HELLO :)

Well I have had like 100 emails today telling me that I gave the wrong address...so let me try this again.

194 Shelton Road Apartment #149 Madison, AL 35758 :)

Hopefully that helps!

Anyways, this week has been great!

Thadias is getting baptized this week! I can't even believe it. All things that could have gone wrong this week to keep him from getting there went wrong. Lost his job, family issues, sleeping in to where he almost didn't go to church (Luckily I have become quite good at the loud and obnoxious knocks that I woke him right on up). He really is so awesome. He will be such a great example to all those around him. He already has started to introduce us to others and I'm pretty sure the whole apartment complex will be at his baptism.

Lets see, I don't have a lot of time to write today so I'll just make a list of the events that were most memorable:

1. We had a Christmas Festival. Which was first the best festival I have ever been. The live nativity, the choir, the cookies, everything was amazing. But what made it the most enjoyable was Sister Stahly (she is always a good one for entertainment). I don't believe I told ya'll that Sister Stahly's loverboy (haha no way to describe it but that) lives in birhmingham. haha I know my reaction when I found out that we were going here. He goes to UAB for Grad School...for some degree I can't even begin to pronounce let alone spell-ends with -ology though if that helps...Anyway he shoowed up at the festival. hahahahah. I couldn't stop laughing. They were so awkward that the Brazilian sister I was talking to for the last forever (she wouldn't stop talking to me once she found out that i could somewhat speak her language, even though by the look on my face she could tell that I was only understanding about zero of it...but I'm getting off subject...this story is about sister Stahly) became silent. When I walked up to them, the only thing I could say was "whelp this is awkward" which didn't make things any better, but sure did make thier faces go red. haha.

2. We found out that there are about 80 Brazilians in the area...SO our goal this week is to find them. I already found out where three of them live (how I found out is confidential..pha) and hopefully will see them tongiht. So excited.

3. THe sariavas finally decided to come back to Alabama and they are are going to have us over for Christmas. They are a family from Brazil that are so excited to have us in the ward.

4. It snowed...It is so cold.

5. I found out I'm only like 10 hours from home because a family in my ward drove through Lake Charles last weekend! AH.

6. Sister Stahly and I h ave decided that we have moved from the honeymoon stage of our relationship to the old married couple. That should be self explanatory. I sure love her so much.

WELL I HAVE TO GO! For some reason Sister Stahly thinks it is hillarious to volunteer us for musical numbers...

LOVE Ya'll.

thank you so much for making this possible.

I love being here so much.

I might just never come back!

phah. jk

ooh...and I get to call ya'll sooooN!

SISter MCKENZIE POWELL

I'm 22!

Thank you so much for the package. The foot lotion was very much needed (thank you alex) haha. We do so much walking...my shoes are already looking rough. Haha speaking of walking this week I had a huge dog attempt to attack me. The owner just watched the entire time. Didn't even try to come and get him. I will say that I was proud that I kept my composure by only screaming once and choosing not to run. It was pretty scary. It was not only barking but growling and snarling. It was kind of strange, it would come close to us but would never get close to bite us so we were able to slowly edge our way along the road. I will admit I thought some very unkind things about the owner. We avoid walking home that way now.

Anyway...better news. This week I thought for sure I was going to get transferred to the University. I admit that made me feel a few emotions. I think it would be awesome to work with people my age all the time, but I was also sad because we are making so much progress here. But when we were talking to President he decided that he would keep sister Stahly and I here for another transfer (or until we get our visas). So here it is I stay.

I found out this week that Sister Stahly and my situation is quite unique. Not only did we not have trainers, but we were also opening a new area. That means that we had to start completely from scratch. But I am so grateful that we were able to do that. We have learned so much and are continuing to do so. It was a blessing in a very very convincing disguise.

I can't even begin to tell you how much I have grown to love it here. That alone has made such a difference in the success we are having. Sister Stahly and I are constantly smiling and finding ways to talk to people. We are teaching so many lessons and talking to so many people. I can't think of the last door that was slammed in my face. There are people that are not interested, but I have learned that if you show interest in them they usually show more interest in you and what you have to say. Each time we call and report our district leader is so surprised at our numbers. The Lord is blessing us so much.

I don't think I have told ya'll about Thadias for a while. He was taught by the missionaries in Washington, but moved to Alabama and hasn't had anything to do with the Church since. Well we have been teaching him since last week. For the first few days, he had me convinced that he was somewhere short of crazy. Turns out that he was messing with us. Which 1. made me want to slap him 2. made me want to cry. I think I did cry. Ok I did. Which helped a lot actually. Anyways we made him promise to stop messing with us and we have been meeting with every day. He came to church and everyone loved him. Anyway he is going to be baptized the 18th. I can't even begin to say how happy that makes me.

Lynette is doing well. She so wants to do the right thing and she loves coming to church. She smoked a cigarette yesterday so we are going to have to move her baptismal date back a bit, but she knows what she wants and she will get there. She has been bringing her husband to the lessons as well this week and he has also been striving to work to understanding the gospel. He has also been striving to live the Gospel of Christ- which is a crucial key to coming to an understanding of it.

I wish I had time to tell ya'll about the other amazing people we are teaching, but I will just leave it at that for now.

I've never been a mom, but I think teaching these people has made me more aware of what it must feel like to be one. You worry about them constantly. Pray about them constantly. Are devastated when they make choices that you know will hurt them. And are ecstatic when they make ones that will bless their lives. Your entire day is centered around them to the point where you have hardly anytime to think about anything else. I love it.

And thinking of that makes me think more about the love our Heavenly Father has for us. He loves us so much that he has given us every possible tool that there can be for us to be able to return home to him. I can't imagine how happy he must become when we choose to follow and keep his commandments. How happy he must become when we choose to use the Atonement of His son constantly. But how completely sad he must become when choose not to.

But the fact that he allows us to make those choices is just further evidence of his love for us.

We are so blessed to be here. To be part of this plan. To be here. To have the choices we do. To have the future that we do have.

I love it so much.

I love being here so much. It is still the hardest, most frustrating thing I have ever done. But it is the best, most rewarding thing I have yet to do.

Thank you so much for making this possible.

Love,

Sister Powell

I stink at coming up with subjects....

Well I have so much to write but so little time to do it. This week has flown by...but so much happened! Tuesday we went to a leadership training in Birmingham. Can I say how much I love President Holzapfel?? He is one of the smartest men I have ever met. Yet he is so humble. You can just tell how much he loves each and everyone of his missionaries. I learned so much that day. Later that night we had a sisters training. He told us how much he loved the sisters and that is why Sister Stahly and I were in his mission, because he specifically requested more sisters. When we are assigned to our missions, we are assigned to our mission presidents. I can see how I needed to be in Alabama, not only because there was a work here for me to do but because I needed to here the things that President said in those meetings. Anyways...I left with a resolve to work harder and to do better. And it changed everything. We have a lot of new guidelines to follow. The first presidency has changed a lot of the way missions are run in the south. But it is because an "unprecedented harvest" will come from it. We track from sun up to sun down and then we are required to teach. If we don't have people to teach then we find members and less actives to teach. It is hard and tiring, but I really can see that it is going to work. I know that I won't be here for long, but it is an honor to be here at the start of this change....a change that will affect home. Tracting has gotten so much better. I know it is my attitude. Attitude is really everything. We have had a few people that just invited us into their home. Both people commented that they never invite strangers into their home, but that they just recognized something different in us. It was amazing to see the light that came into their eyes as we talked to them. Ruth even started crying. It was such a testimony builder to me of what it is I am doing. It really is amazing. There are people that are prepared to hear what we have to say. It doesn't really matter what or how we say it, because they are just ready to hear, love, and accept it. That is a comfort and a definte drive to keep on knocking. Madison is a beautiful town. My only complaint is their lack of side walks. Riding bikes in a skirt, is scary buisness. Oh this week I stepped on a dead rabbit. enough said about that. Thanksgiving was great. Sister Stahly, Muncy, Black, and I made about 100 pumpkin cookies and delivered them to all the people we know in town. It was fun to see all the neighbors and people that we have met from walking around. That is one thing I love about being a missionary. You are required to talk to everyone. They expect it of you. And you meet so many people. People are fascinating. I ate too much on Thanksgiving. Luckily Sister Muncy decided that we would only do one Thanksgiving instead of going to the thousand other invites we got. All the women in the madison ward are so excited to have four sisters. They are always inviting us to eat and always feeding us way more than we need. (luckily are walking and biking makes up for it). But it is nice to have their support. Anyway...I ate way to much for thanksgiving. It was the fanciest Thanksgiving meal I had ever seen. I had no idea what all the different utensils were for. The food was good (not as good as grandma and daddy's). The pie was the best I have ever had....and that was my downfall. Seriously. I have never nor will I ever have pie like the pie Brother Riley made. I thought I was going to puke that night. Luckily I didn't. I just laid on our nasty bathroom (cigarette smelling because of our lovely neighbors) floor. It was good though because I realized that it very much needed to be cleaned. Soo lets see. We are teaching quite a few people right now, but I will just write about a few. First there is Chris. Haha Chris is a character. He is sooo smart. He knows the Bible backwards and forwards. He has so many questions. Which is good. Very good. Anyway in our last lesson he was saying that there was no way he would read the Book of Mormon, because it went against everything he believed. It didn't matter what we verses we read in the Bible to back it up. It didn't matter what we said. He wanted nothing to do with it because God gave us a bible and that is all that he would give us...So I decided that we would read 2 Nephi 29. haha after I finished reading, He was quiet for quite some time and then said ok...I will read one chapter. He then went on to say that he recognized that we had truth with us, but that he couldn't renounce the truth that he had already found. SO while he would read one chapter it wouldn't change his mind. My response to him: Life consists of a series of steps we take in search for truth. It doesn't mean the step you have taken are insignificant, but maybe just that you have a few more to take. He looked at me for quite some time..."Dang girl...where did you come from?" haha and then decided he would read the entire book. We are also teaching a girl named Lynette. The senior missionaries found her, but decided sister Sthaly and I would be able to connect better with her so we have been teaching her almost everyday this week. She has had such a rough life. A lot of it coming from decisions she has made, but she has a desire to change. It has been amazing watching her open up to us. It has been amazing seeing the light that she has started to bring with her everytime she meets with us. She doesn't understand everything yet, but she recognizes that this is where the Lord wants her to be and has committed to be baptized on December 18th. I can't tell you how happy that makes me. I seriously couldn't stop smiling all night. I can't stop smiling writing this. I told her then that if she lives what the Gospel of Christ preaches that she will see a change in her and her family. That she will feel the burdens be lifted and the strength to do whatever it is that is brought her way. I can't wait to see that come true, because if she keeps the way she is going- it will. Being a missionary is nothing like I imagined. Sometimes I literally have to pinch myself to check that it is real. It is so hard. There are days when I seriously just want to drive on home (haha for some reasons they assigned me as the driver of the mission car...that we can hardly use but when we do I drive...scary I know). But for the most part I love it so much that the fact that I am almost at my three month mark makes me sad. You don't have to worry about anything out here other than your relationship with God and your investigator's relationship with him. You just wake up everyday and work your hardest, pray for miracles, and thank God for each small one you see. Because if you are aware of them, you see so many of them. It is the most amazing and most wonderful privilege to be here in Alabama serving the Lord. Thank you so much for making this possible. I love ya'll so much. Love, Sister McKenzie Powell