To the Friends and Family of President and Sister Russell

To the Friends and Family of President and Sister Russell

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Thursday, February 4, 2016

The Book of Mormon Broadway Musical is in Eugene. We had our missionaries stand outside the theater after the play was over with posters that said, "You've seen the play, now read the book!" And "The Book is always better!" The first night they passed out 180 copies of the Book of Mormon. A group of teen aged boys walked by the missionaries and made fun of them and after they had gone around the corner one of them came walking back fast  and apologized for his friends and asked for a copy of the Book of Mormon. He stuck it inside his coat.






 This was the second night, they again gathered at the institute building first. They passed out 200 copies of the Book of Mormon last night.
 It runs through Sunday with two matinees on Saturday and Sunday. We think we will probably pass out about 1000 copies of the Book of Mormon. 


February 2016 MLC
















President Russell is instructing all zone leaders and Sister Training Leaders. 







We do several 'role plays'. President Cropper is listening to Elders Roller and Cho and Sister Rasmussen and Poulsen





 Sister Brownlee and Sister Newsome role play with Elders Cluff and Finlinson





 These missionaries are all excellent at role plays
They use scriptures, iPads, and pamphlets to teach






Sister Crandall and Steele are being 'taught' by Elder Hsiung and Elder Kung 




 Elder Arias and Elder Adams are pretty good at role plays with Sister Ansus and Sister Geisler 
Here Elder Whyte is listening to Sisters Holiday and Sister Linstedt and 
Elders Provstgaard and Swiderski 








President Russell offers suggestions to Elder Earl, Elder Perrine, Sister Fausett 
and Sister Woolfe




 Elder Jensen and Elder Black listen intently to Sister Stucki and Sister Sowter.
These wonderful office Sisters prepared the most delicious lunch! 
Sister Christensen, Sister Sutterfield, and Sister Phipps

 All missionaries pause to eat chicken sandwiches, homemade mac and cheese, carrot and celery sticks, and red velvet cupcakes with white cream cheese frosting!




Elders Cho, Hsiung, and Kung






 Sister Sutterfield brings extra cupcakes to Sister Ansus, Connelly, and Rasmussen.

 Sister Connelly and Sister Rasmussen now appear at the table with Sister Sowter, Sister Brownlee, Sister Dobbs, Sister Fausett, Sister Woolfe, Sister Steele, and Sister Crandall


 Sister Geisler (left), Sister Holiday, Sister Linstedt, (and moving around the back of the table), Sister Poulsen, Sister Yeung, Sister Stucki, Sister Newsome, Sister Chang and Sister Ansus.


             Deep. deep discussion between Elders Campbell, Cluff, and Swiderski.


 Could Elder Thurgood's smile get any bigger??? One would think I caught them all as they were about to eat. Not so, Elder Roller and Elder Wells waited until I was about to take the picture. Elder Finlinson looks a little dazed.

 Now Elder Finlinson smiles along with Elder Jensen. Elder Earl shows his ability to eat his chicken sandwich while Elder Redding is just happy to be here. Not sure what has captivated the attention of Elder Provstgaard. Sister Wood and Sister Sands smile in the back. Elder Thurgood (front right) is still eating his chicken sandwich while Elder Black gives us the thumbs up. You can barely see Elder Arias and Elders Perrine.


                                   The traditional 'selfie' with Elder Black.





 President Russell smiles at the camera





Elder Campbell and Elder Cluff pose with lunch





What a smile from Elder Finlinson!




Elder Whyte joins the Asian Elders




Going back for seconds.




 Cute smiles from Sister Dobbs
 and  Sister Brownlee




 What can I say about this one???




One final pic of Sisters Ansus, Chang, Geisler, and Holiday.


                               The Oregon Eugene Mission Leadership Council...usually this is the last picture we take at MLC, but the chairs were still set up for the group picture and some took advantage of that:








 Elders Roller, Poston, Wells, Arias and Adams, and...




Sisters Geisler, Sowter, Fausett, and Woolfe.








We love our missionaries!!!

Monday, February 1, 2016

We had an incredible opportunity to go to the Portland temple with Emelie and Pat Houghton. President Russell baptized her on October 11, 2014. Her story is amazing. Her husband passed away after a long illness before she joined the Church. She met Pat in her ward and they were married on March 7, 2015. He is a wonderful man and a compassionate husband. She received her Endowment on January 16, 2016. The Houghtons are our eternal friends!




Every quarter we have Specialized training. I usually forget to get my camera out of my purse, but Elder Black never forgets that we need a 'selfie'.

 Front and center: Elder Black, Sister Russell, Elder Jensen. Behind me; Sister Aguiliar, and to her right; Elder Tree. Behind them, Sister Stucki and to her right Sister Van Leuven. Behind Sister Stucki is Sister Sowter and behind her is Elder Hinton. Way in the back is Elder Child. You can see Elder Whyte off to the left.
******

We also have a quarterly Senior couples' conference at the mission home. It goes from 5:00 on Wednesday afternoon to about noon on Thursday.



 Far left: the Longs, the Zollingers and Christensens. In front of the Christensens are the Lowarys and the Phipps are on their right. In the back are our newest couple, the Talbots, then President and Sister Russell, the Deals and the Sutterfields on the far right. We absolutely love getting together with these amazing couples!
We always get a picture before they go home. It was raining ( in Oregon?? who knew?) but, being every resourceful, Elder Hinton held the umbrella while Elder Whyte took the picture.