THANK YOU so much for the Halloween packages from Mom, Dad and Logan, as well as the Hales family!! I got them today! That was a real sweet suprise!! Lots of goodies and I put up those Halloween decorations today just in time to celebrate Thanksgiving. :) But lots of awesome awesome stuff! Sadly here in Tumbes, packages seem to take more time to get here.
Well, R and M went back to church!! Just for the first hour this time, because M actually was NOT a fan.... She had to go do homework with a friend but when we showed up that morning, her Mom made her go with us. This Sunday was the primary program!! And for some of us, that is the best Sunday of the year, but for others, like M, she was hitting her leg with her fist like the whole hour bored... haha But R had a good time!! He was telling his Mom that he likes church, he would even like to become a missionary he told her!! And his mom was like, "well, you are 18, you can make your own decisions. If you like the church, go for it!" BOOM!! That was nice to hear. But yesterday we had a visit with M and her mom where they both told us that they just like to learn and listen but they don't want to go to church, just stick with Catholic. Luckily we had a stellar R.M. with us and we are just going to be working to get them reading the Book of Mormon, and with that they can see if it is true or not, and we can work from there. But great progress with R, but M hit a patch. But we are also getting her some friendships set in the church.
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Do you ever get the opportunity to play the piano?
About once every month and a half they ask me to play in the District Leader Training Meeting. I keep telling them, after over a year of areas without a piano makes a pianist very rusty. Maybe one of these days I will have an area with a ward piano... haha
How are things going with the plans for a big Ward activity?
a Big Ward Party not quite anymore... but we finally rescued Missionary night! Where the ward holds activity Friday night to help get all the members together along with any investigator or friend or anyone. We haven't had one in all of my time here, but we finally got it back and this Friday we will be holding it!
Do you have an example of when you really felt guided by the Spirit this week?
Well, this week I was on exchanges with Elder Cisneros in his area and they have an investigator who is just like Brother Rodriguez, for all of you who have seen The District 2 videos (Missionaries should know it, and it is also on BYU TV). It is an investigator who knows this is the true church, he is just scared to make the baptismal committment. But we taught an awesome lesson and the spirit was so strong both us missionaries felt it and really to hear what he felt, afterwards talking with Elder Cisneros we talked about what Elder Cisneros and Elder Moses need to do to help him get baptized. And we both felt that he can do it for the 20th of December. We told him to go to the temple grounds (he went on the stake temple trip to Guayaquil) and think and pray about baptism, and he went! But the spirit was so strong, I felt Him helping me in my form of teaching and what I was saying what what was really needed to be said. I just hope that man makes the decision.
Well, this week I am determined to get somebody with a baptismal date. The Tumbes stake is having a white night (group baptismal service) and President Rowley wants at least 25 baptisms that night. I want to find people for that date, and there is still a little time but we need to work super hard. This week I think we are going to go through all of the less actives in our area we can find, searching for part member families and asking all of them for references. We also have a couple quality couples I think we could get in there. We have a couple options already but I need to pray hard about them. Pray that we can receive revelation this week and find those golden people and families.
Today for lunch we ate Sudado de Pescado (it means something like sweated fish) which is fish in a broth with tomato and onion and such, which is served with a side of rice. Well today our pensionista served it but it wasn't just fish, but also calamari and octupus!! like those little bitty octopus' whole alongside the fillete. THAT was a quality meal. I will send pictures. :)
Well, I love you all! I invite you all to continue studying and reading your scriptures and the words of the prophets. I am learning more and more how much I DON'T know and how much I WANT to know, with so little study time. Take advantage of every single day to learn something new, espeically of spiritual value. I seriously LOVE the scriptures. Recently I cannot get enough of the Bible, lots of treasures I never knew about in there! And seriously this week I studied the Book of Mormon for a half hour every day, but studied in SUPER detail, I barely passed 1 Nefi chapter 1!! I will be doing more studying like that when I get home, MAN there is LOADS of stuff in there!! So take advantage of your scripture studies! That stuff changes lives and grants testimonies.
As for Thanksgiving, in the morning I will be on exchanges with Elder Wilson. Maybe we will have to do something to celebrate. :) But I will be sure to cook me a burger or something!! :) But recently I am accepting more and more Peruvian Christmas and eating Paneton. So good. haha ask Jason, I think it is an Italian thing too!!...?
Well, I love you all! Have a GREAT week!!!
Elder Russell
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