Easter! 4/25-26/2011

Hello my dear family!

Happy Easter! Or as they say in New Zealand, "Happy Easta!"

A big Happy Birthday to Robby and Matt!

On Tuesday, Elder Triantafillakos and I taught what I felt was the best lesson ever. It was a lesson with Richard, our new  golden investigator, whom we've been trying to sit down and have a lesson with ever since I arrived in Napier. He was a referral from the Christmas DVD campaign and we've tried week after week to get a hold of him ever since he first showed interest in learning more after watching the DVD. It took so long for a lot of different reasons: he wouldn't be home, he couldn't hear us knocking, he was busy with work that day, etc. But anyway, we finally caught him home on Tuesday and were able to talk to him about the gospel. He told us he is looking for religion in his life--he realized "there must be more to life" and he's always had questions about religion--and so that's why he's been so willing to have us come over even though it's taken three months to do so.

He invited us in, we got to know him, and then we shared with him the simply wonderful message of the restoration. We taught that God is our loving Heavenly Father who answers our prayers. One such prayer he answered was Joseph Smith's, which brought about the restoration of Jesus Christ's church. Richard is big into cars--he owns a couple of car shops around the area and has won a few awards in car shows for his classic cars. So we shared the analogy of restoring a car and restoring Jesus Christ's Church. The old classic car (the Church), needed to be restored back to its original design--not all beefed up like a hot rod-- as some people want Church to be today. He really liked that analogy and it gave him a much better understanding.

The thing that really made the lesson the best was the overwhelming Spirit that was there. It was the Holy Ghost that did all of the teaching, not us. The lesson was geared specifically for Richard and we were speaking to his heart, not just to his ears. I'm so grateful for the Spirit in this work because without it not much would actually happen. We're planning on seeing Richard again tonight, and I can't wait!

Rebecca is doing great! In fact, believe it or not, tonight we're re-committing her to baptism for this Friday. Seriously! She doesn't have school all this week so this week is the best time of any for her to prepare for everything. So please pray that she will have the understanding she needs and that she will be ready for this Friday to enter the waters of baptism. She is SO ready. She just doesn't know she is.

Lyn is still loving learning and came to Church again with her son. She is still excited to be baptized in May, and wants us to start teaching her kids as well so that they can be baptized with her.

All this week, I've been thinking so much about the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Elder Triantafillakos and I wanted to share as much as we could this week with everyone about the meaning of Easter. We had a particularly great lesson with Eamonn about it, and it gave him a totally new and better understanding of what Jesus Christ did for him.

I realized, however, that it's a pretty difficult thing to teach. I couldn't seem to ever find the right words to truly express our need for the Atonement, or even what it personally means to me. It's indescribable really. I can't properly explain how I feel or how grateful I am for my Savior, and His atoning sacrifice--that He did, personally, for me. And personally for you. I know that is because of Him that I can live again after I die; that I can be forgiven for the many things I do wrong and that I will one day return to live with Him, Heavenly Father, and my family, whom I love so much! I'm so grateful to be a member of this Church and to know of the these truths, as well as being a missionary and sharing this wonderful message of our Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you for all your prayers, they mean so much to me.

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