Week 65 - Clinton, Oklahoma Sept 30, 2013 (transfer to Zone Leader)

Mi querida familia, Well, after 6 months I'm leaving Clinton, Oklahoma. Ahhhhh man, I'm going to miss this place. it's been like home. I don't know what it is, I just love Western Oklahoma. I've come to really love the people here and I have so many fond memories. These past 6 months I've really learned how to be obedient to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Being obediant to those promptings brings miracles. I think I say that every week it seems like. It still hasn't hit me yet that I'm leaving. I'm kind of in a state of denial because I don't want to pack. They've assigned me to be a Zone Leader in the Quail Creek Zone (not sure why). This is the Northern part of Oklahoma City...nearly the exact same area I was serving in before I came to Clinton, except I was serving in the Spanish Branch. It's crazy how the Lord wants me back in the city and I'm excited to serve there. I'm going to miss my companion Elder Tanner, I've grown pretty attached to this guy, he is such a good missionary and I have full confidence that he'll do well leading out the area when I leave. We had kind of a sad experience this week. Remember Josh I was telling you all about a few weeks back. He was a miracle find, bishop came and taught a lesson with us. His mom came home when we were teaching him (Josh is 19 so we figured we were ok coming over) and she blew up in the middle of the lesson. She basically said that she didn't want us in her house anymore. It was hard. Josh apologized after she left and said we could come back anyways and that he'd talk to her. So we came back few days later and he wasn't there so we left a note. A few hours later the mom calls, just furious with us. We apologized and said we weren't meaning to offend anyone, and that Josh had invited us back (plus we had no way to contact him before since he doesn't have a phone). It was a stressful moment for me. The mom obviously some misconceptions about us, and I wanted to just explain everything, but she wouldn't let us. She said we could teach him still, just not at the house. But we have no way to contact him. I'm hoping the Lord leads us to him again, because he was so ready for the gospel...at least from my perspective, maybe Heavenly Father thinks differently. I was frustrated. I was stressed. I felt so down because I had offended someone. I don't like to be hated or disliked. I guess this is the Lord's way of teaching me about rejection. I took a step back and tried to see things from the mom's perspective. Her son is unemployed and 19 years old, living at home. She loves her son and wants him to be happy; she also is very fond of the Native American traditions. I thought how would I be in her shoes if I saw one of my children living at home talking with strange men from another church. I'd probably be a little upset as well. As I started looking at it from her perspective, I was able to calm down and love this lady a little more than before. On the other hand, we've had some great experiences as well. We had a lesson with Cindy, and a member came with us. During the lesson we heard a crash. We turn around and see that Cindy's daughter had backed into the member's car. I was curious to see how the member would react. He was calm and collected. We finished the lesson and went to inspect the car. It was a pretty bad dent. Cindy was stressed out, her daughter wasn't on the insurance, plus her daughter was in trouble already. And the member totally forgave her of the incident. They were going to get it fixed anyways and the insurance would cover it. I was filled with so much joy. It means so much to someone extend mercy to someone you care about. Also, for the last sunday, our recent convert Xzaylia (back from my first transfer and she's 9) called a member to take her to church, and she brought two friends! Member missionary work! I love it! What a good week! I look forward to Conferance, and a new beginning back in the city. Que Dios les bendiga! Con Amor, Elder Powley