Week 4

Hello family!
I have so much I want to write about and so little time! Mom yes I did get the package and I loved it! I'm sorry I didn't say anything about it in the last letter...sometimes so much is happening I don't remember what week I'm writing about and what I have already said so if I repeat myself a couple weeks in a row that is why:) The cookies were amazing( a little crumbly but not too bad) and the alarm clock works like a charm everything else was great!
Mommy you asked if there was anything you could send. I wouldn't mind a couple more pair of socks and tights/nylons/leggings (black tights/leggings and skin colored nylons). I like mints too:) the lifesaver kind:) there is an elder here who reminded me how good they are and now he's out of stock:) His name is Elder Massey and his dad said he knew I would be here...pops does Massey sound like a familiar name??
Thank you everyone for your letters! Jake I did notice that you didn't write me last week but I forgive you:) Marykate I have loved all of your cute letters! they make me laugh everytime and I think you have inherited Papa's spelling abilities(maybe you'll grow out of it;) haha Grandma thank you for you letter too! It is so fun to hear from everyone! Heidi you are amazing as always!
This week at the MTC has been a crazy one!... not that there has been a not crazy one yet. 2 of our roommates left this week but sister Broderick(the one who has been fainting) had to stay because they haven't found out what is wrong with her yet. She got up to fainting 5 times in one day. talk about draining. She is doing alright now and one doctor thinks he may have a solution so they are trying some things out. We got 4 new girls this week and they are all extremely neat people. I'm sure you will hear more about them later!
I think I have figured out one of the things the Lord really wants me to learn here at the MTC. Humility. (I have had enough experiences here that have hurt my pride to finally realize that maybe my way is not the best way....shame on me for having taken so long to figure it out :P) This week Elder Gong spoke at last tuesdays fireside(he came to SUU awhile ago and I got to hear him speak there too!). He talked about the difference between perfectionism and seeking perfection through Christ. I know I'm a perfectionist...and too often I want to be perfect. I want to have a perfect knowledge of the Gospel and I want to learn the language perfectly so I don't have to look like a fool when I have to go out and speak it (yes I want to be able to communicate the gospel as well.) Perfectionism is wanting to do it in my way and along my own timeline. Seeking perfection in Christ is giving my task to God. Only He can make me perfect. I am nothing, I know nothing, I have no power, and I can do nothing except that which the Lord desires of me. my will is nothing and my desires are nothing and my work will come to nothing unless it is God's will, God's desire, and God's work. Ok all of you are probably thinking "Ok Annie is depressed let's get her home right now". Not true! I have been humbled... and will probably continually need to be humbled throughout my mission. I am nothing by myself but with God I can do all things. There is a scripture in 1 Nephi 17 and Nephi talks about how with God he can do anything the Lord desires...Nephi says that all over the place but this week that is the one that really hit me. I am not going to lie, this week has been a hard one for me, but I know that the Lord will bless me and that as I give my tasks over to Him (learning the language, learning how to teach, learning how to work with a companion....the list goes on) I will be blessed beyond anything that I could ever imagine. The hardest part is putting that knowedge to action. This sunday sister Christensen gave an amazing unprepared talk on "letting go". She nannied in Oklahoma and one of the little girls would always slide down the side of the bed to get off and got scared everytime and held onto the sheets. she was only a couple inches off of the ground and sister c. would tell her to just let go. one time finally she let go and was surprised at how easy it was. It is so symbolic of how our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ must view us. If we just let go of our pride we will be surprised at how little we had to give up for something greater.
Ok I have so much more I want to say but I am out of time!
I love you all thank you for your prayers and support!
Love, Sestra Powell