October Letters and Pics

Yummy looking empanada!!
Kevin has to prepare nearly all his meals, so you see he is becoming quite a great cook

Quite a creative display - beets, carrots, eggs and tuna patties
(adapted from mom's salmon patty recipe.)

As you see, Kevin is very proud of his mail!
All you letter writers - keep it up.
It sometimes takes a few weeks to get letters, but you see, he does get them.

10/16/11

¡Querido santos en los estados unidos!

Thank you so much for the letter!!! i am constantly feeling of your love and support! i got all of your letters today and some last week on wed. They have to travel from the mission home to Chilecito in what is called the bolsa. Because we are soo far away we only get bolsa once a transfer so every 4 to 6 weeks. But i got all your letters within 3 to 4 week of the post date. And i still encourage you to write because i keep the letters, highlight parts and well I LOVE LETTERS!! Thank you for the letters from the primary kids. In one of the letters brother Hansen said it was just starting to cool down in Arizona. Chilecito is actually really nice compared to some of the other areas it is really nice and it is because we are super high up and next to a SUPER tall mountain that always has snow on it. It actually snowed on the mountain last week. I love all of your letters thank you so very much

One day I was pretty down about the language and we needed to call a member. This member is awesome, but has a really difficult accent, but my companion said I had to call. So I said a prayer in my heart for strength, and called. During the call i understood everything he said, and didn’t even have to think about what to say, i just said it and it worked out great!!! So little cool story about the gift of tongues! It is real!!! Another cool thing i have not told you yet, so i am grateful for the opportunity i had to teach in gospel principles in our ward because in our branch now I teach principios del evangelio. So its kinda the same thing except in a different language!! We had a great lesson about service. About a week ago we passed by this members house and their 2 year old had chicken pox. They were worried because we was still pretty young and they asked if we would give a blessing. I have given a blessing but just the anointing, so i just assumed my position as the person that does the anointing, but the mother said, Elder Rowse will you do the blessing. phew... first blessing.... a little nerve racking. During the blessing it was a really neat experience, i felt a really strong spirit to say be healed. Then during church yesterday they mentioned during our class how within the past couple weeks after the blessing they had went to the doctor and everything had turned out good. Their son is living and all is well. There were a few investigators and there was a really neat spirit!

This past week my companion and i have had a few disagreements but i have really been studying from chapter six and this week happened to land on charity. At first i have a ton of things to do and change so that i could increase my charity. But i had difficulty remembering all of the goals i set so i started to take it a little by little. I have not accomplished all of my goals yet but i have already increased a ton in my love for the people and my companion. Oh!! Guess what! i made the beets again, i took a picture of the meal because it was way pretty so next week i will send it. But everything turned out super well and it was WAY yummy.

So i am visiting with a lot of members teaching them that they are missionaries and trying to get them to plan visits with their friends and invite us over. i then realized well... i am still a missionary when i write my family. So as a representative i can invite you to do likewise. As i read your letters and your missionary efforts i am filled with joy for your work!! and i invite you to do more. Dad with AJ, you have made some way good progress with giving him a book of Mormon. I invite you to meet with the elders, tell them of what you have done, Then invite AJ and his family for dinner (and the elders also!) the elders then teach. You help the Lord in bringing another soul into the fold and receive blessings. Facíl! lo hará? So your assignment is to plan a dinner time with the elders and AJ.

Thank you for your letters!! I love you all so very much!!

10/24/11

Hello again!! I love reading your letters!!! i am so proud of you mom and your run!!! I am way happy to hear that you are making progress with nana´s history.

Phew, this week was packed. First of all things went a lot better with my companion this week. I took the initiative and we planned out our studies and we actually had companion study!! i tried thinking before i spoke and i had a list of things to do. It really really helped and this week was enjoyable. Now the important thing is to remember what i did, and keep doing it so we don’t lose it.

This week i did a lot of working... a lot of knocking doors and well i am trying to work with all my heart might mind and soul. I have been sleeping really good!!! sound all through the night hahaha. oh one thing that came to my mind. One thing i do every day in my journal is write a miracle of the day. That way even if i have a really rough day and everything goes bad, I still have to try and look for the blessing and the miracle. So far i have 134 miracles written down for the 134 days as a missionary.

Ok well i am going to jump straight to the stories i can think of. So the other district in Chilecito had a baptism this week and we worked super hard to have some of our investigators attend the service. We even walked for 20 min before the baptism started to try and bring someone but she couldn’t. The baptism was really good. We just change the schedule of the meetings we have sacrament meeting last like we had in our ward. They changed it so more members could come and so we could have more time to look for investigators. So we had to teach the first meeting but during priesthood my companion and i walked for a good 30 min to try and bring one of our investigators to church. The son answered and his mom was gone and he had to go. It was very disappointing, working so hard, walking in the dead heat with a suit in hopes that they would come, but they didnt!! We only had 20 min left before sacrament meeting and we had a 30 min walk ahead of us. Just then we got a call the boy that got baptized yesterday wanted me to confirm... :) so we ran :) hahaha i really felt like a missionary - running with a suit, dodging cars and trying to think how to confirm the Holy Ghost in Spanish. We arrived at the chapel just as the branch president finished announcing the first song. i ran.. walked reverently up to the piano and began to play. (panting and sweating none the less hahaha) After the song we had the prayer and then the confirmation. I was nervous, hot, sweaty, and yet calm. I did the confirmation and now there is another soul closer to heaven. It was a neat experience. A roller coaster of emotions but good none the less.

Another cool thing is that it rained this week!! It has not rained in chilechito for 8 years (at least that is what the people say) I was so happy when it started to rain. (a little sad beacause i had my suit on hahaha) but i began to sing and dance in the rain (the day had finished and we were all on our way back to the pension. This week was good. I am getting pretty good at knocking doors. My personal studies have been my anchor. I love them and i always feel the spirit. I invite all of you to try and take a good hour (less if your schedule is too difficult) start with a prayer specifically asking for the spirit to guide your thoughts. and then i want you to read in the book of Mormon. Every ten min write down your thoughts (even if they are on food or something else) just write what is or what was in your mind. You will find interesting results and guidance. I love you!! Have a wonderful day! OH!! Love you so very much and am grateful for all the support!!

Love
Elder Rowse

10/10 Letter

Uruguayan Mission Companion

YES!! There is Life In Jesus. Wish we find signs like this in US.

10/10

YEAH! go dad and your missionary efforts!!! i love missionary efforts. Actually Í love you all and i love the letters :) thank you for the encouragement. I was reading a couple emails that you had sent me during the week and they really gave me strength to press forward. I also LOVE d&C 31 it is a great comfort for me.

So this week I had a few big argument with my companion. But i am learning to forgive even if in my mind i am not at fault, I am sure to always forgive after every disagreement. Language is still about the same, sometimes i start a sentence in English because i am thinking the word in Spanish so I translate it and it comes out English hahaha.

The weather here in chilecito is really nice i love it. Some days it is really hot (seems to be the days that we have to work during the siesta hahaha) and other days it is nice and windy some times chilly but the hot days are coming i can tell. This week was good i guess.. Worked really really hard and tried to get some investigators in church but still no one comes. My heart aches every Sunday when they don’t show up. I like playing the piano because then i can let it all out through music. Our investigator knows that the church is true just has some difficulty coming to church. I don’t know if we are going to have a baptism this month and i am pretty down about that too. I fasted, prayed, and set my goals with the Lord to have 2 baptisms. I felt that we could accomplish this goal but I don’t know. We do have 2 investigators with the church attendance but are missing the lessons and the desire to be baptized. But i know the Lord can touch hearts so I continue to pray and hope for them.

Thank you for you letters and your prayers. It brings support to know that you are praying for me. And I feel it in the mission. I am seeing the good in my companion, it helps to not be critical and it helps us be closer as a companionship. This week i am going to start complementing him and doing little acts of service to see if this will help also. I also got to bake some argentine food at a members house it was great!!! The other picture is of a fruit shake i made!!! It was way yummy, reminded me of all the fruit shakes you made me mom!! And the other is what i used the last of the money from your box to buy a towel (because the other one is being washed and i need a towel hahaha) and also a shirt!! Thank you for the Box!! I loved it and will be waiting for the next one. I love you all soo much and i love the emails. I pray for you every day and if there is anything that you need please ask. I really do love you all so much. if i have some miracles i will be sure to include.
Love Elder Kevin Rowse

Cool Pictures and 10/2 Letter

Home Sweet Home

Its not trick photography, how did he do that?

Great Pic!

A unique feature of Chilecito, Rio do los Dos Colores

10/2/2011

Thank you for the letter. It was very helpful. :) Thank you for your prayer to notice the gift of tongues. What day was it because there were a couple days this past week where i could talk to everyone and pretty much understand everything they were saying. It was amazing. but then the other days i really struggled. ok hm...

phew... now to explain about this week.... well we have been without electricity in our apartment because the elders before did not pay the bill two months in a row so... I have been writing in my journal by candlelight and studying. but no fear!!! i am an engineer and i did make some light inventions so it hasn’t been too bad. It was just another thing that added to the crazy week.

Speaking in Spanish all the time is a little difficult. But i am learning. There is definitely a culture difference too. And my companion has a very hard way and his way of thinking. So we have had a few contentions and it makes it difficult because he says everything he is thinking and i cant. Because we are contending i don’t have the spirit or the help of the spirit to speak... I have been trying very hard to figure out what to do. Made me think of the win win stuff and what not. I have actually started this one neat thing that i think you would like. It is called the purification fast. So basically you start with a day of fasting. While you are fasting you specifically look for things that "poke" at the spirit or drive the spirit away in any little bit. At the end of the fast you should have a list of things that poke at the spirit. for the next 40 days you do a fast of these things. There is a way good promise at the end. So i am doing it. I started on Wednesday and will see how it goes. It is difficult but i can already feel the spirit in abundance. If you are interested i invite you to do it.

General conference... phew.. ok so as a mission we had the goal of having 500 investigators attend general conference. Basically 5 each companionship. We have 12 people committed to come.... no one came. I know i was giving my all. but i´m not sure what i missed. I am being exactly obedient. The two hours before the last sessions. I ran from house to house of each of our investigators trying to get someone. i covered all of chilecito in two hours (i feel a little bad for my companion but oh well) but no one answered. i was patient at every door, had a prayer at every door. but nothing. I spent a good 30 during conference in a separate room praying for someone to be touched and to come. but nothing... It was very discouraging. In addition i couldn’t understand much. I dont think i have ever enjoyed the songs so much (because the were the only thing that i perfectly enjoyed). I definitely paid more attention to what i was feeling during conference than to what i was hearing. I might be able to understand when i get the liahona because i will be able to spend my time translating the words... I dont think my soul has ever needed to hear the word of God so badly. at times it hurt. I wanted to know what the prophet was saying but i couldn’t understand it completely. but i continue :)

Keep me in your prayers. I know this is the Lords work and everyone has their agency. I know this is what the Lord wants me to go through. Its just difficult at times. I think Sunday was the most up and down day i have ever had in my life. This is the work of the Lord and it is marvelous. D&C 31 has been my support and hope this week. I love you all very much. I hope all is well with the family. I send all my love and regards and will press forward. les quiero mucho

Con Amor
Elder Rowse

Sights in Chilecito and 9/26 Letter

Christ Statues are all over Argentina

Pretty blue stream in Chilecito - Enjoying P-day, LOVE ARGENTINA

The Awesome 4

9/26/11 Kevin Rowse

I loved reading your letter!!! Well i will tell you about my new companion hahaha. Transfers came really fast. I cannot believe i have been here for over a month and almost a half. So I will tell you about my new companion (or at least what i know about him because i just met him about 3 hours ago and.... he is native) so... my new companion only speaks Spanish and is from Uruguay, so that language learning hopefully will come sooner than later because i am now in charge of my area and teaching him the area and our investigators until he knows the place. I think i will really like sleeping at night. That is my only mental rest I can have now hahaha.

I want to tell about today because it was pretty crazy. So the two senior companions left for transfers leaving me with only one transfer and the other elder who only has two transfers on his mission. So Monday morning we did our studies and then went to the terminal. Two gringos :) we were a little bit late because we bought some food but our companions were not there. The bus was but they were not. So we waited a little and then we called the mission home. (had to talk in Spanish because the missionary in charge of travel really can only speak Spanish) he told us to go back to our apartment because the missionaries might have taken a taxi without us. So we ran back to the pension but no one was there!!! We called again and he told us they missed their bus and would be coming on a no name bus and we did not know when they would arrive. so we decided to shower and get ready for the day. The other elder went first and i went second but while I was showering we ran out of gas (about 4 seconds into my shower....) so i had to take another cold shower :( and then i had to figure out how to order gas, and then order it. Phew.. Today has been a little frazzling, and now i have to only talk in Spanish. This week will be rough. please pray for me.
Let’s see... this past week we had a couple days where all we did was knock doors during the siesta... in the hot sun.. oh and one day it was crazy during the siesta (oh ya, to answer your question yes there is a siesta and everything closes and everyone goes to sleep, tracting during the siesta is TERRIBLE, but we still work because that is our calling). Ok back to the crazy day. So we tracted during the hot siesta and had no success with any of our plans, even the appointments we had fell through. Then around 5 the wind started to pick up and it felt really nice. We were talking to one person and they said just wait it will get cold this is the southern wind. And cold it got!!! By 9 I was freezing!! There was even a little snow on the mountains. Anyways it is now back to being hot but oh well. I wish i could send more pictures so you could see my companion. He was really good. I spoke more English with him than at the MTC but it was good because he helped me relax a little and joke.

So my knee this past week was hurting really bad and we were just walking and tracting a ton so with my knee and the heat i was getting pretty down. i remember thinking one day about my Savior. i then remember that in alma 7 we learn that he suffered all that we feel and suffer. I then thought of a poem i read in the MTC it goes something like this.... there was a missionary that was not getting letters from home, didn’t like his helmet because it was too small, and his back hurt from wearing his backpack. He said a prayer to his Heavenly Father and asked why am i going through this. he then heard a voice saying. i know how you feel... i know how painful a helmet can be, especially when they placed the crown of thorns upon my head. i know how heavy your backpack feels, especially when they made me carry my cross. I know how you feel to be left alone and not receive letters, especially when i hung on the cross and ask Father why hast thou forsaken me." There is more to the poem but this is what i remember, i then felt that this is the work of the Lord. i KNOW it is. if the Lord wants me to teach lessons he will bless me with lessons, if he wants me to knock doors he will bless me with doors to knock. And if he wants me to knock a door, that is what i will do. After this day of no success, we had no lessons only slammed doors. i remember coming to our last appointment with this one family. We had an excellent lesson with them we set a baptismal date with them.
We are teaching a family of 4 mentioned just earlier. The mom and her three sons are great. She already knows the church is true and we have a fecha with them for the 22 of october. the only problem is they live really far away from the church and don’t have too much money. I hope that they will come because they need to have church assistance to be baptized.
I love you all do very much. Thank you so much for the box that you sent me, i hope you get mine too!!! I love you all so very much, thank you for all the support. This is the Lords work, i feel honored to be trusted with this calling and opportunity. I feel humbled to be trusted with a new companion that does not know the area and to teach him the area. I love you all so very much, i pray for you every night and send my blessings!!

Love
Elder Rowse

First Baptism - 9/19/11 Letter

The Happiest Day for a Missionary

The three elders Kevin lives with (companion next to him) new convert in center.

More Bus Surfing

9/19/11

Hey family!!!

I love you all so much. I look forward to the letters. I loved grandpa’s story from last letter, I read it multiple times this past week when things were difficult.
Well this week has been a roller coaster of emotions, but good overall. We had our baptism this week. We worked with him every day this past week to make sure all was well with him and to just keep checking up on him. There were a couple days where it was super super super hot (i felt like i was walking around outside during the summer in Arizona) just knocking doors because all our plans fell through, very draining. And other days we had amazing lessons. We had one investigator that we thought would progress really really well but she didn’t come to church so we will continue to work with her.

We had some interesting meals provided by the missionaries but for the most part i have been eating really well. No stomach problems. Today since it was the last Monday of the transfer we went to this restaurant that has all you can eat pizza and my stomach is feeling very very full. The language is also a roller coaster type thing. Some days i can understand and other days i have nothing. It is frustrating, I think i just need to relax a little and believe that I am understanding. i might be thinking about it too much. I feel like a little different person sometimes. Like i feel shy and content not to say anything, where as if it was in English i would jump right in. But i have been taking more incentive to talk first and say more. I just want to be the best missionary i can. and sometimes i feel like i cant because of this language. I want to work with the members, gain their trust as a powerful missionary. Missionary work is not easy, but i guess i kinda knew that.

The baptism was great! I´m glad we had it this week. i was getting pretty down by the end of the week, but the baptism was great. Another person is on the track to return to our Heavenly Father. With faith, patience and a strong belief, Matias Orlando Reates was baptised. We found him through a member reference and after 5 weeks of teaching he has really progressed and changed a lot. I love missionary work and the change it can bring. Yes it is rough, but it is the sweet moments that we need to cherish to help us get through the rough times.

Oh hey dad, i have an assignment, can you ask the ward mission leader for a copy or like an outline of a ward mission plan that our ward uses. that would be great!! You should be proud; i have been eating fruit a lot this week, oatmeal, salad, and lots of other healthy food. I am a little sad that this time was short, but i am excited to go out and work. I hope this week will be more successful. I love you all and hope you enjoy by box whenever you get it. I sure loved getting the money to get stuff. I love you all so very very much. It is weird sometimes to think i am actually a missionary. I wake up every day in a different country, then go out and knock on people’s doors that i have never met, testify of our Savior and then get in their house. Well got to go. Love you
Love Elder Rowse