More Pics and Letters

 Kevin in Primary

 Great Elders to work with

Zone Conference

6/17

Thank you for the messages :) I have had some interesting changes (could be put maybe as one step up on the ladder). I don’t want to say i have gotten super better in anyway because i am still missing a bit but i feel a little different. I am starting to understand what it means to love the people and how to show that love. I actually found the scripture that confirmed it all today. I find myself thinking of the people more, i try to think what i can do right now and in the future. I’m thinking of people and how they can progress. I know it is all from the Lord. I am not quite sure if i changed something, but i want to keep going with the studies and covenants that i am doing. This is a beautiful work. I pray that i may continue progressing, there is lots of room for improvement. I don’t know if i mentioned we have a goal of 10 baptisms this month, and as of right now we have 6. :) 

This week was a little rough because my companion is new to the office and well, is still trying to find the balance between office work and missionary work. I tried my best to help him but we hardly left this week. I did get a little frustrated because i ached inside to know that people were passing through trials and that i couldn’t get out to help them. I´m pretty sure the Lord had a plan for this to teach me and my companion. 

We did still have the baptism of the Romero family :) Their kids are sooo amazing!! :) They remind me a lot of my nieces; i hope they are all good. They wanted me to do the baptisms, but i knew it would be better if the dad got permission and did it. (aparte quiero hacer lo mismo hacía me papá). The dad was very very nervous but the first baptism was perfect. Omar got a little nervous and started to cry, so we had fabricio get baptized next and i went back and was with Omar and his dad and we watched fabricio get baptized and then he got a little of confidence and after the baptism Omar was very happy :) it all worked out perfectly!

This week we have some more goals to leave early and get some good work done :) tonight we have a family home evening with the whole family Alegre. We are going to put everything in order and try our hardest so that we can see them get baptized this week or next week :) keep them in your prayers and also the people we are praying we can find. I love you all :)

Elder Rowse

6/24/12

Dear Family,

Glad to know everyone is doing good and working hard in the mission field back home. :) I was very happy to get the pictures of my baptism :) So this week has been pretty good :) We found some way awesome families that we are hoping we can get baptized in July. The whole mission is putting a special effort to baptize 150 in July, or in other words, that EVERY companionship baptizes. I definitely want to do my part and baptize next month, so we are looking into what we can do to do our part. As i said we found two new families. One family is part of the family of the 1st councilor in the bishopric so :) once we get him excited to help us out with them we should see some definite progress. They came to church yesterday and really really liked it. There is the Mom of the 1st councilor, his sister, the son of his sister and the daughter of his sister. (4 BAPTISMS!! :), they have lived a pretty rough life. They live in the Villa and well, their work is selling bread and dinner. The mom - Ramona, is getting old and she has quite a bit of pains (but we are hoping to see some miracles when they stop smoking and drinking tea - its a promise of the word of wisdom, if they do it i know she will feel fantastic) They have had some recent family losses and have taken them pretty rough. The mom said she couldn’t bear to lose another family member. But they are very interested and they love the missionaries. Whenever we come she always gives us food (even though she has absolutely nothing) its quite humbling. She treats us as her kids. The only problem i think my stomach was not accustomed to her cooking and it got pretty upset. On top of that i had eaten a lot of food. one night she gave us dinner, and we had to take care of the president’s son and He gave us dinner too (so two rather large dinners) and then the next day, Ramona gave us lunch, even though we already had a lunch appointment (and she wouldn’t let us tell her no) so i then had two lunches the next day and well... my stomach got pretty mad. it made me think of when Phillip told us he had eaten a lot of pineapple and was constantly running to the bathroom because i had to do the same. 

If you’re interested their names are:

Ramona Palomeque

Karina Palomeque

Brandon Palomeque

Malena Palomeque

The other family we found is great, we just have not had a lot of time to pass by their house. The Daughter has not been baptized in any church and the mom wants her to get baptized, we just need to help the mom get married (i believe) and also get baptized :)

The weather has been rather weird. It is hot some days and then very very cold other days. 

We also had a zone conference and it was fantastic!! got a lot of good ideas and i am looking forward to baptizing in July. Thank you for your prayers and your fasts :) I know they are helping me to aguantar the office until i get out and be able to teach the people. My only desire is to be the lord´s instrument and teach with his spirit. Thank you for your support!

Love

Elder Rowse

Building a Wedding Cake - Baptizing the Married Couple

 Now that takes courage to build a real wedding cake.

 Well, it isn't as easy as you think.  Got to work some more!

 Vwalla!  A wedding cake! 

 The happy couple.

Whew!  Baptism day at last!

6/3

Yay letters! :) Glad to hear how the "Investigators" are going back in the states :) i can definitely relate to the feeling that there is not enough time to pass by everyone because your time is spent doing other daily things. It can be a big challenge for missionaries. It is a challenge. To become overwhelmed with office things that one doesn’t visit the people. It is so important that we have at least some form of daily or every other day contact. Satan works very strong and does not want any progress. The phrase i like is that the Lord asked us to leave the 99 sheep and look for the one and he will take care of the 99 things, and it is very true. Everyday i might have 99 things to do, but i love the one more than the other (some days it is hard to find that love but it exists) so i trust that the lord will take care of the 99 things (and he does) and i then can look for the one, or two. 

So weekly events... today was transfers once again... still in the office... but last night was a long night, we didn’t get back till about 4 in the morning. Some buses and bus loaders were giving us a hard time, so we had a chileno and a United States elder talking to different head leaders and acting with authority. hahaha. It has been a blessing, to be able to talk with authority one has to be able to talk fluently and clearly that way they don’t notice the accent and think it is weak. The Lord helps me with that i am sure. I didnt get much sleep because around 6 all the elders started calling me to get direciones and help on what they needed to do. I recently was able to do some pday activities. I cooked a way yummy lunch for the elders, got a box ready for the family and now i am writing the family :)

We had a baptism last week, but it was not just a baptism, but a wedding. This couple have been waiting for almost 2 years to get married and baptized. they have not been able to get married up until now because the husband is from bolivia and had troubles with documentation. we got here are got excited and got the work done. The main lesson i saw him learn was for a year and a half people were just helping him but he never got anywhere with the documentation, but then he put in the pilas and did it himself. When he put in the effort is when progress was made. We have had many rough moments but we made it through and they now are married and baptized.

Side note about the marriage, we made the cake (you will have to see the later pictures) 

Had some rough days like always, got pretty down thinking that I’m not the caliber missionary i should be, but i said some prayers and tried to just shake it off.

Familia Romero came to church!! The family is way fun, they have a 7 year old daughter and she reminds me a lot of my nieces. fun and laughable. For Sunday, we had quite a bit on investigators (primary age) so Elder Labra and I went to the primary. One of the kids of Romero is really shy and timid, so he was sitting outside with his dad and we saw them, so we went out there and we talked to him, and got him excited. we used a paper airplane game to get him closer to the church and going inside (Never thought those years of studying paper airplanes would ever come in handy, and well look it did :)

Warnier didn’t come to church, i think because they were not able to find some church clothes, but we are going to pass by this week and help them come back. Cesar and maxi were the only ones that came to church, but Carolina still has her baptismal date for this Saturday, we are going to try and get permission from Maxi´s mom that what he can get baptized with the Romero family. :) should be good experience. 

Well that’s all i can really remember from the week. :) just trying to stay focused and work hard. In these last days i have really needed to step up my teaching and missionarying. My prayers and hopes are for the investigators and so that the lord can work through me to touch them.

I love you

Elder Rowse

20th Birthday

 Dinner or Breakfast with Comps

 Pres Salas cooking asado (BBQ) to celebrate the birthday.

 Sis Salas baked the birthday cake.

5/6

Dear Family! 

I love you all :) so i hope this letter will do up for the letter i missed last week with lots of fotos. So I was reading through the letters you all sent me :) and it made me think. i hope you don’t think i am comparing myself with other elders. Rather i am seeing the good ways some missionaries can teach and trying to find out how i can teach with that same power and authority. During the last week we had the opportunity to go to visit Cesar and Ana with President Salas. We called him and asked what advice he would give us, and he said well why don’t i go visit them with you some day. We agreed! It was an amazing lesson, to just watch president use the spirit to read their needs and teach directly but with love. I hope someday i can obtain that type of spirituality and ability to teach.

      At the beginning of the week, had some difficulties with excitement and believing that i could teach good, but that i lost the ability. I know they are feelings that are just to make me feel down. so i shook them off and was able to get focused and got some good work done. The nice thing was that i was not in the office a lot. We did an activity on Tuesday where we worked outside all day at it was great. to just even do contacts :) and then Friday and Saturday i went to villa allende to work with the zone leaders out there (because my companion is district leader so he has to do interchanges with them) so all day friday and Saturday i worked. Although i got pretty behind in my work, it was really nice to just work. I know the Lord will provide and help me to get everything done.

     My birthday was fantastic! woke up, we cleaned the pención super super good,  and while the other elders were finishing the last bits, i made pancakes and banana bread to eat :) so in the morning we had a big pancake breakfast with fake syrup. We then got to the office and we had to do some ficha work. because today is the last day to put them all in. I then talked with president and the hermana to invite them to an asado. I was going to buy everyone a way good asado. and then president told me. why dont you get the fire going while i get the meat. I am super super grateful for what they did for me. Hermana Salas made a cake and pudding. President cooked the asado. and we had a little birthday party :) Got to say, way nice. and if you ever have time, feel free to send them an email (asalas@ldschurch.org). they took care of your son very well on his birthday :) I got way way full. 

      We have found some new families. The family Calderon and Pizarro. so I will keep you informed on their progress. They didnt come to church so we cant baptize them in may... I really really hope we baptize in may. its been way too long since we have baptized and there is no reason why we shouldnt be. We just need to keep working. 

      Well i´m a little short on time, (mostly because of the fichas) i want to write more but i also want to go out and work and visit people so.. :) I LOVE YOU A TON and i will be sure to write a lot. Thank you for all the birthday wishes :)

Love 

Elder Rowse

Missionary Transportation

 Wahooo!   I actually get to drive - I even have an Argentine license.

 Well, yes sometimes we bike.

 Most definitely, we pretty much walk everywhere.

5/28/12

Dear Family!

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! :) thank you for being patient. We were doing quite a bit of things. Last Monday we did a pretty big painting service activity. There was this fútbol club and was in a more humbler neighborhood and well the government of Córdoba asked us if we could do a service project and paint the club. So we went there early in the morning and well they had a huge futbol field so while we waited for the paint to arrive we played fútbol :) then we painted the club and then ate a yummy churipan with president and then we played fútbol with president :) it was way fun but it took the whole p-day and we had some really important appointments so we didn’t stay to write the family (hence the letter.. and well i didn’t want to be trucho and write later on in the week so i never did) and we were all busy trying to get some baptisms together. 

     So we have found some new families that are great! :) the family Romero. the parents are members (sealed in the temple) but their kids have not been baptized because the wife had gotten offended a while back and haven’t been to church for about who knows how long. BUT yesterday they came to church everyone!! The family is way legit, their youngest daughter (7 years old) makes me think a lot about my nieces. Its way funny. 

    Another cool story, we went by this less active/inactive family. Same story they stopped coming to church because the parents were offended, but their 16 year old son they are worried about him making bad decisions. While we were visiting with him he told us that the activity we did with him a month ago really impacted him and since that moment he was praying every night. He said he wanted to go to church. His mom was rather surprised (as was i). Afterwards we talked just with the mom and we told her. Hey your son really wants to come back to church; you know it will help him make the right decisions. it depends on you. If you give a good example he will go to church, if you dont he will never go to church. She was a little undecided. They didnt come yesterday but we are going to help them out. The son really wants to come. (They are called the family Warnier)

     The Family Alegre. I really want them to bring me alegre, but its rough. We had a lesson with Daysi and the family (Daysi is the wife of our recent convert that both reactivated and are now just working miracles) anyways she is the Young Women´s leader so we thought it would be a good idea. She had the perfect testimony and Ana gave her permission so that Carolina can get baptized. Carolina was really excited so we put the fecha for the 26 of May and eveyone was happy. Well Friday came around and Carolina said she wanted to get baptized in two weeks and not last weekend. We tried talking to her but she was pretty set... and on top of that she didnt come to church.. so we will need a miracle with this family. They are amazing, i can easily see them in the temple in a year and faithful members. They just need to realize it. Cesar gave a talk on Sunday :) His first talk, and he was pretty nervous. It made me really happy and it also made me think of how you must have felt when i gave my first talk :)

    We have some other families but they are all missing just a little bit. We are need of some miracles. I figured out the record in our area is 5 baptisms in a month. We put the goal of 10. I want to make some plans for each week of this month. We have about 7 baptismal dates that are pretty set in stone. They will take some work but i know we can make it. It will make up for the last 2 months of not baptizing :( i feel pretty bad about that. But I dont let it get me down. I have already got almost a year, i should already be teaching effectively and baptizing every week. Just got to keep going. 

I got a new companion. His name is elder Kindt, he is from Canada and... he was with me in Uritorco so i already know him a little so its a little exciting :) we get along pretty well :) 

Keep the investigators in your prayers :) I had a lot of fun reading your letters over the last week. It makes me very happy to hear all of the missionary work you are going :) honestly i am very proud to hear of your missionary work, Keep it up and i can promise you it will be an amazing feeling when that family joins the church :) Do everything possible to obtain that moment. Mom, not having served a mission i can promise you that the joy really is fulfilling :) Every Sunday it makes me so happy to see Cesar and Gonzalo faithful and active. Gonzalo is now the Young Mens President. 

Love, Kevin

2012 - First Quarter Highlights

Real American Food - Subway!!

Mission Office

3/4/12

Dear Family   

My companion is elder bird :) pajaritos hehe. We get along great. sometimes (hardly ever) we disagree. he is from Utah and well he likes to work a lot. Like me! so we are usally pretty anxious to leave and work at 5 every day. The name of the area i am in is Villa Belgrano. And the cool thing!! THE TEMPLE IS IN MY AREA!!! well.. at least the ginoumous hole thats in the ground :) but its great for doing contacts. Its also fun because there is a older couple that are here incharge of the construction, and well the wife makes food from the states for us every other sunday :) they are from ARIZONA!!! thats why i asked if you knew the Fenn´s because his brother served about the same time as dad :)

This week was good. A little difficult because trying to wrap up the visa things and also getting ready for the transfers. I am super grateful for the letters you have sent. i hope that you have been able to get my letters, and if not, please let me know. I want to respond to all of them :) you are my family and i love you very much. 

We have the same investigators. Well one of them was baptized :) so now one less investigator and one more recent convert to help YAY!

the main people we are working with right now is the Alegre Family César (who was recently baptized)

Ana - his wife who is a little rough Carolina - who has come to church but needs to keep coming and Maxi - who needs to come to church.  We also need to find more new people, or we are going to baptize everyone and have no one left. ;)

I love you!!   Elder Rowse   

 p.s. they have scorpions here too!!! i was soo happy to see one!! no need to worry, i am safe. just thought i would comment my joy to find an insect that also exists here. 

 The JOY of serving a mission!!

Service Project - planting trees at park with ward members.

3/18

This week was pretty crazy but we were able to get some good work done. The new elders that were coming came super late. Some came on Tuesday, others Thursday and others Friday. Darn visa problems hahaha. so it complicated the week but luckily i have a companion that has a good desire to work and whenever we found time to leave and work we left! One night we were running in between appointments and my companion stopped to contact a house and it happened to be a family that had listened to missionaries 15 years ago and they even remembered their names. They had recently had a lot of family members pass away and well now we are teaching them. The same thing happened with another guy that we contacted, his friend had died the day before and so we taught him and he actually came to church!! :) A lot of the families that we were working with have told us a lot of things. A different day that we left we passed by the Alegre family (Cesar, Ana, Carolina, Maxi) and the mom stayed for the lesson and they told us pretty much everything that happened. It was a "wow only as a missionary" experience. A grown family talking with 19 and 20 year olds that dont even have families and yet they trusted us and told us. We invited them to pray as a family and they totally changed by the end of the week. So lots of miracles but we still need a lot more. This sunday i realized that miracles are worth a ton more that just 2 meals. Its almost a guarantee and i would fast for more days but i also need strength. :)

What you had mentioned to me about the temple is exactly what i have been feeling when i got here. I should be giving another talk in about 3 weeks (my first talk i wanted to talk about the missionary work because they were alittle behind) but I then want to help the ward realize the great blessing they are going to receive to have a temple so close, and how it will require a little more consagrasion. 

 Things have changed a lot. They missionaries were getting visas for 2 years (just enough) but then they recently changed them to 1 years and well... the last guy organized everything pretty good but now i just need to get it done. :) 

I love you soo much!!

Little Lady, Nancy, likes to dine with the Elders.

Nancy is this sweet old lady that lives in the apartment above us. she invited us for lunch. 

 

4/9

The families we are teaching are going good. I sometimes feel inadequate to teach these things. These are real people with some major real problems. I know the gospel can change lives; i just pray and hope the spirit can help me know what to say. That is the help i ask for. In specific, how i can help an investigator Paola Radicci. We found about 4 new families this week, but no one came to church this Sunday (Mom, looks like we were feeling the same thing yesterday) It hurts. I know they will be blessed. I then think, if me, with my little capacity i have to love, ache when they don’t come, How does my Heavenly Father feel, him with an INFINITE love. If he sees you helping his children, think of his INFINITE gratitude he will have. I invite you to think of someone, (it may be someone you home teach or someone). Put your arm around them, and guide them. :) I promise you that if you do that and tell me of your efforts, i will be making extra efforts in my work here. The Lord needs me to be effective. The Lords needs his sheep found. 

I love you all, I love this gospel. There is nothing more beautiful or more marvelous than this gospel. We have a Heavenly Father that loves us and will bless you as you keep your covenants. I love you

Elder Rowse :)

 Home evening with the ward (barrio) and Cesar's son.

Notice picture of new temple on the wall (left side).

The week was alright. Pretty normal actually so that was great! Monday we played with the zone the rest of the weeks we were able to leave every day at 5 and get some good work done. There was a really neat lesson that i really needed. We were walking towards a visit and we decided to knock a door. (we did a really really catholic approach hahaha) we said. HEY! We are going around blessing the houses, would you like a blessing for your house. The lady said sure! So we went in and we started talking. While we were teaching, i am 100% positive it was not me, somehow everything clicked and while we taught and testified the spirit was really strong, and it filled me with a happiness that made everything worth it. I now want to go out teaching because i know it can fill me with this joy. :) Her name is Adreana and i am pretty sure that with some more lessons like that she can get baptized the 12 of may :)

We also had a family home evening with the barrio on Saturday (i will be sending pictures) and it turned out great. The whole Alegre family came!!!! Even ANA!! (Honestly at first i was pretty bummed because there were only 2 member families but then after 20 min they showed up and i was way happy!! Sunday, Ana didn’t come but the two kids did. That was also another fun moment. We were in the supper getto getting a family to go with all their kids (mind i had a talk to give) so we were there until about 9:32 until we realized what time it was (church starts at 9:30) so we told the family we would come back in a little, we ran out of the villa (the van was parked out of the villa and in a safer place, mostly because we didn’t want the family to ask us if they could go in the van because we are not supposed to take people) so we ran out the getto got in the car, got there just in time to take the sacrament and then give my talk while my companion left with a different elder that was not giving a talk. I was a little discouraged because the whole family didn’t want to go to church, so when we arrived at church i was a little down but as soon as i saw Cesar passing the sacrament and then saw his two kids it made me super happy!. The talk went really well. 

I think i forgot to tell you but last week we did a musical number and it turned out really well :) um... lets see i cant remember too much else. and i want to write sherry and Teresa so take care i love you all :)

I hope you know i am working as hard as i can and with as much excitement as i can (it is super draining, but it is definitely worth it) I LOVE YOU ALL!!

The Cordoba Temple - This is the beginning!

Kevin is serving in the area where the temple is being built.  He talks much of 

preparing the people to have a temple in their midst.

Kevin is about the only Elder who knows how to drive stick, so he drives the mission

van when needed and keeps it clean too.