Hey Dad
I finally got a little bit of time to write to you and mom and the family a good sized letter. It was really good talking to you guys too! It seemed like 1 hour was 1 min.! Thanks for all that you guys are doing. Thats really neat to hera about Jesse boy playing some good ball. 13 points is what I'm talking about ! I got to play basketball the other day and I have really got a lot to do. I even thought about giving up ny dream of playing college ball, but I wont let that happen. I will complete my goals. I want to help others complete theirs too! well today is another transfer, and my companion is leaving, I'm kind of sad and happy at the same time. I'm sad because I learned and like Elder Piccin a ton! But I'm getting really good companion. Elder Hohnson, who will be my first American companion. I'm excite to show him the area a little bit. This last week we have had some great experiances with investigators and miracles. And some sad thing too. The lord prompted me to call ome of the missionaries in our zone and I did, I found out that he wants to go home He has 1 year and 5 months but just doesn't like the mission. I dont know if what I said helped him out but we will see.
Other than that Dad there is really isn't a lot new. I am learning so much and I have noticed that I am losing my fear little by little, its neat to see. I look bakc and I can see how I was so shy to talk with anyone, but its better now. Thanks for everything Dad and Mom, I sure love you guys so much. I don't know what I would do without you. Love Elder Rowland
Monday, January 4, 2010
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Sister Rowland's email
Hey Fam!!! This week has been pretty dang exciting. (nacho) Hahaha we have been teaching like crazy. There isn~t enough time in a day. I love it here. I don´t speak perfectly but the people here go into shock when they hear i have been here less than 2 weeks. I met the bishop of another ward and his son and his son just got back from his mission. He asked my companion if i was in my 2nd or 3rd transfer and she said she has just passed 1 week here in brazil and he was like NOOOOO way. It was really funny.
We have about 7 really receptive investigators and about 40 who are good but not progressing rapidly. We have 5 baptisms marked for this week. It is really incredible how the lord works. Every encounter with some one is incredible. Yesterday was amazing because on the metro we had 2 other elders accompanying us to our area. One of them asked me if i was ready to teach about prophets and i said yeah! Bring it on hahaha. I taught a girl he contacted on the bus and she said thanks I don~t need that though. He said oh but you do. She got up and left. On the metro the 4 of us entered the car and just scattered. Each of us talked to about 5 people. Passed out pamphlets and talked about our purpose here in brazil. People are really in awe of my blonde hair. Everyone askes me if it is painted. hahaha Many people start to talk about the states or my hair when we start to talk to them and i say that´´s not what i am here to talk about hahaha. It has been so much fun. My companion is great. We have got some big plans this week. I am really excited.
I loved talking to you all at christmas! It was the best christmas present ever! And talking with TY was great too! He IS THE BEST. The members said he talked like a cowboy hahahaha. His accent was different to them. No more crazy bug stories yet. Gotta go. I love you all!!!
We have about 7 really receptive investigators and about 40 who are good but not progressing rapidly. We have 5 baptisms marked for this week. It is really incredible how the lord works. Every encounter with some one is incredible. Yesterday was amazing because on the metro we had 2 other elders accompanying us to our area. One of them asked me if i was ready to teach about prophets and i said yeah! Bring it on hahaha. I taught a girl he contacted on the bus and she said thanks I don~t need that though. He said oh but you do. She got up and left. On the metro the 4 of us entered the car and just scattered. Each of us talked to about 5 people. Passed out pamphlets and talked about our purpose here in brazil. People are really in awe of my blonde hair. Everyone askes me if it is painted. hahaha Many people start to talk about the states or my hair when we start to talk to them and i say that´´s not what i am here to talk about hahaha. It has been so much fun. My companion is great. We have got some big plans this week. I am really excited.
I loved talking to you all at christmas! It was the best christmas present ever! And talking with TY was great too! He IS THE BEST. The members said he talked like a cowboy hahahaha. His accent was different to them. No more crazy bug stories yet. Gotta go. I love you all!!!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
OH CHRISTMAS TREE
I remember both my Christmas's in the mission field like they were yesterday. My first was the hardest because, like you, I got in the mission field right before the holidays hit. I was homesick and two years before I got to go home seemed like an eternity away. My second Christmas was my best; I was well into my mission loving the people of West Virginia and teaching with the spirit. I missed home but did not want to be anywhere else in the whole wide world. I was in Fairmont teaching the Soles. I remember me and elder Hammer going to get a Christmas tree from a tree farm you could either have one cut or get one with the roots and all. We could not afford a big one and the owner of the farm showed us some that were real cheep. We looked them over and found a little scruffy one. The root system had very little dirt left on it and had sat exposed to the air for some time. He said he didn’t think it would live if we re-planted it but that we could cut it off for just a Christmas tree. We wanted it with the roots so he found a little tub to put it in. we put the poor little tree in the tub and packed a little dirt around its roots and loaded it on top of the mission car with some rope. it stood about five feet tall, it really was not much to look at, we even joked that Charlie Browns Christmas tree looked better that this one. With the help of some donated Christmas decorations we put the little tree up in the corner of our cold little apartment it really didn't look half bad all decorated. Well Christmas came and went and sometime in the middle of January we started talking about what to do with the little tree, we decided to throw it out, but we thought no, lets plant it in someone’s yard. We asked Mary Jane if she wanted it, we told her it would remind her of us after we were gone. The day we brought it over I remember her seeing the tree and making a comment that it looked dead. We started digging a hole in the frozen ground just along her long driveway. It was like digging in rock and we really couldn't get down too deep. I said to her Mary Jane, I'll tell you what, if the church is true this tree will live, if the church and everything we have taught you was false this tree will die. She said you must have a lot of faith in that tree because it looks like the odds are against you. Well fast forward twenty five years later as I returned to the Soles home to visit their son returning from a mission and to see Gary be baptized all in the same weekend. as I pulled up their drive way I was greeted by this magnificent beautiful 40 foot Christmas tree thick with pine branches and standing there as if to tell me hello old friend I knew I needed to keep your promise to the Soles and live. That was a great experience for me. Christmas in the mission field is so special you will feel the Saviors love for you at a high level. We miss you Ashley and I know the lord is very pleased with the work you have done and will yet do. I will keep you close to my heart on the 25th. I love you so much Hun. Dad
I remember both my Christmas's in the mission field like they were yesterday. My first was the hardest because, like you, I got in the mission field right before the holidays hit. I was homesick and two years before I got to go home seemed like an eternity away. My second Christmas was my best; I was well into my mission loving the people of West Virginia and teaching with the spirit. I missed home but did not want to be anywhere else in the whole wide world. I was in Fairmont teaching the Soles. I remember me and elder Hammer going to get a Christmas tree from a tree farm you could either have one cut or get one with the roots and all. We could not afford a big one and the owner of the farm showed us some that were real cheep. We looked them over and found a little scruffy one. The root system had very little dirt left on it and had sat exposed to the air for some time. He said he didn’t think it would live if we re-planted it but that we could cut it off for just a Christmas tree. We wanted it with the roots so he found a little tub to put it in. we put the poor little tree in the tub and packed a little dirt around its roots and loaded it on top of the mission car with some rope. it stood about five feet tall, it really was not much to look at, we even joked that Charlie Browns Christmas tree looked better that this one. With the help of some donated Christmas decorations we put the little tree up in the corner of our cold little apartment it really didn't look half bad all decorated. Well Christmas came and went and sometime in the middle of January we started talking about what to do with the little tree, we decided to throw it out, but we thought no, lets plant it in someone’s yard. We asked Mary Jane if she wanted it, we told her it would remind her of us after we were gone. The day we brought it over I remember her seeing the tree and making a comment that it looked dead. We started digging a hole in the frozen ground just along her long driveway. It was like digging in rock and we really couldn't get down too deep. I said to her Mary Jane, I'll tell you what, if the church is true this tree will live, if the church and everything we have taught you was false this tree will die. She said you must have a lot of faith in that tree because it looks like the odds are against you. Well fast forward twenty five years later as I returned to the Soles home to visit their son returning from a mission and to see Gary be baptized all in the same weekend. as I pulled up their drive way I was greeted by this magnificent beautiful 40 foot Christmas tree thick with pine branches and standing there as if to tell me hello old friend I knew I needed to keep your promise to the Soles and live. That was a great experience for me. Christmas in the mission field is so special you will feel the Saviors love for you at a high level. We miss you Ashley and I know the lord is very pleased with the work you have done and will yet do. I will keep you close to my heart on the 25th. I love you so much Hun. Dad
Sister Rowland's great cockroach adventure
So last night!! I killed THE BIGGEST COCKROACH i have ever seen. it was so sick. it was so fast and would run and hide under stuff. i was not going to be able to sleep until that thing was DEAD hahahaha. it was so funny. me and my companion were screaming every time it would run and it ran behind my bedpost. i slid the bed out to get it and it stayed there. so i pushed it back and it caught its nasty antenni in between the wall and the bed post but its body wasn~´t squished. it was squirming around and freaking out and all we could do for about 30 seconds was sit there looking at it screaming hahahahahaha. so then i finally got the courage to step on it and i squished it as hard as i could. we decided to clean it up in the morning and took some pictures hahaha. then as we were putting the room back together it started freaking out AGAIN!!!!!!! we screamed at it again for another 20 seconds and i moved the bed and it crawled over by me. not as fast cause he was halfway dead but i jumped up and steped on it as hard as i could until i knew he was long gone. my heart was racing hahahahaha it was the funniest sickest craziest experience ever!
I went to bed with the creepy crawlies and layed there for a little while thinking WHAT AM I DOING HERE? That DID NOT just HAPPEN! (tony barney style) And then, i came to the amazing conclusion that there is no way i would be here doing this right now if i didn]t know that this gospel is ABSOLUTELY 100% true. That cockroach was soooo nasty! and i have a lot more to experience i am sure. But i was happier than i have ever been because I really do know that I know it IS TRUE.
Tell anyone who doubts in the truthfullness of the gospel that There is no way i (Ashley Rowland) would leave ..wait..THERE IS NO WAY I WOULD LEAVE: my family, the people i love, the beautiful town i am from, the many friends i love, the luxuries of home, a car, and even snow
FOR THIS: christmas with a nasty cockroach, surrounded by a language i don´t really understand in living conditions definately considered 3rd world in America, IF I DID NOT KNOW THAT THE GOSPEL WAS TRUE.
There is no doubt in my mind that this may be one of the best christmases of my life because I HAVE THAT KNOWLEDGE - i may not have anything else i am used to, but I have a knowledge that Heavenly Father loves me and all of us. He REALLY wants all of us to return home. I am sorry for those of you at home who have everything i don´t have right now - yet dont understand this. I hope you will think about the blessing you have to have a little knowledge about the gospel. If you don´t understand something -FIND OUT WHY and SEEK TO UNDERSTAND IT.
CHERISH THE THINGS YOUR PARENTS TAUGHT YOU. Parents here basically teach their kids that getting drunk and dancing is happiness. That is all there is to look forward to in life. THERE IS SO MUCH MORE FOR US TO LOOK FORWARD TO THAN BAD HABITS AND OLD SINS . I want to invite you all to pick something right now you want to change and DO IT! FIX IT! Don´t waste time with things you don´t need. ALL I NEED is a LOVING FAMILY and the knowledge of Heavenly Father´s plan for me to return to him. What else do we really need?
Thanks for all you do for me. I love you so much and i am more grateful for you than ever. Please do a good job and remember the things you know in your heart.
I love you Fam!!!!!
xoxoxoxoxo
Beijinos!!!
-Sister Ash
I went to bed with the creepy crawlies and layed there for a little while thinking WHAT AM I DOING HERE? That DID NOT just HAPPEN! (tony barney style) And then, i came to the amazing conclusion that there is no way i would be here doing this right now if i didn]t know that this gospel is ABSOLUTELY 100% true. That cockroach was soooo nasty! and i have a lot more to experience i am sure. But i was happier than i have ever been because I really do know that I know it IS TRUE.
Tell anyone who doubts in the truthfullness of the gospel that There is no way i (Ashley Rowland) would leave ..wait..THERE IS NO WAY I WOULD LEAVE: my family, the people i love, the beautiful town i am from, the many friends i love, the luxuries of home, a car, and even snow
FOR THIS: christmas with a nasty cockroach, surrounded by a language i don´t really understand in living conditions definately considered 3rd world in America, IF I DID NOT KNOW THAT THE GOSPEL WAS TRUE.
There is no doubt in my mind that this may be one of the best christmases of my life because I HAVE THAT KNOWLEDGE - i may not have anything else i am used to, but I have a knowledge that Heavenly Father loves me and all of us. He REALLY wants all of us to return home. I am sorry for those of you at home who have everything i don´t have right now - yet dont understand this. I hope you will think about the blessing you have to have a little knowledge about the gospel. If you don´t understand something -FIND OUT WHY and SEEK TO UNDERSTAND IT.
CHERISH THE THINGS YOUR PARENTS TAUGHT YOU. Parents here basically teach their kids that getting drunk and dancing is happiness. That is all there is to look forward to in life. THERE IS SO MUCH MORE FOR US TO LOOK FORWARD TO THAN BAD HABITS AND OLD SINS . I want to invite you all to pick something right now you want to change and DO IT! FIX IT! Don´t waste time with things you don´t need. ALL I NEED is a LOVING FAMILY and the knowledge of Heavenly Father´s plan for me to return to him. What else do we really need?
Thanks for all you do for me. I love you so much and i am more grateful for you than ever. Please do a good job and remember the things you know in your heart.
I love you Fam!!!!!
xoxoxoxoxo
Beijinos!!!
-Sister Ash
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