A week of miracles

I didn't know it could snow like this in Liverpool...

Date: Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 4:25 AM
Subject: A Week of Miracles!

Hello!!

I hope you're all having a great week and doing well with returning to school. The schools here have all been shut down for a week.

On Monday night it began snowing, and on Tuesday we woke up with about 3-4 inches of snow on the ground. We had district meeting and it was snowing all throughout that and even into the late afternoon. We had a lot of snow, and it shut down the city for a couple days! They are not prepared for snow here. The buses shut down and the roads were icy for days (some are still icy) and people became a bit more hostile as they weren't sure how to walk or do anything really. Salt was sold out in all the stores, and they weren't prepared with enough rock salt/grit to cover the needed areas of the city. It was a crazy few days but now it's starting to melt so that's nice. It did look really pretty though.

On Wednesday we had a member come out with us named Brother Crompton. He is great. We taught two of our investigators who are struggling with living the Word of Wisdom and he was able to relate to them as he overcame their same problem years ago. It really helped them to see that they can overcome their problems, it was amazing. The other miracle about it was that the first appointment fell through, he wasn't in. So we went to our second one and taught the investigator and afterwards we were thinking of going by some other people but Brother Crompton felt impressed to go back to the first appointment and see if he was in. Well, the spirit is always right so we were blessed to find that investigator in and taught him and it was a miracle. The only disappointment I had was that a few weeks ago I had a thought that we needed to work with Brother Crompton, and sadly I just shrugged it off. I learned that sometimes we have impressions from the spirit that we don't even recognize as impressions. We need to always be sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Ghost because it's always there, we just need to listen for it!

Also on Wednesday I was blessed to be able to interview another investigator for Baptism. Her name is Yolanda and she's great, the Gospel has really helped her change her life and she has a great testimony. We had a nice african meal with them after the interview and it was amazing. On Friday she was Baptised even though there were fears about the snow making it difficult for people to get there. We worked hard shoveling snow on Thursday to make the chapel accessable for everyone to come there. And it was a great service, one of the Missionaries in my district, Elder Rawlings, got to Baptise her. He was scared that he wouldn't be able to pull her up out of the water but we all prayed for him and he said afterwards that it was easy. The Lord answers prayers! I also got to give a talk and conduct the music for the service. My music skills just keep being used, I love it!

And then there was yesterday. What an amazing day. We were on exchanges with our Assistants to the President, Elder Wilson and Elder Ridley. I went with Elder Ridley and we were blessed with miracles. And these are some of my very most sacred experiences of my mission and life so don't take this lightly. For one thing, when I knew they were coming I knew that we were going to see miracles and get let into homes and find amazing people. I expected miracles. We need to do this and I testify that it works. Here's why. I told Elder Ridley that I was expecting us to get let into a home to teach (like someone on the street letting us walk with them to their home and teach them, or someone that we knock on their door letting us in to teach them). I expected that to happen twice. And it did. After Church we urgently went out to speak with people. We crossed the street from the Church and spoke with a man shoveling snow who wasn't interested. Then the second man we spoke with was a man named Kerry who at first was somewhat hostile towards us and the message. I was amazed as we followed the guidance of the spirit and were loving and personable and invited him to allow us into his home to teach him about the restoration and he accepted. I was beaming the whole time as we were walking into his home. It didn't take us 5 minutes to do that after Church. We were blessed to be able to teach him about Joseph Smith and the restoration and invite him to live the Gospel and promised him blessings for it and the spirit was very strong the whole time. We're seeing Kerry again Tomorrow so you can pray for him to feel the spirit as we keep teaching him. And the other miracle was that as we met Elders Wilson and Stringham to get a lift back to our flat for Tea we found that they were teaching a new investigator as well. They got let into a home also. I was very happy and excited but not surprised at all, because I had expected these miracles. You can do the same. I'm going to keep doing it.

It doesn't stop there though. A couple transfers ago we had a zone conference in which we were taught that we can seek a vision from the Lord of who we are going to find that day. Basically we seek inspiration on the descriptions of the elect that we will find and then we speak with everyone we can expecting that the Lord will lead us to these souls. So in that meeting I envisioned an African man in his 20's or so. I'm horrible at describing the way people look so I wasn't able to say what he looked like but I knew. The sad thing was, I never found that man. Until yesterday. Elder Ridley and I expected that we would find him. As we were walking in between two lessons there was the very man who was in my head. Elder Ridley spotted him across the street and said: "there he is! That's him!" I excitedly spoke with him and I knew that he would accept our message and he did. And he was very excited. We're scheduled to see him tonight, but we might have to move it. His name is Donald though, you can pray for him. I love seeing miracles! I know that we are in a day and age of miracles. The Lord wants us to expect them. And as we do all we can while expecting them, they will come. I testify of this. And I testify that it's only possible through Jesus Christ. Think about Joseph Smith. All the people he healed in the name of the Savior. He expected that they would be healed, just as the Savior set that example for us. I testify that this power can only come through our Savior Jesus Christ and His infinite Atonement. He is real. He lives. We can change through His Atonement and we must do so or we will not return to God's presence. This is repentance, the very purpose of our lives. It works and it brings the greatest happiness in the world. And I can testify to you of these things because I have acted on the faith in Jesus Christ that I gained as I read, pondered, and prayed about the Book of Mormon. I testify that that book is true and we must hold on to it, the very iron rod. to return to God's presence. It is not the path, but it is the only sure thing that follows the path exactly. I know this because God has told me that it's true by the power of the Holy Ghost. The Gospel is true.

Well, I love you all very much. Missionary work is the best, so do it. Have a great week, keep warm and keep doing well in school and whatever you may be up to. And let me know about it. And expect miracles. I expect to hear in letters and e-mails of the miracles you've experienced in your lives. Thank you again for all that you do for me, I can't say enough of that. I love you!

Love,

Elder Rowley