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

Too many miracles to tell

Mum,
This week has been crazy and exciting and miraculous as ever! We keep having little miracles that bring people closer to joining the church. I can't even begin to tell you about all of them. I've never been so guided on my entire mission. Its like every door we knock on we are there at the perfect timing. Everyone we talk to wants to hear more and its really exciting. We also had 3 people at church this week! A young couple named Steven and Tiffany and a girl named Nila. Its crazy how all of them were prepared to come to church. Nila has been going to young womens for about a year but hasn't been allowed to come to church this whole time. Her parents have finally let her come to church. I'm really excited for this next week as well. Things are just going perfect here in Selby. I just hope we dont' do anything to screw it up! I'm really happy to hear about Sam. I told Grandma how appreciative I am about the whole thing. It's really exciting that she's coming to visit. There is a recent convert from Selby that we know really well who is going to America in August. Maybe as time gets closer we'll try and set something up so you can meet him! I'm glad to hear that Po'i can finally go on his mission soon. And that's pretty crazy about the whole sacrament meeting stuff. From what I hear about those African missions Tyler is gonna be in for a good time. In the Zimbabwe mission they had a goal a couple of years ago to baptise 2000 people and they made it! Its really exciting. Well I'd better get going. I'm booking my driving test right now and it'll probably be sometime in July or August. The work is going great. I'm happy as ever mum. I love you. Thanks for everything! Talk to you next week!
Elder Rowley

Dad,
Ya I don't know what happened with the last e-mail but I got it today. I can't believe all the stuff about Matt Daleabout in this area. I've been asking around and there have been a couple of families who remembered him so he is definitely not forgotten here! We haven't been able to see Kim lately though, but we will keep trying. There has to be a reason we were sent to his house even if its not for him. But this week has been a really good one. It seems like there is no end to the miracles that have been happening here. We feel very prompted to find in far off areas and we have been seeing loads of success. Even when things fall through they eventually work out for the best. We were so happy because after 2 months of nothing we finally had people at church this week. A young family came and then a girl who has been coming to young womens for a while came. Its been a really good week. I really don't know how to tell you everything amazing that has happened, there have just been too many. I guess I'll just share one miracle that happened. We walked around bit but nothing felt right so we decided to leave and try this older man we are teaching. On the way there we talked to this woman who broke out in tears when he started talking to her. She had been praying for weeks and felt like her faith was disappearing. She had woken up that day and had decided that she was going to end it all. We went to her home and taught her and she testified that she felt the spirit and knew that we had been sent from God. It was just an amazing miracle in the first place but the thing that made me so happy about it was the way it effected Elder Hilliard. I know she was sent to us as much as we were sent to her. Well that's about all I'll say for this week. Thanks for keeping me posted on everything back home. I always love reading your e-mails dad. I love you so much. Take care of yourself. Especially that shoulder!!
Elder Rowley

Breakthrough!

Mum,
Now that I know Matt served here I'll be sure to ask around to see who remembers him. Crazy crazy. It's a small world after all. Hopefully we'll be able to see Kim again. I can see why Selby would be difficult to leave. This ward is so big and there are so many families it is easy to become a part of the ward. This week was a really really good one for us. We have been struggling to find people to teach and our teaching pool was pretty much zero but the Lord just sent more and more people for us to teach! We are really humbled at how things have been turning around so quickly here in Selby. I'm really excited for what the future holds here. This ward is amazing as well. We sat in church on Sunday and during Priesthood opening exercises the WML stood up and told everyone in the ward that we were really hard working missionaries and that he knew things would turn around here. Then in Priesthood we talked about missionary work and every single person was involved in the lesson. They all shared experiences that they had to share the Gospel with people and we talked about the fears that we all have about it. I know that things are going to turn around here and I'm loving it here. I'm finally getting used to riding a bike as well!! Well I didn't have much time to write again. We're going to York again because we are going on exchange. Good P-day news though! President Lindley wants us to have as fun of p-days as possible so he has approved even more movies that we can watch. Today we're watching my favourite, Hook! Love you mum. Take care!
Elder Rowley


Dad,
This week has been really good. We lost our good Filipino friend Berna and to be honest I was getting a little down in the dumps. It's funny though because whenever I feel like that I know it means we're close to a breakthrough. So I just try and endure and keep working hard and then it happens, the breakthrough! That was Saturday. We found three new investigators! An African girl whom we are going to teach her family and then a couple that live here in Selby. One is English and her husband is from Greece. They accepted and were really interested in everything we taught them. It was such an amazing blessing. Nobody came to church though which was a dissappointment but nobody has been for over a month so the ward was alright with it. I'm amazed at this ward though, they are getting such a sense of urgency about the work. Its hard to explain but there is such a powerful Spirit of missionary work here and I know its gonna take us far. I'm really excited. Keep in touch with Matt Daleabout and we'll see Kim again this week, (or we'll try). He said that he got really close to those missionaries, close enough that he remembered all their names! Just let Matt know he definitely was an influence of Kim and though he hasn't joined the church he still reads the Book of Mormon sometimes. I just wanted to share one thing with you before I have to go Dad. This morning we watched the DVD of President Hinckley's life and last week we watched The Errand of the Lord (that's President Monson's biography) and they were both so powerful. The two main things I think that their lives had in common the most were a love for hard work and a love for the Lord. When I watched the movies I felt the same way that they felt about things. It's like I have this burning desire in my heart to work out my days on earth for the Lord. I read a quote by Spencer W. Kimball the other day that said, "My life is like my shoes, worn out by service." I just wanted to thank you for teaching me to work hard dad. I love you. Have a good week.
Elder Rowley

Small, small world

Mum.
Wow. Kyle is finally a deacon?! Crazy. I was showing a recent convert all of my pictures last night and I remembered again that Kyle got ordained a deacon. Weird. I remember what that was like. Especially because I passed the sacrament last week! Haha. I'm glad to hear that he's doing good and that he had a good birthday. Selby is crazy amazing. The ward is one of the biggest and strongest of my mission which is great. For such a little area you wouldn't think there would be so many active members but it really is the biggest ward I've served in. There is loads of diversity in the ward as far as age goes. There are loads of little kids but still a lot of old people. It makes it really fun. There is also a Brazilian family (I still get to learn Portuguese!) and our High Councilor served his mission in Brasil and is an American. So I already feel like I'm home. I just thought I'd share a crazy experience we had last week. We were knocking and we both felt like we'd been guided to this specific street and we saw this man in is back garden (that's what they call yards here). We got his attention and he came over to talk to us. When we said we were from church he threw up his hands and said, "Nope I'm Jewish". I've always been fascinated by Jews so I stuck my hand out for him to shake it and we started talking about all sorts. We were having a good little chat with him when it started to rain. He offered us a drink and to come inside so we agreed. So when we went into his house to find that his wife was a Filipina! We had some recent converts in Leeds 4 who were Filipinas and they taught we some Tagalog so I started talking to her in her language. She got a huge grin on her face and welcomed us into her house. We talked to her and found out that she couldn't find a Roman Catholic Church in Selby so she hadn't come to church in 10 years! She asked if she could come to ours and of course we said yes. We taught her a second time and she is amazed by the Restoration. She said that in all her years of church she had never read from the scriptures or learned about them. She then committed to be baptised!! We haven't set a date yet and some things came up so she couldn't come to church but it was amazing! Her name is Berna and she is so nice! She calls us 'kids' when we go to teach her! The other crazy thing is that it turns out a member cleans their chimney and they know him really well. He had shared parts of the gospel with them and sown seeds. It was so amazing to see the work that the ward has done and how the Lord sent us to the people that the Lord had prepared! It was crazy! But I'm gonna have to get going. I love you so much mum. Give Lindsay a hug for me for her birthday and tell her friends I say hi. Take care!
Elder Rowley

Dad,
That picture is almost our flat. If you look on the right side of the picture you will see an apartment complex and that's where we live. Elder Hilliard is originally from California but had lived in Springville, Utah for the last 5 or so years. We were swapping stories and he was telling me about someone he worked with who eventually got baptised. As we talked more I realise that I knew that kid and went to high school with him. Its Steve Vistaunet's niece's boyfriend/fiance I think. Steve's niece Alex is/was dating a guy named Lynn Wyberg who got baptised just before December. Turns out Elder Hilliard worked with Josh Reid as well! And do you remember Andrew Apgood from band? He worked with him as well. Small small world. So ya, that's Elder Hilliard for you. If you wanted to look his parents up I know his mom's name is Gaye. Sounds like there really is never a dull moment back home. I'm glad to here that things are going great. Especially with all the birthdays and such coming up this week. Be sure to wish Lindsay a happy birthday for me! This week has been a big improvement from last week. We're really rebuilding this area from nothing and it is amazing how much the Lord is helping us out. I already told mum about an experience where a member was working with someone to prepare them for the gospel and then how the Lord sent us to their street to teach them. She is an amazing Filipino lady named Berna and I'm really excited for her. We've been riding the bikes a lot of visiting less-actives a lot as well. There have been two times where me and Elder Hilliard have been prompted to go to a street and have found less-actives that needed to be visited. We also had a neat experience I'll share with you. We had prayed about an area and a street to knock and when we got there we looked at each other because it didnt' feel right. So we turned around and suddenly felt like a different street was better. The very first door we knock on I say, "Hello, we're sharing the book of Mormon with everyone today" The man looks at me and smiles and says. "Where do you want me to start, with Nephi? or Moroni? Or should we just skip right to the golden plates" I look over at Elder Hilliard dumbfounded and then man just smiles at us. He investigated the church a long long time ago but never joined. He still reads the Book of Mormon and loves it like Lord of the Rings. Crazy huh? Hopefully we'll be able to see him again but he said he has a really spotty work schedule. He also mentioned that the first missionary to teach him was a Daleabout! He said that Matt Daleabout was the first person to knock on his door. All I could remember was that Billy served in Scotland. I don't remember Matt though. Is he in our ward? If he served in Leeds then tell him that Kim says hi! Well I'd better take your advice and get on with our p-day. We spent this morning at Selby Abbey and it was pretty neat. We're going to go to York today though which will be loads of fun. I love you Dad. Have a good week. Talk to you next week!
Elder Rowley