October 9/10, 2011

Elder Rowe on his favorite street ever

It's been a wonderful week, though a different one, as always. Different is beginning to seem normal lately.

Well, first of all, Keoni got baptized on Saturday afternoon by the young men's leader of the ward. So that made it really special for him. It went wonderfully and he was smiling the whole time. His whole less-active/non-member family came and hopefully they felt something. We think his younger sister is starting to show an interest, so hopefully she'll sit in as we continue to visit Keoni.

At the start of the week I went on exchanges up to Hawera, a small quiet town up by Mount Taranaki. I was with Elder Lammi, who is the District leader up there. I worked with Elder Lammi a lot while I was in Napier, so it was fun to be working with him again for a few days. Hawera is a funny old-fashioned little town with American flags hanging in the main square. I was really confused but then Elder Lammi told me that the American rugby team stayed in a hotel in Hawera during their games, so it was just a welcoming rather than the town's desire to be Americans. There was also a really big sign saying "Welcome to Hawera" With a Kiwi-bird on one side with their flag in the background and a bald eagle on the other with the stars and stripes. Yeah, big fans of America. I wish I got a picture, it felt like the Fourth of July or something. Also in Hawera, I finally finished my year-long search for "Rowe Street." When Elder Lammi and I were looking on a map for a street to go knock, we discovered Rowe Street and knew there had to be at least one person who would become a new investigator because of the awesome name-sake. We walked there in the pouring rain and discovered, to our dismay, that it was a tiny street connecting to long ones (like an H) and there was only ONE house on it. Across from the house was Pak-n-Save. So we knocked on the door of this Golden opportunity, I introduced myself as Elder ROWE and then... she said she wasn't interested. Haha.

On Wednesday when we exchanged back, Elder Stratford then went on exchanges to Fielding and I was left in Palmy with Elder Kaufusi, a "greeny." So I was kind of worried about being left in an area I didn't know too well with someone who probably didn't know too much. But where was my faith? Elder Kaufusi is the man, and he taught me some great door knocking skills. We were able to find 4 new investigators in like half an hour, whereas it normally takes a whole day to do so. So it was great, and I was able to learn a lot about finding, teaching, and my own area, in just a few days that I was with a missionary who's only been out for a month.

Wasn't Conference amazing?! I just wish the whole world would watch Conference, and then repent and get baptized. It's too wonderful. I think my favorite, because I face so much opposition of it as a missionary, was Elder Tad R. Callister's talk about the Book of Mormon. The Church is truuuue! And it can't be argued.

Well I gotta go again! I love you all and 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