SDSU YSA: Bang!!

Well.... I am trying to pick up the pieces of my mind that were just blown... So... Ryan?? Married?? I'm still trying to decide if this is real life or just a joke... haha well dang! I guess I'll miss that one... haha oh well! I commanded Ryan that he is REQUIRED to keep me up to date on everything that happens and details.  I loved the Pictures of Nathan, Scarlett, and Hazel all Easter'd up! I showed some missionaries around me the "Rowbury Cheeks" Everyone says that Nathan and I look the same.  It is pretty funny.

     

Mitch is a Recent Convert from Las Vegas.  He was going to San Diego State playing football but they let him go a few days ago because he is planning on serving a mission.  But on the bright side He gets to spend more time with us doing missionary work! :) He is pretty great! His excitement for the Gospel is so infectious! The Ward loves having him here!  

This last week was awesome! We Had an awesome Easter! It started with the MCRD both of my Recruits that I have been working a lot with are both in Phase two up at Camp Pendalton so I was trying to find another recruit to work with. Lo and behold, another awesome recruit falls into my lap!  He is really quiet and humble but so ready to learn.  He is in his Final Phase and preparing to go into something called the Crucible in a couple of weeks which is where the recruits use all the knowledge and training they have received and it culminates with "the Reaper" which is this brutal hike with a heavy pack, limited food, water and sleep.  So, I met with him kinda just talked about what he has learned so far and taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We were able to set a goal for him to be baptized May 4th a few days after the Reaper and he is a graduated Marine! it is so exciting! I have to get someone to interview him this next week so he will be ready. So that was cool!

    

Yesterday we decided to try to see an investigator we had added a few weeks ago and his brother who was the real person we were looking for.  Their names are Angel and Omar.  So we showed up to their place, and Omar answers and he is way down to be taught.  when we asked if Angel around he was like, "Yeah, let me go get him!"  so we met Angel and he is way cool.  He had met with the sister missionaries while they were teaching his girlfriend and he wanted to learn more! So we are talking and give him a Book of Mormon and show him the story of the Stripling Warriors and he was pretty interested so we asked him if there was another time we could come by and teach him and his brother. and he said something like, "Well, I am pretty busy this next week.  I don't know... not friday... well, hmm... how about right now?" So we just ran with it! Yeah we would love to meet with you right now and teach you all about how awesome the Gospel is! haha So we sit down in their room and teach him all about prophets and the Restoration and they both love it! So we asked them if they would "follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone who holds the Priesthood authority of God." and Angel is all like, "Yeah!" Omar thought about it for a little while and came to the same conclusion.  It was a super cool miracle to have met the two of them. Especially because Angel was supposed to be at work but he didn't end up going that day for some reason.  

So that was something really cool that happened this past week! so yeah! Busy week though! we had a really fun activity idea for the YSAs to bring their friends to.  We are calling it an "Apptivity Night" where we set up different rooms in the Institute as different smart phone apps like angry birds, cut the rope, tetris, etc.  One of my personal favorites was the Facebook room where there will be socializing and index cards so you can write your testimony and post it on a wall! I thought it was a fun idea that you might get a kick out of. Anyway, I love you all and hope to hear from you next week! 

Love,

Elder Ethan John Rowbury

SDSU YSA: Easter is coming!

First off, I put the ticket on my credit card not my debit card. I honestly don't know if those accounts are connected or what but if it makes a difference then I put the ticket on the credit card just so you know. :) haha  I put the mission address on the ticket.  I have no clue where you all live now so I gave the only address I knew.  haha Connor and I email back and forth every week so we stay in pretty close contact.  All he sent me this last week was a sentence in Portuguese.  Last week he ended his email in Portuguese but luckily I had someone next to me who was waiting for their visa to Brazil so I could understand it.  Sounds like he is enjoying himself! :)

     

The Speculation is true! In June we will be getting a new Mission President.  His name is President Schmitt.  He is really young (like 43 or something) and is bringing like 4 kids with him.  He is a Lawyer and his wife is a practicing medical doctor.  So it will be a big change but it should be really cool to see what he will bring to the mission field!

     

By popular demand, Elder New is from Las Cruces New Mexico (Where New Mexico State University is located).  He enjoyed playing basketball, swimming, and long walks on the beach with his dog named Luke... Maybe that last part was a lie but I don't know what to say about him other than if you put Justin Karoly as my companion then you would basically see what is going on. haha  I haven't told him that he reminds me of him but there is a crazy resemblance at times!  He is an awesome missionary! It is funny because I remember being around Justin just after he had come home from his mission and thinking, "I hope one day I have a companion on my mission like him."  Well, I got my wish! haha He is great though I'm sure pictures will come shortly.

     

This week there wasn't anything too crazy.  We have of course seen some cool miracles though coming from challenges given that were inspired by Elder Ballard's talk in the Sunday Morning session of Conference.  We asked 3 separate members to apply principles of Preach my Gospel to their missionary efforts and a really cool one happened with one of our member's named Gary Cookson (his family is from Carmichael by the way. Do we know them? they know the Smiths and Hills!)  We challenged Gary to use the Book of Mormon in his missionary efforts and to read Preach My Gospel chapter 5.  It wasn't even 24 hours before one of his friends asked him, "So, what is the Book of Mormon anyway?"  he was of course, a little taken back by his friend's question. haha It is always so cool to see the Lord provide us with opportunities to share the gospel with those around us! 

   

I received news that Recruit Johnson was able to be baptized this last Sunday which was really cool! Even though I wasn't able to be there, I am so proud of him and so glad the all went well.  I have been working with another Recruit from UT who grew up with the church in his life but never saw the importance to be baptized.  Since being in Boot Camp, he has since decided that he needed that extra strength in his life.  He is awesome and has become a close friend of mine.  He is only 17 and the process would be difficult for us to get his parents permission so we set a date for him to be baptized May 4th, the day after his 18th birthday.  Unfortunately, his baptism falls in his second phase as well up at Camp Pendalton so I won't be able to see him be baptized either which is a bummer. But, I am still super proud of him and excited for him to be baptized!

     

That is about all I got for my week! Tell me how your Easter goes! hope you have fun! And don't forget that I get to call you soon! :) 

Love,

     Elder Ethan John Rowbury

SDSU YSA: We Thank Thee Oh God For a Prophet!

Wasn't Conference Awesome!!!!! I actually didn't see Scotty in the Choir.  I did see a TON of LP kids in the UVU choir including Lauren who was in my Chamber choir Quartet my Junior year and also Taren Pew's little sister.  This time we watched all the sessions at church buildings.  Well, actually I guess that is a lie.  we didn't get to see the Sunday Morning Session yet because we were at the MCRD and had a regular fast and testimony meeting so we were some of the only people in the world that got the Sacrament during Conference weekend! :)

This Sunday at the MCRD was eventful. I am teaching a kid named Recruit Johnson and I met him a few weeks ago.  The first time we met it was on that day where we had like 4 times as many visitors show up than normal so I met with him with another recruit really briefly.  He seemed interested then but we just didn't have much time to see how truly anxious he was to be baptized! haha So when I met with him the following week (2 Sundays ago) while we were talking he was just loving everything that was taught and we started talking about baptism and his face lit up.  Once I noticed his face I asked him, "Do you want to be baptized?..."  he replied, "Yeah! I really do.  Ever since I walked through those doors I have wanted to be baptized."  I was shocked! haha He had felt the Spirit so strong just by walking through the doors of the auditorium where this small branch meets that he knew that it was the true gospel of Jesus Christ.  So  we set a date for him to be baptized for as soon as possible.  The next week, (so now we are at this past Sunday)  we met again.  He is still solid as ever so I literally taught him EVERYTHING! Restoration, Plan of Salvation, went over the Gospel of Jesus Christ again, Commandments like: the Word of Wisdom, Law of Chastity, Tithing, Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy, etc. ALL OF IT! He loved it! So he went straight to an interview for his baptism, meanwhile his friend Recruit Diaz was being interviewed to make sure he could perform the ordinance.  When all was said and done, both were ready.  The only problem is that the process of Boot Camp at the MCRD takes 13 weeks broken into 3 phases (4 weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks) and for second phase they go up to Camp Pendalton and this was his final week before he went up for phase 2 so I won't be able to see him be baptized but I told him that I will be there in Spirit.  It is unfortunate but the important part is that he is baptized which I am so Excited about! I can't wait to see him come back as a Priest blessing the Sacrament! So yeah... that's what I did during the Sunday Morning Session... I think my favorite talks from Conference were from the Priesthod session.  Randal L Ridd gave a great talk about how this generation can be labeled "The Choice Generation" because there are so many choices to be made.  We can ultimately use the technology available for great good or great harm and that we must be "where we are when we are there" and not be caught up updating facebook or texting friends (I thought of you mom when he said that haha).  I also loved President Eyring's talk from Priesthood about the Heroes in his life.  

     

My new companion's name is... Elder New... yeah he understands his name is redundant but I must admit, it still makes me chuckle a little bit inside each time someone cracks a completely unoriginal new Elder joke.  He is very tall. 6'7" to be exact. Yeah, that's taller than Cameron! haha He is a stud missionary and reminds me a lot of Justin Karoly.  I am really excited to have him as my companion! This past week we had a ton to do.  We had our last interviews with President Clayton yesterday! It was sad! That took until 2. Then we did a few things at the mission office for a meeting we have coming up with the Stake President which took until 5.  Then we went to go move a recent convert who told us he was moving that morning which took until 7.  We went and got some food because we were starving and hadn't eaten all day and when it was all done and we were back in Church clothes it was 8:30 pm and we have to be in at 9.  yeah, it was a crazy day.  So we went to go try an investigator we hadn't been able to see for a while because he has been busy with College, Work, Football and Training, and volunteer coaching for a little league team. But when we have been able to catch him it has been awesome! So we go over  to see him and before we knock on the door he is outside to open the gate.  We sit down, Elder New introduces himself, and we start following up to see how he has been since last time we had seen him.  He tells us that he hasn't been reading everyday but here and there he is able to open it up when he has time and apologizes for not reading more (inside I was stoked because he had the motivation to read on his own! haha) we begin teaching and we had planned to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ so I started to give a brief summary quickly going through faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost and he stops me there as I was trying to quickly explaining how I feel the Spirit.  And as I was struggling how to explain it, he said, "OH! I have to tell you about this! So every Mormon I have ever met is always so happy and positive and I have always really liked that, and as I was reading a few weeks ago I felt really happy and... I don't know how to explain it... like complete! and then the next day while I was at Football practice and I felt the same way! it is weird, but that's the way I felt!" Elder New and I just looked at each other like "did that really just happen?" haha So we explain to him that the Spirit prompts and speaks to us in ways that are familiar to us.  We continued with the lesson, taught the principles of the Gospel focusing on baptism.  At the end we invited him to be baptized and he accepted.  We set a date for him to be baptized on May 17th and he was super excited! 

     

So the work is moving forward! New companion and all! I know just the person to give the bracelets to! Her name is Jackqueline and she was recently baptized! I can't wait to get them! Thanks Leah! Know that I love you all and can't wait to hear from you next week! 

love,

     Elder Ethan John Rowbury

Oh and here are some fun pics from the USS midway! :)

Only the captain was allowed to sit in this seat...
I thought I would make some commands while I had the chance.

Elder Uchtdorf's talked about Selfies!!!

Um... excuse me! are we matching?!