Oi all! Hermana (did I spell that right?) Powell here!
So I am in San Jose, California! The Flight here was pretty much the safest flight ever. There were 27 missionaries going to San Jose! It was crazy. No contacts were available on that small plane. But I did talk to a really nice guy who took a picture of me in the plane (on my camera it wasn't creepy like that). We landed and we got off like the confused little babies we were. And then we were off to the Institute Building where we were off to meet our Mission President and his wonderful wife. President Watkins is possibly the hardest working person I have met in the world. And dashingly handsome (his words not mine). He was just joking I think. Haha. After we met them, we were in the streets contacting. AH! So scary. But it was awesome/awful. WE out and everyone was looking at us like we were dirt. Everyone ignored us, ran away from us, or cussed at us. But it was interesting to hear them talking all about us. We made some sort of impact. And I talked to one guy whose grandma who is a member. But he doesn't believe in God. And he attacked us (verbally not physically, haha). I walked away and wished I had shared my experience about how I know there is a God. And I know he does exist. He is the reason I am on this mission. I love Him and I know Him. Maybe I said something that helped him though. I walked back feeling frustrated. But I felt prompted to open the scriptures, and I came to: fear not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.
I think it is so cool how when we wear this tag, people judge us but the kinda don't. The Atonement takes that away. We wear His name and that's what they see. I could have taken my tag off and walked around and they would have not recognized me. I love the Lord so much.
After that we ate lunch and had an orientation. President took out the visa waiters and told us that he was the only person in all of the country that would take us. "I told President Holland, 'Send me two great Temple Square Missionaries and I'll take all six of those Sisters!" Wish was totally awesome, because we would have been stuck in that dang MTC way longer.
That night we had this awesome Texas Sheet Cake and we had mashed potatoes and steak and carrots (thought you would want to know). And then we had a sort of devotional thing where everyone bore their testimonies and we listened to President talk. He talks a lot but he says the best things.
Second day, I woke up with a crazy ache in my neck and a zit the size of mount everest. Totally upsetting. And then we went to the MISSION HOME!!!! DON DON DON!!!. Qu scary music. I was getting my new companions. Who were they going to be? What were they like? And then I was assigned to Sister Hall and Sister Jones...Spanish speaking. AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! hahaha. It's awesome though. Sister Corbitt gave me a lot of practice listening to Spanish;) I can't remember the first day very well. I think that's when we taught Brissa, who is getting baptized! First lesson and we extended a baptismal invitation. She is so smart and so awesome.
The second day was weird. It was on splits: I was with Sister Kofford and Sister Packer. We taught this woman named Rachel, and I prayed with her. She said she had been seeking for churches all her life and she found this one that made her really happy. She said that I said the prettiest prayer ever though. Blushes;) We got back for study time and I felt a little abandoned. I was wondering where my companions were. I was just the Visa Waiter, but I read a lot of scriptures that stood out to me and comforted me. One of them was:John 15: 12 This is my commandment, That ye alove one another, as I have bloved you.
13 Greater alove hath no man than this, that a man lay down his blife for his cfriends.
14 Ye are my afriends, if ye do whatsoever I bcommand you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you afriends; for all things that I have bheard of my Father I have made cknown unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have achosen you, and bordained you, that ye should go and bring forth cfruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in mydname, he may give it you.
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
18 If the world ahate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the aworld, the world would blove his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The aservant is not greater than his lord. If they havebpersecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had asin: but now they have no bcloakfor their sin.
23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had asin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They ahatedme without a cause.
26 But when the aComforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall btestify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear awitness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
After that I just made it a huge goal to open my mouth. I speak Portuguese and I bare my testimony to them in it. They understand it. And I know it is because of the Spirit.
Friday was an awesome day with lessons (I gave Jessa a picture of Jesus and she loved it). We taught Louis and Adela and Mariah.
Saturday was planning day and weird. We went downtown at night and I felt the spirit go away. It was not fun and I didn't like it. Sunday was awesome. We found these two girls who were totally going to smoke pot after we talked to them, but they were curious and wanted to stop drugs, and gave us a whole bunch of numbers. Debbie wanted to know how to pray because she wanted to pray for her sister, so we taught her and she started to cry. I felt the spirit strongly. And I bore my testimony in sacrament and everyone started to freak out. Who is this girl? What is she saying? Five people were up there trying to figure it out. They didn't think I could speak English. Haha. So this lady translated my Portuguese to Spanish. I was pretty proud she could understand me.
My head hurts from all the Spanish, but I am doing awesome. I really love serving and I feel like I am getting closer everytime I serve. By the way, I am being transferred to a different area. Haha. Still Spanish speaking. I am getting a companion who has only been out for Six Weeks and has no idea whats going on. I am so excited. President was so stressed when he told me that, but I think I made his day when I joked around about it. HOW DARE MY COMPANIONS GET RID OF ME AFTER 2 DAYS! THE VISA WAITER!
I have been getting lots of nice compliments too. "Your eyes are beautiful!" "You hair is fabulous!" BONHITA! "Are you a Victoria Secret Model?" That's my favorite.
I know the church is true! Missionary work is hard but rewarding. Read the Book of Mormon! Sorry I couldn't write as much as I wanted, but Is gots to writes mes missions presidents. I forgetting english! HELP! Haha. Yeah. I might be going crazy, but I love it!
Love y'all!
SIster Powell
13 Greater alove hath no man than this, that a man lay down his blife for his cfriends.
14 Ye are my afriends, if ye do whatsoever I bcommand you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you afriends; for all things that I have bheard of my Father I have made cknown unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have achosen you, and bordained you, that ye should go and bring forth cfruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in mydname, he may give it you.
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
18 If the world ahate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the aworld, the world would blove his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The aservant is not greater than his lord. If they havebpersecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had asin: but now they have no bcloakfor their sin.
23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had asin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They ahatedme without a cause.
26 But when the aComforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall btestify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear awitness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
After that I just made it a huge goal to open my mouth. I speak Portuguese and I bare my testimony to them in it. They understand it. And I know it is because of the Spirit.
Friday was an awesome day with lessons (I gave Jessa a picture of Jesus and she loved it). We taught Louis and Adela and Mariah.
Saturday was planning day and weird. We went downtown at night and I felt the spirit go away. It was not fun and I didn't like it. Sunday was awesome. We found these two girls who were totally going to smoke pot after we talked to them, but they were curious and wanted to stop drugs, and gave us a whole bunch of numbers. Debbie wanted to know how to pray because she wanted to pray for her sister, so we taught her and she started to cry. I felt the spirit strongly. And I bore my testimony in sacrament and everyone started to freak out. Who is this girl? What is she saying? Five people were up there trying to figure it out. They didn't think I could speak English. Haha. So this lady translated my Portuguese to Spanish. I was pretty proud she could understand me.
My head hurts from all the Spanish, but I am doing awesome. I really love serving and I feel like I am getting closer everytime I serve. By the way, I am being transferred to a different area. Haha. Still Spanish speaking. I am getting a companion who has only been out for Six Weeks and has no idea whats going on. I am so excited. President was so stressed when he told me that, but I think I made his day when I joked around about it. HOW DARE MY COMPANIONS GET RID OF ME AFTER 2 DAYS! THE VISA WAITER!
I have been getting lots of nice compliments too. "Your eyes are beautiful!" "You hair is fabulous!" BONHITA! "Are you a Victoria Secret Model?" That's my favorite.
I know the church is true! Missionary work is hard but rewarding. Read the Book of Mormon! Sorry I couldn't write as much as I wanted, but Is gots to writes mes missions presidents. I forgetting english! HELP! Haha. Yeah. I might be going crazy, but I love it!
Love y'all!
SIster Powell
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