Week 1 (6/26)
Hello
everybody! This week was pretty good! Monday was my last pday in Moncks
Corner, and elder Kirby's last pday in the mission! So Georgetown came
down and the zone leaders came up. It was really fun! We went bowling
and played some basketball and just kicked it for a little.
Tuesday was
pretty good! It rained quite a bit, but we mostly just went around
saying goodbye to everyone. It's so weird to think I was in Moncks
Corner for 9 months! It feels like I was only there a week. But I am so
grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve there. The ward is
amazing and the people are so friendly. Even when they don't want to
hear about the gospel haha. I am so blessed to have been able to be in
that area for so long.
Wednesday was transfers! I got moved to Newberry
with my new companion elder Peterson. And it is pretty awesome! Our
apartment is pretty awesome. And the ward is fantastic! We spent
Wednesday afternoon letting me settle in and Wednesday night we went out
to see some people which was pretty fun! There are some awesome people
here! One new thing here is I'm the district leader, so I did call ins
with all the missionaries in the district to see how they are doing and
such. Which was pretty fun! And it helps getting to know everyone.
Thursday and Friday were pretty low key. Just a lot of finding and
getting to know the area. But we did do some service every morning!
Which was fun! And all with different people.
Saturday was the same,
except we had the adult session of stake conference too which was
awesome. And Sunday was great! We had the general session of stake
conference, which was amazing. And president and Sister Turner were
there and spoke. They leave this week so it was a huge blessing to get
to hear from them again before they leave. And we had a super long but
super awesome lesson with a guy who is a pastor at his church. We talked
a lot about what it means to become a member of this church and the
sacrifices that take place. And he had some awesome questions. Mostly
about the difference in our church, but he understands the Book of
Mormon and has accepted it as scripture, so we were able to use it to
show him his answers and it was really cool. Kind of sad though, he said
he has been praying to know if this church is true, but he doesn't
think he will act on the answer he gets. So we told him he wouldn't get
an answer the. Over this week was great! I love you and miss you tons!!
Have a great week!
"We've got a full tank of gas, 100 miles to Chicago, its dark, and we're wearing sunglasses."
"Hit it"
Elder Dowell (2)
Week 2 (7/3)
This
week was pretty good! Monday was my first pday in Newberry and it was
pretty fun! Nothing to crazy. We just kind of hung out with the other
elders all day which was pretty fun.
Tuesday we went to District meeting
in Irmo which went well. It was my first time conducting one but it was
fun! We spent the rest of the day just trying to find people to tach
which went pretty well! We had a lot of success this week finding people
to listen to us!
Wednesday was awesome! We had a few appointments that
fell through which was a little sad. But Wednesday night I conducted a
baptismal interview! First one ever. It was awesome. The other Elders
here in Newberry had been working with the baptismal candidate and I met
her once before but that was just in passing. It was super awesome, she
used the interview as an opportunity to bear her testimony of the
things she has learned and the love she has felt. And it was so awesome.
The Spirit there was tangible and I am so grateful for the opportunity I
had to do that!
Thursday was pretty low key, but fun! We did a lot of
finding and had a few people we were able to talk to and set up return
appointments with. I am so grateful that they area willing to hear the
gospel! I know that it can bless their lives just to hear it and try to
live its principles and I am grateful to be able to. Deliver this
message of truth and happiness.
Friday was a little hectic but very fun!
We did some finding, but spent a lot of time preparing everything for
the baptism Saturday.
Then Saturday morning we went to the church nice
and early with the other elders to fill up the font and make sure
everything was ready. It was such an awesome baptism!! It is so awesome
to see someone enter into those covenants and open the gates to heaven.
We went to lunch after and had a few appointments which went well! Sunday
morning at church The girl that got baptized was able to receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost! She was glowing. It was an awesome experience.
After church we went to bishops house to break our fasts and talk about
missionary work. The bishop here is so awesome and so dedicated to
missionary work! It was awesome to get to know him a little. Overall it
was a great week! I love you all and miss you tins! Have a great week!
"You're killing me smalls"
Elder Dowell (2)
Wednesday morning we did some service. And after the service we met the other elders at the pizza hut buffet for lunch, which is always a bad idea. No matter how delicious it is. Then we spent most of the afternoon doing some finding, which was fun. And we went to a nursing home to do some service! We got there and helped with bingo. Which is what were pretty much expecting to do. But after a little bingo they said we had a half hour to share a message, and we were totally unprepared! We did not see that coming. Luckily, we spend a lot of time preparing lessons so we had some stuff to share. It went surprisingly well! 
