Recognizing the spirit

The Preston Zone at Zone Conference

Date: Mon, Jun 7, 2010 at 12:20 PM

Hello Everyone!

We've had an amazing week here in Preston. I love serving here, it's just the best place to be right now! Today it's a bit rainy, even right now it's raining, but I still love it. It's been very warm recently and we're all starting to get the Missionary tan! I'm excited for the summer.

First of all, yesterday was one of the best Sundays of my mission. Peter, Michael, and Naghma were also at Church and Peter will be Baptised this weekend. They are all doing well by the way. My favorite part though was in fast and testimony meeting. There were two deaf people in the congregation and a member sat at the front and signed the whole meeting. I loved it, even though it was in British Sign Language and I couldn't understand all of it. Then, in the middle of the meeting a new sister in the ward got up and shared her testimony in ASL! It was amazing and it made me so happy that I had to get up there and share my testimony too. All I could sign was that I couldn't remember enough signs to share my testimony, so I had to let the interpreter do it. After the meeting I was able to have a conversation, half in sign language, with one of the deaf people that was there. It made me so happy that I made that decision to take ASL in high school.

The next experience I want to share was from getting a referral from a member family. Last Sunday we had an appointment in an area that was a bit farther away from the centre of Preston. As we went out there Elder McKechnie recognized that there was a member family that lived in the area. The best part was that the father of the family actually taught Elder McKechnie when Elder McKechnie was in primary. Well, less than a minute after we realized that they lived in the area we saw them walking down the street with their children! It was amazing and we were able to stop and say hello to them and talk with them and they invited us over for a tea appointment! As we went to the appointment and shared a spiritual thought and asked for referrals, they quickly told us of an African family in the area. We tried by right after the appointment and we were let in this African family's door! It was amazing, we were able to teach them the very next day and we're excited to see them progress!

Now probably the best experience I'll share with you was at Zone Conference. We got to go to a Scout Camp in the hills near Manchester. I never would have thought that there would be a place like this in Manchester, but there is. It was beautiful. I love the rolling hills of England. We had a few sessions of Zone Conference and an afternoon of sports and hamburgers for dinner. It really unified our whole mission and everyone benefited from it. I'll never forget the experiences I had there.

The theme of our conference was that exact obedience is the "Pathway to the Promise", which is a phrase that President Bullock was inspired with recently. We learned a lot about that and talked about passing down the sacred culture in our mission to the younger Missionaries, and had some wonderful experiences as we did that. One of my favorite experiences of the conference was recognizing the spirit of Missionary work. As we played sports I felt happy and had some contentment, but I still had an empty feeling, I thought that it might be similar to what I felt most of the time before my mission. It's hard to describe how I truly felt, but I think you know what I mean. Then in the evening for part of the session of Zone Conference we had an hour of personal meditation time in the woods. We were all spread out so we could still see our companions, but we were far apart enough that we could be alone. The spirit was very strong then, and it felt like a Personal Priesthood interview with Heavenly Father. After that I felt so much more fulfilled and just full of joy. I felt the joy of being a Missionary and knowing from the Lord that I've done good here in England. I felt the joy of knowing the positive effect that the Gospel has had in all of our lives and of knowing that we all can be together forever as we live the Gospel always. It was amazing to tell the contrast between the two feelings. The Gospel is what brought that feeling of joy, and it's what still brings that feeling as I feel it even now. I know that this feeling comes from Heavenly Father and that we can all feel it as we apply the principles of the Gospel in our lives. This isn't to say that playing sports and doing other things than the Gospel are bad, those things are still necessary, but I'm just happy to recognize the difference in the spirit that the Gospel brings. I know that these things are true because of my testimony of the Book of Mormon. I know that it truly is the iron rod. If we study and apply it's principles consistently then we will be always on the Gospel path that leads to the promise of "peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come" (D+C 59:23 I think it is). I also want you to know that I've been able to experience the pathway and the promise of D+C 31:5, and we all can as well. The feeling of living the Gospel and experiencing it's blessings is the very best in the whole world. Again I'd encourage all of us to continue utilizing the Gospel in our lives and work to share it with everyone we can so that they can as well!

Well, I love you all so much. I'm here because of you. I hope you have a wonderful week and keep up the amazing work!

Love,

Elder L. Rowley

Faith really does precede the miracle

The Port in Heysham

Date: Mon, Mar 29, 2010 at 5:19 AM
Subject: Re: March on!

Hello Everyone!

We've had a great week here in Preston! Spring is proving to be not as good as we had originally hoped, but we know it will improve. And we're happy also to have the time change. It's light outside until nearly 9:00 every night! It's exciting.

So many miracles have happened since last week and we've also been very busy. Tuesday we had to pick up the Isle of Man Elders from the port in Heysham and we worked with them for the day. The next day was Zone Conference, the next day we had a special meeting with the Area President at the Mission Home, and on Friday we traveled to some of the farthest areas in the zone for a couple of Baptismal interviews. The past two days we've been busy teaching and it's all gone so fast!

One amazing miracle that happened was actually the night before Zone Conference. One of the Missionaries we live with became very ill with a stomach problem. He was throwing up and in intense pain for most of Tuesday evening. It was decided that we needed to take him to the hospital so we took him there that night. The miracle of it was that before we drove him there we gave him a blessing. We had the Isle of Man Elders with us so there were 5 Elders altogether giving the blessing. With our combined faith he started feeling better on the way to the hospital and by the time we left the hospital about an hour later he was a little tired but fine. I testify that the power of God is real and that it is held by men on earth to bless others. It works. The other amazing thing about this is that the sick Elder goes home in a couple of weeks. If he had not been healed, he would have missed his last Zone Conference.

Speaking of Zone Conference it was spectacular. President Bullock gave a powerful training on the Atonement, Elder Griffeth and I got to train our zone on committing investigators to repent, and that same Elder that was sick the previous night conducted a powerful musical number. Zone Conferences are very tiring, there is something about feeling the spirit for an entire morning and afternoon that just takes all the energy out of a Missionary.

The next great happening was the next day when we had a special meeting at the Mission Home with President Kopischke, the Europe Area President. The spirit was very strong there as well and everyone learned a lot. We were tired after this meeting also!

Friday was great as well. We spent somewhere around 5 hours in the car traveling first to an area called Workington which is up north, then to an area called Blackpool which isn't too far from Preston. It sure did take a long time though. Elder Griffeth and I got to conduct a couple of Baptismal interviews for investigators who were Baptised in these areas on Saturday. It seemed like a lot of driving for such a little thing, but that's not the only blessing we received from it. Elder Griffeth had the faith and diligence to ring all of our former investigators while we were traveling, and we were very blessed for it.

On Saturday we were able to teach one of these formers, Micah, who is from Botswana. He was taught previously but he remembers a little of what was taught. As we shared the first vision with him the spirit was very strong and he accepted to be Baptised! He is a great man and you'll hear more about him in the future. Also on Saturday we were able to have Tea with a member family named the Evans who are amazing. One of the daughters goes round to the neighbors houses and has them read in the Book of Mormon and checks them off on a little chart. They are such a strength to the Church and I'm happy to be able to work with them.

Sunday was fantastic. We had no investigators at Church though. We can use your prayers in behalf of the Preston area and ward that we'll be able to get some investigators at Sacrament Meeting next week. Every time I've asked all of us to unite our faith to pray for something it's happened. The Preston area needs this right now so I invite us all to do it again. I know that miracles will come!

The fantastic part of Sunday was the afternoon and evening. We taught 6 new investigators. Four of them were a Family who were taught previously, Elder Griffeth found their records when he was phoning all of the former investigators. As we taught about the Restoration one of the daughters in the family listened very intently and seemed to be just thirsting for more. They all accepted to be Baptised as well and this little girl, Neha (pronounced nayha) is very very excited for Baptism. It's such a miracle to be able to teach such prepared people! Also, that evening we taught two more new investigators, Tanya and Carla. They were referred to us by a member and we taught them in this members home. They learned a lot as we taught about Joseph Smith and the Restoration and they also accepted to be Baptised! It's amazing. These people all just need to come to Church and stay committed, that's what the struggle seems to be here recently is committed investigators. I have the faith and confidence though that these people will pull through and be able to be Baptised. They all need it and deserve it so much!

Well, one thing I've learned this week is that faith really does precede the miracle. As we've seen so many miracles recently I can look back and see at least one faithful action before we saw each miracle. I also learned that when we repent we access the infinite power of the Atonement. I testify that that power is real and that it can bless us daily. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true and living church on the earth. Thomas S. Monson is a true Prophet of God. I testify that this weekend at General Conference we have an opportunity to hear God speaking to us through His living Prophet. That's why we always come away from conference feeling like certain talks were just for us. It's because the Savior Jesus Christ knows each one of us and He gives revelation to the leadership of this, His church. He did in reality shed a certain amount of drops of blood and spend a certain amount of time suffering for each and every one of us personally. I know that this is true because I feel it and I've experienced it. The Atonement is the Gospel and it's not about what we know about it that makes the difference, it's what we feel from it that changes our lives and brings us closer to our Heavenly Father and true and lasting happiness. I know this is true because I know that the Book of Mormon is true by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost as I have asked God in sincere prayer if it is true. I testify that this Gospel can and will affect all of our lives for the better, but only as much as we exercise faith in Jesus Christ to repent of our sins and keep our covenants with God to the end of our lives. How blessed are we to have the truth from God.

Well, I love you all. I hope you have a wonderful week and keep up the amazing work. I testify of God's love for all of us. You are truely the salt of the earth. I couldn't be here without your help. Prepare well for General Conference.

Love,

Elder L. Rowley

Time flies

District Meeting in Carlisle

Date: Mon, Feb 15, 2010 at 5:20 AM
Subject: Miracles!

Hello Everyone!

I hope you're all having a great week and that you write to me and tell me about it! We just keep seeing the miracles pour out here in Preston and around our zone! It's all because we are striving to be exactly obedient, the Lord is just bound to give us these blessings.

Last week was amazing. On Tuesday morning we made the long travel up to Carlisle and it was amazing as usual. It's about the same distance as Provo to Duchesne, and it looks similar to it as well. The hills just aren't nearly as large as the ones there in Utah. Anyway, we worked with the elders there and they were amazing. We did a lot of speaking with people in the streets and tracting and we set up some great appointments. I worked with a French Missionary named Elder Torres. Now I've been on exchanges with Missionaries from both Mum and Dads Missions. Anyway, I learned a lot from him and I felt very blessed to get to work with him!

The next day we traveled to a place called Heysham... does anyone remember that name? It's where the ferry comes in from the Isle of Man! Yep, we picked up Elders Cowley and Joliffe who are serving on the blessed Isle. We had some lunch with them and did some work with them that day and it was amazing. It was great to get caught up with Elder Cowley, he is so concerned for people, I always learn so much from him when I'm working with him. So that was very exciting. It's just one of those amazing tender mercies of the Lord that I am able to travel to a place I have been before to pick up the Elder serving in my previous area. And to hear that the people I worked with there are doing well, that was so amazing as well.

And then Thursday was our Zone Conference! It came very fast. I was blessed to be able to play the piano for the Conference which was scary but not so much since I've had all the practice before. I was also able to give a report about our zone and Elder Griffeth and I trained our zone on member work. It was a great conference and I felt like I had a much different part in it this time, much more responsibility. It was great though and I learned a lot. And now we're reading the Book of Mormon as a mission. It's amazing and I've already learned so many new things that I never picked up on before! I love this mission, there's nowhere else I'd rather be right now!

So that's one reason that the week just flew by. But then on Friday we taught some amazing people and that just went by even faster. We taught Jimmy and he just soaked up the Plan of Salvation. He could come teaching with us. He needs to come to Church though and then he can be Baptised. We also taught a couple named Basil and Sarah who committed themselves to come to Church and to read in the Book of Mormon. They are all very prepared! I love teaching such amazing people.

On Saturday morning Elder Griffeth and I were talking about the state of our zone and we felt that we should go on exchanges with the other Elders that live with us. I got to work with Elder Johnson from Colorado and he taught me a lot. We drove to the Sisters area (we have one Sisters companionship in our zone) and he did a Baptismal Interview there. We also did some street contacting there and one of the first people we spoke with let us teach him. His name is Josh and he was amazing. He felt the spirit as we talked about Joseph Smith and the Sisters are going to teach him tonight. I love miracles!

Then yesterday was amazing as well. Nobody came to Church, we can use your prayers for that. But the ward pianist was ill so I got to play the piano again. I played two hymns that I've never really played before and I sight read them just fine, it was amazing. And President and Sister Bullock spoke and it was amazing. I learned a lot from them and I'm very thankful to have a Sacred Mission President.

After Church we went to a potential investigator lesson who was a relative of Eric. We had to diligently search for the house, but when we found it and knocked on the door we found Eric there! It was amazing and it made me so happy to see him. We taught him and rescheduled him for Baptism and he will be great. We're seeing him tonight and he also can use your prayers that he will be able to come to Church on Sunday.

And then the evening was so amazing. We had a Tea appointment with a Chinese potential investigator. I rang him earlier in the week and he invited us to tea and I said well why not so we went there. Their names are Forest and Kim and they made us Chinese spaghetti and it amazing. After we ate we taught them the Restoration and the spirit was strong and they committed to be Baptised! It's very exciting, we're seeing them again later in the week. Please pray for them as well. Then as we were walking back to our car Elder Griffeth followed some promptings about some houses to knock on and a man named Greg let us in! So we taught 3 new investigators last night. It was all so amazing.

So as you can tell we've been very busy and because of that the time has gone very fast. I've felt the spirit a lot more in these past few weeks and I feel that it's because of our combined obedience and service to our zone and to others. We were a bit hesitant to go on exchanges on Saturday because of the state of our own area, but we trusted that the Lord would bless us and he really did. I'm almost certain that if we hadn't gone on exchanges then we wouldn't have seen all those miracles. Blessings come to us from our obedience to the commandments and service to others. Then as we remember Christ the Atonement takes effect and we see great miracles. This is our Baptismal covenant. It's also the purpose of our lives. It's how and why we live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I testify that it works. Doing these three things, or keeping our Baptismal covenants, is what brings us true and lasting happiness from the Holy Ghost. The Gospel is really true. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. It is the gateway to personal testimony and it's the most powerful tool in others conversion, but our own as well. I testify of Jesus Christ and that if we will read in the Book of Mormon and pray about it then we will come to know that He really is the Son of God and that He did save us from our sins. I love this Gospel and I know that it changes lives.

Well, I hope you all have an amazing week. I love you all so much. Keep up the amazing work, you make this world a better place every day. Don't forget Moroni 8:3.

Love,

Elder Rowley

Miracle after miracle

Date: Mon, Oct 12, 2009 at 4:08 AM
Subject: Hiya!

Hiya Everyone!

It's been a great week and I hope to hear how yours went as well! Right now the sun is shining and we're all looking forward to playing some football this afternoon with the zone! Being a Missionary is so much fun. Speaking of which, driving is going well, hopefully I've got a practical test booked, I'll find out tomorrow. Please pray that it will be before the 4th of November! That's transfer day and I'm thinking I might not be here another transfer. We'll see.

We had zone conference on Thursday with Elder Kerr of the Seventy from Scotland. He's quite the character and I love him. We all learned a lot from him, he was following up on Elder Bednar's visit. We're learning from Apostles and Prophets and from the Savior how to teach people to learn for themselves, instead of just shoving information down their throats. It's amazing. The other night we were in a lesson with the Chiza's and we were working on asking better questions to help them to learn for themselves. At the end of the lesson Mary Chiza said that we asked really good questions! I felt that they just learned better all around. These skills are great and they are really working! The Church is true!

Yesterday was a great Sabbath, but Elder Brown and Elder Burnett were sick! Elder Neilson and I had to go on splits to cover both wards for Church and it was a lot of fun. We have a member named Paul Collis who comes teaching with us a lot and he was my companion for Church, it was great. I learned a lot at church and Florence and Carmen both came! It was a great Sunday even if it was a bit hectic!

Also, speaking of Carmen, she's scheduled to be Baptised on the 30th of October! We're seeing her again tonight and giving her a schedule of everything that will happen between now and her Baptism and it's very exciting to see her progress! Keep praying for everything will work out for her to be Baptised on that date! I know that miracles are on the way because my faith has been strengthened at the many many recent miracles we've seen. We were praying for someone we could Baptise this transfer and here we've got Carmen!

Another miracle we saw recently was one evening we had accidentally booked 2 appointments for the same time, and no fellowshipper! Paul Collis was going to come, but he had to babysit. Something inside me told me that everything would be alright though, and sure enough, when we stepped off a bus to walk to one of the appointments, Paul rang and said that he wasn't babysitting anymore! It was a miracle and a half, we were able to teach both lessons and have a great evening!

One of those lessons was with Simon, Stephanie, Florence, and Deborah, they are a part-member family (Florence isn't a member yet and Deborah is younger than 8) and they are amazing. We sang to them and we've been doing that for them for the past few lessons. Singing invites the spirit. That is true. I love it. And all of them came to Church yesterday because of it!

Another miracle we saw this week after zone conference happened when we were able to teach a new investigator named Phil. I love people named Phil, they're great. Anyway, we weren't sure if we should go out to this area where he lived because we didn't get back from Zone Conference until nearly 7:30 and didn't have much time to proselyte. The spirit told us to go though and we did and were able to teach him! Plus his fiancee, Roxanne is a less-active member! The crazy thing is that about 2 weeks ago we taught Roxanne's brother, Christian, and a couple days ago we taught him again! Coincidence? I don't think so. The Church is true and God lives and this is a day of miracles!

We also started teaching a man named Tim this week who is great. He learns a lot and identifies with the people in the Sciptures and wants to improve his life. The Gospel is going to bless him so much. We're teaching him again this evening and giving him a Baptismal Date to work towards! Pray for everything to go as the Lord wants!

As you can tell, we're just seeing miracle after miracle here in Rochdale! I love this work and I know it's true. Thank you for all of your Prayers in our behalf, it really does change things so much. I've really seen things pick up here in the last few weeks as our Prayers and efforts have improved. I know that Prayer plus the faith to work equals miracles. I've seen that here and I know that we can all see it in every aspect of our lives. Pray more often and more fervently and your life will improve. I testify of that. Jesus is the Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. Heavenly Father lives and loves each of us. The Gift of the Holy Ghost is real and is the greatest gift we have here in life. I've learned more and more to appreciate this gift as I should. And even now I know that I don't appreciate it enough. The Holy Ghost connects us to our Father in Heaven, without it we die spiritually. That's why we get it more and more the more we repent and put aside our sins, or spiritual death. The Gospel makes so much sense which to me is just another evidence that it is true. I know this not because of physical evidence, but rather because the Holy Ghost has told me that the Book of Mormon is true as I have had the faith to read, ponder, and pray about it. I testify that we can all do this again and again and it will improve all our lives every time. I attribute the goodness of my life to my relationship to my Savior Jesus Christ through the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith as well as Thomas S. Monson. The Church is true!

Well, I love you all very much. I can't thank you enough for the prayers and love and support and letters. Please keep them coming, I'm praying for you. I couldn't do this without you, and never forget that the people of England are blessed for what you have done for me. Have a great week and let me know what more I can do for you! I love you!

Love,

Elder Rowley

Truth, opposition and the plan of happiness

Date: Mon, Jun 8, 2009 at 7:44 AM
Subject: Hello!

Hello Again,

How is everyone this week? We're doing well here in Rochdale. Today the sun is shining which is good because we've missed it for a couple days. Overall it's feeling like summer now, last week we went 3 or 4 days in a row without wearing out suit coats! I like summer.

Everything is going well this week. We are teaching so many amazing people, and the members are getting excited about the work as well. Last week we taught 13 lessons with members present and no lessons without, it was incredible! They are really on fire here.

Vicky's Baptism is on Sunday, so I'll be telling you about it in the next e-mail! She is so amazing and she already has such a strong testimony. This morning we were going somewhere with a part-member Family and we saw Vicky walking down the street. We waved at her and she wasn't really smiling until she saw that it was us. It made us so happy to brighten her day!

Jamie is doing well also. He is working towards Baptism as well and is still scheduled for the 20th of June. We're excited for him. He has such a strong Faith in Christ and has all his life it seems. He's a great example to all of us and I learn so much from him every time we see him!

We still haven't been able to see our Fijian investigator since we dated him for Baptism. He needs some serious strength against opposition... we're hoping things improve for him and we can see him soon.

We are also teaching a young-woman from the Congo named Florence. Her parents were Baptised not too long ago and they are just a wonderful family. They speak mostly French, so it's difficult for them to understand us sometimes, but Florence speaks English really well so she can translate for her parents when they don't understand. She's been coming to Church more recently, and is even going to young-women! The ward here helps us out so much.

Kirsty is another investigator that we recently started teaching again. Her "partner" (means that they live together but aren't married, it happens a lot over here) wasn't too happy with her taking the lessons which is why they stopped teaching her before I got here. Now it seems like she doesn't care about the opposition, she just wants the Gospel so bad that she is willing to do anything for it. She already is so receptive to the spirit, in the first lesson we had with her last week we asked her to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and she did and got her answer and knows it's true! It's amazing, we're so excited to hopefully set a Baptismal date with her this week!

In other news, Zone Conference was amazing last week! We learned a lot and I really enjoyed the trainings, especially the ones from my trainer Elder Ayers. I also got to see Elder Llaguno and his new companion, Elder Frogeley, as well as Elder Larson, they are all doing very well! It was great to see all of them, I've really grown to love them so much.

Yesterday there was an amazing conference across the British Isles and Ireland. President Uchtdorf, Elder Anderson, and Elder Oaks (our area president) all spoke, it was great! I learned so much, and thanks to the amazing members here, Vicky, Jamie, Kirsty, and Leeroy and Louma were all able to come! They all enjoyed it very much and felt the spirit a lot!

Well, the Church is true. I grow in my testimony every single day and I love it so much. I think I've heard hundreds of objections to the Church so far, and I know for a fact that they are all dead wrong. Satan sure is good at getting lies into people's heads. We are so blessed to have the truth on the earth today. I testify that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was lost after the Apostles were killed. It was brought back with the Prophet Joseph Smith. If we aren't sure if Joseph Smith was a true Prophet of God, all we have to do is read the Book of Mormon. What a blessing it is to have evidence that every single person in the world can know for themselves that this Church is true. I know with all my heart that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It does bring us closer to God every time we read it. And as we become closer to God we are happier, we have more peace, and we are more prepared to live with our Families forever in His presence. I'm so thankful for the knowledge of the Plan of Happiness. I know that it is true. No other Church on the earth teaches the Plan of Happiness. Our brothers and sisters need the knowledge we have. Missionary work is one of the most important things we must do in life, and it will bring us great blessings! That is true. Never doubt that. Never doubt that if we pray for Missionary opportunities and experiences, they will come. Pray for strength to open your mouth. It will work. Prayer does work, and it does change things. No matter what anyone ever says, that is true. God lives and loves us. He does have a body and so does Jesus Christ. I'm thankful for that. I'm glad that we can understand our Father in Heaven and don't have to wonder or guess about him from false creeds that have been made up by men. His truth has been restored. Let us proclaim it!

Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful day, week, month, and year. Keep being amazing and the Lord will bless you. Thank you for the blessings you have brought to my life. Don't you ever forget that the people here are being blessed for all that you do for me. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. Keep the letters coming. Heavenly Father knows I need your support. Pray for Missionary experiences. Please. I love you!

Love,

Elder Rowley

I love this mission!

photos courtesy of the Tricketts, who saw the elders just yesterday

Date: Mon, Apr 20, 2009 at 6:15 AM
Subject: Happy Spring!

Hello Everyone!

It sounds like it's been a busy week in Provo! That's exciting. It's sunny right now and the trees are starting to blossom! It looks like spring and I'm very excited. It's going to go fast though!

We have had an incredible week. The mission goal for Quality Gospel Conversations is 70 over 12 set up appointments. Last week we reached over 70 and set up 10 appointments! Twenty-one of those were in Liverpool, but we reached it anyway! We were both excited to see so much success. We were really struggling to set up appointments though, and we had none when we got back from Liverpool on Thursday evening. We asked Heavenly Father to bless us with some appointments and on Saturday we set up 7!! Prayer works. I'm excited to see these people, we're hoping and praying that these appointments don't fall through!

Our investigators are doing very well. On Saturday we saw Peter and Chris and Peter said that he wants to be Baptized! We told him to pray about a date and asked him and Christine to think about it and we'll probably be seeing them when we return from our Mission Conference. I'm so excited for him, he could be Baptized in a couple weeks if all works out well! Please pray for that to happen in the Lord's time and for Chris to get there soon.

I'm very proud of Elder Llaguno. He is such a trooper. He works so hard. He works so hard to speak with everyone, it's incredible. The other day we were street contacting and he spoke with a man from Portugal. We set up an appointment with him and on Saturday he became a new investigator! I'm so excited. This area is being blessed so much!

We haven't been able to see Wanda for a little while, but we're seeing her as soon as we return from our Mission Conference. We stopped by to see her the other day and just said hello and she seems to be doing well. Please pray for her to be ready for Baptism on May 2! She is so close. We have a lot of investigators who are so close. If we pray for them then they will receive all of Heavenly Fathers blessings from the restored Gospel. I know it!

John came to Church on Sunday! That's 3 weeks in a row that he has been! We're so proud of him. He's starting to progress faster and faster. Maybe he will be Baptized in the next few months... we'll hope and Pray. He's such a good man. He's really funny, we'll say something like "you're a good man John." to which he replies (in his Chinese accent) "no no no, you're good man, you're good man!" I love John!

We have a few investigators that we haven't been able to get a hold of recently, please pray for that to happen. They are such amazing people and we aren't sure what's happened to them. Pray for Adrian and Judy, and also Wendy and Andy. We're also hoping and praying for new investigators as well. There is so much work here to be done!

Zone Conference was amazing. It's a wonderful time to be a Missionary in the England Manchester Mission! We achieved 32 Baptisms as a mission in March! That's the second highest amount of people Baptized in one month for the past 5-6 years and maybe more. We are doubling the numbers. And President Bullock says that we can double it even more. We continue to be blessed with such amazing tools to find those souls who are prepared for the truth. Please pray for the continued success of our Mission. I love that when someone in the Mission has a Baptism it's not just that companionship that celebrates. We, as a Mission, celebrate it. I love this mission so much!

Well, the Church is true. My Testimony of it is strengthened every day. I love being a Missionary and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I know that this work is true and it is right. Never pass up an opportunity to share the Gospel, no matter how scared you may be. It's never worth it to give in to fear. I know that we will be happier as we are more faithful in speaking up to share the gospel with others. Nobody said it was easy, but it's infinitely worth it. Have Missionary experiences. Pray for them. Study how to share the Gospel. Ask the Missionaries to help you. The missionaries in the Provo Mission cannot reach their full potential without you. I'm going to challenge every single person who reads this letter to have at least one Missionary experience a week. Look for them and Pray for them and they will happen. I know that they will, even in Provo. The Lord will bless you for it. He needs our help to do this work. We are His hands. I love this great work. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. If God's spirit children who don't have the Gospel aren't invited to come unto Him then His suffering for them is nearly wasted. I love the Savior. I know that God loves us. He lives. He will help us live the Gospel. We must put Him first in our lives. Joseph Smith was a true Prophet of God. The Book of Mormon is true and it is the keystone of my testimony. It is the way that those who don't have the Gospel will come to know that it's true. I love the Book of Mormon. I know that it will bring us closer to God as we abide by it's precepts than any other book in the world.

Anyway, have a wonderful week and next week I'll be able to tell you what it feels like to shake President Packer's hand. I'm so excited to meet him. Keep up the amazing work, Heavenly Father is proud of you for it. I love you all!

Love,

Elder Rowley

Zone Conference, Liverpool (yes--that Liverpool) and the ferry

Date: Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 5:45 AM
Subject: Zone Conference, Liverpool, and the Ferry...

Hello Everyone!

How are you all doing? How's the weather over there? How are your Missionary experiences going? I hope they are going well, don't forget to write me about them!!

Well, we've had one crazy, but great week! On Tuesday the boiler specialist came and told us that the pump on our boiler is out. It will take 3 weeks to get a new one, but until then he said that they might could re-wire another type of pump to fit our boiler. Let's hope so!








On Wednesday we got to see the Tricketts for dinner again and it was wonderful! They are so nice and we love them so much. We were able to leave a copy of the Book of Mormon with them as well as a Restoration DVD. The Restored Gospel is true and everyone deserves a chance to receive all of our Father in Heaven's blessings from it! We hope the Tricketts do, please pray for them to!

On Thursday we had a nice ferry ride back to the mainland for Zone Conference! We got to do some work in Preston and met some amazing people, it was great! Zone Conference the next day was amazing and I learned so much. Revelation is a beautiful thing and is so important. We had Elder Per G. Malm (from Sweden) of the 3rd Quorum of the Seventy come and speak to us. He was amazing and the spirit was so strong as he spoke. I'm excited to apply, this week, what I learned at Zone Conference. Oh and Elder Woolsey and Elder Ayers were both there, it was great to see them also. That night we got to stay with our Zone Leaders in Liverpool and it was amazing!

The next day, Saturday, we got to play football (soccer) with some ward members and investigators in the area and it was a lot of fun. We realized all too late that we were going to be cutting it close to catch the ferry from Birkenhead (across the Mersey River from Liverpool, look it up on GoogleEarth). So we got back to their flat and quickly changed and packed up and got in the car with about an hour to go. We did get to see Liverpool City Centre which was amazing, and we also got to go in a tunnel under the Mersey River, that was really cool too. We got lost on the way to the ferry though, and when we found the road it was closed, and we got to the terminal just as the ferry was sailing out. We missed our ferry! It was a very intense day but I'm glad that it happened. All of us learned a lot that day. So we stayed one more night in Liverpool and then got our ferry back to the island yesterday. We are so happy to be back on the island!

It's been a little while since we've seen our investigators which I don't like but we are going to change that today and tomorrow. They are doing well though. Pete and Chris were at Church yesterday even though we weren't and we hear they are doing well. I'll give more updates on them all next week. Please pray for them to progress towards Baptism!

Well, the Church is true. I love this Gospel and I love that the fulness of it has been restored. I know that the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to true happiness in this life, and the way to receive all of God's blessings in the eternities. How amazing is it that we have a Prophet of God and Twelve Apostles on the earth today?! And we get to hear from them in a couple weeks, I'm so excited!! I know that Thomas S. Monson is a true Prophet of God and that Jesus Christ guides and directs us through him today. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and it will help us gain a greater testimony of the Gospel as we read it prayerfully. I love that sacred record. It does bring us closer to God and Jesus Christ. I love this restored Gospel and I'm so thankful to be a messenger of it. There is nothing in the world like representing Jesus Christ. Never pass up an opportunity to share your testimony with anyone, but especially with a non-member. It is the way that we invite the spirit to link them to all of the amazing things that happened before this life. That's the amazing thing about this world- every man, woman, and child in it said yes to Jesus Christ before this world. It's our sacred responsibility to help them say yes to Him in this one. Please pray for Missionary opportunities, seek them out, and let me know how they are going!!

Anyway, you are all so amazing and I'm so blessed to have you. Keep up the amazing work, I love you all so much. Have a great week and let me know if there is anything I can do for you!

Love,

Elder Rowley

Miracles do happen!

Date: Sat, Feb 7, 2009 at 5:19 AM
Subject: Hello!

Hello Everyone!

What a week! It went so fast and so many amazing things are happening, I can't hardly wait to tell you about them all. Don't forget, anyone and everyone is more than welcome to send us mail anytime! Letters to Missionaries are worth their weight in gold!

Well, I actually have to hurry because we have an appointment soon. Zone Conference was incredible. I love Zone Conferences, they are the best! We left on Wednesday and the Ferry ride was nice and smooth, we got some studying and letter-writing done. When we got there we went to our Zone Leaders Area (we're in the Liverpool Zone) and went on exchanges with them. I got to go with Elder Crowther who was trained out on the Isle of Man! We got to teach a lesson, visit a recent convert, and try by some potential investigators, it was so much fun! I always learn so much from the other Missionaries here, I love it. We taught this lesson to a woman named Magdalena and her husband. She recognized the spirit very well, she said that when we were there it was like there was a piece of Heaven in their home, it was amazing
and very humbling.

Thursday was Zone Conference and we got some wonderful training which we are excited to apply to the work on the Isle of Man! Thanks for the letters and packages by the way, I love them!! For a part of Zone Conference we got to sing "Be Still My Soul" with a group of other Elders and some Sisters, it was amazing. President Bullock spoke about the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi Codices and how they support the Book of Mormon and all the teachings of Joseph Smith, it was amazing and it really strengthened our testimonies. Sister Bullock told one of her amazing stories and related it to the work, we always learn a lot from her. At the very end of the Conference we did the questions of the soul from chapter 5 of Preach My Gospel. We all have been studying these and they drew names out of a hat to see who would go up and answer the questions based on the scripture given in Preach My Gospel. My name got called and it was pretty intimidating, but a lot of fun! It was all so amazing. That evening we were with the Preston Elders again and I got to go with the Preston Zone Leaders to do some tracting and to teach a lesson, it was a lot of fun, I love these amazing people I'm serving with here!

Yesterday we traveled home and we have been hoping and praying for a nice, calm Ferry ride for the past few days. And we sure got it. We were also praying for the strength to contact people on the Ferry and we got that too, kind of. We got some food right when we got on because we were hungry and we knew that this time we wouldn't have to worry about "donating it" to the floor of the ferry. As we sat down and began to eat the man sitting next to us said "does President Bullock know you're here?" Both of us were very surprised when the man introduced himself as GP. GP lived in Salt Lake for a while with President Jacobsen (the previous Mission President before President Bullock) and even got to meet President Hinckley. He lives on the island and President Bullock told us to get in contact with him but we haven't been able to because he has been gone until just yesterday when he was on our same ferry to come back. Miracles do happen! We got to know him really well and it was just great. As if that was amazing enough there were a couple guys who started asking us about the Church and things, it was amazing. We are still in awe of the blessings we have received over the last few days. I love being a Missionary.

Other than that the work is going very well, we've got a lot of potential investigators lined up and on Monday we actually got 3 new investigators who I'll tell you more about next week.

Well, the Church is true, never forget it! President Monson is a Prophet of God and he is guided and directed by Jesus Christ himself. I know that this Church is the only true Church on this earth. God does live and He does love us more than we can ever really understand. He does answer prayers. Jesus Christ is the Son of God and I love Him so much. The power of the Atonement is real. The power of the Priesthood is real. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and it will bring us closer to God. There is power in the small and simple things of Scripture Study and Prayer, I love these two things so much.

I hope you all have a wonderful week and feel free to send loads of letters! We only go back to the mainland once every 6 weeks so please send them to the flat. We don't have transfers for another month so no need to worry about me getting transferred. I'll work on sending more letters too! Thanks for everything you do, you are all so amazing and I love you so much. Keep up the amazing work and let me know about your Missionary experiences! I love you!

Love,

Elder Rowley

Saturday Surprise: Home away from home away from home, or, Obey your president!

stormy sea photo courtesy of Mr. Trickett


Date: Sat, Dec 20, 2008 at 3:35 AM
Subject: Happy Christmas!

Hello Everyone!

Wow, another Christmas is already here, it's crazy how fast the time flies! How is everyone? Thanks so much for all the love and letters and packages and support, you are all so wonderful! I appreciate it so much and so does the Lord! I have so much to tell you about! The past couple weeks have been some of the busiest and most life-changing weeks of my life. I love change, isn't it fun?

Well, Elder Larsen and I have been working hard here on the Isle of Man and it is so much fun! The other day we taught 4 lessons in a row, it was amazing. We taught the first one to the girlfriend of a recent convert, she is kind of shy but from what we were told by the member that was with us she is taking it all in well. Then our other recent convert who is AMAZING phoned us and said that he's got a friend who wanted to speak with us and we set up an appointment with him and her later that day! The lesson went really well, she is so prepared, and she is excited to learn more. Today we are committing both of them to Baptism! It's really exciting. The other two lessons that day were with another recent convert who is struggling and our investigator with a Baptismal date. Those went really well also.

The ward here is so incredible, they are so supportive! It's as if we are a part of the ward and our callings are ward callings, it's incredible! They are so friendly and kind and we both really feel at home here, it's great.

The last 3 days have been pretty intense. We had Zone Conference on Thursday and that was absolutely incredible. I needed it so bad. We had some talks and things from President and Sister Bullock and other Missionaries in the morning and then... we got to go to the TEMPLE!! It was so amazing, we first ate a great meal in the cafeteria and then did our Endowment session. It felt so good to be in the Temple again, it's been so long! The spirit was strong the entire day, after our session we went to the MTC and watched the Joseph Smith movie, it was great. It felt weird to be back there, it made me realize just how far I've come in the last 3 months. I loved Zone Conference! Being a Missionary is the best.

To be at Zone Conference we had to take the ferry out on Wednesday and then train hop to Preston where we stayed with the Preston Zone Leaders and a couple other Elders there (it's a 4 man flat). It was so fun, we got to go on exchanges with them and they were so nice to us and it just felt like our home away from home (the Isle of Man) away from home (Utah)! Yesterday we did the same thing with the trains and the ferry except that it wasn't so pleasant. On the way over on Wednesday the ferry was rocking almost like a rocking chair. On the way back last night it was like a rodeo bull. It slowly got worse and worse, at first it was fun; but by the time we walked off I wanted to kiss the ground. I went from sitting up straight to slouching to laying down on the bench (it's like a restaurant). And then I pretty much fell on the floor. I was so sick and I'm still recovering. I learned something last night. Never ever ever disobey your Mission President in anything he tells you to do, especially when he says to get motion sickness tablets!! It was a good experience though and I'm glad it happened.


Missionary work is hard and fun. It is true though, and it is the Lord's work. His hand is in this work even right now. I know that Heavenly Father loves us more than we can ever understand. He is mindful of our trials and afflictions and is waiting earnestly to help us, all we need to do is ask for His divine help. I have experienced that so many times in my life but especially here on my Mission. I know that God hears and answers our prayers. The more earnest our prayers the more earnest He blesses us. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and it brings us closer to God. I'm so thankful for what Joseph Smith went through to be the instrument of God in restoring this Gospel to the earth. He was a Prophet and Thomas S. Monson is a Prophet of God today. He knows and sees things we can't, and because of that we must obey him. When we do what the Prophet says we're doing what God says. As we obey the Gospel we are happier. Jesus Christ is really the only way to true and lasting happiness in this life and in the next. He is our Savior. He knows us and all of our pains, trials, temptations, and sicknesses and He knows how to deliver us from them. I love celebrating not only His birth, but His life and death and resurrection as well. We celebrate His birth because of His life. His example really is the best in the world. If we follow Him we will reach our full potential and we will be happy! This message is true and it changes lives! I absolutely LOVE being a Missionary!

Thanks again for all the prayers and love and support, the Lord knows I need it. And I need it because the people here need me. I'm so thankful that I get to serve them. Don't ever forget that they are being blessed for what you do for me. I love you all so much. Keep working hard and having Missionary experiences. I'm still working on Charity, your prayers are much needed and appreciated as I work on developing this Christ-like attribute!

Well, I guess I'd better wrap this up. You'll hear more from me on Wednesday. I Love you!

Love,

Elder Rowley

On bended knee

Date: Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 4:26 AM
Subject: Lots of Love from Shrewsbury!

Hello Everyone!!

Wow it's been an incredible week. It all goes so fast, but I just love it all just the same. Being a Missionary is so much fun.

Friday we had Zone Conference and we experienced the power of Revelation. The whole thing was planned on bended knee and it was obvious. They taught us how to have Quality Gospel Conversations (our new key indicator) and also how to set up appointments. The spirit was so strong, all of us knew that it came from the Lord himself. That day was the day our mission changes forever, and I'm so blessed to be a part of it! We are excited to have plans to at least double the amount of Baptisms we have as a Mission and it is so exciting. Will you pray for us to have success in doing this? We are going to see great miracles in Great Britain in the little while that I'm here and for a long while after that. Oh I'm so excited!

Well, this week is the week the excitement began when on Monday Elder Woolsey and I had 23 QGC's with 3 set up appointments! It was my first time setting up an appointment to go teach someone and because of the training from Zone Conference, I was able to do it well! It's so exciting. Then yesterday we were on exchanges with the Zone Leaders and we together got something like 20 QGC's with 3 more appointments! Oh I love this, it's amazing!

On Sunday we got to go to Stake Conference and it was great. We were a bit late so we got to sit in a little room and watch the speakers on a TV. It was my first Stake Conference in Great Britain and guess who spoke? President and Sister Bullock! It was great, their talks were amazing! The theme of the Conference was Missionary work and we are all really excited to have more of the members help in finding people for us to teach. Will you pray for the members of the Shrewsbury Ward and Newtown Branch to have success in finding people for us to teach? I know that if we all pray together then we will see, and be part of great miracles in these areas. I'm so blessed to have all of your help and support! How are your Missionary experiences? I'd like to hear some in the letters and e-mails home! Are you finding people for the Missionaries to teach?

Anyway, now to the exchange with the Zone Leaders! It's been so much fun, I've been with Elder Wiese (pronounced 'visa') from Germany! They just keep putting me with these Germans. And I love it! I've really come to love Germans, Sweedish people, Finnish people, and especially the Brits. I love growing to love people! Anyway, so last night we were tracting and within about half an hour we had a few QGC's and 2 more appointments! It was amazing, Elder Wiese has taught me so much! I love learning from other Missionaries, it's great! Oh yes, and last night he cut my hair. It's pretty short now, I'm hoping to get you pictures soon and you can see how much fun we had that night!

Well, the church is true, what else matters? I know it is true, I just know it. The hope for Salvation really is like a protective helmet, if we desire the Celestial Kingdom more than anything else, then we will obtain it. I'm so excited to meet our Father in Heaven again one day, it's going to be such an amazing day. He really is there for us. Prayer does work, I've seen so many answers to my prayers every single day of my Mission so far. Fasting and prayer is powerful. I've seen a great change in the lives of those around me as I've fasted for them. Miracles are possible. Jesus is the Christ and He lives and loves us. Think about that: Jesus Christ is alive. He is walking, breathing, talking somewhere, right this very moment. That is amazing. And because of that we can live again as well. The Gospel is true. If we live like Jesus Christ and live His Gospel then we will obtain Salvation. It is possible for each and every one of us. No matter how hard things may get in life the Atonement makes up for it, the Atonement can deliver us from any trial, temptation, sorrow, or pain we will ever go through. The book of Mormon is the word of God. It is the way to a testimony. If you are doubting the truth of the Gospel, read the Book of Mormon. If you are ever feeling down and depressed, read the Book of Mormon. If you feel that you are unworthy and temptation is pressing upon you, read the Book of Mormon. It can bring us closer to Jesus Christ and to God. Read the Book of Mormon. We owe it to those who wrote it, (see Jacob 4:1-3) to those we love, and to God. He wants us to be close to Him and the Book of Mormon can do that. I love that book so much. The Church is true. Keep up the amazing work, your help and support to me is much needed and appreciated. I couldn't be doing as well as I am if it weren't for all of your help. Thanks for making me who I am today! Keep the letters coming. I love you all!

Love,

Elder Rowley

Addendum: I asked Luke what service project he does at the National Trust. This is his response:

Oh I just saw your question about the National Trust, we usually help out in a place called the walled garden, it's really cool. Hundreds of years ago it was a garden, and recently they've restored it, it's amazing. We do things like shovel manure and put it on the soil, or dig up new beds for plants and things, or water plants, or one week we actually squished caterpillars, it was pretty fun!

First Zone Conference

Date: Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 6:05 AM
Subject: I Love You!

Hello Again!

Two months of my Mission is GONE!! I miss it already. I just love being a Missionary and I never want to stop doing Missionary work. It's the best!

Well, the big news for the week is.... Elder Ayers is gone. He is going to be a Zone Leader in the Ashton Zone! I'm so excited for him. We got the phone call on Sunday night. My new companion will be Elder Woolsey from St. George. I'm going to miss Elder Ayers, but I'm really excited to serve with Elder Woolsey. He likes hunting and fishing and seems like an outdoors man so we already have a lot in common! It's going to be a great transfer! Speaking of transfers, they are every 6 weeks, the next one ends on December 10. You'll have to remind me to let you know when each transfer ends so you can send mail to the Mission Office!

Zone Conference was amazing! I just love getting to meet with President Bullock and other Missionaries. I was praying for greater Faith and an added measure of the Spirit before the Conference and my prayers were answered. President Robert C. Oaks came and spoke to us for a couple hours, and we also heard from President and Sister Bullock, Sister Oaks, and Elder Wiedmann. I learned so much! The spirit was so strong in those meetings, I know that sounds really cliche but it's really true. I absolutely love the Spirit of God.

Last Friday we went on an exchange and I got to go with Elder Davies from Arizona. He is going to be our new district leader by the way. Anyway, we got to do some finding and also had a lesson with a less-active man who is struggling. At the end of the lesson we got to give him a blessing of comfort and it felt amazing. I love the feeling that comes from using the Melchizedek Priesthood to bless others. It was a wonderful experience.

On Sunday we got to visit Newtown for church again and it was great. I got to give a talk about gratitude, it was fun! After the meetings we had a munch and mingle, it was great food and the people are so nice. We then got to go around with the Branch President, President Briggs, and visit some less-active members. Wales is gorgeous. I need our family history information. I'm really excited to learn about where exactly they were from because I have a feeling I'm serving really close to some of those areas. There is a great spirit in Wales that is unlike anything I've ever felt... it's absolutely amazing.

Well, the work is going amazingly well. My last two days with Elder Ayers were amazing. On the first we had 16 Quality Gospel Conversations (a new key indicator for our mission) and set up 3 or 4 appointments with potential investigators. The next day we had 3 more QGC's, and got into a man's home and taught him a lesson, all within an hour! We went from 1 investigator a few weeks ago, to 7! The last couple weeks have been really exciting!

The weather here is turning cold, very cold! Utah cold is dry, the cold here is wet and it sticks to you. I'm working on getting used to it. Yesterday afternoon we were doing service at Attingham Park and it actually snowed! It was really wet snow but it was still snow! It was beautiful. England is so beautiful, everything about it.

Well, I'd better wrap this up. Thanks again for all of your help and prayers and support, you've all done so much for me. I'm seeing the help you've given to me bless the lives of those I get to serve. Thank you so much for everything you've done for me. The church is true and nothing else matters. I wish I was more bold with love when I talk with people. I'm working on getting to know people better. I want to shatter my comfort zone. If you pray for anything for me this week, pray for that to happen and I'll let you know that it did in my e-mails next week. I'm excited for it. Anyway, Jesus is the Christ. I love Him so much. God lives and loves us so much. He really is our father and we know him better than we know anybody on this earth. He wants everything for us, all he needs to give us that is our will. He really does answer prayers, all throughout this transfer we were praying for new investigators and those prayers were answered. I see prayers answered daily here and I love to watch the hand of the Lord working in my life. Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ can bring us true, lasting happiness. Nothing else will do it. Salvation is not a cheap experience. It takes everything we've got to get to the Celestial Kingdom. I just love being a Missionary and teaching and testifying of these things. I've never done anything better in my life.

Well, I'll talk to you again next week. Keep the letters coming and thanks for those that have been sent! I love you all so much. Be good. Have daily Missionary experiences for me and for our Heavenly Father. There is extremely great potential in Member-Missionary work. Much love and big hugs right back to all of you!

Love,

Elder Rowley