Trying to catch up as the Lord hastens his work

6/29/15

Aloha ohana!!!

This week is going to be a pretty short e-mail. I haven't been feeling too well and honestly I don't have tons to report on anyway. This week was pretty much just another week full of cancelled appointments, a lot of knocked doors and some slowly progressing investigators (but progressing none the less!! so that's good!) Anyway, so J and J are doing well. He is moving out tomorrow and will be getting baptized as soon as possible after!!!!! Although I'm not sure if we will get to be a part of his baptism since he's moving out of zone but either way that will be happen soon so that's super exciting!! :D Also J and all of her family she is living with have to move and they will probably be moving out of the ward boundaries so we might not be teaching her anymore either... so basically our two most solid investigators are making some MAJOR progress... their progress just happens to be out of our area of influence. :P

Anyway, the other big news this week (that didn't end up even being that big) is TRANSFERS!!!!!!!! I'm getting transferred toooooo........... wait for IIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTT!!!!!!!!! ............................Mililani 1st ward!!! ...oh wait... just kidding, I'm already here! :) haha! Yeah, sorry that was kind of cheesey but I'm pretty sure none of you are lactose intolerant so yeah... :) anyway, yeah we found out that Elder Baker and I are staying together for at least one more transfer so that should be way fun!! I'm mostly just excited for this coming week cause we get to go to the ward camp potluck!!! Unfortunately we can't camp out with them all week (ward camps over here are a HUGE deal apparently!! I mean seriously, they've been talking about this thing basically since I got here!) but we did get permission to attend the dinner on Friday night and we have TONS of less-active members that are going to be there as well as a couple investigators even!! So yeah that will be really exciting! 

Anyway, the only other news that goes along with that is that we may or may not also be getting transferred from four wheels to two... we have a car right now but might be losing it for a nice set of pedal bikes.... just in time for summer!! Whoohoo!! haha! but in all actuality we will be fine either way. The area is really not that big at all, it's maybe a tiny bit bigger than my first area in Kane'ohe and we did fine there even without bikes, but me may keep our car too, not sure. Anyway, I'll let you all know if anything else exciting happens this week with transfers! :)

Well that ended up being a little longer than I expected anyway! haha! So yeah, that's my weekly update, hope you all feel sufficiently up to date and if not... don't worry cause I still feel like I'm not even up to date with my own life half the time! haha! Days and weeks are starting to blur together now as my official year mark draws nearer and nearer and I still feel like I'm just trying to catch up with the Lord as he hastens his work and asks up to keep pace. Sometimes mortality and the weaknesses that come with it are the biggest stumbling block for all of us on our path back to Heavenly Father...... sorry... I just re-read that and realized it sounded way more depressing than it was supposed to. Nothing is really wrong over here, just fatuige :P hahaha!

To end on a happier note I got to conduct the music at a fireside last night and it was super fun to just be able to conduct music again and just really sing out loud! I feel like we hardly even have time to do that anymore! haha! So yeah, music is fantastic!! :) And on that note (pun intended!) I better get going. But I hope you all have a great week! I love you all so very much and am praying for you always! thank you for everything you do and everything you are! Keep on keeping on, til dis life is all pau and even then dis life is small kine compared to da real kine stuff afta dis life so stay for realz and live aloha every day!! haha! Kia kaha my family and Aloha nui loa!!! :)

-Elder Powell

[Note from Me - Luke's mom]

One of my bosses sent me this. Small world - especially in the church.

Sister Powell,

I had the pleasure of spending the evening with your son in Hawaii.  What a fine young man.  He is serving in Mililani where my parents are serving and they both commented on what a fine Elder he is.  He has very much impressed them.  He conducted the music and a choir for a missionary cottage meeting.  Did a wonderful job.

You can be very proud of your fine son.

Sincerely,

Mike Petramalo

Michael D. Petramalo

Assistant to the Area Director

Seminaries and Institutes of Religion

U.S. Phoenix Valley