Week 40-Transfer 5

7/15/13

I am not even sure where to begin! What a week! So we did get transfer news last night. I am staying in Kahala and Sister Hoskins is going out of Zone! We don't know where yet or who will be our companions but we should find all that out during transfer meeting on Wednesday. This should be my last transfer out bound. Usually we only get 2 transfers out. I was secretly hoping to be transferred to Maui because there is rumor that there are a ton of Spanish people there. However, I know that this is the Lords work and if he wanted me to be around a bunch of Spanish people He would have sent me there. I did finish el Libro de Mormon!!!!!! I was so excited! I read the entire thing out loud and now I am starting it over again:) It is kinda cool to see how much I understand when I read compared to when I first started it 9 months ago. My goal is to finish it 2 more times before the end of my mission. 

I am excited to be staying here in Kahala for many reasons. Our investigators have been progressing a lot more than ever before. Scott, the one who has been taking lessons since 2005 said that he has never been so open to our message as he is right now. They all still have different concerns but our planners are finally getting filled with appointments and we are getting more and more of them to church! I hope I can see some of them baptized this next transfer. 

We did get a really awesome new investigator on Tuesday. His name is Anthony and he is a neighbor of our bishops wife. We have been trying something where we have a calender passed around during Relief Society so that people can sign up for an hour in a day to take the missionary's (that's us) to there friends. Of course the bishops wife, known as Auntie Fine, who is the top missionary minded person in the ward, was the first to sign up. She was going to just go with us to some less actives, but then the night of she saw her neighbor who hadn't been home for a while. She told us that she wanted to take us over there so we headed over. We learned that he had just been in the hospital for a triple bypass and that he has quit smoking because of it and that his family is more important to him than ever before. Can you say prepared much? His wife isn't really for it and she is very strong minded so we will see what happens. I loved telling him how he can be with his family forever and seeing his eyes light up. I just love this gospel so much! It is soooo true! 

This week we had a nice surprise when we found out that we were getting a mini-missionary for the weekend. That is when youth or young adults thinking or preparing to go on a mission come and stay with the full time missionaries for a period of time, 3 days for us, and they are set apart as missionaries for that time period and they get to get a glimpse of what it is all like. Well Thursday evening we went and picked up our not so mini missionary:) We then spent the next 3 days with Sister Feiloaki, from the Tongan ward. She was really quiet so it took awhile to get to know her, but we ended up having so much fun with her and learning so much. Its amazing how much you can learn to love someone in such a short period of time. We were worried about her at first. We wanted to make it the best experience ever, but (not so unexpectedly), we had appointments cancelled and people not home. Saturday especially was one of those difficult days that Sister Hoskins and I have just learned to live with and smile through. Even though we did get some really good appointments in, we were worried that she was seeing too much of the hard side of the missionary and that she would be discouraged rather than encouraged to go on a mission. Fortunately though, she said in the testimony meeting we all had Sunday night that she was so thankful she followed the prompting to go on the mini mission. She said that she had learned so much about the spirit and about working hard, smiling and having fun even when it gets discouraging or difficult. Funny cause that's something I have been learning too this transfer:) We were so sad to say goodbye to her and our little apartment seemed so empty without her. 

This morning we got another shock but this time not so pleasing, we found out this morning that our landlord, "Grampa Tsuya" had passed away early in the morning. It's something that we knew for a while had been coming because he had cancer and was slowly becoming unresponsive. He was always so sweet and would come out to talk to us every once in a while, always so chipper. They have been having their family over for the past few weeks and people flew over in the last few days to be here. Last night we were invited to their big family dinner that they had all together with bishop and his wife as well. We didn't get to see him cause he was in his room not talking or anything. This morning though we got the news and it was so sad. I wish there was something that we could do to help them but they have so much family over so all we can really do is pray. Be sure and keep them in your prayers. 

Sounds like you had a great time on that trip! Thanks for all the pictures! I would love some prints of those if you can, I especially like the one with Aunt Athena and you with your "boyfriend" mom;) Congrats to Tonya and Kyle for selling their house! I'm so excited that they will be right there in Utah when I get back! I love you all soooo much! You know, when the mini-missionary went home, she was talking about how she had to go back to school and everything Monday morning and I was thinking, I really do love this life, I certainly am not ready to go back to school and all that quite yet:) One thing I do miss is being able to see my family though. I miss you so much but I know that the time is going to go by so quickly. Don't worry, I am making the best out of each moment here:) I love you all and pray for you always! 

Les Quiero,

Hermana Rowley

When Pres. and Sis. Dalton gave their farewell talks in the ward

42 Baptisms in the Honolulu Zone!

Here's a pic of Sister Feiloaki:)

Week 39-Transfer 5

Hey familia! can you believe that I have 3 more days till my 9 month mark?! I also am finishing up el Libro de Mormon either today or tomorrow! I admit, I am not fluent yet which is a bit sad, but my Spanish reading skills and accent have definitely improved:) There is a brother in our ward who is from Mexico who says that I have a bit of an Argentine accent when I speak. Haha:) No idea where that would come from! This transfer has literally just flown by! It must be because it is so different from the Visitor Center but it has been the fastest transfer so far. We should get transfer news this Sunday so I'll let you know. 

This week has been super fun with the fourth of July and everything. We had a huge 4th of July picnic at our ward mission leaders house and there were so many non members that came! One lady came who we had tracted into and randomly invited. She knew a few members who were visiting and dragged them along with her. She is such a sweet old lady and I think she just wants some friends. Our ward, thankfully is really good at making people feel welcome and they told her they would see her at church. We went over a few days later to invite her to church and the members were outside painting the window trim and they said that she had asked them 3 times if they would take her to church on Sunday, and she showed up! She stayed for all 3 meetings which was really good cause in Relief Society they talked all about Visiting Teaching and loving each other which is all she really wants I think. She hasn't agreed to take the lessons yet but I think we will just keep going over there and inviting her to things and finding fellowship for her. 

We also had a family come who have started taking lessons before but have been so busy with a wedding that they haven't had time for a while. We did not expect them to show up but they did and they brought the whole family! They said that they really enjoyed themselves and I think they will come to a meeting that we are having for investigators on Wednesday too. I love this ward so much! They are all so fun. There were so many people that went up and talked to the non members there and helped them feel included. There are these two twins in young womens who are really awesome at that. When we introduced them to the girls in the Crawley family (our investigators), they took them out with them on the Kayak and made sure they had a good time. I have realized that if nothing else, I am going to be a better member missionary when I get home. 

So the rules here are that we are not allowed to proselyte after 5pm on the 4th of July. So after 5 our zone got together and decided that we were going to see some fireworks! First we all went to McDonalds to get the 99 cent big macs that they were doing (You know how much I love McDonalds...:P) then we went and got to see the fireworks over the ocean! It was so pretty! I have to say it was a pretty memorable 4th. 

Tracting remains interesting here in Kahala. We saw some pretty amazing houses this week. One of them reminded me so much of the house in the "Sound of Music." It reminded me to have confidence just like Maria does;). It's too bad so many of them are gated. One guy that opened the door was like, "what's all this?!" I said with a big smile, "Hi I'm sister Rowley and this is sister Hoskins and we are representatives of Jesus Christ and he has sent us here to leave a blessing of peace and comfort with you and your family may we take a moment of your time and say a prayer with you?" "What?!" he said, "Who sent you?!" "Jesus!" I exclaimed. Unfortunately he didn't go for that...Oh well. A lot of people do and it's so cool to see the change in them even if they don't accept the missionaries. 

This Sunday was really cool because the Sunday school teacher of the 16-17 year olds asked us to come in and teach about the Apostasy during her class. In her class there happens to be this girl from Austria who is a non member and who has been asking a lot of questions about the church. We gave her a Book of Mormon in German and she is reading it now. We talk to her every time we see her but she hasn't agreed to take the lessons yet. The twins I talked about earlier have become really good friends with her. Anyways, did we want to come in and teach the first half of the first discussion in class with Sonya? Why yes I think we did! It was really good too I think. She asks really good questions and seemed to be taking everything in. We gave her the Restoration DVD to watch and the twins said they would watch it with her with popcorn:) I hope things go well there. 

I'm sorry i've seemed a bit discouraged in my past few letters. I really do love it here. It is sad when investigators don't keep commitments and makes you wonder what you are doing wrong, what could you teach them better? But really it is all between them and God and He is in control. I am so grateful for every experience that I get to have. I love the people we are teaching, I love the ward and I love all that I am learning from them and my companion. Sister Hoskins has been so great and we get along so well. I love her sense of humor and how hard she is willing to work. She knew this area like the back of her hand when I came in which was super helpful. I i'm so grateful for my Heavenly Father and for all that he has been teaching me. I am learning so much about my Savior than ever before. I love this gospel! Thank you so much for your love and support! I really do love you all so much and I pray for you always:) Thanks for being the best family ever!

Les Quiero,

Hermana Rowley

P.S. I just got a letter in the mail from Hermana Flores. She is from Mexico and as of right now is the only other Spanish Speaking sister on the mission. She is native though. Although I had heard a lot about her, I met her at the last Zone Conference for the first time and she just wrote me a whole letter in Spanish! And I can read it!!!!! So that's super fun:) 

Thanks for the comment about the Zoo mom....Here are some more pics for you:) 

My new mission pres & his wife

Marie, the investigator we that showed up 

Week 38-Transfer 5

Alooooha! 7/1/13

Aloha familia!

This week has been such a crazy one! Being the end of the month and the last month of President and Sister Dalton being here, we have been praying, fasting, and working hard to get our goals. I'm proud to say, our zone hit 42 baptisms this month! That's the highest ever hit by a zone in this mission! I haven't heard yet if the mission reached our 200 goal. This week we have been seeing a lot of President and Sister Dalton. I feel so lucky to be in this ward at this time because it's the ward of the mission home too. On Wednesday, we had a huge potluck for them. I will never think of potluck the same ever again! Hawaii sure knows how to eat! It was good to spend time with The Daltons too. Everyone is sure going to miss them! This Sunday we got to be the first missionaries, other than the assistants, to meet the new mission president and his wife. They got so excited when they saw us at church. "SISTERS!" they said:). They are so cute. They are from Salt Lake city and Sister Warner was in the Tabernacle choir. We got to talk to them quite a bit after church and they were so happy to be here asking us all kinds of questions. I love them already and can tell they are going to be just great! It was really funny actually because one of the first things that sister Warner said to me was that she has been reading my blog! She said, "I knew you the second I saw you because I have been reading your blog for the past few months." haha! That's the second person who has told me that! One of the new Visitor Center sisters who just came in this last transfer so I don't really know her, but she saw me at transfer meeting and said, "Oh Sister Rowley! I have been reading your blog, thank you so much!" Its so funny to me because I read Sister Moyes blog before I got here. I had to think back and make sure everything I have been writing has been ok:).

We have been teaching quite a few people but unfortunately have not had any baptized yet. So many are so close yet so far! This poor ward has not had a baptism since November and she is now inactive and doesn't want to meet with missionaries. We have been studying and working so hard to figure out how to work better with the ward to find and keep these investigators! I love the ward. There are so many nice people here. Sister Hoskins and I have been praying and fasting and studying to figure out how to work better with them. We have a few ideas we want to try so hopefully it works. I love the people we are teaching though! They are so honest and sincere and really fun to teach. I can tell that the gospel is slowly changing them, I am simply learning patience. Sister Hoskins and I are learning a lot about trust in the Lord. This week has been hard. Full of canceled appointments, unanswered phone calls, and silent doors. We kept going, but were getting pretty discouraged, wondering why everyone else was seeing miracles with random baptisms coming out of the woodwork, and we were seeing none. We have been trying our hardest to be exactly obedient and listen to the spirit as much as we can. I honestly wasn't sure what else we could do. I knew that the feelings of inadequacy I was having were not coming from God, but as much as I prayed, I was not sure how to combat them. Then yesterday I was reading in the Ensign the article by Larry W. Gibbons called "A time for faith, not fear." http://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/07/a-time-for-faith-not-fear?lang=eng Everything in it seemed to be what I needed to hear. All of us have to go through trials. It is a fact of life. Trials strengthen us and help us to learn how to rely on the Lord. I loved the part in the article that said, "Sometimes—after we have fasted, prayed, and done all we can do to dispel clouds that have not parted; after we have gone into the dark and expected further light that has not appeared; after we have lived the commandments through difficulties that remain unrelenting—we simply need to turn things over to our Heavenly Father." I am not alone here. This is Heavenly Father's work and He is in charge. I am not sure what is ahead, but I do know that I can put my hand in His and let Him walk with me. He has walked this path before me and I can always trust in Him. There is always hope. No matter how dark the night, the sun always comes up. "Winter will surly give way to the warmth and hope of a new spring." I am so grateful for the gospel that gives us that hope that nothing else really can. I am so grateful that I chose to serve a mission! I love being here! It is helping me understand my Savior so much more!

I love you all so much! I can't tell you how much your faith in me helps. I love you and I pray for you always.

Te Quiero Muchisimo!

Hermana Rowley

These pictures are from the hike we did 2 weeks ago at Manoa Falls. It was so pretty but super muddy!

Look what I found:) See if you can see someone familiar:)

Koko Head hike was probably the hardest hike that I have ever done. We hiked it last week. It was a railroad track that lead strait up this mountain. Over a mile practically strait up! I thought I was going to die! I did it though and the view was amazing! we got there in time for sunrise:)

Today we went to the Zoo:) I don't know why it is not letting me send some more pics, but ill send them next week if I can