Dear Family and Friends!
Well! We just got back from transfer meetings and, luckily, Elder Kimball and I are staying together! Woo hoo! I'm soo happy! Really I don't think I can control or express my excitement for the month of September. One reason is because September is the month of Chile´s Independence of when they go ALL out! Ha ha, I'm so excited! It's a week long and it starts the 11th and ends the 18th!
But I´ll get straight to the week! So the transfer ended and, as well, Sunday, we had day light savings and the time changed which hardly anyone knew about so that affected our attendance at church and we only had like 60 people attending. Compare that to the week before when we had ward conference and we had 120. . . Ha ha. So I hope we can get that up!
With our ward, though, there are 3 companionships of Elders. And with the transfers 3 of the 6 left, just leaving Elder Kimball and I with another really shy Elder that arrived the last transfer. So we both realized that we have to step up a little bit and lead the ward, because we have already seen in these last two days that the members are turning to us for things and not the new missionaries as much. With this opportunity, Elder Kimball and I want to take advantage and lift up this ward. As well, in our ward conference two Sundays ago the Stake president was really direct and just told everyone Poniente (our ward) is the worst in the stake. Ha ha, yea he was really blunt. Ha ha, but it was good because this ward really does need a lot of help. It has a lot of people and the leadership positions are all filled but. . . we just fault action. But now with this opportunity to have the trust of the members, after the talk from the Stake President, we want to change this ward to be an example to the rest in the stake!
We actually had interviews as a zone with President on Friday where when he pulled me in for my interview we talked a lot about the ward. And President told me that he trusts in me to strengthen wards and to help them progress. It was a lot of compliments and I felt really privileged of what president said about me. He then told me, "Elder Cowan . . . I need you, and I need you now." He really wants me to strengthen this ward a lot, just as I did in Clara Estrella (or Clear Star now). I feel like it's a big responsibility, but at the same time I know I have the trust of my companion, my president, and from the Lord to change the hearts of the members. So Elder Kimball and I are really excited to get to work with this new transfer. It will probably be our last transfer together because Hermana Barreiros told us today that president wanted to change us, but knows that this ward needs us so they kept us together for one more transfer. She smiled and told us to enjoy it, but that after we won't be together. So with that, Elder Kimball and I are really motivated to give it our all while we are together these last 6 weeks!
But now onto our incredible investigators! Franscisco, Alejandro and Nancy are incredible! They are truly prepared! And that is another reason why I am sooo happy because I was really scared that I would fall into the same routine that has happened to me before in my mission. We find a lot of great investigators and have a lot of baptism dates, but then transfers come a long and I leave and never see the baptisms. But Saturday night when we got the call that we were both staying we both got soo happy and just hugged each other and got soo excited! I'm so excited for the chance I have this transfer to see my investigators get baptized! I'm soo happy! :)
With Franscisco, Nancy, and Alejandro we have really been trying to focus on showing the members on how prepared they are to motivate them to work with us. And actually a lot of members are jumping right on the train with us! It's awesome! This past week we had a lot of members come with us in the lesson with them. As well, we had a Family Home Evening and we have another Family Home Evening tonight with the 1st counselor of the stake presidency! It's going to be so great! They are progressing soo fast! As well, they attended church yesterday and just love it! In our lesson on Tuesday, (after the first Sunday attending with us) we entered the house and asked them how Sunday went. And they just told us that they loved it! They told us that they want to attend regularly every Sunday! I was taken back a little because I have never really seen an investigator commit so faithfully to attend church! They're great! As well, they went on to tell us that ever since we have entered their home, they have experienced something beautiful--something that really brings them all together. They told us that they have really felt like they have found true happiness! And they are reading! And are already in 1 Nefi 8! Woo hoo! All that in just one week! And they already have attended church twice and they really could be baptized after they attend church next week, but we want to make sure with everything!
As well, another cool experience I had was Thursday when the elders in my district told me that I would have to do a baptism interview. As a district leader, I really think that that is one of the best and coolest privileges I get to experience as a leader. I love performing those interviews. These interviews were for two young women of a less active that the elders found that they have been teaching, called Myrae and Thyare. Normally, I feel really nervous in the interviews, but in these two interviews I just had the Spirit really direct the interview. It was such a beautiful experience and I don't even know how to explain it. I just felt SOO much love for them. And during the interview I had these soft gentle impressions come to me telling me, "Elder Cowan . . . Elder Cowan . . . they are ready, they are ready, have my daughters come unto me." Really with the interview with Myrae, who is only 15 years old, we both ended the interview crying over the great blessing it is to have this gospel in our lives. They were so prepared and it was such a great experience to see their baptism yesterday. It really was a testimony to me of how this gospel changes the hearts of men and women which I saw in my interview with Thyare who is 18 years old, she already has a 2 year old son, and before in high school was involved in a lot of bad things, including marijuana and other drugs. As I asked her what repentance meant for her, it was truly incredible and breath taking to me to see this sister of mine completely be changed through the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ.
I am so grateful to be a missionary and to be His representative. I am so grateful for the chance Elder Kimball and I have to be together and to really see a lot of success for this month. As well, I am super grateful for a family that has baptism dates and for the chance I have to be a district leader and perform these special sacred interviews that really open the door for their salvacion. I know I am nothing, I know the Spirit leads us in this work. I know that we can be changed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, no matter what he have done. He loves us. He wants the best for us, and has payed and layed it out for us and we just have to extend ourselves into His merciful arms. I love my Savior and I love this work.
I know this letter was a little shorter and I don't have enough time to write about all our experiences, but I hope you all have a great week and really know that our Savior loves you as well as myself. Love you all! Thanks for everything!
Love,
Elder Cowan!
No comments:
Post a Comment