Aloooooha!
8/12/13
Aloha familia,
Wow what a week you had! Sounds
pretty crazy over there. I laughed so hard about dads comment about staying up
all night:) Hope you and Tonya were able to have fantastic birthdays anyhow:)
Thats so cool to me that Tonya and Kyle and their family are there in Utah with
you all! I'm sure I will stalk up on those stickers before I come home mom.
Haha:) You would do something like that:) But that is why I love you:) So I
hope you have enjoyed the random text photos you get from everyone here:) They
think it is so fun that they can text you while we are sitting there. Last
night that was sis. Akiona and her family. They are so fun and probably one of
the funnest families to eat dinner with. I got a picture but I forgot my cord
so I will have to send them next time.
Thanks for all your prayers. We also
had an extra fast yesterday for that purpose of finding more people to teach.
We did get one of our old investigators back which was an awesome miracle, but
that's about it. But you know what, even with the lack of new solid
investigators, we are seeing so many random little miracles here. I think I
told you about Raven at some point, how he went to church for about 5 years
straight and then because of different things, was unable to be baptized. Well
one of those was his family. He has a beautiful family with 2 boys and their
mother who he loves so very much. Only problem is, he is not married to their
mother. She doesn't want to marry him cause she doesn't want to get married
just so he can be baptized. She has something against the church that we can
guess at but no one has really been able to get to her. Well, this week, we
went by to go see Raven (We always have to just go whenever cause he never will
set an apt. with us) and Amy (his girlfriend) was the only one home. At first
we were nervous but then we started talking to her. The spirit was so strong as
we talked, neither of us were completely sure what to say to her but whatever
we said really touched her. She shared some personal reasons with us why she
wasn't interested and we were able to testify to her about how much her
Heavenly Father loves her and her family. It was just another baby step, but it
is so cool to see the Lord working with that family. I may not be able to see
them baptized but someday they will be and I will be so happy I got be a part
in it. I love that family so much and Sister Gleason and I both feel that they
are so close to getting past whatever is holding them back!
Marie is still doing great! She is
so funny and loves to tease us. She calls Sis. Gleason "you again!"
and me, "Cohort" haha. She reminds me of you in some ways mom:) She
is very motherly. This week we have been looking for different ways to work
with the ward to get more investigators. We have really been focusing on
serving as much as we can and asking EVERYONE for referrals. If nothing else,
I'm glad I got this practice in. I feel like my experiences here are really
helping me to become a better missionary. I still feel like I have so much to
work on. Every day I find something else that humbles me and makes me realize
how much I really do need to rely on the Lord because, shootz, without him, I
am really weak. I have so many weaknesses! But this is a good time to put Ether
12:27 to the test. If I come unto the Lord, he will show me my weaknesses so
that I may be humble. However, he has promised to make weak things become
strong and so that is what I am counting on:) I am so grateful for the
Atonement! I know that my Heavenly Father really does love each one of us so
much! We are all on different levels and we all have different strengths and
weaknesses, but we are all striving for the same goal and Heavenly Father
cheers us on every step that we make. I tell my investigators this all the time
but I guess that it is good that I get to experience it even moreso first hand.
I love you all so much! I can't
believe I just hit my 10 month mark on Saturday! I feel like I just told you
about my 9 month mark! I am so grateful for my mission and everything that it
is teaching me! I love you all and pray for you always!
Les Quiero muchisimo!
Hermana Rowley (Shayla)
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