E.C.B.E.Y.P.L.S!!!

Dear Family and Friends!!

Woooo hoooo!!! Awww I'm so pumped right now!! We just barely got back from our transfers meetings, and Elder Daniel and I are staying together and we are soo pumped! Wow, I can't believe how fast the last transfer passed by. Now I am starting my 2nd to last transfer and now it's truly time to take out the trash!! Aww, I love transfer meetings and I love Hermana y Presidente Barreiros! Aww! The Work of Salvation is the best thing in the world! I have learned so much about this work and I love being able work side by side with the Lord! 

So this past week we were able to finish the transfer off with MIRACLES!!! Oh yea!! It was incredible!! Truly the Lord blessed us so much! And we are truly humbled and grateful for all the blessings the Lord made happen in our sector this past week. So to start off, explaining the title of this letter, Elder Daniel and I were realizing that the excitement level in our zone was a little down. So on Wednesday we knew we had to do something to be able to motivate all of them to finish the transfer off strong! So we were reading in DyC 4 one day and we fell upon the phrase that caught both of our attention which was, "El Campo Blanco Esta Ya Para La Siega" or in Ingles it would be something like, "The field is white and already for the harvest." Woo every time I hear that it pumps me up! So we decided to make a title for it, which we did by taking the first letter of every word and putting them together which in the end we got ECBEYPLS! Ha ha this was something that my good friend Elder Lythgoe showed me a while back and we liked the phrase a lot. So in our meeting with the zone we talked about how the Lord is hastening His work and that WE, as HIS missionaries have this blessing to work in such a MARVELOUS work! And we just kept yelling the phrase all over again until everyone caught on and everyone in the zone was yelling it! Ha ha it was awesome to see their excitement to keep going forward in this wonderful work.

Then we had divisions or splits with the assistants and I was able to be with Elder Hatch! Ha ha! My good old buddy from Clara Estrella from when we lived 6 months together! Aww, I love that guy so much! It was awesome that day as well! WE were able to find 4 new investigators and had 8 lessons! We were running all over the place and we helped soo many people that day! Aww, I loved it! We were able to pass by Nicolas who originally had his baptism date for the 16th, but with the time and the situation that was passing with his family he couldn't get baptized that day. So we visited him and we were able to teach just about everything and then postponed his baptism date. We weren't really sure what to do because we knew we would have to have his parent's permission, who we taught about a week ago and they were a little mas or menos no mas. But we kept visiting him a lot this past week and Nicolas is such a stud! After a few visits this past week we were able to pass by his house last night. This was it . . . we had been teaching Nicolas in the church and now we were gonna return back to his house to be able to see how his parents were gonna take the news of him getting baptized. So we first started talking about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and as we approached the topic of baptism we turned to one another, then looked at the dad and were a little nervous and scared but at the same time, showing our faith, we told them that Nicolas has taken the decision to get baptized. Then there was a pause of silence. . . . . it felt pretty long to me, but after a few seconds, the dad told us that he respected his son's decision and that his son has showed through his actions that he really wants this. Then the mom later on agreed as well, as well as his grandparents and uncle that were there. Woo!! We were pretty nervous, but we are so grateful that Nicolas's family accepted this decision. So we were able to put a real baptism date right then and there! And Nicolas accepted the baptismal date for the 23rd! Woo hoo this Saturday!! So we are going to be baptizing this weekend! Woo hoo!!! It was a miracle!

Then we had even more miracles with Savka who we also visited with Elder Hatch and she has come to church so many times and has received almost all the lessons but just hasn't accepted a date to get baptized. So we just went in and I think I had lost my patience a little bit with her and I didn't want to waste any more time so I started rolling off the baptismal interview questions and she truly expressed how she knew the Book of Mormon was true and that she knew that Joseph Smith was a prophet. It was amazing to see her bear her testimony to us as you could see she had learned to love that book. As well do I! I love the Book of Mormon so much! It is one of the most powerful things we have. Then after, Elder Daniel started talking about what baptism is and the reason behind it all is for the desire to have the remission of our sins. He then turned to her and asked, "Savka, you have gone to church, have read the Book of Mormon, have received almost all the missionary lessons. . . . So what would be limiting you from not receiving the remission of your sins?" OHH!! That question was so powerful when he asked her. Savka sat there thinking and finally responded, "Nothing!." So we were able to put a baptism date for the 23rd as well! WOOO HOOO! What a miracle! We will be baptizing 2 it looks like this weekend! Yea!!!

Then on Sunday the family that we were going to have lunch with as well invited Savka over to eat and we were able to teach her a little more, but even more amazing was to see how the entire family just fellowshipped her soo well! It was awesome! 

Truly, the Lord blessed us so much this past week. We had so many lessons this past week, almost 30 which was something that we had never achieved in this sector. As well, we were able to find 13 new investigators this past week!! Holy cow!! Ha ha! And one was a family that we found on my birthday and they are Muslim! Ha ha, I have never taught Muslims before, but they are so incredibly nice! 

Then to finish off, I had my birthday. Honestly, I don't like birthdays in the mission. I don't like people focusing on me when I'm trying to focus on them! Ha ha! But it was great as well! I was able to pass by the Rañiman family and Reginas family. The two families that I probably love most here in this sector and they both had some food, gifts, and cake for me. As well in the morning half the zone went with Elder Kimball and showed up at our apartment building ready to sing me happy birthday and they made me a lemon pie cake! Ha ha, I love my missionaries! They are great!

Every single week, I have been feeling so much of the love that our Heavenly Father has for His children. Whether they may be missionaries in my zone or new investigators that I am teaching. The Lord has been so merciful in letting me feel love for those around me and has poured out His love so much for me personally and in my mission. I love this mission. I love all missionaries and being a missionary, and I love my Savior Jesus Christ. And I know he loves each and every one of you too!

Love you all!!

Elder Cowan