Happy Thanksgiving!

Date: Mon, Nov 23, 2009 at 4:09 AM
Subject: Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello!

How is everyone this week? Sounds like it's a bit cold there. We're surprisingly warm here. Maybe it's just because we're teaching so much. Liverpool is windy like the Isle of Man though, it's great. I love it here more and more everyday. Maybe I'll never leave!

Well, we've had a great week. We've been so busy. Zone Conference was on Thursday and we had a Scripture Chase! It was a lot of fun. I was in the top 10 in the whole mission. I came in 5th place in my zone conference, which had 4 zones in it. It was a lot of fun. I'm sure thankful that I went to Seminary so faithfully, otherwise there's no way I would have remembered all those scriptures! I love the scriptures.

Here's a crazy story. So Liverpool is full of pigeons. I love to see them on the streets and everywhere and everyone thinks I'm crazy for it. Well, the other day we were in town centre and there was a really low flying pigeon and I decided to reach up my hand and grab at it. I didn't catch it, but I did touch it's wings as it was flying! It felt really cool.

We were also on exchanges this week with Elders Rawlings and Gardner and it was great. Elder Rawlings and I met a woman who had recently lost someone close to her and had been praying about families being together forever! I don't think she recognized what a miracle it was that we met her, but she did give us her address and they will go and see her soon! We found a lot of prepared people and it was a lot of fun.

Church yesterday was great! Toma and his son Ioseph (Joseph with an I) and Ian and Zuzeyo all came! We're hoping for more next week, but this week was great. Toma was a bit late, but it really made my day to see him walk in and I got to go and sit by him in Elders Quorum. He is a great man.

Elder Burnett is doing well with his new companion Elder Diatel by the way. Last week they found 7 or 9 new investigators, I forgot just how many. It sounds like things in Rochdale are still going well. It's the same for Shrewsbury and the Isle of Man. The whole mission is just on fire right now!

Ian is scheduled for Baptism this weekend and is doing great. He's always so friendly and excited to learn and never questions the Gospel. Pray for everything to go well for him, especially as he is looking to move soon.

Zeke is also doing very well. He had an interview with President Bullock last week and he's experiencing the power of the Atonement. Hopefully we'll be able to give him a new Baptismal date soon. Pray for him. I love Zeke.

Toma and his family are doing pretty well, but they still struggle in some things. Not in the Gospel. Just in life. They are amazing at living the Gospel. On Wednesday we're having a fast for their family situation to improve. Miracles are on the way for them!

Linda and Stephen are both overcoming some things so pray for that to go well! We have so many amazing people here to teach, I love it!

Well, this week we've been working on virtue. I love virtue. I applied charity to it and miracles happened. As I thought about others needs more than my own and remembered that I am a son of God, my confidence increased and I was happier and less discouraged and it was amazing. Nobody's perfect in any of the attributes of Christ, but I feel that in the past few weeks I've improved. And really that's the whole purpose of our lives. To prepare to meet God by having the faith in Jesus Christ to repent of our sins and be Baptized or partake of the Sacrament to receive the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end in doing this all. I love the Gospel. I know that it's true and it's restored in all it's wonderful simplicity. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. What Elder Holland said about it is true. If we will hold to the iron rod and study in that sacred record every day then we will make it back to the presence of God and even feel His infinite love for us here in this life. I know this because I've experienced it in my own life. Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. The Plan of Salvation is real. Partaking the Sacrament is the most important part of the week. I know that prayer works and changes things. So keep up the amazing work. It's worth it to live the Gospel, even if it's hard!

Well, I love you all. Again, I can't thank you enough for all you do for me. I would never be here if it weren't for you. You're the answers to a lot of my prayers. Have a great week and keep the letters and prayers and everything coming. I love you!

Love,

Elder Rowley