It's getting proper cold

Sounds like a great deer hunt. Me and Elder Wheeler said that we miss Autumn in Utah but its pretty great in England too. It is getting really cold though. And the rain yesterday was just as cold. But I couldn't be bothered, its just another adventure. Other than that the week has been great, except Elder Wheeler is trying to kill me. We have a lot of footballs in the flat and they get kicked around all the time and I was in the kitchen making a sandwich and Elder Wheeler kicked me with the ball twice. I turned around and said, "Kick me with the ball one more time!" It was funny and he rears up for a huge kick. To get a little background in our kitchen there are loads of empty bottles that other missionaries have piled up on the top of the cupboards. Well Elder Wheeler shanks a ball too high and hits all of the bottles above my head. All I heard was a really really loud crashing noise and felt a bombardment of bottles. It was really really funny and miraculously I emerged unharmed, and nothing broke either! It was quite a miracle, other than that he has just been trying to kill me with darts and other household objects. Keeps me on my toes I guess. Well we met this great African from Cameroon last week and in the lesson he said that he thinks when a prophet speaks it is like when God speaks. It was pretty great, then he invited himself to church! I was really happy but he had a long day and ended up not coming. This week has been another trying one but things are gonna change this week. I probably say that every week but it is always true. Nothing ever stays the same on a mission! Today for P-day we carved pumpkins, I'll send pictures next week and played football all day. Its quite fun because there are some really good players in England and it is everyone's favorite sport. Well I'd better e-mail mum. Hopefully I'll get a letter written tonight so I can send Lindsay's game back this week. Well I love you dad and think and talk about you often. Thanks for everything and I'll talk to you next week.
Elder Rowley

Sister Granier is doing good and her mum had surgery last week. I'm positive we are put with people for a reason, though we may never know why. I've been finding that pattern in the Book of Mormon, we just do what we're told and God takes care of the rest. Well this week has been really good and today was really fun too. We got the whole zone together and we bought pumpkins and had a Halloween party. It was pretty great and I'll send pictures next week. That's why I'm e-mailing right now because we've been doing stuff all week long. But this week has been a very very quick one as well. We have weekly planning every.....week.... and it keeps sneaking up on us. Its really easy to make goals and to have a vision for the next week but then time just slips out from under you. That will be a big thing that we will work on this week, making our goals meaningful by achieving them. I try my best to remember them but it gets hard. I've started writing really small and it made me think of when Grandma Janet told me that Grandpa Dale would always write really small on his mission. He also had just a notebook that he would always takes notes in, I think I'm going to buy a little one and do the same. Something kinda funny has happened in the mission though, there is another Elder Rowley for a while. He is serving a mini mission because another missionary got sent home and he hasn't got a nametag yet so I'm going to send him one of mine today or tomorrow. Its pretty funny and I'm going to see if they'll let me get a Z on a nametag now. How sweet would that be! Haha, its funny how the little things can make you smile. Well I'm trying to think if I have any good stories for you this week.......and unfortunatley things are going about the same. That is probably not true, I just need to look for more miracles! The weather is changing up here though. Its getting proper cold and the leaves are changing. Its quite pretty but nothing like Utah but I love it anyways. It is raining quite more now as well and I might need to start buying some warm clothes. I doubt it but just in case you notice any changes on my credit card I thought I'd let you know. Well I'd better get on with it. I love you mum. I'm looking forward to hearing from you again next week. Love you loads.
Elder Rowley

One question--one day--at a time

Elder Zack and Elder Black


I'm glad there are so many exciting things going on at home. I'm glad you got to meet Elder Black too, he was one of my heroes in the mission. We got along great and loved the work as well, he is definitely my example on how to go home from a mission properly. He was not trunky at all and it was amazing, so hopefully I can do that too. I'm glad to hear that the trucks are getting fixed, we live right next to some garages and sometimes I peek in to see what's what. its good your learning more about it so you can teach me when I get home and we can fix the new problems that have arisen! I can't believe that the hunt is getting so much shorter, that's really lame but oh well you have to take what you can get. I'm sure it will be a fun time for you and Luke to spend some time together. Thanks for the pictures of Rashae and Curtis, I really look forward to meeting him and spending a lot of time with them. Can you get me their address? I think it would be fun to write them a letter, I'm so excited for them. Well this week was an unusual blast! From Tuesday to Thursday all the leadership in the mission met in Leeds which meant that I got to stay in the flat with an Elder from Gateshead who is on his second week in the mission. It was so much fun and we worked really well together! I wonder if I'll get the chance to train someday. I remember what you wrote me in that letter when I was having a hard time getting trained and I think that will be an exciting adventure. I think I'm focusing on making things an adventure because I know I haven't got long. I talked to a member yesterday who said, "How many days do you have left?" I told him I had no idea and he said that from 544 days he counted his mission. I asked him why and he said that if you don't keep track and take advantage of every day you have left you miss it and its gone. I was really surprised and decided to count how many days I have left to serve the Lord and I've got 608. Today is my four month mark, I'm glad and sad that its been this long. I don't want it to end and realising how short it is really helps me take advantage of it. This week we had a lot of finding and not a lot of success but just before a tea appointment we were knocking and found 3 new investigators and they are all former investigators from a long time ago. One of them is an 11 yr old girl who used to read the book of Mormon when she was really little. Her Mum said that is how she learned how to read when she was like 3. I don't know what it is but I think that they are a family that I was meant to find and teach on my mission. It is difficult to explain but I already have a very sacred feeling about them, we shall see what it means. Well this week has been a good one but a short one. I'm learning a lot and trying to do my best to be a better person than I was yesterday. I'm taking it one question at a time, I just wish I was taking more pictures along the way! Haha, well I love you Dad. Thank you so much. Talk to you next week.
Elder Rowley


The pumpkins look great! For our next p-day we're gonna get the whole zone to go pumpkin picking and carve them out at the church. I'm really excited, I will feel like I'm back at home! Haha, the weather here is changing very quickly. It is getting quite cold and a lot of missionaries are getting sick but I've been taking a multivitamin and some vitamin C to protect me. I think there is vitamin D in the multivitamin as well so I should be good. Elder Wheeler is doing great and we get on really well. He's really humble and really relies on the Lord because I think he misses his family a lot. So if you can keep him in your prayers that would rock! The work is going really well, it all started with an adventure that started on Monday night. I was completely knackered after P-day and came back to the flat to find 12 missionaries staying there. There was leadership conference this week and for some reason some dumby sent all 12 missionaries to our flat. I wasn't feeling good so got in my bed as to avoid any tom foolery. But then about 5 of them walk into the room singing a hymn and suddenly stop and tackle me. If there is one thing missionaries love it is to tie up younger missionaries. This had happened to me before and I put up a fight but Elder Christensen cheater so I was proper hog tied. This time I just wanted to go to bed and was frustrated at the lameness going on so I was confident that there was no way they would tie me up. I held them up pretty well for a while but eventually caved in when I started getting clastrophobic from 6 Elders sitting on my chest. When it ended everyone looked and there was blood everywhere. I guess I'd gotten a rug burn on my elbow and didn't notice so it got all over everyone and the flat as well. Serves them right! But I had a fever that whole night and was afraid I wouldn't be able to work the next day but I knew I could make it and me and Elder Woodside (from Maine) had a great 3 days together. It was really a blast and I didn't feel that sick after a while. The funny/sad thing is that when everyone got back from the leadership conference our whole flat was sick for like 2 days. Not me, I felt fine enough to work but everyone else was shattered. Oh well, that just means that this weeks in gonna be that much better! Well Mum, I love you and love your letters and your e-mails. I'll talk to you next week. Love you loads.
Elder Rowley

Things I love

I'm glad Kyle got the letter and I was afraid that sending back that dot game would cause a problem but looks like you handled it well. There is no way we will finish while I'm out here but we can always finish when I get home. Oh and about that letter than I sent Kenzie, turns out as soon as I got back to the flat I found a letter from Kenzie! It must not have been coincidence that I decided to write her! Haha. This week I am going to write to Karolyn and kids so I'll need you to send that to them for me. Sounds like school is back in full swing, that's good you've got some breaks though. And Shae is actually married! That's so weird but he seems like a really great guy. I'm sure they will be happy, but I would be happy if she would e-mail me every now and then. Even though I didn't e-mail her her whole mission.... I was thinking about Duchesne a lot this last week. I think that is one of the big things I miss about home. Oh well, there will be plenty of time to spend there when I get home! I'm trying to think of some story I can tell you about this week but I've been so busy that I haven't had time to stop and think and unfortunately I'm behind in my journal! I have a good memory so I can still write good things from a week back but I want to get completely caught up so that is one of my goals this week. I got a letter from Jon and Jeff this week and they really brightened up my day. Jon's letter was really inspirational and it made me feel like Alma 17:2. He told me to never change and that I'd better plan on a couple of months in the mountains together when I get home. It made me really happy. Well there has been a lot of opposition these last couple of weeks, not just in Newcastle, the whole zone. It's a bit frustrating but at the same time it makes me excited for things to come. And with so much opposition we surely must be on to something good. I'll have to thank you Dad I think I inherited your name gene. I sat in church yesterday and went around the whole chapel and could name everyone there. I think that building ward relationships are one of the most important things missionaries can do, especially in Newcastle. Well I better crack on with e-mails but I've been working on my Geordie accent and we'll see how it is by Christmas. I love you Dad and I'll talk to you next week. (p.s. What's going on with the Deer hunt this year)
Elder Rowley


Hiya mum,
This week has been a struggle but a good one. Our teaching pool is small but has some real potential. My companion is amazing and I'm fantastic. There is just something about a mission that makes you smile. I guess one story from this week I could tell you about is a woman named Shirley. During conference the other missionaries went knocking by the church and found this older woman named Shirley. She was really nervous about meeting with us so instead of going straight into a letter we just started talking to her. At first we were afraid that she would just talk about weird things she had heard about the church but as she realised that we actually cared about her and felt the Spirit she began to open up. She really misses her husband and is afraid that if she came to church and joined that she would get to heaven and her husband would say, "Shirley, you're a Mormon and I'm a Catholic" But there is a member of the ward who joined after her husband had died so we're going to introduce her. I've been really focusing on listening to people instead of just talking. I feel like I am a good listener when I'm just observing but when I am actually talking with someone I have a harder time. It's exciting to grow and know that the Lord is making me who I need to be. There was also a lad we met on the street who said he hated God and everything but as we started talking to him more and he began to trust us he said that his life has gone to pot and that he was thinking about going back to church and stuff. It is just amazing to see what the spirit can do for people. I'm so happy for Talisa! She is going to be an amazing missionary! What language does she have to learn? That's so exciting! Yep the weather is changing here as well. It is very different from back home but I really like it. One thing that we had the other day that we never have in Utah is fog! I love the fog so much. I'm gonna focus on finding things to love in England instead of things that I might miss from America! Well I better crack on! Love you loads!

Elder Rowley

Newcastle is going great! As far as miracles go there are far too many to write about and my mind has been really strayed these last couple days with conference and such but I will let you know. That is so great about Andy! I keep looking at that picture and smiling, I know he is doing great. How about my other missionary friends? Any news? Keep me up to date. My new companion is Jared Paul Wheeler from Bountiful Utah and he has been on his mission for about 8 months. He is great and I am learning a lot about how things work more in a mission. He is surprised at the area and wants to improve it so it will be great to work hard with him to make the area amazing. I dunno how much longer I'll stay here so we'll have to work as hard as we can for the next 6 weeks. Yes there are still four in our flat, the other missionary is Elder Ryan Best from St. George Utah. He is great and about 7ft tall. Its great to have everyone in the flat get along now and the work is going to explode in Newcastle. Its funny because Elder Christensen (the other Zone leader) trained Elder Wheeler! I send a little more information about Elder Black to dad so hopefully he can find them if he doesn't call you soon. He has our home phone number so hopefully he just calls soon. Our investigators are doing great but there are not enough! We are going to work really hard and focus on finding new investigators, sorry I'm not going into much detail but I'm just excited to find and work with a lot more people. Its really amazing to work around other missionaries and I'm becoming the kind of missionary I want to be so its great!

Oh, I was gonna tell you about Sam. She is so great and is already working on going to the temple this week. She reads church material all the time and asked me for a copy of preach my gospel yesterday! Its amazing and its made me realise that baptism isn't the last step, its really the first. I'm glad I realised this now because I'm going to teach it to people and help them realise that it is more than just a dunk in the water. It is the beginning of a lifetime of happiness. Lets hope it all works out in the end! I'm glad to hear about your pumpkins as well, how are the cats doing? I flip through my pictures and every time I get to the one of Capone it makes me smile (even though she looks so unhappy in the picture) try and see if you can send a happier one of her and Mogli as well. Well mum I've got to go, we are gonna play some football today!!!! And I might need some money out of my account for driving lessons so I can drive, I don't want to get too rusty and I might as well learn now, it will be a valuable asset in the future. Well mom I love you more than you could ever know and I'm excited to work my butt off for the next 21 months and then finally rest for a bit when I get home. I'm working on my accent as well and learning new words in all languages. Its a very exciting time to be a missionary!! Love you loads


I'm still amazed that it is already October and that conference has already come and gone. It was amazing to be able to watch it out here but it felt so different. This may sound a bit bad but the General Authorities looked really different and sounded different to me this year, it was like they weren't just talking about something unreal and unattainable. I really felt like we were equals though and worry and praying for the same things. I guess I shouldn't say equals but one in purpose, it was a pretty amazing feeling. But we are blessed to be able to watch 2 of the sessions live but it is at 5 o'clock at night and we don't get to watch the last session so we'll have to wait for the ensign. Do you think that is why President Monson usually speaks last in the Sunday Morning session? With conference and stuff it really makes me realise how short a mission is. Elder Holland always says that he loved his mission more than anyone every has since and ever will but I'm looking to give him a run for his money. It's funny to look at things from an eternal perspective and it makes everything have much more meaning and more exciting. Every day is a step closer to getting back to God and being more like him, its an exciting thing to think about. It reminds me of what you always used to tell us about taking tests, just take it one question at a time. It's like that with life! This month we are going to work really hard and I know that we will see miracles from it, and the exciting part is we may not even know what we'll get! Oh ya I haven't told you much about Elder Wheeler. He is from Bountiful and is from a family of 9. He doesn't talk much but we get along really well and both of us are frustrated with the way the work has been going in Newcastle as of late. Its great to have someone who is excited about the work and is willing to work through to the end. Interviews are tomorrow and I have a lot of questions for President Lindley. I'm taking your advice and trying to get really close to him and it is a great blessing. Its like I have another set of parents out here! I'd never thought of it like that before and it is really different than from my relationship with you but I'm sure you know what I mean. I gave Elder Black your phone number so hopefully he will call you soon. His dad's name is Paul Black and his name is Leland Paul Black and they live in Taylorsville. I hope that helps but that is all I can do for you, sorry hope you can get a hold of him soon. Our transportation is all walking and public transportation but the zone leaders have a car so we usually bum rides off them. Well I've got to get back to e-mailing.

Love you much dad. Talk to you next week!
Elder Rowley