Collin Russell: A Missionary: Pray On Your Knees!

Well, another P Day rolls around!

This week was a different one for sure! It just seemed different, even though every week is pretty much the same. haha

We had a reunion de zona, and that was really good. One thing that the zone leaders said was a quote, I dont remember who by, but it says If you aren't kneeling in prayer with your investigators, you are not a preach my gospel missionary. Man, that hit me! We haven't been doing that, and I haven't thought about that! Most of the floors in which we teach tend to be dirt floors or just incredibly dusty, but now we are really starting to incorporate this! How much more powerful and respectful and humbling and AWESOME is a prayer on your knees?!

Dad, I hope you had an incredible birthday yesterday!! I thought about you a bunch, you are one fantastic dad! I think we are going to visit a birthday party of Diego today, the grandson of our pensionista, so hopefully I can eat a slice of cake to celebrate with you all back home!

For Halloween I was in Los Pinos in Piura on exchanges with a zone leader. That was a great experience, I actually learned a lot especially about talking with everyone. I was with Elder Borer from Guatamala City, and he is a fireball. We had two baptismal interviews he took care of so I also spent time with other missionaries, and that was really nice, I got good advice and talks about the mission from other Gringos, and also I got to see Elder Miller another time!

OH!!!! Big news!! This was a surprise for us at the zone conference. November 20th, we are going to CHICLAYO!! Yep, the other mission! There is a devotional for the missionaries by Russell M. Nelson, and we get to go!! Oh I am SO freaking excited!! This is going to be fantastic! And little extra bonuses, it will probably be in English (haha!) and I should be able to see Elder Darrin Neilson, Elder Curtis Watkins, and other great missionaries I have made friendships with in the CCM!!

A little more about Elder Inocente. He is so so awesome. I love the man with all my heart. He is my missionary dad. That's what they call the trainers on the mission here. haha it's fun! But he is from Guatemala, he has a younger brother who is his pride and joy, he also has a sister close to his same age I believe. His parents are divorced, he lives with his dad. He was baptized when he was 9 years old. He also lived with his abuela before the mission too, in their house they have 3 generations. His plans are to study communication electronics, and he attended schooling for that for a year before, I believe. He has almost 20 months in the mission! He goes back home in March, but he doesn't want to go home. He finds Peru to be his home now. He came onto the mission not knowing too much, but while on the mission he has read every book of scripture, except for 5 books in the Old Testament, and is about to finish Jesus the Christ and he has read much more! He knows the gospel and the scriptures like the back of his hand and I have a hard time keeping up with him!! He has shown me AMAZING and important doctrine to help me better understand what I'm teaching! I love him, he is truly an amazing missionary. Very humble, I test his patience a lot but he carries it well, he is very loving, a jokester, and wants more than anything to do the things God would have him do. You can see how well he follows the spirit as well, I hope to learn more and more from him!

Oh, so I still don't really know what they do for Halloween here, I think mostly just have parties here and there. But then Día de los Muertos is pretty cool, but it's not as big as it is in Mexico from what I've heard, or other places. But here in Sechura, it was kinda like a relay for life at the cemetery and the road outside of it! People spend the night at the cemetery and the day, and they have purchasing shops, tent restaurants, and everybody kinda just gets together! But I didn't see to much since I was in Piura for part of the time and we also had appointments and whatnot. They also had sort of a mini festival set up on the street for those 2 days, bounce castles, fooseball tables, not tons of stuff, but fun stuff! We didn't do anything there, but it looked like a good time! So yeah, there you have it! My perception of Sechura Día de Los Muertos.

Well, I'm gonna go now, this week should be a real good one! I plan to be a fireball!! Diana got confirmed this Sunday. And new investigators, that's gonna be a big thing this week, I think! Oh, and yes! Hermana Mara, the pensionista does have a missionary son! He is serving in Paraguay! So that is a groovy deal!

Ok, well I love you all!! Keep praying ON YOUR KNEES! And daily try to do your best. God loves you. God loves us all, I can feel that every single day, and I hope you can feel his love too!! Because it is there SO STRONG if you ask to feel it. :) I love you all!! Thank you for all the wonderful letters! You are the best!

Con amor y felicidad,
Elder Russell