From Sydney

Last night was the outgoing fireside where missionaries go and share their testimonies, and what they learned from their missions who are leaving. And I sat there in that building hyperventilating, and sitting there watching three more of my companions (Sisters Jones, Zidek, and Palmer) tell their stories. And I was so proud of them. And I was so sad. I worked so hard with those Sisters, and I saw miracles with them, and experienced some of my most amazing memories with them, and they are going. Sister Hall was hard to say goodbye to, Sister Fuimaono was horrible to say goodbye to, Sister Livingston was awful, and Sister Funaki was just tearing. 7 of my companions are gone. 

The mission feels a little bit lonely now. And it was awful to say goodbye to Sister Zidek. Sister Zidek was the missionary that taught me how to be a missionary. She was my "mother" a long with five billion others. Haha. She taught me about miracles, and hard work, about faith, about prayer, and about trust. I just sobbed and sobbed. Everyone kept asking if I was okay. They were like: Sister Powell never cries. 

I am not looking forward to saying goodbye to Sister Palmer today. It's going to be awful. What's worse is that I am going to have to do the same thing they did in six weeks, and leave the rest of my companions behind. I don't know how to do that, except for being transferred. I have been having little panic attacks.

Y'all. I love my mission so much. I don't think anyone has ever loved something more than me loving this mission. I have put my heart in this place, and I am going to work so hard this transfer. I am making sure that my Sister Powell's heart is staying here.

Luella is this super old lady who doesn't go to church. She has an equally as old dog named Toby. We decided to take him on a walk for her. SO many people talked to us. I think it should be a new missionary tecnique. I love Toby. But his poop is sooooo big. And here in California, you have to pick up dogs poop in a little green bag. So disgusting.

We had our first official lesson with Tommie. She is a talker! She also had some deep questions: How did God have a body before the earth was created?

Uhhhh...If you could hie to Kolob in a twinkling of an eye!

She awesome though, and progressing. She came to the outgoing fireside with us yesterday.

Remember that woman that entered the church last email who wanted to be baptized but she lived out of our area? Well, her name is Kim. And we tried to explain to her in person, but she kept avoiding our texts and calls. Sister Palmer was having a baptism for a married couple, and we really wanted to go, so we sent random texts to our investigators asking if they could come, and they didn't respond. So we are about to go walk Toby when Kim calls and asks how she can get into the building. She is there at the baptism! We are like chau chau Toby! And we rush (keeping within the speed limit of course) to the baptism. It was an amazing baptism. 

We are sitting there and we are thinking of ways to tell her she needs to go to the Willow Glen ward, but a member from a different ward beats us to it. And she like about has a panic attack. She was fellowshipped in a previous ward before because of her friend, and he told her to go to Willow Glen because that's her ward, so she shows up to Dry Creek because her previous ward was at that time, and she does not want to change wards. So we are teaching her for now, until you know, she wants to change again.

We visited a lot of Active members this week. It was really fun to get to know the ward better. We really have awesome wards.

I spoke this Sunday. It was really fun. I really like speaking. I think when I speak to a big group of people is when I feel the Spirit the most, and I speak clearly, and I feel more confident about myself. And the Spirit is the one that usually writes my talk for me. Grandpa Powell would be proud to know that I don't use paper anymore:)

Funny thing happened. We ate at Jamba Juice, and this old man who kept staring at me walks up to me.

He is Like: You should be a movie star. You have the hair of a movie star, you face glows like a movie star (I have been putting spinach and honey and outmeal and sugar on my face as a mask. and of course the spirit makes you glow too), you have the eyes, the smile. You just have the face of a movie star.

I am like: Oh! Thank you! 

He is like: You should be on those kid programs.

Me: uhhhh. thanks.

Hahaha. Yeahhhhhhhh. I am forever destined for Disney:)

Last P-day we went to Santa Cruz and that's why I wrote so late:)

Ana and Felicia are doing awesome. The reason they didn't talk to us for a week was because they didn't pay their phone bill, and they couldn't get a hold of us. Hahaha. First world problems. 

TheVamani is sooooooooooo cute. She is so intune with the spirit. She says these prayers that make me want to be better.

Keep the Vindiolas in your prayers! The church is true. And I love you:)

Te amo muito!

Sister Powell