Monday, September 2, 2013

2 September 2013 -- Justin is the new AP in the Mexico Reynosa Mission. That's my boy!!

Well Family and Friends,
How are you all doing? I am doing pretty well. Today are transfers and I am getting transferred again...to my 8th area! I will be going to Reynosa and now it’s a for sure that I have been in every city in the mission. Seriously, I have known Monterrey, Matamoros, Rio Bravo, Nuevo Laredo, and now Reynosa. Haha. It should probably be complicated now to visit because there will be too many places to go and visit. But my new assignment should be fun. It was kind of funny how I got it. I will tell you the story. On Friday night, we had an appointment like 8 blocks from our house and it was this sister that wanted us to teach her husband. Well we arrive at the time that she says, 8:15, and we enter and just sit there waiting for the husband to finish showering, or in the bathroom. Well he comes out at 8:45 and was surprised and then we started talking and sharing a lesson, but it was getting late and it was past 9 and we were worried. Well the lesson was awesome, he said that he has had 17 years getting to know the church and learning with his wife and he has never wanted to get baptized. Well he accepted a second visit, which was a miracle that he accepted. And he said that what we were talking about in the lesson is exactly what he was reading in the bathroom in the church magazine that was left in the bathroom. Super interesting and another miracle in the mission where it wasn’t just a casualty that he read what we talked about. But during the last prayer at 9:25, the phone was ringing. I look and it’s the mission President…oh I was freaking out. He had said in the last conference that the goal is get home at 9pm, but if an appointment goes longer than expected, than by 9:30 at the latest. Well we book it home and then at home I call him, and he was like how are you, and we start talking. Well he asked if there were going to be baptisms in the zone and I said yeah president, and I was kind of confused. But then he said ok Elder that good, well I call for transfers in the zone, and I was like oh ok. And then he said there have been transfers in your area, and I was like oh wow, and then he said that we need to report to the offices on Monday at 4pm to and that we will stay the night in Reynosa and that in the next day there is a training with all the new missionaries, and after Elder Love (Assistant to the President) will be going to Rio Bravo with my companion Elder Gonzalez (now is where my jaw is dropping to the floor), and Elder Powell you will stay and be the new assistant to the President. The world blacked out in those moments but I was grateful for the new assignment and I accepted it. So now I am going to Reynosa and work in the offices with President Morales. My last 2 transfers, and there will be no feelings of being trunky or anything like that. I am excited and I hope I can fulfill to the fullest my new calling. Pray for me please! :) 
Well other than that, life and the mission have been great. We have been teaching Gerardo, and he is a grand friend. It’s been 2 months since he´s gotten to know the church and he has progressed so much this past month of August. This past week has been pure of miracles that happened to him, where basically he cannot deny that the church is true. We taught him on Wednesday about the law of tithing, and told him as well that he will have an interview with the mission president on Thursday due to some repentance issues. Well he told us on Thursday about what happened on Wednesday night. He was praying to God saying that he doesn’t want to be a part of the church, and asking why I need to be there and a bunch of questions like that. Well he fell asleep and was brought to a dream where he was before a blurry window, and he saw a king behind the window and Gerardo said that he asked the king ¨why do I need to be in that church?´´ and the king replied, ''because I love those people, and my heart is saddened´´. Gerardo told us that I felt the spirit strongly because Gerardo that day had a huge change of heart. I was super shocked by that change and he is doing sooo much better. Well he is progressing and is changing. It’s a true repentance and it’s a miracle. Gerardo is going to be a grand leader in the church and here is a photo of us. 

Justin and Gerardo in Reynosa.  Geez, I should have always been taking pictures of him against a green wall if I would have known it would have made his beautiful green eyes stand out like that.

Well I leave today at 2:30 pm. ugh...but here comes the new adventure. Bring it on. I love you all, the mission is the best. Lesson of the week for me that I learned from Gerardo is that knowledge of the scriptures is nothing until we put the knowledge in practice. It’s all about the action and not about the knowledge without action. Blessings come for those that work and put all the teachings of Christ in practice. For God, those books of words from prophets and apostles are nothing of importance to Him. What´s important to him is the application of the teachings and not just knowing the teachings without doing them. Live your lives in action; serve and love your neighbor and you will be much happier than you already are. 
I love you all and thanks for all your love and support. 
Bring on these next 3 months of missionary work! 
Love,
Elder Justin Powell
The Reynosa Zone with President and Sister Morales

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