August 14/15, - It Snowed This Morning

Querido mi familia,

G'day! How are ya? How is it that summer is already over for you? I feel like you guys just started your holidays, but you're already going back to school? But I guess that means winter is almost over for me. Yes! This morning it was snowing! It was awesome! But then ten minutes later, it stopped and the sun came out, but it's still freezing. But it seems like it has been snowing in all of the other areas, so I feel pretty ripped off. Hopefully tomorrow there's supposed to be a big storm. Hopefully that means a SNOW storm. 

This week has been good and exciting things have happened. But that's no surprise is it? Elder Christensen and I set two baptismal dates this week! One is with a young Maori guy named Hemi who lives with his partner and two kids. He's looking for more of a purpose in life and for the joy that he's seen his friends have as they've "found God." So he's taking small steps, but is looking forward to being baptized near the end of September. 

Also, last week, we found a funny old English man named Mike, who at first turned us down because he's been seeing Jehovah's Witnesses. But after we talked to him for a bit on his doorstep and gave him a Book of Mormon, he said we could come back. When we went back, he said he hadn't "been able to read much of the Book of Mormon, just the first 12 chapters" but we were ecstatic! We taught him the Restoration and committed him to baptism for the beginning of September. I was surprised that he seems so excited about it! Yesterday we saw him and taught the Plan of Salvation, which all made perfect sense to him. So, he's an awesome "elderly gentleman."

This week we're going to be finishing all of the preparations for Anna's baptism next Sunday. So that will be great! We're also continuing to work with Cruze so that he can be prepared to be baptized at the end of the month. Also this week we'll hopefully be able to see half of our investigators who have been busy for the past couple weeks with family things (Ace, Jaky, Levi, and others) so things will be picking up! Again. 

I'm glad that all is well with you and that you're having lots of fun.

Thank you so much for all of the support and prayers you have for 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

August 7-8, 2011

Ants!

Elder Rowe and his very new companion, Elder Christensen of California

District photo before transfers

Elder Rowe studying diligently atop "Trig," the "mountain" outside Levin.

Another Trig photo, this time he's just being cool.



Dear Whamily,

It's been one of those weeks! Crazy! But crazy good!

So first thing, because I'm sure you're dying to know, my companion's name is Elder Christensen. He's from Yucaipa, California and he's 6'3. I've never felt short as a missionary before. Now I suffer from the low self-esteem that many short people have. Just kidding, but it is weird for me to feel short, especially after being with Elder Cerros. Elder Nacho Libre, by the way, has moved up to New Plymouth. So he's still in the same zone, so I'll be seeing him on Thursday for Zone Conference and I'll be able to give him all of the things he left behind in the flat.

I still find it hard to believe that I'm training a brand new missionary. I often still feel that I need more training for myself. But perhaps that's exactly why I have been assigned to train. As I teach him, he always teaches me. So I'm grateful for all that I have been able to learn in just these past few days as I've been trying to teach this "baby how to walk." That's a big exaggeration. Elder Christensen knows his stuff and I can see what a powerful missionary he will be already. It makes me think back to when I first started (which was almost a year ago, can you believe it?) and how "green" I must have been. In fact I was thinking the other day how much I want to see Elder MacTavish again, so he can see how much less of a dweeb I've become. If that makes any sense.

Anyway, it's been a good week. Some of our investigators have been pretty busy lately, so we haven't been able to teach them much. Anna is doing good though and is still excited for her baptism. We'll probably have to move her baptism to the following Sunday though because of things. But it happens.

Thanks for all you do and all of your prayers!

I love you very much!

Gotta go bye!

Love,

Elder David John Rowe

31 July/1 August 2011 -

An acquaintance of Elder Rowe who he believes is quite interested in
reading the Book of Mormon

Elder Rowe's driving adventures on exchanges with Elder
Kanye West, er, um, Elder Kavaefiafi (of Tonga) 

Dear family,

Hello! Greetings from Levin with the warmest winter I've ever had.

I will be saying "ka kite ano" to Elder Cerros this Thursday because of transfers. I will be staying in Levin as District Leader and will, crazily enough, be training "Elder Christensen." He's gotta be American with a name like that. But we'll see. I can't believe I'll be training, especially because I feel like I need training still for myself. It'll be a great learning experience for me though. There's now being a new training guide implented into the work where the new missionaries and their trainers with have an extra hour of studying each day so that the "greenies" will no longer be green after 3 months and be ready to train someone themselves. So luckily I've got some guidance on how to train a missionary, though I'm sure I will learn a lot more from him. That's how it has been with Elder Cerros. Strangely, he's being transferred without leaving the zone, so he's just going to be a few hours away.

(So that Nacho/Esqueleto bond can still continue from a distance. By the way, I asked Elder Cerros, and he says that he's Nacho. It only makes sense considering I'm tall and skinny. And Elder Cerros would look better with a mustache.)

This week has been good, as usual, of course. I was on exchanges with Elder Kavaefiafi (have fun pronouncing that) for part of the week. He's Tongan, but from Sydney. I learned a lot from him about being bold and getting in the door, of course in a very friendly way. I also learned that when you're a Tongan missionary, all Tongans like you. Or maybe it was just him...

But it's been good, though kind of slow because it was the last week of school holidays for the winter so everyone seemed busy. Levi, Ace and Jaky (I think that's how Jackie spells her name) have all been busy with family things (because Jaky and Levi are first cousins--not like "cuzzins" like everyone else is with each other) so we haven't been able to see them much. But 9 year old Anna Huavi is doing good and is still excited for her baptism on the 14th. Having us teach her has been helping her mom a lot as well to become active in the church again. She has regained that excitement that comes from learning about the gospel. It was pretty neat to see that as we taught the Plan of Salvation, every one of Sister Huavi's questions related exactly to what we were just about to explain next.

In fact, we work with a lot of less-active families here in New Zealand and it's always interesting to see the things that they remember as well as what they have somehow forgotten. But the church is true, so we do the best we can to help rekindle the joy of the gospel in their lives and just hope they'll push themselves to do what it takes.

Thank you so much for all of you thoughtful prayers and inspiring words. Even though I thoroughly enjoy serving a mission, I'm always in need of encouragement, like reminding myself of  a voice in my head of a little girl named Anna Mary saying "Don't give up."

Thank you also to Jenny for that wonderful quote.

Sorry I can't write more! have an amazing week! Enjoy the food for me! And tell everyone that says Hi, Hi!

I was wondering if you could send me some numbers like:

the population of utah,

of orem,

the number of members in the 4th ward

people ask those a lot, so thank you.

I can't believe Matt's already leaving! Please send me his email and mission address once you're informed of it yourselves.

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