Surprise Transfer

Dear Family,

What a week! The zone leaders blitzed our area, Elder Snow from the seventy is touring our mission and he trained us at our zone conference this week, and we received transfer information! On Saturday evening I received a phone call from the zone leaders and Elder Stephans is leaving the district and......I'm leaving as well. :( I just got here. Six weeks is not long enough to get to know the members, and build up a teaching pool. I am packing up my stuff today and tomorrow morning I have to be in Irmo, SC for the transfer meeting. In the meeting I will learn who my companion is, and where I will be serving. Life sure comes at you fast! I was not expecting this. Oh well! I know wherever I go, it will be the Lord's will and there will be people there that I am to teach and bring this gospel to.

Yes, I have talked to the Dr. about the rash. We still do not know what I am allergic to, but I have not had the rash for the past two weeks. If you are going to send a package, please send me talks. :) I could care less about music, I love talks. I can't think of who did it, but there was one speaker who did a set of talks in which he went through the lives of all the modern day prophets. I also have heard a talk by Bruce R. McConkie entitled "Joseph Smith: The Revealer of Christ." I would not mind having that. Also, "The Mortal Christ" By Christenson (I think). I also know you have all of John Bytheway's talks at home. If you could make me a copy of each of those, I would really appreciate it! Anyways, I would appreciate any and all talks about gospel subjects. :) I also need the information for our new stake president when that changes. How long has Bishop Smith been Bishop? Well that's enough about that. I am going log back onto the computer and give an update on this week's events.

Love,
Elder Cowan

Dear Family,

I am starting my letter with Wednesday. Wednesday Elder Bjarnson and I were walking down one street and everyone one was home sitting on their porches. This excited me. I knew that out of all these people, we would find someone to teach. We walked down the entire street, and it was the exact opposite of what I thought was going to happen. Everyone told us to leave and no one would even listen to see what we were even doing on their doorstep. When we reached the end of the road, I told Elder Bjarnson how shocked I was that nobody would talk to us. We decided to walk back to where our bikes were locked at the top of the hill, and while we were walking, a man called us over and he was interested in hearing why we were out walking the streets in our suits. We were able to briefly teach about the Book of Mormon, and set up a return appointment before he had to leave. That was the first tender mercy from the Lord that day. After Elder Bjarnson and I had tried to talk to everyone on the street and when I thought we were defeated, Tavarus calls us to him and we are able to teach him. We walked up to the bikes and I hopped on mine and began to ride down the hill. When I got to the bottom, I turned around and could not see Elder Bjarnson anywhere. I waited for a second to have him catch up, but no one came. I started to go up the hill and Elder Bjarnson turned the corner riding down. I asked him what took so long, and he showed me the back of his bike. A piece of his bike frame snapped. :) He could still sit on the bike and ride down the hill but other than that, he was down and out. It was impossible to peddle the bike. We decided to continue on with our plans, but in order to do this, I had to hold my handle bars with one hand, while using my other hand to push Elder Bjarnson's back while he sat on his broken bike. There was one particular hill in which I was pushing him, and I was really tired and I saw a man walking on the side of the road. I decided to steer Elder Bjarnson toward him so he could contact him while I caught my breath. The man's name is Sterling. He is cool. We taught him a brief first lesson on the side of the road and set up a return appointment for the following day. This was the second tender mercy of the day. If Elder Bjarnson's bike had not broken, I most likely would have ridden my bike right past Sterling on my way to our destination.  :) The last miracle of the day was when we went to see Betty Stoddard. When we arrived at her house, she told us that she had been under the weather the past couple of days. The previous night she was hurting really bad and she had a ton on her mind. While she was thinking of all the difficulties she has in her life, she began to cry, but then the image of two young men in suits came to her memory and all of her pain and trouble disappeared. When she was telling us the story she told us that this experience was a message from God telling her that she needed to be baptized. She has a baptismal date of October 31-Halloween.

Thursday Elder Bowles and Elder Redston blitzed our area. Elder Bjarnson worked with Elder Redston while I had the opportunity to work with my trainer for a day. Elder Bjarnson and Redston were able to see Sterling who told them at the beginning of the lesson that he was supposed to be picked up any minute, but they decided to teach him anyway. They were able to teach the entire lesson and Sterling accepted his baptismal date of November the 7th. When Elder Bjarnson and Redston left, Sterling made the comment, "I believe it was God's will that my ride was late so I could hear this message." Elder Redston and Elder Bjarnson also saw Brandon that evening and he accepted a baptismal date of October the 31st. Elder Bowles and I were able to see one of our media referrals named Vernesa. Vernesa had ordered a DVD back in December, but for some reason the missionaries never delivered it to her. We taught her a first lesson and the spirit was really strong. Vernesa has also accepted a baptismal date of November the 7th. Before we left, Vernesa turned to me and said, "I now know why I had to wait so long to get my DVD. I had to wait until you got here." I love this work!!! Simpsonville should change its name to Miracleville. :D

Friday was zone conference, with a guest speaker, Elder Snow of the Seventy. It was amazing to listen to him. He had not prepared a talk, but he had prepared spiritually. For three hours he just followed the spirit as he trained us. It was such a neat experience to literally see the Spirit work through the apostle.
I love this work I am sad that I am being transferred with so many things beginning to happen in this area, but I know I am needed elsewhere. I pray for each of you every night. Keep the commandments, follow the spirit, and everything else just falls into place. :) I read Omni 1:26 this past week, "offer up your whole soul unto Christ." I am striving to do that more and more everyday. Keep it real!

Love,
Elder Cowan