson and he
is from Bear Lake Utah! I love you Mom and here is my week!

Monday- Went to Wasilla for P-day because Elder Springer was with us
and it was his last day, President told him to go wherever he  wanted
and We did not get in until 11:30 that night! With Presidents
Permission of course!

Tuesday- Transfer Day! Elder Springer bought us Red Robin! YUMMM! We
then went to President and Sister Beesleys last Transfer meeting! I
was a reck! I am such a baby! I just could not hold it in. You want to
know what made it even better? We sang "Till we meet again" ! We then
had the baptismal interview for Jada and Everest! We had to teach them
the rest of the commandments before the Interview, it was intense! Oh
and they passed of course!

Wednesday- I had M.L.C (Missionary Leadership Council) It was soooo
long but it was amazing! We then gave a church and temple tour to our
investigator Terrence! When we took him into the temple (He can go in
just not past the front desk) we walked up to the desk and we had the
people at the desk bare there testimonies about the temple! It was
awesome! We sat there for 20 minutes and then right when Terrence left
the temple doors he stopped right in his tracks and he said WO! Did
you guys feel that? I felt so much love and peace and joy when I was
in the temple but right when I left I could feel part of it leaving
me, but I still feel good! It was amazing!

Thursday- Today was Chaotic!!!! We started to fill the font for the
Baptism and it filled up to the first step and the water was cold. Not
only was the water cold but there was no more water coming out! So we
got 2 huge pots and filled them with water and put them on the stove
until they came to a boil and we dumped them into the font and then we
would do it 2 more times then the water came back on right at the end
just enough to baptize the kids! President Beesley came to the
Baptism, and so did a lot of other people! The Baptism was amazing!
After the Baptism Everest Came and like tackled me with a huge hug!
This kid doesn't have a dad and so I let that Hug be okay! Then Amanda
(MOM) pulled me and Elder Loy off to the side and she told us that she
has not been to church in 10 years! until last Sunday! She said that
we were meant to be in this ward for a reason! She said that we were
the ones that they have been waiting for! She said that something
clicked when we came over for the first time! Before I met you guys I
would ram do not get baptized down my kids throats but I changed when
you 2 came over! That meant so much to us!

Friday- Saturday  ?

Sunday- Went to Church and I confirmed Jada and Elder Loy Confirmed
Everest! People were in aw in what we were saying when we were giving
the confirmations! So were we! Its crazy when the spirit works through
people like that! I then Spoke in Sacrament about the Priesthood! That
Night I did not go to bed until 11:30... Why? Because I had to do all
this District Leader Stuff! Its a good learning experience!

Well I love you guys!

Elder Russell
O'Malley Ward
Alaska Anchorage Mission

Last zone conf pictures with President Beesley and his sweet wife!

ANC Zone Conference June 2014

Top O' The World! ANC Zone Conference

ZION!!!

You can only do this on the summer Solstice!