Just a short email:)

Hey Family,

You will all probably be very grateful to hear that this email will actually not be a novel:) I just have a couple neat experiences that I want to share with y'all from this week!

1. So on Monday we were knocking doors and we weren't really having any success. Then across the street we saw a guy out in his garage. We started talking to him and found out that he had recently been converted from atheism. He is about 22 and has not really believed in anything his entire life. He lived a pretty rowdy life. But in the last few months he has changed his life completely around. He was completely willing to let us come and teach him. So we gave him a Book of Mormon. A few days later, we went by to see how his reading in the Book of Mormon was. He said, "I haven't really read as much as I would have liked. I only read that first night you gave it to me." We assured him that it was okay and asked him how much he read. "Only sixteen chapters." he replied. HA! ONLY?? He is the best. When we taught him the restoration, he understood the importance of the priesthood like no one else I have ever taught in my mission. At the end of the lesson HE asked US if he could be baptized by that authority in our church!!!

2. Our leaders have been encouraging us to be very specific in our prayers. So one day this week before we went out for the day, we asked heavenly father to give us two people that we could share a Book of Mormon with, and at least one to accept a return appointment. So we went out and within 15 minutes we had given out both Book of Mormons and set a return appointment with one of them. So after that we went back home for lunch. As we left our apartment after lunch we prayed that we would be able to talk to one person on the way to our next appointment and share a Restoration pamphlet with them. Its august in Florida and the only people crazy enough to be out on the streets are Mormon Missionaries, so we got two houses away from our investigators and hadn't seen a soul and then this car pulls up to us and asks if we are from a church. We told him we were and he asked if we had any PAMPHLETS that he could have!!!! HOW INSANE IS THAT??!! Heavenly Father answers our prayers, and when they are specific, his answer and blessing will be specific.

I know this church is true, guys. This work is important. And God loves us! I hope you all have a great week!

Love always, Sister Rowland

Bring Them Hither and I Will Heal Them

Hey Guys!

I can't believe that August starts this week... its so crazy! I feel like I blinked and July was gone! But it has been such an incredible month. July will be one I never forget!

On Saturday, one of our investigators got baptized! It was such a neat service. (Fun story: all of our translators for her are male, so obviously when we were in the changing room with her, none of them could be in there. We had a lot of fun playing charades trying to explain everything to her since we can't communicate with words. ) She doesn't speak any English, so the entire service was entirely in Spanish. Even the songs we sang were in Spanish. It was so cool to see how the ward came and supported her even though none of them can communicate with her, and couldn't understand the service they were there and completely embraced her. And the spirit was felt there so strong. Its neat because she decided to be baptized because of the way she felt at church, even though she couldn't understand anything. And then we all got to have that same experience at her baptism, where we couldn't understand but the spirit spoke louder than words. Her husband is a member but he hasn't been very active in the church ever in his life. He has been working really hard to be able to baptize her! And the look on his face after he baptized his wife was priceless. He was so happy! I love them so much, and even though we can't talk to each other our spirits are still able to communicate. We can just look them in the eyes and they look back and words become totally unnecessary.

We also had another cool miracle this week! It has been super rainy and we no longer have a car at all. We used to have one that we could drive when the storms are really bad but at transfers this week we had to give up our car. So on Thursday, it was storming really badly and we were only able to bike. So we decided to reschedule the appointment and do something else out of the storm. As soon as we rescheduled the sky cleared up!! But we decided that since we had already rescheduled we might as well just do what we were planning to do instead and walk over to the church. As we were walking I just kept feeling like we needed to go a different way, a longer way. I kept ignoring it. But finally I told Sister Day what I was feeling and she said that we should do it. So we went the long way around, and as soon as we got to this particular street that had been on my mind, there was a guy up ahead of us. As we were walking towards him, my mind kept going back and forth... "We need to talk to him! No, he's probably not prepared for the gospel... But maybe he is... buts he's kind of scary looking... So? he's still a child of God!" This happens a lot... I have little arguments back and forth in my brain. I'm not crazy though... Finally we got to him and I just opened my mouth and started talking to him. We were able to teach him the first lesson right there on the street, give him a Book of Mormon, and commit him to be baptized. He shared with us how he was new in Lakeland, his wife had just died, and he is just trying to find what God needs him to do here. It was so powerful! He told us that from the first second we were in his view he just felt this peaceful feeling that he couldn't describe. Its so cool how God puts us in the right place to meet those who are ready for this Gospel.

This week in district meeting they committed all of us to offer to say a prayer with everyone we meet, whether it is someone on the street or someone whose door we just knocked on, so we have been doing that this week and it is so cool! Something cool about being on the bible belt is there are very few people who will say no to a prayer. And then we are able to have a powerful spiritual experience with this random stranger. That is something I am going to miss so much! There have been a few times when we have been praying with people on the street and there are noisy cars driving by, but as soon as we start praying the world gets silent. Every time! I can just imagine that if I were to open my eyes and look up that the world would be frozen in place. That's what it seems like! I love having spiritual experiences with random strangers on the street... its so neat!

So I just wanted to quickly share something from my studies this week!!

In my Book of Mormon reading I am in 3 Nephi. So I have been reading about Christ's ministry among the Nephites and it is so powerful! One thing in particular really hit me this week and it comes from chapter 17.

Christ has just finished teaching the people some of His commandments and he is about to leave for the night, but he looks around and sees the faces of the people and how badly they wanted him to stay, so he stayed a little longer.

He says,

"Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind. or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them..."

"And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner, and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto Him."

What hit me most about these verses is that the sick had to be brought to Christ by another. None of them could go by themselves. How many of us know people who are spiritually sick and need to be healed by Christ? We have to be the ones to bring them to Him.

"And they did all, both they who had been healed AND they who were whole, bow down at his feet, and did worship him."

When we do that, we will rejoice together with those that we bring.

I am so grateful for this Gospel. I am grateful for a Savior who can heal us. And I am so grateful to be a missionary, and to witness Him heal others everyday.

I love you all! Have a wonderful week:)

Sister Rowland

The Weak Things of the World

Hey Family!

Can you believe it is July 20th already? This month is flying by... its honestly really scary. Transfers are this week, but I am staying put and so is Sister Day. So here goes my last six weeks! I'm sure for family and friends back home its really exciting and happy when your missionary comes home, but from the missionary's perspective. Its very bitter-sweet. I have really been appreciating the small things this week. Those things that I will never experience the same way again. I cry a lot about it. Its a good cry, its a grateful cry. Everything that happens on a mission is truly miraculous.

There is a poem that one of the missionaries shared in district meeting a few weeks ago. It makes me cry every time! Enjoy:

As I stare out the widow,

Tears still in y eyes,

I see the vision of those I love,

As we said our last good-byes.

The flight was long and tiring,

As two questions plagued my mind:

Do I want the life that's ahead of me,

or the one I left behind?

You see eighteen months is such a long time,

For going door to door;

In my reflection, I thought,

There must be something more.

I struggled off the plane,

looking for a friendly face;

When a man called President said,

"You've come to the right place!"

.....

I sit reflecting once again,

As this day is my last,

Please, Lord, it isn't fair,

The time went way too fast..

As I stare out the window,

Tears still in my eyes,

I see the visions of those I love,

As we said our last goodbyes

The flight was long and tiring,

As two questions plagued my mind;

Do I want the life that's ahead of me,

Or the one I left behind?

I don't know who the author is but I love it so much! The mission experience is indescribable.. and it does go by way too fast.

So pretty much this week has been incredible, and I want to share with you all a few miraculous experiences we had this week.

The first maybe wasn't so miraculous, but it was one of those experiences that I will probably never get again. On Saturday we were knocking doors in this neighborhood. Then randomly it started looking like it was going to rain (Florida has the most bi-polar weather ever!). But sometimes it just looks like its going to rain and then never does... and we really wanted to finish knocking this street. So we just kept going. Then it started to sprinkle... but we kept going. Then all of the sudden we hear this wall of rain coming up behind us and in seconds we are soaked through! There was nowhere to take cover except this very Twilight-esque forest. So we went to take cover in the trees. They helped a little but not very much. The rain just kept coming with little sign of it clearing up soon, we were already soaked so we just decided to walk in the rain to the church where our next lesson was going to be. We were a mess! Our clothes were soaked, our make-up a distant memory, but we were so happy. It was just so pathetically hilarious:) So we made our way to the church and rung ourselves out in the bathroom and taught our lesson and attended a meeting with our ward mission leader looking like wet cats and freezing our tails off!

The next experience... so you know how we walk and bike everywhere? And sometimes there is no one out on the street so it feels like we are getting hot, sweaty and exhausted for no good reason? Well, this week we had four different people come up to us in our apartment complex and say, "What do you guys do? We see you walking and biking everywhere, all day long?"

So we tell them what we do!

The third: So about three weeks ago we were tracting this street and we see in one of the drive-ways a car with a Utah license plate! That is a rare sight here in Florida. We were so excited to knock on that door but nobody answered! :( So a few days later we were in that same neighborhood to see an investigator and we decided to try that same door again. And there was a mom and daughter living there who, indeed, had just moved from Utah! We could tell that they knew who we were, but we couldn't tell if they were members or not so we just asked them if they ran into missionaries a lot in Utah. And then they told us that they are members but they don't go to church anymore. They had a bad experience and had absolutely no interest in ever coming back. We asked them if we could at least let the ward know that they were here and they said no. So we left them the church address and our phone number if they ever needed anything...

Then yesterday at church, the person who said the closing prayer said, obviously by the prompting of the spirit, that there was someone there today who was giving it one last try and he prayed that whoever it is would feel God's love and want to come back again. It was such a powerful prayer! Afterward I turned and started looking around to see if I could tell who it was. I saw through the chapel doors out into the entryway and on the couch I could see two people. I couldn't see who it was, but I had a pretty good idea. I asked my companion if she could see who it was and she couldn't. And we couldn't get out of the chapel because everyone was talking and visiting. Finally, we made it out and it was them! IT WAS THEM! THEY CAME. They came to give it one last try. And I honestly don't know what their experience was, and I don't know if they will come back. But I hope and pray that they will. And I hope that they did feel God's love for them.

And the fourth experience, to show that God really is aware of us. Yesterday at church, one of the members pulled us aside and began criticizing the way we had taught one of our investigators. He was honestly quite rude about it and Sister Day and I left church feeling absolutely no confidence in our ability to do anything. We went home and prayed really hard that Heavenly Father would help us through the day.

Last night we had a lesson with some recent converts, her non-member daughter, and some members, including two recently returned missionaries. We had dinner and played some family home evening games and then we taught a lesson. We taught the message of the Restoration because of the one non-member who was there. Family and friends, the spirit in that room was suffocating. I have never felt the spirit so strong, or felt so much love for one person my entire mission. Everyone in the room felt it! And it had nothing to do with Sister Day's and mine ability or inability to teach. But it had everything to do with the love that Heavenly Father had for this individual, and His love for my companion and I, and his joy at our efforts. Afterward, one of the returned missionaries came up to my companion and I and said, "That was a great lesson, you two teach really well together." Little did he know that was exactly what we needed to hear. Heavenly Father provided us with a perfect situation to teach us a few things

• the spirit is the true teacher
• we have been called by a prophet of God because of who we are, not because we are perfect teachers
• when you truly love the person you are teaching the spirit will be there and they will feel it
• we never need to worry about our inadequacies, because lets face it: we are all completely inadequate, but Heavenly Father loves us anyway and He will help us to get His work done.

The happiness, peace, and joy that we felt after that lesson was overwhelming. I am so grateful for our Father in Heaven's love.

There was a scripture that I came across in my studies earlier this week, before all of this happened. But it was perfect.

Doctrine and Covenants 35:13-14

"Wherefore, I call upon the weak things of the world, those who are unlearned and despised, to thresh the nations by the power of my Spirit. And their arm shall be my arm, and I will be their shield and their buckler; and I will gird up their loins, and they shall fight manfully for me..."

I know that I am weak, I know that I'm imperfect. But I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ make up for that, if we are humble and rely on them.

I read this story in a conference talk last week:

"There was a young piano student and his mother, wishing to encourage him, 'bought tickets for a performance of the great Polish pianist, Paderewski. The night of the concert arrived and the mother and son found their seats near the front of the concert hall. while the mother visited with friends, the boy slipped quietly away.

Suddenly, it was time for the performance to begin and a single spotlight cut through the darkness of the concert hall to illuminate the grand piano on stage. Only then did the audience notice the little boy on the bench, innocently picking out twinkle twinkle little star.

His mother gasped, but before she could move, Paderewski appeared on stage and quickly moved to the keyboard. He whispered to the boy, 'Don't quit. Keep playing.' And then, leaning over, the master reached down with his left hand and began filling in the bass part. Soon his right arm reached around the other side, encircling the child, to add running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice held the crowd mesmerized.

In our lives, unpolished though we may be, it is the Master who surrounds us and whispers in our ear, time and time again, "Don't quit, keep playing." And as we do, He augments and supplements until a work of amazing beauty is created. He is right there with all of us, telling us over and over, "Keep playing." "

Keep playing, y'all :) You are who you are and where you are for a reason!

Love you!

Sister Rowland

Their Testament is in Force

Hey Family!

Hope you all are having a great summer! Can you believe that we are already almost halfway through July?? Its going by so fast! Its honestly kind of scary!

Its been nice and hot here:) I'm seriously going to die my first winter back in Utah. I freeze in 70 degrees! We have been working hard and seeing so many miracles and we are teaching some of the coolest people on the planet! I want to tell you about them:)

So first off we are teaching a 15 year old girl. She is the daughter of a less active who hasn't been to church since she was a teenager. The young women in the ward reached out to our investigator and her cousin who is a member and they started coming to church and activities and seminary. And now she wants to get baptized! We were talking to her at our lesson last week about how she can be an example to her family (her mom and three younger brothers). We committed her to have family prayer every day even if she is the only one participating. Yesterday at church her mom came, her two younger brothers came, and her 12 year old brother asked us if he could be baptized too. I am so impressed by her and her diligent example and her faith. She is so incredible.

Then we are teaching the 15 year old brother of the returned missionary in our ward. He has been in Puerto Rico with his dad for a few weeks but we have Skype lessons with him almost every day. (Thank goodness for technology!) He is reading the Book of Mormon every day and saying his prayers. He even lets us call him in the mornings and wake him up for a lesson during his vacation! How many 15 year old boys do you know that would be okay with that?!? We asked him this past week to talk to his dad about taking him to church in Puerto Rico and he wasn't too sure about it. He didn't know how his dad would react. But he told us today that he got the courage to talk to his dad and his dad said that not only would he take him to church but he would attend with him!

We are also teaching a newly wed couple from Chile. He is a less-active member and speaks little English. She is not a member and speaks no English! She wants to get baptized and they have already made it a goal to be sealed in the temple. As we have gone through the teaching process with her she has had some pretty incredible manifestations that this is the truth and that it is the right path for her and her family. Even though she doesn't understand English she comes to church every Sunday because she likes the way she feels when she is there.

We have another investigator with a Catholic background. His entire family is Catholic. And joining our church would mean turning his back on his family's religion and traditions. He is having a hard time making that decision but he is diligently praying and seeking his answer from God.

I could go on and on sharing the incredible stories of courage and faith and the incredible people we are teaching! I love them so much! I am so grateful for the privilege that it is to serve here and to work with them. So many people have to sacrifice so much when they learn of the truth of this church, but they do it!

I just want to let all of you know that I know without any doubt that this is Christ's church. I know that it was restored to the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that we have prophets on the earth today to direct and guide us. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.

I was studying in Doctrine and Covenants section 135 this morning. It talks about how the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith seal the testimony of the Book of Mormon and the truths of the church. Its a pretty powerful section and I would definitely recommend that you take a look at it.

There is a part that says,

"... the reader in every nation will be reminded that the Book of Mormon... cost the best blood of the nineteenth century to bring [it] forth for the salvation of a ruined world..."

That sentence punched me in the face when I read it today! I was reminded of just how precious the Book of Mormon is. Our entire knowledge of the Gospel is so precious. And it didn't come free. Joseph Smith wasn't the only one that gave his life for our salvation. There were many prophets and disciples before him. Not to mention the infinite sacrifice of our Savior. We simply cannot take what we have for granted.

We cannot take the Book of Mormon and the truths it teaches for granted.

We have to appreciate it, and read it and live it! If you have not come to know for yourself that the Book of Mormon is true, now is the time. If you have one, read it. And every time after you read kneel and pray and ask God if it is true, then wait, and listen. And God will reveal it to you through the Holy Spirit. If you don't have one, let me know. I will get you one!

It will change your life!! I promise!!

I love you all so much:) Have a wonderful week, be happy, and stay cool!

Love always, Sister Rowland

Declare with Unwearyingness

Hey Family!

This week has been a pretty great week!  A lot of biking and walking and sweating as usual:) There really isn't too much to report so I'm just going to cut to the chase and share some thoughts that I've had this week...

They may or may not connect or make any sense but here it goes! :P

Helaman 10:4

Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but has sought my will, and to keep my commandments.

3 Nephi 19:2-3

Yea, and it was noised abroad among the people immediately, before it was yet dark, that the multitude had seen Jesus, and that he had ministered unto them, and that he would show himself on the morrow unto the multitude.

Yea, and even all the night it was noised abroad concerning Jesus...

Jacob 5:71-74

Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your might...

And thus they labored, with all diligence, according to the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard...

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

Okay, now let me see if I can tie this jumbled mess of thoughts together...

We know that God has a divine plan for us, and we know that a family is central to that plan. We know that marriage is between a man and a woman who can bring precious spirits to the earth and raise them up in love and righteousness. We know that families are under attack.

It's a testimony builder to me, thinking of the recent Supreme Court decision, that our last General Conference was completely centered on the family. I know that our leaders are truly inspired by God, and that if we heed their counsel, we will be able to withstand the evil in our day.

I have come, over the course of my mission, to have a very solid testimony that I am on a mission right now to prepare me to marry in the temple to a worthy priesthood holder and raise a strong family centered on the teachings of Jesus Christ. That is why the missionary age was lowered. That is how the Lord is hastening His work.

We have a responsibility to declare to the world our standard on families and the importance of families. We need to not be afraid to make our position known and to defend it. Those verses in the Book of Mormon have some words that I really like:

• Unwearyingness
• Immediately
• All the night
• Might
• Diligence
• Labor

President Eyring said, "You begin by holding up the Lord's standards clearly and without apology. And the more the world drifts from them and mocks them, the bolder we must be in doing that. "

Elder Holland said, "Be strong. Live the gospel faithfully even if others around you don't live it at all. Defend your beliefs with courtesy and compassion, BUT DEFEND THEM."

I know that greater power and spirit will come into our lives and our homes as we put in, not just a little more effort, but all of our effort in defending the Lord's standards for families. There are so many ways to do that, and any and every one of them is good. But I think the best thing we can do is resolve to do better in our own families. Love and show love more. Serve each other more. Read and pray together more. Spend more time doing quality things. Live the Gospel better, as a family.

It makes me think of Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty.

Alma 46:12-13

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.

And he fastened on his head-plate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins...

Its time to put on our armor and hold our banner high!

I commit to make marriage a priority when I return from my mission. I commit to settle for nothing less than marriage for time and all eternity in the temple of God. I commit to make child-bearing and raising a priority. I will not put my own restrictions on when or how many but trust in the Lord's will and timing. I will always make prayer, scripture study, and family time a priority. I will do all in my power to raise my family on the principles of "faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work and wholesome recreational activities." I recognize that my role as mother is divine and my sacred responsibility is to nurture my children. I commit to do my very best in all of these things.

I love the primary song The Family is of God:

God gave us families,

to help us become what he wants us to be.

This is how he shares his love,

for the family is of God.

I know that Heavenly Father loves us. His plan is for us to return to live with Him someday, as a family. I know that God will bless us as we defend and declare the standard He has set.

I love you all!

Sister Rowland

For Behold, I am God; and I am a God of MIRACLES

Holy Cow Guys!

I have so much to tell you, I don't even know where to start. This week is seriously the week of all weeks, and I will never forget the events that took place this week!

It has still been super duper hot and humid. And when its not super duper hot and humid, its pouring rain. And sometimes its both! There was one day this week when we were walking down the street, dying of heat, the sun was scorching and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. And then all of the sudden it just starts pouring rain!! We took cover under a tree but not before we were drenched from head to foot. (Funny side-story: there is a returned missionary in our ward and we are teaching his non-member brother. We biked over there one day this week and it was so hot! We walked into their house and they asked us if it was raining outside. Nope, just sweat. Just sweat.) We were talking about it though, and we realized how much strength we really do receive from God every day. We are told by people daily that we shouldn't be out in this heat. But we are and we are walking and biking between 10-20 miles per day. If we were normal human beings, we would be dead by now. But Heavenly Father gives us strength.

Okay, so I have to share with you guys the incredible miracle that happened to us yesterday. Prepare to have your minds blown and your testimonies solidified :)

SO yesterday, we had NOTHING to do all day. We literally were just tracting ALL DAY LONG after church. And we were less than excited to go out in the heat for nine hours. But God had different plans for us.

So headed out after lunch and started walking to stop by an investigators house. While we were walking we noticed two young boys across the street playing basketball. Normally we don't really talk to little kids, but something told us we needed to talk to them. So we went over and invited them to come play Tuesday Night Basketball at the church. They said they would ask their mom and so forth... so we head back to the other side of the street and there was a lady walking the same direction we were. She complimented our clothes and asked if the blouse-belt-skirt combination was a new style. We explained that it was a style in Utah where we were from. (No one in Florida wears belts with their skirts...) And it opened up the conversation for us to tell her why we left Utah and what we did as missionaries. As we shared with her she expressed how she had been wanting to be baptized forever but she had not been able to find a church that felt right. We invited her to take the lessons and prepare to be baptized and become a member of our church and she accepted! We set a baptism date with her right then and there!

Then we said our goodbyes and parted ways.

Not two minutes later, as we are walking down the street, two women roll down their car windows and yell across three lanes of traffic, "Are you missionaries?" We yelled back that we were and they told us to stay right there. So we did, as they proceeded to make a couple U-turns to get to where we were. I jokingly said to Sister Day, "Looks like someone else wants to get baptized too!" We laughed. We had just been talking the day before about how cool it would be if someone pulled their car over and asked us to be baptized.

So the car pulls up to us and the lady in the drivers seat introduces herself as a member from California. She was here visiting her mother who is very sick. The woman in the passenger seat said to us, "Maybe you can help me, are you on duty?" We realized from that comment that she must not be a member and we explained to her that we were always on duty and would love to help her! They pulled off into a nearby parking lot and we started talking.

The woman who was not a member is a sister to the woman from California. She lives here in our area and we were right, she's not a member. But she explained to us how she knows that the church is good and she has seen the blessings of it in her sisters life and that she is ready to join the church and become a Mormon. They had just been by the church to see if anyone was there that could help them, but no one was. They had given up and were out of ideas and headed home when they saw us walking down the street.

We actually had someone pull over their car and ask us to be baptized. THAT NEVER HAPPENS. Every missionary always jokes about that happening, and dreams of it happening. But it never does.

This experience left my companion and I speechless and tearful. The gratitude that we felt towards our Father in Heaven for allowing us to be a part of this special miracle was overflowing. We literally had nothing to say for a while as we walked to our next destination.

As we were walking, I was pondering and trying to figure out what we had done to deserve such a miracle. Then it hit me how prideful that thought was... we hadn't done anything to deserve it. We didn't deserve it. Heavenly Father taught me something very important:

Sometimes we talk about how exact obedience brings miracles. But that isn't exactly true, at least not the way we think of it. I used to think that if I was obedient then God would bless me for that obedience with a miracle. But it doesn't work that way. We don't, through our own efforts EARN miracles. That is a selfish and prideful thought. In reality what is happening is that Heavenly Father is constantly working miracles in our lives and in the lives of others around us. Every single event that takes place is a miracle and he miraculously moves us and places us in just the situations we need to have the opportunity to make to choice to return to Him. As we are obedient and do what we are supposed to we keep our covenants and with that we are promised the spirit to be with us. And that spirit leads and guides us to the places where those miracles are taking place, thus allowing us to be witness of and sometimes a part of those miracles.

 But we do not earn miracles through our obedience.

The miracles didn't end there. After a lot of walking and knocking, we were running low on water and decided to stop by a members home that was close by to fill up. Her non-member husband opened the door and allowed us to come in and fill up. Her son spoke up and asked us what we were doing at 6. We said that we would be tracting probably, and he told us to come back around six and they would feed us a nice homemade Italian meal. This was a miracle for many reasons: it gave us something to do at 6 out of the sun, and it also gave us a meal because we were out of food for the week and not sure what we were going to eat for dinner!

I know that God truly is a God of miracles and that if we are living the way we should, we will be able to witness those miracles daily. I am so grateful for a little black name-tag that allows me to see such grand miracles so often.

The mission is glorious.

I love you all and hope you have an incredible week and see tons of miracles!

Love always, Sister Rowland

Beautiful Feet

Hey Family!!

Hope you all are having a super fantastic week:)

This week has been strange but its been so good! It is getting so hot here, every time we walk outside it feels like we are melting! But its an adventure. You just get used to the smell, kind of. I feel bad for everyone that has to talk to us though...

Sister Day and I are having so much fun! And the work here is well... changing. Its not necessarily picking up or getting worse but its kind of taking a new route. We just had three missionaries come home in this ward in the last two weeks and they are so great! There was one day this week when we asked one of them to come to a lesson with us and he did but the people we were supposed to teach didn't show up. So he sat there and started calling as many friends as he could until he found one that was willing to meet with us! That is how missionary work gets done, my friends. I hope to be a returned missionary just like them! They have been working like crazy to find people for us to teach! Two of them served in Salt Lake! One in Salt Lake North and the other in the Salt Lake South.

We have been doing so much tracting this week, we have literally knocked on HUNDREDS of doors. We had a pretty decent sized teaching pool at the beginning of the week, and there were a few days where we had seven lessons scheduled. But EVERY SINGLE ONE cancelled on us last minute. It got a little bit discouraging. Our feet were so sore and we were so hot and tired and the only relief we would have had would be a lesson in some air conditioning, and instead they all cancelled and we were left to walk more and knock more. So after the third day of this same routine we decided that obviously we need to change something about what we are doing. We prayed a lot and got blessings from the bishop and we decided that we need to drop all of our investigators. We went from having 12 to 3. Its hard to drop people, but the simple fact is that they just aren't ready for the gospel yet, they aren't ready to commit. And somewhere in Lakeland there is somebody who would be baptized today if they knew where to find us. And our job is to focus all of our efforts on them.

Tracting is actually really fine. In spite of the heat and the bugs and the fact that most people won't even open their doors, you actually have some pretty neat experiences tracting.

Neat Tracting Experience #1:

We knocked on this guys door and offered to say a prayer with him. He said, I'm a Baptist minister, I will pray for you! And we kind of looked at each other and agreed. And he waved his hand in the air and said, "I bless you in the name of Jesus." We thanked him and he laughed and said, "okay now you can pray, but don't pray for me." He asked us to pray for people in the world who didn't know Christ and for children who were not being raised in good homes. So we did and the spirit was so powerful. After the prayer he told us that he had just been studying his bible and praying and that he had asked God some questions but he couldn't seem to find the answer. He said he was just about to give up for the night when we rang his doorbell. He said that through the words of our prayer he had received his answer.

He wasn't interested in learning more about the church, but we were able to be an instrument in God's hand to answer the prayer of a Baptist Minister. Two twenty year old girls helped him to get the answer that he had been searching high and low for.

Neat Tracting Experience #2:

Yesterday we were knocking doors in this neighborhood with little to no success. We got to this one house and the front door was open. We knocked, and nobody came. We rang the doorbell and nobody came. So we just kind of waited for a minute. Then this cute elderly gentlemen comes to the door and says, "You girls must be from Salt Lake! Come on in." We tried to hide our shock, nobody EVER invites us in. Even when we pray or have a good conversation with someone it is on their front porch. So we go into their living room and his cute wife is sitting in her little chair. They shared with us how the Elders used to come and visit them all the time, and how a long time ago they had been to Salt Lake and taken a tour of Temple Square. They are so cute!

We also have some pretty hilarious tracting experiences.

Hilarious Tracting Experience #1

Sister Day and I were praying with this man on his front porch. Sister Day was saying the prayer, and he interrupted her mid-sentence and said, "That's okay, at least you tried!" And went in and shut the door and left us in shock on his front porch. We laughed about it for hours!

Hilarious Tracting Experience #2

We knocked on a door, a man answered and we offered a prayer. He asked us what church we were from and we proudly said, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," And he says, "Oh, crap! Its the Mormons..." And he informed us that we were a cult and he had no interest in praying with us. He started to shut the door and we turned to walk away, then he poked his head out again and said, "And I bet you both want to marry me at the same time!" Sister Day spoke up and told him that we don't do that. He said, "Yes you do", and slammed the door.

Thank goodness for people who know more about our beliefs than we do ;)

Tracting is hard, but its honestly so fun. You get to meet the coolest, kooky-est, most interesting people.

Miracles happen. We often hear stories from returned missionaries about the miracles that happened to them on their missions. Some pretty huge and crazy! But I've really come to appreciate the small miracles that happen every day, those tender mercies that remind us that God is aware of us, He loves us and He is pleased with the work we are doing.

For example, when we are walking down the street, melting in the heat, and randomly a really cool breeze blows through, or a cloud covers the sun.

Or when we run out of time for dinner and someone offers us food.

Or the fact that our water bottles are never empty.

 When you walk and bike out in the heat and humidity, you go through a lot of water. Without fail, every time this week that our water got low, somehow Heavenly Father fills our water bottles. He doesn't do it in some super-natural way but he does it. Our water will be almost gone and a kind homeless man who sells water to buy his food gives us two water bottles for free. Or the lady at the house we just knocked on notices our almost empty water and takes and fills them with water and ice. Or we turn the corner and there is a gas station where we can go fill up. 

Our water bottles are never empty because Heavenly Father loves us.

Alma 31:37-38

And after that they did separate themselves one from another, taking no thought for themselves what they should eat, or what they should drink, or what they should put on. And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst...

I know that when we put the Lord and His Kingdom first in our lives, He will ALWAYS provide for us.

In my entire life, I have never been so tired, my feet have never been so sore and blistered, I've never seen so much disappointment,

and I've never been so happy as I am right now.

I know that this gospel is true. Every little bit of it. I can never deny it. And I can never stop working to help others to know for themselves that it is true. I am so grateful for my Savior who was probably even more tired than I am, whose feet were even more sore, who faced so much more disappointment and rejection, who did it all so that we could experience more joy than we could ever imagine.

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that are still publishing peace"... No matter how sore, worn or blistered.

And how beautiful upon the mountains are those nail-pierced feet of the Prince of Peace who showed us all the way to eternal peace.

Have an incredible week! I love you all!

Love always, Sister Rowland