8/9 April 2012 - 'appy Easta!

Elder Rowe in the jungle

Either it was very windy, or Elder Rowe has acquired a very odd tie. Outside Levin.

Hello Hello! And Happy Easter Autumn!

Things are doing just swell in the promised land of Palmy, and will continue to be so. Transfers are this Thursday, and guess what! I'm staying, of course! So it's going to be a total of at least nine months now by the time I leave here. And a total of about 13 in this District. Luckily I'm not sick of it. Elder Segi is going off to "die" in his final area before he goes home, and I'll be getting another Samoan companion. "Seki a!"

Easter is definitely different here. Same sort of secular principles like bunnies and eggs and chocolate, but I realized that "Easter eggs" aren't as cool as they are in America. An Easter egg is simply just a hollow chocolate egg wrapped in foil. No colorful plastic eggs, full of jelly beans or skittles. People were confused when I asked about it. So we've been eating a lot of chocolate marshmallow eggs, and other less-than-delicious things this weekend. Hot Cross Buns are also really popular and pretty okay tasting. But I don't think a big Easter dinner is part of easter here, just chocolate. But then again, NZ chocolate (particularly Cadbury) is way better than anything Hershey has to offer. No offense of course.

Also,on Good Friday and Easter Sunday all of the stores close. So Friday was really quiet and ghost town-like. And today many people still have work off for "Easter Monday," whatever that means. Kiwis love their holidays!

Wasn't General Conference fantastic!? Awesomely super-duper shall we say? Or maybe wonderfully uplifting is a better phrase. Elder Segi thought he was funny when he pointed out it was his last Conference on his mission. Then I told him it was mine too. Crazy eh?

One of my favorite talks, most likely because I'm a missionary, was David F. Evans' talk about member missionary work. "Was it worth it?" Yes! It's always worth it to share the gospel with someone. You can never know whether they will say yes or no, so we must share it with everyone. But of course it should be a natural and normal way, not like the way Elder Segi and I do it by stopping in front of someone as we're biking and asking them if they believe in God. That's normal for us, but not for members of the Church like you. Share what you love about the gospel and how it will bless their lives, and they will want that same joy you have. So that's my challenge for you. Share the gospel. There is someone somewhere in Orem who isn't  a member of the church. You just have to find the remaining few.

Earlier this week, I got to return to lovely Levin for an exchange with Elder Greer. It was good see some familiar faces again, but also kind of funny how some people who you assume know you just think you're another missionary who's visiting for the first time.Or even people who you don't think know or remember you are happy to see you again. It was really fun and interesting to see how much a place and it's people can change in just a few months.

Well I gotta go, but I hope you have a wonderful week full of Spring time fun!

way home. That usually means that Thursday that you go home around 3pm. You will still need to wear your missionary attire, nametag and be careful not to visit other missionaries. It gets them trunky! You can then tour and get back safely. We will need to know your actual departure date and time to coordinate that with your family. Keep up the good work."

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

Happy April! April 1/2, 2012

Hello, Hello to every Rowe!

It's been...an interesting week. As I go through my handy planner to reflect on my week, I can't think of much to report. Perhaps it's because I'm getting so old in missionary age and everything all just seems the same. But that's not true. Every day is uniquely wonderful as a missionary, even when you've been biking up and down the same streets for 7 months. Actually, just yesterday Elder Segi and I went in search of a referral we had been given and I discovered a whole new part of town that seemed like a whole new world to me. So we plan to go back. I keep thinking I know everything there is to know about our side of Palmerston North, but there is so much to still discover! So I'm still glad to stay here another six months. Though I can be pretty sure that I'll be leaving next week.

In fact, I bore my testimony yesterday in Sacrament Meeting, and apparently it sounded like a farewell because everyone kept asking when I was leaving. But I don't even know for sure if I will be. It's quite fretful not knowing, but good as well, so I don't start dreaming about serving in some magical place down South. But I also keep dreaming of how great it will be to stay, usually whenever I think of new investigators and what potential they have, it's all very exciting. I definitely think this has been the most exciting time of my mission, here with Elder Segi. There is just so much to do and opportunities available to us to share the Gospel.

Sorry about last weeks email and it's short undescriptiveness. I sometimes don't get into writing mode until the last 30 minutes of my computer time, and then it's always rushed. And so I forget things. Like commenting on the new Bishopric! Woooow! That's cool. Hopefully that doesn't sound sarcastic, because it really is cool. And surprising, but not. But give them my congratulations. And sustaining vote.

One particularly interesting day we had this week was our service day. Right at 10:00 we drove over to the home of a single sister who has five daughters. The oldest is nine and they're all crazy. But you know, crazy in a different than my sisters are. We had volunteered to mow her massively junglish lawn, and were able to finish the beast in two hours, with Elder Segi using  the Whipper Snipper and me with the less-than-competent mower that I emptied every two minutes. I have gained a great love for conquering the jungles of Kiwi backyards. It's going to be really boring mowing lawns back home. At noon we booked it to a less-active sister's home to help her put together a bunk bed for her "mokos"(grandchildren). And then at 1:00 we headed over to visit our investigators, Bryan and Ozzy, to help them with the roof of their garage they're building in the backyard. We really didn't help much with that one because you can only construct so much at one time, and I'm definitely incompetent when it comes to construction. Real construction is nothing like Legos. So three service projects in one day was pretty exciting.

Although yesterday was April Fool's day, I failed to do or say any good jokes. I kept thinking of dumb things to do or to say to other missionaries, like telling them they are now allowed to go to the movies on P-day. But then I remembered I wasn't funny. So I kind of forgot about the whole thing until last night when Elder Segi and I were at a members house for dinner. The Sister missionaries who live an hour outside Palmy called and told us they were at the hospital here in town because Sister Posala got attacked by a dog. So because dinner wasn't quite ready, we decided to go to the hospital right away. As Elder Segi and I drove to the hospital, I was thinking, if this is an April Fool's joke, it's definitely not a good one. (I was mainly upset because we were fasting all day, and still hadn't been able to eat yet). So we got there to the Emergency waiting room, which I've always felt was a bit of an ironic place to see people sitting around waiting to be helped. Sister Posala was sitting there with her companion with a blanket over her legs and smiling, happy to see us. Then she showed us the wrapped bandage on her leg. I still didn't believe her until she unwrapped it and showed us the massive gash in her calf where the dog chomped her. It was .... bad! Nasty as can be! But you know, cool at the same time. But she was fine, despite the gore, she just needed some stitches and stuff. Hopefully the investigators whose dog it was get baptized, that would definitely make up for it.

I can't wait for Conference next week!

I just got an email from President Kezerian. It says I'm going to become his Assistant next transfer. I'll be down in Wellington for the rest of my mission.

Hah! April Fools.

Well anyway, I gotta go, But thank you for all you do for me!

The Elders quorum president and his wife just got back from a trip to the south island, so I'll talk to them and maybe they can email you about some ideas.

"Lots of love!"

Elder Rowe

March 24/25, 2012

Malo soifua i lo tatou aiga!

It has been an amazing week, with an amazing Spirit. I was able to do two exhanges this week, while Elder Segi got kicked over to Wanganui and down to Wellington. I used to always want to be the one to leave for the exchange, but now I always want to stay in my beloved Palmy. 

On Monday and Tuesday I was with Elder ilai, a Samoan missionary who is brand new. I made a rather cheeky comment when I was with him, of which I've since repented. Someone asked how long I've been on my mission. I replied "about 18 months." Then they asked him . I replied for him "about 18 days." He forgave me for it though.

When I first got to Palmy, I met a university student named Anton who invited us to come back after our initial contact with him and answer some questions. We were able to share a bit with him about the Book of Mormon and the restoration, but then he got really busy and we couldn't catch up with him until last month. He still had interest but seems too busy to talk with us. But we kept going back and trying to teach his flatmates along the way. Anyway, we've been teaching his flatmates Justin and Alisha for the past couple of weeks, and every week the lessons just get more and more spiritual. On Monday we taught them the cup lesson about theRestoration, and they were able to get a much greater understanding even though i had taught it to justin before. Geing Uni students, they ask amazing questions and will always ask if they don't understand something. On Wednesday with Elder Finlinson, the AP from Wellington, we watched the Restoration DVD. I have never felt the Spirit so strong of the 50 times I've watched that as I did that night with them. And Justin is someone who still doesn't even know if God is real. But I know they felt the Spirit that night. We discussed with them how they feel when we come over, and they both said they notice something different, but they couldn't describe why or what it was. I think it was perhaps one of the most spiritual experiences I've had on my entire mission. And it was simply just watching that marvelous DVD. It was an amazing bonus to my testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Things are going great . . .

I got to go! I love you!

March 19/20, 2012

Yes, that is a dog in the tree

Elder Rowe with a few of the many New Zealand wind "turbines,"
generally known as windmills here in America

Hello Hello!

It's been quite a roller coaster of a week. But in the end it always ends with a smile. That doesn't mean a sigh of relief because it's over, but with a smile that all has worked out, for the most part.

In the first part of the week I was on exchanges with Elder Hehepoto from Sydney. He's been out about 2 weeks, and is being trained by an Elder who's been out 3 months. Actually both sets of missionaries in Wanganui are like that: new missionaries being trained by new missionaries. So it was a lot of fun and a good learning experience for me. I think it's quite interesting the difference you see in new missionaries and their characters. I've noticed that American missionaries are always really shy when it comes to talking with random people, but they seem quite comfortable in a teaching situation. On the other hand, missionaries from the Pacific always seem at ease with talking to people on the street about whatever, but in teaching situations they seem to stay fairly quiet. That's just one of the many psychological analyses I've been doing as a missionary. But then everyone eventually gets comfortable with all aspects of missionary work, so it works out. Except for me of course. I'm still super awkward.

I also just realized I might have written that before, or maybe I'm just confusing it with what I'm writing in my journal. I feel that way a lot, and I'm not sure if i'm repeating myself or just telling you things I had previously written in my journal. So pardon the repeats. I assume you'd rather have double instead of none.

Some particular highlights of the week were on that exchange. On Monday night and then on Tuesday night we were able to have lessons with people who are agnostic, I guess you could say. It seems to me that my lessons with people like that who think they don't believe in God are always really spiritual lessons. I mean extra spiritually powerful. I think part of that reason is because those lessons require so much testifying from us as missionaries, assuring them that we know these things are true. Which in turn allows the Holy Ghost to become so much more prevalent in my heart and in the room. I guess I should use names, Alysha, Justin, Hailey, Miki all ask such great questions! I think it's because they have that real intent of knowing, which is what all of us really need as we study the Gospel. So I guess over all, I really love teaching people like that because I'm always able to feel such an abundance of the Spirit, and know that what I'm saying isn't my own words. I hope that makes sense.

As I'm sure you are wondering, the baptism didn't go through. There are some things that we need to work out with Karizma, that we didn't know about. So, yeah. There was a bit of disappointment, but our district was able to have two other baptisms this weekend, so that made up for it.

I had a really great experience at Church yesterday, which really made up for a lot of the concerns I was going through that morning with our investigators. Sometimes at church we don't have a pianist, for a couple of reasons, and so yesterday, the singing was a bit rough without having a piano to back it up and they were songs that weren't all that familiar to the ward. But the intermediate hymn was I Am a Child of God, and it brought a great smile to my face and joy to my heart when we got to the chorus. If there is one song that Primary kids know, it's that one. And so the singing got extra loud during this hymn, mainly from the children. We could hear one little girl in particular with her younger brothers give a lift to the volume of the ward. So it made everything better.

Things are going swell in Palmerston North. My home. Finding new people always makes up for the disappointments that come from others. And so I'm happy to stay for another six months.

Thanks for allyou do! i can always feel of your love and prayers.

Have an amazing week!

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

6/7 March 2012

Hello My family!

I'm glad all is well in Zion! Sorry for the late email again. We had Zone Leader Council yesterday, and naturally I forgot to tell you. Yeah, I don't know why we had two so close together either. But it's been a great week again in the promised land of Palmerston North. It's taking me 6 months, but I'm loving this place more and more every week.

It was very different week than most. For some reason, Tuesday, was a very disappointing day. All of our great plans fell through, except for two lessons we had. But both those lessons were very frustrating for different reasons. And other bad things happened. But then the next day, Wednesday, everything worked out wonderfully. We had a great day, with some fantastic lessons and inspiring District meeting. I don't know why that always seems to happen. One day stinks, the next day is amazing! Opposition in all things, I guess.

Transfer week has come and gone, so the stress is all over with. Thursday was a very long day after we woke up at 3 o'clock to drive Wanganui with a trailer full of bike boxes while the rain poured down. We did our best to cover the bike boxes, but when we arrived an hour later, the Elders had to do a bit of extra work in taping their wet cardboard boxes that they had to put their bikes in to get on the plane. We used a lot of tape, and the wettest box looked like a mummy because it had to be wrapped round and round with tape. It all worked out. And we got away with only one missed flight out of four. But that wasn't our fault. So no worries.

I'm sorry if I'm repeating myself, but I don't know if I've told you about Mickey. She's from Japan and speaks very little English, but she is an amazing investigator. She has been coming to church with her cousin who's in our ward and staying with them for a few months while she learns English. We had one lesson with her on Wednesday and another on Friday. The lessons with her are always amazing. Even though Sister Reiri (her cousin) has to translate everything between the two of us, and Mickey still isn't sure whether or not she believes in God, the Spirit is always so strong. Mickey asks amazing questions. She's leaving in April, so hopefully we will be able to help her gain a powerful testimony, and hopefully even baptize her before then, so she can go back home, live with her other cousins who are members of the church, and become a strong member of the gospel in Japan.

In other news, Elder Segi and I have been working with a less active family with six kids, and on Sunday they came to church for the first time in months! We were shocked and overjoyed, to say the least. And then we had a family home evening with them that night after church and they expressed their appreciation for all that we had done (which we didn't think was all that much). But it was awesome.

Also, we're working with some university students, which is understandable in "Student City." The lessons with these students in particular are going really well. The three of them all grew up in Christian homes, but have seem to lost their beliefs along the way. We had a powerful lesson on the Book of Mormon last night and they all committed to read and pray about it. Even though they don't believe prayer really works. Man, "uni" students are so full of skepticism sometimes. But these three are going somewhere, and I've seen a real change of heart since I first met them a few months ago.

Well I gotta go! Loveyou!

Love,

Elder Rowe