I heart real-time e-mail!

date Thu, Sep 18, 2008 at 7:17 AM
subject Love from Elder Rowley!

Family!!

How is everyone? What's going on in Provo? Are you helping out the Missionaries there?

Well, I made it. I'm here in *Shrewsbury with my trainer, Elder Ayers! He is from Canada and I love him so much already. I can already tell it's going to be a great 6 or 12 weeks! We have 2 areas, which means 2 area books and lots of work to do. It'll be fun though. We do have a car in this area so I'll probably get to drive soon! However, I do have to learn manual, but that will be fun.

I've got a bit of homesickness right now, but nothing serious. I've absolutely loved all of the letters, keep them coming! I've decided to get lost in the work. I had really planned on doing it anyway, but I'm going to really focus on it right now in this first little while. So really don't worry about me, I'm doing great!

I arrived here last night and not 3 hours after they gave me my trainer he had me on splits! We did a Reach Out activity to try to get non-active people back to church and it went alright. We went around to their houses and gave them pamphlets about the ward and things and we had a little bit of success, it was great. Just this morning we had personal and companion study and then had weekly planning for 3 hours! So much planning goes into this work... I didn't ever think about how much. Right now we are at the Shrewsbury library in the town centre (yes, I'm going to start spelling things weird and using different words and writing the date backwards).


You are going to love the pictures of our flat, Elder Ayers says it was converted from a barn. We have wood beams above our beds and the carpet is old and the couches are ripped up and there is very little space in it, but I'm really learning to love it. I already feel like a very different person, I'm learning and growing so much!

Oh and yesterday we got to eat at the Mission Home with President and Sister Bullock! We also got to have a meeting for a while just to get us a little oriented with things and then we had a testimony meeting, it was all amazing. For lunch we had chicken enchiladas with rice and salad, it was a nice last supper before I try to cook on my own! I think I'll be fine though.

Well, I have felt the spirit of God more in the last 4 weeks than ever in my life. He really is there for us all the time if we are worthy of and in tune to the Spirit. Elder Ayers and I practice taught on the bus yesterday and it was amazing, we are already teaching with power and unity. I absolutely love the feeling of having the spirit testify to someone through me. To every young man reading this: GO ON A MISSION!! It's the hardest and most rewarding thing you'll EVER do! The Lord needs you, His children all over the world need you, and He will provide a way for you to make it. The church is true. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He loves us deeper than we can comprehend in this life. He is there for us in every pain, trial, sickness, or temptation we experience. I know that He lives! Prayer works and changes things. Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God and really did see God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ and really did translate the Book of Mormon by the power of God. The book of Mormon really is true. It brings us to God and Jesus Christ. Please read that book again and again and again, it will change your life every single time you do. The church is true and nothing else matters. Share the Gospel with everyone you know.

I've got to go now, I'll write more next week, I promise! I LOVE YOU ALL!!

-Elder Rowley


*Shrewsbury is located in the county of Shropshire is on the border of north Wales and is bordered by Cheshire, Staffordshire, Herefordshire & Worcestershire. Shropshire is approximately 3 hours from London, an hour or so from Manchester and only 40 minutes from Birmingham. ("The Shire(s) must truly be a great realm." LOTR The Two Towers)

(from Dalene: Please send him letters snail mail--only 94 cent for an air-mail stamp. Also, if you have any simple-to-fix and quick recipes you want to send him that would be great, too!)