brazilian baptism [via skype] | autumn in DC | loving and teaching
Hi from the library of congress :]
Just reading in THE library of congress... HUGE DEAL! Had to get a
special library card and everything. It was SOOO cool because somehow
I walked right to the religious section without knowing where I was
going. Oh hey, Book of Mormon! This place is awesome. Books on books
on books on books - beauty and the beast status. It's beautiful in
here! #lovingmylife
Reflecting on Festival of Lights
This years Festival of Lights theme: D&C 31:3 lift up your hearts and rejoice. Our goal is to get 800 people to say yes to meeting with missionaries. Yeah, we're already preparing for Christmas over here.
I had a really special opportunity this week to reflect on what the VC has meant to me throughout my mission. The trainers had asked those of us who were here for Festival of Lights last year to look through our journals and find a miracle to share at training meeting. The miracle I found wasn't some foreign guy, some cute family, or anyone else the Lord put into my path, but rather it was the realization that I was a good missionary and Heavenly Father was proud of me. When I first got here I really struggled, specifically struggled with understanding my purpose in the visitors center. This was the experience I had one night during Festival of Lights: "Tonight has been amazing. I think that for the first time this season I've seen a glimpse of my purpose as a VC missionary. We talked with Kat who gave us her phone number. Dan Cox, who although he doesn't believe in God much, he continues to come back to the VC and kept taking with us even though he wasn't interested. And then we met Chet, a Methodist who has been researching the church a little. We got his email address and also had a great discussion about the atonement and how Christ helps us overcome our challenges. We read Ether 12:27 and it was just great! Heavenly Father just really blessed Sister Mendenhall and I with lots of opportunities tonight. I AM A GOOD MISSIONARY and it's all because of Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost." That was a really neat festival experience that not only touched me then, but also strengthened me as I shared it a few days ago. I felt so much love for missionary work (especially in the VC) as I shared that experience, and also felt so strongly that Heavenly Father is indeed proud of me. Proud of who I was, and proud of who I've become. I'm also grateful that sister Mendenhall was part of that experience and turning point in my mission. I'm definitely going to miss her when she heads home next transfer. As in 2.5 weeks.
~Sister Rowley
praying
So awhile back I was really struggling with my prayers (story of my life) and sister Cooke helped me out. She talked about visualizing our heavenly parents being right there as we pray. She made it realistic. Still reverent, but also real. She even talked about visualizing heavenly mother stroking your hair and telling you it's going to be okay. I haven't quite learned how to do it yet, but that's not what I'm here to tell you... One of the members in Chevy Chase has been having the same struggles. I certainly don't relish in the hardships of others, but I do feel grateful when I discover that I'm not the only one who has a hard time with certain gospel topics. None of us are perfect! We're all in this together! Anyways, I had the opportunity to really connect with her and tell her about sister Cooke's advice. The next time I saw her was at a lesson with Barbara and let me tell you, that opening prayer she gave... It was amazing! She had been working on it and what I shared with her had helped. She even ended up sharing it in church on Sunday as she spoke in sacrament meeting. you never know who you're going to influence. When sister Cooke was helping me out, I doubt she planned on this exact moment in time where I would then be sharing it with someone else. When it comes to the gospel and service, you really never help one single person, so act on those promptings and seek for opportunities to be the support someone else needs. Sister Cooke is amazing and I'm so blessed to have the absolute best mission mom out there. I wrote her a little email just sharing the experience and thanking her for all she does.
~Sister Rowley
noteworthy things this week:
- An awesome trio singing in the metro station. Totally invited them to a VC event instead of giving them cash #missionarylifeforme
- The things I eat because I'm a missionary: chicken pot pie.
- I was having a seemingly rough day, but then someone got onto chat and I was sort of snapped back into reality and shown that I have no reason to complain. His parents had just died in a crash and he felt utterly alone. I seriously need to work on being more grateful and happy for the blessings in my life, because I really have no reason to complain.
- We had an awesome impromptu lesson with a cute couple from Venezuela. We went to check on a former investigator and instead found these two. They are the parents of the former's friend and are heading back to Venezuela in a week. We shared a message of Christ and they accepted our invitation to learn more from the missionaries back home!
- We awkwardly tracted into a member of our ward. We had dinner at one girl's house and then had an appointment at another's with 30 minutes in between. The area they live in is like Mormon-ville full of a bunch of the mid singles and YSAs. There was nobody to talk to on the streets so we decided to walk into one of the apartment buildings and the only door we knocked on was Ben Huff's. Oh hiiiii - you're in our ward! Never again will I try to knock on a door in that area. I knew it was overran with members, but really?? Of all the doors we knocked on?!?!
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called to serve in the washington d.c. north mission + washington d.c. temple visitors' center
september 25, 2013 - march 04, 2015
