A Standard of Liberty

Hey Family!

I just have to start out by saying that Heavenly Father is so good. And when He promises blessings, He will never leave you hanging. This week was INCREDIBLE with a capital INCREDIBLE. But first, it was really really hard.

We started the week out and it was pretty much your average week in Sebring, a lot of a-whole-lot-a-nothing-to-do. We had two old ladies yell at us. No one answered their doors, and if they did they were way to busy for us. It was hot. And I was like "great! Its going to be another one of those weeks!"

We did have one new investigator. Monday night we went over to a members home for dinner and FHE and as soon as she sits down she's like, "I have two neighbors that want to meet with the missionaries." like its no big deal. Its a good thing I hadn't taken a bite yet because I probably would have spit my food across the room. We were trying to play it off all cool like that's something that happens ALL the time. And we gently nudged for more information. She eventually said that after we finish dinner she will take us over to meet them. YAY YAY YAY! We ate fast. So we went over and met with her neighbor, and husband and wife. They were so sweet. And they were totally excited to learn more and be baptized!

That was pretty much the only exciting thing from the beginning of the week. But it didn't last:( Come Thursday we are at the church planning and setting goals for the coming week when we get an email from Sister Coleman and her companion in Tampa 4. If it weren't so sad, this story would be kind of humorous. The email let us know that the investigator spoken of in the above paragraph had called and said that she no longer wanted to take the lessons. And that we shouldn't come by anymore. Why did she call sister Coleman? Because I'm a doe-doe and get all my areas numbers confused and I gave her the phone number from my old area!! But that was pretty devastating. We had just finished making some awesome plans for this investigator in the week to come and we were really excited for her.

That email kind of put a damper on our weekly planning and we were pretty upset. It was like the straw that broke the camels back, you know? We just wanted SOMETHING to work out. We just wanted at least ONE investigator. ONE baptism. ANYTHING! But nothing is working out. And we have been trying everything that we can think of. We were pretty discouraged. So we called our District Leader, who conveniently serves in the same ward as us and only lives five miles away and asked for a priesthood blessing.

People, it was such a neat experience. I know that the words said in that blessing were straight from my Father in Heaven. Because Elder Whaley had NO IDEA what we were going through, he had no idea about the conversation Sister Schaumkel and I had earlier. Yet he said everything that answered every question and concern that I had. And I felt God's love and I knew that everything was going to be okay.

From there things started looking up! We have been working like crazy to come up with fun plans and activities that we can do for the members to invite their friends to. We presented them to our ward mission leader, who then presented them to the bishop.... right in front of the stake president! We got approved for all the activities, the stake president said that the stake would even fund any that we needed help on.

So in the next month or so we will be holding a youth movie night/ fireside, an open house with a complete tour of the church and explanation of all of our groups and auxiliaries, and we will have a booth set up at the county fair!! We are a little bit stoked about all this:) The ward is really excited too!

And all of the sudden all of these people to teach are coming out of nowhere. Literally we went from having no one to teach, and no way to find anyone to teach, to having like ten super awesome prospects. Members are giving us referrals out of nowhere. People that were taught by missionaries in the past are reaching out to us. Everything is just working out. And really good things are happening. That's why the adversary was trying so hard to get us discouraged. He was trying to stop all of the good that is taking place.

Before I wrap up this email, I just wanted to share something that I studied in the Book of Mormon yesterday. It really stuck out to me!

I was reading in Alma 46 about Moroni and the title of liberty. So Amalekiah is a pretty mean guy. And he just won't quit picking on the poor Nephites. He has no good reason for harassing them other than just the fact that he's a meanie head. So he wants to start a war with the Nephites, just for fun. So that he can destroy the church of God, for fun, you know? So Moroni gets word of Amalekiah's plans and he gets mad and has a little bit of a temper tantrum... but this tantrum is very significant.

In verse 12 it says, "And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it-- in memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children-- and he fastened it upon the end of a pole."

He sets it high, and then kneels and prays and asks God to bless and watch over his people.

Verse 19 " And when Moroni had said these words, he went forth among the people, waving the rent part of his garment in the air, that all might see the writing which he had written upon the rent part, and crying with a loud voice, saying: whosoever will maintain this title upon the land, let them come forth in the strength of the Lord..."

The people's reaction is also very significant.

Verse 21 "and when Moroni had proclaimed these words, the people came RUNNING together with their armor girded about their loins..." (Not only did they come running, but they came PREPARED. They were already in their armor, they were ready to go. They were ready for whenever, wherever, and however their God would call them.)

And they covenanted with God that they would stay faithful to him and his commandments.

After they had made this covenant they "went forth in all the parts of the land and gathered together all the people who were desirous to maintain their liberty."

What does this have to do with us? What would you write on your title of liberty? What would you do to defend those things? Who are you going to recruit in defense of those things?

Verse 36 "And it came to pass also, that he caused the title of liberty to be hoisted upon EVERY tower which was in all the land, which was possessed by the Nephites; and thus Moroni planted the standard of liberty among the Nephites."

I love you all so much! Have a great week!

Love always, Sister Rowland

Look at who we found walking on the side of the road:)