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.