Picture of Elder Rowland and companion

Elder Rowlands latest Email

Hey mom ! things are going great this week , there are many people that the lord his putting in our confidance , including the missionaries in our zone. Its a neat thing. Imlearing so much . About the camera mom, I still havent gotten it. But just wait untill the next email that i send you , because i think i will get it this week . I will send that camera off to ashley at least next week. The elder that wanted to go home is still here, and i thank you for the advise you and dad have giving me to help him out . I know that he will stick it out. Good luck speaking at church mom! I sure Love you


Hey Logan! thats so neat that you are painting your room and putting in some of the memories of grandpa. I think that is really neat. Good luck in basketball LOgan!

I love you buddie!

Hey J dog, Im doing fine out here bro, I know your doing great in basketball this year.I really am so happy that you are doing seminary and things like that, im proud of you. There are so many other things that you could be doing but your choosing the right. I love you buddie!

Hey Dad, Wow... There are a lot of men in the house right now huh!!??? thats really an eye opener! This week has been good and at the same time complicated. There were some missionaries that called in , complaning about their companion, and things really small like that . Its kinda fun for me to work with those missionaries because they almost always have the same problem that i passed through , or something similar. Im really liking my new companion. He is way cool. We are getting along great. Well dad thats about all i have for now. , Is there anything i can do for you guys , write a letter , or something like that? I would be glad to do it. I love you so much!



Love Elder Rowland

Sister Rowland 's latest email

How is the ward doing? I am writing you each a letter today! Watch for them in the mail in a couple of weeks.
Sister hulse is great. that is sofun that her parents called you!
She teaches really well. We have a baptism planned for next week and one the week after. If we are obedient and focus on what is important, we shouldn~t have a problem baptizing someone each week. There are so many elect people here.
Hope you know I love you. Thanks for your wonderful example mom!!!
Please tell maddy goose that i love her. she has been on my mind a lot lately. Tell her i need to hear from her!!! Her sunshine emails really brighten my day and help me. I love you!!! Glad you all are well.
Your little girl.
Ashley Amber Rowland
xoxoxoxo

Elder Rowland Baptism

Elder Rowland's latest email

Hey There
 Things have been going really great. I had a great week . My new companion is elder Johnson, from L.A. California. He is totally great. I'm sending you a picture of him and also of lisiane, who was a baptism this week. She was really great and she wanted me to baptize her. It was a fun experience. Me and elder Piccin, and the lord worked really hard with her. She knew a lot about the chuch before she got to know us. And after many lessons and teachings , She gained a strong testimony of the church. I know that she is really happy with the gospel now. She would be one person that i would like to introduce you to. Well this time that i have is really wonderful. The lord helps so much in this work , And when the Spirit withdraws from us in the work, You know it , because you feel it , Really strong, Its like an Emptiness that can only be filled with spiritual things. I'm grateful that the lord has created that Spiritual Well in me. Because you never want to run out of living water, because of that thirst you feel. Well that's about all for now. How are things going there. Has Maddy written Elder Rush Yet? And if not , Why not ? He is waiting for a letter:)    I love you all so much. More than you can ever know.
   Love Elder Rowland

Vinicius was baptized

Hey Fam! This week was fabulous! A little laddy named Vinicius was baptized saturday! It was one of the best experiences ever! He is 9 years old and he is going to be the best missionary ever when he grows up. He is such a great kid! We are pals! There were so manythings that were learning experiences for me. Satan did all he could to keep this important baptism from happening, but the determined and dedicated prevailed! It was especially neat because I was feeling a little worried and I prayed and instantly felt peace and an assurance that everything would work out. After that moment I had a flood of memories come back to me about times where the advisary has tried his hardest to stop important things from happening in my life. When Vinicius entered the baptismal font I was taken back to my baptism. I couldnt remember things very clearly, but as his baptism progressed and as he was lowered under the water the memories of my own became so much more tender and sweet. I distinctly remember taking dad´s hand and steping down into the water. I looked into his blue eyes and remember him smiling and me smiling bigger than ever. He turned me to the front, placed my hand on his arm and took my other hand in his. I was baptized and as I wiped the water from my eyes dads hand came on my shoulder. I turned and gave him a big huge hug and he said I´m proud of ya Ash. Mom helped me out of the font and helped me get dressed into my beautiful beautiful white baptism dress. She said I sure am proud of my little Ashley. I felt so pure. So perfect, so beautiful. I remember the primary presidency being there and i remember the song When I am Baptized being sung.I dont remember who exactly was there but these are a few things i distinctly remember.

At the baptism while Vinicius was drying off all of these memories were in my mind. I miss you all so much! Goodness! It isnt easy. Every day has a new challenge. But the memories like this that are so dear to my heart help me to know that I am helping others. They help inspire me to do all i can to bring those feelings of love and happiness to others. I love it here. It has rained every day for the past 40 days or something and it can be crazy at times, but It is an incredible experience.

I am so thankful for you all. I will send pictures soon. I may have an awesome sister in the ward help me send them to you this week. Love you all so much. Thanks for everything! I am glad to hear everything there is fantastic!!! We are so blessed!

Love you all!

Sister Ash

xoxoxo

The most important person is the one next to you.

Talk by Elder Holland Sept ensign about when the Prophet was in Liberty Jail
Whenever these moments of our extremity come, we must not succumb to the fear that God has abandoned us or that He does not hear our prayers. He does hear us. He does see us. He does love us. When we are in dire circumstances and want to cry, “Where art Thou?” it is imperative that we remember He is right there with us—where He has always been! We must continue to believe, continue to have faith, continue to pray and plead with heaven, even if we feel for a time our prayers are not heard and that God has somehow gone away. He is there. Our prayers are heard. And when we weep He and the angels of heaven weep with us. When lonely, cold, hard times come, we have to endure, we have to continue, we have to persist. That was the Savior’s message in the parable of the importuning widow (see Luke 18:1–8; see also Luke 11:5–10). Keep knocking on that door. Keep pleading. In the meantime, know that God hears your cries and knows your distress. He is your Father, and you are His child..... We are not alone in our little prisons here. When suffering, we may in fact be nearer to God than we’ve ever been in our entire lives. That knowledge can turn every such situation into a would-be temple. Regarding our earthly journey, the Lord has promised, “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up” (D&C 84:88). That is an everlasting declaration of God’s love and care for us, including—and perhaps especially—in times of trouble. Remaining true to our Christian principles is the only way divine influence can help us. The Spirit has a near impossible task to get through to a heart that is filled with hate or anger or vengeance or self-pity. Those are all antithetical to the Spirit of the Lord. On the other hand, the Spirit finds instant access to a heart striving to be charitable and forgiving, long-suffering, and kind—principles of true discipleship. ...As a valedictory to the lessons from Liberty Jail, I refer to the last verse of section 123: “Therefore … let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed” (D&C 123:17; emphasis added). What a tremendously optimistic and faithful concluding declaration to be issued from a prison-temple! When he wrote those lines, Joseph did not know when he would be released or if he would ever be released. There was every indication that his enemies were still planning to take his life..... Yet in these cold, lonely hours, Joseph says let us do all we can and do it cheerfully. And then we can justifiably turn to the Lord, wait upon His mercy, and see His arm revealed in our behalf. What a magnificent attitude to maintain in good times or bad, in sorrow or in joy! I testify that the Father and the Son live and that They are close, perhaps even closest via the Holy Spirit, when we are experiencing difficult times. I testify that heaven’s kindness will never depart from you, regardless of what happens (see Isaiah 54:7–10; see also 3 Nephi 22:7–10). I testify that bad days come to an end, that faith always triumphs, and that heavenly promises are always kept. ...In the words of the Liberty Jail prison-temple experience, “Hold on thy way. … Fear not … , for God shall be with you forever and ever” (D&C 122:9).

Elder Rowlands latest Email

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