World Cup

Elder McKechnie and Elder Rowley at the Border of Scotland and England!
Peter's Baptism. Richard Boulton Baptised Him

Date: Mon, Jun 14, 2010 at 6:43 AM
Subject: Re: Hi!

Hello Everyone!

I hope you've had a wonderful week! I sure have. I'm loving Preston and the people and our amazing members and I'm excited to have Elder Rowley come to Chorley this weekend!!

This past week has been very busy. We were in Carlisle on Tuesday and Wednesday. I got to work with a Bulgarian Missionary named Elder Krustev. I've worked with him before and I was so happy to hear that he's improved a lot in his English skills and in every other aspect of the work. He's a great example to me of working hard even though the odds aren't always in his favor. He is the only member in his family and yet he is a very good and strong Missionary. I really enjoyed working with him and we were even blessed to be able to teach one man right there on the spot. It's always a miracle to get to do that.

I'm also sad to say that Elders Llaguno and Jin have moved. It's okay though, they're only across the street! It's sad to not live with them anymore but it will be more effective for the work. They moved on Friday and Elder Burnett, who is now in the office, came to help them so I got to see him, it was really good to see him again and he is doing very well.

In other, not as important news, we did watch the England vs. USA world cup match, and it was amazing. It didn't feel as good as doing Missionary work, but it was still nice. It was funny though because at the beginning of the game I was rooting for England, but when they scored not too long after the match began my heart got the best of me and I had to root for the USA. I didn't ever realize just how much I really do love our great country! In the end it was 1-1, which is the best for the work. Because of that nobody has been angry with me because the US didn't win, and they haven't been too crazy because England didn't with either!

The best part of the week was on Friday. Peter was Baptised! It was good to see him there in the water and to see him be Baptised. The service was amazing and the members are very good to Peter. He will make a great member and I'm excited for him to continue to progress in the Gospel! I think that one of the best parts was afterwards when I asked Peter what he thought when Elder Griffeth first knocked on his door. He said that he could feel Elder Griffeth's energy. It really impressed me and made me thankful to have been able to serve with such a great Missionary.

Yesterday I was at the MTC and Stake Centre and Temple site in Chorley and it was amazing to be there. We had Stake Conference and that was wonderful; then we took Peter and our Chinese investigator, Haiming, up to the gate of the Temple and told them a bit about it; and on the way back Elder McKechnie saw a friend of his who is in the MTC right now and we got to speak with some new Missionaries. It was all so exciting. I love the Gospel an that we were able to feel of each of those different aspects of it- the Temple, the Stake Centre, and the MTC. The Church is true! I also feel to mention that the spirit was very strong even as we were just at the gates of the Temple.

Well, that's about it for this week. The Gospel is true. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. A true testimony of this great latter-day work comes from reading and praying about that sacred record. I love how Elder Holland spoke in General Conference about how we cannot come to full fellowship in this latter-day work without a testimony of the Book of Mormon. And I testify that that is true. For me personally as I read and Prayed about the Book of Mormon the spiritual confirmation came and now I'm seeing all the other evidence on top of it that this church is true, what what we preach really does come from God, and that there really is a God in heaven. I spoke with some very opinionated atheists this past week and it was just evident to me that it is so much better for persons, families, communities, and the world to believe in God and morals and the Gospel than to believe that we evolved from pond scum and we have no eternal destiny, that morals and rules are relative and don't really matter, and that selfishness is what brings happiness. I even feel the spirit lessen as I write those disgusting opinions which atheists have. They as people are children of God and I love them, but what they think is false and comes because they have been heavily brainwashed by the devil. How blessed are we that we have the pathway back to our loving Heavenly Father. We know how to be happy in this life. We have a hope for a better world. We understand the eternal laws that govern all of humanity- especially the law that selfless sacrifice brings happiness. The evidence that there is a God is there in the simple fact that when any person or group of people choose to reject God and disbelieve in him, and their morals and ethics consequently decay; that their lives are deprived of God-given happiness, and they only become pioneers for the devastating decline in society that we see all around us today. We as the latter-day saints must stand as living witnesses that God lives and loves all of His children, even those who choose not to listen to what He has to say. We truly are the salt of the earth. We must defend the knowledge that God is there and the knowledge of His plan for our happiness that I know has been restored to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith. These things are true not because of factual evidence, but because of the power and gift of the Holy Ghost. We must share the Gospel with our brothers and sisters around us for it is true and nothing will ever change that.

Well, I love you all so much. I'm thankful to work alongside you in this great work. I hope you have a wonderful week and keep up the amazing work!

Love,

Elder L. Rowley