The wheel in the sky keeps on turning.

I can't believe how fast the time is going. I was just writing you people just yesterday I swear but it's already been a week. This week we had multi-zone conferences. I burned over a hundred dvds for all the missionaries. This week we found this family that has a bunch of people in it. There is the dad and mom and their four daughters and one son and then all the daughters have like three kids. The parents have problems with alcohol and we are going to try to work through that. I really hope that they accept our message. When we visited them they seemed really positive and they seem like they want to change and they said they want to change. It's really sad because I've been told that they are just always drunk but when we have visited them they haven't been. I'll tell you a story about a drunk guy next week. 

I would encourage all of you to check out, on lds.org, the Hastening the Work of Salvation page. It's really good and can help you know how to be member missionaries. 

I also would encourage you all to check out Elder Holland's talk from this last conference. If you ever feel down, depressed, or discouraged just use his council. 

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/like-a-broken-vessel?lang=eng

Anyways have a good week folks.

-Elder Rowberry

You're as cold as Ice

One of the nice things about my new area is that I live in a house that has almost lukewarm water. It's not like the water in my other house that I'm pretty sure they pump straight from Antarctica. Another nice thing is that all the roads are flat unlike the steep, often made of dirt, streets of previous area. There are still dirt roads. In fact where we do most of our proselyting there are only dirt roads. As far as creature comforts go, I'm in a much more comfortable place. I'm still learning a lot about my new job. I have to take care of all the reported numbers for the whole mission. I also have to make sure all the baptismal records are sent to Salt Lake. I was also told that I need to head up retention efforts in the mission as well. I'm excited to learn more and more and be able to help out the mission. 

How about that conference? It's amazing how much faster general conference goes by when you're in the mission paying extreme attention to the speakers. This was a great conference. There were three main topics that I picked out of it.

1. Missionary work is as much for members as it is for Missionaries and everyone needs to get involved in it. 

2. Perilous times are coming.

3. We must always look forward with faith and hope because the Lord Jesus Christ is with us and if we are prepared we shall not fear. 

I was reading the scriptures the other day in Alma 5. I found a little something, almost an evaluation, that I would like to share. 

14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?

 15 Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?

 16 I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me yea blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?

 17 Or do ye imagine to yourselves that ye can lie unto the Lord in that day, and say—Lord, our works have been righteous works upon the face of the earth—and that he will save you?

 18 Or otherwise, can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all your guilt, yea, a perfect remembrance of all your wickedness, yea, a remembrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God?

 19 I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?

There is more in the chapter and I would encourage all of you to read it, evaluate yourself, and then make appropriate changes in your life accordingly. 

I love hearing from all of you and if you have any questions you would like answered, please send me an email. Have a great week.

-Elder Rowberry

Pictures

Pictures

Pictures

The Family Campos, or half of them, and I in front of their house. This is the family that I said is the Nicol family of the Texical branch and really all of Nahuizalco. There are so many baptisms because of them. They havent even been in the church for a year. The guy I have my arm around is Julio. He is going to Ecuador in January and his sister is going to Columbia. This family is awesome I love them and I am going to miss them.

Pictures

The one on the top is of my very first person that I have ever physically baptized. His name is Oscar Sanchez. He was the one who got married.

Please make sure some of these get on the blog please. 

Take me down to the Paradise City

This week was changes week.  That is when people get transfered and everything. I got transfered to the Zone Paraíso. (That is why my P-day is now on friday). Paraíso is Paradise in Spanish. This change meeting was huge for me. First of all its kind of rare to get changed out of your area after only having one change in the mission. I was wondering where I was going to go and who I was going to be with. When we got to the mission office my Zone Leaders kind of dropping me hints about where I was going because they people had told them. They were really excited. I was getting more and more nervous. When it came around to when the changes started to be announced and the Paraíso Zone was up Elder Anderson and Elder Peru (my Zone leaders) grabbed me and asked if I was ready. I was not ready for what I heard. My name picture came up on the projector for the Paraíso 2 area. My comps were Elder Lopez and Elder Oveson. President Cordón told us to come up to the front. I couldn't believe it. I knew that Elders Lopez and Oveson were Secretaries in the office. When I got up there President basically said, "Everybody here is the new Secretario de Registros (Records Secretary)". Whoa. He then told us that Elder Oveson is going to train me for two weeks then go to another area. So in a matter of a couple seconds I went from having basically no responsiblities to having a ton. I have to keep track of all the numbers of everybody in the whole mission. It's so much resonsibility. I am kind of nervous but also really excited. I am going to learn so much. Also being a secretary definitley has perks. We have a house that is way nicer than the other one, we have cell phones, and we access to basically whatever we need. It's a ton of work though. You get half the time to proselyte as a normal missionary and are still expected to perform above average. I'm pumped for the challenge. Also my comps are awesome, all the people in the office are hard workers and they know a ton.I'll tell you more as I learn more. 

Scripture of the Week: D&C 1:38

  38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my^aword shall not pass away, but shall all be ^bfulfilled, whether by mine own ^cvoice or by the ^dvoice of my ^eservants, it is the ^fsame. 

Everyone watch conference. And when you watch it make sure you have questions that you want answered. You will find the answers to them in the conference. I promise. 

Anyways have a good week friends and family. I love you all.

-Elder Rowberry