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