February 1, 2016

It has been a slower week. We sadly had some people drop us. That's the hardest for me, when people don't want to change, no matter how happy you know this Gospel will make them! Let's just say we will be hitting the pavement this week and looking for more people whom God has prepared. But with faith anything is possible, no matter how difficult things are in the moment! All week, we had been praying that we would find people to teach. Nothing until Sunday night, right as we were heading into our apartments.We were waiting for the elevator, but it wasn't coming. Haha we had waited for a good few mins and the elevator still wasn't coming. Good thing it wasn't working because a man and his niece walked into the room. We talked to them, taught them, and then set up an appointment for later!! If the elevator had worked then we never would have found these people. When they left, the elevator opened! What a miracle! God answers prayers!

When life gets low, remember God loves you! 

I love the analogy of the man who asks his master what he can do to serve him. His master says to push that rock up the hill. So the man does, he pushes and pushes and pushes, but everytime he finally gets it close to the top, it falls back down. This keeps happening. and the man discovers he can never push the rock to the top. Finally, downtrodden, he comes to his master and says : master why has thou asked me to push this rock to the top of the hill if thou knows itll just fall back down and never reach the top? What's the point? The master responds: I never told you to get the rock to the top, i just said to push it up the hill. What have you gained? You are stronger now, because you have pushed it day after day and you are more than you were before you started. If we are doing what is asked of us by the Lord, we are going to be stronger and we are going to be able to help others be stronger.

I love you all! 

 

Sister Sharie Rowley

January 25, 2016

P____ and P______ are the best!  P____ is just a chill kind of person who shrugs his shoulders. P____ is motivated but has some set backs. They were so exited to come to church again this week! Every time P____ would pray, he would say how grateful he was that they could go back to church and meet some more nice people. Haha so cute. When we arrived at their house Sunday morning, there was nothing stopping P____ from going to church. Phil wanted to go. But he has bad, bad anxiety. It was getting to him. When their ride arrived P_____ said he couldn't go. He was having a panic attack. He was wheezing and coughing. We told him we were his little sisters and that we were there for him but most importantly God was there for him. His hands were shaking almost the entire meeting, but he was happy to be at church. The spirit can cure anything. We have seen God give P______ so much strength through all his trials. With quiting alcohol, with withdraws, with smoking, with him being hard on himself, with him trying to find a house and a job, with his anxiety. We taught him how to pray and whenever he is going through hard times he depends on prayer for strength. And that is what God gives him! 

M______ came to church with one of the members. She is the sweetest! She says that church is that renewing power each week and she loves the spirit she feels. We are teaching her now! She is so prepared to hear the word!  

In the Spanish Ward we have A______ who is 14. I don't know anyone with more strength than her! She has cancer and because she has been going through chemo therapy she has lost weight, weight that she didn't have to loose in the first place. She came to church yesterday, learning onto her dad for strength. She has a feeding tube in her nose. When she walks on her own she wobbles because she doesn't have strength. It was so hard to see her like that. She isn't at church every week, but she always comes if she can. Her poor parents are doing so well for how hard this must be. If she can come to church, anyone can come to church. If you ever feel like not going to church, think of A______. And don't let the little things get in the way of having the opportunity to take the sacrament, feel the spirit, and learn more of Christ. Let's just say, I will never complain about church again. But good news is, A______ is almost cancer free!! They killed the cancer inside of her but she has to finish her chemo therapy in order prevent the cancer from coming back.

We have been meeting with this family who is so willing to open their house to us! They are a little hesitant about coming to church. They have met with six other sets of missionaries before (but never sister missionaries; they like us best;) but they have never come to church. A_____ has the most beautiful voice I have ever heard and she is only 14. She sounds like Adele. Haha, somehow me and my companions got roped into singing for sacrament meeting even though we don't sing well... but they still want us to sing, haha. But luckily Amy sings!! We asked her to sing with us and she said yes! The father said this would be the first time they would come to church so they could record Amy singing!! We love Amy! She wants to get involved in the youth activities. She is coming to play soccer and volleyball with the YW and Spanish branch this Thursday! 

I am so lucky to have my companions! They are on fire!! So motivated and loving! This week and every week I am learning more and more.  It's all about the people. When you forget yourself and get to work, you are letting the spirit show you the needs of each individual. It has been the coolest experience having the spirit so prevalent everyday. And having that help. The spirit is the teacher, we as missionaries are just the tools. Love you all!! Adios!

 

Hermana Sharie Rowley

Yes I am eating healthy, Mom:)

January 18, 2016

I am running out of email time... so it will be short today. 

We ran into a family who is stoked to learn more, A___, M______, and N______. P_____ wants to change his life to make God proud. He had a blessing which gave him so much strength! He said it felt like a burden being lifted off his shoulders! The Spanish Branch just needs 35 people more to make it into a ward! We taught P_____ who is now reading the Book of Mormon! L_____ and his mom had a spiritual experience when we brought two members over. One of the members shared a beautiful experience of his conversion and decision to go on a mission. Church was amazing because we went in with tons of questions which all got answered. Spiritual experiences all over the place! What a blessing to be on a mission! To see people in God's eyes! I love how God gives us the ability to find out for ourselves if this church is true. He wants you to reach out and strengthen that relationship with him. When we pray with all our heart, we can feel God's love more immensely in our life. I love you all!

Hermana Sharie Rowley

January 18, 2016

Mom I love you!! Thank you for your prayers, they mean a lot. I have been praying my heart out for them too!! P____ is in a state right now where he has seen what a new life can do for him but he isn't sure if he is ready. But he wants it. But of course he is ready!! If he waits then he'll never be ready!! But we aren't too worried about him not taking this opportunity. It's just scary having to give up your old life for a new life. It's a huge step. But we have all the resources he needs, he just needs to accept them. But he is progressing! And he is going to make it over this road bump in life!   We have so many different people with so many different needs. It's amazing how God gives us insight to how to help them!! I wish I had more time to tell you about all the people we are working with. They all have different stories and backgrounds. But each person is amazing!! 

Sister Rowley

January 11, 2016

What a week. I can't believe it has already been a transfer! I am happy to say that me and my companions are staying in London! We get to serve together for at least one more transfer! I was not ready to leave the people here. We have been putting our whole heart, soul, and selves into these people, and are seeing their progression! I love them! 

We met M_____ who is a mother of five kids. She knows all about our church due to many missionaries coming over and teaching. Also due to her husband being a Mormon for a time. She loves the missionaries! And we love her! 

We were going to teach L________ the first night I came into London, but the appointment fell through. We went contacting, and that is how we met one of our investigators, P_____! But then L____ called this week out of nowhere and said he wanted to serve a mission!! He has committed some sins in the past and wants to completely change his life around. The Lord works miracles!

P______ is one of a kind! He always says to keep smiling! No matter what you loose or what is taken away from you, you always have your smile. He has gone through a lot. Lost his business, house, wife, cars, motorcycle, has anxiety and depended on alcohol to hide all his problems for a time. He told us that before we met him that he would pray to God to take his life away. He would look for ways to take his life. But then he met us. He said we were sent to him just at the right time. Now he prays to God and thanks him for saving his life!!! He calls us his three little sisters, haha. What a blessing that God sent us at that time to P_____. God is aware of all of us! P_____ has quit drinking almost cold turkey. He is having some withdrawals and it's hard for him to see the reward sometimes. He still has some family problems. His issues have not disappeared but we see such a transformation in him from the first time that we met him!  He seems more capable, happier, and the light of Christ is coming into his eyes. His burdens will become lighter and he will see the huge reward of his efforts as he keeps pressing forward! We love coming and sharing the gospel with him because he has such a desire to change his life. 

We had zone conference and went to the temple this week! I love the temple! Then we awaited our fate Sunday night. If we received a call then that meant we would pack up our bags and get transferred somewhere in Ontario, wherever the Lord needed us. Haha, it was so stressful! Whenever the phone went off our hearts would pound out of our chest. But we didn't get a call!! I am so happy that we are staying as companions here in London! 

I love you all! 

Hermana Sharie Rowley

January 4, 2016

This week has been one of my favorites. We have seen so many people progress! 

As a district (a group of us missionaries in the area) we went to Mucho Burrito after our meeting. Me and my companions met a Spanish family who had seen missionaries in El Salvador and were willing to meet with us! Then we had a conversation with the people behind us. I love how the mission requires you to be outgoing because we get to meet SO many people! And everyone is unique! The people behind us were super friendly. They told us we were some of the happiest people they have ever met.

P_________ is P________'s brother who got in an accident. We stopped by the hospital and sang to him on Christmas Eve. We have been teaching P______ along with P______ever since. Ever since P_______'s older brother has joined us in the lessons, P_______has been progressing immensely. Its so funny because he wants to be better than his brother when it comes to things we commit them to do! They are the best! They came to church on Sunday for the first time!! It was a huge step because P______ has an anxiety problem and P______ is still recovering from surgery. But they went to the first hour and enjoyed it!! 

M______ and E________! What a fun couple! They are in their 70's but they look like they are in their 50's! This couple is from Portugal. They are quite funny because they both have different perspectives. M_____ is the kindness! She told us the moment she invited us in her home she new this was true because of the sweet spirit we bring! What a miracle!! E_______ is so giving. But he has a hard time forgiving people. Because of this he wakes up unhappy and goes to bed unhappy. He feels like it's impossible for him to change because of the things people have done to him.  I can't wait to see the change as we continue to meet with them!

This Sunday we had a fun experience of locking our keys in the car.  After our six hours of church we managed somehow to lock our keys in the car as we were trying to scrape the mound of snow off. It was really funny. Luckily one of the members had CAA who came within 15 mins and unlocked the doors for us. 

This week I had a cool experience. I have so many weaknesses. But I know that God gives me weaknesses so that I can overcome them and become stronger, so that I can turn to Him and become more aware of His tender mercy and love. In reality my weaknesses are blessings. On a mission you need confidence everyday. I realize now that confidence is faith. Faith in God that He will strengthen you. Faith that you can do anything with Him. This week I prayed to God every time I felt incapable. I would say, "Lord I put all my weaknesses in your hands. I know I can't do it without you. Give me strength and courage." And it worked. I felt at peace, I felt confident, like I could do anything. The Lord is my strength; I will always lean on Him. 

We had so many of our investigators come to church!! I love working with these people! I can't even imagine not having gone on a mission and not having meet these people! I know I was called here in Canada for a reason! What a blessing to be here! I feel like I have already changed so much. God has been molding me to be His tool of bringing others to Him. Hope this new year brings you all happiness! I love you all!! 

 

Hermana Sharie Rowley

December 29, 2015

Missions are hard. I have never done anything harder in my life. Haha, and it's only been two months.... But it is SO worth it! There are days you are not making any difference. You want to help but it feels that no matter how hard you"re trying nothing is coming out of it. It is exhausting and heart breaking. But then you have a day when you see someone is reading the Book of Mormon, you find someone to teach, you see the doctrine bless a family, then your whole mission is worth it! You forget all the rejections and you see why something so difficult is so worth it! Nothing gives you more joy than bringing someone closer to Christ! Those moments of light make all the difference! 

One of our investigators kept canceling on us. We were discouraged because we weren't teaching him so no progress was being made. But out of the blue this week he texted us and told us he was free to meet up! We were so excited. We were inspired to invite Brother _______ to come teaching with us. What a blessing Brother ________ was. We hardly had to teach haha. He shared personal experiences that related so well to this man. This investigator has a drinking problem. It is so sever if he stops he could hurt himself. So he went into the doctors to take care of the problem, and this was all before we had even taught him the Word of Wisdom!! But Brother ______ described his conversion in the church and the difficulty of changing his life around, but the blessing of being part of this church. He too had had a drinking problem, and he shared his love for this investigator and encouraged him. They became tight friends. After the lesson this investigator expressed his appreciation for Brother ________ and said it made all the difference. We were so happy. We have been continuing to teach this man and are now teaching his brother too!! I love how happy this gospel is! 

Christmas was absolutely amazing! Christmas Eve we were invited to a Columbia Christmas celebration! It was so much fun! They made us tamales which were so good! They welcomed us into their family and into their home. So did so many families on Christmas day! We spent the entire day with Spanish families. We had a Guatemala breakfast with the _______ who are some of the most fun people I have ever met. Then we had a Mexico lunch with the ______ and skyped our families! I love my family! It was so good to see them! I got to see my sister who is serving a mission in Baltimore Maryland! We both skyped home at the same time and got to talk to each other. What a blessing! We then had a dinner with a Columbia family who fed us a traditional turkey dinner. What a blessing to know such amazing people. I couldn't imagine not having gone on a mission and never having had the opportunity to meet these people. 

We got a pleasant Christmas surprise when our sink pipe started leaking and flooded our bedroom and closet floor. Haha, we had a fun time getting the problem fixed. We'll see how they decide to fix the floors. But for the time being we have the lovely smell of wet carpet and enjoy sleeping in the living room. It's an adventure. But we talked to one of the people who came to fix the pipes and he speaks Spanish! He is from Columbia. We invited him to watch the Christmas video, "A Savior is Born," but he said he already watched it! He just found it when he was looking for a good video for his family. How cool! 

Bethany Is a sweat heart! She was a referral from one of the members. We knocked on her door and she let us in and was willing to learn more and more! She recently lost her husband and has two children who have a learning disability. She has been through a lot. We met her last week and challenged her to read the Book of Mormon every day.... and she has been!! Within a week she has read 17 chapters in 1st Nephi! This never happens; we were so happy! On Sunday we called her to see how she was doing. She said that she believes the purpose on this life is to become like God! We were so excited because that is what we believe! We taught her and she is progressing so well! She accepted to be baptized! I am so happy for her! 

We made homemade tortillas and dinner for a family in the branch! Then we delivered the meal and went contacting. By this time the snow had come down hard! It was frio!!  We met this Portugal family who wanted to learn more! They are super sweet and welcomed us in. And we are coming back the next week!! 

I have the best companions! We are hoping we stay together for this next transfer!! We are pushing each other to be better. Hermana ______ is so loving! She is all about dedicating her time to the Lord! She is inspiring because of her leadership and her determination. Hermana _____ is so fun!! When she puts her mind to something, she does it, and motivates all those around her. I love them!

What a week! so much more has happened but so little time to write! It's amazing how much the Lord will bless us when we center our life around Him. No matter how hard it can get, with faith we can only become better because of it! What a blessing it is to devote this time to Christ! I love you all! Enjoy your holidays!

Sister Sharie Rowley

Sharie with the Mission President and his Wife

What a week. We had some really slow days and some really good days. 

December 21, 2016

It was Hermana _______'s  birthday this week so we decorated the house and took her out to a Greek restaurant in the area. It was so fun! I am so lucky to have my companions! 

We contacted one of our referrals and met this amazing family who just lost their father/husband. The two daughters have a hard time learning because of their disabilities yet these two girls are two of the most compassionate people I know! I can't believe how strong this family is! And they were so willing to listen! I can't wait to see how much happiness the gospel will bring in their lives as we continue to meet with them!! I love this family! 

We had so many member lessons this week!! Again and again I see how blessed the members are in a mission! It was so fun to go in and talk with them about the Savior. The spirit was so strong in each members home! We encouraged their help in missionary work. Slowly by slowly we are showing members the big impact they have on bringing others to Christ. 

Exchanges are when you switch companions for a day and go to a different area. I went to Bramfort! I learned so much! We taught this women who had quite cocaine, drinking, and almost completely stopped smoking ever since she started meeting with the missionaries--All because Christ was in her life now. All because she felt his eternal love and His saving grace. This lady is beautiful! In my area one of our new investigators, Phil, is currently smoking and drinking. I kept thinking of him as we were teaching. I kept thinking how anything is possible through Christ. All Phil needs is to put his trust and dedication toward Him. I also learned how efficient a day can be. We did back to back lessons and service. We were on the phone the entire time in the car, calling people, making sure the next couple days were planned. I am definitely going to apply this in my area! I loved the people I taught in this area. 

This week was a little slow in terms of progression. We became a little discouraged because of our high hopes. We felt like we weren't making a difference. Almost none of our investigators were keeping commitments or weren't available for us to teach them. But we are trying are best, and if we continue to do that, we will bless peoples lives. 

I love this time of year! It is all about Christ. I have been thinking a lot on how grateful I am that we have a Savior who is our perfect example, that He suffered all, that He felt every pain so He could succor His people so we could be resurrected and live with God and our families again. I am so grateful! He is my Savior! "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isaiah and 2 Nephi 19:6). He loves you so much! He has given us so much!  What can we give Christ for Christmas? 

Merry Christmas! I love you all!

 

Hermana Sharie Rowley

December 14, 2015

This week was an interesting one. We contacted one of our referrals who happened to be a pastor. We were excited to talk to him until we listened to him for a good 15 mins, bashing and telling us what we do and don't believe, only wanting to fight about religion. All we could do was testify, invite, and leave. There is no way we were going to fight back. We ended on a cordial note and thanked him for his time, then left. Lets' just say we had to hold tight to our testimonies. He told us we can hand out our books, and testify that we know Christ but at the last day He'll say He never knew us. It was harsh and we all took a beating, but we know He knows us. We feel Him everyday as we testify, so it will be a sad day when the pastor comes to the judgment seat and finds out that Christ would have him be more loving. I love hearing other people's beliefs, but when they put you down and try to tell you what you believe and that you don't know Christ, that is what I can't stand. It took a lot to stay friendly and calm. It was interesting because the moment we stopped testifying and the moment he started talking, that was the moment the spirit left the room. I know what I am doing is right and this is because the spirit has testified it to me as I pray. I am so happy that I have this gospel and that I have a relationship with Christ, my Savior!

We had a really awesome member lesson with one of our investigators! Members make the BIGGEST difference in missionary work! We talked about the Book of Mormon, praying, and receiving revelation for trials in life. The testimony the member shared was beautiful. It made the lesson and was just what our investigator needed! And the funny thing is the member wasn't sure her testimony was going to be good enough. This investigator has been through a lot, yet never fails to look at life in a positive light. I learn so much from these people. Having this member to relate to and talk to meant a lot to our investigator. 

I love our Spanish Branch so much!! The culture of the Spanish people is so loving. One of the families invited us to their family Christmas dinner on Sunday. There were three big families there.  It was so fun because it was like being among family again. We got to share a message, feel the spirit, and have tons of fun. Haha, the funny thing is, almost the whole Spanish branch is related. It's like a big family gets together every Sunday. 

Our Sundays are SO busy! We attend the English ward for three hours, then almost right after is the Spanish branch for three hours! (yes, church for 6 hrs) Then we have meetings and appointments after. But it's so fun getting to meet so many people. 

I can't explain how much I love these people. It has been such a great experience serving the Lord. I know that we have a Savior and that He loves us. I know He atoned for you and me and that He lives. I know that when we remember Him every day, He will bless us . Being on a mission has given me so much insight on who I want to be and how I want raise my family. It's a beautiful thing to be able to give even a little and have it change your life because of how much God gives back. I am so happy to have the knowledge of Christ. I am so grateful for scriptures and the pure love of Christ. This is why I am on a mission, to help others, even if it's just one person, feel God's love! 

I love you all! Think of Christ always but especially this Christmas season! Talk to you all next week :) 

"A Savior Is Born"-- have you guys seen that video yet? It's a two minute Christmas video where little children testify of Christ. It's on the Mormon channel. It's beautiful; every one should check it out!

--

Hermana Sharie Rowley

December 7, 2015

What a week! There have been so many miracles! I love it here in Canada, I love Spanish, and I love the people!

After arriving at the airport in Canada we met our mission president and his wife. They are the best! They are the cutest and super loving. Right after leaving the airport, missionaries took us straight to the streets to go contacting!!! Haha, on the first day in Canada!  I always expected people to ignore us, slam doors, or want nothing to do with us. But I was surprised at how many people listen. Canada is so diverse! While contacting on that first day, we met this woman from China who was going to school in ______. We asked who Christ was to her. She said she didn't know. She was super open and wanted to learn more! We got her contact info and set up an appointment (which sadly we had to pass her on to the other missionaries). We talked to many other people on the streets and even knocked on a door. It was cool hearing people's beliefs and being able to share ours with them. I had always heard that God prepares His people, but I got to experience that first hand!! It was amazing to see that what we are doing as missionaries is finding those people who are prepared to hear His message.

The next day we got our trainer and companionship! I'm in a trio again! Hermana ______ is from Arizona. She is our trainer. And Hermana ______ is my companion again!! It is so fun being with these Hermanas!

On our second day in Canada, first day in our area, we went right to work. We were supposed to have a lesson with one of our investigators named ______, but it fell through. So we decided to go contacting instead. We walked up and started talking to this man across the street. We asked him about Christ and how he would feel if he could be with his family forever. He opened up to us and told us his whole life story. He had been through the highest highs and was now in the lowest lows. He was rich, married, had a golf course in his back yard. But then he lost everything: his wife, money, and his house.  Although he was still in a hard time he told us, no matter what you loose, never loose your heart and never loose your smile! I believe His trials prepared him to hear the Gospel. It humbled him and will help him change his life for the better! We told him of how happy the Gospel would make him. Then I asked him if he wanted to be baptized. AND HE SAID YES!! We had a follow up lesson with him and taught him about the Plan of Salvation. He said he wanted to change his life around. We set up a baptismal date with him! I am so exited to see how much he will progress in his life and how much of a difference this Gospel and Christ will make in his life! 

This week we have met so many people!! Miracle after miracle after miracle has been happening. We had this lesson with a less active and part member family. The mother had been baptized but was no longer going to church. We came in and showed her family the LDS Christmas video "A Savior is Born." Then we talked about Christ. She was really closed off, and not very willing to work with us. The next couple of days we prayed for her and studied what to teach. We felt that we needed to ask her questions, and be a little bold. We went in and asked questions and just kind of reminded her of how this Gospel has helped her and why she wanted to be in this church. The questions helped a ton. It was more of a conversation and she was able to direct the lesson to where it needed to go because we were aware of her needs. She said before when she read the Book of Mormon, it gave her peace. She said when she read it, she didn't feel lonely even when she was alone. I was so happy. This is because when we read the scriptures, it brings us closer to Christ. He is always there for us. The spirit was so strong in the lesson. It was such a perfect lesson. Everything she said was a perfect reminder of who Christ and Heavenly Father meant to her. She was a completely different person from the first time we met her! It was amazing! We invited her to come to church, read her scriptures and pray everyday. And she said yes. That was a big step for her! There is no way she would have said yes if it wasn't for the spirit. At the end of the lesson, we asked each member of the family if they would say the closing prayer, but nobody would. We asked the mom again, told her how to do it, and then all three of us didn't wait for her answer but folded our arms and bowed our heads (haha, we didn't plan this). It was the right kind of push that she needed. Her prayer was beautiful! She prayed that their hearts would be open to God one more time, that they would find a ride to church, and that she would have energy to read the Book of Mormon every day. 

There are so many people, and so little time when it comes to misisonary work.  I have never cared about people as much as I do with these people. We have found one of the hardest things is that people have agency, haha. It's hard when you know something will bless them and give them exactly what they need. It will give them salvation and the ability to live with their families with God forever. But they just don't go to church or do what we ask them to. But it is a working process. It's hard to see that the blessings don't come until after you exercise faith. And that is what we try to teach everyday. 

My area is in _________. We serve in the English second ward, and the Spanish branch. I love these people. The Spanish ward is so loving!! I can't believe how sweet the Spanish people are! And the English ward is amazing! I am so blessed. And we don't ever have to worry about not having enough food, because they feed us so often!! 

There is SO much more to tell, but no time to explain it all!! I love you all but more importantly Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love you!! Pray and read your scriptures; you will be blessed with guidance, and feel God's love every time you read! Yo quiero mucho! 

Sister Sharie Rowley

The three of us are so cute! The picture with the Elders is our district leader and his mission companion. They are twins:) lol I love them and will miss them a ton!

Sharie and her companion with the Elders at the MTC

MTC Christmas lights!

SNOW!

Me and Hermana _______





Me and Hermana ________

November 27, 2015

This last week has been the hardest yet. Satan is working hard.  Motivation has been difficult. I keep worrying that I won't be good enough. But I have seen God lifting me up. I have felt His love all the time for me, and most importantly, for His children. I had a blessing this week for health because I was feeling sick. Not only was it a blessing of health but a blessing of love becuase of the words that God wanted me to hear. He told me he was proud of my choice to serve and that He loved me and His chidren I was going to serve in Canada. This has been one of the biggest reasons I chose to serve a mission. Because of how happy this gospel is and how much love God has for everyone. I want to share God's love. I want to have the love of Christ always. He is so loving He gives us guidance in our life. As I read my patriarchal blessing, I understood it so much more. I want to learn how the spirit works because I want to be able to inspire every person I come in contact with. And this is possible if I learn the gifts of the spirit. I have seen the spirit be more influential than ever as I serve. It is the only reason missionary work is possible. I can't believe how much the patriarchal blessing has helped me, and how applicable it is to the mission. It is amazing how God gives you talents, and expects you to utilize them. I met an elder who is deaf, Elder Ross, this week. He is so cool! I was able to get to know him and become friends because I know some ASL. Don't ever give up the oportunity to utilize your gifts and talents! You'll never know the opputunities you might miss if you don't just act. We watched a talk from Elder Bednar (one of the talks he gave a couple of years ago at the MTC) and he expressed the importance of acting. So many people ask if it's them or the spirit. His answer was, it doesn't matter. If you be your best always, and act, then you will be surprised at how much the spirit influences your everyday actions. 

Another inspirational thought from an inspirational person: our choir director at the MTC. He is the funniest and most spiritual guy. He is the reason I do choir. I get so much insight from him. Anyway he told us a story of a time he was asked to give a talk to some juvenile kids who needed help. When he heard the first lady speak, before his talk, he was surprised at the disrespect the kids showed her. He said they were just mouthing cus words at her. So he gets up there and decides to talk about something completley different. He spoke about how when Jesus was walking on the water and Peter wanted to try also. Peter's faith was strong, at first. But then he forgot what he was doing. and he started to sink. As he was falling under water he cried for Jesus. Peter's hand was reached out. He was in despair. These kids had never heard this story before. One of the kids said, "Amen." And then all the kids were saying, "Amen, hallalua." They felt like Peter. The choir director finished the story of how Jesus reached down to help and rescue Peter. (That was not nearly as good as the choir director told it, sorry). But it shows that Jesus can rescue all. 

This Wednesday we had infield orientation!! I am so exited to get into the field! Then on Thursday we had Thanksgiving. It was proabably my favorite day in my entire MTC time. We heard Elder Dallin H. Oaks speak to us. It was amazing. Then we did a huge service project ( check the church humnanitarian news, you'll probably see pics of us). Afterwards we had a Thanksgiving lunch which was delicious and reminded me of home. At the end of the day we all sang outside and hung out by the Christmas lights. It was beautiful! We also watched "Seventeen Miracles." I was touched by the miracle that occured with our ancestors, the Rowleys. If that miracle had not happened, we probably all wouldn't be here today. 

How was your Thanksgiving? I miss you guys!! I keep thinking of you all! Mucho hugs and kisses!!! How is Black Friday going? Haha, I don't miss that day! Anyways, I can't believe I am leaving on Monday!!! I am so excited!!

Sister Sharie Rowley

November 27, 2015

Here is the rough review of last week since I was unable to give much detail......

I have learned so much from being here at the MTC. I feel as though Christ is the potter, and as I center everything on Him, He is shaping me to be able to serve the people in Canada. I am learning so much Spanish and I LOVE teaching about this gospel. It will be our last time teaching our invetigator, Rosi, today. I'm so sad because I have grown such a love for her. God let me see her in His eyes by the spirit. Its crazy how vital the spirit is in everything. I have learned that the spirit will help you know the concerns of others because God knows everything. You may only know a glimps of someone's needs, but God knows the heart. The spirit is the key. It helps you and your investigator feel God's love.  I understand that my purpose is to bring others to Christ by the spirit. I also learned that my purpose is to help others have that change of heart, to help their faith increase, and to help them work towards baptism; but most importantly to help them understand the importance of enduring to the end. Along with the importance of investigators are members. I never realized the role and importance of members before. From teaching them, I learned that everyone has needs and that questions are so vital to inviting the spirit and reminding them of their feelings towards the Savior. I think of it as something that can be changed in their daily lives to come closer to the Savior. My testimony grows everyday. There are struggles. but I have never felt happier in my life. My goals are to speak more Spanish throughout the day and to say, like the Savior, if you know me, you know God. I am a representative of Christ, and I love what I do! I feel so blessed that God trusts me enough to give me this opportunity. I love my Savior and will keep striving to do better. I have so many weaknesses but I only hope they can become strong through Him.

Sister Sharie Rowley

November 18, 2015

I have so much to say and only 20 mins to tell you everything. I am so pumped for the field! I feel God has been molding me this whole time and I feel much more prepared than I expected! But it will be eye opening and my Spanish will need mucho trabajo paro it will be amazing! Aww I love you mom! Thank you so much for your support! The experience with Rosi was all God! Haha! All I did was put my trust in God and He did the rest! Thanksgiving here is all out! Service all day, General Authority comes, it will be great! 

So much has happened this week I have no time to tell you everything so I will give you more details next week but there are some things I need to say! When I heard about the age change concerning gay or lesbian children (them needing to be 18 till they could be baptized), I was confused. I heard it from my friend back home who said social media exploded and so many people left the church. I was happy I wasn't there to witness the worldly explosion of confusion. I prayed to the Lord about this change. I know it was right because it was a decision from the prophet-which is from God. So I prayed that I would be able to accept and be at peace about it. I came to learn the purpose of the law is to help families who are in these situations: to prevent confusion for the kid(s) and to prevent family split ups. The Lord knows what He is doing.  I will trust the Lord and pray for guidance on how to approach this issue. It's crazy how the world is growing farther and farther away from God's standards. 

And the attack on France! There is so much confusion in the world today, just like there was in Book of Mormon days. It makes me want to be a better person and make a difference. This is one of the reasons I'm so happy to be on a mission. This gospel brings so much happiness. I'm happy I know my purpose! I pray for those people in France and for the people all around the world, wanting all to come unto Christ. 

I know God answers prayers. I know God speaks through His prophets! I know this is the true church. 

I love you mom and I'm sorry this email is so scattered! I had no time today. I love you mucho! 

Sister Sharie Rowley

Smiling beautiful pic

How we normally are: laughing and weird, lol

Last pics with Hermana's _____ y ______. They are now in Nicaragua, preaching the Gospel

November 11, 2015

 I have a challenge for you. Read "Our Search for Happiness." It is simple and inspiring.

So much has happened! We taught out investigator, Rosi, how to pray. It was powerful! We are teaching her that our Heavenly Father is a loving father. She grew up Catholic and always thought of God as strict rather than loving. We had her pray to feel God's love for her. It was beautiful! I have felt God's love for me asking the same question. But watching someone else feel God's love for the first time was life changing. I am so blessed to be a missionary! We challenged Rosi to read the intro to the Book of Mormon after giving her a lesson on the Restoration. The next lesson she had a whole bunch of questions! Keep in mind that this is entirely in Spanish. It was the hardest thing because not only were they more difficult Q's to answer in the first place, but we had to find out how to answer her in Spanish. I have never relied on the spirit as much as I did at that time. I had no idea what to say but prayed that I could know how to answer. The spirit brought scriptures and thoughts into me and my companion's minds. It was amazing. They were not scriptures or thoughts we had never known, but it was things we had studied previously. The Lord gets His work done. I always thought the gift of tongues was when in a specific moment of need you would just speak Spanish not knowing what you said. Although this may be true, more often this isn't the case. It's more often the spirit touching the heart of your investigator as you testify, no matter how broken your Spanish is. Or it's the ability to learn more than you could ever imagine possible within three weeks. Or it's the recollection of something you had read before hand. I love being a vessel for God's work! It is something else! 

Sister Sharie Rowley

November 4, 2015

Thank you for the package! Having a package felt like christmas. It made me so happy. :) It is so good hearing from you!! I have never been happier!! I love serving the Lord! I also love being a sister training leader. I had a chance to get to know each of the girls and I love them! I learned to never judge someone because you have no idea what they are going through!! So many amazing events have happened. Its such a blessing being a missionary. I feel the spirit so much. I learned that you have to make everything simple. Simple enough for a child to understand. I love you so much! Tell everyone I love them! I'm so blessed to have you guys for my family!

- Hermana Rowley

Room mates at the MTC

Me and my companions

All of us in front of the Provo Temple

This is my district, plus my companion, Hermana ____

All of the girls in our zone before half of them left for the field

Familia!

There is so much to say I can't type it all. I love being here! It has been hard but amazing at the same time. Can I just say that I love my Hermanas! I am so lucky! Hermana ______ and ______ are both from California. Hermana _____is super out going and determined. Hermana ______ is sweet and spiritual! We really do help each other grow. And they will work out with me! We run, do ab workouts, push ups, and squats each day. Everyday they load a whole lot of information on us, especially Spanish. Me and my Hermana have been teaching our investigator, Maria. I love teaching about this gospel!! The spirit was so strong the last time we taught her. We have taught her three times now (all in Spanish!). IT IS HARD! Half the time I don't think she even understands what we are saying. haha. But the gift of tongues is real! Even if she doesn't understand, the spirit confirms to her the truthfulness of what is being spoken. She told our teacher that sometimes she can't understand what we are saying but she can feel the love we have for her. We can already bear our testimony, say our purpose, pray, invite, speak many words, and conjugate some things. Just in seven days. But I still feel like I know nothing! There is so much to learn. In our discussions with our investigators we have a little red book that saves us. It has lesson and gospel words in Spanish that we refer to throughout the lesson. I love the moments I don't have to refer to the book at all. Like when I bear my testimony to her. The spirit is unbelievable. I feel so much love for Maria!

In the MTC they have videos from apostles who have spoken here before. We watched Bednard's talk, which was powerful! He put it in the most straight forward way possible that this is not our mission. This is the Lord's mission. He said to never let the natural man let you be selfish and want to reach in; but rather reach out, especially in difficult times. I have learned that during this mission I need to loose myself and completely stop thinking about myself, and think of others. 

I have the coolest district. My district is everyone in my beginning Spanish class. One of my Hermanas (I have two) is in the intermediate Spanish class, meaning that she is sadly not in my district. But the elders in my district are like my brothers. We went to this seminar that motivated us to become better prepared for the field. We made a goal together to drop English the fourth week in the MTC and speak only Spanish! Hard, but if we do it right we can do it. I got assigned to be the sister training leader, which is similar to a zone leader. I get to meet all the new hermanas and elders coming in today and show them around with my hermana's and my elders who are the zone leaders. Like I said before, I love my district. 

Neil L. Anderson came to speak to us last night!!! It was amazing. Afterward I wanted nothing more than to change the way I am as a missionary. I didn't want to waste any second. I just wanted to roll up my sleeves and work! We had a district meeting yesterday where we discussed the devotional. The testimony of each person was so strong. We were almost all in tears. It was powerful feeling the spirit so intensely from each elder and from my hermana. I love being a missionary. I feel the spirit all the time. It is hard work. Being a missionary has made me happier than anything ever has! 

If I could tell you what a full day was like here at the MTC. you would be surprised how much we accomplish in a day. We teach, have at least three hrs of study time (believe me, there is so much to study that there is never extra time), we have class, and meals, and more class. In class we learn about Spanish and spiritual things. Plus I have the best teacher. I have never felt the love of Christ so strong from someone. He was so exited about our district goal and told us he had faith in us. Except it was all in spanish. But he teaches us so much. 

 I love you all!

Hermana Rowley

First e-mail from the MTC

Everything is going great. I love my first day already and my companions! I have two companions both going to Toronto, Canada. I only have five minutes to email so sorry I have to make it brief. I have already learned so much from the classes. We taught some invetigators as a group of missionaries. I learned to listen, and speak with the spirit according to their needs.  My first investigator I teach with my companions will be on Friday!! And I have to teach them in Spanish!!! Almost everyone in my Spanish class has already taken some classes, so I am so lost. The teachers are starting off easy, but they  hardly ever speak in English. Love you guys! 

-- 

Sister Sharie Rowley