Things are Going Great!

Dear family!                                                                                                  

I sure hope this email doesn't explode on me again... This internet is a patience builder for sure! But I did look in the drafts for my big email last week, and it wasn't there... sorry! I always try so hard to keep you informed the best I can!!

Things are going great! Elder Martinez and I are really growing together. To answer your question Mom, It is actually quite possible Elder Martinez won’t be my companion.. we have transfers on the 22nd of March so we will see. But his name is John. John Martinez. So it has been Juan, Jhon, and John as my companions I just realized! haha

The pensionista is great, we eat a lot of rice! We always eat it with this type of hot sauce which really isn't that hot (nothing is spicy here in Peru. haha) but it is tasty! Also pasta is common. My favorite is when she makes Lomo Saltado. Yummm! Another thing I have learned this week is about Lucuma. The yogurt here there are tons of flavors. I had had Lucuma ice cream before, but now the yogurt. And I love Lucuma!! It is a type of exotic fruit it would appear. Although the fruit itself isn't grown here.

Well, church attendance jumped from like 25 to 50! That was awesome! I think it is because Mango Season is ending. So we get more attendance, and that is great.

And holy smokes I never told you guys about my last Sunday in Sechura!! I got Grandma and Grandpa Peterson´s letter this week which reminded me. Thank you all SO SO much for your prayers for church attendance!!! Investigators wasn't overly high, but less active was awesome. Especially amazing and special to me was the family Ronceros Flores. The mother has Parkinsons. So she takes super expensive pills every morning so she can walk and more from about 9 am to 11 or 12 am. But she hasn't gone to church because of her Parkinsons and in fear that the medicine wears off when she is away from home, which could be bad. But my last week, she came and her family as well!! She couldn't get up the stairs to the Sacrament room, and her husband had to help her walk, but she partook of the sacrament. That was one of the most uplifting sights in my mission so far. So thank you all for your prayers.

Here we got some great new stuff coming! We got A., who came to us saying he wants to be baptized! That always catches you off guard!! He lives in the rural area about 30 minutes out of Tambo Grande and his uncle is a member. He has been reading the Gospel Principles book and wants to learn more and be a member! So we are starting to teach him. 

Also I., she was a reference from a less active. She is a social science and religion teacher! We taught the first lesson and left the Book of Mormon for her to read. And MAN!! She has been studying that thing!! We came by and she started out asking us who Amlici is. (Alma 2 and 3) And she just keeps studying and wants to talk about it all and she is awesome. 

Oh, back in Sechura!! Xiomara and Esteban got married and baptized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHH!! Holy smokes, I am so happy for them, I just wish I could have been there to see it! Man, that is just super awesome.

Right now for Less Actives I think we are going to really start on the Young Men and future missionaries. When I first got here, we had like 2 in attendance, of 33. So yep. We got our work cut out for us for that. But when searching them out, I found out the COOLEST thing! We met J., who is 17. And his birthday is August 20th!! Sharing a birthday like that was a quick way to build a friendship, so we got a visit set for tonight. haha

I love reading the Book of Mormon and studying Preach My Gospel. One thing I learned about Repentance that really stuck out to me was about how it is a daily thing. I never really understood that and how it should be a daily thing. But like it says in Preach my Gospel, repentance is also in developing Christlike attributes, growing in knowledge, and PROGRESSING! It’s not just stopping bad things, but starting good things. It has a lot to do with what you shared with me Mom, about not just stopping bad habits, but replacing them! It is so great to learn that and I am finding so much joy as I learn more and more every day about repentance and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. One day we had a visit and I asked the family (all members) what the Atonement was, and they didn't know. Holy Smokes, I FLIPPED. It's not like that is the KEY TO EVERYTHING. My challenge for you all this week is to study the Atonement a little more, and it will bless your life.

I love being a missionary!! Thank you all for your prayers and    personal service in the missionary work! The church is true!!

I love you all, keep up the good work!

Con amor y felicidad,

Elder Collin Russell

I keep asking Collin to send pictures, and this is what he sent me:

three pictures of the inside of his apartment…

AHHH -- he's killing me… but I sure do LOVE him! :)