Line Upon Line, Precept Upon Precept. Conversion

Dear Mom, Family and Friends,

Well, Mom, you nailed it right on the head about the conversion! It really does come down to conversion! And the scripture in 2 Nephi 28:30 and D&C 98:12-13 have really helped me this past transfer. I know that the Lord is helping me with this hard time, line upon line, precept upon precept. That phrase always was a phrase that I would just pass by in the scriptures, but it really has had an effect on me--those two scriptures. I know the Lord is helping me a little here and a little there, and blessing me with tiny miracles and blessings which I need to focus more on. 

And, Mom, no problema about the pictures. I try every week. I don't have much time, so I will send pictures next week probably not sure. But I hope that I am taking enough. It sounds like Blake took a ton. But I'm just trying to take pictures that mean something to me and not just random stuff. And, Mom, Teresa is one of our investigators not a less active, but I will talk about her more later.

So Monday we taught Israel and Kevin and they are two teenagers just looking for the truth, ha ha, they are studs! They have a lot of questions of why we need the Book of Mormon, which has been a struggle with a lot of people this week, but I love being able to share with them the power and great miracle of that book!!! Tuesday we had a service to do for a sister in the ward. It was to clean her pool. . .  ha ha, it was a little ridiculous, but it was fun! Ha ha, we didn't go swimming, but it sure reminded me a lot of the good old swim days ha ha! Then we taught Maria who is a new investigator who, as well, has doubts about the Book of Mormon and the Bible working together. But we were able to resolve most of her questions and she knows a lot about religion and knows her Bible well, ha ha. It was funny to show her that the Bible actually talks about baptisms for the dead (that's how we met her because she had a question about our belief in it). She told us that it wasn't in the Bible but it was funny to read with her 1 Corinthians 15, ha ha, she was just shocked and after she then started to have a desire to know more about our beliefs!

Tuesday we met with Mara and she is amazing! Seriously! She is studying the scriptures daily and is praying and is studying the baptism questions personally. One of her sons told us that he woke up once in the night around 4 and she was reading the Book of Mormon all night, ha ha! She is super prepared! And in that lesson we put baptism dates for her son and her daughter-in-law! It was awesome!! 

Wednesday we tried teaching Kyle who is the recent convert in the ward. We played a little game with him, but he really just doesn't want anything to do with the church and just wants to skate and hang with his friends all day. It's sometimes annoying, but I know Ulisses, the recent convert in my first sector, was the same and now he is assisting [attending] every Sunday. So there is a way! Ha ha. Some ideas to help catch his attention during lessons would be great! Thanks! Also Wednesday I almost got robbed! Ha ha, first time in the mission! Ha ha, we were walking and there was a car driving along side of us really slow and then when I looked the other way a guy jumped out and tried to rob my watch, ha ha, actually, it was pretty funny because I thought it was my companion trying to hold my hand and I was thinking what the?! Ha ha, but he kept yelling at me to give him my watch, but then I looked down at him and he was only like 5 feet barely, ha ha, so I just got really close to him, looked down at him, and simply and bluntly said No. Ha ha, once he realized that I tower over him he got in the car and left ha ha! Oh Chile! :)

Thursday we visited Barbara who is the less active and we went with Mara actually because they are friends and we started to read the Book of Mormon with her from the beginning, but then she started to whine saying that it is too hard to read every day. Then Mara started to talk to her about the importance of reading every day and actually gave the whole lesson ha ha ha! She is awesome! The funny thing is that Mara is a reference from Barbara and now she is helping Barbara with her conversion. Thursday we taught Teresa the Word of Wisdom duh duh duh! This women smokes like none other and smokes like a volcano! Ha ha, but she really wants to stop smoking! It will be really hard, but I know it is possible! But the problem we have with her is that she has no memory. Every time we pass by we try to help her recall the last lesson, but she never remembers anything! We have taught her the Restoration twice already and she still doesn't remember who Joseph Smith is! Aww it's a little problem because she wants to be baptized and goes to church every week and loves it! But she just cant remember our lessons. We are praying that once she stops smoking she will recall her memory because I know that smoking is destroying her brain and everything else! Please pray for her!

Friday! which was Rachaels birthday (woo hoo) was actually a really hard day. We started the day off going to the church with the other elders to offer tours of the chapel. But once we got there my comp didn't want to do anything. This past week went really, really well! Starting from last Monday we had been working all day long and having a great time together and then Friday he just snapped. He got mad at me that I have been focusing too much on being obedient and other things. We had a little fight and then went to lunch, so we really didn't have time to talk it out. We only had one lesson that day because he went and slept all day. But in the night we talked for a long time and it's just as you said, Mom. It really depends on the conversion. I know I have been focusing and stressing on the obedience part a lot with him, but to have the desire to be obedient we need to have a firm conversion. We talked about that Friday night and to help him with his conversion he has to want to be here and not to just need to be here. Friday was really crappy, but after our talk it went really well for our companionship. Also the other thing that happened Friday was English Class which was like teaching the Primary, ha ha. We only had 5 students that were all under the age of 10, ha ha. so it was a wreck, ha ha. But they only know a tiny bit of English and of course the only phrase they know really well is the F word. Ha ha, but we told them a new word that is even better to say. Once we said that they got all excited! And we wrote it on the board and they all repeated, ¨Baptize Me!" Ha ha, it was so funny! These kids thought it was such a cool phrase and when we left they were all just screaming "Baptize ME!!" HA ha.

Saturday was an awesome day! We worked all day long and had a ton of success! It was great! Just another testimony builder to me about the importance of unity in companionships. There was another funny thing that happened. There was a biker that kept riding his bike back and forth next to us acting like he was going to hit us. We just ignored him completely and then he turned around and started to come at us again acting like he was going to hit us when out of no where he just biffed it soo hard! HA ha, it was sad but hilarious tambien. My comp walked by and told him that that is the reason you don't mess with the Lords servants and with whom have the priesthood, ha ha. Saturday was a miracle to work all day long. I loved it! But it was also a little scary because we had the Feria which is like when everyone goes and has their little stands to sell things and the Feria was just one street behind us when we were leaving and I wanted to go buy some fruit before we went to lunch, but we were a little rushed for time and I just got this feeling that I shouldn't that day. And I am glad that the Holy Ghost let me know because just as we walked through the Feria and were leaving there was a gun fight in the middle of the Feria and two crazy guys running through the Feria firing away. I am so glad that we were able to go directly to our lunch and to not pass through and buy our fruit. I know that the Lord really is looking over me.

Sunday was a day of gratitude. The youth had a stake camp out last week so they were all bearing their testimonies about their experiences and I just felt so old because I remember sharing my testimony after each Encampment. And I realized how blessed I was with my leaders and the camp outs and all the activities that we did. And they dedicated so much time and money and just for me, a little youth in the ward. I love my leaders and I'm so grateful for them and for the Groves Ward. Send them my love! In the night we taught Camile and Tomas who are less actives and have a baby. We shared with them the Family Proclamation and it just hit me during the lesson of how much I already know of how to raise a good family. And obviously it is centered in the gospel. I have seen so many families here and have seen how so many have problems, but I have also seen the change when they put the Savior's teachings in their lives and are examples for their children. I know that my future family will be centered in Christ because that is the only way to be happy. And I want to thank you guys for strengthening my testimony all of my life and having a Christ centered home! I love you guys SOOO much! 

We ended the day with Alejandro and shared with him the Plan of Salvation. It was a lot for him to understand, but he really has a lot of desires to learn more and we are just waiting for him to receive an answer to see if this is all true! Please pray for him to receive a confirmation that the Book of Mormon is true! It was also a little funny because as we were leaving the lesson Alejandro asked us if it really is true that Mormons can teleport, ha ha ha, and we were just like WHAT? Ha ha, I guess there was a rumor that he heard that Mormons believe in teleporting, ha ha, I was laughing so hard! Ha ha!

But that is my week for ya! This is the last week of this transfer, the next conference of transfers is next Monday so we will see what happens! Thanks for all the help and prayers and for the letters! And congrats to Justin with your new callings woo hoo!!! Way to go! You're a stud! I love you all so much!! God speed!

Love,

Elder Cowan