January 29/30, 2012



The Elders

Elder Rowe isn't sure these shoes are going to last him another 7 months

This one is no doubt self explanatory



Hello my wonderful family,

I'm glad to hear all is well in Roweville.

It's been a wonderful week here in Palmerston South. And I'm looking a lot more muscular than usual. Not really, but Elder Segi and I have been biking almost everyday this week and have had great success because of it. I've been pretty spoiled for a while and have used the car too much. But Elder Segi and I realized that bikes are the way to go, and not just because we ran out of our allotted Kilometers usage in the car for the month. REAL missionaries use bikes. (That excludes senior couples. Real senior couples use cars...). But we're able to find so many more people to teach as we bike and stop to talk with them, and I don't get as sleepy during the sunny afternoons. So I love biking. Then again, I've never been in a hilly area like Wellington or Dunedin, so I might regret saying that.

Some of the miracles of the week: We're teaching a single mom with a young baby (then again I'm pretty sure every missionary has at least one investigator who is a single mom) whom we've been visiting for a while, but she hasn't made too much progress. On Wednesday, we taught her about repentance, forgiveness and the Atonement by reading Alma 36. She had a lot of concerns about being forgiven and also having to forgive others who've hurt her in the past. But as we testified of the reality of the Atonement and shared more scriptures she knew what we were saying was true. But the best part, was that she said the closing prayer, and she never has before, she refuses to. But she happily said it at the end of this lesson and it was long and sincere, as if she's been praying for years. Also, she hardly ever prays alone, she told us, but when we visited her a few days later she had had a prayer that night and was able to be comforted with a lot of her concerns. So, the Church is true.

Another little miracle we had the other day, was when we went to the house for the first time of a guy we had met the other day at Burger King. We knocked on the door and asked if Robert was home. She said she had just moved in the other day (she is another single mom with a baby), so we were disappointed at first, but we realized she seemed pretty happy to see us. We kept talking with her and asking about her religious background and all. She has been searching for a church to join. Ever since she's had her son, she's been really interested in learning more about the Gospel. We testified to her of our unique message and it's truthfulness and she invited us back for tomorrow. So we're way excited!

I've been getting asked a few times, (because I'm American) what I think of the Mitt Romney stuff, but I don't really have much to say about it besides "pretty cool eh?" And then get them back on a Gospel subject before they start arguing about politics. But it is pretty cool. Though I remember that email you got during the last election that talked about how weird it would really be to have Mitt Romney as President (going to church or the temple for example and needing Mormon security guards).

Elder Segi and I are doing wonderfully and miracles are continuing to happen in Palmerston North, despite the many dissappointments when investigators get caught up in worldly things. I love it here and can't wait to see all that lies ahead.

gotta go! I love you

Love,  

Elder Rowe

January 24/25, 2012

Talofa lava!

Sorry I'm so late. I'm a very busy man nowadays. On Monday we had our usual Zone Leader Council down in Wellington for the start of the transfer. Yesterday we were busy planning and preparing for our District Leader Council (which we had today) and were busy with lots of lessons. So here I am.

Thank you for the lovely birthday wishes. And Happy Birthday again to the two grown-up monkeys. (Anna and Jenny)

Are you as shocked as I am that I'm 21 years old? I don't remember birthday celebrations of certain years being all that big of a deal (or maybe I just didn't go to enough parties), but here in New Zealand, and Australia as well, a 21st birthday is the biggest thing ever. People plan the party for weeks and invite everyone they've ever met to the event. There's also a big foot-long "key" that they get, usually carved out of wood, and shows that they now have freedom to do whatever they want or something. I don't know, but people are usually suprises when they find out we don't have a drinking fest on our 21st birthday. And of course, I didn't, though now I'm legal to (though the age is actually 18 in NZ.) It was a pretty good birthday yesterday, as I'm sure you're wondering what I did. Not much really. It was Sunday so that made it really nice, because it was a really good day at Church. I wasn't planning on telling my companion Elder Segi, but he found out Saturday that it was my birthday when I got a card in the mail from the Kezerians. But it was a good birhday, to say the least.

It's been a very interesting week though. On Thursday, we said our goodbyes to the legendary Elder Kava, who is now back in Sydney and probably at the beach. He's going to Orem in June to visit his trainer Elder Oldham (who lives near Mountain View) and he plans on going to visit you all while he's there and tell you how awesome I am. Or maybe tell you how much I got on his case. We're good friends. But Make sure he plays the piano for you. And the guitar.

It's great to back with Elder Segi. Did you remember I was with him in a threesome for two weeks  before I left Christchurch? So now we get to be real companions, and we are already tearing it up. Well, i'm just following his lead. We have a lot of really great people we are teaching, and many wonderful things will be happening. We are teaching some people whom the Lord has truly prepared to recieve the Gospel,all we have to do is teach them the things they've been searching for. Just hopefully they'll get baptized before i leave the area. You know how that works.

Well I gotta go, but I will send some pictures next week, I seem to have misplaced my backpack between here and Wanganui.

Thank you for everything you do for me! And I look forward to admiring your artistic abilities once they arrive.

Well I gotta go! I love you so 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

January 15/16, 2012

Elder Rowe and Elder Tukuafu

Elder Rowe in Farm Country

Malei famili! Fefe hake?

Happy Birthday to Anna and Jenny! I can't believe it! Another birthday? Is Jenny 11 yet? Is Anna getting baptized next month now that she's 8?

Guess how to say Happy Birthday in Tongan, it's pronounced"Hap-py Birth-day." haha I asked Elder Tukuafu how to say it, and he said " I don't know...We just say it in English." So there you go girls "Happy Birthday in Tongan"

It's been a good week! Exchanges are finally finished! until next transfer that is... But it's been a lot of fun, and a lot of amazing learning experiences.

This week I was in Hawera (again) and Waitara (again), so it was another long couple of days out of my area. But it's always fun.

On Monday for P-day we traveled up to Wanganui to meet halfway with the Hawera Elders for exchanges. And I finally got to play Cricket! I've been waiting my whole mission! But baseball is still so much better. But I chose not to insult any of the Australian Elders who played it back home, nor the brother from the ward who's from India and I'm pretty sure he's a professional. But cricket is pretty fun, and it was really cool because we had a lot of missionaries there who were also doing exchanges. I have great plans to introduce non-American sports to Utah when I get home. And actually be able to win at something for a change.

But anyway I was in Hawera from Monday to Wednesday, and it was pretty funny to be there after being in Wellington the previous week. It's a farming town and a good majority of the members in the branch live outside of town and on farms. That's why I was able to score my tractor picture. Sadly, Mount Taranaki was covered in clouds, because it's just to the right of the picture. But that would have made the picture just a bit too amazing and people would want to start putting it on postcards and magazines. Particularly the front cover of the Ensign? Anyway, Hawera is a good little place, and Elder Sayers and I got to go visit my investigators from Palmy, Frankie and Stormi, who were visiting Frankie's mom in a neighboring town. I almost just wrote village, because it really is that small.

On Wedesday, Elder Tukuafu drove all the way back up for us to switch companions, and then he drove another three hours back home to Palmy with another missionary while I went to Waitara with Elder Strasser. Waitara is another tiny town on the oceanside, with another great view of Taranaki, which again, was covered with clouds. It was good to be on a bike again. I've been using a car far too long. I realized I'm not as fast or fit as I once was in previous areas and Elder Strasser realized the same as he continually had to pause or slow down and wait for me to catch up. The same thing happened on Saturday when Elder Tukuafu and I were biking around. Except he wasn't as much of a wait-er while I struggled to keep up with the Tongan with massive legs.

In other news, our investigators are doing really well. We have a lot of great people we're working closely with, many of which are unmarried. But that just means more weddings I get to attend. I haven't been to one yet, but these ones will be happening!

We're also having a lot of investigators coming to church. It's always so great to see investigators at church! Especially when they stay for all three hours. Because it's then that they really come to feel of the love that is available to them--from their Heavenly Father, but also from the ward members who get to sit down and get to know them better in Priesthood or Relief Society.

One of our main investigators who's been coming to church is Stevie. She's 18 and is working towards being baptized at the end of this month. Last night, she was invited to dinner by the family in the ward who we've asked to take her to church. It's hard to describe how happy that made me. We went to their house as well for dinner, and it was wonderful to see the love that the Cottons showed to her. Even though she's a pretty quiet girl, and there's not really anyone in the family her age, I could tell how comfortable she felt there, and the love that is felt in the home of members because of the Spirit. It was great, to say the least. Inviting people to dinner is always the best!

Well, it's transfers time again. And we couldn't believe it when we found out. But Elder Tukuafu is leaving, and I'm staying, which will make it 6 months for me here in Palmy. So he's pretty gutted, because Palmy is the best. I'm really excited though, not because he's leaving of course, but because my new companion is my Samoan brotha, Elder Segi. I was with him for two weeks in Christchurch in our trio, and now we get to be Zone Leaders together. This zone is going to be way too powerful. Expect miracles.

Have a wonderful birthday girls! Enjoy your birthday dishes thoroughly, because I'll be dreaming of them. I just hope Anna will able to chew!

Well I gotta go! I love you so 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

January 8/9, 2012

Elder Rowe in Wellington

After touring Wellington, which reminded him of San Francisco, Elder Rowe had the choice of going to Provo or New York.

Dear family!

Hello! I'm glad to hear all is well! It's been the most amazing week this week. For many reasons!

another warning, the shift key on this computer is fairly broken, so bear with my lack of capitalization please.

I was on exchanges in Wellington with one of the assistants, Elder Finlinson, from Delta, Utah. i was able to learn soo very much from him and gained a love for the city of Wellington. I've thought for a long time I could never live in a busy/crowded city like Wellington, but I loved the place!

I was then on exchanges with Elder Metusela, from Melbourne, and was again able to have an amazing exchange learning from a former zone leader who goes home in March.

Elder Tukuafu and I brought a recently returned missionary out with us on Saturday and commited Anthony and Kitirangi to marriage and baptism in March and they fully accepted and fasted for it yesterday.

My time has somehow completely disappeared.  

i love you bye!

i'll explain more next week! sorry

January 1/2, 2012

Elder Rowe on the cool (girl's) bike he got to ride on exchanges.

Hello, hello, and Happy New Year!

Can you believe that I've been in New Zealand for all of 2011? And will be for most of 2012? Talk about a great year eh?

Just a littlewarning. The space bar onthis computer doesn't work verywell.So bear withme.

This week has been crazy as usual, especially because I took a 5-day leave from Palmerston North, for missionary purposes of course. It felt great to finally go home on Friday and go back to my sanitary flat. Our flat, on average, is about as messy as other missionaries,' but it's whole lot more sanitary than some other flats I've been to. For example, I don't wear jandals (aka flip flops) in my shower at Palmy, but I'm usually kind of scared not to when I shower other places. The same goes with lying on the floor. I also had a lot of fun scrubbing mold off the walls and floor of some particular missionaries' flat, and I felt like I had saved someone's life that day. That's how bad it was. But then again, mold grows pretty easy here in NZ. President Kezerian has actually been cracking down on our living conditions, so hopefully we'll be seeing less mold in the future. I've definitely learned some great cleaning skills living with certain people. Sanitation is the key!... to not dying. So I plan to have a very clean house when I grow up and have one of my own. Though I'm still working on the neat and orderly part of things. My desk is where I'll start. Cleanliness: always available in my flat. Tidiness: getting there. But we're improving weekly.

But anyway, I had a really great time on my exchanges. On Monday, I went to Fielding with Elder Hemi who is from Hamilton. Elder Hemi is a Master Finder. He could honestly hold a conversation with anyone. Probably even a dog. I think part of it, besides him just having that talent, is that he's Maori. And if you're Maori, you and the person you just met, are either related to someone or know someone that the other person knows somewhere in New Zealand. Or you know someone who's related to that someone. Everyone's a cuzzy. So I was able to learn a lot from Elder Hemi, not about talking about Whakapapa (genealogy) but about having a real conversation. I was worried a few months ago about going back home and being able to only talk about The Gospel with someone. But things are improving, and I'm becoming more of a person again, as opposed to a robot.

On Wednesday and Thursday, I was in Wanganui with Elder Neill who's from Sydney. I had a great adventurous time riding the girl's bike around that I sent you apictureof. Elder Neill's companion broke something on his bike, so they had to borrow this bike from a member until the other got fixed. Elder Neill offered to trade me bikes a few times, but I decided to humble myself and continue to endure through the pain. Not of humiliation, but of cramps in the gluteus maximus. However, one good thing came from riding a girl's bike around town. As we rode past a guy jogging, he asked a question about the bike and I told him what happened and yada yada, I asked if he had ever talked with missionaries before, and he said, "No, never actually" and right before he turned the corner (because he was jogging this whole time and I was trying to keep up) I asked if we could come over some time and he gave us his address and ran off. So, thanks to the dorky bike, someone now is being taught the gospel. Haha.

Well anyway, Palmy is doing great still. We had two of our investigators come to church for the first time yesterday. Even though they had a hangover when we popped by to see them in the morning, they were still excited to come.

For New Years (because I'm sure you're dying to know), Elder TUkuafu and I went home early as we were supposed to, did our weekly planning, ate some food a member gave us, and then played checkers. For a game I love so much, I'm really bad at it. Or maybe Elder Tukuafu was secretly just a Checkers Champion back in Tonga and he'snot telling me.

I gotta go! But I love you so 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

December 25/26, 2011

Elder Rowe overseeing the preparation of Christmas dinner

Elder Rowe and his compadres with their Christmas "tree," cut down from their back yard that morning.

Merry Christmas (officially) my dear family!

How's the snow? I hope you're all having a wonderful Christmas so far.

It's been quite the week. The highlight of course being yesterday and calling you. Ya know.

At the start of the week, Elder Greer, (from Cache Valley, Utah, serving in Levin) and I went on exchanges here in Palmy. And boy were we powerful. Well, I guess it was mainly Elder Greer of course. On Monday, we were able to set a baptism date with a woman named Stormy. She was one of those people whose lawn we mowed a few weeks ago. She is living with her partner named Frankie who is a less-active member. They're both really keen on doing the right thing for them and their kids. And so they're always happy to see us. The only problem they have really is their neighbors (who we're also teaching) that like to drink. So that's what we're trying to work with in this neighborhood--drinking, smoking, chastity, and swearing. Swearing is one of those first little steps we're working on with them. But they're excited and we're excited, and I keep imagining the day when that whole street is full of Mormons who have to rent a bus because none of them can drive to Church. It's awesome.

On Tuesday, Elder Greer and I mowed a lawn (one less ridiculous then the one on Wednesday that I sent pictures of) and then went and set another baptism date with a girl named Stevie who also lives on that same street as Stormy and Frankie. We taught her about the Restoration, finally (we've known her for a while but were then finally able to teach it to her) and she was way excited to be baptized. And what's even better was that she came to church on Sunday! We weren't sure if she was actually going to because of Christmas, but when we popped by to say Hi, she was all ready to go and just waiting for us a ride. Church was "a lot quieter" than the rock band churches she's used to, but she really liked it and felt really loved by the family that picked her up. We were also able to teach Stevie about the Book of Mormon on Friday.

Wednesday, the massively long lawn was attacked and mowed. We couldn't even attempt the backyard, one because it would have taken 3 hours, and two because there were too many random objects like rocks, bikes and jaguars that were hidden in the grass. So we're going to try and find a weed wacker first and go back this week.

Thursday was our amazing Christmas conference. As part of it, each district had to prepare a 5 minute skit of some sort. Our District won of course. It wasn't a contest, but everyone still told us ours was best. It was the story of Ammon and the King's Sheep with a little "Whose Line is it Anyway" twist. I got it on film, so we can be sure to watch it years from now. And maybe I'll get a Tony award for it.

Christmas was great. We ate waaay too much. I still haven't adjusted to eating like an islander. It's pretty shameful. But the islanders understand that I'm a Palangi, so they don't expect me to eat AS much as their island boys. Our fridge is full of leftover food we were given. But I don't want to eat any of it. Hopefully I'll be hungry again one day.

I'm excited for this week and all that lies in store. Lots of exchanges, which means lots of miracles.

Merry Christmas!

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

December 18/19, 2011

Elder Rowe and his companions at the Palmerston North Ward Christmas party

Hello my wonderful family! Merry Christmas one and all!

A hot and sunny Christmas still messes with my brain. Whenever I hear old classic Christmas songs playing, I imagine it being cold outside or even a dark, cozy, winter night. But then I look outside and my brain has a bit of spasm. But it's okay. I think I'll be able to handle it and come to a realization that Christmas is a time for Barbecues, swimming and playing rugby for people. Not sledding, snowman, and lighting the fireplace.

Another weird thing, maybe it's just Palmy, but we haven't seen anybody with Christmas lights up. Nobody at all. But maybe that just goes with the fact that it's not dark until like 9:00. yeah, that makes sense now. Lights would be kind of worthless. Most people however, do have Christmas trees, and the stores are all decorated fancily.

Elder Tukuafu and I have had a bit of a rough week, but things are looking good for this one. On Friday we went by to see some investigators who we didn't have time to see for a while earlier in the week and we found out they that had been drinking for three days straights. Apparently that's what Christmas is all about for them. But after the drinking streak and having us come by they decided they were sick of being drunk and hungover and were going to come to church, but then something came up. They invited us over for Christmas to do a Hangi (which is pretty much a Maori way of cooking food in a hole with rocks) with them and their neighbors whom we know . Maori's love a good Hangi. So hopefully, if they're not drunk that day, we'll be able to spend some good time with them next Sunday. In addition to our Christmas breakfast, and Tongan pig-on-a-spit for lunch. So it'll be exciting.

We have our Christmas conference on Thursday here in Palmy for the whole North Island (of our mission though) and Elder Tukuafu and I are in charge of hosting it. So hopefully that will work out smoothly.

I love this wonderful Christmas season for many reasons, but I think particularly as a missionary, because I've never realized so much as I have now, of the "real meaning of Christmas." It truly is all about Christ, and sharing with others the wonderful peace and joy we have as members of His Church. I've noticed people have been a lot friendlier to us these past couple of weeks. So I'm looking forward to all of the miracles that will be happening this week leading up to Christmas.

I gotta go! But I love you very very much! And can't wait for Sunday to talk to you!

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

December 11/12, 2011

He wasn't all that interested, but at least I tried, right?

Hello, Hello!

Well, this week has been a less-than eventful one. But of course, wonderful things are always happening. But the main news of the week is that we've been able to sit down finally with a few people, two girls in particular named Hailey and Tesha (not related by the way, two separate families), who are both ready for baptism but just have some opposition from parents. But we've been able to set dates for January with them, and they're both looking really good for happening. 

The good thing about the Christmas season, is that people's hearts are a lot more receptive to the Spirit and the message of Christ, but they're also all really busy in preparation for that special day. So we find some people who are interested in hearing our message, but they say to come back in January. Christmas here is very similar to America, but not. I still get confused when people talk about going to the beach on Christmas day and having barbecues and playing rugby. Then I remember that Christmas is a hot day, not a winter wonderland. But it's all the same besides that.

One miracle of the week is who came to church on Sunday. We were expecting 10 as we have for the past couple of weeks, but some people get stuck somehow on their way to church and don't come. But we had one kid named Fabian come who I didn't even really consider having come. Fabian is a 14 year old kid (who looks 18 at least) that we found at a park while he was playing basketball with a mate. We've invited him to a few young men's activities and the ward touch rugby tournament on Saturday, but he's only come to one. But yesterday before church as we were driving about visiting everyone before church, Elder Tukuafu drove us to his house and woke him up. He was still half asleep when he answered the door, but when Elder Tukuafu invited him to church, he was pretty excited to come. So an hour or so later a family from the ward came and picked him up and we followed them to church. He stayed for the whole 3 hours (I guess he kind of had to considering his ride stayed) but as we talked with him afterwards he seemed to really enjoy it despite the longevity of the meetings. He was given a really warm welcome from the ward and particularly with the young men who welcomed him right in and took him everywhere. So it was a really great day on Sunday.

I got the package yesterday! Thank you! I was peer-pressured into opening it, but of course, I don't listen to peer pressure, so I still haven't used my brand new deodorant. (Or whatever magical surprises lay instore for me.)

I'll be on the computer at the normal time next Monday--10:30ish. Sorry I forgot to tell you about yesterday's Zone Leader Council. So we should be able to chat back and forth if needed on Monday for Christmas Calling Communication configuration purposes. capiche?

Sorry the email is so short, but we just really busy and there are way too many distractions going on in the library.

I gotta go sorry, but I promise to write a long one next week with more to share!

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

December 4/5, 2011



Elder Rowe and his innovative mowing techniques

Hello my family!

Another...different week.

Summer has definitely come. I unfortunately realized that too late on Wednesday when we were doing service. We did a lot of service this week. We mowed heaps of lawns, with only a machete and a manual edger. Actually, we had a few lawn mowers, but we had to go over some of the grass with a whack from the machete because it was so thick. And we didn't have any weed-whackers for the long sides against the fence, so that was what the main use of the machete was. There's this one street that we'll call Highbury, where we have 4 investigators' homes all in a triangle. We teach all of them. And then there's a few other investigators who live just around the corner. So it's a pretty cool place to be a missionary. On Wednesday we brought our lawnmower to help one of those four homes out with a mow, and then afterwards someone else wanted to borrow the mower,and so we stayed and helped him. Then a lady across the street had the longest grass on the street and so we and three of the other guys from the street went to go do it (that's the picture with me in machete chopping action, and one of our investigators on the mower.) Hopefully she'll let us teach her soon.

Because we ran out of time that day, we took the mower over to the sister of one of the four homes the next day and mowed the most ridiculous lawn I've ever mowed.

Zone Leaders have a lot of random responsibilities, but we get them done.

On Friday we had our zone training and interviews. It was really great and everything worked out well. The main responsibility for Elder Tukuafu and I for the meeting was preparations for lunch. We settled on corned beef sandwiches, can you believe that? It was awesome and even the senior couples loved it, though I was a bit worried they wouldn't. We also got a member to make us some Otai, the best Tongan drink ever. It's basically a smoothie with watermelon, coconut and pineapple. We were originally going to have ham sandwiches, but we realized we needed more of a Tongan entree to go with the Tongan drink. So corned beef it was.

The Gibbs are doing well. Still don't have a marriage or baptism date yet, but they're getting there and coming to church still. The other good news with them is that their 16-year old son, Tuki, has shown interest in learning about the gospel and we've been able to teach him a few times with his friend who stays with them sometimes. We also play basketball in the mornings with Tuki and Kans as our exercise so it gives more opportunity to talk with them.

Yesterday, before our Church at 1:00, we went to church with the Taukapos because we were invited to hear Brother Taukapo's talk at the Tongan church. It was in Tongan of course. But I did like how loud they all sang. To a point however, some of them seemed to be screaming, but they all sounded really good and all seem to be able to harmonize as a congregation of 30 people.

Transfers are this week, but all of us in Palmy are still staying. Our Christmas Conference for the North Island is coming up on the 22nd, so Elder Tukuafu and I are in charge of that because everyone is coming here for it. Luckily we don't have to plan the event, just the arrangements.

Anyway, I gotta go!

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