First Zone Conference

Date: Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 6:05 AM
Subject: I Love You!

Hello Again!

Two months of my Mission is GONE!! I miss it already. I just love being a Missionary and I never want to stop doing Missionary work. It's the best!

Well, the big news for the week is.... Elder Ayers is gone. He is going to be a Zone Leader in the Ashton Zone! I'm so excited for him. We got the phone call on Sunday night. My new companion will be Elder Woolsey from St. George. I'm going to miss Elder Ayers, but I'm really excited to serve with Elder Woolsey. He likes hunting and fishing and seems like an outdoors man so we already have a lot in common! It's going to be a great transfer! Speaking of transfers, they are every 6 weeks, the next one ends on December 10. You'll have to remind me to let you know when each transfer ends so you can send mail to the Mission Office!

Zone Conference was amazing! I just love getting to meet with President Bullock and other Missionaries. I was praying for greater Faith and an added measure of the Spirit before the Conference and my prayers were answered. President Robert C. Oaks came and spoke to us for a couple hours, and we also heard from President and Sister Bullock, Sister Oaks, and Elder Wiedmann. I learned so much! The spirit was so strong in those meetings, I know that sounds really cliche but it's really true. I absolutely love the Spirit of God.

Last Friday we went on an exchange and I got to go with Elder Davies from Arizona. He is going to be our new district leader by the way. Anyway, we got to do some finding and also had a lesson with a less-active man who is struggling. At the end of the lesson we got to give him a blessing of comfort and it felt amazing. I love the feeling that comes from using the Melchizedek Priesthood to bless others. It was a wonderful experience.

On Sunday we got to visit Newtown for church again and it was great. I got to give a talk about gratitude, it was fun! After the meetings we had a munch and mingle, it was great food and the people are so nice. We then got to go around with the Branch President, President Briggs, and visit some less-active members. Wales is gorgeous. I need our family history information. I'm really excited to learn about where exactly they were from because I have a feeling I'm serving really close to some of those areas. There is a great spirit in Wales that is unlike anything I've ever felt... it's absolutely amazing.

Well, the work is going amazingly well. My last two days with Elder Ayers were amazing. On the first we had 16 Quality Gospel Conversations (a new key indicator for our mission) and set up 3 or 4 appointments with potential investigators. The next day we had 3 more QGC's, and got into a man's home and taught him a lesson, all within an hour! We went from 1 investigator a few weeks ago, to 7! The last couple weeks have been really exciting!

The weather here is turning cold, very cold! Utah cold is dry, the cold here is wet and it sticks to you. I'm working on getting used to it. Yesterday afternoon we were doing service at Attingham Park and it actually snowed! It was really wet snow but it was still snow! It was beautiful. England is so beautiful, everything about it.

Well, I'd better wrap this up. Thanks again for all of your help and prayers and support, you've all done so much for me. I'm seeing the help you've given to me bless the lives of those I get to serve. Thank you so much for everything you've done for me. The church is true and nothing else matters. I wish I was more bold with love when I talk with people. I'm working on getting to know people better. I want to shatter my comfort zone. If you pray for anything for me this week, pray for that to happen and I'll let you know that it did in my e-mails next week. I'm excited for it. Anyway, Jesus is the Christ. I love Him so much. God lives and loves us so much. He really is our father and we know him better than we know anybody on this earth. He wants everything for us, all he needs to give us that is our will. He really does answer prayers, all throughout this transfer we were praying for new investigators and those prayers were answered. I see prayers answered daily here and I love to watch the hand of the Lord working in my life. Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ can bring us true, lasting happiness. Nothing else will do it. Salvation is not a cheap experience. It takes everything we've got to get to the Celestial Kingdom. I just love being a Missionary and teaching and testifying of these things. I've never done anything better in my life.

Well, I'll talk to you again next week. Keep the letters coming and thanks for those that have been sent! I love you all so much. Be good. Have daily Missionary experiences for me and for our Heavenly Father. There is extremely great potential in Member-Missionary work. Much love and big hugs right back to all of you!

Love,

Elder Rowley

Like Christmas morning once a week

Every Wednesday morning (well, except for the ones when they had P-day a day early and I got my e-mail on Tuesday) I wake up about 4 or 4:30 a.m. and I can't go back to sleep.

I keep waiting for "the letter."

It's just like Christmas morning when it doesn't matter how late I've been up or how busy I've been--I just can't sleep because I'm so anxious for the kids to get up.

Only this waiting by the e-mail inbox happens every week.

In other news, we just found out our home teacher who served in England (but in different mission--the boundaries have changed) actually served in Shrewsbury, too.

Small world!

Now, back to my early morning vigil by the inbox...

Early P-Day? (That just ain't right!)

Date: Tue, Oct 21, 2008 at 5:33 AM
Subject: Early P-Day!

P-day is early this week. Now I know who waits to the last minute to e-mail me! I'll bet you weren't expecting an e-mail from your Missionary today! This is good though because today is a crazy day. We've already cleaned our car and we still have to go shopping and get some pictures printed and clean the flat and Elder Ayers has a driving lesson. P-day is so busy, but I love it.

This week has been a lot of fun. On Friday we got to teach at the Shrewsbury 6th-form college and it was amazing. I felt so much love for all those students there, it gave me a greater glimpse of how much Heavenly Father loves all of His children. We taught 3 classes and it was mostly just a question and answer lesson, but it was great! The world is definitely a very different place. Oh yeah and college over here is the equivalent of the last two years of high school for the States. So most of the students weren't much younger than I am! Oh, and the very best part of it was that we had a whole case of copies of the Book of Moromon and by the end of the three lessons, they were all gone! We got to be friends with some of them and the other day we were walking in town centre when I heard "Elder Rowley!" It was one of the students we had taught!


Oh Sunday the Shrewsbury ward had their primary program and it was wonderful. They each started by saying "I am a child of God" and it really hit me that we are really children of God. That is such a wonderful blessing. As we sang "Called to Serve" I just wept for joy for this chance to serve our Father in Heaven. It made me so happy! I just love being here.


Well, that's really about all the stories I have to share with you for this week. We've been doing a lot of finding and it sure is difficult, but we know that there are souls here who are ready, we just need to find them! I love it though, it's such a learning and growing experience.


Oh! Another experience I just thought of... Saturday night we were tracting and we got let into a home! Their names are Trevor and Dot and we just talked a little about the Church and the Restoration and set up an appointment to go back the next day. We saw them on Sunday and they are so nice. Then yesterday we were eating lunch in the car and we saw Trevor driving the bus and we both waved and just laughed and laughed, it was amazing!


Other than that we saw a couple hedgehogs a two nights in a row, that was pretty neat. Driving is so much easier now, it's great. The roads are still crazy and I've learned to just love it. It's so wonderful!

Well, the church is true. I love being a Missionary so much. Don't worry about me not getting e-mails this week, I'm fine! It gives me a chance to just focus on writing you and it gives Elder Ayers and I a little more time to get everything finished!


Jesus is the Christ. He loves us so much. God gave Him to us because He loves us too. There is no greater happiness than that that comes from emulating Jesus Christ and living your life for others. I'm learning that as I am working to have more charity and annihilate selfishness. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He suffered for our sins, and He suffered all our pains, afflictions, temptations, everything. And He beat it. He won and because of that we can too. This week we learned that the only thing we can really give to God is our will. As we give our will to God He can and will open the windows of heaven to us. Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God. Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. Jesus Christ directs this church under His direction. What we heard in General Conference a couple weeks ago came from God! That is so powerful. I know with all my heart that the Book of Mormon is true and is the word of God. I love that book. We need to read it as much as we can for it is not only the keystone to our religion, but the keystone to our testimonies. I love being a Missionary, I've never done anything greater!


Well, have a wonderful week. Keep the letters coming and thanks so much for all those that have been sent. Help out the Missionaries in Provo. They need your help. As you help them we will all see more success. We have been told that we are on the verge of great Missionary success and that will come as Missionaries and Member-Missionaries work together.

I love you all so much, you are wonderful! Keep up the amazing work!

Love,

Elder Rowley

We interrupt this regularly scheduled programming...

I just need to say how much I love and appreciate the people who, every time we see them, inquire about Luke and ask us to send him their love. Usually it's the first thing out of their mouths.

This is not something I was very good at as a friend, but I'm going to do better. It means the world to me as a mom to know people didn't forget my child just because he is gone and when they are genuinely thinking about him, praying for him and wishing him well.

Also, I just noticed last night that ever since Luke left I keep watching films with British actors, filmed in Great Britain or whatever. I'm not sure what it's like where Luke is, but the countryside is beautiful there and I love listening to the language (I know it's English, but it's not your mom and dad's English). In any case, I'm enjoying it immensely.

Circle of men

Date: Wed, Oct 15, 2008 at 5:28 AM
Subject: Much LOVE from Elder Rowley!

Hello again!

Another week has gone by... it goes so fast! I know I say that all the time but when you are on a Mission it's twice as true. It's already difficult to remember what we did yesterday because of all we've done today! It's like that every day! I just love being a Missionary so much, I have so much to share with you this week.

Last week on Thursday we had interviews and it was incredible. President Bullock is one of my heros, he is so amazing. We got some instruction from him and from his assistants and also from our Zone Leaders. I just love everyone I get to work with here! They are some of the most amazing people I've ever met in my life. And the best part is that my love for them grows each day. Oh and I was very thankful to get 10 letters from the Mission Office that day!

The very next day we went on an exchange with the Elders in Telford (the town just about 12 miles East of Shrewsbury). It was wonderful. I got to stay in Shrewsbury with Elder Pettersson from..... Sweden!! It made me miss Elder Stenborg. I learned so much from Elder Pettersson though, he's in our district and I always do every time we get to see him. He is one of the most humble people I have ever met in my life. The next day after the exchange I felt everything about my life as a Missionary change. I was doing approaches differently, being better at talking with everyone, and just being even happier all around! It was an amazing experience. I absolutely love my District, they are amazing. The other thing I love about being with the Telford Elders is that when we get to go to their flat we always say a prayer before we leave and we huddle in a circle and put our arms around each other and pray. The spirit in that circle is amazing. I just love it.

The next day on Friday we got to teach some of the youth in the stake how to teach the Restoration (PMG lesson 1) and how to GQ. It was amazing. I've decided that I'm going to teach at the MTC when I return to Utah. These youth were amazing, their testimonies are so strong! It gave me a glimpse of what the Prophets mean when they say they love the youth. All of us just fell in love with them. Oh and when we went out to GQ they did so well! They were testifying and inviting people to pray and giving away pass-along cards and just doing an amazing job. It was all so much fun!

One thing I keep hearing is something like: " we are so blessed to have a Temple only a few (2-3) hours away, we should go more often." It made me so thankful to have had the opportunity to grow up with the Temple being so close. I hope you are taking the opportunity to go the Temple every week. Remember that few places in the world have a Temple as close to them as you!

The other night Elder Ayers and I had to drop a couple investigators and it was really sad. We really grew to love them both and we realized that even though we couldn't see them anymore Heavenly Father still loves them and desires their salvation. I learned so much from them. You'll hear more about them, and all of these stories, when I return to Utah.

On Monday we got to go on an exchange with the Assistants, and I got to go with Elder Porter. The other one is Elder Farrant. Elder Porter is from Canada and this is his last transfer. He will be on his way home 2 weeks from right now. I can just feel how bittersweet it is for him to be leaving. He told me how he now just loves the people and talking with everyone and serving them and just everything about being a Missionary. He taught me so much and I'm a changed Missionary because of what he taught me, it's amazing. I'm so excited to apply what I learned from him and continue to grow and improve! Both of the Assistants just have an amazing spirit about them and I hope to be the same way.

The work is going well this week, it's tough though. Shrewsbury is a tough place but we're hoping and praying that Heavenly Father will soften hearts and open minds and guide us to those who are prepared. Things just get better and better every day though. Last week we went from four investigators to only one. But with our plans this week we hope to get back up to four. It's really exciting though.

The language is coming along quite nicely, although sometimes it's really difficult to understand people. Especially the children. They are so cute, just imagine someone Kyle's age speaking with a British accent. I think I'm kind of picking it up myself, but I don't know. For the first time in my life I'm a minority and that is weird. Nevertheless, I love it. I love everything about being a Missionary.

The weather is the best. It rains and then its sunny and the sun is at strange positions in the sky all the time and it's just great. It makes me so happy. I just love tracting in the rain, it's so much fun!

The food is great. I had my first Kebab last week. If you've ever been to the Pita Pit that's excatly what a Kebab is like, except maybe 3 times larger. It was really good. Oh and this morning I made ham fried rice for lunch and it was delicious! I love learning how to cook!

Well, I'd better wrap this up. Thanks for everything you do for me. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. I hope I didn't say the word love too much but really that's what this great work is all about. LOVE. Love the people no matter what, love your companion, love the work, love the ward, love all those you serve with, love getting doors slammed in your face, love tracting, love street contactiong, love the trials, love study, love love love. I just love it all. God is love and I get to represent Him... it only makes sense that I would be filled with love. There is nothing like this feeling in the world, I've never felt this good before. Zack, you are going to love this so much. Every young man needs a Mission. It's so wonderful.

The church is so true. God lives and loves us so much. Thomas S. Monson is God's chosen Prophet and is there to help us. Do what he says. Nothing else can make you as happy, that I can promise with all my heart. Do everything he, and all the apostles, say to do. Jesus is the Christ and He really did suffer and die for us. Because He loves us more than can comprehend. As He was walking to the cross... as he was being beaten... as He was being mocked... as He bled from every pore... and as He gave His last breath on the cross He was thinking about us and how much He loves each and every single one of us. I promise that He knows every single one of you who will read this. Deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ daily, there is so much happiness available when we do. I absolutely love Him in every way. I'm so thankful for what He has done for us. Without Him we have no purpose, our lives are nothing without the Atonement He performed. I love getting to represent Him and all day every day be able to look down and see His name over my heart. Being on a Mission has brought me closer to Jesus Christ than I ever thought possible. Oh I just love this so much. Words just cannot describe it.

Have a wonderful week, keep praying for the people of Shrewsbury and Newtown, they need it so much. I love you all so much. More next week!

Love,

Elder Alan Luke Rowley

PS- I'll send pictures soon, hopefully.

Tracting in the rain

date Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 4:28 AM
subject Another Week Gone!

Hello again everyone!

Can you believe it's already been a week since I last wrote? It's crazy how fast the time flies! Like I've said before and I'll keep saying it- I'll be back in Utah before anyone knows it! I say Utah because Shrewsbury is becoming home. I'm doing great this week! How is everybody there in Provo? Anything new? Thanks again for all the letters and I'm sorry it's going to take me a long time to write back. But please keep 'em coming! We only write letters on Preparation day in this Mission, and Preparation day is one of the busiest days of the week. At least it has been so far.

The driving is going well. The roads over here really are so crazy. There are roundabouts all over the place and people just park alongside of the road and you have
to move out into the other lane to get past them and its just crazy. So much fun though. You'll hear me say the words "these roads are so big!" when I get back to Utah.

The other day we went tracting in our focus area, Sutton. We started with a street called Rowley Court and got a return appointment with a lady there! I was pretty excited. Oh yeah and that was the day of our second exchange, that was a lot of fun. I really learn so much from exchanges!

Last week we got to go visit a member who was in the hospital, Sister Meddlycott. She is a wonderful lady but her health isn't too good and it sounds like she visits the hospital often. We talked for a bit then Elder Ayers and I got to give her a blessing and it was incredible. Elder Ayers anointed and I did the sealing and it was just amazing. There is nothing in the world like the power of the Priesthood. It is so real and so strong. I was on a high the rest of the night because of that, it made me so happy!

Wasn't General Conference just the best?! It's definitely very different as a Missionary. We watched the Saturday Morning Session on Saturday night, then the Priesthood session on Sunday Morning and then it followed from there with the rest of them. Except that we missed the Sunday afternoon session, how was it? Did they sing How Firm a Foundation? Oh and 5 new Temples?! That is so exciting, I'm excited for the saints in those areas. I don't think I've ever been more excited or nourished from a General Conference. It was so amazing!

So this week the people of Shrewsbury and Newtown need your prayers. I need them too, don't get me wrong; but the people here need them even more. They are such wonderful people and I just hope to see their hearts softened and their minds opened so they will be ready for the Gospel. Will you please pray for them? I'm excited to know that your faith and prayers will change their lives. I'm so blessed to have you and the wonderful people here will be blessed for all you have done for me.

Well, I guess I'd better wrap this up. Anyone got any questions for me? It's hard to remember them all from all the different letters and e-mails and things. Like I said before, keep the letters coming, I love them! It really gives me so much strength to know that I have your love and support. And again, I'm sorry that it's going to take me a while to write back! Oh and for those who have sent letters to the Mission Office I haven't gotten them yet but I'm excited to!

The Gospel is true. This church really is the only true church on this Earth today. It's changed our lives and blessed our lives so much and we need to share it with others. Missionary Work is the greatest work any of us will ever do and I'm so thankful to be a Missionary right now. It's definitely the hardest thing I've ever done, but when was anything worthwhile ever easy? I'm learning and growing so much spiritually, physically, socially, mentally, in every way. I love this great work, it is so much fun. We get to work with members and have exchanges and district meetings and zone conferences and interviews and Tea (dinner) appointments and tracting in the rain and street contacting and oh it's all just so much fun!! Jesus Christ is our Savior and He loves us so much. He knows every single one of our pains, hungers, sicknesses, whatever we may be going through, He has experienced it. We don't have to be perfect in this life because of Him! I'm so thankful for that wonderful blessing. He lives and so does our Father in Heaven. He is watching you and me right now and He cares about every little thing that we do. He wants us, He needs us to be our very best every day. He wants to see all of His sons and daughters return to Him, we owe it to Him to do Missionary Work. We are forever indebted to Him and we must do all we can to help to give Him back all of his children, even ourselves. Prayer works and changes things. Last night Elder Ayers were going to visit a non-member who is married to a member and we prayed that he would be there and that he would let us in and we could talk with him and it all happened. I know that prayer is absolutely vital to our spiritual health. So is scripture study, we cannot survive in this world we live in without the two. There is immense power in doing these two seemingly simple things every day. "By small and simple things are great things brought to pass." The Book of Mormon:Another Testament of Jesus Christ is true and it is wonderful. Keep reading it, it's the best book in the world! I absolutely love that book. I love this gospel and this church.

And finally, I love you. All of you that read this, I love you so much. I am the Missionary I am because of you, thank you so much for everything you have done for me.
More next week! God bless and "may the [Spirit] be with you!"

Love,

Elder Rowley

Driving lessons

Date: Wed, Oct 1, 2008 at 4:29 AM
Subject: More Love from Elder Rowley!

Hello again!

Oh boy do I have a ton to share with you! First of all, I was absolutely thrilled to get all of those letters yesterday!! We are on exchanges with the Zone Leaders right now (more on that later) and all of us were just in awe to see that. I've been so busy that I have only had the time to read one of them! Forgive me if it takes a while for me to write back! Oh and by the way, anyone can send letters to our flat, it's packages that have to go to the Mission Office. So keep 'em coming!

Well, you are going to be proud of me. I've learned how to drive manual transmission. Yep, I'm driving! Last week Elder Ayers had a driving lesson and learned that with the license he has he isn't legal to drive our car, so we phoned President Bullock, he gave me a blessing and we prayed, then gave me a crash course in driving. I've been doing it ever since and will probably be driving for at least a month or so! The Lord has blessed me so much already, thank you so much for all of your prayers! It's been such a miracle that we get around to our appointments and things, we are always praying for safety. I'm still learning a lot about it though, and I do stall the car quite a bit, but it's so much fun and I love learning. I'm really thankful for this experience our Heavenly Father has given me!

Sunday I got to go to the Shrewsbury ward for the first time and it was so brilliant. The spirit in all three meetings was just immense, as Elder Stenborg would've said "you could've cut it with a knife!" Oh and they let me share my testimony first to introduce myself! The people in the ward are amazing, I just love working with them. The church really is true no matter where in the world we may be!

On Monday Elder Ayers and I were doing some street contacting and trying by some less active members when we saw a man training his dog in a field. That dog was amazing, it would come to him and do all sorts of tricks just at the sound of a whistle! He showed us some tricks and we got talking with him and we learned that he loves fishing and..... we're going fishing with him next week!! I'm so excited, it's going to be so much fun! It's the simple tender mercies of the Lord like that that just make my days.

Last weekend Elder Ayers and I did some GQ-ing (Golden Question) in a park in town and it was a lot of fun. The sun was shining and we got to talk to a lot of nice people! The only thing is I'm struggling to overcome my fear of talking with people... will you please remember that in your prayers for me? I hope to be able to be excited and learn to just love strinking up conversations with and talking with people. I need your prayers so much, I have really felt them being answered in the last week. Thanks so much for all the love and support you are all giving to me, it means so much.

Oh and the exchange! I've been with Elder Russell since yesterday afternoon and it's been so much fun. Last night we planned to go tracting and didn't even get to the street because we talked with so many amazing people, it was really incredible. The spirit was strong as we stopped people and testified to them and it was just brilliant. Being a Missionary is so much fun. Being on this exchange has really opened my eyes to the different aspects of the work and how I can become better at everything we get to do.

Yesterday we went to a place called the National Trust, it's like a National Park, I don't remember if I told you about it or not. Elder Russell and I got to hunt caterpillars and it was a lot of fun. It's amazing how much a simple thing like raising all those caterpillars when Zack and I were little can bless my life now.

Well, I'd better wrap this up. Thank you for making me who I am today, Elder Russell says to say thanks for making me a great Missionary. I realized yesterday that I was pretty much raised to be a Missionary and I am so thankful for that. These wonderful people of th U.K. will be so blessed because of all you've done for me. Thank you so much for all of your help and support and love and prayers and everything you do. This church is so true. It's the only true church on the whole face of the earth. I know that. Jesus is the Christ and He suffered for our sins, pains, afflictions, hungers, thirsts, everything we will ever go through. Because of what he did our lives are meaningful, without the Atonement we would have no purpose. As we come unto Him we will be happier and more successful, I saw that in life before my Mission and I see it here as well. I'm studying the Christ-like attributes section of Preach My Gospel every day and it's doing wonders for me and for everyone around me. I know it can do the same for you. Daily scripture study and prayer is so crucial to us. There is incredible power in the blessings that come from doing these two simple things every day. God lives and He loves us. He is watching all of us right now. He cares so much about us and wants to bless us as much as He can. It pains him to have to punish us at times. He wants us to be successful! I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet and I'm so thankful for all he went through to restore the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth today, and I'm so thankful to be continuing that great work that God started through him. Keep up the amazing work, all of you!

Love,

Elder Rowley


(From Dalene: I never prayed as hard in my life as I did the first time he learned to drive. I'd better double up on the prayers again, STAT! Only this time I'll actually be praying he stays on the wrong side of the road. Weird!)