Living the dream

Things are going as good as ever here in Selby. We're having a baptism this weekend!!! It's a guy named Tony and its pretty exciting. He's accepted everything we've taught. We are also working with some really amazing people who will hopefully all be baptised in the coming months. People have been coming to church, we're doing loads of teaching, and people are progressing. We're living the dream. Elder Thimmesch is doing really good as well. He's really fun to be companions with. Almost too fun! I just hope he learns how important the boring parts of missionary work are. Like planning and studying and stuff. I'm sure he'll figure it out and things will be fine. So pretty much I have no complaints and things are going really well. Sorry I haven't got much more to write about. I love you! Have a good week! Talk to you next week.
Elder Rowley

Small, small world (redux)

Backstory: Yesterday Luke and Shane went to SLC to attend the homecoming of one of the missionaries Luke trained, Elder Burnett. As they took their seats they looked up on the stand and recognized the young man sitting next to Elder Burnett, who would be speaking with him. It was none other than Zack's first companion and trainer, Elder Thorup!

Date: Mon, Jul 18, 2011 at 4:00 AM
Subject: Re: Hiya


Mum,
Well I was hoping that it would stay a secret but yes I have a new companion. His name is Elder Sam Thimmesch (pronounced Tim-ish) from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. My first non-Utah companion! He is a great guy and really funny. We've been having a blast so far. Alraedy his is really good at teaching and finding, I haven't felt like I've had to train him at all. Its just like I have another normal companion. The only thing that we'll have to work on is him taking over the area because unfortunatly I'll have to leave Selby eventually. We have been so blessed in the work though! Yesterday we had 5 people at church! There is someone getting baptised in 2 weeks and then another one at the end of August. Last week we also got a referral from a member in the North whose sister wants to learn about the church. The member has already taught the sister pretty much everything which is exciting. Then just barely I got a text from an investigator saying that she has a friend who wants to come to church and she said that if he found that it was true then he would get baptised too! The work is on fire here in Selby. I love this ward so much and I love being here. Elder Thimmesch is so much fun as well. It's really neat to train because of how much trust your companion puts in you. He listens to and does everything that I ask him to! I guess I'll just have to be careful with that trust and not abuse it. Training is difficult sometimes but I think that there are a lot worse situations to be in. So far its been really fun and rewarding. I hope that I don't jynx it by being so positive about it but oh well, the Lord will provide! I can't believe that Luke and Dad got to go to Elder Thorup's reunion and didn't even realise that it was his. Small small world. Well that's about all I have to report on this week! There is a Brazilian Elder in York and a sister in Harrogate and they are all in our district so I'm gonna be able to learn lots and lots of Portuguese!! I love you Mum. Thanks for everything. Take care!
Elder Rowley

Dad,

I hope this will be a proper e-mail. I have a little more time to write today if that's what you mean. Well the secret is out, I'm training. My new companion is Elder Samuel Thimmesch (Tim-ish) from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. His parents are converts and he went to school in Idaho for a while before his mission. He is a blast! We've been having so much fun these last couple of days. It is definatly different to be a trainer though. I think the hardest part has been study sessions. I don't really know where we need to begin because we just have to cover everything! But it has been really really good. Elder Thimmesch is really good at teaching already and its good because we've been doing a lot of it lately! It wasn't until Saturday that Elder Thimmesch did his first door approach! We just didn't have any time to find, we were too busy teaching! He's great at teaching though and he's picking up on all the mission stuff really quick. I don't feel like I'm training him at all! We've been really blessed to have so many teaching appointments and we've had all sorts. I realise that in my first transfer I didn't do much teaching and we didn't ever teach the later lessons. Elder Thimmesch has been here for 4 days and we've already taught the first 3 lessons and most of the 4 one! It's pretty crazy. We've been so blessed with church as well. We had 5 people at church on Sunday and it was great. We should be having some baptisms really soon and that is always fun. People keep coming out of the woodwork to be taught as well. I got a call from a member in the North whose sister wants to learn more about the church. She's been through some difficult times and her member sister who is a convert has shared the gospel with her. Turns out that she's already been taught most of the discussions by her sister (she even used preach my gospel). So that's amazing! There is a guy who will hopefully be baptised next weekend and a teenage girl who will be in the end of August! She just texted me now and said that she has a friend who wants to come to church. She must already be a good missionary because she said that if he found out it was true then he would be baptised as well! Isn't that amazing! So as you can see things are going really well here. I know it has nothing to do with us though, we've been working the same the whole time. Its been all the Lord's doing. I just hope we can stay humble and keep being blessed so things will stay really good here. Have a good week dad. I hope you enjoy the trip, I've always wanted to go whitewater rafting in Jackson Hole, sounds like another adventure! Welll I love you, take care.

Elder Rowley

Train to catch

Dad,
We've got a train to catch so I haven't got hardly any time to write! Well our week was really really good. Elder Hilliard is doing so well. It seems like all of the people he contacts become investigators! What luck! He also found this really golden guy named Tony that we are teaching and hopefully baptising soon! Funny you talk about the day Elder Hilliard will have to leave me. That day is coming a whole lot sooner than we all thought. Yup, he got transfered! He's going to the Leeds Zone to serve in an area called skipton. I'm staying in Selby for at least another 6 weeks as well. Woohoo! The trouble is that we dont' know who my new companion is. We'll find out tomorrow at transfer meeting! I'm super nervous but its pretty exciting as well. But I really have to get going. Sorry this is so short. I'll write you a longer one next week I promise. I'll maybe include pictures as well. If you meet up with Mike Moore tell him I say hi. Love you Dad. Take care!
Elder Rowley

Mum,
Well I've got absolutly no time, we have to catch a bus to York in 20 minutes but what an amazing and crazy week. I'll just give you a little information. Elder Hilliard has been on fire. He found this guy who is golden and when we teach him its like a whole new Elder Hilliard. It has been really good to serve with him. That's the other news. He's leaving! I can't believe it. I thought we would definitely serve together for a long time but I guess the Lord has other things in store for us. He's going to an area called Skipton and I'm staying here. We don't know who my new companion is yet but we will find out on Wednesday. I'll be sure to let you know then. I'm so glad to hear that everyone is doing so well back home. Things are as exciting and crazy as ever over here. Mike Moore is an amazing recent convert and we spend more time with him than with hardly anyone in the ward. I also found out that the Bishop's Wife reads Stephanie's blog so that's pretty crazy. I love you mum, sorry this is so short. But I'll let you know who my new companion is next week with hopefully more good news about the area! Love you loads! Bye
Elder Rowley

Perspective

Mum,
Our week was really good but frustrating and bad all in one. Funny how that goes huh? So all of our amazing people who came to church or who we are teaching will be off the radar for this next week. Four Investigators are out of town this week and the young couple that came to church moved yesterday. Things are going really good though. We had fasted that we would be able to find and teach people who will be baptised this year so we can reach the ward goal of 12 baptisms and hopefully things work out. At first I was disappointed that everybody was leaving for a while but then I realised that it was the Lord's way of letting us focus completly on finding new people. He has those people for us we just have to work our butts off and we'll find them. Its funny how the adversary tries to stir things up sometimes though. This last week I've had to fix the bikes probably 10 times and there always seems to be something that needs fixing. I think I'm gonna save some money up in my mission money account and when I leave this area buy 2 brand new bikes so that the next missionaries don't have to deal with it all. But we almost always prevail when it comes to bike problems, we just have to rely on the Lord for help. Elder Hilliard is doing well, things are always an adventure but the work is getting done and we're having a good time as well. I love it here in Selby. I feel like it is my home ward now. Can't believe I've already been here an entire month. We did have something kind of funny happen last week. I got to go on exchange with Elder Thorup, my trainer. It was a really neat experience, he's a zone leader now and is doing really well. They baptise loads and loads of Chinese people here and he is loving it. He goes home in 2 weeks so it was a good little goodbye. Sounds like things are all over the place back home! I love you mum. I'd attach a picture but I'm in York and don't have my chord. We're going to York Minster today as a zone so I'll be sure to take some pictures for you today. Take care!
Elder Rowley

Dad,
Well I haven't got much time today. We're going to York Minster as a zone today so next week there will be a lot of pictures for you. I don't really know what it is but its a really really old thing and all of York is built around it. Our week was all sorts of crazy. Really good at first but then ended kind of bad. All of our investigators have either moved or are out of town this week so its kind of frustrating. But we fasted yesterday to find 10 people to baptise this year. That is a huge goal but the ward felt that the goal of 12 for the year was appropriate and we only have 2 so far. Looks like we've got quite a workload ahead of us. So it actually works out well that everyone will be gone this week. We can focus every effort on finding those people to baptise. It'll be really exciting. The bikes broke a lot last week so I had to fix them, I went on exchange with Elder Thorup which was interesting and fun, and all sorts. I was so worried about getting things done that I didnt' spend as much time helping Elder Hilliard, I need to do better. But this next week is looking promising and I'm excited to report on it next week! I'll have to get going. Sorry this is so short. I'm glad to hear that everyone is doing good back home. I can't believe how old Carina Crookston has gotten. I miss that family. Oh well, the work needs to be done. I love you Dad. Go easy on that shoulder. Love you!
Elder Rowley