Looking for a family

Dad,
Isn't it crazy how time changes on a mission. I still can't get my mind around it. We worked hard all day everyday and collapse to sleep at night and then you blink and it has been 3 months. It is amazing to me. I hate to think that someday it will all be over and I'll be back at home. That's a terrifying thought. Well I'm just not going to think about it and the Lord will make everything work out. This week has been really good but crazy. We had loads of meetings and hardly had anytime to work! I had to go to York and then Leeds and then Harrogate (which takes like 3 hours on a train!). I looked at our schedule for this week and was relieved that we only have one meeting to go to. Its funny, when I first came out I was so afraid to talk to people and stuff that I loved meetings they were an excuse not to work! Now I enjoy meetings but I'd be just as happy if not happier to be working! I can't believe that school has started again. As soon as school gets over it'll be time for me to come home, that's a scary thought. I wanted to tell you that I did get that envelope with all the pictures and boy was that fun! We spent all night (until 10:30) looking at them all and talking about all the people in them. Fun fun. Well I feel bad that most of my e-mails are really short. I can't ever think of anything to write, the days meld together that much! I told mum about an amazing experience we had with a Filipino lady we used to teach. I felt prompted that we should try and see her again and her husband let us see her and we're going to start teaching her again. Her husand won't let her come to church or be baptised though (yet) so it might be a long process. She said she already knows that Joseph Smith was a prophet though, so its all in her husbands hands. We're looking for a family to teach this week and I pray it works out. Elder Thimmesch is doing well, he's learning how to be a proper missionary. Hold down the fort for me while I'm gone. It'll be quicker than you think and I'll be back home again. I love you Dad. Thanks for everything, take care!
Elder Rowley

Mum,
Well this week has been really good but quite hectic! Nila's baptism was for the 3rd not yesterday but it has been moved to the 10th instead. Her mum wanted it that day and Nila is going to another kid's baptism on the 3rd so it will all work out. This week I was swamped with meetings! We hardly had any time to work! I had to go to York, then Leeds, then Harrogate. We spent probably a whole day on the train or bus, what a week! We're still looking for more people to teach though. We had a great miracle the other day! Over the past couple of days I had been thinking of that Fillipino woman that we taught a while ago whose husband wouldn't let us teach her. When were in the area and we decided to try and see her and her husband was fine with us being there. We talked to her and she said that she had been reading the Book of Mormon and that she knows Joseph Smith was a prophet! It was amazing. The only problem is her husband still. He is alright with us coming round like once a week but he won't let her come to church or change her religion (She's a roman catholic as most Filipinos are). So we're going to keep teaching her and pray that one day soon her husband softens his heart. This week is going to be a great week for finding people though, we've got virtually no meetings and things are looking good. I really hope we can find a family, that would be amazing! Well thanks for keeping me posted about the family. Last night I had one of those dreams where I go home and I woke up as if it was a nightmare. I hate those dreams! I'll be home soon enough but there is plenty of work that needs to be done here first! Wish Kyle and Lindsay luck for me and school! I can't believe how old everyone is now, that's really freaky! I love you mum, take care of yourself. Talk to you next week!
Elder Rowley

Staying in Selby!

Mum,
Well that feeling I had was wrong gratefully. I'm still staying in Selby for at least another month! I was really nervous about what was happening and stuff but things worked out really well and I'm still staying! I spoke with Mike last night and he said that he told his parents he's going on a mission and he's already almost finished with his papers! I can't believe it. He is so great. Last week we spent our whole p-day is Selby with all the youth from the ward and it was a blast. That is why I was gonna be so devastated if I left. Some other good news! Nila is getting baptised next Saturday! She is super prepared and is doing great with everything and then something even better happened at our last appointment with her. She texted us and said, "could I bring my twin sister?" So now we're teaching her twin sister and they both came to church on Sunday. Things are going really well here. We haven't got many other people to teach though right now so that's the big struggle again. Things are going great here though and I love it. Take care of yourself mum, love you!
Elder Rowley

Dad,
Well I'm staying in Selby for at least another month. I was so nervous last night that I was gonna move but turns out the Lord still wants me here! Woo hoo. Elder Thimmesch is staying here too so I'll have more time with him. We've still be struggling to find new investigators though so our weeks haven't been so good. But a girl named Nila is getting baptised next Saturday and we started teaching her twin sister and they both came to church last week so things are still going well. I'm just worried about what is going to happen when she gets baptised if we don't find anyone new to teach. Sounds like Kyle is doing really well back home. Mum said he was a bit nervous for Dixon. To be honest I struggled a bit at Dixon but as soon as you hit high school things work out well. I'm sure Kyle will do fine. Glad to hear you're finished with the belly shots, those must have been painful. I can't believe that school is about to start up again. Things are going way too fast, I'm terrified to think that I go home as soon as school gets over. That means I'll have to register for classes sometime soon. Ridiculous! Jordan Steinagel goes home in 2 weeks and then Jon gets home in 2 months. Joe will be home a month after Jon and then Jeff gets back in February. Ugh, I don't want to think about it anymore. Well I love you Dad, take care of yourself and hold down the fort for a while. Bye
Elder Rowley

Still loving it!

Mum,
You want an e-mail for the last two weeks! I don't know if I can do that! Well I'll give it a try. The days and the weeks just seem to roll together and soon enough I get transferred to a new area. Oh well its always an adventure. So the biggest thing that has been happening has been training Elder Thimmesch. Everything was super easy at the beginning but now I have to make sure he knows and does everything he's supposed to. There is a rumor going around that I will leave next transfer which is unusual to say the least so we have to prepared for everything! Two weeks ago Elder Thimmesch took over the area for the first time. He was with Elder Melo from Brazil and they did a great job together. Then this last week I got to go to leadership training. Over half the mission was there to receive training from President Lindley and the Assistants, it was quite fun. I got to spend some good time with all my old friends in the mission. Some are doing really well and others seem to be struggling a bit, but once again, that's how it goes. Nila it really our biggest investigator right now and we've been getting dropped by people right and left which means that when she gets baptised we wont' have anyone to work with. Not letting that happen! I've been put in that situation too many times, getting put in a new area with nothing happening. So we're working really hard to find new people to teach. Its difficult training though because there is a balance between getting stuff done and teaching your new missionary. I think I've found a balance for most things but as always, the work is no cake-walk. Things are going really well and I'm still loving it. Today we are spending the whole day is Selby playing sports with the members. I'm super excited. I love them all so much! Well I hope that's a bit more of an e-mail than I've been giving you as of late. Love you much mum, take care!
Elder Rowley

Dad,
Well it was quite an experience last Thursday. We were just knocking on doors when President called me. It was funny though, as soon as I hung up the phone I didn't think anything wrong would happen and there wasn't anything I could do so we just went back to knocking. I'm glad to hear a little more about the situation though, sounds like quite a miracle. Funny how those kind of things sneak up on you, I'm sure there are many times people sit down in their bed like you did and think about things, whether or not they are ready to die. It's probably true for a lot of things. When life catches up on you and you have to sit down and think about the person you are and if that's the person you wanted to be when you go. I guess I get those feelings a lot as a missionary. You lay your head down at night and think, "Am I really the missionary I wanted to be after being out over a year?" Funny how life is. Well I wish I had really good news to report about our week but it was a pretty bad one. We've been dropped by a lot of people the last couple of weeks and this week we just wanted to find more people to teach. We didn't find hardly anyone though, even though we did all the right things. Elder Thimmesch is doing really well and this week is his test week to see if he can take over the area. You're almost guaranteed to stay with your trainer for 2 transfers but the Zone Leaders and District Leader think I'll leave next transfer. Oh well, its not in my hands so we just have to be prepared for anything! But we have high hopes for this next week, I think we're going to find a family. I've always wanted to baptise a family but we've never done it yet. That's one of the things I reflect on, its so easy to see all the problems in an area and say, "I'll find that family in my next area" but that day never comes. So I think we're going to find our family this week. Well there's not much else to report on. I love you Dad. That was the big reason that President wanted me to call, to express my love for you. Thanks for everything you do. I'm proud to be your son. Take care!
Elder Rowley

Short and sweet

Mum,
I've got no time to write, we spent p-day at the air force base in Harrogate and just got back. I love you though! Take care
Elder Rowley

Baptism!

Date: Mon, Aug 1, 2011 at 12:10 PM
Subject: Zack 8/1/2011

Dad,

You're right, two weeks of news is almost too much to handle!! I can't believe all the family is in town and everything. I still remember the last time we went to Oregon and saw Jon and Mindy! Everyone is growing up so much. I can't believe all of Kevin's kids and Brandon's kids in the picture! Its crazy, it doesn't even feel like I've been gone that long. We were talking the other day about mail and those things and I realised that pictures are the most valuable thing to send to missionaries. I wish I would have told all my friends to send pictures cause all I've got is stories with no pictures!! But it sounds like it was a good 2 weeks, I'll be excited for family reunions someday. Just make sure they plan all of them for after I get back! This week was really exciting for us. We had a baptism! Tony got baptised and asked Elder Thimmesch to do it. So it was needless to say a great week. It was so stressful though up until the baptism. That's really the only time I get stressed out on my mission, just before baptisms. It was really good though and he will be fellowshipped well and is going to institute this week. Elder Thimmesch has got an adventure though, I'll be in York the next two days so he's all on his own in Selby for a while! He'll be here with the Brazilian Elder Melo and its gonna be interesting. I hope he learns a lot and they have a really good time together. I'm sure they will. We also were able to schedule a girl named Nila for baptism. She's been coming to young women's for the better part of a year and her parents have finally let her come to church. We're setting things up with the bishop to visit her parents to make sure its all okay but that's more exciting news! I'll put a picture of the baptism on the end of this e-mail for you, it was a really good night. Its really funny being a missionary though sometimes. We got to so many meetings and are so involved in the ward that you learn a lot about how the church works. It's great to see how the Lord turns your weaknesses into strengths, I love the way the church runs though. I'll be excited to have a calling someday. Well I forgot to e-mail mom back so I'd better do that. Take care of your shoulder I hope it all goes well. Love you Dad
Elder Rowley


Mom,

Our week was great! We had a baptism on Saturday! Tony was baptised by Elder Thimmesch and confirmed by the bishop in sacrament meeting. It was really exciting and it was a great way to end the week. We also were able to schedule a girl who we've been teaching for a while for a date in September. It doesn't seem like its been a week since I last wrote you but it sounds like there was enough action packed in your week to fit in an entire month! There are been some good e-mails today, I really appreciate it. Elder Thimmesch is doing really great. Improving every single day, I'm excited to see how he does in the future. Today will be a real test for him, I'm going away for 2 days to York so he'll be with the Brazilian Elder Melo. Elder Melo came out with him and doesn't speak much English so it will be challenging for both of them! Last week I was with Elder Melo and boy was it fun! He taught me a lot more Portuguese and let me borrow his Pregar meu Evangelho! I promise I don't study it during study time but its fun to look up a word or two in my spare time! He also helped me with my pronunciation of the first vision and taught me how to bear my testimony! There is a Brazilian family that I'm anxious the teach the next spiritual thought to! I also got a package from Grandma that had loads of Grandpa Dale pictures and stuff. It was really good. Well I haven't got much else to report on, here is a picture of Tony's baptism though! Love you mum, tell everyone I say hello and that I love them. You should proper post me some pictures of everything. A missionary can never have enough pictures!!!!!!!
Elder Rowley