The Elders Rowley reunite in Preston!

Date: Thu, Jul 8, 2010 at 4:51 AM

Hi Everyone!

It's a nice sunny day here in Preston! I'm very excited to report that I'll be staying here for another month and a half! That will be about 7 months here by the time I'm done. The time has flown by and it's been a lot of fun. I'm excited to see what the next few weeks will have in store though.

My new companion is Elder Chambers from Pocatello Idaho and he is amazing. He also sang in choir and likes music, is organized, has ancestors from Preston, and is just a great Missionary. It's a joy to work with him and I'm excited for the miracles that he and I will see this transfer. I'm hoping that we can Baptise someone in the next few weeks and your prayers and faith to help up accomplish this are much appreciated!

We've been so busy since I last wrote, there is so much to tell you about. On Tuesday we were in the Lakes District and I got to work with Elder Wagner who is amazing. We "accidentally" ended up in an area of one of their investigators that is difficult to see because he's far away from where the Elders live. We taught him about the importance of church and sure enough, he came to church on Sunday! I also learned from Elder Wagner, he is a strong Missionary.

On Friday Elder McKechnie got called to be an Assistant to President Bullock and was, that very day, transferred to Manchester. I got to work with a Swiss Missionary named Elder Weidmann (pronounced Veidman), it was a lot of fun. It's been a very busy last few days because of this, but to be honest I've really enjoyed all that we've been able to do. It's really different without Elder McKechnie, but I'm thankful for the things I learned from him and the impact he's had on my mission and on my life. I've learned a lot from my companions, and Elder McKechnie was one of those who taught me the most.

Haiming Ou was Baptised on Saturday and that was incredible. There were six Chinese people there including Hiaming, it was amazing. I was so happy to see all of them there. The spirit was very strong as Haiming was Baptised and as he was confirmed on Sunday as well. He's already doing great as a new member and is planning to go do Baptisms for the Dead with the ward next week! I'm so excited to see him continue to progress!

At Church on Sunday we had Marisol come to Church and she enjoyed it a lot. It was good to see here there. She even got to speak in Spanish with Elder Llaguno! Oh and this was funny as well, while they were talking there were, people having conversations in English (of course), Chinese, and even Sign Language! There is a member named Marco from Ghana who knows ASL that has been coming to our ward for a few weeks and I got to sign with him and get to know him better, it was great. There was also a Japanese woman at Church on Sunday who is also deaf and also speaks ASL! I got to sign with her about the Book of Mormon and let her know we can get her a copy in Japanese! I'm amazed at all the sign language experiences I've been having recently, it's so exciting!

And finally, the biggest and best part of the week was getting to meet and work with Elder Z. Rowley. I was so happy to see him and work with him and very impressed with him. On Friday Elder McKechnie and I drove to the MTC and got there just before 11:00, and at that time I got to meet and become companions with Elder Zack. We were companions from then until about 6:00 that evening. We got to be trained before our finding activity, have lunch in the van on the way to Preston, work together, take some pictures at the Temple together, and have dinner together as well. We also traded a name badge so there will be an Elder Rowley badge here from 2008 until 2012. The best part of seeing him was getting to work with him. He is such a good Missionary already, and we saw some great things as we worked together. The very first person we spoke with was named Shane and we set up an appointment with him! We also got to speak with a Chinese man and another man who was drunk and gave us a referral. We were asking everyone for referrals and we ended getting a couple and contacting one of them. I'm still working to contact the other one. I'll let you know what comes of the people we met while we worked together. It was amazing to learn from him as well, he taught me to speak louder and I learned that that's why some people don't listen to me sometimes! I also learned that it makes such a greater impact to be a sacred Missionary than being a social Missionary. True sanctification and consecration to the Lord's work- sacrificing of ourselves- is the best way to do Missionary Work and brings the greatest blessings. I have a testimony that this is true. The spirit confirms this to me. Missions are just so sacred and special. I'm so happy being a Missionary and can't imagine being anything else. I sure wouldn't like to think about where my life would be if it weren't for my mission. Nothing bad ever comes from serving a mission, the Lord just keeps multiplying the blessings for those who serve. I'm so thankful for this.

The Gospel is true. It changes our lives for the better. I testify that God lives and loves you. I testify that His blessings come from obedience to His restored Gospel. My testimony of the Gospel is held together by my testimony of the Book of Mormon and I testify that it truly is the iron rod that will lead us along the pathway back to our Heavenly Father's presence. This Gospel is true and it just makes sense!

Well, I love you all so much. Thanks once again for all of the love and support and prayers for me and this work here. It's changed my life. Keep up the great work of our Savior. Have a great week!

Love,

Elder. L. Rowley

Elder Z. Rowley Sightings and More!

Elder Miller and Elder Rowley on Exchanges

Hi Mum!

It's good to hear from you and that things are going well. I'm excited to report that I've seen Elder Zack! He's safe and well in the MTC, but the funny thing is that he doesn't know that I've seen him! Here's what happened:

About a week ago we got permission to go to the Temple accommodation (across from the MTC) to have tea with a senior Temple Missionary couple who come to the Preston ward. Well, I was thinking that I would get to see Zack that day but as I rang President Clegg that morning he told me about the other Missionaries and his concerns about the effect of two visits and said that he would prefer if I would just see him on Friday. I was perfectly okay with that and told that to President Clegg. It still seemed a bit odd though that I would be right there on the MTC grounds, right across from the MTC, and not see Zack.

Well, after Church yesterday we went there and enjoyed our tea appointment and afterwards we walked up to the Temple. We had to walk back to the car to get Elder McKechnie's camera and as we were walking back to the car I looked across the car park into one of the windows of the classrooms. I saw some Missionaries in the room on the far left corner- it just happened to be the same room where I had my class when I was in the MTC. At the first glance I saw a Missionary that looked very similar to Zack and started to get excited. Elder McKechnie jokingly said something like "it's your brother!" Well, as I looked back again there was no doubt that it was him! I was so excited, but remembering what President Clegg told me that morning I didn't want him or the other Missionaries to see me. So I didn't go up to the window or anything.

As we drove by on our way up to the Temple again (we decided to take the car instead of walk) I had to look again and caught a glimpse of him pressing his face into the bottom of his water bottle, as if he was bored or tired or something, it was pretty funny. I knew then without a doubt that it was him. I didn't think I'd get to pass that window again before Friday when I'll work with him, but I was very surprised at what happened next. As we were back up at the Temple and took a couple of pictures I decided to turn the phone back on. As I did we found a message there from an Elder Powell at the MTC (he's one of the senior coordinators there or something). He had a package for Elder McKechnie so we had to go back down to the MTC! I drove this time and I was still trying to lie low so Zack and his fellow Missionaries couldn't see me. After getting the package we left the MTC and just as we were passing the window of the classroom that he was in I looked in and saw Zack stand up and close the window and start to head out of the room. It was clear as day that it was him. I don't think I'll ever forget that image of him standing there. It was such a comfort just to know for certain that he's there and safe. And from what I read of that e-mail he sent you he's doing very well!

It was such a blessing. Please don't tell him about it thought, I'll do that on Friday. I know that the Lord had a hand in this and will have a hand in the work he and I do together on Friday. I'm so excited.

For everyone:

Date: Mon, Jun 28, 2010 at 7:44 AM

Hello Everyone!

I hope you've all had a great week. Things here in Preston are going very well and I'm excited for all I have to report on!

We've had a very busy week with a lot of different things going on. On Saturday we got to do what's called Helping Hands, I'm not sure how many of you have heard of it. Around the country wards and stakes meet together in their respective areas and do a service project in the community. Our project was cleaning up a pond for a crematorium. We got to pull up weeds and dig up dirt and it was a lot of fun.

Oh and in other news I heard that England got beat by Germany 4-1 in the world cup yesterday. People here weren't too happy about that as we were speaking with them on Sunday night, and I'm a bit disappointed as well, but in the end it will be better for the work. I hear that the US is also out as well. There's always the next world cup, right?

Anyway, Also this week I got to work with an Elder Miller in Blackpool. He's from Idaho and he's a lot like family. He reminds me of Colton. Anyway, he and I were able to get a lot done there in Blackpool and saw some great things happen. We had a very busy day with some street contacting on the road near the coast, teaching appointments and even a tea appointment. It was a lot of fun. Blackpool is a very interesting place though, I'll have to tell you about it someday.

Our investigators are doing well this week. Hai Ming will be Baptised this weekend and we're very excited for him. He just keeps surprising us. The other night we taught him in a members home and we accidentally forgot to leave him a chapter from the Book of Mormon to read. Well, he rang us and asked us where he should read and we gave him a chapter. That shows a lot of dedication and faith on his part. I'm so excited for him.

We also started teaching a Peruvian woman named Marisol this week. We saw her in town midweek and she came to Church on Sunday! We're also excited for her and I'll let you know about her progress. Please pray for her to feel of the spirit of the restoration.

Last night we were blessed to teach a Chinese man named Andy. It was pretty funny how we found him, we were driving along the road and as we drove past him we saw he was sitting on a small wall. Elder McKechnie said something like "Do you think he has 15 minutes we can teach him right now?" And I said I thought he probably would. Well, as we drove back to where he was sitting and parked the car and invited him to be taught right there he accepted and we were able to teach him. It was amazing. The Lord really led us to him!

Well, that's about it from me this week. The Gospel is true and it changes things for the better. I've seen that in my life as I've read in the Book of Mormon and prayed to know that it's true. I really like the line in Preach My Gospel that says that no-one can know of spiritual truths without prayer. How true that is. If we ask God if something is right then He will tell us and it will help us to choose the right and be able to experience His promised blessings in our lives. I testify that Christ lives and loves us. Of all His characteristics I think that's the most important- His love. I know that it is real and infinite and through the Holy Ghost we can have the reality of His love revealed to us. The Holy Ghost is real too and without Him and Jesus Christ we couldn't ever come to know the Father. I know that the Church is true and the Lord will bless us for living this incredible Gospel and for sharing it with others.

I hope you all have a wonderful week. I love you and am always thankful for the prayers and letters and support and love and everything you do for me. I wouldn't be here without you.

Love,

Elder L. Rowley