IAKWE 12/17/12

IAKWE! :) hahaha hey yall! its so great to hear from ya! makes me smile so much that i cant stop smiling all week long! :) people probably think im weird... but i dont care! :) i cant help but smile when i hear from my amazing Family and Friends! :) i Love Yall! :) so your probably wondering what in the world does that word say at the begining of this email... IAKWE??? Elder Rowland must be speakin gibberish! hahaha! i wish but nope! :) iakwe means hello in marshallese! :) pretty neat huh! :)  ive decieded im gonna learn some marshallese while im here in Oklahoma! :) hahaha! the marshallese people are so cool! :) i love serving in this area! :) its been a really neat experience so far! :) on Saturday we had a Specialized Training in Gilmer Texas! it was great! so because i am now serving in east texas its too far for me and my companion to drive to dallas for Zone Confrences and what not so all the missionaries serving in east texas all meet up together with the mission president and have our own little Conference and Training! :) its sweet! President Durrant asked us to bring 5 things ... our testimonies, a talent, a personal mission plan, 5 promises for our mission, and a Christmas story or our favorite Christmas memory! well i prepared all of those things except one.. my favorite Christmas story or memory! well during the training president Durant asked if i would stand up and share my favorite Christmas story or memory.... i was sunk... i was like GOOD LAWS i prepared for everything except my favorite memory or Christmas story.... so reluctantly i stood up praying for a miracle! hahaha! :) i stoop up and had not a clue what to say while all the other missionaries looked to me! at that moment i reached into my suit jacket pocket and to my surprise i found a letter! :) from Dad! :) Friday night i got a letter from dad and a BIG box full of Christmas presents!!! :D i opened dads letter and read it quickly and then put in in my jacket pocket and then directly after began to check out the box full of presents! well dads letter was that letter that i found in my pocket during our Specialized Training... i opened dads letter and began to tell all the other missionaries about the one thing i am truly grateful for ... my Family! :) at that point i completely realized what i had done! the Friday night i got dads letter i completely disregarded dads letter and focused on the wrapped up presents instead... holding dads letter in my hand i told the other missionaries about this experience.. i realized that at times in life we are blessed with many Gifts or presents! :) and as missionaries we go out giving the gifts ( the gift of the gospel ) to the people we teach! gifts are a wonderful thing! they provide so much happiness and joy in our lives! but how many times do we just focus on the gifts and not on the more important things.. dad wrote his testimony to me in his letter! he just simply wrote and bore his testimony that he knew that Jesus is our savior! and that Family are the most important thing in our lives! and how grateful dad is to have me as a son! ... i completely looked over the TRUE gift that dad had gave me through that letter he wrote, simply dad expressing his love for me and his family!! God so loved the world that he Gave his only begotten son! how often do we forget or overlook the love that Christ has for us!.. Yes, through Christ we receive so many gifts that bless and strengthen our lives, but until we recognize why he has given us those gifts and how much he suffered for us individually because he loves us! :) you think i was sunk before, well realizing this sunk me even more! haha! but sunk me in a good way! :) it put into perspective for me about the many gifts we have through the gospel! gifts of family gifts of guidance, gifts of knowledge, the gift of life, the gift of baptism, the gift of the temple! :) but all these gifts came through christ! :) as we recognize Christ more in all the blessing we receive then our gratitude for the gifts we have in our lives! :) Dad thank you so much for your letter! your testimony in that letter is the greatest gift ive ever received for Christmas! :D i love you all and i am so grateful for our family as well! :) we are so blessed to have each other! we are so blessed to have the gift of the gospel! :) i hope yall have a amazing week! :) and look for the most important gift of Christmas! the gift of our savior Jesus Christ! :) BAR LO YOK! :) (goodbye in Marshallese) email yall next week! :)