Late post Monday

Hey mommy :) things are great here! It's officially summer and we can
definitely feel it. Last night it rained A TON though. Apparently in
the summer it's like clockwork and it rains every afternoon. Which
will honestly be a relief from the heat! How are things at the cabin?
I totally didn't even know it was Memorial Day weekend until someone
in the ward mentioned it.

Sounds like you all had a pretty exciting week! Things here are going
really well! Sister Chadwick and I have both survived the cuts and we
will see another transfer here in Tampa 4th ward:) which is really
good because we have just been starting to see things pick up! It was
a stressful call though:) my heart was pounding!

We have two baptisms this week! And we are so excited. It's the cute
young couple I told you about who are going to have a baby pretty
soon... Hopefully after they have been baptized and confirmed... We
are so excited for them, and they are so happy. They have even been
teaching their brother and showing him the pamphlets and stuff and now
he wants to be baptized! Super exciting things are happening! We have
another investigator who is so prepared for baptism. We took him on a
tour of the church on Tuesday and when we showed him the baptismal
font a huge smile came across his face and he said "that's where I
want to be." The hard thing is that he has lupus and he gets so sick
all the time so that he can't meet with us or come to church. It's so
heartbreaking because he is so ready and he wants it so bad.

Other than that things have been pretty much the same:) we did do a
super fun activity the other day that we call Chalk the Walk. And it's
where we go to a park and draw out the plan of salvation in chalk and
then walk people through and teach them about it! It was super fun! We
have also been able to go to a lot of end of the school year
elementary school programs and that has been a lot of fun. I'm
grateful that we get to do all of these out of the box things as part
of missionary work. It's so much better that walking and knocking:) we
are working on coming up with some more fun things we can do.

We had our first sick day yesterday and honestly probably today...
Last week we went on exchanges and i got to leave our area and go to
another area and it was lots of fun! But I picked up a cold somewhere
along the way and kindly shared it with my companion when I got back
home. But out of the whole week Sunday and Monday are the best days to
be sick because you don't miss out on too much proselyting time. It's
so funny because sister Chadwick and I have been wanting to get sick
so that we could take a day off but it's really not all that great...
There is nothing to do and I feel so lazy. I just want to get out
there and work! Hopefully we will feel better by tomorrow!

 Before I go, I just wanted to share a little bit that I've been
learning this week. This week I have been focusing my studies on the
atonement. I read in preach my gospel that the more we understand the
atonement the greater desire we will have to share the gospel, and I
thought well that's what I need as a missionary is a greater desire to
share! So here are some things that I've learned from my studies:
first of all the word atonement and the words used in other languages
mean- reconciliation, to sit with again, to cover, to forgive, a close
embrace. When the word is used in the Old Testament it is referring to
animal sacrifices. The animal sacrificed had certain qualification to
be worthy to be sacrificed: it had to be the firstling of the flock
without blemish, sacrificed by shedding of blood, death without
breaking a bone, and one animal could be sacrificed as a vicarious act
for another. M Russel Ballard said, "If we could truly understand the
atonement of The Lord Jesus Christ, we would realize how precious is
one son or daughter of God." Christ sacrificed so much for us! Not
only did he die for us but he lived his entire life for others. He
chose to live a perfect life because he knew that he was our only
hope. He was the only way we could return to live with our Father in
Heaven. He did all of it so willingly! And our Father in heaven
watched as His Son did that for us! As imperfect as we are! That is
how important we are to him. That is how important every person who
has ever walked and will ever walk the earth is to our Heavenly
Father. I want you all to take a few minutes this week and just think
about what our Savior did for us.

I love you all so much! And a appreciate all the love and support that
I get:) I feel your prayers, and they are so much appreciated.

Love always, Sister Rowland

Happy Monday!

Hey family!

Lets be honest... i really dont remember what happened this week. For those of you who havent experience a mission, there is a time warp that occurs. The days feel like weeks! you go to bed, without a clue of what happened just a few hours ago, let alone that morning. and the weeks feel like a day! you look back a week or two ago and it feels like just yesterday. so whether time goes by fast or slow really just depends on how you are looking at it:) i was able to get back to work pretty easily after calling home. I was scared that i would be super distracted all week, but i was fine! I was thinking about it, and i know that heavenly father is helping me so much out here. things that should have been so hard for me about a mission, havent been. for example: i'm the type who gets mega homesick just being away at girls camp or youth conference for a few days! how have i survived three months? (yes, that is correct! today is my three month anniversary!)  heaven knows!... literally! there are so many more things that should be hard but arent, i know that heavenly father is looking out for me!

 

there were some incredible things that happened this week, though! first, a few weeks ago we met this guy and he was curious about the book of mormon and wanted to learn more. so we took down his information, but we hadn't been able to get in contact with him for weeks. Finally, last week, he answers his phone and he tells us that we cant imagine the things he had been through the past few weeks. THE DAY AFTER we met him, there was a major tragedy in his family, like major. We were able to go over this week and pray with him and his family. but how crazy is it that right before this tragedy happens, god puts us in his life. and we are now able to offer him peace, comfort, hope and a strong foundation to get through these things! Heavenly Fathers timing is so perfect, its crazy..

 

also, we have a baptism set for june 1 for this cute little couple who are expecting a baby girl within the next month! (we are praying that she waits until after the baptism... but she might decide to make things exciting:) ) it has been so incredible to see the changes come over these two! we have been working with them since i got here, and they have been so slow coming! but something happened these past few weeks and they know that this is what they want for their family. He even asked his manager for sundays off!! that is more of a big deal than y'all realize. these two came to florida with 20 dollars in their pocket, with no idea how they were going to survive. he found a minimum wage job, and has somehow been able to support his family on it since december. but he works A TON of hours to be able to do so. any spare second he has, hes working just to make enough money. it was such a leap of faith on his part, to ask for a whole day off. these two remind me why i'm here on a mission! it has been so exciting to watch them change and grow, and to see how happy they are now. they are just happy all the time! thats what this gospel does:)

 

transfer calls are this saturday!! and since i'm now officially done being trained, anything could happen. Sister Chadwick thinks that shes being transferred, just because thats been the pattern of past missionaries in this area, but we will see! i'll be able to let you all know on monday whats happening! i really hope that neither of us get transfered though because this area is just starting to blossom!

 

Exciting things are happening:) and i know that Heavenly Father is at the head of this work. its so fun to be even just a small part of it:) i know that this church is christs church restored to the earth, and that joseph smith was called to be a prophet and given the priesthood authority. I know that this gospel changes lives! and i know that Christ makes all things possible and through him we can find peace:) i know that heavenly father loves us, and he knows us, and knows whats best for us. I know the the book of mormon is the word of god, and that heavenly father speaks to his children through its pages. i know that he answers our prayers! and i know that we can live with our families and our savior and heavenly father forever. I know these things with all my heart:) and i know that these things are worth standing up for, and speaking out for!

 

i love you all so much! And i wish you all the best week ever!

 

love always, sister rowland

Post- Mother's Day email

We got to Skype with Sister Rowland yesterday!! She is doing really good!  We were able to meet the Bishop of the ward she is serving in and her companion.   I think she has been placed with some wonderful, caring people and this week's email is proof!! Because of the Skype, her email is short.  I wanted to add that they have another brother committed to baptism and a date is set for June 1.  Due to health issues, they are concerned that it may get postponed.  So please pray that this brother's health will improve enough that he can have his baptism.  They also have another young family that is close.... Our email today was a little more personal and tender, but Kaitlin said it was the one to share.   

Love you all and thanks for all of the support you give to Kaitlin and our family!
Chrystal 

Hey Family!

 

I honestly don't have much else to say... I am super excited that you guys have been doing the Sacred Grove challenge and that other people are doing it too! Keep doing it:) and don't get lazy with it! It's incredible. And I am glad y'all have been reading the Book of Mormon!

 

It really was so good to see you guys, and to see that everything is still normal and how i left it. I dont know what i was expecting.. but i expected something to be different or off but it wasn't! I'm glad you liked your mothers day present! I'm wearing the earrings today, they are super cute:) Have fun at the running with angels 5K! Take lots of pictures:) we got to volunteer at a 5K called Miles for Moffit. Its for cancer research and there were over 7500 participants and they raised over half a million dollars! how incredible is that? I've never seen so many people at a 5K before:)

 

Oh and yesterday after the call, I walked out into the living room where the bishop was with his wife and kids and and i just broke into tears! Bishop jumped up and embraced me in the warmest dad hug i've had since being on a mission (i dont know if thats allowed, but i needed it:p). I just cried into his shoulder and got mascara all over his white shirt. He kissed my head and told me that my parents were proud of me and that I was where I needed to be. It was a nice experience, and I thought of dads comment that he wanted to reach through the screen and give me a big hug, and he kinda did through the bishop:) i just wanted to share that!

 

Honestly this past week working up to phone calls has been rough and i have been super homesick and trying to think of any excuse i could to go home. Any little pain, i would secretly hope was a major medical problem. I was even trying to think of someone i could go home and marry just so that i would have a worthy excuse to go home! nothing came:) i prayed and prayed and asked heavenly father if he would still love me if i went home, and i felt so strongly that he would. then i prayed and asked if i should go home, and it was a definite no.

 

Sometimes its hard to give up your will and do gods will, but you just have to do it. and do it with a smile on your face because you are doing it to show that you love god and trust him. We dont always have to love what he has asked us to do, we dont even have to want to do it! Think of the Savior, he knew his purpose in life when he said "to this end was i born". Yet in the garden he still asked if there was any other way. HE DIDNT WANT TO DO IT... but he did it anyway. And sometimes thats what we need to do!

 

I know that being a missionary will bless my life in so many ways and bless my family in so many ways,now and in the future, i cant even imagine. and i do know that i am where i need to be. and i will stay here, because thats what my heavenly father wants me to do, and he knows best:) I love you all so much! And i miss you like nothing else! words cant even express how much i love and miss you! and i am so grateful for the support i get from you guys:) I love you! and I pray for you everyday, multiple times a day! And i know that I will see you soon :)

 

love always and forever, Sister Rowland

Kaitlin's Address

For those who wanted to know, Kaitlin's address is:

6706 Camden Bay Dr. #103

Tampa, Florida 33635

Let's help her avoid becoming an old cat lady ;)

New week and a new challenge :)

Hey family and friends!

 

This past week has been so good, like SO GOOD!! we got six new investigators and two investigators with a baptism date set!!! we are soo excited for them:) its been raining like crazy these last few days so it was hard to find people to talk to and a lot of lessons fell through but we still managed to come out with a pretty successful week:) thanks for all those who wrote to me! its well appreciated! we, sisters of the florida tampa mission, have a mailbox game. and for everyday that there is no mail in the mailbox, it adds a month to how long it will take us to get married after our missions. please dont let me be an old lonely cat lady... i beg you! when its not raining, its been super hot and humid. we are sweaty, stinky messes all day long. i pity those who have to sit with us... maybe thats why so many lessons have been falling through! i have a super epic farmers tan though, and it will only get better as the summer goes on.

 

Yesterday i got to see the dedication of the Fort Lauderdale temple, and it was such a neat thing to experience. Its so different here where going to the temple is such a sacrifice! peoples jaws drop when i tell them that i have four temples within twenty minutes of my house! i cant imagine other countries where they have to travel for days to get to a temple. we utah folks need to be so greatful and take advantage of that blessing of having temples so close! if people here can make time to go to the temple, and they do, some weekly, then we can too!

 

Our Zone Development Day was awesome! My team took gold, it was like a minute to win it type thing and it was fun! We all needed a good break:) and it was good to get to know the other missionaries out here and learn from them! President Cusick came and he told us about a training he had with one of the twelve, i cant remember who. it was for mission presidents in this area. and the member of the quorum of the twelve said that the most important thing the presidents can tell us, as missionaries, is that they, the apostles and first presidency love us and pray for us. that missionary work right now is their main focus! and it was so sweet, because even President Cusick teared up a bit. And he is not the type to cry. it helped me to realize that even though he is super strict, even though he demands excellence, it is all because he loves us and he wants to see us succeed:) it was touching!

 

I hope you all have been getting to know the missionaries in your ward and praying for them and their investigators! the next challenge is to do something that we call sacred grove prayers. Every morning, we go into separate rooms and pray out loud for ten minutes! and that ten minutes has become so sacred. By doing so, I have truly learned what it means that I am a Child of God. I know that He is my Father, that He hears my prayers, and anwers them, and that He loves me. So, family and friends, will you set aside ten minutes, every day to pray out loud to your Father in Heaven? Awesome!  I promise that as you do this, and set that time aside to talk to Him, that you, too, will feel His love, and know, without a doubt, who you are! I will follow up next week to see how it is going:)

 

I love you guys so much! and i so appreciate all the love and support that i get from you guys:) i mean that with all my heart!

 

Love always and forever, Sister Rowland