I continue to break the record for how much I have ever sweat

Hi Mom!!

IM STAYING IN CULPEPER!!!!!!!!!

 

Im only a little excited hahaha. So transfer calls were on saturday because transfers are on tuesday not thursday because thats when pres riggs gets here. But im so excited! This was only a 5 week transfer so i get to stay for a 7 week one. The best part is apparently the 4th of July is like the carziest day in the south and the ward has been telling us all about the voluteer opputunities and the street contacting oppertunities we get as missionaries so im just so excited. I'm just so gosh darn excited the spirit cant constrain me hahahaha. So i find out tomorrow who my new companion is. There is so much potenital work and so much stuff that is going on right now so this next 7 weeks is gonna be insane!!!!!

 

So for the weekly update. So monday was very very intresting at the end. We have comitted as a Zone to do a daily power hour. An hour of tracting anywhere fro 6-9 at night (end at 9). This way people will be home. So the first night we did this a lady freaked out at us saying we were harassing her and yelled that she worshiped "Katoolu" and ya that was way fun. Elder perry was laughing while she was yelling because it was so rediculous hahaha and she was like thats not very christain!!!! and then her husband was like come back inside please to her lol. fun times :) Tuesday was fun we met with this older lady who lives at the same trailer park as Wayne Poffinbavger. Shes way nice and we invited her to baptism and she said she would think about it but still wants us to continue to come by. Its the Ms Brown the lady with the fat Chuwawa. So each and everyday the Humidy has been picking up. Just thought id tell you hahaha. Then we did service at Henrys again (the Greenhouse). So it was about 90 plus 100% humidity and we were up on top of the green house putting the plastic on the roof and and that was, well exausting. I continue to break the record for how much iv ever sweat when we go to his house lol. Wednesday was fun but thursday was brutal hahaha. So we had the 4 zone mission confrence. that was fun but that day it was 105 with 200% humidity. I was on an exchange with elder Freeman and we went to subway and guess how hot it was in subway? 100. I kid you not. We were sweating bullets just wating a sandwich. And the bet part is. August is supposed to be the hottest month so you can probably guess how excited i am for that. But i feel so blessed to be in a car and and am gonna be in one for most the summer so like they always say, it could be worse, so no complaints on my end. Just loving the mish :) Later that night we went on a n awesome exchange with Brother Houston  who is a baptist convert and is now 1st councelor. We went to teach a man who is in a part member family and the lesson was way awesome. Afterwards we gave her a blessing (i still get so incredibly nervous when i have to give one hahaha) but it was way awesome. Then in friday we visited a  lot of LA's out in Amissville and then we an awesome dinner with people that used to live in Australia and they told us a lot cool stories. Saturday we got the transfer calls and that was fun and sunday was a great Sabbath. We were able to get in contact with one of the other spanish men again finally and taught him really quick because he barley had anytime but the member that came with us was way cool and he was thankfull he could come because he went to Spain on his mission about 10 years ago and loves to use his Spanish.

So this week was way awesome. Im staying, we met new poeple and met with past investigators and it was just awesome. Im so ecited for next transfer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tommorrow is gonna be fun. New mission president and companion! Pray for me lol.  Oh, by the way, I'veo also i put pics of this groundhog. There always on the road by apartment so one night elder hubbard floored over one and it landed 10 toes up! Hilarious huh. Guess we wont find how many weeks of winter left hahahha.  

 

Love

 

Elder Powell

 

Gotta find the happy side!!

Yo whadda do motha (i was told by our gangster investigator Chris to keep it black so thats my effort lol),

 

Well this week was full of dissapointment. But I have not let any of it keep me down and will not ever!  But i will start off by giving my personal opinion. Being a missionary is not only about Baptisms! Baptizing is just a huge blessing in missionary work and part of the process.

Zaria (our only on date) fell off because she is on HOUSE ARREST!  Seriously!  Elder Perry took that really hard I keep having to tell him that life doesn't end because she didnt make the date.  We're still going to work with her, if anything now our appoinments wont fall through at least,  hahahha. <--- See Mom,  you gotta find the funny happy side in a given situation, right?  You always taught me that :)

The other major thing that happened is our investigator Chris tried to kill himself twice this week. He called us on the middle of the night and we talked him down the first time but the second time we werent aware of it. He's struggling big time . He is going to see a therapist in like 30 days but needs help now so we are meeting with him every other day. Please pray  for him, he needs it.

Now for the Good!!  We were able to meet with a lot of our new investigators and that all went well. One day i was on exchanges because of leadership meetings i had 4 diffrent companions because of everyones diffrent schedules. The best part was i got to go on another exchange with elder Cluff again. Hes so tight. We got to work about half the day together. So that was way awesome. Well zone conference is this week with 3 other zones for a farewell with the Albrights then its transfers again. Man i hope i stay in Culpeper. The sweetest thing happened yesterday. We had dinner with the Seeley family and we mention transfers and they all yelled "NOOOOOOO you guys are so awesome don't leave!!!" and when we walked out the kids tred to hold the car door shut so that felt good t see that families do appreciate what were doing.  Then we met with Chris yesterday and afterwards he told us how he hasn't felt this happy in a long time, so that was strong to hear. It reallly hit me and elder Perry. 

Well sorry for the short letter but i hope all is well back home and I hope you had a great fathers day mom you deserve it!

 

Love,

 

Elder Powell

The work continues

Dear Mother,

 

Man this week was extra frustrating. We went from 6 people on date to only 1. Mrs Kelcy was on vacation this whole week so she fell off date but were gonna continue to work with her. Sister Sippert fell off because she had to put the lessons on hold for this whole past week. And she just texted us last night and put this week on hold as well. Both spanish men, Hector and Ramiro, have not been home at all the past 2 weeks. We keep leaving cards saying when we'll stop by and they never answer. Heather is the other lady on date and her family is busy and sick so there waiting a little bit to resume the lessons. Then all the people we challenged to come to church who said they would... didn't.

But the miracles of this week were, we found 7 new. So we have a total of 21 investigators and Zarias baptism is scheduled for this saturday so we are praying like every 5 minutes that all works. But we just continue to set up appointments with all the people we have. We were able to set up quite a few for this upcoming week. Its just been frustrating because we walk out of alll the lessons and they go so well and were so convinced they'll keep their commitments and they never do. But o well we just keep doing our part and the ward is finally starting to help out. We have had diffrent members come up to us and say they want to do more and go on exchanges with is so were excited that the ward is starting recognize their role and hopefully do there part. Thats what we have been struggling with. 

I guess the coolest thing that happened this week was we help a referal from the Hermanas move and we got 4 out the 7 new investigators from that experience. But the move was awkward at first because we needed people with trucks and you'd think being in the south everyone would own one right? hahaha wrong. We sat around for an hour at the lady's house and then poeple finally showed up. Our ward mission leader is way awesome and feels bad that the ward is slacking and apologizes everytime for them hahha. But it doesn't matter Elder Perry and I just keep giving our best and we'll see what happens.

Its wierd that the Albrights are going home. We had a zone confrence last week and were having a 4 zone confrence next week for their farewell and so its wierd to be saying goodbye to them. Like it came to soon. But our mission made a video for President Riggs. Its called "Operation Windows of Heaven" its on youtube. Its all about how our baptism goal is 240 for the month of June and were at well i forgot but as of this week were at 201. You can see the Fredericksburg Zone for a little bit. Were the ones that walk out from the back of the cars to the front. (Im on the left wearing sunglasses next to a silver corola) and then when the circle chant is going on thats our zone. In the middle in elder Kessler. Hes from southern cali and was a redshirt freshman for th U of U. He came out with our group. The rest of our zone is in a cricle and he says "Whats our goal???" and we say "240!!" and then he says "How are we gonna get that??" and we say "Baptize!!" and then he says "Who's house is this??" and we say "Albrights!!!" and then he says "Whos house is it gonna be?" and we yell "Riggs!!" and then we break out in a brawl hahhaha. You can see me for a split second as they pan the inside of the circle. That was reallly fun to make and then see at Zone confrence. So were all really excited for president Riggs and just trying to do our best before he gets here. Well the work continues.

 

Love

 

Elder Powell

 

Blessings in disguise

Yo momma,

This week was really interesting. Like it had a lot of ups and some downs hahaha. The downs were simply, our investigators are not keeping there commitments. It really really sucks! We put Mrs Kelcy on date so we have a total of 6. 1 for June 16th. 3 for June 23rd. And 2 for June 30th. BUT none of them are keeping there commitments and its hard.  Investigators have to come to church 3 times before there baptism and Mrs Kelcy is the only one who has come once and its just getting frustrating. But enough with the bad :).

So Monday we visited a lot of people in our ward (less actives) and tried to tract but no one was answering hahaha. Then Mom and Dad (Doug and Karen) had us 4 Elders over for a memorial day cookout. That was way fun and we could all barley walk home. (they live in our appartment complex) Then tuesday was a normal day of work and then wednesday was p-day. We halped this really cool lady named Linda Price move. She is moving to warrenton which is about 30 minutes above us (the closest anyone from our mission is) so we refered her to them and there gonna start teaching her. Then on thursday was district meetings. Im way excited because Elder Williams who is from my MTC district who im really tight with and Elder Mochozuki who is frommy appartment in Ashburn are both in the Zone. So im hapy i get to see them everyweek and talk with them. Then on Friday we went to Fairfax to get my medicine. It went really well and took about 3 hours. Then the coolest thing happened. A random nurse walked up to us and said "so im in the book of  Jacob, how long is it going to take me to finish?" and we were literally dumbstruck for a couple seconds then said "You're reading the Book Of Mormon?" and she was like "Ya, my friend gave me one and I love it. I can connect personally to it!"  Ummm,  talk about music to our ears!! We then talked with her for a little bit and long story short she watched general confrence this year and loves president monson, has been to a baptism and says she felt the same as when she reads the BOM and we were like go back onmormon.org and you can find the missionaries in your area. We were like you have to talk with them!! so that was way awesome. Then we were driving home and it was POURING! The thunder and lighting was rediculous!!!! THen we got a text from president sayiing there was a tornado warning in fairfax and county and were like ya that would happpen, the one day were way up fairfax and there would be tornadoes hahaha. But we made it home fine but it was the loudest thunder and strongest rain iv ever been in. Our little corolla was shaking a lot hahaha.

The best part was on saturday we had dinner at the Stephens and Brother Stephens made me your apple snickers salad! He hands me this bowl to put on the counter and i wasnt paying attention then i looked at what it was and i was like HEY!  THAT'S MY....and he interrupts and says "yup your mom gave us the recipe hope it tastes good"  Man i was in heaven and he gave us the left overs (shocking there was any) and we have it at home. Blessings in disguise :).

Well the work continues and were just happy and loving Culpeper. Our whole mission is trying to step it up for President Griggs so thats our objective.  I love you!

Love

Elder Powell