Oct. 27, 2014 - WO!

Well familia, It has been a fantastic Last week of the mission :,)

It´s kind of sad, because when I think of this week and the coming weeks I just think of what I need to do to help my investigators and converts continue to progress. haha. I am going to miss it here in the field.

But get this! We passed our goal as a mission to find 888 new investigators this week and we found 897! It was great :) We have been working so closely with all the members and investigators here it is wonderful!

This past week a member family of 5 were waiting here in the city to pick someone up at the tren station and had to wait a few hours. so they passed by this investigator who is 19 and he ended up cooking for all of them! The member family got to know him AND his two sisters. The next day we went by the member family and they had invited the same young man and his sisters for a noche de hogar. What great family member work! He is getting baptized on the 15th. Im gonna miss it by that much. :P

In these past 2 weeks the work has just been like that every day. Lots of new families, lots of member work and lots of baptism dates. I love progress in a branch ;) And I love being able to be here to see it.

I just realized that this probably doesn´t interest a lot of people and I should be talking about home hahaha ;) 

Well it is going to be great to come home and see everyone. I´m super excited for ski season, finding a job, going on dates, watching movies and starting College! But let´s get real, is there anything better than teaching people in Spain about Eternal Salvation.....? Ok, maybe teaching someone about Eternal Salvation WHIIILE skiing down a snow covered mountain ;) but that´s about it! It really is so great.

I have learned so much during the mission that is going to help me stay strong in the Gospel for my entire life. And do you want to know what they are: Reading, Praying, and going to church.:D If you don´t believe me I dare you to do it and see what Happens ;)

There is so much more to it but that is the foundation.

I know my strengths, my goals, my standards and I will stand for them always. This is the work of an Eternal Being. This is the church of Jesus Christ who is the Saviour and Redeemer of the world. There is no doubt in my being! I have testified of this for years and I will continue to do so. I am a missionary,  "And I, [Elder Powell], will not deny the Christ... (Moroni 1:3)

Oct. 20, 2014 - Week 104 .... final week of proselyting!

Hello Family!

Well this is it. 7 Days of crazy hard work left! It´s gonna be a good week!

This past week the Lord has blessed us so much. We were introduced to three friends of members and all three of them are solid! We started using the prayer list for all of our investigators and they are progressing rapidly! I love it :) I don´t think we will have a baptism before I leave... :( but it is great to see so many people coming unto Christ! We also had an activity in the mountains on Saturday and that was amazing!! We hiked, saw the sunrise, hiked to a cave and it was all the young adults in our branch as well as an Investigator! Good Times :D

This week is a week of finding and as a mission we want to find 888 new investigators! Pray for us :)

I don´t really know what to say right now sooo.....

I´ll write my last letter next week.:)

Love Elder Powell

Oct. 13, 2014 - More General Authorities!

Hello hello :)

This week has been great! We have found a few new families and they are awesome! One of them is a dominican Family! We started a family scripture study for 20 minutes a day with them. They are awesome. The mom really wants their family to be eternal. It all starts with prayer, scripture study and church.

 

We also saw a little miracle with the brother of a less active lady we met this week. Ok so first you need to know that our church is in Alcázar. He lives about 45 minutes north in Socuellamos, but is now living for a time 30 minutes east in Villafranca. So we go by Beatrces house in Villafranca and meet Marcos the brother. He told us that just yesterday he had met an older missionary couple in Alcázar and he had seen an anouncement for our english classes as well. Then, While talking we come to find out that three months ago he sold a car to a member family who needed a car to come to church. They live up in Socuellamos. 

So basically this man had contact with the church like 5 times in 3 different pueblos that have thousands of people where there are only 35 members..... He will now be hearing the missionaries three times a week, coming to english classes and coming to church with his sister. Talk about prepared!!

I love the gospel! We sure have a perfect Father in Heaven who is working WITH us :)

Also a seventy came on saturday and Sunday and gave some great talks about member missionary stories! It got me pumped up! But he mentioned three points that will strengthen the work of Salvation. 

FIRST: Family home evening with missionaries and Investigators at least twice a month. He said that in the summers he was having up to 2 family nights with the missionaries a week! It will strengthen yourself,  your family, ward and investigators.

SECOND: Tell your ward missionary your availability during the week to work with the missionaries.

THIRD: Have a MIGHTY prayer once a week for all those in the world who don´t believe and need to find the missionaries.

LAST: (This is more the missionaries part but maybe you can let your missionaries know) Prayer name by name, each day, as family for every investigator that the missionaries are teaching. They should give out a small list every Sunday to evry member.

Talk about Unity right! :)

I LOVE being a missionary! Be the Lord´s hands and feet. Live worthily and just be HAPPY :D

Lots of love. Elder Powell

Oct 6, 2014 - CONFERENCE!!

Wow what a great weekend!! What a great week overall! :) 

I loved conference and we saw some great miracles this week. One of the greatest miracles was on a day of trials! Tuesday we had done everything we could, passed by everyone, hit every plan we had and still had an hour left to the day! (That last hour is the worst when you have no plans left, just so you know ;) So I finally just sat down and called every old investigator in my phone. I called about 50 people and only 1 said we could come by later in the week on Saturday. We didn´t think much of it until we finally visited her. We come to find out that she had been taught all the lessons and was ready to be baptized about a year ago, but wasn´t married to the man she was living with. But this week that man had left her and moved to a different city :D She came to conference, is living the commandments, is coming to church next week and is a super prepared lady. I love this work!! 

We had a lot of investigators and converts come to church which was great. Conference brings a powerful spirit. I like watching it in english way better to hear the emotion in everyones voices but spanish was good too. :) In Cheryl A. Esplins talk the translator started crying when she started talking about how Christ is really the one offering us the sacrament. It was super powerful to hear the translator struggling through her tears. I love the Gospel! :D

I Loved every talk! All of my questions were answered, like always, and many other things were learned. I feel like we are continually being taught little by little higher laws to follow and I love it! I love the continual progression and continual conversion. I don´t have all of my notes with me but one talk that comes to my mind right now was the talk by Jorg Klebingat. Packers talk was great, Hollands talk was great, and many other power houses, but I loved how Elder Jorg stated, "I will speak boldy hoping to edify and not to offend. 1 TAKE responsibility for your own spiritual well being. STOP blaming others or your circumstances. STOP justifyng and STOP making excuses for why you aren´t fully striving to be obedient!" I loved it. It was bold and powerful. I feel like I have mentioned this subject a few times but I LOVE Obedience and I love the feelings of being obedient as we give into the will of God.

 I love the mission and I love the people here. We are Gods children. He is our Father. 

Love, Elder Powell