Letter 10/21/2013

Hey everyone

Well this week we spent a ton of time in Arequipa like 3 full days for training and then I had to go to the Doctors because I've had a cough for like 7 months and I'm getting really sick of it. But it was a really fun and a good week. So I sent some pictures to you. The first is when we went down to Arequipa for the doctors. We got there at nighttime and had no where to go so we went to the Elders closest to us and they organized a wedding and baptism for some investigators that they were teaching. It was cool their whole ward came to support them too. My comp and I are behind the cake. Then the other picture is us at a Branch activity "picnic" we had this Saturday. We had tons of games for everyone to play and one was a sack race so there's a picture of me hopping around in a sack. then the last one was this morning. 

Sack race with Chivay Branch

Sooooooo changes were yesterday and me and my comp are splitting up. Sad, BUT my comp is only going to Chivay 2 which is the other group of missionaries in Chivay and I am staying in Chivay 1. We got our comps this morning. To play a prank on them as they came. We had the guy in the picture with me President Cardenas dress up as me to pick up our comps. SO he went to pick them up as Elder Russon while driving a car (which we cant do in this mission) with a cellphone (which we cant have) and as a 35 year old man. It was hilarious. They were freaking out thinking that we could do all this crazy things only in Chivay. They believed it all too. It was fun though. My new comp is Elder Cortes from Mexico.

Also this week was pretty good in Church attendance. We had 25 come in total which is the highest its been since I got here. And we have a few investigators preparing for baptism that should be happening this week or the next after.

Dang super happy for everyone in their games. Sounds like Davey had a dream like day against Golden Valley. And Sams team is still winning all their games. That's awesome. Sounds like there will be lots of Playoff games in our house this year. Davey also told me like all my old team is at COC that's awesome. And Teddy is coaching there too. Glad to hear Grandma and Grandpa made it down okay. Say hi to them for me too. Also say hi to Grandma Nancy I haven't heard from her in a while.

Love Elder Russon

Shoes after 1 year

The other Elder Russon

Letter 10/14/2013

Hey fam

BTW, I´m chillin in Arequipa right now for our Pday with the zone.

This week was cool because we raised the branch attendance up again to 24 this week. We basically just focus on the members in Chivay because they are in a pretty rough spot right now. We do VERY little missionary work and it´s all just reactivating members. Although this Saturday morning, we were walking and some lady walked up to us and asked us if we could teach her family. So we go in and teach them and they were GOLDEN!!!!! They had questions and everything. They asked if they could go to church with us without us even asking them. So yesterday they showed up to church during testimony meeting. In the middle of the meeting the mom, her first time ever at church, walks up to the stand and gives her testimony. She had been praying for help to god lately and that same morning we walked right into her. IT WAS AWESOME! I literally feel like God just handed us the most golden family ever for our work in making sure all the members are taken care of.

Thanks for all the letters they mean a lot. Oh and we did some straight up FARM work this week. I sent pictures of us digging a trench for water, me about to jump on a bull, and me following a heard of angry bulls who actually ended up charging me a little later but I didn´t get pictures of that.

Well I gotta go love you and thanks a ton for the letters CHOU CHOU

Love Elder Russon

Letter 10/7/2013

Hey everyone

Well this week was pretty normal. Like usual nothing too crazy other than the branch is passing through TONS of problems. Conference here was pretty cool. We actually didn´t end up going to Arequipa because OIM which is the organization within the church that handles all the building and expansion and renovation and all that stuff for the church came and brought us some crazy USB that caught internet like a cell phone. But we had about 22 attend every session (not priesthood tho... my gosh what a headache that was) which is super cool. Because the members here really needed to see and hear conference and they ended up being able to. Also we passed out papers and pens to all the members and they ended up taking notes about the conference which also was awesome. 

Oh this week we got to do service in one the farms of the members. It was super cool. First we started up hucking some corn and then we went to their farm to harvest alfalfa. I sent some pictures. What else happend this week. Well we finally finished moving into our new house. It´s super tiny. Imagine my old room as your entire house. It´s our bathrrom, kitchen, living room, bed room, and everything. But it´s cool though. Also we aren´t really in there all that much so it´s no big deal. Oh so for the priesthood session me and my comp showed up and set everything up and we sat there by ourselves for like 30 minutes. Then finally some 9 year old kid and his mom showed up. The other missionaries didn´t even show up. Anyways. Chivay is suffering a bit right now. But it´s all good. I know that as hard as it is right now and as hard as it´ll get all of this will just become A GIANT blessing for us later on. 

Hey you guys gotta get me more updates on the games. Stats everything the works. Well I gotta go. Love you all a ton. CHOU CHOU

Love Elder Russon

Oh and for Dad, I found this leg on the ground the other day. It´s from an Alpaca.