Baptism of Nicolas!!

Dear Family and Friends!

Okay, so I’m sending pictures this week so I apologize in advance if I can’t write to all of you! But thank you Stacie and JUSTIN for writing me! Woo hoo!! :) Love you so much!

So this past week was another full week of tender mercies from the Lord. Really, when one has the faith in the Lord, and trust and puts Him in 1st place, His grace pours out! 

With that, we had another baptism! Woo hoo that's 2 back to back baptisms now for this transfer that we have started! This week was Nicolas! And the week was a little stressful trying to get him baptized but it was amazing! We weren't able to teach Nicolas until Thursday and we were a little worried that we weren't going to be able to teach him everything. But we repassed through everything and he remembered a lot so we scheduled the baptism interview about 2 hours later and he passed! Woo hoo!!!! Miracle!

The baptism was Saturday and there was another couple getting baptized that same day from the other companionship of missionaries. So it was amazing to see so many people in white! We got Jherson who is my favorite teenager in the ward to baptize Nicolas. They are neighbors and they have grown up together their whole lives! So it was neat to be able to see these long time friends building their relationship even more, but through this glorious gospel! The whole family of Nicolas came to the service as well and they were all touched by the Spirit. The grandparents of Nicolas, who at first were the first ones to be a little negative to the whole fact that Nicolas was listening to us, but after Nico left the water, tears came to their eyes and the Spirit was so strong. It was amazing to see how powerful the Spirit touched the grandpa. A old man that has lost his way in alcohol and drinking. But to see him in that moment crying as he watched his grandson leave out of the water and receive the remission of his sins!

We couldn't get Shirley quite prepared to get baptized this past week. We had less time to teach her this past week which made us a little worried. We had to go on divisions with other elders in our zone. And on Friday it was a busy day with meetings and zone interviews with President. And then afterwards the elders in our zone got to do divisions again with the new missionaries in the CCM. And it was an awesome experience! It motivated us and pumped us all up! I love greenie power! but it wasn't all that successful because it all ended up being contacting for like 3 hours but it was still super fun to be with them. I cant believe that I'm in my 2 to last transfer., I still feel like this greenie missionaries leaving from the CCM. And I hope I have that attitude till the end. Because I already know its going to be hard trying to accept that this will all come to an end one day.

Even though Friday was a full day with those splits and meetings and interviews, we were blessed at the very end of the day as we were able to find a complete family of 3! They had received the missionaries before and were about to get baptized, but they have been having some problems with their family and that's why they dropped away. Elder Daniel and I testified our hearts out to them as we taught how this gospel blesses families! Truly, that is a principle that I have seen day after day as a missionary!

Well, to finish up, Sunday we had a FHE with the family Cruz and with Shirley. We taught a lot of things and we were actually able to finish teaching everything. She now knows everything and is reading and praying and even going to institute with a family member in the family Cruz. She has already seen 2 baptismal services now and I was a little upset that she just hasn't accepted to be baptized yet. At the end of the FHE I was determined that I wasn't going to leave that lesson until she accepted baptism. I took out my agenda and went to the page that shows the baptism interview questions. But I got another paper and covered the title that said that. So I then gave her my agenda, told her to read all of the questions in her mind and to think personally, without letting any other influence come in and to see if she understands everything. She told us that the only thing that wasn't clear was to know if Thomas S. Monson was a living prophet or not. So we testified of that and she felt better afterwards. 

I then told her to undercover the paper to see what it was hiding and to figure out what those questions were for. As we took off the paper and read, "Questions for the Baptism Interview" she was taken over by surprise as she realized that she had responded perfectly to everything. I testified to her that she knows everything and then asked what else she wants to feel more prepared. She responded saying there was nothing other than learning a little bit more about the life of Thomas S. Monson. So I turned to her and said, "Shirley, if there's nothing else impeding you from getting baptized, you are going to have to answer to these same questions Thursday." She looked at me in surprise and asked, "Why Thursday?" And then I explained to her, "Because Thursday you're going to have your baptism interview, and you're going to see just how ready you already are. Will you go to the interview this Thursday to be baptized this next Saturday?" 

She thought about it for a while, looked back at the agenda and looked through the questions one more time. And then finally accepted and told us that she would be willing to have her interview. She is going to some family members Friday so she told us that she wasn't sure if she could Saturday. But she said if she feels good in the interview then she will accept the date to get baptized this Saturday! WOOO!!

We will be in a lot of fasting and prayer these next couple days as we are hoping that everything will go well for her baptismal interview and that she will be motivated to completely accept everything in her life to get baptized this Saturday.

I hope you can all join us as we pray for Shirley and for the elder from another sector that will have to do the interview. I feel confident that she will get baptized. I know it. I know the Lord can help her to feel the need to get baptized that way she can be born again and receive this glorious gospel completely in her life and to receive the remission of her sins. I am so grateful for baptism. I know we have the power on this planet to be able to take away the sins of our brothers and sisters as we can help them to come unto Christ. I love this purpose. And I love seeing the blessings and happiness that come to those that accept these covenants in their lives. This is the true gospel restored upon the earth and I know this is the true Church of our Savior Jesus Christ. I love my mission soo much!!!

Love you too as well!

Love, Elder Cowan