"I love serving at the base!"

Dear Family,
What an exciting week! I informed you last week that I knew I was going to be working with the Assistants to the President on Sundays and throughout the week I would be working in a town called Camden. I was a little nervous who my companion would be because I knew that Elder Taylor (the missionary I trained back in Anderson) had been serving as a Zone Leader in Camden for 71/2 months. His companion, Elder Seamons, had only been there for one transfer and I was worried to work with Elder Seamons because we go about missionary work in different ways. He is a great missionary, but I was nervous for the change.

When I got to transfer meeting, for the 40 minutes I was sitting and waiting for the meeting to start, I was harassed by many missionaries coming up to me and making remarks about me going assistant. Oh how grateful I am that they were wrong! The meeting started and as they went through the power point presentation, Elder Seamons was transferred to Greenville! I was certain I was going to be serving with him, but the Lord had other plans. I continued to watch earnestly to see who I was going to be serving with. President announced the next slide before it came up on the screen. "Staying in the Camden area is Elder TAYLOR and transferring in is Elder Cowan!!!!! I was so excited to serve with Elder Taylor for a second time! What a great blessing it is that I am able to serve a "second round" with one of my favorite companions! And I may have to call this my favorite area!

Thursday, Elder Taylor and I stopped by a less-active who originally is from AZ! The less-active, Tyler Miller, was not home, but we taught his aunt, Trish Helton. Trish is an amazing lady. She recognizes the joy that the gospel brings into Tyler's life and it has opened her up to want to know more about the church. We had a great lesson with her and we will continue to work with her. We had a Zone Leader Council on Friday and then Saturday, while trying to see Trish, we ran into a former investigator, taught him, and he too was really receptive, but then on our way home, we got our car stuck in a sandy road! It was quite the adventure as we tried to no avail to dig our little car out of the sand. The Assistants drove up with a local member to save us, but two minutes before they got to us (unknown to us) a neighbor, who we had previously asked for help, called her son and this good Samaritan pulled us out of the sand pit. It was really funny.

Sunday was an amazing day. Elder Taylor, the two Assistants, (Elder Tran and Elder Poll) work at the Ft. Jackson military post. It is so sweet! Church is only two hours long. We weave through the congregation and half of the people who attend the branch are non-members! I ran into a problem I have never had before--I had to determine which of all the non-members there were worth my time. I came across one young man and began to teach him, but he was not going anywhere, so I stopped teaching him. A member, Brother Day, introduced me to his "battle buddy" Bro. Harper. At the same time another member, Brother Bradberry introduced me to his "battle buddy" Bro. Poulos. I taught both Bro. Poulos and Bro. Harper and they have been prepared! I taught them about the Restoration and they both committed to be baptized! The thing is about the base, after they come to church next Sunday, the baptismal service is right after sacrament meeting, and then they have water side confirmations, and then they are given the priesthood immediately after that! I am excited to see both of these two enter the waters of baptism. They are not the only two who are getting baptized either. This was also Elder Tran's first time on base and he has three people for next week and Elder Poll has two individuals as well! We had two baptisms yesterday and it looks like we are going to have 7 next week! What a great outpouring from the Lord. I love serving at the base!

I need to close for now. I have a meeting with President in Columbia in an hour. I love you and keep up the great work!
Love,
Elder Cowan