Miracle Filled Week

6/23/14

Hey there family!
Sounds like a pretty exciting week! as far as the exhausting part, well I can definitely empathize with you on that. I'm so incredibly exhausted and brain dead this week is probably gonna be more of a check list of events then telling any stories.

First off, if you ever have a TON of energy and just don't know what to do with yourself because you're so incredibly overflowing with energy, come down to Yuma and bike a couple dozen miles in the summer. It drains you... INCREDIBLY fast! haha!

But enough complaining, aside from the very long and hot bike rides that fill our days overall this week has been another incredibly miracle filled week! But there are three specific ones I want to focus on and I'll try to be quick.

First. One of the Elders (who I will keep anonymous for his sake) has been having some SUPER rough trials with family back at home and has also been just completely overwhelmed with non-stop anti-mormon propaganda and such and it got REALLY bad...none of us knew what to do so we all just kept praying for him a TON and long story short, despite all the adversity he's faced HE'S STILL HERE! It was truly amazing to see the power of prayer work in his life and also the strength of basic truths because he is a REALLY smart guy and knows a lot of very deep doctrine, but in the end all that extra stuff failed him and the only thing that kept him (and all of us) strong was the testimonies of basic, simple truths. :)

Second, I don't know if you remember my friend R, but she messaged me on facebook the other day and long story short she's been meeting with the missionaries and is going to get baptized but she said she wants me to do it because I was such an example in her life of what the gospel can do! So yeah, we're still working out the logistics but that will be SUPER exciting! :D Remember you never know who's watching so always stand as a witness of Christ and let your light so shine! :)

Anyway, running out of time, on to the last miracle!

So we have been teaching this less active member...her mom pulls us aside at church yesterday to talk to us and she says that one of the daughter's friends just showed up at their house the other day in need of help and specifically wanting to take the lessons and such because our church is the only place in her life she's ever felt comfort. So at first we're like "ok that seems doable" but then she gives us a bit of this girls background and well, to put it bluntly, she is an addict and well a LOT of other stuff but we'll just leave it at that. So of course now we were a little worried. Basically we were being faced with the impossible! But nevertheless we went over to visit them.

So we started out just asking questions, getting to know her and such, and then we decided we would teach the lesson the Restoration. So Elder Mahlandt starts on the first point which is "God is our Loving Heavenly Father" and as a part of this we shared with her a song. The song is called "His Daughter" by Molly Kate Kesner and if you haven't heard it I would DEFINITELY suggest looking it up! anyway, so there's of course a spirit there when we started the lesson but the second that song starts it just gets stronger and then by about the third line in the first verse, out of nowhere, BOOM!! the spirit in that room literally just exploded and was so incredibly overwhelming that all five of us were in tears! (although if you ask Elder Mahlandt he will deny the crying part. haha!) anyway, but it was seriously SO POWERFUL and as we continued on talking it just stayed so incredibly strong! We never even got past that first point but we didn't need to because all five of us in that room (especially the less active and investigator) learned what we needed to learn and felt what we needed to feel, which is that God truly does love us, more than you could ever imagine. And it's not just those who seek him out, or go to church, every Sunday or do everything right, he loves even those who make mistakes no matter what the mistakes or how big they might be he loves them just as much if not even more! It will definitely be a long journey for this investigator, probably one I won't be a part of for much longer but I know, without a doubt in my mind that Heavenly Father loves her and I know that she knows that and she knows that we love her and this family she came to loves her and that love was so strong in that room that I have no doubt in my mind that eventually she will have her life in order and will be baptized and will be able to fully partake of Christ Atonement, because his Atoning power is SO incredible and strong that is nothing it cannot do!! again, I want to emphasize THERE IS NOTHING THAT CHRIST'S ATONEMENT CANNOT DO!!!!!

Anyway, well I guess that's about it for this week. Know that I love you all and pray for you every day! :) Keep on working hard, reading your scriptures and always remember how much your Heavenly Father loves you! :)

Don't forget to be awesome! :)

-Elder Powell

Almost

6/09/14

Dear Family,

As for my week, well honestly we've still been having a kinda rough time. We've hit a dead end with almost all the investigators we have (emphasis on ALMOST) so we're kinda at a stand still with people to teach since we don't track anymore we rely almost solely on referrals from our members. BUT that being said this next week is DEFINITELY looking up! :)

First, both Elder Mahlandt (pronounced 'Muh-Lawn-T' in case you were still unsure, I know I sure was for the first three days of the transfer) and I spoke in sacrament meeting yesterday! It went great! Anyway, so that really helped with getting the ward to kinda know us a little better. Also at our last Zone Conference we got a new "Family Mission Plan" that we are gonna start rolling out to help get the members more involved in missionary work. it's way awesome and so far the families we've introduced it to have really liked it! (although maybe that's just because we've only introduced it to our ward mission leader's family :P haha!) 

Also, I'm SUPER excited this week because President is coming down to give a Zone conference! :D Which means not only will I hopefully get my official name tag but also the package you guys left and above all get to spend time talking to President Toone! He's a way awesome guy! :) Also it's just exciting whenever anything happens between Yuma and the rest of the mission because it's just totally cut off from everything else that goes on, almost like it's quarantined. BUT that's probably just because the rest of the mission couldn't handle how awesome the spirit is down here! :D haha Really though, it is a great place and I've already got a few families I've promised to come back and visit because they're just so awesome! :)

OH! and remember how I said we "ALMOST" are at a loss with investigators? well the one exception is A! She finally re-appeared after falling off the face of the earth for a while! :P haha! But yeah we got her to church and she stayed for all three hours and LOVED it! She participated in the lessons, she was comfortable with the members (although that's not too much of a surprise because she is seriously the friendliest and kindest person you will ever meet, and I'm not just saying that, she really is INCREDIBLY kind... almost too kind sometimes! haha) anyway, so yeah we're going over to visit with her again on Tuesday and hopefully re-commit her to baptism! :) I'm super excited! :D

Also way exciting, the other Elders in our apartment had a baptism on Saturday! It was WAY spiritual and the guy is just awesome! his name is G and he's 18 and basically from talking to him he said his parents don't like that he got baptized and so he's practically giving up everything to join the church! It reminded me in a way of the early Saints who ignored all the combining forces against them and did everything it took to join the church! It truly is amazing the pioneer's we still have today! :)

Anyway, so yeah hopefully everything continues to go well and I have faith that this upcoming week will be the best one of my mission to date! :D (although with only being out 3 weeks it doesn't have much competition, hahaha)

Well until next week! Keep working hard, reading your scriptures and praying A LOT! I think I've said this before but I'll say it again, you CANNOT pray too much! :) haha! anyway, yeah, I'll talk to you all next week! :)

Don't forget to be awesome! :)

-Elder Powell

Highs and Lows - Feed His Sheep

6/02/14

Family!

As for a quick update on my week, Elder Mahlandt and I have seen some of the highest highs and lowest lows of a mission this week. We're still teaching C and he's still SUPER excited and just a great guy! We've also invited him to have his family sit in on lessons and come to church and such and he seemed happy with that too which is way cool! Also we got a new investigator A. She has very humble livings but is seriously the absolutely NICEST person you will every meet! Sometimes she's too nice for her own good though. Anyway, I'll get there. So yeah we also put her on date to be baptized. So along with C and the two adopted kids in that member family I believe I mentioned last week, that put our investigators with a baptismal date at 4 in two weeks!! It was incredible.

But then everything started going wrong. In a matter of two days we went from four progressing investigators on date to zero. I'm not going to sugar coat it, it was rough, I'm still a little beat up about it. But, that doesn't matter. Because I know in whom I have trusted. In the matter of two weeks in the mission field I have already come to learn that no matter what happens, no matter who listens, or who doesn't that in the end it really doesn't matter. What matters is that every single one of us, not just full-time missionaries, has done everything we can to help bring others into the fold.

Remember the Savior's inquiry to Peter, after affirming three times with him that he loves him he only asks one thing, to feed his sheep. Surely if we love God with all our hearts as Peter did then we will give absolutely everything we have just to feed his sheep, and even if the sheep turn their heads away or take a bite and decide they're full, it doesn't matter, we were not called to Shepard them to Heavenly Father, only Christ can do that, we simply must feed them. Sometimes we get caught up with activities and callings and such thinking things like "what treats are we going to have, what about rides and decorations" and all this other little stuff, when really what we need to focus on more than anything is, "How can we use this calling/activity to help strengthen the Members and fellowship those around us?" Hopefully as Elder Mahlandt and I enter this next week with that in or minds we will have a little more success than this last week.

Anyway!! That's enough rambling! hope you all have a great week! I can't wait to hear more about your adventures in the wild land of Tempe! Congrats to Sis. Shaeffer on her new calling, congrarts to Joe on being an old fart, and congrats to everyone for being alive, it is a great thing to be! :) haha

Till next week, Don't forget to be awesome! :)

-Elder Powell

Yoda - You can never pray enough

5/26/14

Hey there family!!

So anyway, I'm sure you all want to hear about the hundreds of people I've already baptized! Haha

But seriously, it's hard to believe it's only been a little less than a week since I've been out! So much has happened! I guess to start from the beginning, I got to the mission office on Tuesday and for the most part that day was just a lot of orientation and such so nothing too exciting, but it was still a really cool day. President Toone is AWESOME!!! Seriously though if I could spend my whole mini-mission in the office with Pres. and Sis Toone and everyone else there I would be happy! :) But moving on, Transfer meeting was fun, and as you've heard I got assigned to Yuma! 
As for my trainer, his name is Elder Mahlandt, and he's WAY awesome! He’s basically like Yoda.... except maybe not quite as wise, because well... let's face it... Yoda's AWESOME! So maybe more like an Obi-Wan or Qui-Gon Ginn. :) anyway, he's kinda nerdy too but again for the most part he and Elders Francis and Reaves (the other two Elders in our apartment) are all just very typical guys and talk about sports and girls and muscles and stuff... so I'm having a little trouble fitting in, but it's alright! I love the area and people here a TON! Seriously our ward is just great! It's SOO diverse! We have everything from very humble large Mexican families to Wealthy upper class houses and everything in-between! But they're all great people. Although the ward is REALLY spread out and we're only on bikes so that's kinda rough too. :P

We've taught a few lessons and it's been cool but most importantly we're teaching this guy now named C and long story short HE chased US down on the street and he just LOVES what we've been teaching and he's on date to be baptized although he has a few addiction issues we're trying to clear up. We also have to other people on date to get baptized, two kids in a part member family so yeah they're cool too :) 

Anyway, I've really gotta wrap it up, but I'll talk to you all next week! :)

In the mean time, keep working hard, reading your scriptures and praying daily!! That's one thing I've learned, you can never pray enough, and trust me as missionaries we pray A LOT!!! haha!

Well, until next week! Don't forget to be awesome! :)

-Elder Powell