Elder Powell: Happy New Year!

Hey y’all!

Oh my goodness. Guess. What. Happy 2018!!! Can you believe the YEAR of the CENTURY is finally here!?! When leaving on my mission in July 2016 I never thought I would ever see 2018 and look what is here. Just a couple more to go, wahoo! This is the biggest year and I can’t wait to see what is in store for the upcoming twelve months.

I also hope each of you and your families had a wonderful Christmas and Holiday Season! Definitely bittersweet to have my second and final Christmas as a missionary.  2017 will be a year I will never forget. It has been a year that has shaped my heart for the rest of my life. I have grown and learned in more ways than I can count. I truly know and understand that I am a son of my loving Heavenly Father as well as each of us are all sons, daughters, brothers and sisters to our loving Heavenly Father. Our Savior Jesus Christ Atoned for each of us. We all have the opportunity to change our lives, trust in the Lord, and have him remove our burdens if we act on our part through faith and repentance. I have seen numerous blessings and tender mercies enter my life and in the lives of others. He truly is in the details of our lives.

Sine I haven’t been able to email since Transfer Day, I am serving North of Quitman, within the same Stake, in Paris Texas & Hugo Oklahoma! That’s right. I got to leave Texas for the first time on my mission last week! It was a special feeling. My companion is Elder Solorzano who has been our for 14 months. I have known him since the first Preparation Day in the Mission back when I was serving in Irving. We are both the Zone Leaders for the Gilmer Zone serving 16 Missionaries. It has been such a wonderful experience serving with so many incredible missionaries and proud of what they all are accomplishing.

Paris is a ward while Hugo is a Branch. The Hugo Branch meets at an old Social Security Office in Oklahoma. It feels nice not to have to go to a normal church building for services. Haha it has been a couple years since I have been to one. Makes it less formal The Members are very delightful with the small community with strengthening, supporting, uplifting one another.

Friday we had Mission Leadership Council in the BIG D! It is always fun to head back into the busy city and visit good old delicious Chick-Fil-A and see the other missionaries. We wrapped up the 2017 year and set new goals and plans for 2018. Oh, and for lunch, we again had chicken and rice!! They are such sweethearts to always have the meals planned at meetings around me. I always get the special treatment. Hahaha.

But hold on. That’s not all. We come into the hours of…… #FridayNightDateNight!!! As devastated as I will always be without my Speakeasy family, luckily temporary, we of course had to make a stop at Starbucks!! Thankfully, there is a Starbucks in Paris. Haha. By the way – can’t believe I’ll be in PARIS TEXAS during VALENTINE’S DAY. What are the odds!? I can’t wait!! Anyway, I got myself a hot chocolate and sandwich and not even two bites in, a group of three young adorable couples came walking into Starbucks for a triple night date night. #GameTime. After they settled in, I went up to them and started chit chatting as I always do haha and later got into the discussion of what we do as missionaries and our main beliefs. Of course, slid myself into a Plan of Salvation discussion and they were so impressed how much Marriage and Family mean to us! I’m like “well yahhhhhh” hahaha it was too much fun. One couple invited us to come back and visit with them. Score again! And then guess what. They bought me a chocolate chip Frappuccino! It was the best! It was also about 25 degrees so everyone was all snuggled up in Starbucks so it was a prime night to teach about the Plan of Salvation. Yay!

With only four transfers remaining, I may finish up my mission here in Paris. Now is the time to “leave it all on the field.” I am ready. it’s time to give even more effort and energy to the Lord for the remainder of my mission. He has blessed me in a million times in my life and mission, I can do the same for His children, my brothers and sisters. The year is a big one, let’s do it. Enjoy and use each second effectively with joy and comfort. Let the Lord enter your life to help change you. We need Him.

Thanks for the continued love and support. Happy New Year! May the Lord continue to bless you in your activities, work, and endeavors. Enter Him so He can enter you. Let’s goooooooo!!!

Bye