General Conference

Dear Family and Friends!!

Are you guys just on a spiritual high like I am right now after listening to our prophets and apostles of the Lord?! AWWW I LOVE CONFERENCE! But it was probably the fastest two days of my mission! Aww seriously, I apologize Mom and Dad for always messing around or playing with legos or making forts during conference as a kid. Trust me! I know the importance of it now! Woo! I love it so much!!!!

There were so many good talks I don't even know where to begin! I really loved the theme of spiritual and personal revelation. And of Uchtdorfs talk of "Lord Is It I?" Ohh!! So powerful! I thought a lot about you guys as we were listening. It's incredible to know we are all listening at the same time. But not only us but the whole world of members! How incredible! I know Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God! We have the Lord's guide with us always! As we sustain, obey, and follow him we will be guided to our loving Heavenly Father! I am so grateful for this restored gospel and Church and to spread this to all!! What a miracle!

But to first start off! Thanks, Mom, for your wonderful letter to Nancy and Alejandro! It was great! I will give it to them tomorrow! But you guys are probably in New York by now which is awesome but you have to remember the best trip of them all in 11 months (holy cow I just realized I'm getting close to single digits oh no. . . ) but to Chile!!! Woo hoo! And, as well, to update you, we have already talked with Nancy and Alejandro about the temple a lot and actually only a month ago they lost a cousin and nephew in August. After talking about the importance of baptisms for the dead, they got so excited! Actually, while they were at the stake center listening to conference, after the first session they ran up to our bishop and told him that they need an interview to have a recommend for the temple. Ha ha, the bishop was a little surprised but so happy as well! After the conference he came up to me and asked, "Are you sure they haven't been baptized before? I swear they are like OVER prepared that they seem like members for 30 years! Ha ha I love it! Keep up the great work!" Ha ha, we were happy to tell him that they were a miracle and super prepared and nothing else! 

Well, I think this letter will be a little bit shorter because I don't have a whole lot of time and this past week was a little slower for us. We are back in the streets contacting and trying to find more and better prepared investigators because our other investigators aren't really progressing a whole lot and we have had to drop some, or we can never find them and they are always gone. But I thought it might happen so I decided to do divisions with Elder Fisher in my district who I know really well and he and I worked in my sector Tuesday and this guy is a stud! He literally talks to EVERYONE! Ha ha we almost did 50 contacts that day which normally for the week we have like 70 more or less! Ha ha. So that helped us a lot to find a lot more people. 

We have been able to find 6 new investigators this past week which was a huge blessing. One of them is Camila who knows a super active family in our ward which is nice. And, as well, yesterday in the night we decided to pass by a contact that Elder Kimball and I did over a transfer ago. Ha ha, but we passed by last night and she was there and her family of five. Her name is Barbara and her mom is a member of the church! Woo hoo! We got some connections! :) Ha ha! 

Friday was a special day because it was the birthday of Elder Kimball!!! Woo hoo!!! I have been so blessed to have been with my 2 hijos in the mission on their birthdays and to baptize with them! Woo hoo! I love being a trainer! I wish I could just train all my mission! But for Friday the afternoon was a little slow and normal for us, but I had set up a surprise party´in the night for Elder Kimball and had Nancy and Alejandro and the Familia Garces., who are my two favorite families here. They had a nice big cake for Elder Kimball and we took "once" and ate a lot of food! It was great! I love Elder Kimball!!! The big 19 now!! Woo!

And yes, Mom, we were able to have investigators present for Bednar's talk. We had lunch between the two Sunday sessions with a sister from another ward. We came back to the church right at 4:55 which the afternoon session was going to start at 5:00 and we had almost forgotten that our investigator, Gustavo, wanted to come. Luckily, the stake patriarch's son who we know really well saw us and told us to jump into his car and that he would drives us. Ha ha and let's just say we were able to go, get Gustavo, and come back on time! Ha ha I"ll just say Chileans drive Crazy! Especially when they are pressured for time! Ha ha! But Gustavo liked it a lot and enjoyed the whole session!

Nicolas wasn't able to go to the conference but we had an awesome witht him yesterday night. We still were outside his house talking and teaching him because his parents still are receptive. And I just asked Nicolas why baptism for him is so important. He turned to us and gave the most beautiful answer and later told him that he has to fight. He cant give in becuase if he has faith he will be able to overcome all the opposition and be baptized. It was such a powerful moment. I told him the story of the conversion of dad and only dad was only a teenager too when he got baptized. It made Nicolas really emotional, and me as well! But really . . . a teenager only, only 16 years old but I have never seen so much faith in one of my investigators! We shared some scriptures with him and then asked him to give the closing prayer. And as he began his prayer, he started his prayer asking and giving thnaks for the normal things that investigators pray for, but then he paused in his prayer, asked the Lord to not leave him in this moment, and asked that Heavenly Father would be merciful enough to open the hearts of his parents and for him to be baptized in this church then he couldnt go on anymore. . . .because his voice started to crack as the tears fell down his face. He cried for about a minute which made elder Kimball and I emotional as well. As he gathered his thoughts together he finished the prayer and lunged toward me to hug me as he started to cry again. It was one of the most powerful but simplest prayers I have ever experienced. And that was becuase he was praying with ALL his heart. It was such a beautiful moment. I ask for all who are reading this that you can pray for Nicolas. A simple teenager but one that has so much faith in our Savior Jesus Christ and the poor buddy has a lot of oposition but I know he will be baptized! 

I thank you all for your prayers and examples on my behalf! I have been eternally blessed to have thee best friends and family. May the Lord be with us all! 

Love You!

Love Elder Cowan