Homecoming

so here's how it works -- you do a bunch of paper work, go though a few interviews, get a white envelope in the mail, buy a bunch of missionary clothes, give a farewell speech in church, and then before you know it your mission is over and you're giving another talk in church. i basically stood in front of a bunch of people and cried my eyes out while talking about the blessings of the temple. i was blown away to see so many friends and loved ones there to support me, so many unexpected surprises!  best part of that day was reuniting with my DC peeps, i have a special place in my heart for them. mom was a total rockstar and put together a fabulous luncheon. RM life is still pretty overwhelming and weird, but it's good to be back. now for the real substance here – the blessings of the temple! this isn't verbatim, i ended up blabbing away from my notes a bit and i can't remember exactly what happened, but here's the gist of it. in fact, this written one is more articulate and relays what i wanted to say before the nerves got the best of me. just picture a constant stream of tears while you're reading and we're good to go.

I was asked to talk about the blessings of the temple & temple covenants. Are you even kidding me?! This is like every Visitors’ Center sister’s dream topic for giving talks in church. I just spent the last 18 months of my life near the Lord's temple. And not just any temple, but THE tallest temple in the whole world. It’s unbelievably beautiful by the way, I remember my first time seeing it, I was awestruck! It's one thing to see it in pictures, but to actually see it in person… there are no words. I was thinking about the difference between the picture version and the real thing and I've decided it's more than the grandeur of it all, it's the spirit. There is something special about being on temple grounds, it's sacred and heavenly. There is also something special about being in a Temple Visitors' Center. The same spirit and sacredness is there, it's essentially an extension of the temple.

Being a Visitors' Center sister… the thought never really crossed my mind before I got my mission call. When I read my assignment it was a pretty much a no brainer though, I knew I was meant to be in the Visitors' Center. Miracles are real and they still happen every single day. I witnessed daily miracles in that Visitors' Center, a few of which I'll share today. I have to admit something though, I didn’t love being a Visitors' Center sister at first. Being a new missionary is hard, you don't know what you're doing and then you get thrown into so much at once and it all becomes too much. I didn't understand my purpose and I was kind of just a mess. But the Lord always comes through when we're dealing with the messes of life. Let's talk about one of those light at the end of the tunnel moments for me. Almost exactly one year ago I gained a testimony of the power of the temple & the Visitors’ Center. Here's a little journal excerpt about it…

March 11, 2014 -- Tonight we had an amazing lesson at the Visitors' Center with Z. Amazing I tell you! Sister Connelly and Checketts are such good missionaries! I learned so much from them and I really hope Z felt the spirit that I felt. I wonder that sometimes, if those we're teaching feel the same things we do... Maybe they do without realizing it? I hope Z realized that what we talked about tonight was what matters most in life and what Heavenly Father wants for her. We talked about the temple and how we can prepare for the temple by attending church and reading our scriptures. Ahhh! I can't get over how amazing the tour was! It was perfectly tailored to what Z needed to hear and reflect on. My own testimony of the temple was strengthened tonight. I was actually praying for that when I was at the temple last time, and I sort of expected to have some kind of amazing experience that day in the temple, but I didn't. Instead I had amazing experience today, when I least expected it. Perhaps I needed it more today than I did when I was asking for it. I just felt so much love from Heavenly Father tonight and so much love for the temple. I felt a little snippet of the joy I felt my first time going through. I'm grateful for the tender mercies Heavenly Father gives me as I try my best to serve his people here in Maryland. I also gained a testimony of the power of the Visitors' Center and the sister missionaries within. It was humbling to see how our lessons at the VC can impact the lives of others, missionaries included. I feel so honored (and sometimes overwhelmed) to be a Visitors' Center sister. I get to represent the temple and the joys that are within.

That night had a huge impact on my life. My understanding of the sacredness of the temple grew so much in a matter of minutes because I was in the Visitors' Center where the spirit can teach and touch without restrictions. About temples, President Monson said this, “The temple provides purpose for our lives. It brings peace to our souls—not the peace provided by men but the peace promised by the Son of God when He said, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” [John 14:27]

We have these cards in the Visitors' Center that we give to almost everyone who walks in. There is a picture of the temple on the cover and when you open it up you see a picture of the Christus (a stunning statue of Christ) with these words underneath: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. I've learned to recognize that peace, perhaps even more so now that I'm no longer spending every day in the VC. There is one particular experience that comes to my mind as I ponder the peace of the temple. It was just a few weeks before I returned home and the kind of experience that had me in tears wishing to remain a missionary just a little bit longer.

February 23, 2015 -- We had a VC miracle this week. Elder Fowler talked about the election of grace at training meeting and then that very same night we experienced that heaven sent miracle of God's elect. We talked about how people are foreordained to walk into the VC and hear MY testimony. We looked up election in the bible dictionary and discussed God sending his children to the VC to have favorable contact with the gospel. Can you think of a more favorable place than the visitors' center that overlooks the Lord's holy temple?!? And then we met D. He spent over three hours in the VC that night. In case you were wondering GPS stands for God's Personal Satellite because soooo many people are lead to the Visitors' Center by their GPS. Heavenly Father literally leads His children to hear about the gospel! We talked about the temple for a little while and then sat in front of the Christus, where he then poured out his heart and soul. D is going through a lot right now so we helped him focus on the peace that's missing in his life and the peace that he'll find near the temple, in the Visitors' Center, in the gospel, and ultimately in Jesus Christ.

I love when I can physically see the peace that someone else is feeling when visiting temple grounds. It's as drastic as turning on a light switch in a dark room. That moment was a drastic one for me where I undoubtedly felt the same peace D was feeling. That's what the temple provides for me in my life, peace. In fact, I felt that peace just Saturday! If you've been anywhere near me these past few days you'll know that RM life has been a challenge. I was lacking a real sense of purpose and peace and where did I find it again? The temple. I was crying before we even made it up the hill and into the parking lot. I was just so overwhelmed with that peace only Christ can give. The temple is more than peace though, it's a place for knowledge and power. The temple teaches us about God’s plan – helps us understand who we were before this earth life, provides a sense of purpose to our current state of existence, and helps us prepare to return to live with God in families that last forever. Not only did I experience the power of the Temple in the Visitors' Center, but also in the home of some members who were struggling. If we make Christ and the temple the center of our homes, we can feel that same sense of peace even there. See, the thing about the temple, is if you go often enough that sense of peace and guidance follows you home. You get to bring that holiness with you! It's empowering, beautiful, and absolutely necessary, so go often!

April 10, 2014 – Best night of my life!! We had such an amazing miracle today! We had dinner with brother and sister W, who have been struggling for years now. The spirit was so strong tonight and I know that everything we did and said was lead by the spirit. As Sister Chapman and I were studying this morning we both felt impressed to talk about temples tonight. I had found a Mormon message – the blessings of the temple, and Sister Chapman had at the same time found quotes in preach my gospel that talked about temples. It was so amazing to see how from the very beginning The Lord was guiding us in the direction that would best help them. They had lost a son at a very young age and experienced 4 deaths in a 6-month time period. It was those troubling, yet humbling experiences that allowed them to accept missionaries and the plan of salvation. It was the temple and the promise that families can be together forever that sparked their interest. It's that same message that allowed us to have such a spiritual experience in their home tonight. I know that their son is helping us from the other side, that was made very apparent to me tonight. I can't get over now amazing tonight was and how guided we were by the spirit.

I testify of these eternal families and the power and reality of God's plan for all of His children. Death is absolutely not the end. At the beginning of this year the Visitors' Center got it's greatest addition, a cut-out model of the Washington, DC Temple. As sisters we got a little sneak peek and it was in a meeting that Elder Eyring's sweet testimony of the temple strengthened my own. Notice a pattern here? I didn't gain my testimony all at once. It happens over time and with continuous study and temple attendance. Not only did I get to hear the director of the Visitors' Center share his thoughts on the temple, but I also got hear his brother, an apostle of the Lord, testify of eternal families. That moment was significant for me. My grandmother passed on the exact same day I got to hear a special witness of Christ share his testimony of the temple. Being a missionary, I didn't fly home to be with my family, I was miles away in a situation that could have been depressing and immobilizing. God is so aware of us. It was no coincidence that the day my grandma passed away, I got to feel the power and reality of eternal families in a very special and sacred setting. I again felt peace because I was in the Visitors' Center hearing a true message about the temple.

President Monson describes being in the temple as being next to heaven. “To members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the temple is the most sacred place on earth.” Are we truly grasping that concept? Do we truly understand that temples are THE most sacred place on earth?! If we really understood that, we would be going way more often wouldn't we? We’re here to become perfected in Christ, right? Well if we don’t go to the temple we are denying ourselves that opportunity. We’re essentially working for perfection without the help of The Lord – which quite honestly, is impossible. Everything about the temple leads us to the Savior of the world. “Sacred temple work will increase our faith in Christ, and then we can better influence the faith of others. By the nourishing spirit of the temple, we can learn the reality, the power, and the hope of the Savior’s Atonement in our personal life.” Sister Marriott, Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency.

The temple enables us to serve those around us, both on earth and those who have already passed on. Sister Burnham was once that influence of faith and love for me. I was really struggling at the time and in great need of a temple trip. Lucky for me, we got to go every 6 weeks. As I walked into the Celestial Room, I was greeted by an open-armed, loving Sister Burnham. She probably had no idea just how much I needed that hug. I've been thinking about that hug ever since and have come to the conclusion that Christ would have reacted the exact same way. We are His hands and voice here on the earth today. Sister Burnham gave me a hug, but I also felt Christ hug me in that moment. Picture that when you go to the temple. Do you see the Savior standing there with open arms? Do you let Him embrace you? Do you then embrace others and help them feel that love from on high?

Each temple is engraved with these words on the outside: Holiness to the Lord, the house of the Lord. That holiness is real and cannot be acquired by any other means than temple attendance. My dear sweet mission mom, Sister Cooke, once shared a hymn with us that had touched her heart and has since touched mine, especially in relation to the temple.

More Holiness Give Me – hymn 131

1. More holiness give me,
More strivings within,
More patience in suff'ring,
More sorrow for sin,
More faith in my Savior,
More sense of his care,
More joy in his service,
More purpose in prayer.

2. More gratitude give me,
More trust in the Lord,
More pride in his glory,
More hope in his word,
More tears for his sorrows,
More pain at his grief,
More meekness in trial,
More praise for relief.

3. More purity give me,
More strength to o'ercome,
More freedom from earth-stains,
More longing for home.
More fit for the kingdom,
More used would I be,
More blessed and holy--
More, Savior, like thee.

That is the purpose of the temple. To bring that holiness into our lives and help us become more like the Savior. The temple is an anchor, a place of beauty and peace. We go there to glorify God and become who we were always meant to be. I love the temple and feel so grateful that I got to spend the last 18 months of my life near and in the Washington, DC Temple. I've always loved sharing the following scripture when talking about the temple: "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God." [Ether 12:4]

It's interesting because in that same chapter of scripture it talks about weaknesses and how if we let Him, the Lord can help us overcome them and even turn them into strengths. The temple is where that perfection begins. You don't have to be perfect to go inside or near the temple, we just have to be willing to let Christ help us. We're the ones who have to open the door. I love this gospel, I loved being a missionary, and I love the temple!

i'm here, i'm happy, and i'm a returned missionary

remember that one time i went on a mission and then 18 months later i came back? my head is spinning right now. my body is here in utah, but i have no idea where my mind is. don't get me wrong, i'm thrilled to be back with my family and excited to see what the future holds, but right now i'm in this indescribable daze that i'm certain only returned missionaries understand. yesterday i was a full-time sister missionary, today i am not. kylee is back, but this time she's a little bit different. i wouldn't want to be the same kylee anyways – not after spending the past year and a half serving the Lord and loving people like i've never loved before. i have lots of stories and pictures to share, lots of life lessons too. here for you to read, but mostly for me to breathe. this blog is probably going to be my saving grace in the next few months, i can feel my head already slowing down a little. so hi, i'm home! thanks for sticking with me. i'm here, i'm happy, and i'm a returned missionary!

pic of the week

pics of the week

We are counting down the days until Sister Rowley returns home … less than 5 weeks!!!
In the meantime… enjoy this weeks photo pics.

selfies with the Eyrings before they were released
the District (and Sister Rowley NOT getting the “smile” memo
life of a VC Center Sister… lunch at 9:30AM

    

pics of the week

Selfie with Elder Eyring

bad news. good news.

Sorry for the short hiatus. Sister Rowley’s grandmother fell and broke her hip just before Christmas.
Our focus has been on her. Supporting her, comforting her.

She had complications following surgery and passed away January 10, 2015.
We are busy planning funeral services this week, but I hope to have my feet planted by next week so I can pick up where I left off.

Oh, by the way… I just received a letter from President Cooke today…
Sister Rowley will be home March 4th!!!!!!!!

pics of the week

Christmas Tree

 

pics of the week

Thanksgiving | Selfies with President

     

officially an old missionary

I went to the departing Arlington trip so I'm officially an old missionary! Arlington was a million times better than the White House experience last week. I'm so grateful for all the sisters I came out here with, we love each other so much! It was so fun to spend the day with them and take a picture together, all seven of us. We got to see John F. Kennedy's grave site, see the Lee house, and the best part - the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown solider. Sister Lewis was telling me that she had an institute teacher relate the changing of the guard to the sacrament once, talking about how seriously they take that ceremony and how we need to approach partaking of the sacrament with similar focus and sacredness. Something to think about for sure. We'll have to go to Arlington when we come back for a visit, I think Dad will really love it. 

FESTIVAL STARTS TOMORROW! Happy Christmas!! Tomorrow is Ambassador night and then the Diplomats come the following night. I got lucky and get to be a part of the reception both nights! I get to walk around with food plates and smile at all the awesome people from all over the world - winning!  

Roped together

Once upon a time I professed my return to blogging and then missionary life happened and blogging didn't. That isn't to say I don't have thoughts and experiences to share, I have LOTS to share. All the best things in life take time though, right?! None of that instant gratification here. Besides, how much more exciting is a random post every few months verses the daily dose of stop blogging already Sister Rowley!?

Now for the good stuff... Last week I was reunited with some of my very favorite people. They are the sort of people that make your heart explode when you see them because there simply isn't enough room for the amount of love you feel. We got to reminisce, talk about the gospel, and bask in feelings of gratitude for Christ and each other. Just one day later I was lucky enough to see those very same people only in a different circumstance. Somebody gave a talk in Stake Conference and I'll give you a hint... it wasn't me!

She shared a message from her heart and did what I've always wished I could do - get up there and just speak by the spirit instead of that awkward word for word reading (guilty!). A convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, she talked about how the missionaries tied her unraveled rope back together. I have since been thinking about that unraveled rope and how we as missionaries become unraveled too. Life is hard. No matter who you are, where you're from, or what you're dealing with, you are not alone! These challenges and imperfections were a part of God's plan from the very beginning. God loves all of His children so of course we will all experience both the good and bad in life. Remember, "for it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things" (2 Nephi 2:11). How will we learn to appreciate success and joy if we don't also cross paths with failure and sorrow?

It's been decided then, everyone at some point or another, even multiple times throughout life, holds in their hand that unraveled rope that they alone can't put back together. If we can't tie our own ropes back together, who can? Of course the missionaries can help! In fact, missionaries do a lot of rope tying, it sort of comes with the calling of bringing others closer to Christ. But here's the missionary confession: our ropes aren't always perfectly tied together either. Don't freak out yet... as we help others' reconnect their unraveled ends, we start to tie their rope to ours and together we become stronger and more solid in our standing with Christ and His teachings. Not only do we as missionaries get to tie the ropes of those learning about the church, those struggling to come back to church, or even the active members who just need a little inspiration; but throughout the process of tying others' ropes to ours, we tie both to Christ's rope.

We came to earth with this seemingly perfect rope, but as soon as we stepped foot into the "real world" we discovered things that lead to that unavoidable split. Think about it though, had our ropes not fallen apart, we would've never had the need to be tied back together. If there was no need for a process of re-tying we would have missed the opportunity to latch onto the ultimate rope of strength that belongs to our Savior, Jesus Christ. His is a rope for all. He is the way we overcome our challenges and mistakes. He is indeed the Prince of Peace and the source of true happiness. Because of Jesus Christ and His example, we are individually sought after and made anew. With a fresh outlook on life, a greater understanding of God's love, and a newly tied rope we are then inspired to find those other unraveled ropes so they too can have the fullness of the gospel and an understanding of who they are and how much they are loved.

"And at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they are of the house of Israel, and that they are the covenant people of the Lord; and then shall they know and come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him; wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved" (1 Nephi 15:14).

pics of the week

new companion Sister Cárcamo | small hands fetching pencils out of the piano

 

pics of the week

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

pics of the week

home sweet home | visitors from home

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

pics of the week

companions in the cold | soup success | baptism calendar
   

pics of the week

a baptism | a run in the city | some pumpkins

   

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?!?!

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