New Pillows Anyone?It was a busy week again in the office. I think that might be so redundant now in my letters that I might as well omit it completely…but it is nonetheless true. We finished interviews and had a few training meetings with the Elders. I have been trying to finish up everything from January and February now that they finally gave me my budget for the year. It was a lot of paperwork and number crunching but I finally got through it with only some minor headaches and sleepiness. But it was a fulfilling week as well. They always are when we do our best.
President told me this week that I will be training a new financier next transfer so I am getting everything ready for him. I am updating all of the system and making sure that his head doesn’t explode when he gets here. Transfers are in 10 days so that means that shortly I will have a new companion. Then I will go to the field again! Watch out Nicaragua, here I come! I am a little excited now for it. I guess I am trunky (anxious) to go the field…but it is a good sort of trunky I think.
I have been reading the Doctrine and Covenants the last few days and I have loved some of the counsel that the Lord gives through His servant Joseph. One particular verse in Chapter 10 was so simple but so powerful to me. It talks about the Book of Mormon and the faith of the disciples in the Americas and how their faith would let the gospel come forth in the latter days.
“And I said unto them, that it should be granted unto them according to their faith in their prayers” (10v47)
By the simple faith that they had in the Savior, their words ring in our ears, their spirit fills our hearts and minds. I am thankful for their faith and their prayers.
Elder Gardner and I have been worried about a certain recent convert for a few weeks. He had been so excited and zealous for weeks after his baptism but then one day he just suddenly changed. We were shocked by his sudden busy schedule and we were worried when he denied our visits for almost two weeks. We prayed a lot for him. When I read this verse I believed that it would be okay. One night I prayed and asked Heavenly Father to help him get through whatever it was. I felt a comfort. I knew everything was going to be alright. Then a few days went by.
Thursday night we got a call from the Ward Mission Leader who informed us that the convert had been sick and had been operated on. Who would have thought?! So we called him and to our amazement he answered in high spirits. We went over and we had a very pleasing visit and everything was alright. His surgery went great and now he felt better. It turns out that his condition had made it difficult for him to receive us especially because he wasn’t feeling so hot. We left feeling grateful that the Lord had answered our prayer. He had taken care of him. In that lesson with him, we talked about gratitude and we gave him the Conference Liahona with President Monson’s talked marked inside. It was a great lesson for all of us. We were all able to recognize the hand of God in all things.
I am so grateful for the Lord. I am grateful for the gospel and I know that it is the sure path to happiness in our lives if we walk in it always. Thank you all for your support and love across the miles. I love you all. I try everyday to be worthy of the privilege to wear His name over my heart. It is such a blessing.
Elder Russell
