Another Fantastic Week as a Missionary!

2/24/19
So It's been another Fantastic week as a missionary! I got together with a lot of friends from my batch and other missionaries at Zone Conference this last Friday and OH MY GULAY it was so fantastic!!!!

Here's a group of us just being Pogi palagi at Zone Con :) 

I've had a really spiritual experience this past week seeing the true power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ bring such happiness into a family as people become examples to others. And what I would like to talk about with you guys today but first off I just need to say,

Gaano nagpala tayo na makaroon ang lahat katotohanan sa sariling mga buhay natin!?!?!?!?

How blessed are we to have all truth in our own lives?!!?!?!?

I Am! 

I've never felt so much love from Jesus Christ and his perfect Gospel for families. I have never seen so much of one persons life change because I gave him a book and testified that It has all the answers to our lives. I Know that this is a true Gospel of Jesus Christ and that today, we have all of the truth today to bring us to a blessing of happiness in our lives bigger than you would ever imagine! 

So as a full time representative of Jesus Christ right now in Gattaran Philippines and on this email list, I Invite all to hear the message of happiness for families and how your life can change for the better! I KNOW this is true and I know that this can change your life for the better! So simple yet so wonderful to feel the love and Joy in one life just because of one person that changed the game for us. 

One thing That I have learned today is about seeing the whole plan of happiness for us and for those. Having a vision of our future and our whole life. Not just just view that we can physically see, but the outcome of our sights, deeds, and actions. All referring to one quento in the Book of Mormon in 1st Nephi Chapter 8 about the tree of life. Lehi saw a vision of what God has to offer us, How to receive all of what he has for us, and how important it is for the whole family. not just for him after he has tasted of the fruit of the tree of life. And how he first wanted to have all of his friends taste of the tree of life. Not just all for himself, but the natural desire to have others feel of such love. I know this story to be words from God telling us what he has to offer. His Picture for us and how each individual and family can experience the eternal joy of being together as a family forever! 

This is a gospel for all. Including the family of 4 we are teaching that all work in the Palayans. (Rice Fields) 

For the one 31 year old seamen that is retired looking for a better answer to why he is still the way he is and how he can receive more joy in his life,

For the two 17 year old Cousins who were curious about why his grandpa is always so happy despite going through hard times and their uncle who is happy despite the troubles in his family. 

For the two brand new moms who are wondering how to raise their kids in the best example. 

For the other mom who see's her sister and her family so happy when she attends church. 

for the tatay who see's how happy his whole family having the Gospel in his home and is wondering how to be a better father.

(this is just a small bit of the people we are teaching)

 I Know that God has restored all through Joseph Smith to the earth today. ALL! And with the blessing of a modern day living prophet, we are continually hearing from our heavenly father how to be the best and how to receive the blessings for us through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know that He Lives!!!! He is our savior and redeemer! He is there for us all in our hard time's and through him and his Atonement, All is well! It has changed my life, It has blessed my life beyond measure and this time here in the Philippines is simply just a small thanks to our Heavenly Father for all! 

Mahal ko po kayong lahat't Mahal na mahal tayo ng Dios, ang ating ama sa langit! 

-Elder Powell 

I give an invitation to you all! If you are in the same boat or one of similar sorts as some of these people I have described here, I invite you all to listen to the missionaries in your area! They are cool I promise! 

P.S. Apparently not all Bato's have rocks in their Gizzard. 

New rules for communication with family

Editor's Note:
The church has changed the rules for missionaries communicating with their families. Yesterday, Joe was able to message back and forth with his siblings (who are spread far and wide) on a group chat. We are looking forward to the blessings that this adjustment will bring to our whole family as we support Joe in his missionary service and as we strive to increase our own efforts to share the good news and light of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

2/17/19
Well yeah my email is finally working but you all are asleep. Either way, I'm alive, another week has been going fantastic! I'm alive, the Church is still true, Apparently I'm allowed to use all sorts of messaging to communicate with family including Calling and Face timing them every Monday so that's is cool! I'm excited for the easier access of  communication with them and the opportunity to do such! 

Other than that I have not much else to talk about. Have a wonderful week! I'm alive, The Philippines is beautiful and all is well in the world! 

-Elder Powell 

P.S. I'm uploading pictures right now sorry. I'll send it in a separate email. 

P.P.S. A lot of you i bet are going to read this anyways because I have a bunch of friends that are insomniacs or just don't sleep like my family and everyone I know kinda. LOL Joke lang. 

P.P.P.S. Love you all I'll send more next week but emails will be shorter as I'm going to spend more time of it with my family talking to them probably :) 

So this is the view outside of the Orro family (including addiieee) 

some kids here literally take sticks of celery and make holes in it and collect their spiders in it. Like this kid here (we're teaching the family) 

I felt like doing some drawing today so I drew two of our investigators, their Lolo (who is an active member) and me and Egana (from when we went on exchanges one day) 

the epitome of a cringy pickup line

we traveled through the bukids for 20 minutes to get to an investigator's house with a member family (one kid taking a picture of us as we were on our way)

 

Digay is the kids name

and a cringy selfie of me on a tricy to go pick up an investigator who ended up being at the church already...

Beauty, work, and the family of miracles

Editor's Note:
We only got a short note from Joe last week with no photos, so I this post covers the past two weeks.

2/3/19
Yozo So I'm alive and I'm very grateful for that all! This past week has been a week where we actually get to go out and work and do things. it was fantastic to be out meeting new Filipinos, seeing less actives come back, investigators discover the truths inside of the Book of Mormon, 

and the beauty of Cagayan Philippines!  

I'm grateful for the work and glory here. The Church is true and freak changes lives. 

-Elder Powell

P.S. Everyone here when I talk to them i'm like "aye conte lang na tagolog ko" pero minsan lang nag-uusap kami puro tagolog at then theyre all like "woooowww magaling mo na magtagolog" tapos sabi ko "aye basit bay lang ti ilocano mi" and they laugh. But that's it. 

P.P.S. Love y'all

Just a reminder to all to never give your Nintendo Wii's a drink of orange juice.



2/10/19

HELLO EVERYONE IT'S YOUR ELDER HERE WITH ANOTHER YOUTUBE VIDE...

nah. 

So my email will be kinda in harmony of someone from my batch that I just read of "we had interviews, District Council, Weekly planning, and proselyting, and going to church" but I get to add that one family (the whole family too except for the tatay who works in the farms so he is on and off with attendance)... HAS BEEN COMING TO CHURCH. also we have a lot of dinner appointments here in our area even with investigators. people just feed us here a lot.

The family of miracles!!!!

This family has been the first set of investigators who are actually progressing for us and are now ready for baptism except for one requirement that holds them back but the entire branch including president, clerk, and a lot of members, helping them overcome the problem. That is... They aren't a married couple. They never got married because the father doesn't have a Birth Certificate and it was hard to get married, cost a lot of money, and also there is no divorce here so once married, you are in it for life... However after teaching them about eternal families the temple and such, They realize the blessing of love they would receive from it and how much they all would benefit from getting married and baptized.  (hopefully I will get a picture of the whole family) 

They are kinda it for now though. But we are also teaching some others who are seeing something truly different between us and other religions through the Book of Mormon and the example the members put here. The members in the Gattaran Branch are very very influential here and have lead to a lot of referrals recently which is great because usually when we go out people just kinda push us aside for the most part or straight up hide from us after the first visit. 

I have a few scriptures that have stuck out to me this past week that have helped me a lot. 

1st Nephi 3:7

 7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men,save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

This has really stuck out to me as I have been having a bit of a rough week as always. (missions aren't easy duh) but re-reading the Book of Mormon this past week I came across this verse again giving me strength, joy, and love from our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that Shempre, Kaya ko na! (I can do it!)

Also read Alma 32 . It's a beautiful chapter. So is Chapter 40, 41, and a lot of other chapters. It's a good book lol. 

Maraming salamat para sa inyon's pag-ibig at suportahan sa akin! (thanks you for the love and support for me)

-Elder Powell 

Elder Egana took my camera on exchanges and took a bunch of pictures. 

woke up one day and it was super foggy which was kinda weird

Ukulele, A caterpillar that we found that is massive. and some kids that sit in on our lessons while we teach the Orro Family

A GOBBLE GOBBLE BOI, Pretty sights, 

A member that goes out with us to teach his aunt and cousins (and we rode on their Tito's tric... fun times :) 

Elder Drake buying more Legos because yeah that's him. 

me and Egana doing a lot of stuff and taking pictures including 2 investigators we are teaching right now. John John and Prince. Their Tatay is an active member and the two cousins read the Book of Mormon a lot. it's a wild book with wild stories and a lot of truth to help out our lives. 

and me holding my Uke about to play it. I have a video of me singing and playing too but the computers here won't let me upload more than 30 second videos....... soooooo yeha. 

PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP>S. Love you all. Don't forget to learn a second language, give your mom or dad or ate or kuya o kahit sino na isang hug! 

Also pray a lot.