I love this letter. I love it because it makes me so happy
to read that Justin is learning a lesson that will benefit him throughout his
life. He is learning that our happiness and our optimism need not depend,
nor should they depend, on any external force or circumstance. Our lives
are often pummeled with difficult situations but how we face them and the
attitude that we adopt in the face of them makes us who we truly are. True
happiness and well being are generated inside of us and then radiate outwards
and I'm so proud of Justin for learning this über-valuable lesson. These
life lessons are the ones that money can’t pay for and that life will teach us,
if we are paying attention, as Justin obviously is.
Please continue writing him.
I’m so grateful for all of you that take time out of your schedules to
support this son of mine. That, also, is something that money cannot buy and I’m
deeply in your debt. Peace and love.
Well
another week already flown by, how is everyone doing?? I am doing pretty well!
The heat is on the rise here and we still are pushing hard to help all that
need help. This week was pretty interesting and alright, I was in a lot of
interchanges this week. I went to an area called Pedregal on Thursday and
Friday I was with Elder Fowler (Zone Leader) in Victoria. I missed my area like
crazy! But the thing is that I learn a lot from going to other areas and
learning from other missionaries, etc. The thing I learned this week that an ex-missionary
and I talked about was to make the mission the best experience of your life. It’s
hard, it’s hot, it’s hard to see people not progress, but we can make the
mission much more positive. Like being happy, having fun with the mission as
well. This called my attention because of another missionary in the district
that is sooo serious about the mission. The thing is that when you are
preaching to somebody about the gospel that it’s to make people better and
happier, shouldn`t we be happy and of good joy? That`s what we talked about and
it all kind of clicked in my mind. We have soo much more success when we talk
with the people and not recite the first lesson to someone. When we preach of
the gospel of happiness, we have so much more success getting down to earth
with the investigators rather than trying to be somebody that we are not. Now,
what I hope that everyone could learn is that, everyone in this gospel should
be happy, should be funny and the gospel isn`t sooo serious. It hurts to try to
be so serious to investigators while in a lesson and it’s about happiness when
we are not happy. It doesn`t work. Sorry this was on my mind this week because
it called my attention and it all clicked this week. Be happy with the gospel,
have fun with life because the gospel is about true happiness! Talk to your
friends about the gospel, but be real about it and happy. When you are sad or
sooo serious, it doesn`t work out with getting the message to their heart. So I
have made adjustments to my mission, to take every day of my mission and make
it positive. Be funny, happier and look at the brighter ends of everything. It’s
120 degrees outside, but it’s not humid! Haha. I`m losing weight in the
mission, but at least I will have space when I return home and eat all the
food that I miss! hahaha Sorry I just felt like sharing that with you all
because being positive and happy about everything really matters,
especially in preaching this gospel. I love you all and I hope everyone is ok!
Write me often and I miss you all! Already 17 months left in the mission!
Take care!
Love,
Elder
Justin Powell
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