I LOOOOOOVE this Gospel!

My Dearest Family,

Oh, how AMAZING was that general conference?!! I LOOOOVED it! What we had to do for that was go to the stake center to watch it, the usual hour long bus ride. Before, members would watch it in Tambo Grande on BYUTV, but it has been cut this year, and I am too skeptical of the internet to trust my general conference on it, so the best option was to go to Piura. We actually ended up spending the night Saturday night with the zone leaders and so we spent all day Saturday and Sunday with them. The other joy and blessing of General Conference in the stake center was that there was a little side room for all the gringos to watch in ENGLISH! So we got real spoiled. I had been praying really hard that I would be able to understand all that the Lord wanted to teach me during conference. Apparently I needed it all because He sent it to me in my native language! haha :)

About General Conference, thank you all for sending what you personally got out of it! There are MANY themes we were able to hear and learn about. For me personally, the explanation of what Discipleship is hit me strong. Also all the talks about staying strong and Standing firm in your obedience and beliefs also were important to me. After every single session I was so pumped to get out into the world and proclaim the Gospel. It's just so natural to me now. I LOOOOOOVE this Gospel, and it makes Perfect sense, how is it that some people DONT yet have this in their life?! We gotta fix that, folks. I am so grateful for conference, it is like an electrical shock into our enthusiasm batteries.

Do you remember the brief mentioning of "My Family" booklets by Elder Cook, Mom? THAT is my project for the photos and family information. Also one of the talks got me excited to learn better our ancestor conversion stories. Dad, I am especially unfamiliar with the Russell side of the family's story, could you tell me about that or send me the story sometime? Also, yes, with Elder Ballard's talk, the missionary spirit got a little bit stronger! I want you all to follow his council and read Preach My Gospel! And for your emails to me, tell me what you learned that week! If you promise to do that, I will promise to do the same! I am already studying that marvelous book every day and testify of its Godly Truths. It is scripture and one of the best books you could ever own.

Now, about other adventures! This was the week before, I totally forgot to talk about it! Mom, you remember that Quinoa super health food rice-ish food you would serve, and I was always a bit skeptical. And you also told me they grow it here in Peru! Well, I had long since forgotten this, until one day we were sitting on the bus waiting for it to depart to Piura. And the normal people come on selling their drinks, "Agua (Water), Sporade (Gatorade-ish drink), Gaseosa (soda), Soya (soy milk), QUINOA (WHHAAAAA???!)" I hear that long forgotten word and I remembered all the memories, and I wanted to see this drink. I asked my companion how it was, and he said it was pretty good. So I was like, I am a daring kid, and so I bought one! If this internet allows me I will send a picture of it. Apparently the internet didn't allow it :(  But it was like drinking oatmeal with a lot of cinammin added. It was the strangest thing ever, but it was rather tasty! haha so there you have it Mom, I am eating healthy here in Peru! :)

As for health, my companion and I are all back to normal, doing well! And that is a great blessing.

But this past week has been pretty good. We keep plugging along, I really hope we get a new blast of action soon. We are currently planning an Easter activity where we will have an open doors chapel for anyone interested. We will be doing rotative classes of like 10 minutes of games and scriptural classes to get people interested. We will do this for about an hour or two then we will bring everyone together and watch the Testament. Holy Smokes that is a good movie. So that is the big goal of us and the branch council right now, to bring that to pass.

This next week is going to be rather busy! Tomorrow we have a multi zone conference with zona Alrorrobos (that's us), Miraflores, and Paita. Afterwards I am doing exchanges with Elder Toolson, one of our awesome zone leaders, until Wednesday afternoon. Then Thursday we will be having District Meeting! Man, April is an exciting month for conferences and training classes! I am very excited for all this time to learn, and I really hope we can get some awesome action going down here in Tambo Grande. I think if we play our cards right, we can have two very great family baptisms by the end of the month! I hope and pray we can work well these coming weeks.

Our new apartment is pretty good. it's quite cooler, but it is also smaller. So the change to me has been a little bit on the unnecessary side. We should have looked around a little more, but yeah, I am content how we are now too! haha another big thing this week has been cleaning our old apartment for the renter. Apparently the deal she made with the Elders was that we would paint the apartment when we left. So we did that with help of Alfredo and Fabian. And, that paint was quite toxic. haha we all had buring eyes and noses in the end, and the fumes created almost a smoke in the room!! I ended up using that greatly in a lesson that evening, relating it to 1 Nephi 8:23 so it was an experience worth having. :)

Well, I always come to internet thinking I have loads to tell, then it all goes out the window when I sit down! But here it is! I know this church is true!! I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the key to every aspect of this life! I cannot deny that, and I plan to be a Disciple of this Church and Gospel for all my life. I know Satan tempts us seemingly unbearably, but we can overcome all things. I love you all with all my heart!! Stay strong and keep choosing the right!!

Con amor y felicidad,
Elder Collin Russell

Outside of the Stake Center after Conference.