Happy Birthday, Dad - 9/18-19/2011



Elder Rowe with his new companion, Elder Stratford, who is the red head on his left.

Hello family!

It's been an interesting week as I'm sure you could assume. I'm now in Palmerston North with Elder Sratford. I've been wondering for awhile about where Palmerston South is. Neither Elder Stratford or I could believe that I got called to be his companion. He was my District Leader in Napier, and then both of us moved at the same time and he became my Zone Leader. And now we're companions. Elder Stratford is from Ogden, which he thinks is the real O-town. Not true. He's going home in February, so he's pretty old and wise. Him and I have been good friends since January when we met, so I'm pretty excited to be working with him. Though I'm not sure he feels the same way. Just kidding. I don't know if you can notice from the picture, but, yes dad, he has red hair, and is proud of it. In NZ redheads are called "ranga's", just so you know.

I've truly loved being in Levin/Otaki and will truly miss it and its small-town comfort. Palmerston is much much different and people don't like saying Hi to the missionaries as much as Levinites did. But I'm excited for the opportunities ahead. I'm also really glad that it's so close to Levin, because it'll mean I might be able to go to Hemi's or Mike's baptism, whenever it is that they happen. I've been to Palmy quite a few times on exchanges so I already know most of the investigators that are now "mine." Though I still kind of feel like I'm just on exchanges and that I'm not really Here nor especially not a Zone Leader. Hopefully it will hit me soon that I'm actually a Zone Leader. It probably will when we go down to Wellington during the week for Zone Leader Council.

I've enjoyed training Elder Christensen and learned a lot from him. Hopefully he feels the same. His new companion, Elder Kim, is from my intake, so he has been out as long as I have. They're both awesome missionaries, so I know Levin is in good hands. And I'll be hearing from them every week so I'll be able to check on their progress when ever I want! But it's very true as you said, I always seem to leave right before the Golden investigators get baptized. But that's okay, all that matters is that they get baptized.

And Happy Birthday Dad! Oh my, you seem to get younger every year don't you? I hope you have a wonderful day on Thursday as you turn 1, and I'll have a wonderful time burning a shirt as I celebrate 50 years of being a missionary! Ha ha You should be expecting something in the mail sometime soon, and so you know, it's for both you and Kathy (a combined "gift", even though it's extremely late).

 

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

Here's Some News for Ya, Mate! 9/11/2011-9/12/2011

Kia Ora Loved Ones,

 It's been quite an amazing week. Wonderful in fact.

We'll start with Hemi, and his awesomeness--to say the least. We saw Hemi on Monday and taught about the Plan of Salvation. He invited his 13-year-old sister along because he knows she needs the Gospel. Hemi loved the lesson and he bore testimony to his sister of how he knew the Gospel would bless her life and would give her true happiness in life (as opposed to the alcohol/party scene that he's afraid she'll get into).

On Wednesday, we went over to Hemi's with a member from the ward around his age and we taught the Law of Chastity. Focusing of course, on how he needs to get married before he's baptised. Brother Fitz testified of the joys of marriage and why it's so important and wonderful. I don't think the lesson would have worked without him there. As we discussed it, I could tell Hemi felt the Spirit and his desire to do what is right was growing--even enough to go out and get married. He told his partner Karen (who's not really interested in having the lessons) has always wanted to get married, but that he himself never really considered it. But that night, he had a talk with Karen and about what he wants to do, and he later told us it went great!

And then on Sunday, Hemi walked to church with one of his daughters and was greeted warmly by the ward. Halfway through sacrament meeting, Karen walked in with their other daughter and she came and sat down with him! We couldn't believe it! Prayers are indeed answered!

We've also seen Mr. Mike a few times this week and he has improved a lot. He's been cutting down on all Word of Wisdom problems and says that this is the week to quit entirely! The lessons we've had this week have also improved a lot as he has opened up more and it has become more of a discussion than us just teaching him and the Spirit has been guiding us fully.

However, the sad fact is about these two wonderful gospel brothers is that I'll be leaving them and not be able to see them baptized because I'm being transferred this week! Luckily, it's only up to Palmerston North (30 minutes away) but I;ll be a Zone Leader with Elder Stratford and someone else will be traingin Elder Christenesen.

 gotta go bye!

September 4/5, 2011

Elder Rowe after two dinner appointments in one evening

Kia Ora Rowe Whanau!

Spring has sprung indeed! It's a beautiful day today and I might just be wearing short sleeves. Everyone is bustling about in their shorts and sweaters (yes, the combination of being warm on top but cool on bottom, is very common) and everyone is getting more and more excited as shops are decorating for the Rugby World Cup that starts this Friday. So that should be exciting...for everyone else. There aren't any games held in Levin, so we'll miss out on a lot of the tourism, but hopefully some good will come from such an event. 

Wasn't the Soccer World cup on during Robby's mission? What was that like? (he should email me about it)

It has been a marvelous week and much good has happened. Especially compared to last week. To start off the week, we had an amazing extra Zone Conference for this transfer last Tuesday with special guest Elder F. Michael Watson of the Area Presidency. He is doing a tour of the our mission and is going to each of the Zones to talk. So it was great! President and Sister Kezerian spoke, but then Elder Watson and Sister Watson took the rest of the time sharing a lot of new ideas for improving our missionary work. Elder Watson talked about working with the ward and the leaders more closely and Sister Watson spoke of the Articles of Faith. 

After the conference, I went on exchanges with my zone Leader, Elder Lemalu, until Thursday. I always enjoy going on exchanges and being able to learn so much from another missionary. One particular note worth mentioning was the two dinners we had on Wednesday night. They were both with part-member families and so Elder Lemalu didn't want to cancel either. I was already too full to finish my plate after the first house, and then we arrive at the next house to see a feast on the table. Yeah, we died. (see attached picture)

We taught Mike the Word of Wisdom this week. His first step was to quit tea and coffee, which he worked on over the weekend and then yesterday we saw him and he committed this week to quitting smoking. He is still excited to work towards baptism. He just has the big smoking problem that's really stopping him. So please keep him in your prayers.

We also popped by to see Hemi this week and he gave us the wonderful news of how he's doing his own missionary work! The man! He's been telling his friend, who's been pretty down lately, about what he's been learning and doing and the friend wants us to come teach him as well. Hemi's little sister is also going to be staying with him for a while and so he's hoping that we can teach her as well because he knows she--being a teenager--is in need of it. He wants her to be able to find true happiness in life and not in the way that most teenagers do with alcohol. He's also trying to share what he can with his "future wife' (I refuse to use the word "partner" as everyone else does) and wants us to be able to teach her as well so that his whole family (including his young daughters) can all be in it together. So Hemi is great! We just need to get him married. But first, he's looking forward to coming to church this Sunday.

We've also had a great lesson with a less-active member named John (one of the 5 Johns that we have on our list) and his partner Jodine. He was raised in the Church but went less active when he was 14 (he's in his 40's now) and got into a lot of trouble in his life. But being in jail he gained great faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement and so he's taught that to his girls. We had a surprise lesson with him and Jodine on Saturday and talked a bit about the Plan of Salvation. Near the end of the discussion he mentioned that he knows he needs to do the right thing and go to Heavenly Father's church. Jodine asked "well what Church is that?" He said "This one." as he pointed at us. "I always knew what my mother has taught me was true." So that was fantastic! We're having dinner with them on Tuesday and they're hoping to come to church this Sunday as well. 

Answers to questions I somehow seemed to miss:

Elder Christensen said he doesn't know the Rowley's but probably knows someone from their ward. He said there are about 5 wards in Redlands alone.

Yes, Dad, you're very old. Kathy, you're not at all. Just kidding, about Dad, I can't believe you're turning 50, but in many ways I can. ;)

Thank you for everything you 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

August 28/29, 2011

Hello from Levin!

 It's been an interesting week. Very busy, but nothing much seemed to happen. It was one of those weeks that allows a lot of room for improvement. 

Something new about this week is the success that Elder Christensen and I find from door-knocking between 6 and 8. I've always been scared about knocking at that time, mainly because it's dark and a few people get mad and ask "what are you doing at this time of night?!" But that's when everyone is home! So we've been trying to use that time slot as much as possible to find all of those wonderful families looking for the gospel truth! So whenever you guys are having dinner or whatever in the evenings, you can imagine Elder Christensen and I knocking on the doors of all of those lucky people of Levin and Otaki.

Ana was able to recieve the gift of the Holy Ghost yesterday and her and her family are doing wonderful. Mike, our elderly friend, was able to come to church yesterday and really enjoyed it. The ward gave him a great welcome and I was glad to see that. We've moved his baptismal date to the end of September because of his problem with smoking. But all should be fine, once he quits.

Something that I've been thinking about a lot lately is "what kind of member missionary was I back home?" And so, I have that same quesiton for you. What are you doing as a member missionary? And how are you sharing the gospel whenever you can? I've realized what an extreme need investigators have to feel of the love of the ward. So share the gospel with all yo can!

Thank you for the photos! The girls are all way too grown up looking! Perhaps it's their hair. I think you need to lock them inside after school and not let them talk to any more boys.

 I'm sorry it's so short! I gottaa go!  I love you Bye! Just remember:.......

August 21/22, 2011

My Dear Whanau,
It's been a wonderful week in the neighborhood. A wonderful week for a baptism! Yesterday we were able to have a wonderful baptism for Ana. And next week in sacrament meeting she will be confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. So it was great! Her teenage uncle was able to come with his friends and so it gave him more of a reason to want to talk to us when we see him around town or at Ana's house, rather than just saying what's up or a cheeky comment about whether or not we're keeping the 10 Commandments.

On Monday as we were sitting in our flat writing letters, we saw snow starting to fall and we got way excited. But then half an hour later after we had taken some pictures of the tiny snowflakes it started to dump and soon enough we were in a winter wonderland! So we had to go play in it! It's the first time it's snowed in Levin for 40 years or so. So everyone was going crazy! In a good way though. I was surprised to see how many snowmen there were the next morning, but then they were all melted by 3:00 in the afternoon. I was also surprised to see that most people even knew how to make snowmen even though they had never been in the snow before. But I guess that's what watching enough American TV can teach you. I think it snowed over almost the whole country and everyone was talking about it the whole week. Being in the snow was a real treat for me since winter 2010. I didn't think I would ever get to throw a snowball on my mission. But I did, so mission accomplished. Well, my snow mission, not my Church mission.

Can you believe it's been 11 months!? I can but can't. I feel like I just started still, yet luckily I have the knowledge needed. Despite the added stress and responsibility, I love being a trainer and District Leader, particularly because while I'm training and leading I'm being taught as well. I'm taught better than I would be otherwise if I wasn't. I don't know if that makes sense. But I love being a missionary more and more every week!

I hope the Girls have a wonderful week at school! Where did your summer go? Good luck and have fun! And don't be scared!

Thank you for all you do 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