Hey everybody things are going quite well. The baptism was great had alot of nonmemebers there. We were able to arrange a meeting for J and C to meet with the bishop to discuss them getting married. Its been amazing things have been falling into place. To be honest I thought it was going to be along process before we could help them buid up there faith but they are just pressing on. They desire to be baptized and we told them to discuss a date together for late Febuary early march so thats great. Theyve come to church three out of the last 4 sundays. Jay has grwon so much. When the Elders first initially starting teaching him and J he flat out said boys im Catholic and im staying that way. Well hes leading the charge now the spirit is definetly working on him. Ive really grown pretty close to them. We have some good potential coming up it remains to be seen if the people we are teaching will step up and keep commitments. For if we dont make commitments to change we cant grow and expierence greater happiness. Im doing well me and Elder James get along great. Something Ive really enjoyed with him is our scripture memorization. He is doing a good job picking up on them. Weve had some good role plays where we can both fine tune our teaching skills whic has been good. But Id encourage all of you to especially mindful of the people in Haiti and help out in whatever way you can. I continue to be amazed at the miracles the church is able to do in response to natural disasters. Let us all make a greater commitment to helping those in need and being more grateful for our blessings. Take care have a good week.With LoveElder Powell

Hey everybody it was a great week. I am enjoying training but sometimes I feel inadequate. Lets just say I whish I were perfect haha. Nontheless we have had some good things go our way. But my trainee's name is Elder James from Missouri. Hes a real nice guy I like him hes kind of quiet but thats ok. We are excited that J. will be baptized this Friday at 7. He is a great kid and I told his dad hey in 11 yrs he will be going on mission I guess thats the fun part about baptizing younger children is the fact that they have alot of their life ahead of them and they have those great opportunities to look forward to such as seminary, and mission, and college at a church school, amd ultiametly marriage in the Temple. J and C are also doing well. They confirmed to us the fact that they want to be baptized. They have some things to overcome but the key is they are keeping their commitments and are enjoying their learning expierence. We found some pretty cool people this week and their is other positve things looming around but we will have to wait and see. I am so grateful to be a member of this church. I am so grateful for the blessed life that i have had. What a wonderful support system that I have. I hope you all have a great week and that you will seek to grow in your gospel knowledge.

Hey everybody another transfer come and gone. Man it sure went guick. Have another baptism probably coming up in the next few weeks J. B. Big news though Elder DeYoung is leaving and I will be training a brand new missionary Im really excited. Basically the only position i wanted to hold on my mission was to train somebody. I just want to be apart of that fire and that humility that new missionaries have. To have that faith that new missionaries have and to both of us really rely on the Lord. I know ill need his help. What a great place to be great ward, great possibilites, and just i love evrything all around. Im doing well Ill talk to you more next week. Elder Powell

Hey it was a good week. We had a great Saturday taught alot. Sunday was great had J and C at church. Great job by the ward at fellowshipping I was so glad. They both seemed to really enjoy it our church switched to 9 o clock and that was an adjustment haha we had to be out the apartment by 7 to get to our meetings. New Years went well we were in our beds at the time it turned twelve and then I imediatly fell asleep. Something I have learned the past week is the need for love. There was a less active sister we visited with who basically expressed how you she used to be very active she was the primary president. Then when she moved to a different place she got lossed in the cracks she didnt feel like she belonged or was accepted. I truly feel that if someone reached out to her she would come back. Please dont take hometeaching and visiting teaching lightly. There are more needs then what first appears if we would treat our visits with more excitement and love we would see different results I know ive noticed that with myself. Miracles happen when people feel that they are truly loved and cared for. Dont just go to get a number to be praised by men do it because you want to establish an eternal friendship. Now I know its easier said then done we are a busy people but we just got to put ourselves in their shoes. Another thing I learned was we visited a very wealthy latter day saint family who have fallen inactive and the husband was excommunicated. Money has destryed their family. Despite the enormous house and the swimming pool, the gated driveway I looked int that mans eyes and saw sadness. When i was in the house I just felt and emptiness. I didnt like the feeling I can testify that abiding happiness desnt come from material things. It is like a drug if we feel a blue we buy something to make us a feel better and it only covers up our sadness. I can tell you I would much rather have knowledge and wisdom the being filthy rich.. But ya im doing well I just wanted to share those things. I had my interview with the President and he informed me that I will most likely be training a new missionary next week so that should be fun but we will see. Went to Gettysburg today Ill have to tell you more about it next week. Love you all.Elder Powell

Hey everybody it will be short but I just want to thank all of you for your kindness to me this time of year and throughout my mission. It was wonderful to call home Im so grateful that my family has been so blessed in my abscence. I continue to learn much and am always grateful for this mission expierence. I hope that all of us will make some new years resolutions that regard our spiritual growth for that is the most important phase in our growth. Maybe it could be having more meaningful prayer, reading the scriptures each day, visiting someone loneley each week, getting a 100% home teaching, actually studying our lessons beforehand and being an active participant in our lessons, maybe it could be palcing a pass along card each week, or studying PMG each week, or whatever just get a vision of where you want to improve and set aside some time. Ive found that spiritual growth filters off into all other categories of growth. I love you all hers to a great new start. Lets make the year of 2010 our best yet. Elder Powell

Well hey im pretty darn excited for the baptism coming up. Shes going strong and is commited to stay the course. The fellowship and involvement of this ward has been amazing. They ran some numbers across and the high priests group got 80% home teaching thats great can they improve yes but man think what the church could accomplish if that was the case for the whole church. My guess is its below 50% throughout the world. So if your slacking im calling you to repentance. Home teaching can change lives thats been the case with the Blackcloud family its nothin Ive done but what a faithful home teacher has done. If this work is to go forth it must be through the members. Whether it means we retain our new converts, or find the lost sheep, or bringing new people into the fold the blessing is the same. You will feel the love of God and start to recognize how important each and every person is. Im so grateful im here and for the blessings we are seeing. The ward mission leader and us are commited to filling the font each month. But Ive been reading Jesus the Christ, the New Testament, and the March 2008 special ensign on Christ. I recomend giving that to your nonmember or less active friends it is so good. Ive been learning alot and its amazing how much I forget about the Saviors life. I am convinced that if we constantly study the Saviors life we will be less apt to give in to sin, we will be more apt to love, more willinfg to serve because he exemplified all those things. My heart is full of wonder and awe over all that he did, all that he did for us, and how much he loved us. I have a long ways to go to be like him but I am so grateful for the upliftment I get when I study his life. Do your best thats what God wants from us this Christmas. I love you all Im sending out my Christmas cards tommorow hope you like them. Elder Powell

Hey everybody what a great week. We already were able to set someone for a baptismal date for Dec. 17th S B. Just so you know I'm In Dover, PA it is right above York back in the original Harrisburg Mission. Great ward, great ward mission leader alot of Part Member families we are going to work with. Its pretty close to where I was trained so thats fun. Have a good companion been out 20 months Elder Deyoung really funny guy. Hes 25 so thats crazy but we are Co- Senoirs which is good i wouldnt want to tell him what to do haha. But no we get along well. Just felt real blessed this week i really feel like the trial of my faith was St.Mary's and now the blessings seem to be numerous on the horizon. I have a testimony of love and a testimony of members reaching out. You have more influence then you realize for good or for bad. help the missionaries out and dont be dead weight. Get excited if your bored your doing something wrong the gospel is meant to be exciting. How exciting it is for me to have the opportinity to change lives and so too can you. You just have too wait patiently on the Lord after youve done your part. I love you all Talk to Mom if you have any questions about things i need. Have a good week. Elder Powell