Paint Job

2/23/2020
So our apartment this week has gotten a paint job

:) It makes the place look like tusghaeo245t592804593584wu times better

Outside of that we had another week of finding people willing to listen to us. We found a few who were super interested and really understood our message and willing to act upon their faith to try* to come to church. 

*Emphasis on try...

*no one showed up...

But it's another open area and the only person we were left with is amazing. He's committed to get his family to come to church with him after seeing his friends at church with their families. His parent's are super welcoming whenever we are showing up to their house and call his kid crazy because sometimes when he doesn't have a ride to church he will just walk 6 kilometers all the way... Parent's are loaning him a Motor though so he has a ride which made us pretty happy. 

We're getting people to work with us, including some of the youth who were super excited to work with us and show up around to their friends they knew.  

But this is about it. Also our buddy Alan got baptized too! He's the one in green on the left. 

Love you all. I'll just leave with a simple testimony for you all about missionary work. Simply to state, this work is not something I particularly enjoy all the time. Walking ridiculous distances, learning 2 languages at the same time, just to tell people their lives will change if they act on their faith to come to our church, all of it is VERY HARD. However I've taken great peace and joy from my companion who has helped me to understand that it doesn't matter how many people hate us and what we do, how mean people are, whatever they say and gossip about us. That doesn't mean that this work isn't true. Such work for the Lord was never meant to be easy. But there are three promises in the Book of Mormon. 

1 Nephi 3:7, Ether 12:6, and Ether 12:27. 

Simply put;

 Nothing is impossible

Rest only comes after the work

You have to work out to become strong

Bunch of motivational things. Basta, The Book of Mormon is true. There is no other book that can give you more comfort and love than this book.

Love you all 

-Elder Powell

Philippines Laoag Mission

#50 Buttong, Airport Ave. Tangid Junction Road

Laoag City, Ilocos Norte 2900

Comfort of Gods love for the Singles out there

2/16/2020

Editor's Note:

The photos did not come through on this email so there are just blank spaces where they should be.

I spent too much money on birthday presents and such

So we had a good week. It's been a lot of finding. But I've had two experiences that have really been interesting for me that I will share this week that both happened this day. 

1: So We were working in this one area and we saw this small road that went behind the elementary school and ran into only one house there in the end. I was determined to talked to the Nanay that was there and she invited us in an we talked to her only to find out... She has been living in Utah for the past 3 years but hated her experience there because of the Snow, Lack of time that you were allowed outside because of smog, and during her time, couldn't go home for her 5 siblings that all died while she was there. Even after touring the Temple grounds of Salt Lake, the Conference center, many other temples, and attending our church for 2 years, she was a devoted catholic who says she would never change. However in coming home, She started having dreams about her siblings who are on the other side of the veil. After she described it all, I finally got to her and told her exactly what those dreams meant and that we have a message for her about how to save her siblings from this separation and depression that she is feeling and with clarity that we know how she can see them again and for sure be with them for time and all eternity. As well as Elder Mamauag just going super deep with her about it all. But honestly we've never met a mom more hard headed than her to completely avoid all promptings of the spirit. So we just left. She was not ready at all. Reminded me that everyone has there own time to accept and no big miracle or temple visit or sight seeing wonder will convert us to the Gospel of Jesus Christ that has been restored to the earth. However, The Holy Ghost will. that's the only thing that can. Prophet Moroni talked about it too. It's the only way to know truth and it can help you know the truth of literally EVERYTHING. 

2: We ran into a Valentines Horror last Friday too. While working in a small area following up with our friend getting baptized this Saturday, we ran into a scene of a suicide of a 16 year old. He was dating a girl for 6 months but had a nasty breakup on Valentines day and the ex GF bullied him to the extreme that day and then next thing you know we were talking to the Aunt who informed the parents (who were abroad in Saudi and in Manila) and got free tickets from their bosses (who were very nice) to come straight home after such a tragic happening in the family. This person was also good friends with Allan. (who I talked about last week) It was kinda scarring for me to see the rope still there and everything... I really had a hard time getting my focus back after that but I had a good confirmation after something that a member shared in church that next day. 

3: So we have this American couple from Henderson Nevada who applied to be a senior couple but ended up not passing the medical requirements so they just kinda said "oh well" and then sold everything and moved here to the good ol beaches of Buguey Philippines. They're both converts to the church who got baptized back in 2007. But Sister Guss shared her experience in church too. After the first two lessons she said she was converted to two things about the gospel. 1: when baptized completely immersed in water by someone with priesthood authority, ALL sins will be washed away and it will be the only time in your entire mortal life that you will actually feel and be worthy to enter the presence of Heavenly father. But then in the second lesson about the Plan of Salvation, 2: Her and her husband John Guss could be married for time and all eternity in the holy temple of the Lord which brings them a for sure knowledge with no doubts or setbacks that they will be one happy couple and through the atonement of Jesus Christ, will be truly enjoying an eternal Happiness. Eternal Joy. Something they will have for FOREVER. 

Lol this church is so true. The spiritual confirmations I've received from Heavenly Father himself are too real to deny just like Joseph Smith's First vision.  I know this is Jesus Christ's church. All blessings are available to receive. All I'm doing is just inviting. Everyone else just does the rest. 

Cool Love you all. Pugs not Drugs. Life not strife.

--

-Elder Powell

Philippines Laoag Mission

#50 Buttong, Airport Ave. Tangid Junction Road

Laoag City, Ilocos Norte 2900

Bugueyyy Besh

2/9/2020
There's like nothing out here

Well I'm in my new area with my new companion Elder Mamauag! First Pinoy companion that's not in a trio or because of Emergency transfers! It was nice to just be like "oh this is my companion and no surprise changes or things to happen" It made me super happy too because he is actually from Cagayan Valley so he is fluent in iloko and can speak it well to others. 

(it's raining) 

Our new area is Buguey. It's a small town out in Cagayan that's right on the shore so it's fun to be just that close to the ocean. However there's only been one day here so far that the sun has been out and that day is today so I don't have any pictures yet of the beach with a cool sun in it or something hahahaha. We're opening up this area again (it's the 5th time in a year that the area had missionaries pulled out and put back in) and with us and Elder Hall (who's companion is a missionary who just finished his training) knowing literally nothing about the area and the one elder who has the slightest bit of knowledge of the area not reaching our expectations. So it's a pretty solid open area again like Pagudpud. 

We just did pure finding and found lots of cool people who we're willing to listen to us.

This is our investigator who came to church. he's a 15 year old kid who's friend gave him a Book of Mormon and invited him to church and he just showed up dressed up right and everything and is half way through the book of Alma and told the branch president he really really wants to be a member. So we just said "what's the kulang?" and then he was like "oh the lessons. I haven't even been taught yet but he has a BGD for this Saturday so we are teaching him everything in 3 days and getting him interviewed this Thursday so he is ready on Saturday to get baptized (which is not the fastest we've had to teach someone before: refer to our baptism in Laoag of sis. Angelica Delacruz back in July)

He is excited to receive the priesthood so he can pass the sacrament on Sundays and even worked with us this last Sunday introducing us to some of his friends. 

We also got to go to (with no emphasis on a desire to go than that we were kinda forced to by the people as we were walking with our friend who is soon to be baptized, Allan to his house) an Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ) Evangelical Mission presentation where we learned about how the church preaches only from the Bible but also members do not have their own Bibles and only read their church magazines and go to church in weird looking buildings that look like Disney castles and where the men and women are separated. It's a weird religion but the best thing about it was that the pastor actually asked a lot of questions to us and I was able to share with him how this was completely voluntary and that we were spreading a message about families being eternal (but not to be competed with the nice snack that they gave out at the end).

That's all though. We out of time hahaha. Well just letting you know I'm going to be having a really fun time here for the next 6 weeks hopefully to be 6 months :) 

-Elder Powell

Opening another set of Horizons

Editor's Note: the pictures that were part of this email were blocked for some reason.

2/2/2020
Not to wide though. Just right. 

So we worked HARD and even had the Zone Leaders come for a day to give us a push in our findings in the area and we found two moms who both just said "yeah we'll go to church" and then they went... They brought some of their kids and next time will bring their husbands and more kids. (they both have 7 kids like my parents do!!!) 

It was super awesome to have that happen and they loved their experience at church and are already planning on another return and to really learn about this gospel and the blessings that come from it. Even with the Power of the Book of Mormon which I know to be the word of God :) Yay!!!!

But then I got a transfer text yesterday morning and got super depressed too because I was now leaving such a beautiful area...

Then our branch president invited us to go to a fun birthday dinner with other members and we shared about Alma the Younger and how this little kid will become a great missionary like him someday for his birthday :P

But I'm going to Buguey with Elder Mamawag! Who is just in Bangui, the town right next to us, and also my District Leader. We are opening up the area again (which has been whitewashed or pulled out like 4 times now within the past year for some reason) but it's really exciting for us since we already know each other and are good friends for spending the past 4 and a half months together here in Bangui area. 

This picture is our area but you can see Elder Mamawag's area here in the background where the windmills and mountains are. 

But that is all :) Love you all!!! I'll send more pictures next week in a fun email about leading another open area again ;) 

Just remember,

Pugs not drugs!

Spiritual Growth, Physical Loss

1/26/2020
Spiritual Growth, Physical Loss

I'm down to 62 kilos...

So it's been another fantastic week of just straight up finding, following up, and working really hard to get everyone who was committed to come to church to actually... go to church. Which they all did go to church (just the wrong one) 

We had zone conference tho this past Wednesday which was super great. We learned a lot about following up and really giving people the time and day and help that they need to come unto Christ and receive such a glorious gospel. A lot with about this ranking system that we were able to come up with here in the mission in determining the desire of people wanting to learn more kind of on a 1 to 4 scale where what we want to find in our work is people who fit under the 3 and 4 category. The categories kinda go like this 

1s: Jerusalem 600BC people who laugh and have no care saying "iglesa kame" "aye born again kame" or like this one super gnarly fat american said to us as we were talking to someone else and not even paying attention to him, "I have no time for religion" then continuing to sit down on a chair and drink a beer all alone. 

2s: People who say they aren't sure. This is where it arranges around from person to person. We will have people who say "tignan natin" which means "oh we'll see" but then they usually laugh and then don't pay attention but then there are also people who are like "anong oras sya" or "anong dapat kong sulitin" where they ask when it is and what they should wear" and so on. and then kinda finish with "try namin" where they will say they try. 

3s: "Opo. Magsisimba ako"* but then sometimes need an extra week to get them to go as they struggle to find how to get there in terms of rides and so on.

4s: "Gusto ko magpabinyag sa simbahan mo" and then go to church that next week and then are direct for 4 weeks and get baptized. 

*Sometimes people will say yes to our basic invitation just to get rid of us. this is pretty apparent after the follow up visit that week when they directly try to avoid us or just tell us off again. 

We only go to the 3s and 4s and we go to them a lot. However with our area specifically, we have had very very few and we are running out of area to go to in this finding game of people with any sort of interests. We have tried really hard to focus on using the Book of Mormon more often in our teaching as well as keeping things more spiritually oriented to really invite the Holy Ghost. Our area was affected by a long history of not so obedient missionaries (from a long time ago) which has put some not so good impression on the people that live here or the wrong impression of what we do and what our purpose is. So me and Elder Hunsaker as well have been trying really hard to help people (even with no interest in our message or church) at least have a super positive experience with them so we really work hard with our relationship and trust with people so that at least when the time comes for them to meet missionaries again, they will at least have a good aspect of us and be more willing to listen to the next pair to come though their neighborhood. 

We are still having a fun time here though in pagudpud. We have a really interesting getup with a 7 week cycle this go round because of the placing of Christmas and New Year making traveling hard (and also a major highway that connects cagayan to Illocos norte being washed out from landslides and flooding) so I get one more week here in Pagudpud to try to really help people out and get them to church. We are going to go ham this week though with our findings. We are so determined to get at least one person to come to church this week. At least one. So any prayers would be appreciated to help us in our work in finding someone who is ready to receive this gospel and their saving. 

But also if any of you are willing to update me on your life like I do with all of you, I would love to hear more :) Thanks! 

-Elder Powell

Philippines Laoag Mission

#50 Buttong, Airport Ave. Tangid Junction Road

Laoag City, Ilocos Norte 2900

One of the people who we are teaching that wants to go but has a conflict with his work schedule in the electric company. We told him to just go to church in bangui since that's where he works. We are doing everything we can to help this family out too. They're super awesome and our most progressing friends!

Here's all the photos. I'll take more this week just in case it's my last week in pagudpud para maraming memories hehe #TransferWeek 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/1bQNVtsbuVKibLWZ6

Trysome to findsome

1/19/2020
We called President Peterson and asked for help. 

So we had another fun and wild week of work. This time though, we were accompanied with probably one of the craziest missionaries that exist in the mission who knows how to make anyone smile and just get anyone to like you. (which we are working on) It really was a fun and exciting week of work and excitement to see so many people's attitude change about us as we talked and enjoyed our time with the people of Pagudpud Philippines and brought them the wonderful invitation of getting to know God's plan for them. 

Speaking of which, I was excited about this way of bringing up God's plan for us all in a way that was super awesome. We were intrigued by the people's lack of knowledge of what God's plan is for them. We always ask them if they believe if there is a plan, and they all are like "well yeah of course" but then we would be like "what is that plan for you?" and then they would just be quiet and realize they don't know zip about it. So then we give them an invitation to find out what that plan is for them by telling them to go to church. We had a lot more people committed to go to church than before though which was fantastic :) 

But no investigators came again which is creating a 9 week streak of a teaching drought here in Pagudpud. (president I can promise you and now you have a third witness that we are trying hard to find people and teach them and get them to progress to baptism hahaha)

That's about it though. I've enjoyed every part of this week for sure and I'm really looking forward to another one of helping as many people as I can to come unto Christ (especially this one family we found)... and for Zone Conference! That's this Wednesday :) 

Love you all! Keep me updated with how life is and so on. I obviously love hearing from you all even if I don't have time to respond to everyone It's still something that I love to read! 🤘

--

-Elder Powell

Philippines Laoag Mission

#50 Buttong, Airport Ave. Tangid Junction Road

Laoag City, Ilocos Norte 2900