Subject: Hello!
Hey Everyone!
Wow these weeks just go so fast... I thought they went fast in Shrewsbury, they're even faster out here! I think it's just the Isle of Man. It's such an amazing place, I can't even say it enough!
Well, I think I'm going to have to take up golf when I get home. Between being on the driving range last transfer and just getting back from a good game with Mr. Trickett and a friend of his, I think I'm really loving this sport! They were teaching me how to swing and everything and I did pretty well for a beginner! The wind was crazy though, and it was pretty cold, but it was so much fun. The course we played on is right near our flat, only about a mile North, look it up on google earth. It's one of the top 100 golf courses in Great Britain!! It was exciting and Mr. Trickett is wonderful. Elder Larson's grandparents worked with Mr. and Mrs. Trickett who live here on the island. We've been to visit them a couple times and they are the nicest couple, we love them already! On Saturday we are having **dinner with them, I'll let you know about that next week. I'm excited!
Mr. Trickett, Elder Larson and Elder Rowley photo courtesy of Mr. Trickett (taken by his golf partner perhaps?)Well it's been one incredible week. Last Saturday we taught Winnie and we were planning her Baptism and guess what? She asked me to Baptize her!! I am very humbled and excited! She is an amazing young woman (she's in her 20's) and we are very excited to see her be Baptized! She is going to make such an amazing member and it's almost as if she knows the ward better than we do! Being a Missionary is the best.
Last week our Ward Mission Leader and his wife, Brother and Sister Clarke, returned from holiday and it was great to see them again! We were able to teach another investigator, *Jenny, in their home and we committed her to be Baptized on the 20th of February! We are so excited for her as well and she is doing great, she just soaks it all up! This area here is having a great start to the year as far as Missionary work goes!
Also within the last week we were able to teach another investigator named *Kim. She is very shy and we aren't sure how well she is accepting the message, but when we taught her she had a friend there named *Calvin. We taught them in a members home and after we left the member gave us a text and told us that Calvin really felt the spirit in the lesson! He read both of the pamphlets we left for Kelsey to read, and wants to meet with us again!! It's so exciting, we have amazing things happening here and I love it!! So far on my Mission I've seen at least one miracle a day, it's incredible. This work is the best!
Well, I guess I'd better wrap this up. Oh wait, one more thing! On Monday we got to drive up to a place called Ramsey and it was gorgeous. I love this island so much, have I ever told you that? We got to speak with a lot of people in the streets and we were facing some opposition. We even ran into a few pastors and ministers of other faiths, it was pretty crazy! At one point we were talking to a pastor or minister or something or other in another church and he wasn't really getting the message. I felt that I just needed to testify to him so I slowed down and took my time and the spirit came and I think we softened his heart as Elder Larson backed up my words with his testimony, it was amazing. We weren't able to get an appointment with him or anything, but when we walked away we felt good about it. Elder Larson is great, he reminds me a lot of Alma. He reminds me a lot of a lot of Book of Mormon Missionaries really! Serving here, with Elder Larson, among these amazing people, is just incredible, I love it so much!
The Church is true. I know it with all my heart and my testimony of it increases daily. I'm becoming the Lord's convert here on my Mission and I love it. In my studies the other day I was learning about how the Lord wants for us what we want for our investigators, it's amazing. None of us are perfect in any area of the Gospel, we are all walking the same path together. And they only way we are going to get there is if we work together. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and he did see all those that he said he saw. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and there is power in it. If we will hold fast to the iron rod we will make it to eternal life and we will be happy on the way! The Book of Mormon will give us an added measure of the spirit, a strengthened resolution to be obedient, and a stronger testimony of Jesus Christ; just as President Hinckley said. It will also bring us closer to God as we abide by it's precepts than any other book just as Joseph Smith said. It is the keystone of the Church and of my testimony. I know that it testifies of Jesus Christ and brings us closer to Him. I love that book and I love this Gospel. It is true, and our brothers and sisters around the world need to know it. Jesus is the Christ. He lives! He has paid the price for our sins and because of Him we will be resurrected and we do have a chance to obtain Eternal Life if we obey His Gospel. I love representing Him, being a Missionary is the best thing I've ever done!!
Well, I love you all. Keep up the amazing work and thank you so much for all the love, prayers, support, and letters. You are amazing people, you really are the salt of the earth! I love you more than words can tell! And keep the letters coming! I'll write more next week!
Love,
Elder Rowley
**I'm told mushy peas are on the menu, I'm interested to see how it goes
*not their real names
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