Alan Family

Dear Family,

Wow! That was a great bunch of letters that I got this morning from my family. I absolutely loved them! Thanks so much! Anyway, this letter is more about the family of Alan than anyone else. They've been a focus lately for us.

So, we have taught them many, many times. Every time we have focused everything on the kids because they can actually get baptized. This time, I could see that Virginia, the mother, was just about to let everything out. All her emotions and everything. So, we were sitting there and I stopped the regular lesson and asked how she's doing. Her sister in law said she's just really sad after Virginia didn't really answer. Then, she broke out. She just began to cry. So much has happened with this family and they are struggling so much right now. The poor family has been discriminated for their race, almost killed, lost their home and many possessions, their pets were left without anyone to watch them, even her health is turning bad again, and even problems within the family have aroused. Anyway, I changed the lesson to meet the needs of this poor woman. I asked each of the kids if they would like to have help from God and they all said yes. I then asked Virginia last and she said that He doesn't want to help her. I asked her if she even believes he exists and she didn't know how to respond. I testified with all my heart that there is a God. He loves each one of us individually and has a plan prepared for each of us. He listens to our prayers and answers too and gives us trails in this life to help us grow and have experience. I asked her to read Ether 12:6 and told her that the blessing and testimonies won't come till after the trail of our faith. She started to doubt even more at this point. Then I testified of how I gained my own testimony and then she read verse 27. The Spirit had grown so strong in this moment and then she read the part where the Lord will make weak things strong. She couldn't even finish reading the verse. The tears poured down her face as she muttered those words again. Las cosas debiles serian fuertes para ellos. I testified that all the weakness she feels will be stronger than ever. Blessings will come through this trail. Her family will grow closer together and she will learn to feel the love of our Heavenly Father. She told me how she always reads a ton every morning and prays all the time. I told her that the third way to receive an answer from Him is through the church. I promised that she will fell his love there and will find the peace she has been searching for. Then she admitted that she needs to go to the church. Then Alan's aunt said that everyone will be going to church next week. Virginia included. After all of that, she found hope. I wrote her a scripture reference chain to look up and to pray about it.

Then, she said that she wanted to talk to me without all the kids around. So, Virginia, her sister-in-law, and Elder Porter and I were left alone to discuss a little bit. Virginia told me that she will maybe get baptized now but she wants to explain some things. So, she began to tell me about the man she's been living with, Carlos. He's always been the reason why she couldn't get baptized. But now they are separated. She told me how he and the godfather of the kids are part of this form of gang. She said that they are involved in animal sacrifices and draw on their heads with the blood of the animals. She told me that the kids know nothing of that and she had only seen the place where they work once, but didn't think much of it. But one day Carlos and the godfather came home with the blood all over and started to tell Virginia that all the bad things that are happening are because they are investigating the church. She rejected that and left. They are living in the villa with her brother now and Carlos and the godfather don't know where they live. Carlos asked to come live with them and Virginia said no. Also, the aunt of Alan is stuck in a situation too. She is a maid for a family most of the week and when the man of that house is alone with her, he tries to kill her. There are so many problems with these women and all they try to do is live their lives in the best way they can. So, now we are stuck trying to find a way to pay for a terrain and/or a house for them to live in but they only have about 4 thousand dollars worth of pesos. It's such a sad situation. I know I am not supposed to ask for you to donate to causes here, but if Kevin wants to start a service project with the school to buy/build a house for this family, it would get him a fatty scholarship and would help a family in really desperate need. Just a thought. Anyway, I know God sent me here to help this family and I am going to do all in my power to help bring these children of God, back to Him.

Well, that is enough about them this week. Anyway, this week we found a few more investigators, took out one more fecha and just kept visiting our fechas everyday to help them get baptized. It's repetitive, but necessary. We have visited many members that are new and inactive too to try and help this ward become more active. Of the 485 members here, only forty are actively assisting church. Imagine that. . . And only 15 of those are adults! What a trail! We are reactivating families and working all day long with them. Sometimes we are WAY too late getting back at night because we work so much. I got back at 10:30 one of these nights because we kept visiting people. Poor Elder Porter is so tired because I make him work so much! I will be better this week about getting us back at 9 or 9:30. I worry about him and the language. It's not really clicking for him like it did for me. He still can't understand and that is a real trial when you don't even know what the people say or even your companion. I bet he feels very lost and alone sometimes. We have to improve our language study or something.

I am winning the hearts of the members here! They actually want to help now! There comes to a point when you can put your personality into the language and I now am there! They are always laughing because of my jokes and how I treat the kids here. One family who I love is the Luna Family. The dad is active, but never has gone to the temple because he can't stop drinking alcohol. He's an awesome man though! I love him. So, we are going to get him to the temple sometime! It's one of my goals. Also, I love Hermana Luna. She's so funny and an artist too! She always loves to chat and know more about my life. Then, their daughters are awesome! Little Valentina is sooo cute! I love playing games with her. She always asks her mom if she can sit with me at church and at lunch appointments! Then there's the middle daughter who I can never remember her name. . . guess it's true, the middle child in always ignored. Ja ja! But the oldest is Sheila. She's 16 and is awesome! She wants to be a missionary so bad! She went with us to a lesson, they weren't there and she walked all the way back and was still really excited to just be allowed at a lesson in the first place! Ja ja! She's way fun! But, I always have to keep my distance with her! Ja ja! I don't want anymore snakish encounters. . .

Well, the one guy we gave a baptism goal this week was Daniel. This skinny white guy without the teeth on the top row. Ja ja! He looks really wimpy but is a boss!!! He knows a lot about self defense and has had a few encounters lately with the gangsters. So, this one time he was walking to his house last week and it was kind of late. Then, these two kids asked him the time. When he went to check his watch, the kid put a gun to his throat. Then, Daniel knocked the guys arm away, whipped off his belt, and smacked him in the eye with his belt buckle! The guy, of course, fell to the floor and was swelling up big time. The other whipped out a knife and started to charge him. Daniel picked up a bottle, broke it, and then as the other guy tried to stab him, he pulled his arm past him and smacked him in the face with the broken bottle! Then, he just walked away like nothing happened! Then, a few months ago while he was working a night job as some sort of security guard, a man pulled a gun on him about thirty feet away and demanded all the money and what not. Daniel turned to walked away and then quickly took out his gun from the back of his pants and shot the man in the shoulder to make him drop the gun. Then, once again, he walked away like nothing happened. What a boss!!!! Ja ja! He's super nice and wants to learn more about the gospel. I'm not sure about his commitment level because he didn't show up at church yesterday, but we will bring him later.

Well, that's all the stories I have for the week. My foot hurts as if I have plantar fasciitis, but it's all good! I stretch it and keep working. I figure the Lord will bless me if I just push through it. I love you all! I am so glad to have inspired parents and loving brothers. I'd love to hear form the two older ones . . . Anyway, I know you're busy. I love you all! Chow chow!

Love,
Elder Cowan