Hearing the gospel in their own tonuge

Mum,
Ya I totally got a package from that family you know that
lives in England, the American one, Harris or something? It was full of American cereal and
stuff. The flat really loved it and we tore into it. Things are
going really really well here and its been a good week. I'll let you
know about all that later though. That's so exciting about Sam.
I'm sure she is going to love it. It sounds like you have some really
good plans for her and everything. I think that all sounds good. I think all in all she will
enjoy it a lot though. And I'm so excited that you will be learning
Spanish. I think I'll pick it up sometimes soon. So that was the
business stuff I had to cover now I can let you in on how our week
was. This week seemed to fly by and things were really really good.
We had a metting on Tuesday for all the leaders in the mission and it
was here in Leeds as they usually are. It was really really powerful
and President LIndley asked some of the leaders to give presentations
on certain aspects of being a leader. It was really really neat
because all the people that he asked to speak were people who had been
my leaders in the past. I felt the Spirit really strong as I thought
about how much they had influenced my mission and the rest of my life
because of the way that they taught me and helped me progress, that
was the general feeling that we got from the meeting. Then the day
after I had to give a district meeting and it changed the way I look
at it a little bit. I've always tried to be an influence on the
people I'm serving but it really helped me see that it can make a
really big difference in people's lives. I know it has changed mine.
So that was good and after that I actually got to work with my
companion for a full day. For a missionary who is so young he really
knows what he is doing and I love working with him, he's great. He
took care of the week even though I wasn't really there for most of
it. The day after that I went on exchange with a Swedish missionary
named Elder Rosen. I wanted you to look up where Talisa is because I
know that his ward is a sister's ward and that if she was there they
would know her. The branch that he's from is called GAVLE so have a
look and see what you can find. His family is actually moving to
pretty soon which will be neat. It was so much fun to be on exchange
with him because he speaks Chinese and I finally learned some Chinese!
He taught me how to say, "I have a friend who speaks Chinese!" I
know its just the beginning though and I hope to be able to do a whole
approach in Chinese by the end of being here. It's funny how much of a
difference it makes for people, we found loads of people who were
interested and all because we could speak a little Chinese! HAha. I
had a spiritual experience that I wanted to share this week that had
to do with languages. It was fun that we had so many different
language opportunities this week. We taught a Romanian family who
didn't speak any english, we taught a couple lessons in Chinese, we
taught someone completly in French, and Elder Wietzel met someone who
spoke German and talked to them for about 10 minutes. It was really
neat to see that in most of those cases I couldn't really say much in
their language but I could understand most of what was being said.
That was an amazing miracle I realised this week and a spiritual gift
I feel I've been blessed with. It was neat. Well that was about all
that I had to report on this week. Thanks so much for everything mum,
love you loads. Tell Sam I say hello! Love you
Elder Rowley

Dad,
I'll answer your questions first. Yes, I can use a DVD player
to hear those talks and its not against the rules either so that
should be fine. I can't believe that Caitlyn is getting married. I
hope things work out with the truck and with Grandma and Grandpa
Rowley. IT seems like it never ends with the Rowley family! I don't
think there is anything else I needed to report on. But this week has
been a really good one but a really fast one as usual. P-Day was
funny because we spent some time with the zone leaders and ended up
and Sister Lindley's for lunch. She is so sweet and it was great to
be in a home so full of the Spirit! But then in the blink of an eye
p-day was over. Then on Tuesday we had Leadership Training. It was a
meeting designed to help the leaders of the mission to learn from each
other and get some discussions going around. We recieved some
instruction from a couple of different leaders and they had all been
my leader at some point or another. We talked about how much of a
sacred trust it is to be a leader and how much of an effect we can
have on those we lead. I can honestly say that it has changed my
entire life, the leaders I've had on my mission. It was really good.
Then on Wednesday I was on the other side of the meeting and gave a
district meeting. It is something I really enjoy now because of how
much revelation you can recieve for a group of people, it was really
fun to choose a topic and then realise that it was an answer to
someone's prayer or question. Its fun. Then I finally got to work
with Elder Weitzel for a day but then the day after went on exchange
with Elder Rosen from Sweden (his family is actually moving to Utah
pretty soon which will be neat). He speaks Chinese really well and we
got to teach and talk to a bunch of people in Chinese. I'm starting
to be able to understand Chinese now which is neat! I couldn't get
all of it but I could understand most of what they were saying.
Pretty crazy. But then I blinked and the week was over. We were
blessed with 4 people at church again which was really good and all in
all it was a great week. I love it in this ward, it is a blast and
hard and crazy and really fun. I just hope we get some baptisms soon.
Well Dad, that's it for me. Thanks for everything. I'll talk to you
next week. Love you!
Elder Rowley

Great miracles

Dad,
Elder Weitzel's English is perfect. He studied in Leeds like 2
years ago anyways! Also, guess #1 was right on Google Earth. The
flat is finished now and there are 6 flats in it and we live in number
6. So its the middle one in that picture you sent. But I promise it
looks nicer than the picture. I'm glad that Jeff's talk was good and
that he is doing well. Sounds like everyone is getting adjusted to
being home and stuff. They'll all be into school pretty soon.
Suckers!!! Haha. Well this week has been really amazing. Me and
Elder Weitzel work really well together and both want to see some
great miracles. The Lord has been sending us some great ones as well.
I don't have too much time so I'll share a few with you. So we are
in a university area so we talk to a lot of younger people and a lot
of girls as well. Its always a little bit awkward and I'm not super
comfortable doing it but its makes it easier that I'm just a
messenger. So I was talking to this girl last week and she said that
she was a little interested but she didn't really know much about God
and she was not really convinced that she should let us come over. It
was weird because even though she was saying no she kept talking to
me. Eventually she said that we could come by and see her but as I
was writing down her information she seemed kind of nervous. She
said, "I shouldn't really be doing this, why am I doing this?" And
then I looked at her and said something I've never said before. I
looked her dead in the eye and said, "So why are you doing it?" That
could have gone really bad but I felt the Spirit really strong and she
said that her life is kind of breaking down right now and that she
feels maybe this could help her. I testified to her and her eyese
started watering. It was really powerful. She canceled the
appointment but said we could come back at a different time. It was
exciting. I'm about to get kicked off the computer but I'll log back
on and try and write another quick letter.
Mum,
I'm at a loss for words, Hannah is coming to England?!?! Is
she going to the London South Mission? Do you think she'll be doing
special work there with giving tours to visiters? She speaks Arabic
so maybe that has something to do with it. That's incredible. I can't
believe it! This week has been really really good here. Elder
Weitzel is a blast and speaks perfect English which just makes things
even funner! We've been saying funny stuff in German all week as
well. Things are picking up in the area as well and we saw some great
miracles. We are teaching a woman from Western African (Guinee) and
she speaks French. With all the diversity in the ward we were still
struggling to find someone who would be able to come with us to teach
her in French but then a miracle happened. We sat down with her at
church on Sunday and this African family sat in front of us. After
the meeting I introduced myself to them and asked where they were from
praying they would be from French speaking western Africa (which was
pretty likely), sure enough they said they were from Congo and then
you should have seen our investigator's eyes light up! They started
speaking in French and the family said that this was the perfect and
best church and that she should join. They asked where she lived and
it turns out that they live right next to her! They offered the get
her phone number and we are gonna start teaching her over there in
French!!!! It was so exciting, it was neat too because they said it
all in French and I understood it! Haha! Funny things funny things.
We also had a zone conference and it was given by the MTC President's
in Preston, President and Sister Walker. Sister Walker is the daughter
of President Hinckley! It was really good and uplifting, I loved it!
Oh and I got a call from Mike this week! He's going to Ghana!?!?!!!?!
I can't believe it! Did you know he's going to the Ghana MTC as
well?! It's crazy go nuts! I don't know what else to say this week
but it was a good one and I love it. I'll share one last experience
that was pretty neat. So the Leeds 1 uni team is teaching some people
from Brazil and last night Elder Griffiths came in and said that his
friend wanted me to talk to her in Portuguese. So he hands me the
phone and I had a total conversation in Portuguese! It was only 2 or
3 minutes but it neat that I was able to understand and communicate
completly in a different language. Good times. Well I love you mum,
take care of yourself and I'll talk to you next week! Love you
Elder Rowley
ps- Did you figure out anything about BYU. I looked a little and I
think I just have to re-register and such. I'll try and remembmer to
send you that permission thingy today. Love you, bye!

Our area is massive!

Dad,
Here is the flat address.
2 St. Michael Lane, Flat 6
Headingly, Leeds, LS6 3HS
West Yorkshire England
The way we get to transfers is actually pretty neat. So the whole
mission has transfers at the same time and the we have p-day. After
p-day all those who are getting transfered meet with there companions
at a central point in the zone. For us in the north is was the
Sunderland chapel. Then the mission had organised a coach to take all
the missionaries who were leaving to Crossgates chapel in leeds
(that's where leeds 4 is). Then all the missionaries meet together
who are getting transfered or training or become district leaders and
so forth and we have what's called transfer meeting. So then we hear
the testimonies of the missionaries who are leaving and those coming
in and we see who is training who because they don't tell you before
hand. Then everyone loads up into the respective coach's again and
goes to their new areas and meets with their companions. We pretty
much never travel alone. This just reminded me about a missionary who
went home that I want you to look up and possibly go to his farewell.
His name is Jake Peterson and he is from Roy, Utah. He has been one
of my closest friends on a mission, look him up! So let me tell you
about the area. This area is like the central area in the mission, we
have the mission office and the mission home here. The Leeds 1 ward
is home to 2 universities and has been the zone leaders area forever.
There are almost always 2 teams here in leeds one as well. But the
zone leaders have moved to a different area and now this area has 2
teams in it still. Me and my companion Elder Phillipp Weitzel from
Frankfurt, Germany work in the zone leaders' old area and he has been
here for 2 weeks. He's been on his mission for about 5 months. We
don't have a car and don't know any members and our area is massive!
I mean huge. We live with the university team and I was their
district leaders when they were both being trained so I know them
pretty well. Elder Weitzel is hilarious and we work amazing together.
We have had so much fun and so much success and it has only been 3
days. He is 24 and has a degree in business from, get this, Leeds
University. So he studied here before his mission. Our ward is
massive and has a really big YSA here. We don't know anyone in the
ward except for a kid named Luke Lawrence. Luke came home from his
mission in July and is from Selby and he used to come teaching with us
every day there. We are best friends and he is a ward missionary
which is great. It's kind of amazing how foreign the ward is as well.
In our class I sat there and sitting next to me was someone from
Italy, Iran, Thailand, West Africa, Angola, and Germany. And that was
only half of the class. I love it here so much. Funny story as well,
there was a woman sitting in front of us at church and after church
she started talking to me. I had introduced myself earlier in the
meeting and she asked, "Where is provo are you from?" Turns out she
went to Timpview a while ago and is Provo born and bred. She's good
friends with the former ASL teacher at Provo High School. Small
world. Well I think that's about all I have to report here for this
week. I'm so excited for the work to explode here in Leeds 1 and it
already has! We scheduled 10 people for baptism last week! I'm so
excited. Love you loads dad, take care of yourself!
Elder Rowley
Mum,
So things here are great. Where
do I start. Well my companion is Elder Phillipp Weitzel form
Frankfurt, Germany and he is 24. Oddly enough he studied at Leeds
University which is in our area. He has a bachelor's degree in
business and has been on his mission for about 5 or 6 months. He is
so funny and we work so well together. I can tell we are going to
have some amazing miracles here in Leeds 1. We live in a 4 man flat
with a university team. Elder Griffiths from Bountiful and Elder
Rosen from Sweden. Elder Rosen speaks chinese so they mostly work the
university area. We don't have a car but we work what used to be the
zone leaders area. They just barely moved out of the area so we are
pretty much what they call whitewashing the area. The area is massive
and it includes the mission office and the mission home where
president and siser lindley live. This ward is massive and has a huge
YSA. There is a member here from Selby named Luke Lawrence and he got
home from his mission when I was in Selby and came teaching with us
every day. So I've already got friends in the ward! He's great and
is gonna help us out a lot. There are a lot of struggles though in
this area because we are taking over from the zone leaders and there
is another team serving in our ward. We have to coordinate work with
the ward but we don't know a single person there and there is already
another team working for members to support them and their
investigators. It's been a stressfull week but I love it here so much.
I can tell this is going to be an amazing area. I'm really happy
about North Shields as well because I was replaced by like my best
friend in the mission so I know there will be some great miracles
there that we'll be able to share together someday. He's from Texas
but will be living in Provo again when he gets home. So pretty much
this area is amazing and I'm so happy to be in the zone again. I'll
send dad the flat address and such. Let me know if there is anything
you need from me. Thanks
for everything much. Love you loads!
Elder Rowley

Back to Leeds!

Mum,
I talked with Henrique from Selby and was planning on calling
mike at about that time. Problem is that Henrique said Mike lost his
phone is the snow! Haha. Our week was amazing! I'll tell you about
it but then I'll let you know about transfers. So is started off
really well and then I went to Newcastle for a day and a half. I was
with Elder Herlin who speaks Chinese and we taught a bunch of Chinese
people. I was really really fun to sit there and have a lesson
entirely in another language. The people who we taught this time
didn't speak as good of English so it was harder for me to keep up,
especially because we really only said like 5 words in English the
whole time. So that went really well and then I came back and found
out that they had a really good day in North Shields while I was gone!
We worked our butts off all week and were able to have 5 people at
church on Sunday!! It was so exciting. We had loads of members out
with us and everything, all it all it was a great week. Probably the
best week I could have left on. Which leads me to my next item of
business. Yes, its time for me to leave North Shields but you'll
never guess where I'm going. I'm going back to Leeds!!! I'll be
serving in Leeds 1 with Elder Weitzel who is from Germany! We are in
a 4 man flat with two people who were in my last district and my
companion just barely got to the area like 2 weeks ago so it will be
all brand new. I'll be able to see my old Portuguese friends as well
because I think I'll be in the Leeds 4 district!!! Its super
exciting. I can't believe it. I never would have guessed it and
nobody else guessed it either! I'm being replaced by like my best
friend in the mission, Elder Spratt! I'm really excited because I
know he'll pick things up right where we left off and he's gonna tear
it up! I'm so excited. So things are going really well and I'm happy
with everything! I think that's about all for me. I'm gonna buy some
things from Newcastle today to remember it and such but then we're
gonna have a good time! I love this work! Take care mum, I love you
loads! Bye!
Elder Rowley

Dad,
Jeff is home!!!!!!!! I can't believe that, it's ridiculous. Crazy
crazy crazy. I hope thinks work out with the truck and everything and
I'm glad to got to spend some time with family. This week as usual
flew by but unlike other weeks I felt like I had a good hold on this
one. I spent the first few days in Newcastle with Elder Herlin. We
were teaching people in Chinese and it was really fun. Most of the
time I just sat there and watched and tried to figure out what was
going on. It was really fun when I would know what they were talking
about and then I would say something and the person would look at me
as if to say, "Do you speak Chinese too?" It was really fun. Then I
came back and we just took off with our week. Things came together
really well and we had an amazing week! We had 5 people come to
church! It was amazing. We had quite an amazing blessing as well in
this one appointment. So we are teaching a woman who
can't be baptised right now because of her living situation but she
wants to really badly. It was so amazing to
see the way the Spirit works on people.
She has an 11 year old who is so much fun. At the
beginning of the lesson we were talking about how I always wanted to
be an uncle and she says, "Well you can be my uncle!" And for the
rest of the lesson she refered to me as uncle rowley! Even in the
closing prayer and it was so touching, the gospel is for families! So
that was great. We were also able to teach a Czech family again and
they are amazing. I love teaching people who don't speak any English,
the Spirit is so much stronger there! So our week was really good and
it was possibly the best week I could leave on. So unfortunatly
that's what's happening, I'll be leaving tomorrow. But I could not
have been more suprised or excited about what's happening. So I'll be
moving to Leeds 1. Let me tell you a little about it. It is a 4 man
flat and a 4 man area. My companion is Elder Weitzel from Germany who
was only moved to the area 2 weeks ago. The other two missionaries
were in my district in Selby. It is a massive university area and one
of my good friends from Selby is going to school there now. I'm
pretty sure that Leeds 4 (my old area) is in my district so I'll be
able to go there now. Nobody was expecting it at all but it is
possible the best transfers ever! Even better is the missionary who
is replacing me. Its Elder Spratt who served in Leeds 2 in my
district. When Elder Stevenson was about to go home we went on
exchange at least once a week. He is one of my closest friends in the
mission and is probably the best replacement I could have asked for.
I'm so suprised and excited that I can hardly stand it! I can't
believe it, I'm almost at a loss for words. So that's what's
happening here and it is super exciting! Well that's about it for me.
Love you Dad, take care. Let me know if there is anything you need!
Talk to you next week!
Elder Rowley