Repentence!! July 25, 2016

Alright well Shari Whitten didn't get baptized this week because she relapsed on drugs and smoking but she isn't giving up!  When she told us she wasn't getting baptized and we were pretty content and just focusing on keeping in contact with her and supporting her because she probably feels horrible!  But when she told us how she just feels like Satan is really trying hard on her and she feels that every time she tries to get closer to God, Satan just full on attacks.  I broke down crying because i just wanted to be there for her and protect her but I can't. I have to let God protect her and help her to learn and grow. That was probably the hardest thing for me. You get so attached to these people because you love them so much but then they get hurt and then you get hurt as well.

I was talking to our Sister Training Leaders about it and they helped me to think of how God feels towards us. When we do something wrong or we get hurt he is there weeping with us. He just has SO much love for us. Love Hurts. We are meeting with Shari on tuesday and just starting over. That is the blessing of Repentance:) It will make her stronger in the end. She truly knows the power of repentance.

I'm probably not explaining myself very well because every time I think of Satan trying to keep her from her happiness it gets to me. I know that Satan's power is strong but Gods power is a whole lot stronger! God has a plan for each and every one of us.

We set another baptismal date with Skylar! She is getting baptized the 7th of August

and then Maria (a new investigator) is getting baptized on the 11th of September! She is so awesome! Maria has been led to God to our church and she knows it is true. She is already sharing it with others and we have been teaching her for about a week.

We also met some steller new investigators!

We went to visit 2 of them yesterday and it was one of them's birthday and they were having a family party! They are a Hispanic family so they have the best parties! They invited us in and we met everyone and they wanted to feed us and give us water but we had to go:/ it was sad but we are going to convert their whole family!! It reminded me of my spanish areas. I LOVE Latinos! They are the sweetest people on earth! We are so pumped to teach them.

We just have been doing great as always:) Please, Please keep Shari in your prayers. She is so close to baptism but Satan is really trying her. We shared the verse in 3 Nephi 18:18. We have to always be watchful and pray always or God can't protect us from the temptations of Satan. Prayer is soooo important!

Say your prayers everyday, morning and night so that you can have that protection from our Heavenly Father:)

I know that this church is true with all of my Heart. I have had come in contact with many people with Anti- Mormon feelings and it is so sad. This is the true restored church on the earth and they are letting one little thing hold them back from that truth. All you have to do is Pray. It is the most simple thing in the world. But yet, a lot cant do it. 

I'm giving a talk next week, again. Actually going to be speaking on repentance:) Also, transfer calls are this saturday. Pretty sure I'm staying!

Almost forgot. They don't celebrate pioneer day a whole lot here in texas.

Love, 

Sister Rachel Russell

What a beautiful Sunset! We get the best here in Texas!

Bro. White and his daughter Jo jo let us to our laundry at their house every Monday. He is the sweetest man on this earth!

Miracles are happening!!! 7/18/16

OH my goodness. Shari Whitten is getting baptized this sunday!! We are so excited for her and she is just working so hard! She has overcome her smoking and she just tries to be better every day! The branch helped her to move into her home Sunday, and she was just tuckered out Sunday morning. We called her and she said she wasn't going to make it to church and we were really nervous. Satan is going to do everything he can to keep her from getting baptized and joining the church. She recognized that after we got off the phone with her and she drove to church right then! She didn't have any gas in her car and her gas light was on but she new that God would help her so she could make it to church:) and she made it! She came after the sacrament but she made it and i just started crying when she walked in and sat right next to us. 

When she told us she wasn't coming I was so bummed! I was just questioning God like, "why isn't she here? she is getting baptized next week!" and I just prayed my heart out during the sacrament that she would make it. I had the faith that she would. And then this darling family in the stake was visiting the branch and their whole family sang in sacrament. They sang, "Heavenly Father are you really there?" and at that moment, Shari came in and sat by us. I was just bawling. I know that Heavenly Father truly answers our prayers! He Loves us and he wants us to know that he will always be there for us we just have to reach out to him. Mormon 9:27

"Doubt NOT but be 

believing."

We are so excited for Shari and her baptism. She has really worked hard for this and she is ready. After she is baptized she wants to go to the temple and do family history work for her family and be baptized for those who are waiting. She is amazing and we can't wait till sunday. I'll tell you how it goes. Hopefully I can control my crying. Probably wont be able to but oh well.

Cristy Hope is supposed to get baptized on the 31st but she didn't make it to church yesterday so we have to push her back a little bit. She needs the extra preparation anyways:) So it will be good.

Also Nathan is really struggling with gaining a confirmation from the spirit that these things are true. He knows that its right and its going to be hard because he grew up with a really harsh life style. But he needs to understand that he is never going to want to turn back once he gains that spiritual knowledge and experiences the joy that comes from living the Gospel. Please keep him in your prayers. We are going to have to set another date for him.

It is truly amazing how the Lord works. After Shari's interview sister Jaussi took us all out to eat at a Thai restaurant. Which was super good. But shari opened up her fortune and guess what it said, "You will make a change for the better." We were all just filled with the spirit.

Brothers and Sisters, this church is true. I know it because I've studied it, prayed about it, and lived it! I am the happiest that i can ever be!

We go to a bible study and they are just all so confused in there and its so sad. God has given us prophets, the Book of Mormon, and much more so that we aren't confused. We are going to share things about the Book of Mormon and the restored truths. They are all mostly baptists so we pray we don't get kicked out;) Hope y'all have a great week! We will as well:)

Oh btw, members gave Shari some gas money so she could make it home don't worry....

exchanges with the STL's in pampa!

Sister Espinosa and I reunited! Such a blast!

Love these girls<3

 wicked storms down here in Childress! yes I took this sweet pic thank you.....

Got to go to the temple with recent convert brad!

Hello Again!! 7/11/2016

I emailed y'all on Wednesday which wasn't too long ago but lots is still happening!!

Brother Rohm was on vacation in Africa and he is finally back so that we can have a lesson in his home and continue to fellow-ship our investigators in Quanah. He is so awesome. He is one of our investigators' (who has Cancer) Doctor. She has been feeling so sick so she hasn't been able to attend church and we haven't been able to meet with her but we call her over the phone and stay in contact with her that way!

She is so amazing and we hope that when she gets feeling better that we can meet with her more and she can come to church! She is so strong. She is going through Chemo-therapy which is basically putting poison into your body but it kills the Cancer. Ugh she is so strong. She is so excited for her baptism on the 31st and  so are we. 

One of our baptismal date for the 17th we have to push back because he has been out of town but we still stay in contact with him! He returns back either today or tomorrow so we can't wait to meet with him:)

Also our other investigator Skyler is out of town but we met her mom! We do service at the Quanah Hospital and she works there and asked us to come help in the Kitchen and it was so much fun! She taught us how to cook and I'm going to be a pro cook here right quick. She is so nice and we hope to soften her heart to learn more about the gospel!

So we met one of our amazing new investigators named Nathan! He is about 22 years old and oh my gosh he is so prepared. We taught him 5 times this past week and he has a baptismal date for the 24th! He is so terrified but excited! He has recovered from drugs and has been clean for like 9 months! He wants to change and become better! He is so cool and his family is also interested. His brother and sister and their two kids are so cute. They want us to teach them but they work. All the time! We hope they come to the baptism and feel that special spirit:)

Shari Whitten is still getting baptized on the same date as Nathan. The 24th. She has committed to fully quit smoking today. Its hard but she can do it!! She wants to be clean 2 weeks before she is baptized.

We have lots more that we are teaching and working with. Childress is just amazing and the work is Hastening on! I think of the Scipture in Malachi 3:10 It totally describes us. But i changed it up a bit,

"Bring ye all Diligence into the TLM, that there may be success in mine work, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of Heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Hermana Russell (Malachi 3:10)

I feel like i am finally seeing the fruits of my labors! I have never given up! Because i trusted in Heavenly Father that it would come:) I love this Gospel with all of my Heart! K i probably say that every week but i just have to repeat it because its true. 

One of our Investigators has a quote in her house that i just love,

"I don't know what the future holds, but i know who holds the Future" - Danna's Home

Hope Y'all continue to work hard because it is soooooo worth it!! Just continue because Heavenly Father has lots in store for you:)

We were out contacting and Elder followed us Home haha:) Cutest dog ever!

still gets soooo hot here. 109

We had another Crazy storm!! Tons of Rain and lots of destruction because there was 85 mph winds!

this is someone's roof that has fallen.

There goes the Bank sign....Lots more with trees broken in half and the roof of the Presbyterian church came off.

Happy Late 4th of July! July 5, 2016

 Happy Fourth!

I hope everyone had an amazing fourth of July!

We had a good time. Our Zone Leaders invited us to come up to Amarillo a day early and spend the 4th with all the missionaries! We had a meeting the next day in Amarillo anyways so It worked out perfect:) we just stayed Monday night with the Canyon sisters!

So our President gave us the Whole 4th of July day off. Which meant no missionary work at all that day. I Did not like that. Even though it was fun because we got to play sports with everyone and hang out, i felt like I wasn't fulfilling my purpose as a missionary. 

I hope that is the only time we will ever do that. I Love missionary work way too much to not be able to do it for a whole day.

We were at our Zone BBQ where we brought cookies and water:) And we just wanted to go and knock on some doors around the church and give hand out cards. Just something! But we couldn't.

But it's ok because it made us want to work that much harder these next couple of weeks!

After Zone Conference (which was awesome as always. Our Mission President WILL be an apostle one day) We had a lesson with one of our investigators who has really been struggling with smoking. And also money problems. We committed her to really pray and ask God for help and he Will help you. She Did:) And a miracle happened and she was able to work out the situation:) It is amazing what God can do! She is so ready to be baptized the 24th of July! She is trying to overcome smoking so she can be clean for 2 weeks before her baptism:) She wants to stop by this Saturday. It is going to take a miracle because she has been smoking since she was very young. But it is possible! Anything is possible with God!! She is determined to stop and i truly have Faith that she will:)

Calvin has been goin' through some things. He has a baptism date for the 17th. He is meeting with our Branch President and we hope from there everything will be fine:)

I love Childress so much! It is a dream here! We will just walk in Walmart and Everyone just says Hi and loves to talk to us. Everyone loves the missionaries here. I can't wait for this whole town to get baptized. It could happen:) I love each and every individual person here. They are literally our Brothers and Sisters and i love them so much! It reminds me of the Prophet Alma in the BoM in Alma 8:10. I literally do this every day. I pray and ask God to help our people:) Our Brothers and Sisters:) I love them so much i just desire the best for them. 

"Mind is the 

      Source of 

Faith!" 

I love this quote:) It is very true!

I love missionary work and will never want to stop doing it. Even after my mission:) It brings me too much joy to stop:)

Love Y'all! Tenga una buena semana!

Finally caught the stinker Mouse in our House!!

 Spent the 4th with the sisters in canyon! Sister Bowden and Camadeko

Got to see my baby at Zone Conference! 

Sooooo Hot!!

July 2016 Zone Conference