Week 16-Transfer 1

Aloha/hola!

Crazy about the inversion there! I get to here the weather report in Utah practically every day since there are so many Utah people who come in to the VC. The weather has been pretty crazy here too! Yesterday we had so much rain that Laie flooded! We were on the tram tour and we weren't able to keep going since the flood was so bad and the roads were closed down. I think it was the worst at the PCC and the school. I wish I had my camera at the time but Sis. Gulla took some pics that she said she would put on the comp. so Ill have to try and post them later. It was crazy though! People were walking in water up to their thighs in some parts. The funniest thing was that the smoking area at the PCC disappeared:) the bench and sign were completely covered by muddy water! Rain just has a different meaning to me now:)

So Brandon is now a Mormon! I can't tell you how amazing that experience was! He literally invited everyone he talked to to the baptism. He thinks its the coolest thing that everyone is so excited and happy for him. He asked Hermana and I to give talks so I gave one on baptism. The spirit was so strong! Especially after the baptism when he got up and bore his testimony. He has such a strong and powerful testimony! So one of the things that he had really wanted was for someone to sing Amazing Grace as a musical number but unfortunately the people we had asked to do it weren't able to. I felt really bad cause I knew how much he had wanted that song. So I don't know what possessed me, but I talked to Justin (the one conducting) and told him that if Brandon wanted I could sing the first verse since that was all I knew. Well apparently Brandon wanted that so after his testimony I got up and explained what I was doing and then sang Amazing Grace A Capella! I told him it wasn't fair cause he made me cry right before cause of his testimony. I wondered if it was awkward that I did that but he later told me that his favorite part of his baptism was me singing Amazing Grace. He said that he had never felt the spirit so strong and that he was bawling the whole time. I am just so glad the spirit was there so strong!

I was kinda sad that Angie (our new investigator) wasn't able to make it to Brandon's baptism. The good news though is that Angie is getting baptized this Saturday! She is the one that her fiance called us saying that his girlfriend wanted to be baptized. So we started meeting with them right away and going over the lessons. She is another solid one with a strong testimony already. She is from Columbia and is very surprised but grateful in how supportive her family is with her decision. Her and her fiance are getting married on the beach 2 weeks after her baptism and even though they will both be graduated they say that they feel good about staying in Hawaii and accepting a job offer here so they will probably be sealed in this temple! That means I will get to go! They are so fun and cute together and so excited for the baptism this week!

We also got another new investigator. Although this one is a bit different. Her name is Franchesca and we found her through our ward mission leader who gave her a BOM and set up an appt with us for last night. She is from Peru and likes to talk....a lot... Hermana said she was just thinking oh my poor companion. I only got bits and pieces but we were able to teach her the restoration and she wants us to come back and teach her more, but at the same time she believes that her church has the only true version of the bible so she doesn't see the need for a BOM. She is super nice and friendly though and it was interesting to have another lesson in Spanish:)

I'm so glad Alexa enjoyed my card. I only wish I could do more. I only took two bottles of Digestives. I'm ok on Flora though. I can't really think of anything else I really need except for the little Spanish hymnbook. I really miss having one. Of course I love getting pictures and if you happen to have any treats...haha:) I do love packages but I promise I have no devious plan:) The straightener I think will be just fine. It has a five year manufacture warranty so we shall see:).

Being here on the mission can be so stressful at times and there are down days, but they really don't last for long because I have never felt more blessed and I as well try to count my blessings every day! Having you as a family and seeing your strength through this trial is really one of the greatest blessings! Alexa, it is a blessing for me to have you for a sister! I love you so much!

I have some recordings that I am going to try and send to you. Let me know if they work.

Les Amo!!!!!!

Hermana Rowley (Shayla)

The red dress is called a Pulatasi (Sp?) and Sis. Lillywhite made them for us. We just bought the fabric and she did the rest! so cool!

Brandon's Baptism

This is driving to BYUH

The garbage can used to be the no smoking area:)

Week 15-Transfer 1

Hola y Aloha!
Oy ve! I sure do wish I could send all the blessings I'm getting here home to you! I need to start upping my prayers I guess. I love you all so much and I'm so sorry it's so hard right now! I'm sending all my love with this email though ok?  I am just so thankful that you have raised us the way you have because when a trial like this comes by we are able to grow closer as a family. Because of that, we have definitely been prepared for the trials we go through. I love you so much!!!!!

Brandon is doing great. He has fellowshiped himself into the ward and I'm pretty sure he invited the whole town to his baptism. For one lesson, we gave him the plan of salvation pamphlet and the next lesson he ended up teaching us the PoS! He pretty much had the whole thing memorized! His faith is really growing and he is so excited for his baptism on Sat. and was super stoked when we told him he could go on a mission in a year. He says that everybody needs to hear about this and that he wants to share it with everyone! So we are pretty excited about that.

Yesterday, we received another miracle. Someone called us and left a message saying that his girlfriend wanted to get baptized. We called him back and he said how she had been taking the discussions in another state but then went back home to Columbia to visit her family (another Spanish speaker) before she was able to get baptized so now she wants to review all the lessons and be baptized! We teach her for the first time tomorrow.

I never did make that plastic bag but I did see Brittany Gearhart and Kylee Moe. It is kinda weird seeing so many people I know. It was good to be able to give them a hug though. I also met one of Grandma Rowley's cousins or something like that. I don't remember her name but she said that she is really good friends with Grandma and Grandad and that people used to tell Grandma and her they looked like twins.

I'm getting kinda sad and nervous cause Hermana Rodriguez leaves me on Tyson's birthday, Feb. 6. I've really gotten close with Hermana and am really gonna miss her! Not only that though, her leaving means that I'm the only Spanish speaker here! I honestly don't know how I'm gonna do it but I guess I need to be thrown in the deep end sometime. I love you so much and I am praying for you so much! The Lord has promised to bless you all in my blessings I've received for my mission so everything is going to be ok. Just like I stress to my investigators and to myself all the time, the atonement isn't for when everything is fine and dandy, it's for when things get tough and we can't make it on our own. The atonement is to heal us and change our hearts to become like Heavenly Father's.
Thank you for all your strength, love and support. It really does strengthen me everyday.

Les Amo Mucho!!!!!
Hermana Rowley (Shayla)

Week 14-Transfer 1

Aloha familia!

Wow mom, sounds like you have been having quite the week. Especially since I’ve been hearing about the freezing cold, snowy weather in those parts. I think about you every time someone from Utah comes in and tells me how the weather they left behind is. Ill try to blow some of our sunshine down there:) Happy Late Birthday Alexa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course I'm sending you something in the mail so get excited about that:) I'm sorry it wasn't the best of birthdays, but 17! Wow!!!!! Your all growed up:) I am sending a nice big hug for you in this email so enjoy:) I love you so much! This past week has been an interesting one for me as well. On Wed I had my 1st Zone Conference and then my interview with the mission pres. He just asked me how I was doing, how my Spanish is going (he really enjoys throwing random Spanish phrases out at hermana and I:) and asked if I had a boyfriend:). That letter you got was probably sent to a lot of different parents because pretty sure there are plenty of sisters who have people come visit them:) I don't know, maybe they have realized that I know like half my ward here because of school:). Ill prepare that bag though:) 

So after Zone Conference, the rest of the week was kind of slow and a bit discouraging. Because 92% of the population here in Laie are LDS, investigators are generally a bit difficult to find. Therefore, we spend most of our time working with less-actives and trying to get referrals from the members and because the Stake President talked Pauli into signing up for classes, she is no longer in our YSA Non-Student ward and we can't teach her. We are super excited for her baptism though! Anyways, we still pressed forward and continued looking for people to teach, when the Lord provided a miracle for us! So on Sun. after sacrament was over, we were talking to some members when a young man came up to me and said "excuse me, are you a missionary?" I said "yes I am!" and he pointed at hermana and said "is she one too?" (She had thought he was just someone else I knew from Choir and wasn't listening). I grabbed her arm and said "Yes she is...hermana..." She turned around all confused and then he said, "hi, I'm interested in becoming a member!" "Well," I replied with a shocked smile on my face, "We are interested in teaching you!!!!" His name is Brandon Johnson from New Jersey and he just started at BYUH (he is in our Student ward) and his roommate invited him to church and he feels like he finally found the right church for him. He said that he ended up at BYUH because he turned down 10 different schools who wanted him for sports because he felt like BYUH was the one he needed to go to. He is taking a Book of Mormon class and says he really wants to get involved in this religion. Like Joseph Smith, he has been looking for the right church and has been a member of many different churches but feels that this is the right one!!!! I testified to him that the Holy Ghost has been leading him and that this he has found what he has been looking for. He just had a goofy smile on the whole time and said, "I know!!!" He has been so prepared its amazing! We taught him the first lesson and he said he will pray about it but he already thinks he knows the answer he will get. He even talked about repentance and how he wants to give his life to God! We set his Baptism date for Jan 26!!!!! When we asked him how he felt about that he started crying and said "So grateful! Yes, Definitely Yes!" It is sooooooo amazing to see the joy that this gospel brings to peoples lives! 

Another miracle we had was not quite that fulfilling but still really cool. We had 5 students who were on a quick exchange trip from Mainland China come in. One of them spoke really good English and said that they wanted to know more about this religion. We showed them the Book of Mormon displays and explained what it was and the importance of it. I don't remember exactly what we said but hermana Rodriguez did a great job explaining it since they didn't have a Christian background. They found the one in their language and each of them picked it up and looked at it. We told them that it was important that they find out for themselves if it was true and that they needed to read the book and then ask God. They agreed that they needed to read it. Our spokesman said, "is this your only copy? can we have it?" We told them that we could give them each a copy if they wanted and they all agreed. He said that he actually had a friend who was Christian and had been to church a few times with him but he was trying to find the right one. We were so sad that we couldn't send missionaries to them since they are from Mainland China, but we sent them home with all we could and hopefully it will one day grow into more. Heavenly Father really is in charge of this work! It's been so humbling to see his hand working in the lives of so many people around the world! It really gives perspective. 

I think the hardest part about Spanish here is that the mission pres. along with so many others keep reminding me that I need to get it down cause I only have a few more weeks with Hermana and then I will be doing the Spanish tours on my own. No pressure right. At one of our ward activities though I met a girl who just got back from her mission in New Jersey a week ago. She said that she actually started out her mission in English and then a few weeks into the field they switched her to Spanish. I asked her how on earth she learned the language and how long it took her to feel comfortable conversing. She said that the biggest thing she did was read the Book of Mormon in Spanish out loud (Which I have been doing faithfully) and that it took her about 6 mths to feel comfortable conversing. She ended up reading the BOM in Spanish 6 times on her mission and she testified that there was power in that book and that was really what helped her the most. She also set goals for herself and just trusted in the Lord. I know that the Lord will help me learn this language in his own time. I'm doing my best and striving to do better each day and that's all that counts:) Keep praying for me:) 

I love this work and I love this gospel. I am thinking and praying for you daily and am forever grateful for all you've taught me. By the way mom, Hermana wants to meet you so bad now:) Sounds like she was raised in a way that is so similar to the way I was and we decided that our families would love each other...too bad one only knows Spanish and the other only English...guess one of you will have to learn the other language...how do you feel about learning Spanish?:) 

Well I love you all so much! Keep me updated on Alexa and everything. Les Amo!

Hermana Rowley (Shayla)

Thanks so much for the package by the way! Hermana and I were twinsies last night it was cute:) Ill have to get a pic. And thanks for sending me James letter:) I did enjoy his message on the recorder and hopefully ill have time to write him back today. I actually just ran out of digestives. I've been so grateful to have ensymes here! And also, I was wondering if you could possibly send me another little Spanish hymnbook. I got my name engraved in mine in the MTC and everything and then I lost it like in the first week here. I wish I had been able to let you know before you sent the package. Sorry:( I don't need them right away though so don't worry about that. I love you so much mom! Thanks for all you are doing! I was talking to hermana and said that what I look forward to in having kids is that I can raise them like you raised us and they could grow up and be my best friends like you are to me! I am so grateful for your example and all that you do! I love you!!!!!

Te Amo, Hermana Rowley (Shayla)

Week 13-Transfer 1

Aloooooohaa!!!

Well here's another week here in rainy Hawaii. This past week has seriously been pouring down on us! People here think its freezing but really it's pretty warm. I do feel bad for the people who came to visit this week since they didn't get much sunlight. I did hear though that it got to -2 degrees in Utah so I am happy to be here:). Tonya, thank you soooooooooo much for your package!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot tell you how excited I was:) I didn't get it till after I wrote last time so Ill write you and express my feelings then:) I love you sooo much! So speaking of mail. Apparently if it is sent to the mission home it takes ages to get to me so I have received stuff so sparatically. I have been putting my current pad address on the return address spot so far but since we move so often, maybe it will be better to send mail to the VC. The address here is:

Hermana Rowley

55-600 Naniloa loop

Laie, HI 96762

So as far as Pauli goes, good news, she's getting baptized!!!!!! Her date is set to Feb. 2!!!!!!! Unfortunately, she is no longer our investigator because of some complicated circumstances. I'm so happy for her though and I will definitely be at her baptism.  We do have another possible investigator though who, would you know, speaks Spanish! She is doing some kind of exchange program at WalMart and our ward mission leader brought her to church on Sun. She said she felt the spirit and she wants to look into it, but we didn't get a chance to talk to her cause she left early. We are definitely working on that though. Speaking of church, can I tell you how strange it is that school has started again and there were like 5 people I went to school with in my ward on Sun. They were all very surprised to see me there with a tag on and it was weird for me a bit but at the same time it's so good to see them! 

This week I have been focusing on giving more tours with confidence and asking inspired questions. Yesterday I gave a tour to a lady all by myself. I taught her about the temple and how families can be forever in the temple. I learned that she was religious but didn't feel the need for organized religion. I told her about Joseph Smith and the restoration of the church and then asked how she would feel to know that Christ's church was here on the earth right now. She said it was definitely something to think about. I testified that I know that Christ's church is on the earth right now and that the Book of Mormon is the evidence. I asked her if it was ok if we sent the missionaries with a copy of the BOM to her home to teach her more. She said that would be great! What's cool about this story is that it happens every day! It's so cool, especially when people come on the PCC tram tour looking for just a tour and information and then they find so much more. This gospel is so amazing! In 2 Nephi 2:8 it says, "How great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth." AMEN! It's so cool that I literally get to help make these things known unto people all over the world! 

Last night was another awesome miracle for me. I got to teach my first full leccion completely en Espanol! There is a girl here who is from Ecuador who is visiting her aunt and uncle here. She has been inactive but is now coming back into the church so a member of one of our wards (we are over 3 by the way, 2 YSA and 1 Married Student), introduced us to her at our fireside on Sunday and then we set up an appointment to teach her today. Thankfully, she doesn't speak very great English so she didn't switch to English as much when she saw I was not very good at Spanish (people tend to do that unfortunately). So we got to teach the entire lesson in Spanish! It was so cool to do that again. Afterwards we ate dinner with her family and I got some real Latino food and we had Spanish conversation around the dinner table. Hermana Rodriguez was in Heaven:) We are both amazed at how many Spanish people we are finding when before I came she only talked to people in Spanish when they came to the Visitor Center. 

Right now, I am working on Spanish so much. Hemana is going home Feb 6 and then I am supposed to get another trainer but of course they will not speak Spanish so I will be on my own. I need to take advantage of the situation now while I can. There are times when it seems overwhelming and I feel sooooooo inadequate but, even though I have no idea when or how, I know I will learn this language because that is what God has called me to do. "And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me." "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." I know this gospel is true. I am so grateful that the Lord gives me challenges and trials so I can be strengthened. I am so grateful for the knowledge and understanding I have and am learning of the Atonement that I can share with everyone here. That truly is the greatest message we have. 

I love you so much! I'm glad you liked my treats mom. I was going to just get 2 boxes of the plain ones but I thought of how much you liked caramel:) I didn't have time to read through your entire letter yet, but I'm praying for Alexa and you all. Thank you for your love and words of encouragement. I love you soooo much!!!!!!!!  Les Amo!!!!

Hermana Rowley (Shayla)

Yes, this is my backyard! Sometimes I like to study in the hammock:)