A week in the life of Elder Rowe - 4/17-18/2011

Dear my dear family,

This week has been a good one! But you know, it's always a good one! Napier is pretty cold today, very wet, so the autumn leaves don't make the crunchy noise that they should.

We're switching seasons again. But now I'm the one who is jealous.

So let me tell you about our investigator named Lynette. Lyn is a single, Maori mother of three kids, (ages 15, 10, 9). Elder Triantafillakos and I found her while door knocking. When we walked up, her brother who was on the front porch with her told us to beat it, but she said "No, this is my house, come back another day!" We didn't expect much to come from her--we just thought she was being polite. We went back a few times, but only her daughter was home. But then last week, we saw her daughter Gloria in the park and she said "Hey my mum's home!"  So we finally got to teach her. The three of us (her, Elder Triantafillakos, and I) sat on her porch and we simply but powerfully (because of the Spirit) taught her the lesson about Joseph Smith's First Vision. The Spirit was so strong and so we asked her the ever-bold and life-changing question, ---If she found out these things we taught were true, would she be baptized? She said "Well, if it's true, that would be the right thing to do." So she committed to pray about it!

Next lesson, we taught the first half of the Plan of Salvation and that went great. She said that she had prayed, but that she was still waiting on that answer. On Saturday, we taught the rest of the wonderful Plan of Happiness. I got kind of worried at first because she seemed confused about something about the Spirt world. But we turned again to the "source of answers" --the scriptures-- to answer her question. Then her countenance changed and she had a look of joy again as we taught about the Celestial Kingdom. The timing, and more especially, the Spirit was right, and so we asked her the question again--if she would be baptized--but we also committed her to setting a goal fo May 21st as a date to work towards. She said Yes! And then somehow we also invited her to come to church. So yesterday Lyn and her two younger kids came to church and loved it! The kids loved Primary and Lyn said the Relief Society lesson was exactly what she needed to hear--an answer to a prayer she's been having. They can't wait to come back next week!

So that's Lyn and her family. I'll be sure to find out her last name, as well as her kids names, soon enough.

Eamonn, Gabriel and Matt & Jenny were all planning on coming to church, but something came up, somehow, for all of them. Buh! But Rebecca came to church and loved it once again. She loves singing hymns, and loves reading scriptures aloud for the class and answering questions when she can. I've never met someone with such a desire to learn! She says she's "obsessed with learning English." Rebecca is such a character! She has the vocabulary and mannerisms of a 50 year old English teacher, the appearance of a 30 year old, but the eagerness to learn and be taught of young child discovering the world around her. Sadly, she's still been pretty hesitant to get baptized, because she wasnt' able to pass her English test and all. We wanted to re-set the baptismal date last night, but it will have to wait until later this week. But things are looking good. She still hasn't had any coffee or tea to drink ever since we committed her! It's fantastic!

On Tuesday, Elder Triantafillakos and I asked Eamonn a very important question. It was something to the effect of "Do you notice a certain feeling, or something different, when we come over and teach you?" His answer was even better than I expected and totally an Eamonn-like response. He said, "When we're talking, I feel a flame inside of me, but when you leave, it slowly fizzles out." Eamonn loves and recognizes the Holy Ghost and is way excited to get baptized! The only thing he needs is to come to church and feel the joy of being at, and being with members of, the Lord's Church.

We haven't been able to see Gabriel much this week, nor really start the Stop smoking program for certain reasons. But we hope to do it this week and he, and Michael, will be smoke free in no time!

The teaching thing didn't happen at Zone conference by the way, it was a false alarm, it's later this month at zone training. phew!

  

Thank you all so much for all you do for me and inspire me to do!

I love you all soooooooooooooooooooo much!

Just remember:
"True happiness comes only by making others happy"---David O. McKay

Keep doing what is right, and praying day and night!

Have a wonderful week!

I love you all so very much!

Love,

Elder David John Rowe

11/4/11 (Or as we say here in America, 10-4-11 - 11-4-11)

Hello my beautiful family!... and Dad. JUST KIDDING!

I'm glad to hear all that is going well in the snowy springtime of Orem!

I failed to mention about two weeks ago about celebrating passing my six-month mark! Crazy isn't it? It's flown by! To answer your question, I did in fact burn a tie. It wasn't one of mine though-they're all to beautiful to do that. I burnt one Elder Triantafillakos found in his closet. I will try to send a picture. It's crazy to think "I'm coming home next year." That makes it sound too close. "A year and half" sounds better.

I have learned a lot this week about talking with people in regards to sharing the Gospel with them. It's something I should have learned a long time ago, but I guess I can't learn everything all at once. I always and can easily say "Hey, how's your day been?" But the hard part is saying things after that and actually giving them a reason to talk to you. The first step of course, is to open your mouth and say words. Often times, when Elder Triantafillakos and I are out and about, I have the unprobable hope that people will reach out and talk to us, asking us questions about the Gospel, rather than my companion and I being the ones having to be bold enough to talk to them and do likewise. But when I'm the one starting the conversation, I'm always at a loss for words. I've found when I try my best, however, the words come and a conversation happens. And once they're actually interested in talking to us, that's when we bring up the gospel. That's how we got most of our "new investigators" this week. I've been trying to express my genuine interest in getting to know them, and once they realize that, I then share with them what I'm genuinely interested in--the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

My shyness has decreased tremendously, so you know. But President Jolliffe still classifies me as one of the shy missionaries. Maybe he'll stop believing that at zone conference tomorrow when we have to teach a six-minute lesson to him and Sister Jolliffe in front of the rest of the missionaries. Pretty terrifying. But when we rely on the Spirit to teach, there's nothing to worry about!

General Conference is so great! I really can't describe how much I love it. All week I had been eagerly waiting to watch it. Of course, it was as wonderful as I expected. Last night before bed as I was pondering over all that I had been taught, I was craving more! More of the words of the prophets and more of the overwhelming feelings of the Spirit as they tell us the counsel that God wants us to know. I just wanted to lie there and listen to Conference all over again, and be overwhelmed by the warmth and peace that the Spirit brings. I feel that's the way I want all of my investigators to feel when we leave after a lesson--they get touched deeply by the Spirit, and until we come back, they're craving once again to feel of the Holy Ghost as we teach the wonderful message of the Gospel!

If there was one single thing that I learned from Conference, it's to serve--everyone! By service, it doesn't just mean to pull someone's weeds or clean someone's house, but to serve with charity--the pure love of Christ. When we have charity, we ARE charitable. We don't just give acts of service now and then, but instead, our lives are based on serving our fellowmen; because we love them and we love God. We know that "when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God. When we keep the commandments and love one another, we shouldn't do it because we're told to, but because That is who we are.

So that's what I'm working on this week. I want Napier to know that I love them, and in doing so, they will know that their Heavenly Father loves them even more.

Thank you all so much for all you do for me and inspire me to do!

Just remember:

"True happiness comes only by making others happy"---David O. McKay

Keep doing what is right, and praying day and night!

Have a wonderful week!

I love you all so very much!

Love,

Elder David John Rowe

It's Autumn Time 4/3-4/2011

My Orem boys: Elder Rawle is from Provo and went to Timpview, Elder Levin went to Timpanogos. We're really cool.This is the chapel that;s in Hastings, but we could just as easily be in Orem!

Aren't sunsets just so great? This is Anderson Park.



I think my large head ruins the picture, but maybe you like sunsets better when I'm in it?



Hello my beautiful family!

Well, this week has been a bit of a slower one, compared to the excitement of the baptism last week. But of course, plenty of good has still happened.

The most exciting news for me this week was Church yesterday. Gabriel and Michael came and they even wore dress shirts and pants as opposed to their usual gym shorts. They both loved it! It was a particularly wonderful Testimony meeting that we had yesterday and I think Gabriel almost wanted to go up and share his own, but I think he, understandably, got a bit scared. I don't know if I explained all that much last week about him, but Gabriel is our latest golden investigator. He loves everything about the Gospel, and so he loved church. It's especially great that he has Michael as a member for friend because they're both way excited to be at church and getting to know the ward members and have us come over and teach them and to just do the best they can to have the happiness that comes from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In Sunday School Elder Triantafillakos and I taught the Gospel Principles class about prophets and got everyone excited for General Conference this upcoming weekend. In class I asked Gabriel something like what would it mean to him to be able to hear a prophet speak and he said it would be amazing and he can't wait for this weekend! And neither can I! Gabriel is so ready to be baptized. He just needs to quit smoking. So that's one of our biggest focuses now. Soon enough, Michael and Gabriel will stop smoking and all will be perfect!

Rebecca also came to church again. Sadly, she got her test results on Saturday and she didn't pass. So it's another two months until she takes it again. So she's not feeling ready to be baptized, especially not this weekend, but it's still in mind. We just hope to help her to regain that desire and not be so discouraged.

I listened to a talk on Elder Triantafillakos's iPod entitled The Fourth Watch by S. Michael Wilcox. Borther Wilcox talks about Mark 6:47-51, where it tells of Jesus walking on the water. The apostles were all out in a boat in the sea during a storm and Christ was back on land because he was off praying, and it says "He saw them toiling in rowing for the wind was contrary unto them." So the disciples were struggling as they tried to cross the stormy sea with the wind blowing the opposite way and Brother Wilcox pointed out, it's not until the "fourth watch" (which means between 3-6 AM) that Christ came to rescue them.

And so that's how Christ is with us sometimes. When we're going through the storms of life, Christ doesn't necessarily always come in the "first watch" or even the second or third. But after the long night of struggling He comes when He knows it's best. And He will say Be of Good cheer. And the winds will cease.

i gotta go! I love you!

Remember: True happiness comes only by making others happy.

Keep doing what is right and praying day and night!

I love you all so very much!

Love,

Elder David Rowe

Baptism! March 27/28, 2011



This is the view from Bishop Tohiariki's back porch. Hawke Bay is visible, but it's just a thin blue line in the background.

This week has been a crazy one! But delicious all the same.

All week Elder Triantfillakos and I have been planning and arranging for Christine's baptism. Despite all the stress that nothing was going to work out, it went beautifully! Her parents came (we were panicking until they showed up right when it started) and some of her friends from school. And we had a pretty good turnout from the ward, considering it was only just announced last Sunday. We also had our new investigator, Gabriel, come with his member friend Michael, and they both loved it.

The baptismal program went perfectly and the Spirit was indeed there. The Primary president, Sister Halbert, spoke, as well as Sharlene (Christine's foster mom). After the actual baptism, while we were changing into dry clothes, they played the Restoration movie, and when I came back in halfway through, I was watching the reactions of Gabriel and Christine's parents. It's such a powerfully spiritual movie and it was a great opportunity for them to feel the Spirit.

Being able to baptize Christine was such a uniquely wonderful experience. I can't really describe it. But I loved it! So it was wonderfully fantastic to have Christine baptized! It's been almost a year since this ward had a convert baptism, and we're hoping to have two more soon enough when Rebecca and Eamonn are ready (Rebecca gets her test results next week, and hopefully she'll get baptized the week after!). Gabriel has a baptismal date as well, but he wants it to be May 16th (his birthday), so that will be awhile.

Gabriel, so you know, is awesome. He's a big fella, in his 30's, who loves having us come over. The second day we went over to teach him, we met his friend MIchael, who was over hanging out, and just happens to be a less-active member. Before we had arrived, Michael had been talking with Gabriel all about the church (in a good way) and so Gabriel was way excited when we showed up! So we've taught the two of them a few times this week, and as I said, they both came to the baptism and are already friends with half of the ward. It made Gabriel all the more excited to be baptized, though he was a bit worried that there wouldn't be enough water in the font for him to fit under when he gets baptized (the water was pretty low because Christine is so small). But I assured him we could fill it up more for him. Or maybe find a river to do it in.

I was so glad to see Michael at church yesterday. He said Gabriel couldn't come because he was knocked out from his medication or something. Rebecca also came to church again! Eamonn couldn't come because his mom was taking him somewhere or something. And sadly, we're not quite sure what's going on with Matt and Jenny.

Transfers are this week, but Elder Triantafillakos and I are both staying here as companions. We had interviews with President Jolliffe last week and he has been impressed with the changes we've brought about in this area and wants us to keep it up until next transfer when one of us will be leaving.

For General Conference, it will be broadcast at the chapel the following weekend, so I'll let you know how much I loved it in two weeks.

The Church is truuuuue!

Tell the girls I'm so proud of all of their hard work!

I love you all very very much! 

 Just remember:
"True happiness comes only by making others happy"---David O. McKay

Keep doing what is right, and praying day and night!

Have a wonderful week!

I love you all so very much!

Love,

Elder David John Rowe