Power & Authority

Dear Family and Friends,

Alright, I am at that point in my mission where I am forgetting English completely, ha ha, so I labeled this week Power and Athourity, but I don't think I spelled athourity right or no se! Ha ha, it just looks different and weird in English! Ha ha! 

This week was a crazy week of earthquakes too! There were so many tiny earthquakes this week! It was pretty cool, to tell the truth! Ha ha! Thursday was a little scary, though! We were all sleeping when there was an earthquake with a rating of a 5 (which is the highest I have ever felt in my mission) at 1 in the morning. We woke up and the whole house was shaking and rocking and it was a little scary. It felt as if a huge airplane was flying exactly above us! It lasted for about two minutes and it was all good! But we were all surprised at it and were all thinking, ´´did that really just happen?´´ We had a funny short conversation after it happened because we were all so tired, it went kinda like this:

Me: Woa Elder, did that really just happen?

Alcaraz: Yea, I think it really did.

Me: sweet. . .

Alcaraz. . .yea right?

Ha ha and then we fell asleep! Ha ha. I think the next time we need to be a little more aware and cautious of earthquake, but everything is all good! No need to worry!

But today was awesome! You know why!!!!!??? We went to the mall this week to do our shopping and right when I was entering the store guess who I saw?!!!!!! Valerie!!!! From Padre Hurtado! The golden investigator from my 1st sector! I was SOOOO happy!! I have no idea why she was here, but it doesn't matter! She is doing great! And she is the best! I got to see her son Bastian and, awww, It was the best! She isn't baptized yet, but she is attending church and is reading the Book of Mormon and the Liahona everyday!!! She is awesome! It made my day! But, yes Mom, I forgot to take a picture! Ha ha. Sorry! But it's okay!

Anyway!!! Onto my week real quick! Let's start with Javiera, who was an investigator from a less active that we found in the past week. The first two lessons went super well and she was super interested! But then on Tuesday we went by to visit her and she didn't want a single thing with us. It was really strange and we have no idea what happened. She has a baptism date and we were nervous that we lost such a prepared investigator! But we just decided to let some time pass and to see how she was in a few days. We passed by again on Friday and she was all normal and ready to listen to the lesson! We were so confused! Ha ha, but I know it is an answer to our prayers because we have been praying that we wouldn't lose her. Friday, in the lesson with her, we decided to watch the movie, "How to Find Faith in Jesus Christ." But we had a little bit of a problem. . . they don't have a remote so when we got there we couldn't change the movie to Spanish, but Javiera, Claudia (her mom who is less active) and the two little brothers all really wanted to watch the movie and begged us to watch it anyways. I told them that they wouldn't understand a thing but they asked me if I could translate for them. . .  And let me tell you that I know the gift of tongues is real! I translated the whole movie while we were watching it and I just couldn't believe that the words were just all coming out of my mouth! I got a little teary eyed in the movie because, well, for two things, because the movie is a really powerful movie about the life of our Savior, but at the same time because I realized how much I have progressed in my mission and I couldn't believe that I was able to translate the whole movie for them and for all of them to still feel the spirit! It was such a testimony builder to me!

This week was a little difficult for us. We realized that we don't have hardly anyone progressing and we actually decided to drop about 3/4 of all our investigators. We went to about 15 other investigators to just now 4. We went from having 6 baptism dates to now just 1. But I am not discouraged at all. I know a lot of them were really great people, but they just didn't have the desire to really progress in the gospel. We realized that everyday we were passing and visiting the same people who wouldn't really let us in to teach. So we "killed" them all--in missionary language! Ha ha! We need a big new group of new investigators that the Lord is preparing right now for us. That is our goal this next week--to search, find, teach and to put fechas!!! It will be hard this next week, I know, but at the same time I know the Lord is preparing people who are thirsty for this gospel in their lives and for their families! We will have to do a lot of time in the sun, contacting and knocking doors! But I know we will find people! We just need to be diligent and we will find them!

Wednesday there was another tiny miracle where we went to the bishopric meeting and we now have a full bishopric with a bishop, and two counselors and a secretary! Aww! I have no idea why this week, but this letter is really hard to write! I just can't remember anything in English and it's cool and also really weird! So sorry for all the errors! But back to all the changes in the ward. This ward is changing so much! We had 84 in the meeting sacrament yesterday. 15 less actives attending (including the mama de Javiera) and we had 14 priesthood holders in elders quorum, which is the most we have EVER had in this ward! Woo hoo!

We are helping change the ward so much, but the problem we are having is that the members themselves aren't seeing these changes and are still bagging on the ward and the leaders and still think that there is no hope for the ward and that the ward is really crappy. But it is changing so much! They are just all negative! We had lunch with some members yesterday where the entire time they just talked bad about the ward and the leaders and how they wished they were in a different ward. My companion and I couldn't take it anymore, so we got a little in their faces and testified to them that if they really wanted to be a member in this world wide church they better accept the Restoration. And if they really believe in the Restoration then they should believe that there is only one Church! And when people want to change wards or change where they live, they are participating in Apostasy because they themselves are creating ´´two different churches.´´ 

That is part of the reason I named this week Power and Authority because I have come to be really direct with people. Never have I been so direct and bold with people in my life! I know it is because I have been set apart as a representative of Jesus Christ with His power and priesthood to declare His gospel and repentance to these people. There is a phrase that maybe Blake and Dad know in Spanish, it's ´´Bajar la caña´´ which is a term used to really bluntly and boldly declare what your really want to say. We bajamos la caña todo this week! With all the investigators that we dropped this past week, I bore my last testimony to them with all the power that I have to help them realize that they are missing out on the most important thing in their lives! 

We have been really light on our investigators that have baptism dates because we didn't want to lose them, but really they aren't progressing and none of them are attending church so my companion and I were really direct with all of them and they all were taken back of how direct we were with them. But this is the work of Salvation! This is the bring to pass the immortality and ETERNAL LIFE of men!!! This isn't just a game or to just pass the time with the missionaries! I don't want to waste any of my time in my mission with people that aren't willing to follow their Savior! What's more important is to help the people that actually want to accept Him in their lives! And for that reason we have been really bold and direct and have taught with all the power and authority that we have! We lost a lot, and it is sad, but the time in the mission is sacred, and there are others waiting for us! I know it! We will find those this week! I know it!

I don't have anymore time! Please pray for us to find a lot of new prepared investigators this week! I am really pumped for who we will find! Thank you all for the letters! This week I received letters from everyone in the family and I feel so loved from you guys! I have the best family in the world! Thank you so much for everything you have done in my life! I love you all so much! Have a great week!

Love you all so much!!!

Elder Cowan