Wednesday, March 7, 2012

110 degrees in Monterrey!!

And now, here is today’s letter.  Once again, sorry that I was late with last week’s but this letter gets you all caught up with the latest and greatest news from Monterrey. Again, Justin sounds great and is in good spirits—even playing pranks on his companion—brings back some very cool memories. Also, it sounds like Justin is developing some skills for a future as a wedding planner.  After next week, he’ll have welding, wedding planning, and rail car repair experience under his belt—and he’ll be able to do it all in Spanish.  In seriousness, he sounds amazing. I’m very, very proud of this son of mine.  As always, I wish you all the very best that life has to offer—lots of love in your lives and in your actions.  Until next week…Dan
Hola Familia y Amigos, ¿Como están? Well I am doing great! It is a hot day in Mexico today and the temperature will just keep rising. It already reached 110 degrees last Friday. Well it’s alright because we just drink a ton of water at that point. Well some pretty great news that I just found out and it is that Apostle Elder Bednar is coming in April to speak to our mission! I will get to meet him in person!!! I´m very excited! And pretty intimidated as well... haha But it will be a very neat and awesome experience. Also we have had a pretty good week this past week. Since we lost some investigators due to them being baptized, we have been doing a lot of contacting in the street. There have been some good people, but then there have been some interesting people. But we will keep looking for new great investigators. So something funny that happened between my companion and I is that we were contacting, but in the morning I cut out a picture of this lady´s face out of this coupon and taped it in his planner in the part where we write down new contacts info, well I forgot that I did that in the morning because I was expecting him to open it during morning study, but we contacted this guy and he opened it and there was the picture, and I almost died tried to hold in the laughter. Luckily the guy didn’t see us but that was a funny story in many that have happened on my mission. Seriously, I wish I could have time to write in my journal, all the things and stories that happen.
For the last couple weeks we have been wedding planners. Haha Juan and Paloma are now getting married and I am so excited for them. The plan is that they will have the paper filled out and Juan wants that Elder Perkes and I are the witnesses. And on Saturday, March 24th at 430, we will have their baptism, and then at 5, a wedding celebration right in the cultural hall. Pretty much the bishop and us put our heads together to do something very cool for them and I’m excited. Juan came to church yesterday in his new suit, he looks very changed and very sharp. I was very impressed when I saw the change in him. And he said that we are definitely invited when they enter the temple on March 24th 2013! I am soo, soo excited and it made my day when I heard that he wants to be at the temple to marry his wife. They are a young couple and like 2 weeks ago, they didn’t have a desire to really get married or change. But 2 weeks later, they have changed extremely. I am so proud of them and they are a great family with their 1 year old son. Well everything is going well, I hope everything is well with everyone over there and please keep in touch. I love you all and take care!

Elder Justin Powell

Hola Familia, ¿Como Están? Yo estoy muy bien. Todo aquí en Monterrey está muy bien y espero que ustedes estén haciendo bien. Pues, el trabajo es un poquito lento ahorita porque no tuvimos mucho éxito en encontrando investigadores de oro, pero tenemos un plan bueno para esta semana para tener mucho éxito.
¿Party Rock, huh? Hahahahaha! ¡Eso es muy chistoso! Yo estaba riendo (laughing) cuando yo leí ese parte! Pues yo necesito ir ahora pero yo espero que todo está bien y felicitaciones Joshua con tu decisión a estudiar psicología! Envía fotos y yo espero que yo puedo enviar fotos muy pronto! Probablemente la próximo semana. Te amo a ustedes muchísimo! Y también, está bien si yo envío un paquete en el verano? Lo que pasa es que no tengo mucho, mucho tiempo ahora para hacer eso. También yo sé que Kate y Noah necesitan algo de Navidad y ya es Marzo! Pero yo prometo que ellos van recibir algo muy chévere de México, y también todo ustedes. Gracias por su paciencia! Te Amo,
Elder Justin Powell
Translation:
Hello Family, how are you? I am great—everything here in Monterrey is great and I hope that you are all doing well also. Well, the work is a little bit slow right now because we were not able to find any “golden investigators” but we have a plan for next week to have a lot of success.
Party Rock, huh? Hahahaha!  That is so funny! I was laughing when I read that part in Dad’s letter (about Noah and Kate dancing to LMFAO on Just Dance).
Well, I need to go now but I hope that you are all doing well and congratulations Joshua on your decision to study psychology. Send me photos and I hope that I can send some to you soon—probably next week. I love you all so much! And also, is it OK if I wait until summer to send a package home? The problem is that I don’t have a whole lot of time to do this.  Also, I know that I owe Kate and Noah a Christmas gift and it’s already March! But I promise that they will receive something very cool from Mexico—also something for the rest of you. Thanks for your patience.
I love you,
Elder Justin Powell
(From Dan)  When I wrote to Justin, I told him about how Kate and Noah dance to LMFAO music on Just Dance, and also about how they love the song "Sexy and I know it".  I thought it would give him a laugh and sure enough! Cheers!

Leia Mais…

Justin performs and baptism and plans a wedding!

Once again, here is another letter from Justin and once again, Dad is late in posting it.  I’m so sorry—my time just flies away from me. In fact, I do well just making sure that I send Justin a letter each week.  I will try to do better in the future, OK?
This letter sounds great, in a couple of ways.  First, that Justin performed a baptism and is so excited about sharing Christ’s gospel. That is an amazing transformation that has taken place in him and I’m very proud.  Second, his Spanish is really coming along and I’m very impressed with him. And finally, he actually tried SEAFOOD!! And liked it. That just might be the greatest miracle of them all.  LOL! 
Well, enjoy the letter (as well as the newest one that I’m about to post) and blessings of peace and love and service in your lives. 
Dan
Hola Familia y Amigos!
How are all of you doing? Well I am doing great! These weeks just become a lot quicker and quicker with the work increasing. I can’t believe how fast the time is flying because it feels like I was just typing on this computer yesterday. The work is great here, the Spanish is getting a ton better and we are having a lot of success in my area. The biggest news is that I performed my first baptism yesterday. Her name is Brenda and she was sooo excited to be baptized and when I baptized her, she was sooo happy. It really made me happy because of the transformation we saw in her. Only 2 weeks and now she is going to be a strong member in this church. It’s so weird to look back on the history of people that are converted and the transformations. All we did was talk to Brenda in front of her house on the way to a lesson and now she is a faithful member of this church. That’s why it’s important that we all open our mouths and preach this gospel of Jesus Christ. Because what we learn is that there are people that God is preparing and that we will meet but all we need to do is open our mouths. But this doesn’t only happen to missionaries, this happens to everyone that has a testimony of this gospel. Everyone in this church has a responsibility to be a missionary and open their mouths to preach this gospel. And it really is special to think wow, all I did was open my mouth to preach and now she is where she is, with much happiness, just because I opened my mouth. Well that is what I learned this week. All the people are great here; they just love feeding us food. Haha.
One interesting story that happened is that my companion and I went to teach this family, Juan and Paloma with their 1 year old son. Juan and Paloma are not married and young, and they had really no desire to be married. Well Tuesday we went to teach about the family and how they can be together forever, and also about the blessings that families can receive in the temple. Well they were pretty happy with our lesson. We prayed that they would soften their hearts and decide to get married. Well the next day we went, and they broke a surprise for us. They set a date for their marriage and their baptism! And now Elder Perkes and I are wedding planners! Haha The whole ward is going to cook food, bring piñatas and we are going to have a party at the church. And Juan wants us to be the witnesses for the marriage. We also lent him a suit to use for the wedding. I am so excited for them! That little family will be complete!
Well I’ve got to go but be safe and good luck with everything! I love you all and write me some dear elders! I want to hear how everyone of you is doing! Oh and BTW, I am sorry if my English is getting sloppier, I am seriously forgetting my English because I am getting fluent in Spanish…haha Take care

Love,
Elder Powell

Hola Familia, ¿Como están? ¡Yo estoy muy bien! Yo fui al neumológico (lung specialist) y el dijo que yo estoy muy bien y que es un stress que yo no puedo controlar. Solamente yo necesito hacer ejercicios en las mañanas con más intensidad para que mis pulmones puedan trabajar duro. ¡Pero todo está muy bien! Este área es muy bueno, Me encanta donde yo estoy ahorita. ¿Cómo están Jack, Noah, Kate, Joshua, y Brianna? La misión está muy bien y el tiempo está volando muy rápido. Hay veces cuando yo siento un poquito triste como esta semana, nosotros estábamos contactando al lado de una casa que tenía música muy alta. Esta casa estaba tocando Hot N Cold- Kate Perry, y yo estaba pensando cuando Kate y Noah bailaron y que papi grabó en video este baile de ellos. jajaja Y que Jack bailó en frente de  la televisión cuando él estaba solo en la media noche! jajaja Y también hay veces cuando este pasa, pero toda está bien con mis ánimos y deseo para seguir adelante con este trabajo. Con las fotos, no sé que yo voy a hacer... Yo tengo muchos para enviar, pero no sé como yo puedo. I will let you know. La comida está muy buena! Yo estoy probando mucha comida, aun camarón me sabe bueno ahora! haha Cuídense bastante y los amo a ustedes muchísimo! Espero que todo esté perfecto con ustedes.
Elder Powell
Translation:  
Hello family, how are you?  I am very well.  I went to the lung specialist and he said that I am well and that it is a stress on my lungs that I can only control by doing more intense cardio exercises each morning so that my lungs will get stronger.  But, everything is great with me. My area is very nice and I love where I am a lot. How are Jack, Noah, Kate, Josh and Brianna?  My mission is going great and the time is flying by very fast. There are sometimes when I feel a little bit sad or homesick, for example like this week, we were tracting next to this house that had loud music playing and the song was Hot and Cold by Katy Perry.  I was remembering when Kate and Noah danced to this and Dad recorded it on video.  Haha! And then Jack was caught dancing in front of the TV when he thought he was alone.  Haha! And also, there are other times when this happens but everything is great with my desires to continue on in this work. Well, about pictures—I don’t know what I’m going to do…I have a lot of them to send, but I don’t know how I can. I will let you know.  The food is delicious and I am trying a lot of new things.  I even like shrimp now!  Haha! Take good care of yourselves—I love you all a ton. I hope that everything is perfect with you all.
Elder Powell

Leia Mais…