September 12, 2011

From: McKenzie Powell [mailto:mckenzie.powell@myldsmail.net] Sent: Monday, September 12, 2011 10:48 AM To: Kevin Powell; Mom; Sydney; Alex Subject: Carol was baptized. I was so happy. She was such an example to me. She has lived away from home since she turned 12 years old, and has had such a rough life. But despite the world trying its best to get her, she has remained one of the purest people I have ever met. She recognized the truthfulness of this gospel the moment we taught her the first lesson. She is a blessing to everyone in the ward, and has already helped them so much. The best thing about it was that as all the young women were greeting her, Julia (Daughter of one of our recent converts who had been doing everything to avoid being baptized) looked at me and said that it was just her that needed to be baptized now. So I invited her right then and there and she will be baptized now this next week! So exciting! I love baptisms. My body is starting to wear out... My companions tell me it is because I have turned into a robot (a robot with feelings and the spirit, but a robot nevertheless). Haha. But it is true. I just go, go, and go. For the past year I have woken up at 6:30 every day and I don`t stop until 10:30 at night. Even when I am sitting, I have to be doing something. I always have a portuguese grammar book handy and I am always learning. If we aren`t teaching, we do contacts. I have to be doing something, or I just go stir crazy. Can you believe it is already time for transfers? The time is going by way to fast. I let you know next week if I will be getting transfered or not. I don`t want to leave this area. I love it so much! Apart from our appartment being the most ghetto of places I have lived, I have zero complaints. The ward is amazing. There are always people to contact and teach. And I just love all these investigators! It is always so sad to leave them behind and not really know what happens. I found out that four of my investigators in Terra Vermelha were baptized three weeks ago! THat was exciting. God has his hand in everything, so I don`t think to much about transfers...but I really would like to stay here! I am pretty sure Sister Nicascio and I will be finally seperated. I think I really will be sad when that day comes. I love her so much. I think I really have learned what it is to love with her as my companion. There are days when I think about leaving her on the bus and making a run for it. She is difficult when she gets down, but the more I have learned about her, the more I understand why she is the way she is. I have learned to be happy even when those around me aren`t. I have learned to love when it isn´t easy to love. I have also learned to teach with her. She came on a mission not knowing hardly anything about the gospel. She came geared with her testimony, a never opened preach my gospel, and scriptures that she had read once in her life. It has been sort of like living with an investigator. It has been really tiring, but I have loved it. There has been nothing greater than seeing her grow. She teaches the gospel now better than I ever will. It has been such a blessing that I will forever be greatful for. Another bonus- in having to teach her and taking the lead in all the lessons, I have learned portuguese faster than most. Heavenly Father knows what he is doing. I am learning a lot from Sister Johnson. From the first day with her, I told her that she knew more than she thought, and that the only way she would know her strengths and what she needed to better was from going out and doing those things you think you can`t do. I think I scared her a little at first. I treated her as I have all my companions. We teach an equal amount. Contact an equal amount. And apart from the times that we are teaching Sister Nicascio english, and other very rare ocassions, I only speak portuguese with her. The cool thing is that she has never once complained. I can see at times that she is a tad scared when she goes to talk to the people, but she always goes out and does it. She has grown so fast. She is so quick with her scriptures, and truely loves the people we teach. Everytime she teaches I feel the spirit so strong. I will forever be grateful for everything that she has taught me. I love being a missionary. I love ya`ll. Thanks for everything ya`ll do! Love, Sister Powell