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