MTC, Wall-E, padawan, Hawaii bound

7/18/14

HEY THERE FAMILY!!!

it's kind of strange e-mailing you now considering I was with you about 48 hours ago, although it feels like a couple weeks for me already. It was a VERY long day and I was just about dead by the end of it. My brain was more fried than Wall-E's when he gets shocked by AUTO and thrown down the garbage shoot! But nevertheless it was still an awesome day as was yesterday and as today is looking up to be!! :)

so yeah, I mentioned before by my companion is Elder G. He's a pretty awesome guy! Basically all of my district except for one other person are all from Utah and all 18 fresh out of high school! it's so weird it makes me feel super old and I'm not even that much older than any of them! haha! ...well kinda, Elder G is pretty young. He just barely turned 18 like a month before we entered the MTC! Crazy right?! but the Lord is hastening his work and he's a prime example of that! He's also a prime example of how the Lord qualifies those that he calls, I guess we all are in a way. We're all super inadequate in some form of another and those who say they aren't are inadequate when it comes to humility! haha! but despite all of our inadequacies we all still get up in the morning and we all put on our badges and we all still WORK! A LOT! and you know what? the work gets done! :)

Anyway, sorry if this letter is a little odd and rambly as well. I'm still super tired and a little overwhelmed by the whole thing. I don't know if it's supposed to be this way but honestly the MTC has almost been more work than the actual mission field was! (well kind of... in different ways I suppose). We're just constantly bouncing from one meeting to another and wandering around campus and through building and studying A LOT!! I kind of imagine it's like Jedi Training. It's super crazy hard when you're a padawan and just trying to keep up, but by the time you're a Jedi Master like Qui-gon Jin you still work hard but it's so much easier and your mind is cleared and well you're just a BEAST!! ......then again that is Liam Neson and I don't know if anyone can be quite as beast as him. Also I guess Qui-gon is a bad example since he dies at the end of the movie..... but still I'd like to think of this place as a sort of Jedi Academy except instead of the force it's the spirit and instead of blasters and lightsabers we have teaching pamphlets and Book of Mormon's (......although it would be way cool if we had lightsabers as well).

Anyway, yeah enough rambling for today! we've got work to do!!! (except it's p-day so by work I mean a nap... but either way!) haha! So until next week! keep working hard, and don't forget to be awesome!! :)

7/25/14

Family!

Well my two years are up! I'm coming home!! .....right? ...wait.... it's only been ONE WEEK?!?!?! WHAT?!?!?!?!?! Seriously though this has been a LOOONNNNGGGG week!! That being said, if it were to end now I've already learned SO much here at the MTC I can only imagine what it will be like at the actual end of two years in the service of the Lord! And needless to say I am VERY excited for that! :)

Anyway! So general update, that's GREAT to hear about the reunions and such! Be sure to tell the family hi and I love and miss them all and that I'm praying for them! As for us at the MTC everything is going great as well!! We work VERY long hours and it's EXTREMELY exhausting but it's great! The spirit here is so incredible! There's honestly a stronger spirit here than there is force on Degoba! It's great! Oh also be sure to tell Grandpa I'm very disappointed but I won't be here next week to hear him speak. :( Although I think this is a new record, I've gone the whole week so far with out anyone identifying me as Kolipoki's grandson! haha! (although I get the feeling that will change when we actually get to Hawaii) I guess Elder Gerber knows but apparently it's not that big of a deal since he went to school with two of President Eyring's grandchildren who are actually both here at the MTC with us right now. haha! Utah's crazy! ANYWAY sorry I'm digressing... I don't even know what I was talking about. It's been a long week and I'm still a little brain dead especially when it comes to "normal" conversations that aren't about "where I'm from and where I'm going" or teaching about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But I suppose that's a good thing! haha!

Oh right! so I fly out to Hawaii Monday morning!! I am going to Hawaii!!!!!!!! I'm so excited!! I can't wait to meet my trainer and the people and the culture and the weather and food and EVERYTHING!!!!! haha! I'm just super excited! :)

Oh! also we've been teaching what's called a TRC investigator (not sure what TRC stands for but basically it's just like a fake investigator) but anyway, it's been way cool! It's funny cause he's DEFINITELY a member cause he's broken character a few times and he's started teaching us at times about different Gospel principles or pulling out exact stories and scriptures from memory from Ether when we gave him a Book of Mormon the day before and just kinda stuff like that but he's still just an awesome guy! haha! Again it's weird cause it's fake and such but it's a great experience especially for the new missionaries here to get the chance to know what it's like to teach with the spirit and teach someone who's not just another missionary. haha! Anyway, yeah it's cool!

Well hey sorry this letter has been all over the place! hopefully they'll become more cohesive as time goes on but if not you can always just pray for the gift of interpretation of tongues or just find a Urim and Tummim and maybe then you'll be able to make at least a little bit more sense out of everything than my brain can... but yeah, well we've gotta go but I'll talk to you guys next week from HAWAII!! :D Love and miss you all!! keep working hard and Don't forget to be awesome! :)

-Elder Powell

And he's off.....

Matt and I took Luke to the airport early this morning. He's on his way to the Provo MTC and then he'll head off to serve in a yet to be determined area in the Hawaii Honolulu Mission.  He'll be in the MTC about 10 days. Here is how you can contact him.

luke.powell@myldsmail.net

Provo Missionary Training Center

2005 N 900 E

Provo, UT 84604

And the mission address is:

Hawaii Honolulu Mission

15000 S Beretania St. Ste 416

Honolulu, HI 96826

ALOHA!  

Luke with Bishop Moffitt and Pres. Thomas - after getting set apart

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

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