Week 23-Transfer 3

Aloha Familia and Happy Belated Birthday Dad! 

Just so you know, I was thinking about you on your birthday and a really awesome birthday card is on it's way to you:) Sorry it's late, again. I hope you and mom enjoyed your time relaxing and I hope Tiff and Scott enjoyed the Show:) So jealous! This has been quite the strange week. Sorry I didn't clarify but sis Mark is fine, they past it off as stress related and told her to see a doctor in a week or so. She just needs to stop overdoing it! Sounds like Tyson wanted to join in the group. Never a dull moment at the Rowley home yeah? So cool Missy is serving a mission!!! Is she going English speaking? What brought her to decide to go? So cool!!!! 

So this week has been quite new for me. There are definitely pros and cons to being stuck inside a cubicle half the day. We don't really get the chance to get out much and I definitely miss serving in a ward. Its so hard to see the people Ive been teaching since December and our ward mission leaders all working with different missionaries. Sister Bradley and Manoa (a new 19 yr old) are covering that ward now. They are both great missionaries and super fun, but it is sad to hear them talk about the ward and everything that I have grown to love so much. Brandon did come visit me at the visitor center and it was so good to see him. I miss being able to teach him and the others in that area. On Sunday now, since we don't have an official ward, we just went to church in a local ward at 8. I don't even know what ward it was. On the flip side though, I love being online. Seriously, it's my absolute favorite part of the day. We get chat after chat and so we are constantly teaching. You know, most missionaries have to go knock on door after door, and go to appointment after appointment, but we get to teach at the click of a button over and over again. We get some interesting ones on there and it's fun to find out which ones are just there to Troll (or come on line to prank) and which ones are real. The Trolls are kind of humorous and it's fun to fit the gospel and our testimonies into those. Sister Mckeever has even got some of them to agree to meet with missionaries. 

The cool thing about being online is that you always have to be in tune with the spirit and discern the needs of everyone who comes on chat, no matter what they came on for. For example, just yesterday we had a gay guy come on chat asking about our beliefs on gays and such. We shared the mormonsandgays website with him and he thought it was cool how we loved everyone and didn't hate gays like so many do so then he was about to leave chat when we started talking with him about the Book of Mormon. We shared some really awesome Mormon messages with him about it and asked about his beliefs in God and prayer and such. He asked how we prayed and we told him and then asked if he would like to pray with us right now. Now I know it sounds weird but praying online is probably one of the coolest experiences I have had yet. We usually tell them we will be kneeling and they are welcome to join us and then one of us usually prays while the other types. I have rarely felt the spirit so strong during a prayer as I do during our online prayers. Anyways, this one was a little different because after we asked him that he said, "sure why not" and then he began..."Heavenly Father..." I looked at my companion and said "Whoa! He's praying what do we do?!" We both dropped to our knees and watched while he said a beautiful sincere prayer to Heavenly Father. We typed amen and then asked how he felt. "Happy" he said, "I think Ill do that from now on." Well we talked for a while about God and such and then He said he had one more random question for us. He said that he had a hurting stomach right then and asked if that was something he could pray for or if that would be to trivial for God. We testified that nothing was too trivial for God and then offered to pray for him right then. He agreed and this time Sis. Mckeever prayed while I typed. The spirit was so strong and halfway through the prayer she asked Heavenly Father,very boldly I thought, to help his stomach so that the pain could dissipate. After we said Amen we just sat there. The spirit was so strong! Then we watched as he started typing again. He told us how amazing that was and then said that halfway through the prayer, he didn't know if it was coincidence or not, but the pain in his stomach lifted a ton. We testified of the power of prayer and the truth of our words. We testified that there was a God in Heaven, a Loving Heavenly Father who loved him so much. He said how comforting that was to think that. We invited him to meet with the missionaries but he said that he didn't want to commit to going to church or anything, but he did want to keep praying, So then we asked if we could get his email so that we could keep talking to him and maybe chat again. He agreed and gave us his info. It's so cool to be able to literally see the spirit working on people. I've had so many experiences like this already!

As far as Spanish, Sister Mckeever is really good at making sure I have time for language study and trying to help me out in any way she can. She took 4 yrs of Spanish and so she knows enough that I don't feel like I'm talking to a brick wall when I talk in Spanish to her:) I certainly do get to use it a bit more though. The other day we got a Spanish chat from a guy in Argentina who insisted on talking to only me because Sis. Mckeever apologized for her grammar cause she was using google translate and he asked which one of us spoke better Spanish and she of course said me and he said, "Yo quiero hablar con Shayla" (We use our first names online) Anyways, he said that he had a friend who was Mormon and he wanted to know how he could be baptized. I told him we would love to teach him more so he could prepare to be baptized and also we could send the missionaries in Argentina to him to teach him. He said that was OK but only ended up giving us his number and then disconnected the chat. So that will be interesting.

I love this work and am learning so much. It's weird going from a pad of all internationals to all palangies (Whites) and I really miss my pad mates but we still have fun. Sis. Mckeever is a super good cook and true to her word she goes running with me every morning! She sounds so much like I did in the MTC when Hermana Dunn made me go running with her all the time. I would just about die and then say "thank you companion for making me go with you!" and low and behold, thank you Hermana Dunn, I now love running and it's Sis. Mckeever that about dies and then says "thank you companion for making me go with you!" :) 

Well I love you all so much! I know I say it all the time but you are seriously the best family in the world! I am so grateful what you have done as parents to make us strong in the gospel has really helped us grow stronger through our trials. I love you all so much. So I bet you have seen this before, but being an online sister now, I have seen this video like 50 times and love it every time I watch it and it really helps put things in perspective for me. Enjoy!

http://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng#mountains-to-climb

Love you all!

Les Quiero!

Hermana Rowley (Shayla)

Me an my companion

My lovely comp. Sis Patlingrao trying to give me a "high five":)

Francheska's Baptism and our adventure at the hospital the night before:)

P-Day at the beach pad:) This was last week

Week 22-Transfer 2

Querida Familia,

So I sent my last letter after skimming yours real quick and reading the bottom part. After I sent it, I was able to read yours and Chelsea's emails to me and I was absolutely amazed at the connection to the days when I really felt a need to pray and the days Alexa was having the hardest time. The Lord really is looking after us all. So this week was really quite the week. First of all, I guess I could share transfer news with you:) Transfers are not until tomorrow but we just got all the news yesterday. So many changes for me! My new companion is Sis. Mckeever from California and my new area is online! This means that I will be the one to answer chats and such from mormon.org. and that includes Spanish chats! Hopefully this will help my Spanish improve more. I'm actually pretty excited about that. Everyone who has done online has loved it. They say that that is where most of the miracles happen. Plus Sis. Mckeever has said that she wants to run with me in the mornings and that she will cook for me if I do the dishes:) She likes to eat healthy:) Maybe I'll loose the little bit of weight that I've gained here:). I'll have to get a picture of her and send it. She has been out in the field one transfer longer than me but entered the MTC one week after me. Not sure who qualifies as the senior comp. in this case:). I am super sad to leave my area though. We are so solid with our wards now I hate to leave. It's a good thing Sis. Patlingrao is the pro at the area book cause they are whitewashing our area, meaning neither of us are staying in the area:( Brandon about had a cow when he found out about transfers, "What are these transfers?! Sis Rowley, your leaving me?!" Haha, he's so dramatic. He said it was ok though cause I will be in the VC all day now:) I do have to say goodbye to the beautiful beach pad and move up by the temple with all the other sisters. I'm sure gonna miss that and Sis. Patlingrao too:( Oh well, I am happy to do whatever the Lord wants me to do. It's going to be another good transfer:)

We did end this transfer with a miracle though. Franchescka is now a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! Her baptism on Sat. was one of the sweetest experiences I have been able to take apart of. I told you that I was worried about her testimony, well, if she didn't have one before her baptism she has one now. I think the best part about this experience was how involved the ward was in helping her get to this point. So many people in the ward made sure to fellowship her and share their testimonies with her. At her baptism, everyone there was not just there for a baptism, they were there for Francheska. All of them knew and loved her and you could feel it in the air. The spirit was so strong. When I got up and shared my talk about baptism, I said, "Francheska, I hope you can feel the spirit in the room right now." Really, you could have cut it with a knife! She was so cute and excited as she was getting in the water. After, she got up and bore her testimony saying how it was a miracle that she was there because her coming to Hawaii was something that her parents didn't want her to do and didn't give her any money to do, but she came anyways and now she knows that God wanted her to come. I think about when I first met her with Hermana Rodriguez and look at how much she has changed now and it is so amazing and humbling. The gospel truly did change her life and she has a glow about her. When she got confirmed with the Holy Ghost, she was blessed to be a light to her family and she would bless many lives back in Peru. We got her information and are planning on staying in contact and making sure her bishop, the missionaries, the Relief Society pres., and everyone else knows that she is coming so she can stay strong. I am so grateful that I had this opportunity to meet and teach her and to use my Spanish. It has been such a testimony builder to me. 

Another testimony builder has definitely been teaching Chris. He is so prepared and we can just see how much his faith has grown just this past week. So I don't remember if I told you or not but he had his boss in the Navy call him up and he was assigned to be shipped out within the week. Well, we were all kinda nervous about this as you may guess. He went and told his boss that he wasn't going to leave before originally planned (which was in like 3 weeks) unless he went out to battle with him. Well they said that they would talk about it and meet with him again on Thurs. We all started praying. We put his name in the temple and told everyone we knew to pray for him. So Thurs. comes around and we waited all day for the phone call he promised. That night we finally received it. "So what's the news?" I asked, "Well," he said, "I don't know what happened, a miracle or something!" He then explained how they had had a bunch of meetings and talked to different people and in the end, they decided they weren't going to ship him out till September!!!! He said that this never happens where they change their mind like that. The best part was while we were cheering our celebration he exclaimed, "Prayer works!" "Yes it does!" I shouted back. Yesterday when we met with him he told us of his strong testimony of prayer. He said that since I told him to pray for specific things he has started doing that and that he can't explain it but he gets his answers. He said a "warm feeling" doesn't quite do justice to what he feels when he prays. We asked him how his testimony has grown and he said that he feels he has gotten closer to God since he started learning about these things than he had gotten the whole time he was Christian or Catholic. He then gave one of the sweetest prayers and asked Heavenly Father to keep this fire burning in him. This gospel is so true! God loves us so much! With transfers coming up I only pray that Sis. Patlingrao and I will still be able to go on exchanges to teach him since this is an interesting case with the visitor center thing and all so we'll see. I'm just so grateful to be apart of it at all!

This weekend has also been an interesting one. So a few days ago, Fri night I believe, I was writing in my journal downstairs when Sis Shin came and and said, "hermana, I need you. Sis Mark is weird." So I went upstairs and found Sis. Mark lying on her bed with her eyes half open and groaning. We tried calling out her name and shaking her awake but she wasn't responding to anything. So we called our VC director Elder McDonough and he told us to call 911. So, on my mission, for the first time ever, I dialed 911. The paramedics showed up right after Elder and Sister McDonough and made us all leave as they tried to get her to respond. Well eventually she did start responding but they took her to the emergency room in Kahuku to check her out. So we all followed the ambulance down and ended up staying there till 2 in the morning. She is fine now but I think this experience was really hard on Sis. Shin. This transfer has been so stressful for all of us in many ways, full of some of the hardest times so far, and yet the most rewarding as well. I feel I have learned so much and gotten closer to God this transfer. I think I'm learning that it really is through the hard times that you come to know God and how much he loves you. It's through strengthening your relationship with others that you learn more about your relationship with God. I love this gospel. I love watching it change people and feeling the spirit that grows in them as they come closer to Jesus Christ. I pray daily for all of them and all of you individually and somehow it helps me to see Gods hand in my life more. I listened to the CES Fireside talk by elder Bednar like Chelsea told me to. It really was directed for our family! Alexa, you are so strong and beautiful. Heavenly Father is helping you become more like him and I think helping you understand the atonement in a more personal way than most people understand. I love you so much and miss you so much! Thank you for being the most amazing family ever! I told Sis. Mark about each one of you and showed her pics and she said "I love your family! They are so awesome!" I totally agree! I love you all so much! 

Les Amo! Les Quiero! 

Hermana Rowley (Shayla)

Week 21-Transfer 2

Aloha familia!

So this week really was a week of miracles. I'm going to try to remember everything the best I can because I don't have my journal with me today. First of all, I want you to know that everyone here is praying for Alexa. For some reason this week I have felt an extra need to pray harder for you and Alexa. I have been thinking about you a lot and really keeping you in my prayers. Also the missionaries here are praying for Alexa as well. I admit that it has been hard but can I just say how much my testimony has been strengthened because of all this? I know the power of prayer works. I know that because of Jesus Christ and because of His role in our family and our lives, we have a strong foundation and cannot fall (Helaman 5:12). I know he is watching over us and I have felt his hand in my life more than ever. 

Last night we had another lesson with Franchesca. I have been worried about her because of different things and I honestly wasn't sure if she would be OK for baptism for different reasons. Last night we went over the baptism interview questions and discussed each one in detail. She has been praying and she says she feels peace about being baptized and wants to follow Jesus Christ. We discussed the importance of the commitment she would be making and asked if she was willing to do that. She said that she was and I think she finally understands the importance of reading the Book of Mormon because she knows it's a true book and she needs to understand it more. At the end I was able to bear my testimony with her. I don't remember exactly what I said to her but I know I talked about Helaman 5:12 and bore my testimony about what building our foundation on the rock of our Redeemer has done for me personally and for my family. The spirit in that room was stronger than it had ever been and I could see in her eyes that she could feel it. When I was done, Sis Patlingrao bore a powerful testimony as well which added to it. After she was done I asked Franchesca, "What do you feel right now?" "I feel like God is here" she said. I think that was the most powerful moment I have had. "God is here" I said. Then I was able to explain about the Holy Ghost and how after baptism she would be able to receive that gift to feel God with her always as she followed Him. We still have a few details to set up but I think her baptism for Saturday is still going through. Thankfully, I am a visitor center sister and will be able to stay in contact with her and set everything up with her bishop and the missionaries in her area when she goes back to Peru on Mon. 

Speaking of blessings of being in the Visitor Center, I never knew how amazing it really would be to be here, especially with this new program. So the first day we started the new program we met this old couple from Washington who were about to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. He was raised in one religion and she was raised in another and they tried Methodist for a few years but they are moving now and wanted to find another church. I asked if they had tried the LDS church and they said "no, maybe we will though." They agreed to have the missionaries come bring them a Book of Mormon and teach them more and they kept saying things like, "I'm so glad we left the villages early to come here" and "you made our day with this." I just told them I was glad too and they made my day:) On the tram ride back they asked "do you get many people like us?" meaning willing and excited to learn more. "yes" I said, "That's why I love what I get to do!" God's hand is in this work so much and I am so blessed to have the opportunity to see these miracles. And the best part is that I now get to stay in contact with them and see them to baptism and beyond! I also had a miracle on the phone with a lady from Mississippi who called in about United Health Care or something. When I told her who I was she said "Oh I've heard about Y'all on TV! What is it Y'all do?" "Teach people more about Jesus Christ" I said. "Oh that so good! I love Jesus Christ! He just means everythin to me." :)Well long story short, she agreed to have the missionaries come and she said "I really wanna talk with you some more too!" So I'll definitely be in touch as well:). It seems like I've seen tons of miracles like that this week but I think the biggest one happened on Sunday. 

So Sunday night I was on shift in the Visitor Center and was a little put out by it cause I had to miss the Fireside that was going on with our Mission President in one of the theater rooms. I was just giving tours and all and a couple walks in wanting to go through the presentation of Gods Plan for His Family. We talked with them for a bit and then took them through the 15 min presentation. After we asked them about what they felt and all that and that is when we found out that the young man, Chris, was actually investigating the church. I asked how long he had been investigating and he said 6mths. Apparently he had come in to this visitor center 6mths ago (He lives on the Island) and had self referred to see the missionaries. Well the missionaries had visited him 3 times and he said next Sunday was going to be his first Sunday to go to church (he was really excited about it). Then his friend asked if there were lessons that the missionaries were supposed to be teaching him cause apparently the 3 times he met with them they didn't really teach him much. They only shared a short message and then played pool! They then asked if it were possible for us to teach them here today. Thankfully with this new program with us being their "official" missionaries since we can contact and teach them throughout the whole process we were able to tell them "definitely" So we had them fill out our guest cards with our information, and we also asked if there was anyone else they thought could use this message and each of them referred 2 people! Also on the guest card of Chris where it asks for religion he put "Mormon":)!!!!! We ended up teaching the beginning of the first lesson right there and then they said that if it was OK they wouldn't mind driving here for us to continue teaching them. So we set up an appt. for them to come tonight! It was so amazing. The whole time we were teaching him I kept thinking how he reminded me so much of Brandon. He is definitely so prepared from God and, as he put on the comment part of his guest card, is so "Excited to learn more." He told us "I don't want to go through the motions so I'm going to have some questions." "Good!" we said "That is why we are here! We don't want you to just go through the motions. We are here to help you understand and learn more so you can discover for yourself that this is true. Write down questions that you think of and ask us, we love questions:)" He also said he loves reading and will start reading the Book of Mormon. No idea why this guy hasn't been to church or isn't baptized yet after 6 mths! But that just makes me happier that we have this new program here at the VC. The missionaries in their areas are going to have to take these referrals we send a bit more seriously! It is estimated that 1/3 of everyone who joins the church started investigating because of a Visitor Center. That number is now expected to go up to over 1/2! The work of God will go forth boldly and nobly! 

I love this work. I love seeing Gods hand in my life and in the lives of those around me, including my family. I love you all so much! This church is so true. Believe it or not, this was a hard week for me. Spiritually and mentally I felt depressed and physically I have been sick (yes mom I actually bought pineapple juice). There are certain things I have been kinda having a hard time with and so I adopted a new motto. "Pray always lest ye enter into temptation." Prayer works! Heavenly Father hears me and answers me in ways that I don't expect but am so grateful for. I am so grateful for the Atonement. I have been seeing it work in the lives of investigators and less-actives alike. Its real. Heavenly Father loves His children so much! I love you so much. I pray for you always. My sweet companion and now all the sisters here are praying for you. I think we are all being made strong through this. Thank you for raising us to be close to Jesus Christ. Thank you for teaching us to have that strong foundation. 

Les Amo!!!!!

Hermana Rowley