Swine flu!

Date: Mon, Oct 26, 2009 at 5:09 AM
Subject:

Hello Everyone!

How's the week been? Is everyone staying well? How's the weather? I hope our football teams do better this week! Even the Rochdale football or rugby team lost this past weekend! Some of the ward members were a bit disappointed. It's just sports though, doesn't really effect our salvation so no worries there!

Anyway, I suppose that the biggest news from Rochdale this week is that Elder Burnett came down with Swine Flu. He's alright today but you can pray that nobody else will get sick. He and Elder Nielsons companion, Elder Brown, have been stuck in the flat for the past 4 days. It's been pretty crazy. Elder Nielson and I have been doing well though and it ended up to be a great week last week!

On Tuesday I was actually on exchanges with Elder Nielson anyway because I had planned to be earlier in the transfer. We had some great experiences. There was a less-active family that Elder Nielson mentioned we could go by and I felt that we should. Just as we arrived at their place they pulled up in the car! It was great, we were able to go in and teach. It was especially good because they hadn't been able to teach them before our visit that day! This is a day of miracles.

Also on Tuesday I was able to interview another woman for Baptism and it was amazing. Those are always very spiritual experiences. Anyway, on Saturday we got to go to her Baptism and Carmen came as well! It was great, I even got to play the piano for it because they were short on piano players! These skills just keep paying off. I even played for Sacrament meeting again yesterday! It's been fun.

After the Baptism on Saturday we experienced a great miracle. Someone made us a cake and it was kind of awkward so I was thinking we would have to go back to the flat to leave it there then go out again. Well, I felt that I should just stick it in my backpack (it was in a tin so that was okay) so I did. We were blessed with a new family to teach that night because I did that. We were referred to a man named JJ and he has a wife named Cecilia. We're exicted for them and we're seeing them again tonight! "Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven." It's true.

Everything else is going well. Our investigators are doing great, we were able to have 3 or 4 at Sacrament meeting yesterday! Carmen came, as well as a couple of former investigators who we will probably start teaching again soon, and Adele came as well, although she was late. Anyway, it's been a great week for all of them and we're excited to help them progress towards Baptism.

The Church is true! Last night we had a very sacred experience inviting an investigator in a part-member family to be Baptised. The spirit was very strong and he said that he would think about it really hard. He's an amazing man with an amazing family and they have really changed my life. I'll tell you more about this one in the future.

Well, this morning I learned about faith in Jesus Christ. Faith leads to action which leads to miracles which leads to greater faith which again leads to action! Our actions are evidence of our faith. What we do is founded upon what we believe in. I also learned that faith is a principle of power. Look up the definition of power in the dictionary, it's very interesting how it connects with the Priesthood. I testify that by our faith to be obedient to the principles and ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we will be able to have the Holy Ghost with us and our Families will be able to be together forever in God's presence as we endure to the end in that. The Gospel has been restored. Joseph Smith was right. He was telling the truth. The Book of Mormon is true and that's how I gained my initial faith. Reading and Praying about the Book of Mormon are critical for an enduring conversion. I testify of Jesus Christ, that He knows and loves each and every one of us. He can help us. I know these things are true because I have experienced them.

Well, thank you for all that you do and are. You are truely the salt of the earth. I couldn't do this without you! Thanks for all the prayers and love and support and letters and everything. Keep up the amazing work. I love you more that I can say and I know that the Savior loves you even more than that. Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Rowley