Truth, opposition and the plan of happiness

Date: Mon, Jun 8, 2009 at 7:44 AM
Subject: Hello!

Hello Again,

How is everyone this week? We're doing well here in Rochdale. Today the sun is shining which is good because we've missed it for a couple days. Overall it's feeling like summer now, last week we went 3 or 4 days in a row without wearing out suit coats! I like summer.

Everything is going well this week. We are teaching so many amazing people, and the members are getting excited about the work as well. Last week we taught 13 lessons with members present and no lessons without, it was incredible! They are really on fire here.

Vicky's Baptism is on Sunday, so I'll be telling you about it in the next e-mail! She is so amazing and she already has such a strong testimony. This morning we were going somewhere with a part-member Family and we saw Vicky walking down the street. We waved at her and she wasn't really smiling until she saw that it was us. It made us so happy to brighten her day!

Jamie is doing well also. He is working towards Baptism as well and is still scheduled for the 20th of June. We're excited for him. He has such a strong Faith in Christ and has all his life it seems. He's a great example to all of us and I learn so much from him every time we see him!

We still haven't been able to see our Fijian investigator since we dated him for Baptism. He needs some serious strength against opposition... we're hoping things improve for him and we can see him soon.

We are also teaching a young-woman from the Congo named Florence. Her parents were Baptised not too long ago and they are just a wonderful family. They speak mostly French, so it's difficult for them to understand us sometimes, but Florence speaks English really well so she can translate for her parents when they don't understand. She's been coming to Church more recently, and is even going to young-women! The ward here helps us out so much.

Kirsty is another investigator that we recently started teaching again. Her "partner" (means that they live together but aren't married, it happens a lot over here) wasn't too happy with her taking the lessons which is why they stopped teaching her before I got here. Now it seems like she doesn't care about the opposition, she just wants the Gospel so bad that she is willing to do anything for it. She already is so receptive to the spirit, in the first lesson we had with her last week we asked her to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and she did and got her answer and knows it's true! It's amazing, we're so excited to hopefully set a Baptismal date with her this week!

In other news, Zone Conference was amazing last week! We learned a lot and I really enjoyed the trainings, especially the ones from my trainer Elder Ayers. I also got to see Elder Llaguno and his new companion, Elder Frogeley, as well as Elder Larson, they are all doing very well! It was great to see all of them, I've really grown to love them so much.

Yesterday there was an amazing conference across the British Isles and Ireland. President Uchtdorf, Elder Anderson, and Elder Oaks (our area president) all spoke, it was great! I learned so much, and thanks to the amazing members here, Vicky, Jamie, Kirsty, and Leeroy and Louma were all able to come! They all enjoyed it very much and felt the spirit a lot!

Well, the Church is true. I grow in my testimony every single day and I love it so much. I think I've heard hundreds of objections to the Church so far, and I know for a fact that they are all dead wrong. Satan sure is good at getting lies into people's heads. We are so blessed to have the truth on the earth today. I testify that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was lost after the Apostles were killed. It was brought back with the Prophet Joseph Smith. If we aren't sure if Joseph Smith was a true Prophet of God, all we have to do is read the Book of Mormon. What a blessing it is to have evidence that every single person in the world can know for themselves that this Church is true. I know with all my heart that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It does bring us closer to God every time we read it. And as we become closer to God we are happier, we have more peace, and we are more prepared to live with our Families forever in His presence. I'm so thankful for the knowledge of the Plan of Happiness. I know that it is true. No other Church on the earth teaches the Plan of Happiness. Our brothers and sisters need the knowledge we have. Missionary work is one of the most important things we must do in life, and it will bring us great blessings! That is true. Never doubt that. Never doubt that if we pray for Missionary opportunities and experiences, they will come. Pray for strength to open your mouth. It will work. Prayer does work, and it does change things. No matter what anyone ever says, that is true. God lives and loves us. He does have a body and so does Jesus Christ. I'm thankful for that. I'm glad that we can understand our Father in Heaven and don't have to wonder or guess about him from false creeds that have been made up by men. His truth has been restored. Let us proclaim it!

Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful day, week, month, and year. Keep being amazing and the Lord will bless you. Thank you for the blessings you have brought to my life. Don't you ever forget that the people here are being blessed for all that you do for me. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. Keep the letters coming. Heavenly Father knows I need your support. Pray for Missionary experiences. Please. I love you!

Love,

Elder Rowley