Farwell to Yuma

6/30/14

Dear Family,

I also had a great time with the Jim and Christie family this last week! They were so kind as to take Elder Mahlandt and me out to an Asian buffet which was a lot of fun! It was a great time seeing them and hopefully we will be seeing each other again soon! :)

As for when I am leaving I am still waiting on a call from President Toone which actually could be coming any second. Heck it could even come before I finish writing this very sentence! (.....it didn't) but nevertheless no matter what happens when he does call I am excited to make the most out of whatever time I have wherever I have it as long as I still get to be in the service of the Lord! :) After our lunch with Jim and Christie, Jim's parting words where, "don't let this uncertainty slow you down" and I've taken that to heart and I don......................... wait hold everything. Just got a call from President.

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I'M GOING TO HAWAII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haha! Sorry, that literally just happened in the middle of my sentence! Anyway, so yeah I'm going up with the other missionaries that are getting transferred on Wednesday and I'll probably stay and enjoy transfer meeting with them and then you guys should be picking me up! :)

Oh man I'm so psyched! Not that I haven't LOVED Yuma but honestly at the end of this transfer I have been feeling like my work has really wrapped up well here and with just these last few days to round things out I think my chapter here will close perfectly! :) And even though I may be in Hawaii I'll just have to remember that "wherever I go, and whatever happens to me on the way, in that enchanted place at the bottom of the state a little missionary and his companion will always be proselyting" :) haha! That one's for you mom! :) Anyway, so yeah I guess I'll see you guys very soon! :)

So really quickly though, one last miracle.  We went over to visit [someone] again and honestly I swear with everything that is wrong there, that home is seriously a temple! We have yet to walk out of a lesson there without having the spirit just overwhelming and half of us crying!! But especially this last time we went by and the daughter had just gone through some REALLY rough things and so she asked us for a blessing and she asked me to offer it and well needless to say I was kind of freaking out because I didn't know what to do. But of course I said yes and well I started super unsure of myself and what to say and so I just took a second after I started the blessing, took a deep breath and said a little prayer in my heart and basically just said "Heavenly Father I have no idea what I'm doing, please take over" and Holy Polaris Batman did he take over!! All of a sudden I just started talking and I had no clue what I was saying until after I said it and I was still kinda scared because in this blessing I was making some pretty intense and bold promises and it wasn't until I was done that I realized just how powerful the words were that came out of my mouth and well anyway it was just incredible!!

Anyway, so I say all this not to be like "oh man look how cool I am!" but in fact quite the opposite! If there was one lesson I learned in these last six weeks it's that I am absolutely worthless!! Of course I don't mean that in a depressing sort of way but honestly when it comes down to the physical, emotion, and spiritual exertion I find myself having to give every single day I just literally cannot do it!!! I mean you guys know me! Not only am I extremely small and weak but I also tend to not be able to focus and say a lot of pretty stupid things! And when we're just chilling around the apartment that is still very true! You could ask Elder Mahlandt or anyone other missionaries that have seen me. I'm about as useful as a sack of rotten potatoes. But looking back I see all the miracles that have happened. The countless miles we've ridden on bikes under the Arizona sun, the dozens and dozens of people we've talked to, the seeds we've planted, and hearts we've touched, the differences we've made in people's lives both spiritually and temporally. I look as all of this and I know WITHOUT A DOUBT that none of that was my power! ABSOLUTELY NONE OF THAT came from skinny little Luke Powell. I owe every ounce of success we have seen out here to the Lord and while I've had some great stories and experiences that I've shared with you guys over the last few weeks I just want to add that on to the end of every one of them and onto the end of every single one to come. "I can do [and have done] all things through Christ which strenghteneth me."

Anyway, enough rambling on, I've got one last awesome p-day to enjoy with my bros down here in Yuma! :D haha! but I will see you all very soon! :)

Until then keep on working hard, helping others whenever possible and of course. Don't forget to be awesome!! :D

-Elder Powell