Sister Paige Russell (Kellybrook Ward) recently returned from the Perú Lima Limatambo Mission – Spanish Speaking after serving for 18 months. One of the things she learned from her mission was how to develop and grow.

One of the attributes Sis Russell learned on her mission was Christ-like charity. In the back of the Preach My Gospel manual there is a place to rate your attributes from 1 to 10. Sis Russell said this gave her way to reflect on where she was with this virtue and how she could progress.

“When we evaluate ourselves, we can become better disciples of Christ,” Sis Russell said. “I needed to have charity or love for the people we taught, mission leaders and companions. I wasn’t very good at it in the beginning. I learned to be better, and it made me feel happier.”

When asked what the youth can do to better prepare for a mission, Sis Russell had this advice: 

“Understand the covenants you make in the temple. It’s like a checklist to get your endowment before your mission, but no one really understands you are making covenants and we need to understand what those are and how we are expected to live the higher law,” Sis Russell said. “I learned on my mission it was super important to teach people about covenants.”

Sis Russell also invited the youth to understand promptings of the spirit. 

“Listen to the prompts of the spirit, and trust in the plan of God. The natural man wants a lot that’s not what God has in store for us. As we trust in his plan, we’ll see greater miracles and blessings in our lives.”

She also advised the youth to get to know the missionaries in their wards.

“Go out with the missionaries and find joy in the work,” Sis Russell said. The missionaries can help you see that it’s such a joyful work. When we get lost in the work, we find the most joy. There’s lots of things that can tear you down, but focusing on the work you can feel joy, see miracles, and that’s when things get good.”

Sis Russell ended with his/her testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and how she’s seen people change during her mission. One such experience was when she first arrived in Peru and met a friend who had just moved from the jungle to the city. Her sister had brought her to church.

“I couldn’t speak Spanish, but for some reason she really liked me even though I couldn’t understand her,” Sis Russell said. “She was interested in the gospel but had doubts.”

Sis Russell and her companion decided to take her to the temple grounds and feel the spirit.

“She was nervous about baptism, but when she went to the temple, things changed. It has a special spirit. It is the House of the Lord. We have the proper priesthood here in this church. I love this gospel and am grateful for my mission and the joy it brought me.

Sis Russell plans to attend BYU-Hawaii in Laie, Oahu, Hawaii