Just trying to come up with ways to find people...

Hi Mom,

Well this week was about the same. Not that much really happened except we found 2 new investigators. On Thanksgiving day we contacted a former investigator who Elder McAbee taught when he was here last year. Then we also contacted a former investigator that the missionaries met at a 4th of July party. He is a 17 year old kid who does seem pretty interested and has been to the ward before. So that was a good sign we actually have new people to teach. Then on Sunday we stopped by a part member family that recently moved here from Utah. So it was a slow week as far as teaching people goes and then we tried finding new people but got absolutely no where tracting so were just trying to come up with ways to find people.

Thanksgiving was really fun. We went to our WML's house and i seriously ate way to much and then we stopped by a family that just went through the temple for the first time and they gave us even more left overs! Other than that not really that much went on. This is a hard area. But Elder McAbee and I are getting along pretty well. Better than i expected. Sorry i dont have more but ya slow week.
I love you and hope you had a great birthday/thanksgiving.  Have a great cruise next week!!

love you,

Elder Powell

I am thankful for all that I have!!

Mother Dearest,

This week was yet again another week of just trying and not really succeeding but its all good! Our mission president (who rocks) has had the missionaries asking the members a certain question for a while now. the question is "Have you recieved any revelation on how we can help you, your family, friends or neighbors in anyway?" He said that they would of course say no the first time because were catching them off guard but what were doing is stopping by once a week for about 10 minutes and we keep inviting them to seek revelation on what we can do to help anyone. It gets them and their families seeking revelation and its a great way for us to build the trust of members and to be able to have opportunities to serve in different ways. Some missionaries are finding this to be a huge success. Others arent. But we are still doing it!

 

Finally on Monda,y a family we have been working with for a month received it all while we were there. They started off all by saying no but then the mom, dad, and one of the daughters all ended up saying "O wait theres ____" you can go there and see how they are and help them. So it was one of those great moments as a missionary that you see how if you have prepared yourself and seek for an answer to something, you will get that answer. On Tuesday we were able to do some service cutting up trees that had fallen over from the hurricane and we used a certain tool that cuts trees that i will not name ;) But that was fun. On Wednesday we saw some people that were in a hospital that are in our ward. Its for elderly folks and said to say one of the ladies past away but she was converted when she was 71 and everyone said she has one of the coolest conversion stories but was able to do everything she needed in the church while she was alive and she died peacefully so its not that bad of a situation at all. But the ward members do miss her as we all do when someone passes away. Makes me miss sister Larson a little.Thursday i received my infusion and i was pretty tired afterwards and brother Schmidt kept asking if i was ok (hes the one who drove us) and i was like ya ill be fine hahaha. We had tracted into this one man that seemed really interested but unfortunately we were not able to meet with him. He's not answering his door!!! But as we were walking away from his house this Indian family lets off these huge fireworks and we were talking to them and they said that they were celebrating the festival of lights. They had just run out of fireworks as we got there so we didn't ask to celebrate with them because the fun was done hahaha. On friday we finally had a lesson! It was with this 9 year old who was going to be baptized until her dad found out and had her baptized somewhere else. But were starting the lessons again and hopefully he won't mind hahaha. Her parents are divorced and her dad isn't a member so thats why it didnt work out the first time. On saturday we were able to have a really good lesson with these 2 recent converts that arent active. We have been trying for a while to get in and have a lesson and it finally happened. That was really good news. On sunday we had stake conference. Pres  Riggs and Sister Riggs spoke both on receiving revelation and that was kind of the theme so that was a great conference. We had an awesome dinner where we recieved 3 referrals. One we can go work with know and the others are in work. Slowly but surely the work is picking up!!

 

Today we went to DC!!!!!! It was way awesome. This awesome recent convert that Elder McAbee actually baptized last year took us to the Vienna metro and got 4 of us metro cards so we could get into DC easily and picked us up as well. He is way awesome and we were way blessed that he did all that he did for us. We went to the National Museum of American History, The Holocaust Museum, and then went to the Capital building. TONS OF FUN AND WALKING BUT SO MUCH WORTH IT. I love how im serving in this mission where there is all history and national stuff to go and see. The Holocaust Museum definitely made me thankful for all that I have. But just to be able to walk around DC was so much fun. Everything we saw I kept calling it the national version. So we say the National Kinkos and National Starbucks hahahha. Awesome week! We keep trying and trying to find work to do so I cant wait until were super busy!!!!  

Love Elder Powell

Meet Elder McAbee, from Homedale Idaho!

Hey Mom!

This week a good week compared to the rest. On Tuesday we had our meetings and then received transfer calls. Elder Rausch was leaving and Im staying. The other sad news was that our awesome district leader was leaving too. So Wednesday we said goodbye to people but that night we went on splits with the Priests. That was a good night. I went with a kid and his dad and we got in and had a lesson with this man who has been investigating for a LONG time. The lesson went really really well and I was able to learn a lot about him and what he needs. He said that he of course will read and pray and try to make it to church but when the lesson was over and we were discussing it we agreed that he just isn't committed enough to progress right now. Elder  Rausch and the other Priest were able to go and see a kid who cant be baptized because his parents wont let him but they still allow him to be taught. They left him with a commitment to read a speed read Book of Mormon. A speed read Book of Mormon is a normal copy but certain verses are highlighted and at the bottom of each page it will say turn to page what ever so the person reads a lot of really awesome verses but doesnt read the whole thing. So they are able to get the gist of it and understand whats going on if they are struggling with reading the whole entire Book of Mormon. So it was a good night and the Priest said that they really enjoyed themselves. 

Then we had transfers on Thursday. My new companion is Elder Jacob McAbee from Homedale Idaho. He is the Elder that is in the Picture with me in my first week in Culpeper when we dug out that tree. He goes home in the last week of January so I might be his last companion which will mean I will spend a total of 6 months here. We shall see. The funny part is, Elder McAbee served here exactly a year ago. So the ward is very familiar with him. He was the one who baptized a recent convert who is getting ready to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood. So its a pretty cool situation. On Friday we finally saw a recent convert family that is in a really weird situation. The mom and one of the daughters was baptized. The mom watches this preaching show and is now really less active and almost anti but thankfully not there yet. The daughter that was baptized is active but her twin was not baptized. So the missionaries and ward have been trying for a long time to work with the twin. But the mom isn't necessarily helping the situation. But we finally got in! They has an uncle visiting and unfortunately we were only able to talk with the active sister and the Uncle. The mom and other sister left. But it was progress and the other funny part is that Elder McAbee was one of the elders that found this family. Friday and Saturday were extremely hard days because absolutely nothing happened. Were trying really hard to find people to teach but tracting is not really working. So were in what feels like Limbo, which is hard. Sunday was pretty slow as well. We were able to meet with some people that Elder McAbee knew before. Sunday night we spoke at fireside about missionary work. We were supposed to talk about preparing for a mission and whats funny is the speakers took all the time so we didn't really have to do anything. O well. So this week was better than some but definitely not the best. 

Love Elder Powell

Trying to keep our spirits high!!

HEY MOM!

 

Yes all the missionaries in the DC South were perfectly fine in the hurricane! Our new awesome amazing apartment was perfect for a time like this. The lights only flickered a couple of times and that was it. On Monday and most of Tuesday we were supposed to stay in so nothing happened then. Elder Rausch and I did a TON of reading hahaha. But we got permission from Pres Riggs to go help someone with there basement but it didn't end up happening so that was almost something to do. Since Wednesday was Halloween we had P-day then instead. So we played sports with everyone at the Centreville stake center and from 6-9 we watched movies. We watched Puss in Boots which was ok. We took a vote on what movies to watch and everyone thought Puss in Boots was going to be funny like the Shrek movies but it wasn't,so it was kinda lame but what ever.

So finally Thursday was a normal day. But from Thursday to Sunday like no one was home. We barley had anything to do. It was a pretty hard week because NOTHING HAPPENED hahaha. But finally on Sunday a lady from the ward brought her Sister to church. She came to Gospel Principles and told the class that she would like to learn more so we have an appointment for this Wednesday. Then we had this awesome departing missionary fireside. A lot of our ward went to it because one of the missionaries going home served in this ward for 9 months. So we met up with a lot of people there. One of our investigators showed up as well. She is 15. Her mom has been taking the lessons since that elder who was here for 9 months was here. Her and her daughter are taking the lessons and its a really hard situation to explain but the daughter will be the first to be baptized if she chooses. So since the daughter was there that was great. She had been to one of these firesides before and after wards she said she really liked this one. So that is probably one of our strongest investigators. We try to service a lot at their house because there is a lot we can do. So we are still in a process of trying to find people to teach. Transfers are this week, so what ever happens, happens, so we shall see what will happen. But we are fore sure ready for a normal week were we can back to WORKING! Sorry there isn't much to report but we are trying to keep our spirits high, but the hurricane has slowed us down a little, but there is still much service to be done!  

 

Love YOU!!!

 

Elder Powell