sometimes missionaries need to be strengthened too

The 20 minute dinner miracle: So we had a day at the VC and then planned to go home for our hour of dinner because let's face it, as much as I love the VC sometimes you just need to get the heck out of there. We start driving and then we hit the 5 o'clock traffic. We're supposed to be out in our area by 6pm and we're watching our dinner time click right on by. So we decide to skip the trip back home, park at the church where we needed to park for the night, and eat at a quick little restaurant at the mall. It's called lunchbox (I may have written home about it before - a member took us there once). Good sandwiches, fun look, cool vibe, and usually kylee music. Anyways, it's pretty new so not many people know about it and it's been pretty empty when I've gone. We order our meal, everything is going great, we're somehow making it work despite the fact that we only have 20 minutes to eat and then we get hit with one awesome blessing: FREE ICE CREAM! The guys working were super nice and gave us free ice cream so they could test out the new machine. Wasn't my favorite, but it was free ice cream so I'm not complaining. They gave us free treats, we gave them invitations to the visitors center, plus we still made it out at 6pm so it was just a miracle dinner that then lead to that super awesome first lesson with Carol. That night was such a solid one for us, someone I reallllly needed. I was starting to feel really overwhelmed with the many things to do and the vey little time to do it. It really is true that missionaries are happiest when they're teaching which means talking with everyone. I handed out a BOM on the street that night and became friends with a cute Jewish girl from Paris. I forgot entirely about the stress I had preciously felt and I knew that God was proud and pleased with my efforts. I can't do everything all at once, I can only try my best and that night I felt like I did my best.

I had a cool experience in the VC this week where I was inspired on the spot to be creative with some kids at the Christus. We had played the Christus for them and then afterwards I asked them to close their eyes and hold out their hands. We had grabbed pictures of Christ from behind the desk and placed them in their hands. I told them to keep their eyes closed, but that I had placed a picture of Christ in their hands. "Do you believe me?" I said. They replied yes. And we talked about how they felt the picture and believed what I told them, but they couldn't physically see Him. They opened their eyes and there He was! How often do we close our eyes to the savior and ignore His presence? Do we believe that He's there even if we don't see him? Do we believe He's there even in those dark moments where we don't feel Him? We had lunch with Perla this week, she is the girl who gave that amaaaazing talk about the ballet shoes and Lazarus being raised from the dead. Remember that? I know for sure I sent that home. It was powerful. That meal with perla was exactly what I needed this week. We talked about that again - that concept of Christ leaving us in the dark sometimes so that when he does lift us out it's undeniable that it was a miracle and only possible through Him. The food we had with her was amazing and I just left feeling so rejuvenated. She had served a mission as well, and it was one of those dinner experiences that ends up being way more for you than the members or the missionary work in the area. Sometimes missionaries need to be strengthened too.

I have officially been a missionary for one year and four days!! Woooo! We didn't do anything special, but I did wear the exact same outfit I wore to the MTC (plus tights, because it's almost fall here and I'm jumping the gun because tights are the best!). I've ordered a few other nametags since getting here to DC, so my greenie nametag has been sitting on the dresser for quite some time. I decided to pull it out for my year mark. Seemed appropriate to wear it on September 25th. Sister Wathen had a rough day this week, and I think she thinks I'm helping her, but sometimes I feel like I'm sitting there freaking out because I totally remember being a new missionary and feeling every single awful emotion all at once but I don't know what to do when others experience it! I just want her to be happy and know that she is an amazing missionary, she seriously blows my mind every day with how good she is. We didn't finish weekly planning and instead spent the time talking through some things for her. Months ago I would've been stressing about not finishing, but I'm learning that sometimes missionary work has to take a backseat to the happiness and emotional state of your companion, especially a new missionary. It doesn't mean we stop being missionaries all together, but I saw how important it was to take a break and finish another time. Which ended up not happening, but you know what? That's what Christ would've done. He wouldn't have forced sister Wathen to keep planning because that's what we were supposed to be doing, he would've sat there listened, encouraged, and uplifted. Sister Wathen and I are a lot alike so I decided that to help her feel better we could get good stuff eatery the next day. Cheeseburgers for the win. We had a referral to check on in Georgetown, where the good stuff eatery is, so right after the VC we headed up there. And then the bus took way longer than we expected and we ate dinner way later than missionaries are supposed to. I felt guilty for a while, but as the night progressed and we saw so many miracles, I knew that Heavenly Father didn't want me to feel guilty. Now I know how long it takes to bus to Georgetown so we'll plan better next time, but because he knew that was our plan and because he knew it would help both of us feel better, he placed people in our path that night. The bus ride there was insane! Packed! We were riding at rush hour, when we're usually inside eating and we saw miracles because of it! We gave out two copies of the BOM in that bus ride! One in English and one in Spanish. Sister Wathen has been killing it with her Spanish contacts. So many referrals for the elders! And then the atheist/realist/hippie dude sat next to me, so that was fun. So we down our cheeseburgers, fries, and shakes in like 20 minutes - speed eating or not, that place rocks. And then a member of the ward walks in. And not just any ward member, the second counselor's wife. Oh hiiiii, we're just eating cheeseburgers with a bunch of college students on a Friday night past the hour we're supposed to. I gained a testimony of contacting your referrals because when you do, even if they're totally fake or not reachable, you get to meet the elect and experience miracles. That night was a major miracle night, which means God isn't mad we ate at good stuff. He knew it was our plan and he placed people in our path - testimony of nightly planning too. We had a referral to Georgetown university. Like, the school. With no apartment or anything. We love fake referrals :]  It was really fun though, sister Wathen and I quoted Harry Potter and contacted a bunch of people along the way. And then we met two more miracles as we traveled to yet another no good referral. Mrs. Armstrong had seen us earlier on that 5pm bus and then was on the bus we took later that night. That NEVER happens! And she was soooo prepared. Talked to her about family history and the Book of Mormon. I had one left in my bag but didn't want to give it to her, it was just this "don't do it - just send missionaries" feeling. She said yes to missionaries bringing her the Book of Mormon which is waaay better. And then we met David who that BOM was meant for all along. He helped us find the apartment complex we were looking for, we gave him a BOM, got his phone number for the YSA elders and just like that had a night full of so many miracles!!

All I'm going to say about the general women's meeting: TEMPLES TEMPLES TEMPLES! And President Uchtdorf because he's my favorite :]

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!

- Sister Rowley

comp unity = blessings

Transfers happened. Sister Johnson left, so we are no longer a trio, but I'm still training Sister Wathen and we're still in Chevy Chase. If Sister Wathen goes back to the Spanish program next transfer (which is pretty likely) then I'll be in Chevy Chase at least one more transfer and then I'll only have two more transfers after that. ONLY TWO MORE! Time is really flying by. Before you know it I'll be sending home a million christmas light pictures, oh wait... I've already started doing that. Yep - they've already started putting up the lights in preparation for festival!!! So excited for festival of lights! It really is the best time of year here in the VC and ALL the sisters get to be a part of it, even the full pros sisters!!! Nobody has to miss out!

The majority of the sisters I came out with are training right now so it's fun to all be in the same place with each other - all trying to figure out what we're doing and praying that we do the best we can. It's been cool for me to reflect on who I am as a trainer and see that it's been much less about this is how and when we do this & that and more about showing love and helping her have fun as a missionary. I think that's what I would have wanted if I were to re-do my first few months as a missionary, but I was super emotional about it all and probably wouldn't have allowed myself to enjoy the moment as much as I am now. Thank goodness for growth as a missionary, right?!

We went to the food bank for service this week. Pretty much just sorted food into containers for a solid three hours. I wish I had something super exciting to say about it, but I don't. We did go to McDonald's afterwards though, because that's how me and Sister Wathen roll #healthyallthetime.

So remember how Heavenly Father blesses my taste buds as a missionary? We had dinner with a member this week and oh my goodness... ONIONS GALORE! I wanted to die. We had zucchini that was baked and then filled with onions. Yeah, that's what we ate. I know that Heavenly Father loves me because He helps me eat food that I would never eat in a million years in any other circumstance. 

You guys have to watch the new mormon message "you never know". IT'S SOOO GOOD! So there we are, Sister Wathen and I, just eating our dinner downstairs in the VC lounge. We're watching the movie together, getting a little spiritual uplift before we go back upstairs for shift. And then all of a sudden we're both just crying! And then it was hilarious because we were both just being the biggest babies, but it's really just so good. Grab tissues and then watch it.

Friday was one of my favorite days as a missionary. It was just one of those days where I was so happy and feeling the spirit so often! We talked with everyone and saw miracles because of it. First we had dinner with a member and it was one of the best meals I've had as a missionary - and I'm not talking about the food - i'm talking about the spirit and the discussion. I sort of already mentioned it on facebook. Heidi is just so awesome with her family history and she was telling us some really neat stories. They were almost like the sort of stories you would hear around a campfire and be creeped out because someone was talking to a ghost, but it wasn't scary because it was real and all about bringing others closer to Christ. She just has some very crazy and legit experiences with her ancestors who are very "vocal" about getting their work done. As she reached the climax of each story I would get chills every time. It was sooo awesome! I just knew that even though those experiences weren't happening to me, they were real experiences that proved this to be God's important work. I also felt close to Grandpa Rowley again and I know that he is teaching the families of those I am teaching here. It's so neat that we are all so connected and all so involved in the very same purpose. 

Sister Wathen and I ended up having a miracle on the way home from Heidi's. We had decided we were going to talk with everyone and give out a copy of The Book of Mormon. And then we did! We met Lynne on the sidewalk and believe it or not, our conversation started with her talking about menopause. Yeah, I don't know? But then we walked her home, talked about Heavenly  Father, the creation, The Book of Mormon, and about Jesus Christ. We gave her a BOM, shared with her the Because of Him, and invited her to come to church. We're hoping to teach her again, but her Lyme's Disease seems to keep her down quite a bit. It was just awesome that when we made the commitment to hand out a BOM and talk with everyone, we did it! God puts people into our path when we make goals and strive to accomplish them with all we've got. And get this... We got home that night, so pumped to tell elder Nollet that Stephanie is on date and about Lynne and then he made our night even better... They got a referral for us!!!!! MIRACLE DAY! Being unified with your companion brings so many blessings. I have never been more unified in my entire mission experience and I AM LOVING IT! Remember when I thought companions was going to be the hardest part of my mission for me? Well I've certainly experienced that, but I'm on the other side of it now and it's such a wonderful experience.

I'm happy to be here and happy to be writing the people I love most. Hope you all have such a great week. 

Love,
Sister Rowley

the tame olive tree

we had a zone conference on september 11th, mostly for safety purposes. it was just the DC zone and the Anacostia zone. it was a long day, but good. free lunch! can't complain about that! sister cooke's workshop was my favorite, she talked about how blessed we are to be serving in the nation's capitol and went through some of the really neat things the city has to offer. i perked up and took a bunch of notes - museums to go to, statutes to see, restaurants to try, and things to do. it really was so great and helped me feel so excited to be here in DC, especially in chevy chase!

sister wathen and i got to teach the french elders' investigator, dieudonne again!! ah, the spirit is so strong every time we are with him!!! it was so neat! 

highlight of my week: THE SABINO FAMILY. oh my goodness!! okay, so they are in our ward, but they live super far away - like way outside of our area. they had signed up on our meal calendar to give us a drop-off meal (the guy who handles our meal calendar makes it sound like we're starving to death which is totally false, we just want to spend time with the members!). so since they said it was a drop-off meal we're expecting a chicken and maybe a couple of sides. they show up to the VC and say they have a trunk full of food but that first they'd like to take us to dinner. at first we didn't understand what was happening, we thought we were just getting the drop-off but nope! endless groceries AND dinner! they took us to chipotle and hooray - i finally figured out what to order there!! i don't hate it anymore! it's all about the steak. so we get to spend a little time with them at dinner and then we head back and they open their trunk to show us a million groceries all for us. it was absolutely insane and quite honestly one of the neatest experiences of my mission. it has nothing to do with the food - it's all about their kindness and their sacrifice FOR us and the reasoning behind it. because they live so far from our area, brother sabino said he wanted to help us in any way he can. they wanted to move the work forward by helping us move forward. he talked about how he's had sons serve missions, and how this is just the way he can help and wants to help. i wish you could tell just how many groceries it is, but the picture doesn't do it justice. since sister johnson is gluten free - they got her special gluten free stuff and lots of it too! i couldn't help but feel so much love for this sweet family. they are from the phillipines - there is something about those phillipino people that just melt your heart. they are so good-hearted and full of service.

we have a new investigator and she is the exact definition of a golden investigator! her name is stephanie and we met her at church on sunday! she just up & came on her own. she has a mormon friend who just moved to utah, so she's pretty familiar with some things and even has a copy of the BOM already. it was sort of a spur of the moment decision to come to church yesterday, but she did it and i think she really liked it. she's married, thinking of staring a family soon, which is where her interest stems from. her husband isn't interested right now, but he supports her wanting to come. she likes our values and wants to raise kids in those values, it's all so exciting!! the lesson we had in relief society was on eternal families and one of the sisters who is married to a nonmember made a comment that really helped stephanie feel peace that she can keep learning and essentially be baptized even though her husband isn't interested right now. we invited her to come to the event at the VC later that night and she was there!! i had some major anxiety at first, because we didn't see her and we couldn't reach her over the phone so 20 minutes after it started we finally went in (yousuf and aluna were also there, yay for 3 investiagors at one event!). as soon as it ends we walk out to the aisle and there she was!!!!!! we have an appointment with her on thursday and i am SO excited to be teaching her!!!!!!!!!!!! it's crazy how prepared some people are. they just walk right up to you and tell you they want to learn more! i love seeing the lord's hand in this work - it does indeed show us that this is HIS work and we are blessed to be his servants in helping the work progress. i studied about that this morning in the book of mormon. i gained a testimony of companionship study as i was sharing what i had learned. it had been enlightening when i read it on my own, but when i started sharing, my heart started to swell and before i knew it i was sitting there crying. jacob 5 might just be my new favorite chapter in the book of mormon. first of all i took some time thinking about the word tame. tame = willing to cooperate; cultivate. so then i started thinking about the word cultivate and found this: prepare, use, grow, maintain, apply oneself. i love the institute manuals on the gospel library because they really set my mind down a path that leads to personal revelation and greater insight to who I can become and who Heavenly Father wants me to be. i learned that without this cultivation, the olive tree is wild, unruly, and easily corrupted. how applicable to us is that?!?! time and time again i learn just how important it is to do the little things in life like reading scriptures, praying, attending church, all these "primary answers" are the way we cultivate and maintain our spirits and our potential as children of God. then in verses 4-5 i was so moved by the fact that it was the master of the vineyard who noticed the perishing tree. it was the master who made the first attempt to save that tree. he could have sent the servant initially, but it was so important to him that he did it! i feel that christ feels that way about us. yes he sends others to help us, but he also helps us on a very personal level. i felt so close to Him as i shared these thoughts with my companions today. "it grieveth me that i should lose this tree" said over and over and over again. if you really sit and think about that word you start to see that heavenly father and jesus christ care about us all so much and they want each and every one of us to be happy and follow them. they are DEVASTATED when we choose otherwise!! in verses 15-18 i felt truly blessed to be the lord's servant at this time, being here helping him prune and save his vineyard. i pictured myself being that servant who goes down to the vineyard and starts pointing at all the wonderful trees we helped save. it's like when i child accomplishes something and they get so excited to share it with their parents, "look what i drew! look what i made!" that excitement i feel for missionary work right now. i get to return to the lord each night and say, "look! look who we helped touch today, look who we taught! look who felt the spirit! he read the book of mormon! she came to church!" ah, i just feel so blessed to be a missionary right now. i get to work side by side with the lord, saving souls. there is nowhere else i would rather be right now.

with tears streaming down my face again (story of my life), i'll say goodbye and love you all!

- sister rowley

pics of the week

trainer & trainee
  

food?

food!

pics of the week

trainee/trio


companion
exchange

and then i became a trainer...

so i guess i'm training now?? president called on friday afternoon - he said he was just taking inventory and wanting to know if we had any extra beds in our apartment. 5 minutes later he called again with the biggest, least expected, a bus just hit you news... a sister was coming to DC from the mexico mission and she was going to be MY companion. she was 5 weeks in and originally from utah. that's about all i knew. i didn't really understand at first - and quite honestly, i feel like i still don't. she's still a new missionary, and still needs to be trained, which makes me a trainer? WEIRD. she's going to eventually go into the spanish program and may even make that transition in 3 weeks when transfers happen, but for now she's in the english program with me and sister johnson and I'M A TRAINER. do you catch my i can't believe it - i'm still sort of freaking out drift? I continuously ask myself why me? I had sort of come to terms with the fact that I probably wouldn't train (i was terrified of the thought anyways). With the full pros and full VC system, I knew there wouldn't be many more VC sisters coming in, and I had sort of already decided on my own who would be the best trainers. And then Heavenly Father threw me for this loop and I'm still trying to process it. It's a really interesting situation, and I'm in this weird trial and error/figure out what I should be doing stage. I'll find little things as we go along that afterwards I think to myself, "oh! I probably should've done this instead or next time i should change this!" It's also weird being in a trio, because I've never experienced that before, so I'm still adjusting to that as well. Plus it's like I'm training but not because I don't know what I'm doing and sister Johnson definitely does. It's just weird and new, but also so great. Sister Wathen (i guess i should tell you her name!) is fabulous and it's so neat how all of a sudden your problems disappear because you don't matter anymore, you have someone else to worry about and their concerns and challenges are waaay more important than yours. Yes, we get that with investigators, but we don't see them 24-7, it's different. I remember being a brand new missionary and wanting to go home so bad. Missions are hard, and being new is the hardest. I just want sister Wathen to be happy and to enjoy being here with us. I want her to feel confident, I want to be the best example I can be, and make sure she isn't feeling overwhelmed. It's such a big and important job! It feels scary sometimes! It's one thing to fail yourself, but to fail someone else, especially a brand new missionary... Yeah, no thanks. This requires lots of prayer, obedience, and relying on the savior because only he knows exactly what sister Wathen needs and when she needs it.

i'm still wondering why me and why the english program, but as i've been thinking about it - i think sister johnson and i have been able to help her feel loved - which might be what she needs most right now. i'm not good with saying "i love you" or hugging a whole lot, but in my own way i do help people feel my love and God's love. plus i'm reaching this point in my mission where i'm legitimately happy to be here and having a new missionary is sort of pushing that to a whole new level where i sort of have no other option but to be happy & positive. i want the best for her, which means i have to think less about me and my concerns. The ward has responded really well to sister Wathen! She's been a miracle catalyst for us here in Chevy Chase. All of a sudden we're being fed again (hallelujah!!) and finding solid street contacts. Pretty sure Chevy Chase is partial to trios. I think Sister Wathen misses being with people who speak Spanish, her face totally lit up last night when she met some of the Spanish speaking sisters in the VC. She's excited to go the VC and I'm excited to show her around there. I love it there so it's exciting to share that love with someone new who is so open minded about loving it too!

so that's the story of how i became a trainer. i was terrified when i first heard about it, sister johnson had just recently gotten off the phone with president - her and sister croese had been praying and trying to figure out where to send sister wathen and after they had decided me, president cooke called and said that he had decided to send her to sister rowley. i cried when i found out - i was just so shocked and unprepared that i had no idea how else to react. i hope she's doing okay. she was having trouble sleeping in mexico and then the food started making her sick, so instead of sending her home they sent her here. i think she's wondering why she's here and why she was sent to mexico in the first place. i hope i can help her see why and help her feel confident in who she is, especially as a missionary.

i feel like my big news this week makes up for the lack of everything else. i'm a trainer, i'm terrified, and i have no idea what i'm doing, so HUZZAH! 

love you all, love the VC, and love my two companions!

- Sister Rowley