Week of Challenges

Dear Mom and Family,

Well, to start off HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RACHAEL THIS WEEK!!! WOOO HOO THE BIG 18!!!! It's Rachael's birthday this week and I had to give her a shout out! Ha ha! Have a great birthday Rachael!!!

And from what you wrote in your letter, Mom, yes, Dad is a stud! I don't know how you do it Dad! You are such an example to me! I'm glad you two had time to relax and talk. And woo hoo to Melody Larsen leading the choir. That's awesome! Awww I miss her desserts sooooooo much! You will have to tell her that I miss her cooking and that when I get back from my mission I will HAVE to have one of her desserts! Ha ha! And I loved your lesson about the nut and the shell, actually it reminded me of a lesson that I will share later on with Barbara. And, yes, on Tuesday I will hit my 5 month mark. I only have 20 months and I hate having to say that! I love you guys but I don't wanna go home! Even during this difficult time in the mission! It's all great! But onto my week!!!

Tuesday we had a lesson with Alejandro who is a new investigator who is awesome! He is really young, maybe 25 years old, but wants to know the truth! He has a lot of questions and it was an awesome lesson. He has a lot of interest in Joseph Smith because he can relate to him with all of his questions of why there are so many churches. I love those lessons when they come with a lot of questions and we can help them answer them all with the gospel! This lesson was really powerful! The spirit was so strong when we were sharing the experience of the first vision! I love teaching the Restoration! It's my favorite and it's the lesson that we teach the most! Then after that we had Mara, who was a challenge this week. But first off, Tuesday was really good, we had a small lesson with her about the importance of attending church, praying and reading daily and we were preparing her for her baptism which was going to be yesterday. . . . 

Wednesday was another good day. We taught Mara again (Oh, by the way, Mom, Mara doesn't have problems smoking, that's Teresa!) and we taught her about the importance of the Book of Mormon. We have been having really short lessons with her because we have taught her everything and we are just helping her for her baptism. Wednesday Elder Hatch (who is the other elder that I live with and we have gotten really close as friends) has been having a hard time with his companion, too, about obedience. So he and I both decided to fast for our companions. After lunch that day it just got crappy. All the lessons after Mara just were really bad. I don't know what happened. We had no unity and we were just having a hard time teaching together. I got a little discouraged because the very thing I was fasting for was just getting worse. . . but I also got a letter from Josh Free and his excitement for the mission lifted my spirit, it was just what I needed. Also, I have truly come to know of the power of fasting. After having a crappy day we were planning in the night when my companion was mad at me and didn't want to talk and didn't want to plan. I eventually made him tell me what was going on and he finally opened up to me and told me that he was tired of this. He was tired of the mission, the lessons, everything. He felt like he was wasting his time and had some very serious thoughts of just going home. It made me so sad to see him think that this mission is worthless because it means EVERYTHING TO ME. But I was able to share my testimony with him about the mission--that it's not all easy and that we are representatives of Jesus Christ and we are commanded to be here and to do what He himself would do. I talked a lot about faith with him and how that's all we need. He then got up and pointed at our map of our sector and started to tell me of all the problems that our less actives and investigators have and started to point out all the people that don't want anything to do with us anymore. I then shared with him again about faith and how if we have faith there are people here. There are miracles waiting. There are people who are waiting for us to help them with their problems. It was a very powerful experience for both of us. Afterwards I was able to help him get refocused and to continue in his mission. I know that I had received extra help from my fast to help my companion continue in the mission. Who knows what would have happened if I wasn't fasting?

Then Thursday was crazy. It was challenges all day long and just a roller coaster! We visited Mara one last time before she needed to go to her baptism interview, this time with our zone leaders. And we started the lesson and planned to have a really short lesson. We both shared our testimonies and then asked Mara if she wanted to give the closing prayer . . . and that's when it all went downhill . . . She just said no and that she can't. She wanted to, but she can't. And then after she just started to bawl her eyes out. And we had no idea what happened! We tried to comfort her so much and to let her know that everything was okay. We asked her why she can't pray and she just told us that she wasn't worthy to. She then took my companions agenda and wrote on it that she doesn't want to live anymore. And that was probably one of the saddest experiences I have had in my life--to see this women, one of Gods children, my sister, not want to continue anymore. We tried so hard to help her and to let her know that it's okay and that she has her Heavenly Father to help her, but she just kept crying and crying. There was a lot of silence and then the zone leaders called to tell us that they were waiting for us. And then she stood up, told her family that she was going with the missionaries, and we left her house. But . . . as she closed the front door we started walking to the church and she started walking the other way. We tried to stop her, but she told us that she was leaving and that the kids think she is with us. And then she left . . . . We had no idea where she was going or what she was going to do. We tried to tell her to come back, but she just kept walking. We were really worried about her, we had no idea what she was going to do and if anything happened we would be blamed because she told her family that she was going with the missionaries. We then ran to the church and told the zone leaders everything and we just kept trying to call Mara on her phone, but she wouldn't answer. But finally after an hour she answered and said she was going to meet us at the church. So we waited and waited and waited. After another hour and a half she finally showed up and something was just off. She was not Mara. I could just feel a different spirit about her. Then the zone leaders tried talking to her, but she was really negative to them and wouldn't answer any of their questions. She got mad at them and she stood up and left. . . and that was it! It was not Mara! Usually Mara is always so happy and giggles all the time and loves talking! But I really don't know who that was on Thursday. She then called us that night to apologize for everything. I really think that she just had a mega stress attack and needed to let it all out because she has been having some problems financially and has had to work extreme hours to support her family. It was a crazy day!

Then Friday we went and visited Hugo who is the less active that now has a calling in the church and went to the temple with us. He told us that the bishop was going to give him a new calling and didn't say what exactly, but said that it would involve missionary work. We don't have a mission leader in the ward so who knows! Maybe he will be! That would be so awesome! From a man that didn't want anything from the church only 2 months ago and now has gone to the temple, is reading, and now has a calling and about to receive another calling! Just proof of how the gospel can changed anybody's life and always for the better! 

Saturday we had a meeting with President about the plan of the mission to have more baptisms. It was really great. Short and to the point, but really great! Ha ha. But then when we came back and Barraza wanted to take a nap, which he has been doing every day this past week, which I don't like because we don't leave the house to start working till about 5 at night. But I am trying to have patience with him. But after he woke up we went with Mara (who was perfectly normal again ha ha) and walked her to the Relief Society activity at the church. But then Barazza just went and sat down on a bench and told me that he was tired and didn't want to work. It's just as you said Dad--the hot and cold example . . . . But I just told him that this mission is the Lord's time and I don't care how he wastes the Lord's time for his mission, but that I will not let him waste the time in my mission. After being really direct with him, we were able to leave the church and go back to work. That night we went and visited Mara and drank mate and ate a little with her family and played a little game with them to ease the tension with everything that happened in the past week. 

Then Sunday we had Teresa attend, Mara couldn't because she was working. Teresa told us after the service that she just got this really strong feeling that this was all true. It was awesome to hear that! She told us that while she was sitting and listening to one of the talks she just had a thought come to her that all the things we have taught her and that this church is all true!!! Woo hooo!!! I love those moments! To see the testimony to grow in people is the best! I love helping people! And one last thing I want to share is with Barbara, who is really trying to change her life. She separated from her spouse and is trying to live a better life, but still has problems with the law of chastity. So I read Mark 10 with her about the story of the young rich man who when told to give his money to the poor he couldn't because it was too hard for him, but keeping all the other commandments weren't a problem. It was just like your lesson, Mom! Ha ha how ironic! But it was a really great lesson! I could she her desire to change and to be better! But at the end of the lesson, Claudio called her. Claudio is her spouse that she separated from, but he still gives her money because Barbara is taking care of the daughter. He called to tell her that all the money he made he used it all to drink and get drunk. It was so sad to see Barbara who doesn't have anything and was starving in the lesson, and to see that he wasted it all to go drink. It was so sad, but we were able to give her a blessing and we all walked to our house and gave her some of our food that we had to help her and his daughter for a little bit.

I know that we may have difficult times in our lives, but as long as we push through and look for our Savior during those times He will help us overcome any challenge that we have. I know that my Savior lives, I know His Atonement made it possible for us to have a new hope for a better life! How indebted we are for his sacrifice! I love my Savior so much! I am so grateful for this mission! Thanks for everything! I hope you all have a great week! Now, I have to go teach a lesson to a new investigator that we have whose name is Kevin! Ha ha, how cool! Ha ha until next week! Chow!

Love,

Elder Cowan

Blessings of Temple

Dear Family,

Well, family and friends here is to another week! Wow the time is really going fast! It's so crazy! The mission is the best! Thank you for all your letters! And thanks, Mom, for the update about Austin, ha ha, he is such a goofball, ha ha. And, wow, they have another film seriously? Wow! That's fast! And awesome! I can't wait to see it!

On to my week, last p-day we went to the mall! It was so weird, actually, because I just didn't feel like a missionary, ha ha, just walking around looking at different shops. I only bought one thing and you know what it was?! It wasTaco Bell!! Woo hoo, ha ha ha! It was the first taco bell I have seen in Chile so I just had to go and eat there! Ha ha, it was so great! Ha ha and then we ended Monday with drinking mate with our investigator, Mara,  who has a baptism date. It was a really chill day.

Then Tuesday we had district meetings about obedience and actually we were talking about all the rules that are hard for us to keep and one of the elders in our district asked me, "Cowan how do you do it? You make it look like all the rules in the mission are so easy to obey." Ha ha. I was able to share with them that it all depends on our humility and our reasons for serving. I was able to share with them that the main reason I am serving my mission is because I love the Savior and because I love the Savior I want (not need) to obey His commandments. It was a great experience for me to strengthen my testimony about the mission. I love this mission so much! It is such a blessing to serve as a representative of Jesus Christ. I know if any of you are struggling, have problems or doubts, go to the Lord! He can help you with whatever your needs are! I know that without a doubt! Afterwards we taught Teresa, our other investigator, and she is progressing slowly. She smokes like none other and has been really depressed lately with a lot of different problems in her life. We were able to teach her one of my favorite things, that's right, the Book of Mormon, which can help anyone with whatever problem they have. The book of Mormon really does and can answer all questions! It is amazing! I love that book! Then we taught Maria and Alredo, who is the old man that I had the impression to talk to last week, and we taught them the Restoration. But they are really old and I don't think I have ever taught that lesson so clearly ha ha! We were talking sooo slow and only using pictures to help them ha ha. It was pretty funny at times but I love them! They are just loving the grandpa and grandma life and just chilling all day long ha ha! They are great! I hope they were able to understand everything.

Tuesday ended with a miracle! We had ward council! The first time in about 8 months in this ward and it is all because of the stake president. As I said before, he really is focusing everything on helping this ward. I am so grateful for him! And it was great to help all the leaders in the ward and to lift their excitement for missionary work. I thought a lot of you, Dad, and how much you do for our stake! Thank you so much! I know without a doubt that those missionaries in our stake are truly grateful! And more importantly the Lord is even more happy with your service! And with all of your guys' callings! Make sure to use all your callings to be focused toward missionary work! 

Wednesday was a really long day. Basically we walked the entire day because we were working with the members list and visiting people to see if they actually lived there and if they are less active or to find new investigators, by chance. But we didn't have any luck! We just got doors in the face all day long. But it's alright! I didn't let that get me down! We eliminated a lot off the list because a ton of people have died or they don't live here any more, ha ha! We had one lesson with Barbara which this lady is just crazy, ha ha. I have no idea what to do with her, ha ha, she always comes with the most profound stories of what happened in her day and with the most profound questions like for example the millennium and exaltation. She is just trying to look for more information because I feel like she feels likes she has been a member for so long and doesn't know a lot, but the problem is that she is forgetting all the basic fundamentals in the Church like prayer, assisting [attending] church and reading the Book of Mormon. We are trying to help her. Actually she is trying to get separated from her spouse who doesn't want anything to do with the church. He was actually one of our investigators that we dropped. She wants to get separated so that she can start a new life and to start living better, but she has a long road and needs a lot of help. But that's what I love about the mission is that we get to help people every single day!!! I love helping people! Just as the scripture says in Mosiah when we are in the service of others we are in the service of our God! I testify of that!

Thursday was a great day. We had divisions so this time our district leader worked with my companion as I went with his companion to go work in his sector. And his companion is a stud! It's Elder Smith who likes to be obedient and to work hard! We worked all day long and had a ton of success! We found 3 new investigators, two new families and made a ton of contacts with people in the street. I miss that . . . it was a testimony builder for me that obedience really does bring success. I just wish my companion could see that a little bit more. It was really cool, too, during one contact we were talking with a lady about the Book of Mormon and each of us was taking our turns to testify about it and then at the end of the contact she told me that it was really hard to understand my companion, but that my Spanish is great and she could understand everything I said. I felt a little bad because she said it in front of Elder Smith and he has more time in the mission (about two more months than me) so I felt bad but at the same time it was a confidence booster for me and for my Spanish!

Friday we continued the divisions until the afternoon and we went to my sector and went with our district leader and Elder Barazza to the church for the baptism interview for Mara! But she isn't quite ready yet, which I felt the same. My companion was a little upset, but I know she will get baptized next week! And then after the interview we had classes of English and it was great, but basically Friday there was no time to actually work :/

Saturday was my favorite day of the week! We went to the temple!!! Woo hoo! I love the temple so much! We went with some less actives that are coming back to church, Hugo and Teresa and with Mara. We had a tour of the church with the missionaries at the temple grounds and it was so great! They did a great job! The spirit was sooo strong! It was such a great experience and Mara loved it so much! The missionaries at the temple asked her to give the closing prayer and she gave the most sincere prayer I have ever heard! It was so great! I love the temple so much! I didn't get to go in, but just walking on the grounds was so great! It truly is the house of the Lord and I can't wait till they can go in and experience it for themselves! I will be honest. It was really weird because I saw some of the CCM teachers since the CCM is right next door and I was just remembering all the experiences there for my first 6 weeks in my mission! Wow, how much has changed! And that was only 5 months ago! This mission is going too fast!! Awww noooo!!! HA ha.

Saturday night we taught Teresa who was smoking up a storm because she has a lot of problems with her family, financial, and with just about everything. It was so sad to see her devastated. We were able to give her a blessing and in that moment I have never felt the priesthood inside me so strong. During the blessing I started to cry a little bit and felt the love that our Heavenly Father has for this daughter of His. It was a great experience. After all that has happened in her life and we finished everything, she looked me in the eye, with tears running down her face and told us that she would be waiting for us at church the next day. It was such a great experience to see that she has a testimony of church attendance and, sure enough, the next day there she was waiting for us! It was great! With all the problems she has been going through, she still wanted to go to church! She is great! We just need to help her now with her smoking problem!

Well, that's my letter! I love this gospel so much! I hope that all of you can experience the joy from this gospel and more specifically from sharing it! Look for opportunities, there is someone, your brother and sister out there in the world, that needs your testimony personally! I know the temple is the house of the Lord and that is the path for all of us to take! I am so grateful for this mission and for each and everyone of you! Have a great week! Love you all!

Love 

Elder Cowan

Atonement

Dear Family,

Well, Mom, thank you so much for your letter! First off, I have a few little things to get out of the way! First, you are completely right, Mom, the mission changes you sooo much, which I will be talking more about in my letter! Also, I do remember all the pain with the mission books you had and that's why I have been trying to send pictures weekly with all the informacion, I will try to keep up with that! And I can't wait till you and dad go on your mission! You don't need to worry at all! You will be the best missionaries! Just think, I am here on my mission because of you guys and from your testimonies that I have always heard in my life and so if your testimony can help your boys go on missions, how even greater will it be for the persons that you get to share with that don't have their own testimonies! And thanks for the quotes from the general authorities. I really liked them! And I have a question, whatever happened with that man that painted our curb and that accepted to come to church with you guys? Did he ever show up? Mom, I was reading in the Liahona of a talk by President Monson in the women's section, I believe, about the talk, "We Never Walk Alone." There is an example of a mom that makes bread. It is a great talk and it reminded me a lot of usted! And if you would like I would love it if you could send one of your RS quotes from Uchtdorf. And if you could tell the Waite family that I got their letter and I am so grateful for the letter! Tell them thanks!! 

But alright! First off, for my letter, I think that you guys have finally passed it on to me. . .ha ha. I know that Trevor and Kiersten were sick, and that you were too, Mom. . . well, I guess it was my turn this past week! It wasn't really anything bad, but I just had a small fever one day and have had a sore throat all week. And I have had bloody noses non stop this week. I know it is from the heat because it is really hot right now and I just need to keep drinking more water! But right now I feel all fine! So no worries!

To start off my week, after writing you guys we were leaving the Internet place when we were walking in the street and I saw a really old man standing in front of his house. I saw him a little far up the street and we were late to one of our lessons so my mind was really occupied about being late and how we need to hurry, but I kept getting this tiny impression to just say "Hi" to the old man and as we kept getting closer I kept getting the impression more. I realized that it didn't matter if we were late or not and started to talk to the old man. His name is Alredo and he is 83 years. He immediately invited us into his house and they are the sweetest little couple! And new investigators for us! It was a great experience! The spirit really does work in a still small voice, and I am so grateful that I was able to hear the tiny impression to say "hi" to him. Amazing how the spirit works! Then to finish Monday we went to Hugo and Teresa who are still planning on going to the temple soon. It was a great lesson about temples and we have permission to go to the temple Saturday with them and with our investigator Mara to visit the temple! I'm so excited!!

Now onto Tuesday. . . .Oh boy, oh boy! One of the scariest moments of my life!! Ha ha! I´ll explain. It was before lunch and we were out in front of the church offering tours of the chapel as we normally do in the early afternoons. . .WELL, as we were walking around talking with people, there was a GUN FIGHT! Ha ha ha! Our church is on the corner of a intersection and on the opposite corner one man was using the corner as protection and was firing down the street at another man. And the other man was shooting at the man on the corner which was in the direction of us, towards the church!! Aww man it was so scary! It was seriously only like 200 yards or so away and I saw to my right bullets hitting the ground! We booked it into the church and closed everything. After like two minutes one of the guys got on his bike and left. Oh man! It was crazy! Welcome to Ochogavia! Ha ha! but it is all good! No one was hurt! After that and after lunch we actually had planned interviews with President because he wanted to talk about our sector and what we should do and if he should take the missionaries out. So it was quite ironic that the day there was gun fire a few yards away we were going to talk to President about our sector ha ha! I don't know what President will do! We will wait and see! Then we ended the day with Milena who is 14 years old and is less active and doesn't have much interest to come to church. We were teaching and teaching when I thought to ask her if she has ever in her life read the Book of Mormon, and we found our answer. She has never read it! She has never even opened the book! Well, there's the problem! Ha ha. We asked her if she had one question that she could ask Heavenly Father what would she ask him. Her question was what happens after we die. And that was a great experience! I love using the Book of Mormon to answer peoples problems and questions! It was great to watch her realize that she has had the answers her whole life, but just has never read them! Oh, and also we taught Mauricio, the blind man and we listened to the talk by Pres. Monson about "I Will Not Forsake Thee," and in the story he talks about the blind friend he had that passed a way and talked about how the Lord is always there! It was perfect for him! 1) because he is blind and he can relate and 2) because he has been telling us he has been feeling lonely! It was a great lesson! I love General Conference!

Wednesday we had a zone meeting which was about unity. That was the second meeting in 2 weeks where they have talked about unity and I realized that it was a little wake up call from Heavenly Father probably trying to tell me to be more obedient. I realized that I haven't exactly been lacking patience or love, but the problem is that I have been lacking the humility. The first couple weeks together, I thought I was better than my companion and that I am here because he needs my help and that I am in the hard sector because I am a good missionary. I realized the pride was getting to my head a little bit, but I repented and apologized to Barraza and after we had that talk he told me that he wants to be more obedient now too. It was a great building experience for the two of us! Then after the meeting we went to Teresa who is one of our investigators and we started to give a summary of the first principles of the Restoration that we talked about last time but then she interrupted us and asked us why there are so many churches. Ha ha, it was perfect because we were actually planning to watch the Restoration with her! So we watched it and she loved it! Ha ha, we let her know that Joseph Smith had the same question and there is a way for all people to find out the answer! I love teaching about the Restoration!

Then we taught Mara who has a baptism date for next Sunday. Please pray for her. We actually had a member present in the lesson which is a miracle in itself. We taught her about tithing and it was a great lesson! She is just having a hard time not trying to drink tea. She has given up coffee with no problem, but tea is a little harder for her. We have a lesson with her right after Pday! Hopefully, it will go well! Then we visited a family in the ward to try to get references from them. We watched the Work of Salvation video and it went really well. The way of misisonary work truly is changing. I know that my mission doesn't use Facebook and tablets, but we are almost always sharing videos on the Internet of Mormon messages or of other videos we have. It's great!

Thursday we started the day of with going through the members list and visiting people because there are so many less actives here and then we had a lesson with Barbara. It actually went really well! I was mad before because she didn't really care about the law of chastity, but I realized in this lesson that it's not that she doesn't understand it, it is because she doesn't understand the Atonement and with the Atonement the process of repenting. It was a great lesson to explain more about the Atonement and everything Jesus Christ has done for us. Actually, she was wanting to fast for help, but she felt like she was laking the faith to receive the help. That's when I went seminary style with her! Ha ha (Hopefully you can send this to Br. Patterson, Mom). She was having a lot of doubts about faith and why we are here in this world and how to receive happiness. And that's when I used like 5 scripture masteries back to back to help her answer all of her questions! It was pretty sweet! The scriptures are so awesome!

Then we got a new investigator named Sergio. Who has gone through a lot!! He used to do drugs and got divorced from his wife who took his two daughters and he had nothing and didn't have anything to eat for almost two weeks. When he was at the lowest point of his life, he had the impression to read one of the the only things he had left. . his bible. As he started reading the bible, his life started to get better. He received food and money, but as he was reading he felt like it was good but that something else was missing. He went to a lot of different churches, but still felt like something was missing. And then that's when he met the missionaries, the missionaries in the sector next to us! He just felt their testimonies and spirits and we were able to teach him and it was such a powerful lesson! The spirit was so strong!

Then Thursday night on the mountain we could see a fire and it looked really cool! Ha ha. I don't know why I'm telling you that exactly, ha ha, but actually there has been a big fire going on somewhere close and so in the afternoons the streets are all smoogy with smoke and sometimes it is hard to see. But okay that doesn't matter, ha ha, sorry. 

Friday we had splits and Elder Cole, our district leader came and I lead my sector. Actually with splits and with the district leaders, they are supposed to go on divisiones with the senior companion first and to watch him in his sector and then later on go with the junior companion. Well, I had division because Elder Cole thought I was the senior companion, ha ha, so that was a nice compliment! But the divisions went well with him. It was Elder Cole's birthday that day which I didn't know, so we were in a lesson when our phone started to ring and I looked and it said President Barreiros! Ha ha. I started to get really nervous of why President was calling us, ha ha, but it was just to wish Elder Cole a Happy Birthday, ha ha, it was funny! Friday we started classes of English here which only 4 people showed up, but it was good.

Then Saturday we had a meeting with the Bishop and with the Stake President, who I love! Presidente Lopez is really focusing on this ward right now. He kinda chewed the bishop out a little and has made a lot of new changes! Right now there is finally a counselor in the bishopric! Ha ha. It was great! He attended church and shared a talk with the members and it was great! He is really helping us a lot with this sector and ward, which Sunday went really well! We had Mara and Teresa attend sacrament and 8 new less actives come back to church and two of the recent converts to come back to church, as well. We had an attendance of 78 which is almost 20 more than last week! We are improving every week! The Lord truly is helping us! Sunday the president of the stake actually got all the youth together to come along with us missionaries to visit the less actives in the sector. It was great! But that was when I realized that I am not a youth anymore. It was great to be with all the youth, but I felt so uncomfortable with them, ha ha. I realized that I have matured a lot in the mission! Even how I walk now! Ha ha. I realized how slow I used to walk before my mission; I was actually having a difficult time walking with them, ha ha, I probably looked really funny!

But to finish. . .Saturday was a really hard day for me. That was when I felt really sick and I just felt terrible. All of our lessons fell through except for one. I was a little down on myself and we were walking a ton that day since all the lessons fell through. As we were walking, I just saw so many people doing drugs and yelling at each other and drinking and all different sorts of bad things. As I was thinking about all the bad things I saw in the streets, it started to get me down a little bit. But that is when I remembered why I am here and offered a tiny prayer to help me have more energy and excitement for the work. That is when I had a testimony building experience of the Atonement. I know that there are all sorts of bad things in this sector, but I remembered that Jesus Christ has suffered for all of it. I can't even imagine what it must have been like for him. It is so sad to think that we have all made him suffer a tiny bit. But He did it out of love for us and the spirit testified to me that I know the Atonement is real. I know He knows me. I know he died for me and for every single person. And because of his Atonement there are also tons of good things in the world! It was a great experience for me!

But I have to go! Sorry Trevor and Dad for not writing back! I love you all! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Cowan

New Year, New Experiences

Dear Mom,

It was great to hear the great break you all had together! You don't have to worry about me! Yes, I have had to adjust a lot to this new sector, but it's really not all that bad. Actually, I felt bad. . .because I was starting out in this sector already judging it before I had actually known the sector--like judging a book from it's cover. I was just judging the sector off of the impressions from my companions, but it really isn't all that bad here. Yes, there is a lot of bad stuff that goes on and drugs are a huge challenge, but just as you said, Mom, I know that this is a testing time for me. The good thing is that I have already realized that this is a test for me right now and that means I can take on this next transfer and give it my all to pass this test right now! And, yes, my companion is different and sometimes hard, but I have really come to be Christlike this week. I have showed so much charity this week and, yes, it is really hard to do, but at the same time afterwards I feel so good after doing it. I know that it will help our companionship and the work here. Actually, my companion and I talked last night and I asked him what his goals were for his mission and for this new year and he talked for a long time, but he remembers his second companion who was really disobedient and hard and he knows that he doesn't want to be like that for me. I can see his desire to do good and to be obedient now; it will just take time, practice and patience, which is another thing I have learned a lot, along with love and charity, the patience. But it's really not all that bad! I have a lot of patience, as you said, and I know that I can help my companion and this sector! So you really don't have to worry about me, Mom! I am fine! I am still loving every day in the mission and I love my companion and this sector!

And wow! 2014 already! Holy cow! I seriously can't believe it! The time has gone by so fast! I feel like I have matured so much just in these past 4 months in my mission! I actually feel like an adult now and it's so weird!!!! Ha ha ha! But it's awesome! The mission really does change a life! 

Well, to start off the letter, New Year's Eve was a little sketchy and we had a rule in the mission to be in our houses at 8, so we really didn't have anytime to work that much! I was a little disappointed :/ But we had a lot of down time in the house and then at night it was really hard to go to sleep with all the fireworks, people yelling and other noises going off. And in the night there was a tiny earthquake too! So it was a pretty eventful night, but we didn't really do much, ha ha!

Then the new year! We started it off with district meetings and then we taught Natalie who is one of the recent converts in our sector who is a really old lady but has the sweetest heart and desire to keep coming to church! She reminds me a lot of Grandma Dennis, actually! Wednesday we also taught Lorena and her daughter and we taught about temples and we really sparked their desire to enter the temple. In the night we taught Irma and Pabel about the priesthood! So Wednesday was a full day of just teaching less actives because there is a TON of less actives here! But I am glad that I have the chance to re-spark the light of Christ in them! It's one of my favorite things! 

Thursday I met Mauricio, who is another less active and is actually blind, but he gets around with no problems! It's amazing! He is really young, too, probably the same age as Justin. He has had some troubles in the past and now can't take of the sacrament, so we are trying to help him to use the Atonement in his life to better his life and to Recife's the blessings of the sacrament. He doesn't have a lot of desires to do so because he feels alone in the church. He's single, hardly has any friends, but he knows the church is true, but doesn't like going because he feels alone, which in that lesson really made me feel sad for him. 

Friday was a very, very long day! Because I am officially illegal in Chile! Ha ha, my 3 month tourist visa ran up so the office in the mission called me to come work on my visa. So all day Friday was just going to Santiago and waiting and waiting and waiting in lines!!! Holy cow! It took forever! We had to go to 3 different places and the last place I waited in line for 5 hours! Aww man I was dying and partly in the sun too! It wasn't really that fun! But since I was standing in line with a bunch of people I met a lot of new people and actually shared the gospel with a lot of them. There are a lot of different people in the world and I just love getting to know all their different personalities! Like there was one man with a shaved head, with only half a mustache, one eye brow who was dancing in line, ha ha, it was really funny! And the lady in front of me was pregnant and while I was talking to her about the plan of salvation for our families she just got this look of shock in her face and actually her water broke! Ha ha! It was very interesting! I had to go call the police who were in the building and we had to help her out of line and into the ambulance! Ha ha! Oh, the joys of meeting new people! But yea, that was basically all Friday it was really boring! Ha ha but in about a month I will have everything complete and will have my visa and will be legal! Woo hoo!

Saturday I met Hugo and Teresa who are less actives who are coming back to church. They remind me a lot of Uncle Mark and Ronda! Ha ha, they are really nice and make me laugh a lot! Ha ha, and finally Saturday I got to meet one of our investigators named Teresa who has a lot of problems smoking but she is so grateful for the missionaries and feels like we are messengers from God, which actually we kinda are ha ha! I love seeing the joy in peoples faces from listening to this gospel and even more happy when they live it and I can see the change in their lives! We taught the Restoration and it was great! 

Also we taught another investigator named Mara who actually had a baptism date for yesterday but she couldn't attend sacrament but she is progressing really well! And we taught her daughter Camila about the Restoration and we are hoping that we can baptism them at the same time! That would be great!

Sunday was a day of tests for me. Mostly a test of patience. Well, first off I met the ward and actually the sacrament meeting went really well! There are only about 60 people attending right now but I didn't see any problems amongst the members as my companions had told me. I just think they are a little pessimistic at times because I didn't see anything bad--just another ward with members! Ha ha! And after sacrament Santanas, my other companion, left for his mission in Venezuela! So he got his visa all worked out and so it's just Elder Barraza and me now. But the trial of patience was with Barbara who is a less active and lives with her ¨spouse´´ Claudio who isn't a member and they aren't married. Barbara knows a lot about the Church and just treats it all like it's not important and Claudio was drunk so we couldn't teach him. But the difficult part was that we found out that Barbara has problems with the law of chastity, well, obviously, because she is living with Claudio, but another problem with the commandment is pornography. She willing admitted it to us and just treats it like it's no big deal! Aww, it was driving me crazy that she thinks that way! She said that she went to the bishop in the past and because of that she has repented and it's all good! I used a lot of scriptures to counter that attitude that she has and we taught about the Atonement but she doesn't care because she doesn't feel bad doing it. Aww, she is really hard to teach. But I know that I just need to show my love for her more. 

That is my week! This week I am hoping that we will have more time to work and to find new investigators! Elder Contreras wrote me today and guess who attended church yesterday in Padre Hurtado???? Valerie!!! Woo hoo! I am so happy!!! Thank you so much for the letters everyone! Have a great week and a great start to a new year!

Love, 

Elder Cowan