Birthday Week!

Dear Family and Friends!

Woo hoo this week was jammed pack with things and was a little crazy! It was like a roller coaster! Ha ha! I hope I will be able to explain everything! Well first off! Thanks everyone for the birthday shout outs! Especially a special shout out to Heidi! I loved your letter! Thanks for all the love! 

I will be honest . . . a birthday in the mission is a little weird! Ha ha! I don't know how to describe it, but for all of my mission we are always thinking of others and trying to help others and then there, out of no where, your birthday shows up and it seems like everyone is focused on you which I don't like at all! Ha ha, it was weird to think of myself for a day ha ha! But holy cow! I am 19 years old!!!! I can't believe it! I'm old! Ha ha! I still remember sitting with Brad Allison and Austin Mills in primary making paper airplanes and throwing them at people and then one Sunday a return missionary (I can't remember who), but he came in and talked to us and I still remember to this day talking with Brad and Austin and thinking that 19 (the missionary age at that time) was in an eternity!!! Ha ha and look at the time now! Here I am in Chile serving a mission! Holy Cow!!!!

I spent my birthday really well with a baptism!! Woo hoo!! The best day ever! The baptism of Jose was awesome!

Well, it was a little sad at first because there were only like 10 members that showed up and there was hardly anyone! I felt bad for Jose, but I started to talk to him and was trying to explain that it looked like all the members were still working and I was trying to make up some excuses for him to feel better, but he turned to me with a relaxed face and with a small smile and told me, "Elder Cowan . . . I don't care if there are 100 or 10 people here at my baptism, what's important to me is that this will be an acceptable baptism for the Lord, and I already know it will be." :0 !!! He is such a stud! I love him to death! It made me really realize what was most important in that moment and it was the baptism itself, obviously! Aww, Jose is awesome! And it was great to see Jose and Elder Alcaraz both smiling after the baptism in the font! It was a very special moment for me that I don't think I will ever forget!

Then it got even better after the baptism and the members that were there found out it was my birthday and one of the families ran to the closest store and bought birthday cakes and drinks and everything ha ha! And then we had a little party in the church after the baptism. Un fiesta for me and for Jose! It was aweosme! But ohh my did my companion get me good! Right when they took out the candles Elder Alcaraz just yelled out in his funny English accent, "Fatality!!" And shoved my face so hard into the cake! HA ha ha ha! Aww it was so funny! He shoved it so hard that a little blood started to drip out of my nose when I went to the bathroom to clean up! Ha ha, but, ohhh, it was hilarious! I love this ward so much! I just realized that at the end of this transfer I will have been here for half a year!! Holy cow!! 6 months! This ward is awesome and every week we are seeing miracles!! They are all like family to me! 

The only down side of the week was that Maria, the wife of Jose, didn't show up to the baptism because she was in Santiago. She wanted to but couldn't! So that was a little downer, but we saw her in the street and had a good small talk conversation with her which was nice! She will be baptized soon! I know it!!  :)

Another awesome thing was the family home evening with the family Peña! I have finally entered their house!! It was a great time with them! They have a lot of little kids and right off the get go I was already on the floor tackled by them and getting tickled to death, ha ha! And another cool thing was that they prepared a little dinner for us (once) and right before we did the prayer the baby boy just started to scream and cry sooo loud! Sister Peña just told me to wait a little bit to do the prayer, but he was crying for a long time. So, I just said I would do the prayer and I bowed my head and right when I said "Dear Heavenly Father . . ." the baby stopped and it was quiet! It was super cool!

Basically, that was our week! Not much, but we were a little occupied with the baptism and the interview for the baptism and everything. Another downer was that one of our less actives passed away this week, Hermana Franklin. who was really old and really sick and that's why she went inactive, but she came to church these past 3 Sundays and passed away Tuesday. We had the viewing and funeral and all Tuesday and Wednesday, which took a lot of our time. But it was a touching experience! I was able to testify to Hermana Franklin's daughter, who isn't a member, about the love of our Heavenly Father and His plan after death. It really helped her to feel calm and relaxed. I am so grateful for God's Plan. It really is the Plan of Happiness! And I know without a doubt that His plan wouldn't have worked if it wouldn't have been for our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ! I love Him so much! I love His willingly sacrifice and everything He did. I am so grateful for His grace and for His love that he extended out to Joseph Smith to restore this great gospel! I love my mission and each and every one of you! Good luck with everything for the end of the school year!

Love, 
Elder Cowan

PS OHH!! I forgot to write this in the letter but our mission has changed it’s schedule now! Normally we were waking up at 7:30 and working till 10 at night (10:30 if we were in a lesson) but since day light saving just happened in April they have changed everything one hour earlier for everything. So now we are waking up at 6:30 and working till 9! Which is really good because normally at 9 at night we were never at lessons and would just walk around and do some contacts.