"Miraculous Miracle"

Dear Mother,

What an amazing past couple of weeks. I apologize for not writing because of other matters that needed to be taken care of. I am so thankful for the miracles that have taken place throughout my mission! Even now when there is 'little time remaining" the Lord continues to permit me to fulfill my purpose!

I think I have mentioned Mark Minium before. We have had a really hard time getting in touch with him, since he has been spending all his time trying to find a more suitable job. He has been working at a car rental shop near the airport. The problems with his job are:

1. He works evenings, which gives him little to no time with his son, Chris.

2. With his wife leaving him due to a drug addiction, he no longer has a second income and he can not provide with his income.

Like I said, Mark has been really busy. We occasionally would talk to him on the phone, but we had not been able to sit down and talk to him for about two weeks. All of his searching began to pay off on Wednesday (16th of March). Mark had a job evaluation with Waffle House to see if he was fit to be the store manager. On Thursday 17th of March, as Mark walked into  his work, his boss pulled him into his office and told him that he was fired. Mark was surprised by this, but he told us the first thing that came to his mind was, "I now have the 19th off. The Elders had spoken to me about some 'special baptismal service' on that day."  The second thought was, "The Lord has closed one door and is about to open another door at Waffle House." As Mark was driving home after being fired, he received a phone call from Wendy's. Mark had previously applied for a position, but they did not hire him because they did not have an opening. As he spoke to the representative from Wendy's they explained that a manager position opened up at Wendy's and they asked him to come and apply for the position. This really excited mark that things were looking up even though he had just lost his job.

Thursday night Mark called us to share the miracle that occurred with God closing one door, but then opening two other doors. We shared in his excitement and then he asked us about the "special baptismal service" that was supposed to be occurring the following day. Unknown to him, it was the baptismal date we had invited him to prepare for when we first met with him about a month ago. We asked him if we could stop by and explain everything the following day. I called up Elder Seamons, our faithful zone leaders, and explained the situation and he asked "Elder, How's your faith?" I replied I knew that God could perform a miracle. He said I need you to find me a ride from Seneca so you and I can go teach Mark. I accepted and went to bed.

Friday morning I started calling members trying to see if someone would be willing to drive me to Seneca to pick up Elder Seamons. We got in contact with Brother Grant. He said he would be willing to drive me. We went and picked up Elder Seamons and then Elder Seamons and I went to Mark's house. The Spirit was so strong as we taught Mark. Elder Seamons explained that the "special baptismal service" was for him and that he could still make it, since he has been to church twice. Mark accepted and we proceeded to teach him ALL of the lessons in one sitting. :) It reminded me of Ft. Jackson Military Post. After teaching him, Elder Seamons interviewed him and he passed his baptismal interview! After teaching him, we called up the Bishop explained everything and then called Brother Porter, our ward mission leader. They were both stunned, but they said we could proceed with the baptism! As we spoke to Mark, he explained that he would not be able to attend church this on Sunday, the 20th, since he had his second day of the job evaluation for Waffle House. He explained that if he got the job, he would have to work the following Sunday, but then after that he would be able to set his own schedule. We spoke to President McConkie and since he now has the keys to confirmation, he felt it was the less of two evils to confirm Mark a member of the church at the water side instead of having him wait another two weeks before he could receive the gift of the Holy Ghost!

Saturday, March 19th, was an exciting day as we prepared everything for the baptism. Mark arrived all dressed in his Sunday best and we had Tai Guam, an Elder of the church who is about to leave on his mission, perform the baptism. I was honored to confirm him a member of the church! It was a miraculous miracle. We started the week thinking we would not have a baptism, but the Lord provided the way that I was able to bring one more soul unto Christ on my last weekend as a full-time missionary!

I love this work! It never ends. I know Christ can heal all wounds. Witnessing the change of Mark has been great. Here was a man who was depressed and discouraged, with no hope when his wife left him, who is now a man of honor committed to following the Savior and willing to help others receive the restored truth like he has. I know the Gospel has been restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know God loves us and answers prayers. He answered Joseph Smith's as he searched for truth. He answered mine as I sought to know of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, and He has and will continue to answer those who humbly come to him with a sincere desire to know if the Gospel has been Restored. I love you all! I will see you soon enough, until then, there is still much to be done!

Love ya!

Elder Cowan

 

Brief Update

 Dear Family,

This week has been great! I would love to tell you about it, but I am out of time! Pray for Melissa. She has made huge progress. We got back in touch with Zack! He wants to be baptized; he almost has quit smoking!

I am serving in a three-some. Elder Hahn has joined the ranks. This allows them to continue to work after I leave!

I love you all! The church is true. I will try and write a hand written letter!

Love,

Elder Cowan

P.S. Daniel Langley, the man I wrote about two weeks ago got baptized! The day before the baptism, I went over to speak with him, and he wanted to back out of the baptism. I reassured him that he was prepared, he had repented from his sins by giving up cigarette and crew. As I spoke to him it encouraged him, and he realized the miracle that had already occurred in his life, and that he would trust in the Lord to continue to lead him throughout his life.

Alex Stancell's Baptism

Dear Family,

What a great week! With the new transfer started, I switched planners. I always use my planner to look back at the week and review all the events that have occurred. Without the planner, I may lose some details so bare with me!

Zach has been very flaky with us. He knows what he must do, but he currently lacks the faith that he can accomplish what the Lord asks of him. He did not come to church this week; he decided to go to his uncle's church instead. (His uncle is very anti.) I texted Zach this morning and he told us that he's not sure if he wants to visit with us anymore. Whatever happens, I know he felt the spirit bare witness to his soul of the truthfulness of the restored gospel. He will remember the feelings he's felt and he will return to them when everything else fails.

Mark Minium. We met with Mark this week with Elder Seamons (Zone Leader) and Elder Taylor (Assistant). They helped us teach Mark concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ. Mark is a really good guy. He wants the best for his son. He makes sacrifices every day to make sure they have a roof over their head. We pray for him that all will work out. He currently has four job interviews this week. I just hope and pray that he gets employment with someone who will honor his request to have Sunday's off.

Friday morning Elder Fisher and I were walking down a trailer park that we had knocked before, but we felt like going anyways. We knocked down the street, with nobody answering (which is really strange for trailers). We finally walked down to the last trailer on the right. We knocked on the door and we heard some noise inside, but nobody was coming to the door. We continued to wait and then Tiesha answered the door. We asked her if she would let us in and teach her about the Restoration of the Gospel, and at first she was not super interested. The door then opened wider and Lovy was standing next to Tiesha wanting to know who was at the door. Tiesha is 29 years old with a 7 year old Son. Lovy is 23 and she is pregnant with her first child, which is due in September.

We asked them which church they go to and Lovy told us that she attends the Baptist church, while Tiesha attends the Jehovah's Witnesses. They then explained to us how different their churches were and asked, "What do you think happens to us when we die?" We began to answer when they invited us into their home. We answered their question and then Lovy said, "How can I know what the truth is? I am so sick of all the confusion, I just want God to tell me a clear cut answer." Also, "How am I supposed to know when God  is talking to me? Maybe he's been answering my questions this whole time and I just don't know how he will answer." We then went into the Joseph Smith story about Joseph's similar questions. The spirit was really strong. It's amazing how the spirit always comes when we bare testimony of the restoration. Without it, we would just be any other church created by man, but I know that God is at the head of this church, this is why the spirit comes so strongly when we bare testimony of the restoration.

After we taught of the restoration, we taught them about the Holy Ghost, and how we can recognize the answers God sends us. We explained the still small voice and Tiesha began to cry. She explained, "I wasn't going to let you in, but the voice in my head said 'open the door' I now know that it was the Spirit telling me to let you in." Tiesha and Lovy asked us (before we could invite them) to come to church. We told them we wanted to give them a church tour. We asked if we could do it the following day, but they were busy all day Saturday. Tiesha asked, "Can we do it later today?" I was shocked that she would want to meet with us a second time within the same day. We set up a time for that evening to give them a church tour. Tiesha and Lovy showed up 15 minutes early for the tour and we had a member with us and had a great experience. Unfortunately, Tiesha & Lovy did not attend church. We will stop by today to see what happened.

Friday night we received a phone call from Brother Porter, asking us if we were sure the baptism was taking place on Saturday. He said he was calling the members to invite them and many of them said, "They decided to post-pone the baptism for another two weeks." I was shocked by this information because nobody had told me. I tried calling Allison, but she would not answer. We drove over to her house and knocked on the door and no answer. I went to bed Friday night stressed that we may not have a baptism the following day.

Saturday morning, we receive a text asking, can we post-pone the baptism? I replied saying we had it all organized and ready for today. Allison then told us that we could go forward with the baptism and they asked if Elder Fisher would perform the baptism! :D It was such a great surprise! 5:00 Saturday evening, Elder Fisher baptized Alex Stancell.

Sunday, Mark came to church, but Alex was not there! I was sitting in the pew trying to stay calm as we sang the opening hymn, but at the end of the hymn, Allison, and Alex walked into the chapel. Alex was confirmed by her grandfather. It was a great experience.

Life is going good! I love being a missionary. We received transfer information. Elder Fisher and I are going to be in a three-some with another missionary for the next four weeks. We will be picking him up tomorrow. I don't know who it will be! We shall see!

Life is great I love being a missionary, I will always be a missionary!

Love,
Elder Cowan

I Love the Work!

Dear Family,

We are not able to write very long because of the holiday. We are doing great! I love the work! I wish it could never end! I am so excited! Alex is getting baptized this weekend. Zack came to church again this week! Zack is such a good kid! He does have a major trial to overcome before he can be baptized. He smokes tobacco and weed. :( He is willing to give it up! Pray for Zack. He will make a huge sacrifice to come unto Christ. He has to not only overcome the anti he is receiving from his role-model, but he has to overcome the physical addiction.

We are also working with a man named Mark Minium. His wife left him after 16 years of marriage. Mark came to church. We will continue to work with these individuals. Well, I need to go. I think we are overstaying our visit with the members. I love you all!

Love,
Elder Cowan

The Lord Provides!

Dear Family,

What a wonderful week. Things did not go as planned (go figure :) But just as Elder Calton stated in his homecoming talk, we must trust in the Lord and he will provide, and boy did He provide this week!

Tuesday we had a church tour set with Melissa. Melissa has been investigating the church for three and a half months. We continue to work with her for she desires to learn and grow. We had Sister Leckie come with us. We had a great lesson with her in which we shared Joseph Smith's experience with her and the spirit was really strong. I don't know what it is, but whenever we teach Melissa I always have to fight back tears. :P Melissa feels Joseph Smith is a prophet, but she will not be baptized for she "does not feel ready." We continue to love her and encourage her so that one day she can let go of the regret and hostility she has for others and allow the Savior to heal her wounded soul.

Tuesday night we were able to go with the Easley Elders to Daniel Langley's home. Daniel is the nephew of a recent convert who lives in my area. Daniel came to church with Brenda and we all assumed he lived in our area, so Elder Fisher and I stayed with him throughout the meetings, but we found out later he actually lives in the Easley Elder's area. We decided that it would be best for the first lesson to have Elder Fisher and I present since Daniel was comfortable with us, and then we would be able to transfer the teaching over to Elder Keller and Elder Geslison for the rest of the lessons.

We went over to Daniel's house and everyone was quiet, (it's a little awkward having four missionaries teaching). I just began to ask Daniel some questions about church and the thought came, "Invite him to be baptized." I thought that was a little silly, since we had not taught him much and we had just arrived at his house, but the thought came again, "Invite him to be baptized." So I did. :) Daniel accepted very quickly and continued, "I have been wondering what I needed to do to join your church." The other missionaries were shocked. First, by my invitation at the beginning of our meeting and also by his sincere desire to be baptized. It was a testimony to me of the power of the Spirit. Ultimately, we are here simply to invite. The Spirit will do the teaching. It's not by our eloquence or the way we speak, but by the "still small voice" which inviteth all to come unto Christ. Daniel has given up his chewing tobacco and cigarettes in preparation for his baptism. :) I can't wait.

Wednesday we were able to meet with James Marrow who recently was baptized. We had a great lesson with him and answered some of his concerns with the Restoration. We then met with another recent convert, Robert Williams. He came with us to teach Ken Madden. Ken really wants to come to church, but with how is radiation treatments are set up, he has no energy on Sundays. He's really close to being done with his treatments, so I feel he will be able to progress much quicker once that is all done.

Wednesday night was scheduled to be Alex Stancell's baptismal interview. We were not able to visit with her because she was sick. :( but it worked out that the zone leaders were able to visit with her the following day to complete the baptismal interview.

Thursday was the major miracle. I am running our of time! I We were walking down a street and a we said, "hello" to a young man as he biked passed us, and then he asked, "Is smoking weed a sin?" We explained that it was and we introduced ourselves. The young man's name is Zack. Zack proceeded to ask some really good questions. We introduced him to the Book of Mormon and he said, "I have that and the Doctrine of Covenants!" We were surprised, but we set up an appointment to teach him that night. We went over and he had so many questions and wanted to learn everything. We invited him to be baptized on the 5th of March. He accepted. We looked at his quad and it actually is from the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We did not have time to explain what the difference was, but we set a return appointment at the church for a church tour. Zack would not accept a ride to the church, but said we should ride bikes. We agreed.

We also received a call from Sister Hill concerning Alex. Alex's grandfather was going to perform the baptism, but at work, he spilled chemicals down his stomach and legs, which resulted in second and third degree burns. He is in no condition to baptize. We asked Alex what she wanted to do and she wanted to wait until her grandpa got better. Her baptism did not happen this weekend, but it will happen on the 26th of February! :)

On Saturday we rode with Zack to the church. What an adventure. My pedal fell off, Zack"s back wheel kept coming loose, and almost came off. I suggested we call a member, but Zack said, "I promise you that if you have faith, we will be able to make it to the church without your pedal falling off again." We also stopped at Walmart to see if they had a crank wrench. While we were there, we ran into a member and Zack introduced himself as, "I'm going to join your church!" :)  Walmart did not have the part, but we continued the journey with faith. Zack's prediction came true. We made it to the church. We had Cody Maughn waiting for us there and we gave Zack a church tour. The spirit was really strong. We explained the difference between the RLDS and the LDS churches. He decided he needed to pray and ask God for the guidance. He knelt in prayer and asked a very sincere prayer to know if he should be baptized. As we finished the prayer, he got up and he had received his answer. I love Zack. He has such a sincere desire to do what is right. Zack is 16. Zack has had a rough life, drugs, kicked out of school, but at the end of our lesson, Zack said, "I want to serve a mission after I join the church." He's the greatest!

On Sunday, Zack came to church and felt right at home! It was a great day. In priest quorum, the teacher asked, "Why would the devil come after you as a priesthood holder?" Zack answered the question. He hit it dead on. He spoke about the potential they had to change the lives of those around them. The spirit was really strong. The bishop began to cry from Zack's response to the question. He once again told all the priests that he wants to serve a mission. Before he left the priest quorum, Zack volunteered to fellowship a less-active girl at his school in attempt to get her back into the Lord's church. It just amazes me at the faith this young man has! Zack is on date for the 5th of March, but if he continues at the rate he is now. He will be baptized before February is over.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve a mission. I wish everyone could see my mission from my perspective. The Lord has given me everything in my life. Every experience I have is at the exact moment I need it. I have been praying for a "Mike Cowan" convert. I feel it's my debt I owe for the missionaries who taught Dad. I'm now at the tail end of my mission and this wish is coming true. I know that all blessings are proceeded by obedience. If I were not obedient before my mission, I would not be here in the South. If I were not obedient throughout my mission, I would not be having this experience right now. I love this work. It is true. I love you all!

Love,
Elder Cowan

Miracle in Greenville

Dear Family,

I have a hour session on the computer and the last 45 minutes I have spent writing President McConkie and reading all the emails I've received. :) It's all good. It will be a quick letter today.

I have some mixed feelings at the moment. This week we had a leadership training meeting in Columbia. It was Thursday and Friday. All zone leaders, district Leaders and missionary trainers attended the meeting. It was such a blessing to see all the missionaries. The sad part was that it was the last time I will see some of them. I will especially miss Elder Tran. I have become so close to him. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I had to serve with him for one transfer. Elder Tran plans on being at General Conference, so I will be able to see him again. I only have ten minutes left.

Things are going great here in Greenville. Alex Stancell will be baptized on Saturday. It has been such a blessing to be able to teach her, and also that the Lord would fulfill my selfish "birthday wish" of baptizing and confirming on my birthday. We are continuing to work with our investigators to get more of them to make this sacred covenant with our Father in Heaven.

I have less than ten minutes left, but I will try to share one miracle very quickly. Elder Fisher and I went to see a lead that the sisters had found. When we knocked on his door, he did not answer. We decided to talk to his neighbor and while we were talking to her a man walked behind us. It looked like he walked into the apartment where the lead supposedly lived. After our contact, we walked back to the door and knocked on his door. He came to the door and was shocked to see us. He said, "you will never believe this, but at the moment you knocked on my door, I was trying to call those young ladies who I had met." He continued, "I cannot be more sincere with you, you are an answer to my prayer. I have been pondering on the things the sisters shared with me and I finally decided to stop pondering and start acting. Where is your church located?" We informed in that it was in Barea and he said, "That's it, God, now I know for sure your trying to talk to me." He informed us that he has been wanting to move and the house he has been looking at was right next to our church! This miracle man's name is Ken Madden. Ken asked us if he could be re-baptized. We invited Ken to be baptized on the 27 of February and he responded with, "Will they allow me to be baptized that soon?" He is prepared. He cannot see very well, so he has had his neighbors come over to his house so they can read to him the Book of Mormon. More to come on Ken later. I love the work. The Holy Ghost is in control, all we need to do is listen and be willing to act.
Love ya!

Love,
Elder Cowan

A Great Week in Greenville

Dear Family,

On Monday, 24 January, Elder Fisher and I had four lessons scheduled in 3 hours after preparation day ended. I was excited to be able to teach and have a productive day even with the limited time afforded to us. As we went form appointment to appointment, nothing was going as planned. Nobody was home. All four of our appointments were "no-shows," but that didn't bother me one bit. I was worried about Elder Fisher, I didn't want him to get discouraged by the way things were going. I asked him how he felt the day was going and he thought it was great! I love serving with Elder Fisher. He always has a positive attitude and is willing to work all the way to the end.

As we were talking while we drove, we decided that God allowed us to miss our appointments so we would be able to meet Cheryl. We drove over to her house and as we knocked on her door, Cheryl's nephew answered the door without even knowing who it was. He recognized us as missionaries from the church so he told us to go into the back and see Cheryl (I don't think he knew Cheryl was a little hurt with the Sisters leaving). As we introduced ourselves to Cheryl, at first she was a little hesitant, but as we continued to get to know her, she realized that we are not all that bad! :) We set an appointment to stop by and see her. Later at the appointment, Cheryl told us that she was not planning to meet with us, but because of her nephew and the Lord allowing us to miss our appointments, she has begun to progress again. She is doing great with trying to quit smoking. She is amazing. Cheryl did catch the flu-bug that has been flying around like crazy out here. As soon as she gets back on her feet, she will be progressing further in the gospel. The difficult part about teaching Cheryl is that we always need to get a member to be with us for appointments since she lives alone. Don't get me wrong, I love members and their testimonies, but I think I act differently when members are a part of the lesson. I'm much too formal. I've recognized my promblem and am going to continue to be personable with or without members around. :)

Tuesday we had a fantastic day. We began with a lesson with Melissa. I don't know if I've told you about her, she is great! She was in the same boat as Cheryl. When it came to "The Elders" in her words, she felt we were going to be "stuffy." She had determined that she would meet with us once to keep her word with the Sisters, (the sisters made her promise to speak to us at least once) but after meeting with us once, she was going to stop taking lessons! We were blessed to have the spirit really strong at our first meeting and since then she has continued to progress greatly. Before we left our apartment Tuesday morning, the thought came to me to grab my talk entitled, "Why we Forgive." I decided to grab it and see what was going to come from it. During the lesson she expressed her concern that she did not feel it possible that she could ever forgive a certain individual for the actions they had made against her. I pulled out the CD and gave it to her. As she read the title of the talk, she began to weep. She said "how did you know? Both the Sisters and you always know what I need." It was a very tender moment.

Afterward we were able to teach a young man named Daequan. He was babysitting his nieces and I think was bored, so he let us into his house. He was very quiet at the beginning, but he told us we could come back by the next day.

We had Sister Leckie come with us to Cheryl's and I was a little nervous how to bring up baptism because this was the first time meeting with her. I did not want to seem pushy, but Cheryl told us at the beginning, "I have made changes in my life,and I'm continuing to try to quit smoking so I can get baptized." It was a great way to begin our lesson. :)

Later that night, we had a really cool experience occur. (Not like we didn't already have some great experiences throughout the day. :P ) Elder Fisher and I prepared a lesson for Carol (the mother--she is in her 50's) and her daughter, Charlotte (daughter in her 30's). Charlotte was taught by the Sisters a couple of times, but this was Carol's first lesson. We had discussed watching the Restoration DVD, but when we began to talk to them, I knew our lesson plan was not what they needed. Instead we read Alma 36. The spirit was really strong as we read from the Book of Mormon and taught. At one point Carol whispered to herself, "I know this story." We stopped and asked her if everything was alright or if she had a comment/question. Carol did not say anything, but I could tell she was searching, trying to remember where she had heard the story before. After we finished the lesson, we told them that next week we wanted to watch the Joseph Smith Prophet of the Restoration DVD. As I briefly outlined the Joseph Smith history, Carol stated, "He looked everywhere for the truth" then she continued to tell us the Joseph Smith story. I asked her how she knew the story, and she just stared at me "I don't know...."
"Did the Sisters teach you about Joseph Smith?"
"No they did not...I don't know how I know this, but I do."
The spirit was really strong. I'm not sure how she knows it, but she has been prepared. We are teaching Carol and Charlotte tonight.

Wednesday we had our return appointment with Daequan. We started our meeting with two clips from Mormon.org. We watched Paris Thomas. Paris is from Georgia and I thought he would relate well with Daequan. As the movie ended, I felt prompted to watch the clip on Valentino. Valentino is Hispanic and lives in LA. I was not sure how in the world Daequan was going to relate to him, but we watched it anyways. After watching the video, Daequan let everything out. He's in a gang, he's shot at people and been shot, beat up and he's beaten others up and he's been in jail twice. It was crazy, but he told us everything about his life. He has a desire to change, but it's going to take all his effort and the Lord's help to get him out of the gang.

Thursday we had a DDM and worked in the Easley area because the missionaries there have been struggling. That evening we had a lesson with Alex, a 9 year old. She is getting baptized on the 12th of February! She came to church with her family!

Friday was a great day but I don't have time to talk about it!

Saturday was a testimony building day. We did not have as much success as I expected, but we worked throughout the Day. At 8:53 p.m. we met Twon. Twon is elect; he is prepared for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ! It was great to see the blessing of sacrifice. (We could have gone in early because we had not taken dinner that day, but we decided to work through it!)

I need to close. The Church is true. I love you all!

Love,
Elder Cowan

New Area: Greenville New Companion: Elder Fisher

Dear Family,

I am currently serving in the Greenville First Ward. My companion is Elder Fisher. Elder Fisher is from Fallon, NV. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to serve with this kid! I love Elder Fisher. He wants to be a successful missionary and he is willing to put forth the effort to accomplish his goal! I had the privilege this week to pick up Elder Fisher and the other missionaries from his district at the airport. They flew in Monday evening. When we arrived at the mission home, we received some instruction from President McConkie and then they went to bed.

On Tuesday, Elder Taylor and I had the majority of the day to instruct and train the new missionaries. It was so much fun to train with Elder Taylor. We went through the 8 focuses that the MTC will be switching to in July. (Blake this is top of the line stuff! The missionaries in the MTC don't even know about this curriculum yet.) We are blessed to already have some lesson materials in preparation for the change in the MTC. We are becoming efficient now so that when the first batch of missionaries arrive in July/August we will already be proficient in the "Teach More Effectively" Curriculum. Central to the training are eight focuses:
1. The Doctrine of Christ- The missionary purpose.
2. The role of the Holy Ghost in conversion
3. Revelation through prayer
4. Revelation through the Book of Mormon
5. Revelation through church attendance
6. Teach people, not lessons
7. We invite, they commit, we follow up
8. How to begin teaching

Elder Taylor and I trained on these points throughout the day and in the evening we went proselyting with the new missionaries. It was a great experience. Within a couple of hours almost every one of the new missionaries was able to teach a new investigator.

Wednesday was transfers. The last couple of transfer meetings have had some "hick-ups," little things that could have been avoided, but through the mistakes of men, they have caused a head-ache for all involved. Elder Taylor and I were determined to not have it happen this transfer. We checked the logistics over and over to make sure everything was prepared for transfers. The transfer meeting went well. Everything went as planned. It was great to see Elder Fisher's confusion on his face when everyone had been transferred and he was the only one left. He did not know that I was training a new missionary. :) After the transfer meeting, I was making sure that everyone got to where they needed to be and with the correct supplies. I was so worried about everyone else that I did not think about my own supplies. Long story short, when we were 15 minutes from arriving in Greenville, I received a text from Elder Taylor informing me that I had left one of my suit cases in the trailer! :) I had to laugh. It was extreme lucky to find out that it was the luggage that only had my towel and blankets in it. When we arrived at the apartment, I was blessed to find blankets already there. :) Every morning I have been drying myself off with a face towel. :) It's been really fun.

I love the Greenville First Ward. The sisters had everything prepared for us and we were able to hit the ground running. For only working Thursday-Sunday, Elder Fisher and I had a great week. We have been able to meet many of the Sister's investigators and they have warmed up to us. We have so many miracles happening here. I love it! There is one investigator who we have not been able to get a hold of. Her name is Cheryl. Cheryl has been taught everything and is supposed to be baptized this weekend. When Cheryl found out the Sisters were being transferred, she was pretty upset. We will continue to try and see her and have her begin her progression again in the Restored Gospel.

Well, I need to close for now! I love each of you!

Elder Cowan

Snow and Icy Baptism Plus Trips to the Airport

Dear Family,

Hello from the icy South Carolina! This week has been really busy. I can't believe everything has happened so quickly.

Sunday we woke up extremely early in order for the visa waiting missionaries, the office Elders and Elder Taylor and I to get through the single shower we have in our apartment. We dropped Elder Hinckley and Elder Neighting off at the Windsor Lake building to watch out for our investigators. The three other visa waiting missionaries were dropped off at the Columbia building and Elder Taylor and I went to the BASE! It was the first week for the soldiers being back from Exodus! It was great seeing all the soldiers back on Post. We had a baptism. It was really cold. Ice was forming on our portable font! When the soldier came out of the water, he was blue! In a modern way I felt like the missionaries who had to break the ice at the river to perform baptisms! It was an epic experience. We dropped the visa waiters off in neighborhoods to proselyte and then we wrote soldiers. We then drove home at the end of the night. Sunday night it snowed! We had three to four inches of snow in our apartment complex! We got ready for the day and we drove to the other side of Columbia to pick up the visas in the office and Elders Riggs and Earl. We then had to drive to Cayce to pick up Elder Devitry. The roads were horrible. We were on the freeway and nobody else was on the freeway. At one point our windshield wiper froze, so we stopped our car in the middle of the Interstate (because nobody else was on it, and we did not worry about someone hitting us) so I could jump out and break off the ice. When we arrived at the office there was another email stating that another one of the visa waiters received his visa. This Elder, Elder Richens, was serving in Myrtle Beach! His flight would be on Wednesday.

Random story: We told one of the visa waiters, who was scheduled to fly out on Tuesday, that all flights were canceled (It was a joke) and that President McConkie had prayed to know what to do and that the spirit told him that we needed to do everything in our power to get them to Brazil. Their connection flight was in Dallas TX. We told this missionary that president gave us permission to drive all 8 of the missionaries in the mission van to TX. It was so funny. He was the last missionary we picked up and all the rest of the visa waiters knew about our joke and this Elder was so excited to go on a road trip to TX. It was great when we arrived at the mission home and finally told him that the flights had not been canceled and that he would be leaving in the morning. :)

Tuesday morning while the first visa waiters were getting ready in the morning, one of them read a slip of paper that came with their paper saying that they were allowed one suit case, not exceeding 44 pounds and a small pouch or backpack. This was new news for most of them. 15 minutes before we left for the airport to drop them off for their flights, they frantically got rid of two of the luggage cases and a whole bunch of stuff. Sister McConkie will be shipping it all home to their parents. It was a crazy morning. Luckily we got them all to the airport and they headed off to Brazil. We then dropped off the three remaining visa waiters (who were leaving on Wednesday) in Cayce. Elder Taylor and I drove to Florence where we met Elder Richens and Elder Koch (they are the two visa waiters who were serving in Myrtle Beach.) Even though Elder Koch did not have his visa, we thought it would be smart to bring him in close to Columbia just in case. After picking up the Elders we drove to the office to pick up Elder Richen's Visa. While we were in the office, we received another email. That's right, another VISA! Elder Koch's Visa was received in Salt Lake! :) I'm glad we brought him down to Columbia! That night we stayed at the McConkie's home and the next morning Elder Richens got dropped off at the airport at 4:00 am in the morning! It was early, then at 10:00 am we dropped off three more of the visa waiters. One of them was emotional. He really enjoyed his time in South Carolina. He has been doing missionary work in the Spanish language while he's been here. When I hugged him goodbye. He told me, "Train me how to be an English missionary and I'll stay. I will not get on that plane if I'm allowed to be your companion." It was a great compliment to receive. He will be a great missionary in Brazil. The following day we dropped Elder Koch off at the airport. Long story short, we went to the airport 4 times in 3 days. :) That was the majority of our week. Oh I almost forgot, Leslie Smith, we stopped at his house and we found him unconscious on the floor! We had to call 911. He is out of the hospital now, but that made our week even more hectic.

Transfers are happening on Wednesday. Nobody knows this yet, but I'm transferring up to the Grenville 1st ward. I am replacing sisters. The area they live in is not the best part of town, so I and my new trainee will be there instead! I'm excited to get out in the field and work this new missionary to death. Oh, with that piece of information, I will have my next preparation day not, Monday the 17th, but on the 24th of January. I will talk to you then!

Love,
Elder Cowan

Transfer Planning and District Interviews

Dear Family,

What a crazy week! I have not had time to formulate my thoughts and I need to leave for the temple in 15 minutes, so I will be very quick.

Monday was transfer planning. The inspiration was not flowing at all. We sat all day looking at the transfer board trying to figure out not only this transfer, but the next four transfers to prepare for the new mission president coming in July. You may say we were having a stupor of thought. It was quite frustrating.

Tuesday we started interviews! This year President McConkie wanted interviews to be a little different. The old way was to have the entire zone come in for a meeting, in which the assistants and the zone leaders train the first half of the day while President interviews. Half way through the day Sister McConkie would provide a large lunch for the entire zone. After lunch President would begin his sermon which normally lasted four hours. Needless to say, it would take all day. The new schedule is to have each district come in at different times throughout the day. When each district is done being interviewed, each district leaves as the next district arrives. This relieves President from training and Sister McConkie from making a big meal and our missionaries will spend less time in meetings and more time among the people!

Tuesday we had interviews with the Shilom Zone. Wednesday we had interviews with the Ishmael Zone. Thursday we had interviews with the Nephi Zone. As the interviews were taking place, I received a phone call from the mission secretary Sister Taylor. She called and informed me that five of  the missionaries, who have been temporarily assigned to our mission, had received their visas and that they are leaving on Tuesday! That was exciting and also sad for I will miss these elders.

Friday we had interviews with the Shemlon Zone. I received another phone call. Three more visas had arrived. This second group is leaving Wednesday. This throws off our second week of interviews and it has a major effect on transfers. This is why we had such a hard time planning transfers. :) The visa waiting missionaries are all meeting at the temple today to go through a session with President McConkie. We are going to be with all eight of them for the next couple of days until they leave.

I need to go find my white pants so I can make it to the temple on time!

Love,
Elder Cowan

Happy New Year!

Dear Family,

I know you want a update, but it's much harder writing as an assistant than as a normal missionary. There's a lot of running around. Not as many people I'm teaching. When I do have an opportunity to teach the gospel, it's normally not to someone in my area. I will do my best to fill you in.

21 December: Elder Taylor and I decided to surprise exchange one of our zone leaders. We drove up to Spartanburg, to find the zone leaders not at home. :) the zone leaders were off doing their job going on exchanges with individuals in their zone. We called them and told them where we were and they asked us to go on an exchange with the Simpsonville 1st Elders. We drove to Simpsonville and went out with the Elders. I had a good day with Elder Anderson. It was great to be in one of my old areas with one of my old companions. At the end of the evening, we drove to Seneca to go on an exchange with the zone leaders for the Greenville Zone.

22 December: It was great to be out among the people of Seneca. Elder Seamons and I visited one of Sister Black's converts. (Sister Black was the senior sister in Seneca when I was a district leader in Anderson.) Memories of the beginning of my mission flooded my memory while I was there. That evening we went to a less-active home and raked up their leaves. :) It was fun. The member showed up and she jumped in the pile of leaves! It was funny watching a grown women jump into a pile of leaves. We followed her example and jumped in the leaves as well! We then had a lesson with her and her unbaptized child. The lesson was great and at the end of the lesson the daughter committed to come to church and the mother accepted the invitation to come back to church. That evening we drove home to Columbia.

23 December: was a driving day. We woke up early that morning and we drove up to Myrtle Beach to go on an exchange with the zone leaders for that zone. (You may notice a little trend, every transfer we are supposed to go on an exchange with each of the zone leaders, but for the past two years, the assistants have not ever done it.) Normally the assistants will just visit the zone leaders in the Columbia area. I decided that I was going to budget my time so I could visit each of the zone leaders. As soon as we got to Myrtle Beach, Elder Taylor got out of the car to work with Elder Lund, while Elder Esplin and I got in the car and drove back the direction I had just come, to go to Florence for a baptismal interview. (The zone leaders were out of miles so Elder Esplin came in our car which has unlimited miles.) The interview went great; she is now a member of the church. After the interview, we drove back to Myrtle Beach. After we arrived in Myrtle Beach, we headed home with a few "stops" on the way. We stopped in Conway and Marion to deliver Christmas packages to the missionaries. I don't know why some parents decide not to send their packages through USPS because any other type cannot be forwarded. There were many missionaries who did not have their Christmas packages on Christmas. :( This is why Elder Taylor and delivered packages. Many of the missionaries were overwhelmed that they received their packages. It was a great evening.

24 December, Christmas Eve: Elder Taylor and I decided we were going to brighten some of our missionaries lives by taking them caroling! We picked up the West Columbia Zone in the large van and we drove them around to their investigators and sang Christmas songs! It was a great evening.

25 December: We decided we enjoyed the caroling so much that we did it again! This time we went with the Columbia Zone. Once again the night was filled with happy hymns celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

26 December: Elder Taylor, Sisters Bukowski and Moore and I taught Leslie Smith. Leslie has some health problems and learns really slowly. We taught him the Word of Wisdom and Law of Chastity. He is a sweet spirit. He accepted both laws. He had to give up tea and smoking (what a surprise--everyone smokes and drinks tea here!)

27 December: Elder Taylor and I were able to proselyte in our own area for a little bit. We saw Anthony Tyler again. He really enjoys the Book of Mormon. He continues to tell us, "This book was written for me." He does a great job applying the stories to his own life.

28 December was Zone Leader Council. It was a great meeting. We focused on the upcoming year. We set some new standards and plans to accomplish them.

29 and 30 of December: I can't remember a single thing I did those two days....

31 December: Yesterday we went on exchanges with the zone leaders in Columbia Zone. It was a great day. Elder Taylor went with Elder Stoneman, and I went with Elder Pack. At the end of the exchange, Elder Pack really shocked me with a comment. He said, "there are two missionaries that have had the greatest impact on my mission." He paused for a moment then continued, "You are one of those missionaries." It was probably the greatest compliment I've received on my mission. I'm not sure I deserve it and I had no idea how to respond. All that came to my head was "what?" I finally gathered my senses and thanked him and gave him some counsel for his zone. After the exchange, we went over to the mission home for President McConkie's birthday! (Bruce R. McConkie never celebrated birthdays, neither do his children, including my mission president.) He had a nice dinner and that's it. He does not enjoy presents or parties. After dinner we sat in his living room and talked. It was a great evening.
Well this has been laborious to write, so I'm going to close for now. I love life. It seems to fly by too quickly, but I'm going to hold on and enjoy the ride!

Love,
Elder Cowan

Companions with Elder Taylor Again!

Dear Family,

After the long wait, I have the awaited transfer information....My New Companion is ELDER TAYLOR! Yes the same Elder Taylor who I trained in Anderson, Yes, the same Elder Taylor I served with as zone leader companions in Camden, Yes, he is now my companion in the calling as Assistants to the President. :D Life sure is crazy! It made me laugh when President told me. Right after the prayer was given to begin transfer planning, President stood up and said, I know who my next Assistant is going to be. It's Elder Taylor. I couldn't tell if he was joking. I informed him that I would love to serve with him again, but I had already served with him twice. To this he responded "You have? When?" It had completely slipped his mind. On to the week. I am out of time.

Monday, Elder Tran and I were informed that the new missionaries were coming in at 5:00 pm. We were working in the office preparing for the transfers and new missionaries when the office sister, Sister Taylor, informed us that the flight had been delayed and the new missionaries missed their second flight. The new arrival time was 11:50 p.m. :) It really was a blessing in disguise because we had too much stuff we needed to get done before transfers and we were not able to do it the week before because we were traveling the mission. We picked up the new missionaries and they were tired from their flight, but very excited to be here. The new missionaries were really funny. They were afraid to laugh or do anything out of line. I remember coming in the mission home and being very careful to not give President the wrong first impression. They will all be great missionaries. We trained the new missionaries on Tuesday.

Wednesday was transfers. Things were hectic like usual. Elder Tran is now training one of the new missionaries down in Charleston. I can't remember Thursday. :) Friday we were in the office figuring out a new deal with Sprint. We then went to the Windsor Lake Christmas Party. It was great to be there.

Saturday we cleaned the office Elders' apartment. We completed some more work with Sprint, then we went to Ft. Jackson for a social for all the AIT soldiers. It was great. There was food and games for the soldiers.

We are preparing for the the Christmas zone conference. The missionaries are going to perform talents then we are going to play volleyball and do other fun activities. It's going to be fun, but tiring doing it in every zone. I will be tired by the end of the week. I can't believe Christmas is here. I need to apologize to Justin; I have not gotten his birthday letter in the mail. I will do it today.

Tomorrow will be the last day at Basic Training before exodus. They will not be back until the second week of January. Sundays are going to be so different without the base. It will be good though. This will be my last transfer as an assistant. It will prepare me when I train a new missionary my last transfer. I hope all is well. Merry Christmas! I love you all!

Love,
Elder Cowan

"Save the Souls of Man"

Dear Family,

What an exciting week! Thursday was great with all of the feasts that we were able to go to. In the morning, before we went to President and Sister McConkie's home, we stopped at the office to do some office work. While I was sitting at the computer working away, I received a phone call from a lady who was in search of a bishop. She told me she needed to speak to a bishop about getting some food. As I tried asking her some questions, she became a little defensive and she would not give me her name. I told her I needed to know where she lived in order to know which Bishop she should contact. She didn't even want to tell me where she lived, but finally she told me she was located at Barbara Dr. & Two Notch Road. I told her I needed a minute to look it up on the internet to find her location. This unnamed lady was not very excited with the idea that I would put her on hold. Finally, she agreed and I typed her information into the computer. By the time I found the address and which ward it was in, I tried to talk to her on the phone, but it was too late. She had already hung up. I felt bad I wasn't able to help her more, but from the abruptness and the rude way she spoke, I don't think she was very humble and not really "in need" as she stated. If she were "in need" she would have waited while I looked up the information. Anyway, I will return to this random phone call later.

We went to the McConkie's home and that was the best Thanksgiving food I have ever had! It was sad that it was our first stop of the day. After eating Sister McConkie's food, the other two dinners did not excite me. :) After dinner at the McConkie's home, we went to John Crew's apartment for round number two. We had a fun time visiting with the Crew family and also with the sisters who also serve in the Windsor Lake Ward. After the second dinner, we started to drive back into Columbia. While I was driving, I realized we were on Two Notch Road. I had the thought pop in my head, "look up Barbara Dr. and Two Notch Rd." I followed the prompting and had Elder Tran look it up. When the GPS located our position, we were crossing the intersection of Barbara Dr. and Two Notch Road. It was too late to turn. Also, we had the sisters following us to Sister Drake's house for our third dinner. The thought came in my head, "you need to go back." I tried to brush the thought away, but then it came again, "you need to go back." I then began to rationalize with myself saying "the sisters will get lost if we do not show them the way to Sister Drake's house." I also thought, "we are going to be late to our dinner if I turn back around."  I was having this battle in my head when I turned to Elder Tran and I asked him, "Why is it so hard to follow the Spirit? I feel we need to turn around, but I'm not sure if it's just my own thought or the spirit prompting me." Elder Tran looked at me for a moment and said, "turn around." I decided to follow his counsel and we called the sisters and told them to continue ahead of us. We gave them the best directions we could, then turned around. As we began driving back to Barbara Dr. and Two Notch Rd, the thought came to me, "turn left." I decided to test this thought by first asking Elder Tran. I said, "Now the question is, which direction are we going to go when we reach the intersection?" "I feel we need to turn left," he said. "Really? I was actually thinking the same thing." When we reached the intersection, Barbara Dr was on our left and to the right the road had changed names! This boosted my confidence that we were being led by the spirit. As we drove down the street, we noticed a hotel and there were quite a few people standing outside. Elder Tran told me to turn in, so I turned. As we scanned the group, their was a US army soldier in his ACU (uniform). We pulled off to the side and began to talk to the man. He had just finished basic training at Ft. Jackson and we was headed to Georgia for AIT. We were able to teach him briefly about the gospel and he committed to attend church the following Sunday down in Georgia! After speaking to him, Elder Tran and I felt like we had done what the spirit needed us to do, so we drove to our dinner appointment. I will never know what will happen to that soldier, but I know the Lord was behind us meeting him: the phone call in the morning, the Holy Ghost bringing to my remembrance that address right as we were driving passed the intersection, Elder Tran and I serving on the Fort Jackson military post (the only two missionaries in the entire state who even begin to understand what they go through in basic and being able to understand what he had just completed). It was no coincidence. I am continuing to learn how to follow the spirit. Wow, that is a long story and I have not even finished the first day! We had a great dinner with Sister Drake; she is so funny. I hope y'all will be able to meet her someday.

Friday we drove to Charleston for a two day specialized training meeting. The meeting lasted the entire day, then we visited some of Elder Tran's converts in Charleston. That evening we slept on the floor of some Elders' apartment. Saturday was day two with the Charleston Zone. It was great.

Sunday we attended the base. I taught the discussion group. I did not do a very good job. I ran out of time. I was not able to cover everything I wanted. Even with the unfinished lesson, I knew I had to invite the class to be baptized. I was a little nervous, but I invited all to be baptized. One soldier, Brother Soli, shot his hand right up. It was a testimony that the spirit converts--not my teaching skills. It also reaffirmed the need for missionaries to be bold. One cannot fulfill his purpose of bringing souls unto Christ without inviting them to do so. Brother Soli is planning to be baptized tomorrow.

Monday was office work. Tuesday and Wednesday we had the two day specialized zone meeting in Florence. Thursday and Friday we had the same meeting in Greenville. This morning we finished transfer planning, and then had a bunch of random stuff we had to do. One of the things we did was scan a giant pencil drawing into the computer. I am attaching the file so you can see. It's an amazing picture. Elder Tran is going to be transferred. As a last hurrah, we went to a Vietnamese restaurant. I had pho. Elder Tran talks about it all of the time. It was a great experience. I am going to miss Elder Tran. I wish I could tell you who my next companion is. I will tell you next week! I know this work is true. I love my life. Let us all "Save the souls of man."

Love,
Elder Cowan

Amazing and Exhausting Week

Dear Family,

What an amazing week! I will be completely honest, I am exhausted. I've never had such a difficult time staying awake. On Sunday at church, Sister Drake was confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was not there to witness it because we were at the Ft. Jackson military post. On post we had another baptism and confirmation, Brother Gee. It was great. I also met a soldier named Brother Brandt. Brother Brandt is amazing. He is so in tune to the spirit. Brother Brandt watched the baptism and confirmation of Brother Gee. Brother Brandt has committed to be baptized next week. :) I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Ft. Jackson Military Post. After the services were over on the military post, all the missionaries gathered together to update each other on what was accomplished during the two hours on post. As we shared who was getting baptized next week, we noticed that there is a potential of 5 baptisms next week. The Lord is truly blessing our efforts on the post. I am so grateful that our Father in Heaven is sending his prepared children to the military post.

When we left the military post, we drove straight over to the Windsor Lake Ward, like usual, and we were able to catch the end of Priesthood. Then we had the baptism of John Crew. Also, Greg Rosado, the young man the sisters have been teaching (they've had Elder Tran and I come and teach quite a bit because Gregg responds better to men) was baptized as well! It was an amazing day. We also had one of our new investigators attend church and the baptismal service. Her name is Barbara. As she attended the baptismal service, she felt the spirit very strongly. I am excited to continue to work with her. John is planning to be confirmed this upcoming Sunday.

Sunday night we had a missionary fireside. We had a recent convert and her missionary come up and they both shared their testimonies concerning the conversion process. It was very sweet. I love listening to recent converts share their testimony. They are so full of the spirit and are willing to do anything for the Church.

Monday I was in the office for the first half of the day and the second half we went to the mission home to do transfer planning. It was a spiritual experience as we prayed and planned together where missionaries should go and who they should serve with. We were led by the spirit and were able to have transfers planned faster than President has ever had before.

Monday night we stayed up late putting together a DVD that would have all of the "I am a Mormon" profiles from Mormon.org. We were at the office until two in the morning. We then had a specialized leadership meeting with the Nephi and Ishmael Zones Tuesday morning starting at 9:00 a.m.. We were up by 6:00 a.m. The meeting was great, it lasted 8 hours, by the end of it Elder Tran and I were very tired. During the meeting, President McConkie stated over the podium that all missionaries would receive a copy of the DVD that we had made for President to show during his training. Tuesday night we were at the office until 12:00 and Elder Tran and I were falling asleep at the computer, so we decided to go home for the evening, and come back the following day.

We woke up at 5:00 and drove to the office. We completed all the DVD's just in time to get to the church at 9:00 for the meeting. Elder Tran and I were so tired. We struggled staying awake throughout the trainings. What was worse, was that all the missionaries could see us as we sat up front. Overall, the meeting was really good. I felt we focused on the 8 points that the missionary department has asked us to work on.

After the meeting, we went to the office to grab a few things and I noticed in my little slot that I had an envelope addressed to me. I grabbed it quickly and tore it open. I was really excited; I knew what it was. It was my father's conversion story. I did not have time right then to read it because President McConkie was having difficulties with his laptop at the mission home. We drove over to the mission home and we fixed the computer (it wasn't even broken, President was just hitting the wrong button :) ) and then we had dinner with President and Sister McConkie. Mother, if you ever want new recipes, ask Sister McConkie. She makes the best food. I am excited to go over to their home in a couple of hours and eat all of their food!

When we arrived home last night I began to read father's conversion story. I was doing well, up until Brother Genet spoke to dad. I could not hold back my tears of gratitude for that man and all of the Mormon students at the school. It was a very spiritual experience. I wrote in my journal my feelings from reading my father's experience. I have an even greater desire to give my all and if it's Heavenly Father's will, to help a young "Mike" who will grow up strong in the gospel and one day have sons who are eternally grateful, like I am, that my Father joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Well, that's the update for now. I am creating DVD's for all of the missionaries as I write this email. Hopefully, I will have them all done for the rest of the meetings we will be having the rest of this week and all of next week! I can't believe how fast time is going! Elder Tran and I realized that today is our 21 month mark! I have been and will continue to give my all until I have accomplished everything the Lord would have me do here in South Carolina.

Love,
Elder Cowan

Lots of Miles and Miracles!

Dear Family,

Eight Hundred and twelve. This is the number of miles I have traveled in the past six days. :) Life sure is busy. Monday we traveled to Union with President McConkie for a specialized district meeting, Tuesday we drove to Sumter for a specialized district meeting. After the meeting, we went over to President's home and watched a video in Preach My Gospel and discussed it for his meeting he had to go to Wednesday-Saturday.

With President out of town, Elder Tran and I decided we would go on exchanges with all of the zone leaders throughout the mission. :) We were not able to visit all of the zone leaders, but we got pretty close. On Wednesday, I went with Elder Pack in Camden while Elder Tran took Elder Ernst down to our proselyting area in Columbia. Elder Pack and I visited one of my former investigators, Trish Helton, and we had a great lesson with her. The reason I had dropped her while I was in Camden was because we simply lost all contact with her. When we stopped by on Wednesday, Trish explained that she had to move unexpectedly when I was serving in Camden. It was a miracle that she moved back and we came by again to see her. :) At the end of the lesson, both Trish and her daughter, Dasney, committed to come to church and they both want to be baptized on December 11! It was great to see them so excited to meet with the missionaries again.

Wednesday night we met up with Elders Pack and Ernst and Elder Tran and I drove down to Charleston. Thursday morning, Elder Tran went with Elder Peery, while I was planning to serve with Elder Stoneman for the day. Elder Stoneman is a Spanish missionary, so while he was studying Spanish in the morning with his usual companion, Elder Williams and I went proselyting with Elder Peery's normal companion, who's name incidentally is Elder Williams also. I was only with Elder Williams for one hour, but during that hour we found an inactive member who wants to go back to church. It would have been easy for Elder Williams and I to wait in the apartment while the Spanish missionaries were studying, but because we decided to use our time effectively, the Lord blessed us to cross paths with this sister who really needs help at this time. After they finished studies, the two Elder Williams went with each other and I worked with Elder Stoneman. I really enjoy serving with the zone leaders. They are all so focused and committed to fulfilling their responsibilities. Elder Stoneman and I found one young man who wants to be baptized. We also had a miracle, Elder Stoneman has been working with a lady and she recently attended a baptism, and she really wants to get baptized, but the Elders thought she was living with her boyfriend. As we taught her the Plan of Salvation, she told us she was not living with her boyfriend! Because she is living the commandments and she has a sincere desire, we decided to baptize her right then and there in the creek.....ok maybe not, but we moved her baptismal date up two weeks! :) At the end of the evening, Elder Tran and I got back together and drove up through Columbia and kept on driving all the way to Spartanburg. We got there late at night.

Friday, I served with Elder Lund in my old area in Spartanburg. We had a great day. We taught seven lessons and they now have four more investigators with a set baptismal date! We also went to a sister's baptism and I was volunteered to play the piano. :D It was great to be at the baptism. I was able to see the Baker family. I love the Bakers. Sister Baker told me that she reads the blog, so I'm sending out a shout out for the Bakers: I LOVE YOU GUYS! :D

Friday night Elder Tran and I got back together and we drove to Seneca to visit the other zone leaders on the other side of Greenville. We stayed the night with them last night, but Elder Tran and I remembered that we had not interviewed John Crew for baptism. We decided to leave early this morning. As we walked out to the car, both Elder Tran and I pulled out keys to drive the car. As we did this we realized, that I had a pair of keys that did not belong to us! The keys belonged to the Elders in Spartanburg! We drove back to Spartanburg, dropped off the keys, then drove home. :) It's been a crazy week and next week is going to be even more crazy! President just called us during his break at his mission president seminar and he told Elder Tran and I to organize zone conferences all throughout next week so he can quickly visit all of the missionaries and have them immediately apply what he is learning. :) Life is great! John Crew is getting interviewed tonight, Sister Drake is getting confirmed at church tomorrow, and we should have two baptisms on the Ft. Jackson military post. I love my life and I hope you love yours!

Love,
Elder Cowan

Grateful for Plan of Salvation and Eternal Marriage

Dear Family,
"Congratulations!" "Have a wonderful life together," "You two should have done this a long time ago," these were the type of remarks I heard all morning. This is because John Crew and Vivian Thomas were married!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D It was very exciting to be present for such a momentous day in both of their lives. It was fun and I am so excited for them to continue to progress in the gospel and be sealed in the temple next year! :) It really hit me when in the ceremony Bishop Strickland stated, "which covenant will last throughout the remained of their mortal lives." It really stuck out to me. I am so grateful that I have been blessed with a knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and know what will take place after the grave. I am also grateful that accompanied by this knowledge we are blessed to live in a time where temples dot the entire earth. All those who have a desire to receive the greatest of all of God's blessings are having the opportunity and access to go the temple.

In preparation for the wedding, we were asked to provide the cake. :) This was quite the experience. Luckily, John and Viv were not interested in a tier cake.  All they asked us to make was a fruit pizza. Fruit pizza is made by taking sugar cookie dough and making a big pizza crust, and then you cook it, and then you put cream cheese on top, smother the whole thing with powder sugar, and then top with sliced fruit, and then sprinkle with powder sugar on top! Elder Tran and I decided to make it last night, but our first attempt failed miserably. Both Elder Tran and I forgot about the cookie dough cooking, so we burnt it really bad. :) This morning we ran back to Walmart and grabbed some more cookie dough and this time we decided to form the dough into a giant heart. It worked out perfectly. And it passed the delicious test. Within Five minutes of bringing out the cake, it was all gone! :) Success. John Crew is getting baptized on The 20th of November.

On to the second star for the week! Bo Hyon Drake. Sister Drake is from South Korea. She is the nicest lady in the world. Every time we come over to her house, she makes us food. We always tell her that we do not need the food, but she insists until we submit to her wishes. Sister Drake loves Jesus Christ. Her greatest desire is to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We have been teaching Sister Drake and she accepted the invitation to be baptized! Sister Drake quit smoking and drinking coffee just because we told her it was a commandment. Sister Drake reminds me of the scripture in Alma Chapter 32:16, "Blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is [she] that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe." Yesterday Sister Drake was interviewed by President McConkie and was found worthy to be baptized! Her baptismal service is scheduled for tomorrow right after church, then she will be confirmed next week during sacrament; the same time John will be confirmed! The Lord is truly blessing us. It's because Elder Tran is the coolest missionary ever!

The rest of the week went as follows:
Monday: In the office during the morning. We had a specialized training meeting with the Newberry District in the evening. I've always know President is inspired, but Monday was really cool. A missionary has been struggling and I didn't agree with the way it was being handled, but in the end, President saved the day. It was humbling to see the Spirit of the Lord work through President McConkie.

Tuesday: Elder Tran and I were "volunteered" (more like "volun-told" as they say it in the army) to clean out the storage unit. It was an all day process. It's still is not perfect, but it is 100 times better than it was when we first got there.

Wednesday: During the morning we had Correlation with Brother Edwards. In the afternoon we had a Specialized Training meeting with the Downtown Columbia District. The meeting was really good. After the meeting we drove to Sumter to swap one of the new cars with a car that was sold this week. Sumter was the half way point between Marion (where the old car was and us, with the new car).

Thursday Elder Tran and I had the opportunity to proselyte the entire day! In case any of you wanted my opinion on black lights, I feel they are of the devil. Every time I have met someone who owns one, they always have an evil spirit about them. We met a man who had a very contentious spirit and his entire house was lit by black lights.

Friday : We began the day with a Post Development meeting. We were honored to have two chaplains attend our meeting. They both spoke about their experiences in the army and also gave us background info about basic training. I feel I will be able to relate better to the soldiers now that I have learned more about them. The rest of the day was tracting!

I hope all is well with all of you! I love each of you and keep being examples to those around you!
Love,
Elder Cowan
CPTP

"We are always on the move!"

Dear Family,

I have no idea how or what I should share in this email. Things are just crazy! We are always on the move. 

Monday we filled out reports for the mission and then at 3:00 p.m. we began our Zone Leader Council. The meeting was really good. I hope and pray all the zones will succeed in the month of November. We had a very good month of October: 65 baptisms in the mission. I hope and pray we will be able to be consistent in our missionary efforts!

Tuesday we were able to proselyte! :) We were able to visit some of our investigators. I love being able to teach. These people are great! I love sharing the gospel.

Wednesday we had a specialized Training meeting in Florence. As I arrived, I recognized that the majority of the missionaries who were serving in the district are my posterity! Elder Taylor (my son) is the district leader, he is training Elder Carlisle (my grandson) and there is also another companionship Elder Caldwell (my grandson) who is training Elder Hinckley (my great grandson) :) It was great to visit all of them and give them some training on how to improve as a missionary. After the meeting, Elder Tran and I went on an exchange with the district. I went with Elder Taylor Elder Carlisle while Elder Tran went with Caldwell and Hinckley. The lord blessed us to have much success in the short time we were there. Elder Taylor, Elder Carlisle, and I were able to find a man and put him on date. The lesson was really good. Elder Tran was able to help the other companionship firm up two of their investigators. By the end of their lesson, the man who had been smoking crushed his cigarette's and he and his girlfriend poured out their alcohol and set a date to get married! 

On Thursday morning Elder Tran and I took a missionary to the airport. After serving for 23 months he is now back home. After that, we traveled to Elgin to complete a similar specialized training meeting with that district. We are finding that missionaries are not role playing very often and it is negatively affecting their ability to teach. The meeting was centered around fixing this problem. Thursday night we traveled to Spartanburg to stay the night there in preparation for the SDM (specialized district meeting) we would be having in Greeenville the following day.

On Friday we had two meetings right after the other. One with the Spanish district and then one with the Boiling Springs District. (Random note--Before the Spanish meeting, I realized that one missionary knows Becca and Tara from BYU-Idaho and another Elder knows Cherry. What a small world--to think that all three of us would be in Greenville South Carolina was so weird!) Yesterday evening we traveled down to Columbia and visited with a lady who just got baptized. The sister had been working with her, but the sisters were having a difficult time trying to get the 14 year old son to progress. They asked if we would come to see if he could relate to an elder better. We taught him and he is a very sharp young man. Before we left, he accepted a baptismal date in two weeks. I love this work and I love each of you!

Love ya!
Elder Cowan

Crazy Adventures of First Few Days as Assistant

Dear Family,
I forgot to inform you last week that with the new assignment to be President McConkie's Assistant, I have a different preparation day than the rest of the mission! My preparation day is on Saturdays. Thus this is the reason you are receiving a letter from me today! I have no idea where to begin. This has been the craziest adventure! I've enjoyed every moment of it, but I'm on my toes because I am not sure what is going to happen next. There is never a dull moment when assisting in the upkeep of a mission.

It all began on Wednesday. At transfer meeting, President McConkie was up at the stand and he announced at the pulpit that two missionaries would be serving together. The only problem was that one of those missionaries was not informed that he was being transferred, so he was still in Greenville--two hours away. I knew right away that this was going to cause a problem, which I will discuss further later. At the end of the transfer meeting, President announced that Elder Poll was being released as his assistant to train a new missionary and that I would be Elder Tran's new companion. I was shocked by the amount of people in the audience who were so excited by this news. Throughout the transfer meeting everyone is relatively quiet, but when the President announced my new responsibility, there were many who voiced there opinions with "Yes," "Elder Cowan!" and other comments. I was nervous for my new assignment, but it was a relief to hear the sounds of so many missionaries who will support me in this assignment.

After the meeting, all the missionaries left except the departing missionaries and the two companionships who were waiting for the companionship from Greenville to drive down to transfers. We all drove over to the mission office so President McConkie could conduct his departing interviews. Two of the missionaries, while waiting, decided that they were going to send their packages off that they had carelessly "forgotten" to send home on their preparation day. These two missionaries were only supposed to be gone for one hour, but they were gone for three. The rest of the departing missionaries had to leave for the mission home to quickly eat dinner and prepare for the temple. I was left at the mission office to wait for the two missionaries who were mailing packages home. Anyways, the day got all messed up and Elder Tran ended up taking the departing missionaries to the temple, while President and Sister McConkie drove to the airport to pick up a sister missionary who has been serving at the Salt Lake Temple Square mission for the past year. While they were doing their activities, I was left at the mission home with the two missionaries who were supposed to drive back up to Greenville.

Wednesday evening: The departing missionaries came back from the temple and President gave them all some advice about returning home. Then we watched the departure video which is a slide show of pictures from all the missionaries going home. Afterward, the missionaries were all nervous about going home that next day, so they stayed up late and then we finally went to bed. The next morning we drove them to the airport and there was a 12 passenger pileup on the freeway, so the departing missionaries missed their flight. :( This is the first time that departing missionaries have missed their flight. :S They put them on a new flight which was supposed to leave 10 hours later. We watched them go through security and then we left. Elder Tran and I had to gather up a bike for the Salt Lake Temple square missionary and then we went to the office to do some paper work, but then we received a call from President that we needed to pick up the departing missionaries because they missed their second flight as well! We picked them up and stayed another night at the mission home with the departing missionaries. We woke up at 4:00 in the morning yesterday to help the missionaries leave and this time they made it on the plane. :) We then drove the mission van and trailer back to the mission office to pick up our car. During the night, someone broke into our car! :) We had to leave our car there, call the senior couple in the office and tell them to fill out the police report, and Elder Tran and I drove up to Camden with the Fullmers (senior couple who serves at the Ft. Jackson base) for our Post Development Meeting. Following that meeting, we got in the car with President and Sister McConkie and drove to Myrtle Beach where we had a Specialized District Development Meeting. Then we drove to Conway and had another Specialized DDM and then we drove back to Columbia! It was great spending five hours in the car with President and Sister McConkie. I am able to get to know them personally. It's such a great blessing to be around them. They truly are spiritual giants.

Today We woke up and spent all our day working on President computer. It works now and we now have to find an apartment to move into! Life is an adventure! I love the gospel and I love each of you!

Love,
Elder Cowan

Assistant to President McConkie

Dear Family,

What a week. I am not sure what to think. Many things have occurred this past week and I received transfer information, but I will tell everything in sequential order. Last Monday was extremely busy because we had to fill out a sheet from the missionaries in our zone. This report was necessary for our zone interviews which took place on Friday. The forms took up the entire day.

Tuesday and Wednesday were normal work days up until we received a phone call Wednesday night from the assistants. They told us to be down in Irmo the next day with enough room for two missionaries and all their luggage. I was so confused because transfers were happening the next week. Elder Ernst and I discussed the situation and we both felt like the missionaries that would be coming to Camden were brand new missionaries. We discussed how to train them to be the best missionaries. The next morning, Brother Dent brought Elder Ernst and I down to Irmo and there were 12 other missionaries who had no idea why they were there as well. President brought us in and told us that there were 12 missionaries who were called to serve in Brazil who do not have their visas yet, so they have been re-assigned here until their visas arrive. From Thursday afternoon until now, I have been serving with Elder Earl. Elder Earl is from San Diego and he is a great missionary. He and Elder Riggs (Elder Ernst's companion) are having culture shock. They have just spent nine weeks in the MTC learning Portuguese and now they are fighting anti preachers instead of fighting the jungle of Brazil. :)

On Saturday we received transfer calls. Elder Ernst was on the phone and I heard him say, "Oh Elder Cowan is leaving as well?" After that Elder Ernst passed me the phone and it was President McConkie. President asked me about my extension. He said he was going to do everything in his power to help me receive an extension. He then asked me to be his Assistant. I am shocked. President McConkie never calls someone to be an Assistant when they only have three transfers left. I am humbled and very, very nervous. I will do my best to fulfill those serious responsibilities. I need to go. With four missionaries now using the same computer, we run out of time in half the time! Thanks for all the support. I love you all!

Love,

Elder Cowan

Meetings, Exchanges, Teaching

Dear Family,

I don't have time to write. I had to fill out information about the missionaries serving in the Ishmael Zone. I will have to be very brief. Monday was preparation day. Tuesday we attended the Windsor Lake District Development Meeting. President also surprised us and came with the assistants. It was a great meeting. After the meeting, Elder Ernst and I blitzed the Spanish Elders area for the day.

Wednesday, we attended the Elgin District Development Meeting. We had a great meeting and then we went on a mini exchange with the Elgin Elders, Elder Hightower, and Elder Hancock. I went to Elgin and worked with Elder Hightower. It was great to be with him again. It reminded me of Spartanburg.

On Thursday, we had an exchange with the assistants. I went to Columbia with Elder Tran. I helped President and Elder Tran conduct a District Development Meeting similar to the one that I was at on Monday and then we proselyted for the rest of the day. Elder Tran is an amazing teacher. We found many new investigators. One came to church and also attended a baptism this weekend. It was a great experience because the lady was depressed when we first met her and Elder Tran told us today that she wants to be baptized and that she never has felt as happy as she did attending church and the baptism which was immediately afterward.

Friday, we taught a lot of people. Saturday was a little slower day, but we worked all day to get someone to church. At the end of the day, we turned it over to the Lord. We had worked hard. Sunday, Elder Tran and Elder Poll had two baptisms at the Base. I taught the first lesson to the large group who are attending for the first time. I still feel like Dan Jones when I'm up there declaring that the Restoration has occurred. :) Unfortunately, none of the soldiers raised their hands to be baptized at the end. But there was one soldier who came up to me immediately after the meeting and asked for a copy of the Book of Mormon. I wrote him a letter this week; hopefully, he will ponder on the things that I have shared with him and that he will be baptized in the up coming weeks!

When we got to Camden, we did not have any of our investigators to church, but right before the sacrament began, Debra walked into the chapel and sat down in the row in front of us! She really enjoyed it, but she came to our service immediately after her services. She was tired of sitting for so long, so she was not able to attend Sunday School or Relief Society. We will continue to work with her.

There's our week! I hope you all have a great week and that everything will go well with all of the activities! I love you all!
Love,
Elder Cowan