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:)