Learn How to be Obedient and Stand Firm

Dearest family,

How are you all doing?! I forgot to tell you I had forgotten all about St. Patrick's Day until I received your email title and the packages, But we took full advantage of all those goodies the day afterwards. :)

Yes, transfers are today. But, Tambo Grande is the same. Just the two of us missionaries here, Elder Martinez and myself. It looks like our district has changed though. Before, it was us, San Pedro, Miguel Grau 1, and Miguel Grau 2. The other three areas are in Piura, so it is a 30 minute bus ride for us to get there for district meetings and everything. Elder Inocente and Elder Pin were in San Pedro. Miguel Grau 1 is the zone leaders, Elder Castillo and Elder Toolson, and Miguel Grau 2 were the Sister Missionaries, Hermana Hood and Hermana Hualinga. This transfer, Elder Inocente has ended his mission. His two years are up and by tomorrow afternoon he will be back in Guatamala. Seriously he is one of the best missionaries I've met, and I am so sad he is leaving because now I have no clue where to go for all my advice! haha And now, San Pedro is recieving 2 more missionaries, so I believe it will be its own district. So sadly all the friends I've made in my time there I will probably not see for a good deal of time... The zone leaders did not have a change and that is awesome because they are solid missionaries and I love working with them. And the sisters, Hermana Hualinga is being transfered to Chulucanas, which is actually quite close, the same stake, but different zone. And Hermana Hood and her new companion will be sister training leaders, which are like sister leaders over the sisters of a couple zones, I'm not quite sure how it works, but they will be great at is. And her companion is from Venezuela. So now I think our district is just Tambo Grande and Miguel Grau, so a district full of leadership, we are gonna ROCK. I am still district leader, and for districts there are only one leader. For zone leaders and assistants there are 2, but only 1 for districts.

Things are going AWESOME as we are newly putting efforts to talk to everyone, we have a load of visits set to visit all these contacts, and we are really going to get started on finding solid new investigators! And when we put forth our effort, the Lord blesses us to find ready souls. Like today, we just stopped by for a second to converse with the old branch President, and he went to buy us some sodas, and then walks in this 20 year old man and says "Are you guys Mormons?" "Yeah!" and we started talking to him, and he seems really solid, his parents had actually talked before about how Mormons are such good people, and now he is wanting us to teach him. He lives next door to the old Branch President and he later said his whole family is solid, so I am excited to see what comes of that. We are really finding solid people once we really hit the road and talk and search!

We had stake conference this Saturday and Sunday, and man it was awesome!! We had an Area Seventy there, Elder Calderon, and he had everyone laughing! During the Priesthood leadership meeting Saturday night, he was talking about preparing to have the Holy Ghost be with you and be prepared when Satan tries to get you. Then he was looking at the group of missionaries and wanted one of us to come up. Then he goes "You, Who looks like Joseph Smith when he was 15." He was talking to me. I walked up red as a beet (Classic me, right?) And he asked me some questions about my obedience to the mission rules. What time I wake up, if we study, when we plan, etc. I am proud to say I was able to give all the right answers. I have really been trying hard to be more obedient. There are hard rules in the mission to follow! And I will be honest, sometimes you stand alone when you want to support them. Solo. One thing I want to emphasize for all of you that are preparing to leave on a mission, learn how to be obedient and stand firm when opposition is given. You will need it, and the blessings that come from following it are high class and necessary.

Also from the conference, basically every single talk was about the work of salvation and missionary efforts. Our goal as a stake is to have a convert baptism for every family in the stake for this year. A solid goal! And it was amazing how strongly emphasized it was about the importance of member participation in missionary work. I honestly believe it is more important than full time missionary efforts. I feel like the things I am learning now will help me in these two years, but more importantly, these two years are helping me learn how to be a missionary for the rest of my life. I want to invite you all to think about our stake's plan, and try to follow it too. Yeah, maybe in Morgan Utah just about everyone is a member, but I invite you to become the hands of the Lord to bring someone unto Christ or RESCUE someone and bring them back to Christ from inactivity. It is a commandment that we all enter into the efforts of missionary work.

During the stake conference, we had a CCM companionship reunion!! We are all in the same stake now and Elder Miller and I are once again in the same zone! Elder Miller is serving in the office, I am district leader, and Elder Chapman is a trainer this transfer!! We are all really growing up! :) It was so awesome to see them all again. It sure is fun, all the friendships you build in the mission.

Oh, and Mom, you'll be happy to hear I played piano for the Saturday night adult session of Stake Conference! Hermana Rowley came up to me right before it started, asking if I could play, since apparently there wasnt a single other soul there that could play... hahaha so after 7 months without a solid practice, I played! It went pretty well... haha :)

I got pictures downloading in Dropbox for you mom!! Hope it works out ok! :) And I also got the tootsie roll package yesterday! I told the pensionista the story and she is quite happy. haha She is awesome, Hermana Brenda, very motherly to us missionaries. Oh, and also the peanut butter is good stuff!! That powder has an exquisite taste and the knead and squeeze is quite the savory snack! I think I got enough to last the rest of my mission!! haha Thank you very much for the shipments! (oh, and Elder Martinez will be with me for Easter, if you were thinking about that...)

Well, I think this is going to be the first P Day we are going to take a NAP!!! That is always what I want to do, but my companion LOVES playing soccer so we always end up doing that instead. It looks like I've convinced him for today though, just one hour at least to sleep!! One thing - the mission wears you out!! haha

Well, I know the Doctrine of Christ is true. I know that the Atonement is the key to everything. It is why we must accept Christ. And it is the thing that Satan is working so hard for us to forget. I love 2 Nephi 31. I love 3 Nephi 7 in the missionary efforts of Nephi to teach this Doctrine (thank you Chase, for showing me that one while I was in the CCM) and as we grow to understand the Doctrine of Christ, every other teaching in this gospel follows. I invite you all to study it. Read the Book of Mormon DAILY. It will change your life like it is changing mine. I know we grow daily as we strive to be closer to God. I have especially felt that as I have grown in Patience recently. I have a LOT left to learn and I am working to become better every day.

I love you all!! Thank you all for your letters!! You are all so great! Take care this week, I will keep you all in my prayers! :)

Con amor y felicidad,

Elder Collin Charles Russell

A CCM Reunion!

Elder Miller, Elder Chapman, Elder Russell (and a photo bomber :)