Thursday, August 22, 2013

5 August 2013 Justin performs a little toe surgery...not so successfully. Haha!

Hello everybody,
Well today is pretty interesting, I had a little surgery today. Well it’s been like 2 weeks ago that I operated myself at home because my little toe has a slight ingrown toenail, my very first in my whole life. And I tried to operate myself (don’t worry mom, I used rubbing alcohol and the clippers, I didn’t use like a butter knife or something like that haha), and it didn’t work, actually the toe opened up and I was bleeding, so epic fail. Well I tried to be strong, but I couldn’t walk very well and I had to talk to Sister Morales about my toe. Well we traveled this morning to the foot office in Reynosa and there was the doctor, well he looked at my toe and did the whole surgery in 5 minutes. Super quick and he just treated my toe like a super pro at that stuff. But he put anesthesia and my toe went all numb, and so I didn’t feel anything, but he looked like he cut half my toe off and I fainted... ugh hahaha I got to work on that if I am going to be a doctor right? But everything is fine, we are all good medically. Sister Morales (Presidents Wife) is very nice and caring and she really wants the best health for all of us. Very precautious and I doubt that I will having any other medical problems in these next 3 months due to her health program for us :). 
Well this week was pretty alright, still getting to know everything, but it’s going fine. The members are nice and everybody is lending a hand. Well not with the visits, but they are working and inviting people to church. But we had something super cool happen. On Tuesday morning, we were planning the day and we had this appointment with this one teenager (Sofia) that isn’t member in her family, the only one remaining (besides her dad as well). But in that morning I got this feeling to invite this lady that is a recent convert (Diana) in my old branch that I knew since I was there a year ago. Well we call this sister (Diana) and she was cool with coming and so she said that she was going to meet us somewhere. Well later on in the day, she calls to say that she doesn’t have her jeep and that she will need a ride. Well we were looking for a bunch of rides and no one was available. So we were a bit frustrated, but we sat at the park to meditate what to do and I told my companion that we should go back to this store where a member works and see if for some chance that her husband was there. Well we get there, the husband was there and available to help. So we left and went pretty far for this sister (Diana), and to tell you the truth, it would have been logical to just cancel with this sister (Diana) to come for the visit, and just continue with the visit without the recent convert to be there. But we felt like we shouldn’t have canceled. Well we get the sister, get to church a little late but the other family and Sofia were there, we start sharing the message, and Sofia knows that this the true church, but is just flat out scared. Diana, the recent convert, shared this mega testimony and the spirit was super strong there and it was such a cool moment. And Sofia was so attentive and it was a neat experience. Diana also shared that this lesson that she was in with Sofia, she had already seen it before, she dreamt it! She shared that in the lesson and everybody was just flat out in shock. Just another testimony to say how real this work is, and more just knowing this sister Diana because I remember when we first talked to her a year ago, and she not wanting anything really but a year later completely transformed and in the gospel receiving blessings. Very awesome moment. Sofia also is now more confident and there is no doubt that she will be baptized shortly. Sofia said that she will talk to her dad and share her feelings and desire to be baptized to her dad. Huge testimony builder for my comp and I.
Elder Gonzalez and I are doing super fine, he is cool and a great worker, I am excited to see what the remainder of our time gives us with working with him. 
Well I love this work, every young man and woman should go on the mission because you change lives and it changes yours. I will be the same Justin Powell because the mission isn’t to change who you are, but it’s to make yourself stronger and to be a better person in general that can be productive. 
I love you all and I am excited to see you all and to begin my adult life journey. I am grateful for everyone´s support because you all contributed to this miracle in my life. May God bless every one of you and keep working hard in God´s work, doing small and simple things to all so that it makes the world to them. 
Love,
Elder Justin Powell


P.S.- Sorry if my English was horrible in this email, it’s a struggle to speak English now... haha

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Wednesday, August 21, 2013

July 29, 2013 Justin is back in his beloved Rio Bravo!

Hello Family and Friends,
Well I am guessing that everybody heard but I am back in Rio Bravo!!! I wanted to surprise everyone that I was going to Rio Bravo, but this Elder that was here told everybody that I was coming back, so surprise ruined. Oh well... haha. Well it has been a crazy week. I kind of knew my area before because I have been here 3 times in exchanges, but I never was like astonished by it. But it’s a good area, but nothing is better like being in my old area here in Rio Bravo-Condesa. But I will get accustomed to this new area hopefully. The thing is that I now have 7 areas, goodness gracious, when I come to visit; I have to go visit the entire border pretty much... But I have loved all my areas and I am sooo grateful for all the help that everyone has given and me and all the memories in every one of them. 
Well my companion is Elder Gonzalez and he is a good worker, he reminds me sooo much of my buddy Reggie Roberts but Mexican. It blows me away how much they act alike. But he is awesome and fun to talk to. 
In the house where I live, ugh it’s a disaster though. I am getting my cleaning and repairing skills on. And so we have that fun adventure today, hopefully we can make looking like a missionary mansion soon, just a step at a time because there is never time to do any personal stuff like clean well and stuff like that. 
 On Friday, we had exchanges and I went to the Condesa to work with this Elder there and it was a great day. It felt so bizarre to be there because it felt like I was a youngster in the mission once again, but a year has already passed since I was there. While we were there, not a whole lot has changed. It's just that several of the friends that I have here weren´t there because they are on missions. But I saw some very familiar faces, who were once investigators, now very active members and I was sooo happy to see those changes in these people. I also had something very spiritual happen to me conversing with a very good friend of mine here in Rio Bravo. I know for sure that God answers prayers when we ask him with faith. I have had a testimony of prayer ever since I decided to go on a mission, but this experience was a very spiritual and a huge testimony builder for me. I didn’t get transferred here for just whatever reason and I was privileged to converse with and help a good friend in need here in Rio Bravo. I was able to be a part of somebody´s prayer and help, and my testimony has grown stronger of how real this work is and that we are really instruments in God’s hands. We just have to be obedient and receptive to God´s guide. 
Well I hope everyone has a great week and that everybody is very blessed. And remember be willing to help and receptive to the spirit when Guides you to help those in need. It feels overwhelmingly joyful when those moments happen. 
I love you all and I hope that you all have a great week.
Elder Justin Powell

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