Hey Family! 

Things in Florida are going great! Very wet and humid but great! Our baptism didn't happen yesterday but she is still really excited to be baptized. She just has a few addictions that she needs to work through first. It was so cute. The other day we went over and taught her the Stop Smoking program that the church has and her five year old son asked her to what that was and she said it was to help her quit smoking and he said, "good! I want you to quit! If you don't I'm gonna get you!" I don't know if that was motivation or a slap in the face for her but it definitely did the trick! 

We also set a baptism date with these two kids, age ten and nine. They are going to be baptized in September! Want to know how they found the church? Through an eight year old in our ward who was just baptized! Just goes to show that you are never too young to be a missionary. This little girl is incredible! She loves the missionaries and always gives us the best hugs! She talks all the time about when she goes on a mission. 

Our other investigators with a baptism date set are still wanting to get baptized but they keep pushing it back... It's frustrating. But we just have to be patient:) they are all so awesome and I know that they will come around! We don't really have any other investigators but I'd rather have only five investigators, all with a baptism date, than twenty who don't want to be baptized:) 

One of our recent converts, the young man whose wife had a baby in June, received the priesthood yesterday! He was so excited! He's even more excited by the fact that he can baptize his brother in a few weeks! Yesterday was a really good day! We also had a member who invited his neighbor to church and he came and he loved it. The member asked him if we could come over and he said yes! I have a really good feeling about this guy. He is married and has two little kids and he loves Jesus Christ. I'm excited to teach him this week! We also had four other investigators at church! That's a record since I've been here! Things are really starting to pick up here. Heavenly Father is so good. 

The other sisters in our ward had a baptism yesterday too! It was so special! This girl is mildly mentally disabled and VERY scared of water. She wanted to be baptized but just without the water part. She has been stressing and worrying about it all week. So when she got in the font yesterday, she panicked and tried to climb back out. Without a thought, both of the other sisters jumped right in the water with her, church clothes and shoes and everything, just so that they could be there to support her. That was a huge example to me. I want to be the kind of person that would jump in the water, without a thought, when i see someone in need. Their clothes were so wet that they had to wear the ugly baptism jumpsuits for the rest of the baptism and home. They are so incredible! 

So transfers are this week! With no surprise I'm staying here another transfer. But it hit me yesterday that this could very well be my last transfer here in the Tampa 4th ward... That thought breaks my heart. I wish I could just spend my whole mission here! I love the members here, and this area so much! This is my home away from home! I have been so blessed to serve in this ward, and I've decided that I owe it to this ward to really put all that I have into this transfer. And if I'm blessed to stay one more then that will just be a very joyful surprise! Can you believe I only have a year left? This time next year, I'll be home. It's so crazy how much time flies! This transfer, hard as it was, was like the blink of an eye! 

I've learned a lot of good lessons this week:) and I've made a lot of changes in my attitude and my effort. And as I've done so I've felt an increase the spirit. It's crazy what a difference the spirit makes! You just feel so much happier when you are working with the spirit, no matter what the results are of your work, you just feel good! 

One thing that I learned this week comes from Matthew 4 when Christ invites the fisherman to follow him. It a says that they straightway left their nets and followed him. I thought a lot about nets. Nets aren't necessarily bad things! Some of my nets would be my education, or my job, my friends and family. Those aren't bad things. But they are things that I need to leave behind for now to follow christ and to do what I need to be doing. And that's been my biggest fault on my mission. Is how much I dwell on those good things that I've left behind. And by doing so, I'm not giving my whole heart to this work. That's what I've decided to change :) I'm going to give this mission all that I've got, because if I don't, I'm wasting my time and the lords. 

My biggest fear is that I will go home unchanged, or even only partway changed. I want to do all I can to go home a new girl. A girl who follows christ without a question. A girl who focuses on the treasures in heaven rather than worldly pleasures. I want to be someone that y'all don't even recognize! And I want to stay changed. I can't believe it's taken me six months to finally understand this. But I get it now:) and it makes so much sense! 

When I meet my Savior and look into His eyes, I want to be confident that I did all I could for Him. And that thought makes me fearless! I think of all the things that I'm afraid of that keep me from sharing this gospel: what if they reject it? What if they get mad? What if I don't know what to say? But it hit me this week- my god is a god of miracles, my god is a god who keeps his promises to those who are faithful. He has promised that his angels will be with me, that the spirit will give me utterance, and that I will not be confounded before men. What do I have to fear? 

I love you all with all of my heart! 

Love always, Sister Rowland