Meet us at the train station

Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2010 11:21:56 +0100
Subject: Re: 8/1/2010

Ya this week has been good. Elder Thorup loves talking to Chinese people so we invited like 30 people to church and they all said they would come. We had confirmed with 10 but only 2 showed up. Ones name was Yin and he came with us but another girl named Sonia came with her two friends. After they had talked for a while she said her friends were worried we were going to sell her to Africa! It was really funny but I suppose it was a legitimate concern when two Americans show up and tell you to meet them at a train station. It was still really funny though. So getting people to church has kind of been a challenge but we got some exciting news this week! The zone leaders that we live with are switching to our area! It was inspiration and revelation for them to switch mid-transfer but it means the Lord has something in store for Newcastle. Its very exciting and I can't wait to see what will come from it. About the camera issue, my battery died and I went to look for my charger and I can't find it! I don't know where I put it but everyone out here has a Canon so it shouldn't be too difficult to find one. So hopefully soon I will be able to send some pictures home. Sorry. Heard from Leah Robinson the other day. It was good to hear from her and its funny to tell missionaries I live a block away from her and her dad is Stephen Robinson.

Steve has been doing good but he lost his job with the whole scandal with his visa. But his faith is so strong anyways, its funny to teach them because they always seem so faithful and happy, I guess we just need to help them receive a testimony of the Book of Mormon and they will want to be baptised. So they are the closest to being baptised, we also are teaching an Irish guy named Stuart. He doesn't sound very Irish though but he has no religious background so he's easy to work with. Its been really good this week. Its good to hear about everyone back home. I think about it every now and then but I don't ever worry. Just keep an eye on everyone and everything for me til I get back! Wrote Jeff today and will probably write everyone else soon. Oh and can you send me Jon's please? Thank you and I love you.
Elder Rowley

I'm bummed I missed the barn raising at the Rex Reunion, it was fun digging that hole last year. I sometime wish we did more service out here but oh well. We helped a kid whose car broke down but I didn't know how to fix it, his clutch went out and I didn't know what to do. But he had a ride come. Glad to hear about everyone back home. Let me know about more mission calls, its always exciting to hear. Doug should be getting his soon so you could get his number off my phone and text him about it. And yes I got those letters, thanks for the pictures, always glad to get more. The one with the Gosforth address got here first so there you go. Like I told mom I don't know where my battery charger is so no pictures again this week. Oh well I'll say a prayer and check the flat again. One amazing thing that happened this week was I got to give our Nigerian investigator Steve, a blessing. I was really nervous about it because it was the first one I gave in the field. We were fasting and praying for it to be as the Lord directed and it was amazing. It was like a sentence would form in my head and then I would say it. It was so simple it was amazing! Now that I know what that feels like I tried to do it in normal prayers and it doesn't work! Its so amazing to be able to hold the Priesthood and to use it when called. That was probably the highlight of the week and hopefully they will get answers to their prayers and be baptised. Well I love you Dad, good luck at the doctors. I've had the opportunity to tell some people we've been teaching your story and there was even a man I street contacted who looked me in the eyes and poked me in the chest and said, "Praying cannot cure a man from cancer" I was able to look him back in the eye and tell him that it can and it did. Thank you for everything and I'll talk to you next week!
Elder Rowley