Another week gone by!

Dear Family,

I really can't believe another week has already gone by! I need time to somehow put more hours into a day. If you think of a way, let me know. :) I really need to work on my memory skill. I can't remember what day it is let alone what happened this entire week, but I will definitely do my best.

Monday evening we met with an old lady named Sheb. She frustrates me. We started to teach the Plan of Salvation, but then Sheb started telling us how she does not believe the things that are being taught at the church she attends. The biggest thing is that she does not believe in the Trinity (as she shouldn't because it is a false sectarian notion brought forth by the Nicene Creed). I kept asking her why she goes to a church that she does not believe the teachings, but she never gave me an answer. She kept saying she likes the people there. RRRR! Frustration. I promised her she would love the people in our church as well, and she would be taught the truth, but she didn't quite grasp it. We will see what happens with her. We are thinking of bringing Sis. Cinelli over. She is an older lady who thought she was too old to change churches because of the roots that she had with people, but she tells anyone who will listen to her, "I wrestled with God, and He won." Hopefully, she will be a good fellowshipper with Sheb.

Tuesday we had our return appointment with Ralph who we found last Sunday night. When we knocked on the door, a lady came out and yelled at us, "HE WANTS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU, AND NEVER COME BACK!!!" She then proceeded to slam the door in our face. I started to walk away, but I didn't feel right. So I decided to write a short note to Ralph on a post-it note and I snuck up to the door and placed it on hoping he would see it. I can look back now and see that I was being led by the Spirit. At the time I had no idea, but I 'll finish the rest of the story later. :) 

Tuesday night we went out on exchange with Bro. Ennen. We first went to Michelle Grant's house (she is the one who told us she wanted us to baptize her children) and as we walked up, Michelle came out and confessed that she is seeing a man who is married to someone else! Surprise! We did not get to address that problem because we had already planned out a FHE with all her kids. We watched the Restoration DVD, and then we were planning to play "Don't Eat Pete," missionary style, but we ended up not having enough time before our next appointment. We then taught Mack who is this really cool, down to earth man, but his problem is that he lives with Joyce, who he is not married to. We decided that we would wait to teach the Law of Chastity until they would both be there. Our lesson was centered around the Book of Mormon. The what, where, when, and why it is important in his life. He has been reading. Hopefully he will have a strong enough testimony of it when we teach the Law of Chastity. As Bro. Ennen drove us home, we thanked him for coming out on exchanges with us and he then told us how he has drifted in and out of activity in the church for many years, and that this one experience truly helped him. It was a nice reminder that the Spirit in the lessons not only touches the investigator but the members as well.

Wednesday. Elder Taylor and I went on an afternoon exchange with brother Armey and boy was that an experience. Just a heads up on brother Armey-Brother Armey suffers from antidisestablishmentarianism. He took us out to lunch before our exchange, and all he did was bash the Anderson Ward, the Government, the school system etc. It was quite awkward. Elder Taylor and I just ate our food and nodded once in awhile. :)  The exchange was good, we delivered a media and taught this lady a lesson, but she had her two grandchildren there, and they are devils! They were yelling, screaming, running in and out of the room during the entire lesson. Brother Armey finally left the room and tried to keep them entertained in the other room while Elder Taylor and I taught. After that lesson we then taught Suzie who is an older black lady that lives with her 93 year old mother. Suzie has not made it to church yet because she has to watch her mother. This next week she said her brother could watch her, so hopefully she will come to church.

Wednesday night we were supposed to teach Dev (the investigator we found at 8:35 last Sunday) at the church. As we drove to the church we called her house, and her mother told us she had already left for an appointment at a church. We were excited that she was coming and we waited, and waited, and waited. Dev never showed up but I was almost positive that it was because she had gotten lost not because she ditched us. Dev is kind of an air head. :) 

Thursday day was a lot of contacting, but that night Brother Macdonald came out on exchanges and we stopped by Dev's house. She was home and my suspicion was correct. Dev had gotten lost. We told her to read 3 Ne. 11 before our appointment at the church, AND SHE READ IT THREE TIMES! She loved it so much, and she didn't want to keep reading the Book of Mormon because she did not know if she was allowed to, so she read the assigned again and again! We invited her to be baptized, and she thought a long time before she responded, and she told us she wanted to come to one of our services before she would answer. :) The only difficult thing is that she works at Burger King and she works on Sundays. :( She is going to get time off for next week.

Friday was Zone Conference. It was wonderful. :P

Saturday we had 8 lessons planned. :) Very exciting. Long story short, only two of them were at their appointments. One at ten in the morning, and one at eight at night. It's difficult working with people. Nothing goes as planned, but then again that's what makes it exciting. Time to finish the Ralph story. Saturday night I called Ralph and he answered, and he had received my note, and he was so apologetic for what his friends had done. :) That made my night!

Sunday we contacted a lot as well. Well that's the week!

Today (Monday) we came up to Seneca to clean the baptismal font with the sisters in our district. We then went to one of their investigator's house and did service by painting. That's why this email is being sent late. I love this work. I am so grateful for your support while I am here in South Carolina. I do not need more shirts. :) Don't worry Mom. All is good. I know this is the Lord's work, and it is only going to be done His way, with the Spirit. I love you all and I can't believe there is only one week left before transfers! Ahh! The unknown...how exciting!

Love Elder Cowan