I'm still surprised about your response
to my last letter. I had written a very long one about how I received my
personal testimony but then felt to not send it, so I wrote that about
President Eyring. I guess that's what you needed to hear then. Well, a
quick response to Dad, my mission president had commented to me that he
had received word that maybe Elder Bednar would be coming to visit our
mission in November to do a big conference for us. Maybe it's actually
going to happen! It'd be nice if I could talk to him about his meeting
with you! I've always wanted to meet him because he reminds me of you so
much. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if you were called to be a
general authority someday.
So I have a few names that I would like to be put
into the prayer roll at the temple, if possible: Camila Sives, Adrian
Rivarola, Juan Cruz Riveiro, Paola Manrique, Flavio Borja Tejero, and
Gustavo Ribeiro. They all need help from above. If you could bring them
to the temple, I'd be very grateful along with them too! I know the
power of the temple and the ordinances done there and now we are allowed
to go to the temple once a year! :) I'm so excited to go to another
session! When I leave Chascomús, I'm going to go as soon as possible.
Alright, this week was very difficult. The members
wasted a lot of our time and tended to use us as babysitters and
personal chefs. I was kind of frustrated by that, but I got over it. My
companion blamed me for not having had more success this week. He called
me arrogant, proud, and impatient. I guess I still have some more
changing to do. I stayed up to about one a clock last night writing him a
letter of gratitude and of why he's a great person and missionary. I
went through three, front and back sheets of paper. He hasn't said
anything to me yet. I have learned a lot of humility and patience in
this time of my life and I think the Lord needs me to work on it just a
little bit more! So be it.
I had the opportunity to work with Elder Brown this
week in an exchange. I had to do another baptism interview for them.
This time the brother of their last baptisms wanted to join the family.
Great! So during that time I was able to rethink about the old times
with him in the MTC and how we had so much fun with our district. I miss
the MTC. I would love to go back for a few more weeks now. It was
absolutely a blast now that I look back on it! I remember how badly I
wanted to leave there, though. I felt like I was in a prison, but a happy
prison. I hope all missionaries can learn to love the MTC while there
because it really is a once in a life time experience. It's probably one
of the most sacred places on earth especially since it is protected by
the Lord's angels.
This week has had a theme of the language. My
companion has never felt so confident before with the language and he is
starting to join in on lessons more and trying to learn new ways to say
things. It's a great moment in the mission when that happens. It's a
gateway that allows you to start organizing a plan to improve the
language. Luckily that happened very quickly in my mission. I was
reminded several times this week of my great accent. Several people
didn't believe that I wasn't from Argentina. I love that compliment but
it makes whatever missionary next to me feel bad because they don't get
that comment. I never know how to respond except by saying thank you.
So with the work in Chascomús we were able to have a
tender mercy of the Lord this past week. So when we were on our way to
stake conference in a bus, Elder Haynie had been talking to the bus
driver's daughter and all the other kids in the bus and it he said he
didn't have the guts to ask the bus driver to listen to us. Anyway, as
we were looking for an old investigator the other day, we clapped a
house and asked if Adrian was there. They said that he had moved away a
few years ago. But then I recognized the man as the bus driver from
Sunday! We were allowed in and we shared a message about the Plan of
Salvation with them and it was really great!. We were able to have a
second chance with the impression that my companion had received on the
bus. It was great! We had a great time with them! We have another
meeting set up with them when President Stapley is in Chascomús. He's
coming this next Wednesday and we're hoping to have a lot of success
with him!
On Sunday we had a few new people show up at church.
One being Rosa Cabrera! I've been working with her since my first week
in Chascomús. We're having president talk to her too about actually
getting her divorce done and getting married with the man she's been
living with and has had seven kids with! Then she can finally be
baptized! She's already way smart and knows a lot! She has been a
"partial member" for a few years now. We're praying for a miracle with
president's visit to help inspire her to get everything done to get
baptized. Another person that came to church was Pedro Andrade. I talked
about him a few weeks ago. He's a very smart, young member that just
doesn't want to marry his girlfriend. If he could do that, he would
totally be an amazing member! He still pays tithing and everything! He
is actually more actively involved in the area than the active members!
ha ha! The last of the new people was Hermana Adriana Guzman and her
daughter that she wants to get baptized. We're getting blessed a lot by
that. The hermana is a little strange and has had a sketchy past, but
I'm looking onto the future with hope based on what she has been doing
lately. As my best friend RJ wrote to me today, "The past is history,
and the future is a mystery, but today is a gift, and that's why it's
called the present." We'll do the best we can to help her stay active
and to baptize her daughter.
So the reason I wrote so late this week is because I
am in Dolores again to spend the day with the sister missionaries here.
They haven't been having too much success here and I am hoping to help
them out a bit with the members here. They're great girls! I don't
understand why they haven't received as much help from their branch like
the elders do. Anyway, it's also one of their birthdays and we had a
little party earlier because it's P-Day. It was pretty fun! Anyway, I'm
out of things to say.
Thank you for all that you do for me! I know I have
been such a pain in the neck at times. I am trying my best to give my
heart to the Lord and let Him mold me into the man He wants me to be.
I've been studying a lot from the talk entitled "Beware of Pride" by
Ezra Taft Benson. He spoke of many things that I need to fix in order to
become more like my Savior. I have been extremely blessed by my
Heavenly Father and have received blessings I don't deserve. I will
dedicate my last ten months of my mission even more so to Him! This
really is a great cause as Joseph Smith stated. I love it and can't
believe that I only have ten more months left! I can count that on two
hands now! I don't want it to end ever. I love being out here. I love
the people. I love the missionary lifestyle. I love the Lord and I love
my Savior. Charity truly is the most cherished gift our Father has to
give. Let's try to be worthy of such a gift. I love each of you,
especially my family. I've never been so far away from my family in my
life, but never have I felt so close to them. I am grateful that my
parents have raised me up within the gospel and that that knowledge was
able to change my life when I was at the lowest point of my life. There
is no greater work than that of our Father. Elder Holland said the hour
is getting late and we better prepare and fight for our salvation. I
know whom I've chosen and I'll serve Him till the end.
Love,
Elder Cowan
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