Tuesday was our p day this week because of the snow. We had a zone
activity and if was definitely the best one I've been to so far! Elder
hatch and Alca put a lot of time and effort into making it a great
activity. We did the amazing race (I thought of Eric and Tamara!). We
solved riddles, we put together a puzzle, we (everyone but me) ate
gross food like sardines, tofu, and peppers, we chased down a lepricon
and threw snowballs at him, we searched through hymn books to find a
sticky note that matched our team color, used our iPads to find
specific Mormon message videos, and even ran through the snow to find
a key. My favorite part was probably lunch though chicken Parmesan and
salad and if was just soo good! One of the members of their ward made
it for us! One thing I've learned serving in the YSA: nothing bests
home cooked meals!
We forgot to make daily goals on Tuesday, so when we were at the
library we made some goals. You know what they say, you plan to fail
when you fail to plan. I have a testimony of that statement. As soon
as we made those goals and then left the library, we found a man named
Norbert outside. He's from Uganda and was just enjoying the sun while
it lasted. We invited him to watch general conference and then got his
name so we could add him on Facebook! We have an online potential
investigator!! It really is so important to make goals so that you
have something to work towards. When you show Heavenly Father that
you're willing to try your best for that day, he blesses you with ways
to accomplish much!
Sister busath and I have started including each other in our emails
home. It's been fun to read about her week and see pictures too. We
only get to see each other once a week for a few minutes so I'm glad
we have a new system for catching up (hi, sister busath!).
We finally got to teach Jeff on Tuesday night! Our only investigator
right now (we had to drop Gabriel). Jeff had cancelled our last two
appointments so it was a miracle that we were able to get over there
and teach him. President Cooke's daughter Carrie came out with us!we
taught the plan of salvation and turns out it's way less scary to
teach it than I thought. Thank goodness for sister Fifita, for her
picture display, and for the spirit. We were first able to help him
with concerns which also allowed us to see where he is and what we
should do with our next lesson. Our plan is to go to the VC and watch
the Joseph smith movie. We want him to better understand the
restoration and the significance of that before we move onto the
gospel of Jesus Christ. He hasn't been reading his Book of Mormon, but
when we told him about the gospel library app he downloaded it right
then and there! It was great to have Carrie with us because she was
able to really relate to him and how hard it can be to read your
scriptures. I really see a difference in the lessons where we have a
member present verses the ones where we don't. Members really are
essential in missionary work! They can do so much more for
investigators than we can (and yes, this is me telling you to go out
with the missionaries).
So hey, I'm 24 now! I was spoiled rotten on my birthday. I didn't know
what to expect as a missionary, but I certainly didn't expect the day
that I had. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by so many amazing
people. Sister Fifita woke up early to make me pancakes for breakfast.
Sadly, I had failed to set my alarm the night before so it was
actually 8am instead of 6am like she thought. It's the thought that
counts though and that thought made me so happy! I'm so glad she
randomly got up at 8 instead of both of us sleeping until noon or
something. It's a miracle that I didn't freak out when I saw what time
it was. I accepted the fact that there was nothing I could do about it
and I just did what I could to get ready and move on with the day.
Proof that I'm going to come home as a new and improved person :]
Sister Mendenhall found a way to spoil me too, even though we aren't
even companions anymore. Her and her companion, sister balls, live
super close to us so the night before my birthday they showered me
with birthday love all over the windows. I peeked out in the morning
to see what the weather was like and saw a paper star on the window,
it confused me so I opened the window and there it was... a whole
bunch of birthday signs! It was the best surprise ever! They also did
the big window in our living room, but I didn't see it until we were
heading out the door, I was surprised all over again! Turns out Daniel
was with them too. When I mentioned it at lunch his reaction was way
too easy to read, I could tell that he at least already knew it
happened, and turns out he was with them! I got permission from elder
Miyasaki to go out of area for lunch, so sister Fifita, Daniel, and I
celebrated 24 years at the Cheesecake Factory! It worked out perfectly
because we also had a meeting with president Cooke that day so we were
closer to him from Cheesecake Factory that we would've been from home.
When we arrived at the mission office for our meeting, sister Pearson
sang happy birthday to me twice and just made me feel so loved! One
(yeah, she sent two!) of the packages Jess had sent was also at the
mission office so I was able to take that home with me! So many
birthday miracles! Our meeting with president was pretty short, he
just wanted to talk about the Seneca singles. He's pretty much made up
his mind about what he wants to do, but I think out of respect and
courtesy to me and my love for the people here, he wanted to make sure
that I was okay with what is happening. Things are still being
discussed and decided, but it's possible that the missionaries will be
taken out of the area until the group becomes a little more stable and
the missionary work a little more promising. I think I needed this
last transfer here to feel okay with that decision. Last transfer I
wasn't ready. Isn't it amazing to see how kind Heavenly Father is?
Perhaps they really didn't need missionaries here this transfer, who
knows, perhaps I just needed time to be okay with whatever happens.
Perhaps sister Fifita had something to learn from the Seneca singles,
and maybe we were the only two who could touch Jeff and invite him to
meet with missionaries again.
We had a birthday miracle on Facebook too! As a birthday request, I
asked Daniel to go through his Facebook friends and find at least one
person we could talk to and potentially share the gospel with. He sent
us the information for a high school friend named Matthew. We started
a conversation and Matthew even wrote back! I'm not sure where it's
going to go yet, but at least we've made the effort to try! The
Melgar-Fetzer family fed us dinner for my birthday! They have to YSA,
Natalie & Greg (Greg is someone we're trying to work with) They are
the sweetest! Earlier that day, Natalie texted us and asked what my
top three favorite cakes are and then we go over for dinner and get
this.... Better than whatever cake. It felt just like home! She could
have chosen any other kind, but it was my annual birthday cake!
BIRTHDAY MIRACLES ALL DAY LONG! We even got Greg to come to institute
as my birthday gift! I told him it's my birthday every week, but I
don't think it worked. The birthday love continued at institute too.
The caffees came in with a bag full of candy, a balloon, and a
birthday crown. Kaycee brought me giant cupcakes too! So many sweets,
so much love! They also sang to me, which I've decided makes me feel
awkward. They sang to me at the zone activity on Tuesday as well -
which was actually pretty funny because sis Fifita was the one who set
that up and she was being suuuuper weird when we were getting ready to
leave. She kept lingering and I continuously asked her why she was
being so weird and then they started singing!
Sister Welch is here! She was my visitors center teacher in the MTC!
She's here for the sealing of a family she taught, but we were lucky
enough to see her too. I had the best day at the VC. I'd maybe even
say it was the best VC day I've ever had! A group of about 10 college
interns came in with their professor and wanted a tour of the VC. They
were a political/religious class and I did NOT want to give the tour.
Heavenly Father had a different plan though, and we were asked to give
the tour. We didn't really have time to prepare anything, and our plan
was to just show them what we have and tell them briefly why we have
that exhibit. We ended up teaching quite a bit of doctrine and it was
amazing! They even had questions that allowed us to teach even more
doctrine - we ended up going pretty deep into the plan of salvation.
At the end of the tour we gave everyone a guest card and invited them
to learn more from missionaries just like us. If that wasn't something
they were interested in, we invited them to give us their email of
Facebook name so that we could keep in contact and answer any other
questions they had, I even offered a pen so they had no excuse not to
fill one out :] One girl, Karissa, accepted the pen offer and then
later returned if with a little thank you note at the top of her card.
She hadn't written in her information but she sincerely thanked us for
the information, the experience, and our testimonies; which is so cool
because while we were teaching them I was continuously prompted to
share my testimony. Heavenly Father knew what Karissa needed. As she
gave me the card she asked if she could get a BOM. I told her that the
best way would be to give me her address and I could send
missionaries. She responded so sincerely that she didn't want it to
sound like a cop out, but that she honestly didn't know her address. I
got her email and phone number and had he promise to answer when I
called, and then got her a BOM. Meanwhile, another student named
Andre, who had also given me his email and number asked for a BOM.
Turns out they are all living in the same apartment while they intern
so I got that address and now that they have the Book of Mormon,
missionaries will be coming over to teach them! I had the most amazing
conversation with them before they left. It was this little 3 minute
conversation that made my day. The spirit was so strong as I talked to
Karissa about how much God loves her and that the feelings she was
feeling today was that love. I promised her that the BOM would provide
those same feelings. I bookmarked Moroni 10 for her and invited her to
apply that promise throughout her entire BOM experience. I could
almost literally see the spirit working on her heart. She is as
prepared as they come. Her appreciation for the experience was
evidence to me that she was learning so much more than the facts and
doctrine. I wish I could better describe the appreciation and love
that was exchanged in those few minutes. Of all the wonderful people
I've met in the VC, this is the one that I care most about, this is
the one girl that I will do everything I can to help her find the
truth. If Karissa is the only person I end up helping on my mission,
it will all be worth it. Turns out, the professor was Mormon. We had
no idea! He even came up to us after and asked us questions about the
church that nonmembers would ask. When some of the other sisters went
to talk to him he admitted that he was a member but didn't want his
students to know. It suddenly made sense! They were studying politics
and religion, and we taught them nothing about politics. Some kid even
asked us how the two related and the only answer we gave was that
knowing god loves us and has a plan for us helps us deal with the bad
things that happen in the world today and that sometimes includes
politics. I so badly wanted to thank that professor for bringing his
students in. Because of that, two more of god's children are going to
learn from missionaries. TWO!
We had an amazing stake correlation meeting tonight. An area seventy
was in attendance and I really learned a lot from him. Something that sister Duzett (MV ward
missionary) said tonight at the meeting really stood out to me -
"every calling is a missionary calling". We are given so many
opportunities to invite others to learn more about the gospel, it's
not set aside just for those who are ward missionaries. This is a
principle I really want to apply when I get home. I really am
convinced that one of there reasons I'm here serving a mission is so I
could learn how to become a better member missionary.
I had so many miracles at the VC this week. It truly is remarkable to
see how Heavenly Father sends us the elect. Lois Holmes walked in
today, one of those "I was just curious" walk ins. They may not
recognize it yet, but I know that Heavenly Father leads them there.
She has researched a lot of religions and even researched the LDS
faith, but only through books and internet, which means she probably
came across plenty of anti and misinformation. We started by telling
her about the temple. She was the sweetest lady just soaking
everything in. When we asked if she had questions she just kept saying
she wanted to know our doctrine so we taught her the restoration. She
had a question that I didn't know the answer to but I'm determined to
find the answer - what is the historical time period for the BOM
verses the bible? *cough - mom.... Dad*
They overlap, yeah? Certain parts take place at the same time only in
America instead of Israel right? I told her I wasn't super good at
history and that I didn't know the answer but would look it up for her
and have it for her next time - she appreciated my honesty. She wanted
to know more about the BOM and found it interested that we believe in
modern day prophets and apostles. We played for her a snippet of
president Uchtdorf's most recent sermon, "come join us". It was so
perfect because she asked if they were all from America so I wanted to
show her president Uchtdorf as an example that they aren't all from
America and then his most recent sermon ended up being the absolutely
perfect for Lois in that moment. We invited her to come back to the VC
for general conference and also invited her to learn more from
missionaries. It was another one of those I love you so much even
though I just met you moments where I actually started crying as I was
sharing with her my testimony of the restored gospel. I was boldly,
but sweetly, telling her that I KNOW this is God's true church and
this is what she's searching for. I cried, she hugged me,and then she
respectfully and kindly declined the missionaries, saying she doesn't
like having a middle man. She likes to take to god directly. I
understood where she was coming from, but tried to explain the calling
we have as missionaries and who we represent. She wanted a BOM but not
missionaries. At the VC, we have copies of the BOM but we don't hand
them out too often, because we really try to encourage them to let us
send if with the local missionaries. Sometimes (three times for me
this week) you go another route - you change to meet the investigators
needs. Sister Fifita went to grab her a BOM, meanwhile i bore
testimony of the love, answers, and truth that can be found within. I
asked her if she would reconsider letting us send missionaries once
she started reading and discovering the truthfulness of it. She said
yes!!! She even mentioned that she would pray before she started
reading and then when we invited her to look around some more she said
she had to go so she could go home to eat lunch and then start reading
the BOM. She was legitimately excited to read the Book of Mormon and
it inspired me! Am I that excited to read it when I study in the
morning? Are you? I just love Lois and I know that Heavenly Father
sent her to me. #ilovethevc Remember how I sort of hated it when I
first got here? #mightychangeofheart
Love you all so much!!!
love, sister rowley
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