To the Friends and Family of President and Sister Russell

To the Friends and Family of President and Sister Russell

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Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Missionaries love to listen to music! It can truly bring the Spirit and encourage us to do the work of the Lord. With that in mind, we asked the missionaries to send in their favorite groups and we would make a list of approved music. It would be wonderful it they all wanted to listen to appropriate music, however, we have found that "appropriate" means different things to different missionaries.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, "The symphonic strains of scriptural music can give our lives lilt and tone, a way of tuning our lives by reference to a celestial scale. The melodies are the marching music for the traveler on the strait and narrow way."

If you wish to send your missionary some music, please use these. 
Any songs by these artists are approved.


Nashville Tribute 
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
EFY
Hymns
Classical 100+ years or older
Hilary Weeks
Kari Jobe (no revised editions)
Lauren Daigle
I Am They
Jenny Phillips

Just a reminder; iPods, MP3 players, and anything that requires earphones are not allowed (per the White Handbook).

If there are any questions, please feel free to call, email, or text.
We love your sons and daughters, they are like our own! We thank you for sharing them with us for a short time.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

 On Tuesday we welcomed a new senior couple to the OEM; Elder and Sister Peterson. They will be serving in Grants Pass.

 


 And on Wednesday we welcomed 15 new missionaries! After hugging (I hugged the Sisters and president Russell hugged the Elders) we headed for the baggage carousel.






The luggage comes off extremely slowly.





But, it is coming!








When everyone has their suitcases we head for the car, van, or truck in the parking lot.






Elder Pace is ready to go!







 Oh yeah, we're pickin' up speed now.





Could those smiles get any bigger???





"Okay, I have two hands and one more bag to get..."








No fear, we'll all pitch in.




We we leave the airport is about empty.





The Assistants make sure no one or no suitcase is left behind.
 Once outside we take a picture of most of the our new missionaries. Two of them are not here yet. Elder Burgi will be here in about two hours and Sister Zanotti will be here tomorrow.
 The newest missionaries to the greatest mission on earth:
Left front: Sister Chen, Sister Cortez, Sister Wood, Sister and President Russell, Sister Orr, Sister Fjerstad, and Sister McClellan. Back left: Elder Steinburg, Elder Anderl, Elder Pace, Elder Wall, Elder Atiknson, Elder Eldredge, and Elder Madsen.

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We went back to the mission home and had lunch, training, dinner, and these great missionaries went out with seasoned missionaries to their appointments. We talked about it when then got back and then it was time to go to bed.

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Bright and early this morning we took these missionaries to the Church where we had a wonderful program and introduced them to their companions and told them where they would be serving.








Elder Poston will be training Elder Pace in Central Point







 Elder Madsen will be trained by Elder Horne in Central Point







Elder Ross will be training Elder Wall in Medford

                 Sister McClellan will be trained by Sister Faucett in Central Point










Sister Hart will be training Sister Cortez in Corvallis













Elder Atkinson is being trained by Elder Etherington in Corvallis









Elder Anderl is being trained by Elder Bunker in Springfield

                    Elder Eldredge is being trained by Elder Ellis in  Springfield









Sister Wood is being trained by Sister Persson in Coos Bay







Elder Burgi is being trained by Elder Wirthlin in 
Klamath Falls







Sister Hernaez will be training training Sister Fjerstad in Grants Pass







Sister Orr is being trained by Sister Steele in Roseburg







Sister Chen is being trained by Sister Viiga in Eugene YSA






Elder Steinburg will be trained by Elder Deppe in Coos Bay 


Sister Zanotti is being trained by Sister Duenas

Our newest missionaries!!!


Our newest missionaries with their trainers (Sister Zanotti had not flown in yet).




Three of our Spanish missionaries; Sister Zanotti, Sister Duenas, Sister Cortez, with Sister Hart who is training Sister Cortez...





...with president and Sister Russell
AND THEY'RE OFF!!!! 
Everyone loads up suitcases, bedding, bikes, and packages.

You can tell this is a new bike box because it isn't being held together with duct tape, and it doesn't have holes all over it.







Some last minute instructions from Elder Phipps and it's a mass exodus!
Everyone is happy to be getting on the road.








As you can see, it's a sunny, beautiful day.





It's like a beehive, everyone is buzzing around.








Boy, talk about focusing!






"...So, this bike box is going to fit in that trunk?"






Sister Chen is excited to begin her adventure with Sister Viiga. Elder Mabey is helping them.






Can you say "photo op"???






Oh yeah, the shades are a hit, Sister Fjerstad!
Our wonderful office couples/missionaries fix a snack for them to take on the road.

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

The missionaries come up to the mission home throughout the day. Most arriving about 2:00 and the rest are on the transfer vans and will be here around 5:00. We have a nice turkey dinner. President has a departing interview with each missionary. 
I have each departing group make me a scrapbook page. They can put pictures on it or write something, or even draw something. 

 Elder Blake tells me that he doesn't know how to scrapbook and he's not too comfortable doing it. I assure him that he can do it. And he does!

 Sister Asregadoo, Sister Sowter, and Sister Woolf help give him encouragement.

 Meanwhile, in the living room these missionaries are showing me how they really feel after a successful two-year mission.

 This pictures is actually pretty scary, if I didn't know Elder Holman better I would be fearing for my life. It's probably as simple as some one ate the last Kit Kat. Elder Dopp is okay with everything.

 For some reason, Elder Adams is afraid of me. I'm fairly harmless...yeah, fairly.



 

President Russell says, "Okay everybody, lets get a picture together!"


 ...And we do. Here are the departing missionaries from the OEM next to president and Sister Russell: Sister Asregaoo, Sister Woolf, Sister Sowter. Back left: Elder Black, Elder Kung, Elder Adams, Elder Greer, Elder Redding, and Elder Blake. We will miss them all!!

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At the airport

                                                                
 



This is the day of reckoning; how much does your suitcase weigh??


                                 "This is really happening, isn't it, Elder."



                          My last selfie with Elder Jacob Black. You're awesome!