Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Dear family, it stinkin snowed yesterday! haha what is wrong with this place!? Its June tomorrow! Im gonna be honest I'm a little jealous about the beach trip that sounded way fun for the whole family to be there. Also I bet it will be a little different next time! I'm guessing Sam will be there. Anyways it has been good times this past week! Elder Rwankuba and I have started teaching a couple new people who are absolutely awesome! This one guy is named Ray Vega. His wife is a less active member and he is a non member. He is like 6 5 and a trucker with a beard and tattoos. He smokes and drinks. BUT his son got a blessing about 2 weeks ago and he was touched by the Spirit so he decided to let us teach him. He now has a desire to be baptized. We have taught him twice and we asked him why he wants to and he says "it just feels right" He is like my idol though haha he has so many crazy stories from his 30 years of truck driving and its making me seriously consider a career in truck driving. Ray was born as a result of his Grandpa molesting his mom and so his mom hated him growing up. He said that all the kids were allowed to go to church but him and when he would sneak to church his mom would go get him and take him home and beat him. He decided he was done with that when he was 10 and he ran away to about 50 miles north in Far West Utah and he found a farmer and worked for him as a 10 YEAR OLD! And did that forever growing up until he was about 20 and then he decided to become a truck driver and he did that for 30 years. What a life huh? It's just incredible to see the different cards people are dealt in life. At first when you see Ray you would say, wow this guy is kind of scary. But you just have no idea where he has come from and how much he has had to overcome in his life. He has a heart of gold now and he wants to have his past totally behind him. Its amazing to see the Atonement apply in his life. Please pray for him! Also I have told you a little about Angie(lady who sits in chair all day and can't move) I think i forgot to tell you but last week by a complete miracle she made it out to church. It was incredible. She didn't think she could do it. She was afraid she was going to wet herself during sacrament meeting and than she just decided nothing was going to stop her and she made it. During sacrament I couldn't help but cry to have her sitting next to me in her wheel chair just soakin in the Spirit. She knows the church is true and wants to be baptized so badly but she is just having such a hard time quitting smoking. She has smoked 3 packs a day for 50 years! since she was 12! Please pray for her. Also PLEASE FAST FOR HER THIS SUNDAY. She needs the prayers. Please! I will send you a picture of me with her soon :) I love the work so much! I can't even express my gratitude for this Gospel and for Jesus Christ. Oh yeah! On Sunday Elder Carl Cook of the seventy sat next to me on the stand at sacrament meeting in the Riverdale 1st ward. We spoke in that ward and he followed me. haha a little nerve wracking!? Yes! But the lord helped me through. Anyways I gotta get running but I love you all so much. I can't believe I have been out 18 months now. I already served a sisters mission I can't believe it...Pray that these last 6 months will change me! hahah I need to come home feeling like I'm the person the Lord wants and needs me to be. I love you!
Elder Powers