12/23/13 email

MERRY CHRISTMAS! i can't believe tomorrow is christmas eve!! i'm really going to miss having dinner at eric & tamra's house this year (and next), it's my very favorite meal of the year. maybe want to send me my gift to christ note card in a letter so i can see what i wrote last year?! i will make my own here in DC and open it again next year on christmas eve!

because of festival of lights, we haven't spent much time in our area, but I think I have finally found my purpose in the Visitors Center. we were asked to do that a while ago, but i gave up, thinking that i had yet to find my purpose at the vc. I kept thinking that I had to specifically define it, but I've discovered this week that my purpose in the VC changes every single day. My purpose is entirely dependent on who I meet and talk with. One of my purposes last week was to meet Eddie, his wife Erika, their little baby boy Jason. Sister Clement was giving them and Erika's sister + her husband a tour. It was a Spanish tour, but when they came to the house (where we show a video called God's plan - all about eternal families), Sister Clement had me go in with her to be her companion. I don't speak Spanish, but it was one of the neatest experiences thus far in my mission. I love when I get to interact with those of the Hispanic culture. It makes me feel close to dad and i often think of the wonderful people he served in Honduras and how blessed they are now because of his service and his testimony. I come to really love the Hispanic people here that I am with even though I'm not doing much (or any) of the talking. While they watched the movie, Sister Clement helped me feel better about some of the things that I was struggling with. She then said that I needed to testify after the movie, that they needed to hear what I had to say. I was nervous at first, but I spoke in English and they understood it. I thought Sister Clement was going to translate, but there was no need, the Holy Ghost did that for me. I was able to tell them that what they were feeling and learning right now was good and that it was from Heavenly Father. I bore testimony of eternal families and was able to share how much mine meant to me. Being the weepy person that I am, I started crying, but in doing so and in sharing my testimony, I was able to provide a spiritual experience for that family. Erika started crying herself and they were super receptive to our invitation to meet with missionaries. Because of ME and MY testimony and MY struggles, I was able to help another family further understand the blessings of eternal families and now they can have that as they continue to meet with missionaries!

wish i could have 10 more hours to write you, but i get to skype tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

love, sister rowley