Service, Working with Members, and Missionary Activities

This week, we had our Family History activity, but only 15 members came and one investigator. But we really didn’t have much time to plan and give time for people to really consider coming. But the other thing is that people really don’t want commitments, which is super difficult, because we are a covenant making people, all we do is make commitments with people to come closer to Christ. Anyways, we’ll try it again in the future and improve on committing people with more time.

So just thinking this week, I really feel that we need to focus more on finding ways to give service, working better with the members for references, and having more missionary activities. Three ways we can find more people. We’re really focused on just finding people to teach.

So things are going pretty well. I keep thinking more about ways that I can  progress and become better. I realize more how important it is that we progress in this life. We never reach a certain level in life where we can say we made it, I’ve done all I can. There will always be something more we can do to become better. We’re here to be tried and progress, to show we want to follow God, and that is all that matters.

General conference is this weekend, and I’m PuMpEd!!! I encourage all of you to sincerely pray and fast to receive help in your trials that you’re facing, and I know of a surety that if you do, there will be something that can help you from conference this weekend!

We’ll catch y'all after a great conference weekend! Enjoy!

Love,

Elder Russon

Finding New People

In the area, we’re lacking investigators to teach. I’m really realizing the importance and need of baptizing souls unto Christ and teaching repentance, but if we don’t have anyone to teach, we can’t baptize. We have 14 people that we are currently teaching, but none are really progressing. So we’re going to be focusing lots more on finding new people. We’ve been spending lots of time contacting lately, and I really don’t have much fear to contact at all. More than anything, it’s almost like a fun game to play. So many funny things can happen as we contact people. Just in the way they act or use words, it’s hilarious!

This Friday, we planned an activity for family history. We’re inviting all members, investigators and contacts to come and participate, to know and find their ancestors, “their family." We’re surely hoping to find some new investigators for that. Honestly for the long last while, there haven’t been many investigators to teach, so were mainly focused on that, its definitely hard, but very necessary.

I’ve also been learning more about the importance of studying the scriptures and having doctrinal knowledge. It helps us grow spiritually so much. The more we knowledge we have, the more we can understand God’s plan for us and how to implement it into our lives and help others. Gospel knowledge rocks, haha!

Here’s a cool scripture I read this week, I put it in Spanish so you guys can have fun with that!: “Los angeles hablan por el poder del Espiritu Santo; por lo que declaran las palabras de Cristo. Por tanto, os dije: Deleitaos en las palabras de Cristo; porque he aqui, las palabras de Cristo os diran todas las cosas que debeis hacer.” - 2 Nefi 32:3

Well, que tengan una buena semana!!!

Love,

Elder Russon

Having Clean and Pure Thoughts

This week basically flew by. We were doing divisions and Elder Skrivanelli (from Argentina) was with me here in Colinas, Queretaro. We worked well. It’s always great to be rotating, moving, changing, and adjusting a lot. It helps you adjust to situations quickly and progress in knowledge.

Lately I’ve been thinking more about having good thoughts. In 2 Corinthians 10, it talks about bringing thoughts into obedience . Our thoughts we have are very important, because we usually end up acting on the thoughts we have, and if they’re not good, we won’t be doing good works among men.

I feel like sometimes, we get too focused on negative thinking, because of bad experiences we’ve had in the past. But we can’t let those ‘’road blocks’’ prevent us from pressing forward. What’s important is praying, studying the scriptures, attending church, all with positive thought thinking in mind and simply forgetting the past. So many miracles can happen if we do this with faith in Jesus Christ.

This week sure passed by quick but the work of God moves forward. Sometimes it’s slow, but as I focus just on the next step, the big picture comes into sight. I pray and hope all of you are doing well, and that we stay strong in the gospel. Have a great week! 

Love,

Elder Russon

Humbleness is the Key to Life

This week I've learned more about humility. It says in Preach My Góspel that ¨humility is willingness to submit to the will of the Lord and to give the Lord the honor for what is accomplished.¨

"Änd again, I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long’ suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.

And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.¨ Mosiah 4:11-12

Being humble is a powerful attribute. Everyone loves being around those kind of people. If someone is humble, they usually also have several of the other Christlike attributes, like Charity, Love, Patience, Endurance, etc. We are God´s children, and when we humble ourselves, that´s when we can open our eyes, and see the great plan of Heavenly Father, in spiritual eyes.

That´s another thing, looking at the world in spiritual eyes is also important. If we are in the world, focused on the world, we look at life from the worlds perspective. And that is when Satan blinds us. We need to be active in the góspel to look at everything in spiritual eyes, and then we can be choosing the right paths, and know of a surety, why we do the things we do. These thoughts might be a little off the chart, but I hope you can understand what I´m trying to explain!

This week really just flew by fast. There were a couple of days that I rather forgot we were zone leaders. It´s only when I see other missionaries that I realize, öh, I have to be a leader and be the example. Haha! We´re hoping to have two baptisms at the end of this month, named Jose Luis and Juana Angela.

Things are going pretty well, I keep on learning more, and just hope I can apply it all in my life. Wherever we are in the world, the time just keeps on ticking by unstoppable. I just hope we can all learn and do what we need to, in preparation of the Second Coming. Love you all TONZ, and hope you have a fantastic week!

Love,

Elder Russon