Winter Wonder Land!

Dear Family and Friends!

Well, I don't have anytime to write right now because we got really busy and because I was trying to fix those pictures. Entonces, Mom, I hope you like those pictures because this letter will be a little shorter today! Sorry! 

Well to start of this letter awww! It's getting really cold now! Aww the past couples days it has dropped to 32 degrees! Aww and winter technically hasn't even started yet! Everyone tells me that winter starts next month! Ha ha! But just to make things even better last Monday our water broke in the house and a person came to look at it and said that they would need to shut off that water because if there is water it will just fill the sink and if we would leave the house then it would flood. So this past week we were without water basically!! Woo hoo! Ha ha now don't think that we didn't shower for a whole week, ha ha, how awful! Ha ha, the guy showed us how to open and close the water to our house so we had to do that every morning but we all had to shower fast because if not the sink (which is the thing that really broke) would overflow. And our heater that was connected to the water wouldn't work when you turned off and on the water, so with this wonderful cold weather we all showered in cold water as well! Ha ha and then to top this great experience off, last night they cut the lights in our sector for some reason and we had no lights at night, which meant we couldn't use our little floor heaters or our bed warmers . . . so, I will just be honest, last night was horrible. It was so cold and we didn't have gas (for the heater) as well as water and light! Ha ha, I am pretty exhausted right now!

But--besides that great adventure--we got it all fixed today! Woo hoo! I may have been cold in temperature but that won't dampen the fire of the Spirit I have for this work!

Before I forget! Congrats all of you that graduated too! And to Dad who survived the year! Woo hoo!

Talking about rain, Tuesday it was just a down pour like crazy! We were soaked! ha ha, but it was awesome because we got in more houses because people felt bad for us, ha ha! But that was awesome to work with the streets flooded and all!

Okay, because I have no time at all now I just wanna tell about the story of Carolina. We had a lot of miracles and tender mercies with this family. They of all time, are my favorite family in the mission so far! We found Carolina a couple weeks ago doing tours of the church and we finally got a hold of her and got to go to her house. We went Friday night and met her family which is her spouse Francisco and their 5 kids! Angelo (who has 8 years and isn't baptized), Erick (who will turn 8 in 3 weeks) Javiera, and Javier who is only 3 years old but is a stud! Ha ha! And their new born baby, Dylan. We entered the house and you could just feel the love within this family. That is by far my favorite thing in the mission, teaching families! We taught the first lesson and the husband accept the invitation to be baptized, but not a exact date right now! But yea! Woo hoo! And Carolina said we wants to return to church and knows it is true and wants her two sons baptized as well the next month! Woo hoo!! Just a blessing to find this family!

But the sad thing was that they live in a really small house and it is sad. They live in a house that is no bigger than the TV room in our house and they hardly have anything. When we were leaving after the lesson, I looked into the tiny room next door and all of the five kids were all cuddled together on one tiny bed. We actually were standing when we taught because they don't even have chairs for their table. Carolina realized that I was looking at the kids and asked us that if we see anything to use they would warmly greet it and use it. I immediately felt the love of our Savior and the love He has for this humble family.

The next day Elder Alcaraz and I just kept thinking of what we could do for them. As we were leaving the house Saturday we prayed that we could at least find some chairs for them. Right then we started to go to work and we felt like we needed to pass by the President of the Relief Society and she yelled out to us and told us that she has 6 chairs, a small round table, a book shelf, and a whole couch that she doesn't want anymore! I just started to bawl my eyes out and the sister was so confused. I told her what we would like to do for this humble family and she was so grateful that she could help. I don't know how more specific Heavenly Father could have answered our prayer! We hauled all the stuff to our house and decided to go in the night to surprise the family.

It was awesome that we found all this furniture for them but we realized that Carolina lives on the end of the sector in the opposite direction of our house. But that wasn't going to stop us. We got a shopping cart and a dolly from a member and decided to play a little tetris, ha ha, until we could haul it all over to their house. We ended putting all the chairs and small table in the shopping cart and the couch and the bookshelf on the dolly. Then we went to work, which took about 40 minutes to walk with all this heavy stuff, but it was so worth it! I had the dolly and had to hold the dolly behind my back to see in front of me and all the weight was on my shoulders.

We did have one of the scariest moments of my mission! We were walking and I couldn't see behind me but Elder Alcaraz with the shopping cart told me that he would be my eyes from behind. His was really heavy too and I just went to town and just kept walking and walking and walking . . . until I saw a lot of people staring at me and then behind me as well as if they were trying to find something . . .or someone . . . like a companion!!!!! Aww! I lost my companion and I just kept walking for about 10 blocks!! Ha ha! Aww I hurried at dropped all the stuff and turned around and Elder Alcaraz wasn't there!! :0 I left the things in the middle of the street and just started booking it back yelling for my companion. And I have never felt so alone and so open to . . . I don't know really how to explain my feelings . . . I really just felt like I was in outer darkness! Ha ha, but finally I found Alcaraz and he was having a hard time pushing the cart with all the weight and one of the wheels got stuck in a pot hole and he couldn't get it out. He has been a little sick and he told me that he was yelling but he doesn't have a strong voice right now! It felt so great to find him!! 

Now back to Carolina! After finding my companion and hauling the stuff to her house we called her cell when we were outside and told her that we had a few "little things" to give to them. She opened the door a few seconds later and saw all the stuff we had for her and her family. She started to bawl and just ran and gave me a hug. Now don't judge! I know missionaries can't hug! I didn't hug back and it was only a hug for like a second because she remembered about the rule. But then the little kids came running out and all of them were yelling and screaming and so happy! The husband then came out and was so grateful. He came up to me and put his hand on my shoulder and said, "You guys really are missionaries of Jesus Christ." Basically we all ended up crying together and it was so great to help this family who had nothing before.

Another miracle was seeing the whole family at church yesterday :) which I actually gave a talk yesterday about going to the rescue for the less actives. It was great to spend this last weekend with them. I know without a doubt that the center of Heavenly Fathers plan is the family. I know all families can be sealed for eternity and I am so grateful for Carolina´s family! What such tender mercies of the Lord!

Love,

Elder Cowan