Wow..... This is the Final email because we will be at the Mission Home next week for all of Monday. This is a really weird feeling. It really just feels as though I have just arrived and am still being trained. But time goes by and you end up where I am at. It has been great and I have loved every moment. This week went by really quick! I had two dentist appointments and also we had splits with the Assistants. Elder Wolfgramm came with us and Elder Wikaira went with Katlehong who got a new missionary this week from France!! He is a cool guy! But yeah on Sunday, we had an Area wide stake conference broadcast where we were instructed by general Authorities. It was really nice!But yeah that was the week. Just as a reflection I would like to share a quote that I have loved for the past Two years. It is one that we recite as a mission along with other that we have. The Quote is by President Ezra Taft Benson and it speaks of work. 

"One of the greatest secrets of missionary work is work!  If a missionary works, he will get the Spirit; if he gets the Spirit, he will teach by the Spirit; and if he teaches by the Spirit, he will touch the hearts of the people and he will be happy.  There will be no homesickness, no worrying about families, for all time and talents and interests are centered on the work of the ministry.  Work, work, work--there is no satisfactory substitute, especially in missionary work."

This quote has led my missionary work for those past two years. Hyrum W. Smith who was the creator of the Franklin Planner tells of a story of when he was on mission let me summarize. He was on mission in England when his mission President told those who were at this meeting that they had Thirty minutes to go and find something to relate into a lesson. They did not need companions and they could go anywhere in London. One of the Elders who was a farm boy and not really the best educated went around and in the end found one thing a Stuffed Grey Hound Dog. He thought that this dog would kill his Dog (I forgot his dog) in a race but in the end his Dog back home would destroy the Grey Hound in a working Contest. He then pointed to his Companion who had Graduated from Harvard and was a very smart man. He simply said you are the Grey Hound and I am My dog. You may be smarter then me but I will work harder than you. He basically said that you will teach me to read, write and talk good and help me become smart. He would drag his companion around and work he would knock on a door and said you speak better then me so Talk! They went on in the next 3 months to lead the mission in Everything!! I love that example of work. Simply if we work we will do miracles. God helps them that help themselves and we must do our works to show God that we have Faith. I have enjoyed working and each one of us is blessed as we do. I love you all and I wish you the best I will see you soon!

Elder Cowan

Interviews and a NEW CAR!

Well this week we had our Interviews for the Transfer. They went really well and every time I meet with president I like him more and more! He is a really great guy and is just fun to talk to! During Interviews Sister Leavitt ran training on the #lighttheworld campaign that the Church is running again this year. That was nice then we watched a 10 minute video from the 90s about cleaning Flats.... That sucked but then we each acted out how to clean certain things in the flat so that was really funny! There were some great videos made by the missionaries. But yeah I have had a headache all week due to our New Car! We received on Wednesday a brand new 2017 Toyota Corolla Quest! It had literally 60 Kilometers on it when we got it! It is really nice but the new car smell kills me!!! Oh well!! But yeah I enjoy it a lot it is a fun car to drive! Also this week we had three confirmations! They went well and we will be having the fourth in 2 weeks due to a Africa wide broadcast! But yeah I am pushing for the last 14 days!! I am excited to see everyone again and look forward to it!! I love you all!!

Elder Cowan

Homecoming Information

Baptisms

Well this week was really good and really really sucky. Let us start with the good! So yeah this week we had four baptisms. That was really great to see these people make it to those waters and finally come to the fold of God. There was a great difference between the four. One we have been teaching for less then two months and was very willing to be baptized after we came the first time. A sister and her daughter have been waiting for over a year if not longer to make it there but due to the Sister not being married could not so her daughter waited as well. The last was is a YSA aged male who has been wanting to be baptized for a long time but do to him not meeting requirements could not. But finally he made it! It was a great day and I enjoyed! The baptisms went well no one had to get redunked!! I baptized Gertrude the Girl and Also Dumisani. Elder Trammell baptized Matshediso and Tshegofatso the family. It was really great and we had a good time. Eish but the earlier part of the week sucked!!!! I got a cold which I think I mentioned last week and it got worse this week. Tuesday we didnt even go out because I felt like I was going to die. Then the rest of the week we worked but I still had a headache, cough, and a bad nose... It really sucks I still have the cough and a runny nose so yeah I am not enjoying life right now. But it should pass now now so I look forward to that. Anyways I love you all and I hope you all stay safe! See you soon!

Elder Cowan

Two Exchanges and Zone Conferance

Well this week flew by!!! We had an Exchange on Tuesday with our Zone Leaders and that was kinda fun. I went with Elder Mkhize from South Africa. He is our new Zone Leader and he is kinda cool! It was a good time though and we had some fun. Then the next day (Wednesday) we had Zone Conference. That was very interesting and emotional.... We gave our departing testimonies because it is our last one. But in general it was really great!! It was good to see a lot of the old guys again and say some final good byes even though I still have 4 weeks. IT sucked cause after I had to go and get another in grown toe nail removed so that makes like four from the same toe in two years...... But it should be better now!! Yay... I also caught a gnarly cold this week probably on Friday when we had exchanges for the second time. Our District leader came and did 4 interviews for us. So I went with Elder Warnock to Katlehong and had a great time! I really enjoyed that! So yeah we should be having 4 baptisms next week which I am excited for! We have on follow up interview for one of them tonight but it should go well! But yeah that is the report from this side. We are enjoying and finishing strong! Love you all!! See you soon.

Elder Cowan

P.S. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Temple, Transfers, and Madagascar

So on Tuesday transfers happened and I was able to talk our Zone Leaders into letting us go to them. That was really nice!! I got to see all the old guys and see whats up with them! Most of the people that are in mission I do not know. I have been out this side for so long that it just who are you?? Oh yeah so Elder Wolfgramm went AP (assistant to the President) this transfer so he is in charge of us now! That is really cool!! He is a good guy. But yeah I said goodbye to some good friends that I got close with that left this transfer. That was sad but I will see them in a few months!! One lives in Kerns he is the only one that is actually close close and the other from Idaho! We went to the temple on Friday which was really cool! I love to go to the temple and be able to just soak in the spirit! While we were there the APs came with a lot of missionaries who are from the Madagascar mission. They were taken out of the mission because a outbreak of the Plague has started and so the missionaries in the main Island have been reassigned for a unknown amount of time. We received a few of them but they were put up in the Swaziland side of the mission so that is cool as well. But yeah it is a shame that they learn a language that is really hard and then get transferred to a strait English speaking mission! But all in all we are surviving! I love you all!!

Elder Cowan

Six weeks... One and a Half months...... One Transfer......

Wow... It is crazy that I find myself in the Final transfer of my mission... It is crazy to try and comprehend how fast time can fly. I am just grateful to be here and serve the Lord. That is something I have learned and that is what keeps me going day to day. 

This week was a very nice week for a week six of transfers. We were actually able to get a really awesome referral of a family in the Alberton ward. They have such a strong desire to know God and go to church! We met with the husband this week and he was just s excted to ahve us and it helps they stay two houses down in a complex from the Chapel. We had a baptism this week which was actually really powerful! This guy has been coming to church for years now and finally he changed his life enough to make the Baptismal covenant. He is so cool. But yeah we are doing good work here and I will be finishing here for the last six weeks. My son and I will stay together as well and yeah that will be nice! In general I am excited but scared to go home as well. I will miss it here for sure. Last night we saw a member and they had a Snake and a Tarantula and both scared me so I didnt hold them but my comp did.. It was creepy but kinda cool. But yeah that was the Highlights of the week! I love you all! and I wish you the best.

Elder Cowan

Zone Conferance

This week was a pretty bland week!! But there were some highlights so I will emphasize them. Well we had Zone Conferance this week which is alwasys great! We were taught about grace and yeah it was nice. Presidet Leavitt brought down fire on those who are disobiedient so that was good that needed to happen. But yeah the worst part was the food and that was not even that bad. I was able to take a few pictures with the three sons so that was really good as well. Sadly Elder Palkkis son Elder Lee was not there to get in on the picture. We will be having a baptism next week which will be good! He was interviewed on Friday and passed. This week we also watched General Conferance! That was really nice!!! It is so great to be able to hear from God's servants here on Earth. I loved Elder Ellis's talk! I have met him a few times this side and he is a really good guy! Anyways that is the Update this week!! I love you all!!! See you in 7 weeks!

Elder Cowan

Baptisms

Well this week went very well!! We had the opportunity of having three baptisms and all of them went very well! It was sad though because the First lady was getting into the font and slipped and fell. She was fine and we still baptized her. I told her to hold onto the handrail but she didn't listen.... Haha Oh well. She is doing fine and was happy to be baptized. I was able to baptize the two older ladies and Elder Trammell the Younger girl. So that was really great to see. We were able to have three new investigators this week which was good as well. They are all really cool and there is some potential there for sure! On Thursday we had a really spirit filled lesson as we taught this GOLDEN investigator!! It was our second time seeing her and she had great questions about what we do and especially about the Book of Mormon! So yeah it was cool but what made it great was near the end the spirit was just strong as we bore testimony of the Godhead. The impression came to invite her to baptism as she has the spirit confirm to her our words. I being scared and let fear in ignored the prompting and I was kinda fighting it. Well as a few minutes went by Elder Trammell had the same feeling and he acted on it and gave her a soft commitment for baptism. GUESS WHAT! She accepted after we had to explain why baptism by authority is important and not just by anyone. We didn't set a date because she wants to pray and get a answer but it was great! We have literally taught her formally about the godhead in about the 2 hours we have met with her. The rest of the time is just questions! SO AWESOME! So yeah listen to the spirit!! Because I didn't but thankfully my comp did! Anyways that is the week! Nothing to crazy other than that! Love you all!!

Elder Cowan

Time Flies!

Wow!!! Time is flying by so fast!!! I honestly feel like it was just yesterday that I left Randburg!! Crazy!!! This week was a really good week!! We had the confirmation of Milano which was really good she is super happy!! We were very busy this week going about teaching and having Interviews for Baptism!! So we had exchanges on Friday so that four of our investigators could be interviewed to be baptized on October first and yeah!! So three of them passed and the other did not but we are working with him to overcome some issues with commandments. He should be baptized in a few weeks! So yeah we will be having three baptism next week which will be awesome!! I am super excited to have those! One is the lady that couldn't be baptized due to no water but that is fixed so next week will be great. Nothing else happened this week that was note worthy. Simply we are still out teaching Repentance and helping others come unto Christ! I love you all and I thank you for the support! 

Elder Cowan

Exchanges and Baptism!

This week was a really good week we were able to have two exchanges!! We had one on Wednesday and one on Saturday. The one on Wednesday was the one with the Zone Leaders and I was able to go to a place called Alexandra which is a pretty ghetto township! It was awesome and we had a good time. Elder Trammell went with the other Zone Leader to our area and he got lost twice which was kinda funny!! We then had exchanges with Katlehong on Saturday and that was a good time as well. I had to do some baptismal interviews for a few of their investigators! Yeah so we had a baptism this week as well. Her name is Milano! She is Eleven or so and she is super cool! She is a daughter to a member who is inactive but her Grandmother is active. So yeah that was really cool! We are enjoying a lot this side and having some great success. I love mission so much and it means a lot to me to be here. We also had Interviews which si always nice! I enjoy President Leavitt and he is a good dude!! Anyways I love you all!!

Elder Cowan

Very Average Week!

Well this week was very average!! We had a good time as always but it just was average!! We saw some great people though and we were able to help them progress further! We are having a baptism next week for a girl that we have been teaching on the Alberton side! She is cool and she is happy to be baptized. She is a members Daughter that was never baptized at 8 because they were inactive but yeah they are a cool family! My companion is doing well and he is adjusting into mission life one day at a time so that is good!! We are just having so much success this side and God is truly blessing us! Thank you for all that you all do as well! Love you all!!

Elder Cowan

NO WATER!!

Well this week as actually really good!!! We had exchanges on Tuesday and I was able to go to Katlehong with Elder Ratshikhopha. We had a really busy day and the Exchange curse was not there we had 8 lessons which was just awesome!! Thursday we got this really awesome New Investigator! Her name is Bongi and she was referred by her old boss to the church. We went expecting to deliver a Book of Mormon and not teach much and then next thing you know we were there for a hour and a half just answering her questions! It was really great!! She had such a desire to learn so much! She said she would start to read the Book of Mormon and we set up a return appointment for two weeks later to give her time! So that was a highlight! we also got three other new investigators this week as well!! All of which are very very promising! One told us to come every friday till she can get baptized!! So that is great!!! Anyways the rest of the week was uneventful till about Sunday. We were supposed to have a baptism after Church and yeah but due to the Municipality there was no water in the area in the morning and I think even now..... So we could not have the baptism. The thing is the water came out but it was from the Geyser (water heater) then there was no more... So that really sucked!!! Anyways all is well this side and we are still having a lot of success!!! I Love you all!!!

Elder Cowan

P.S. We had transfer news this week and we are staying together. Elder Warnock is coming to Katlehong and I was called again as the District Leader..

Zone Conference, Baptism, Food Poisoning

Well this week was a really great week here in South Africa! It was a little cold but that is okay I will survive! We had a really awesome Zone Conference this week where we were taught many great things! It was really good to see all the old friends and see all the guys again! Man it is crazy how time flies!! But yeah Zone Conference was just great! We had a baptism this week! The boys name that was baptized is Mayamiko! He is the brother to Karl who was baptized a few weeks back! He was so excited to join the church and he will be confirmed a member next week on Sunday! On Sunday we will be having another baptism which will be awesome!! Her name is Selina and she is just awesome! She was a referral from a member and she has already brought us like 3 new investigators! On Friday I was really sick which sucked!! It was in the morning and I threw up twice! But by the end of the day I was feeling a little bit better! Saturday came and I was fully functional! Anyways that really was the week! Nothing to report on really!! Today is my 21 month mark and that is really cool! THREE more to go!! I will miss it for sure.. Anyways Love you all!!

Elder Cowan

Basic Week

Well this week was a pretty average week for us!!! We were able however to have the Baptismal interview for Miamiko! He is a awesome investigator and he is really excited to be baptized! He is the Brother of Karl and yeah they are a great family!! We were able to put two more people on date for baptism which was great! They were Deborah and he granddaughter Kamogelo! We now have Twelve people on date for baptism. We had to take someone off this week ad we dropped him but yeah it is really exciting! The work is going well here in Germiston! Honestly we had nothing truly extrodinary stand out this week so there is not much to report on. This week in my reading of the Book of Mormon I read Mormon 8 ( https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/morm/8?lang=eng ). I really loved rereading this chapter and found so many new things in it! I truly feel for Moroni having no one left to go to and having to basically walk and wander the rest of his life. This chapter is one of many that make the Book real to me. It speaks and there is so much emotion in this chapter. I really just love it! Anyways I love you all! Keep Safe! See you Soon!!

Elder Cowan

Busy week and Stake Conference

Well this week was a really busy week for us here int he area! We met with a lot of people and had some really powerful lessons! We were able to put a investigator that has been coming to church for a little under what he said was six years on date for baptism! That was really cool! He really just wants to change his life and be a better person! This week was also stake conference. I have attended the Bedfordview Stake conference three strait times now! So yeah that dates me here in this zone I am running in total a little under one year in the Zone! Yeah but Stake Conference was nice! There were some really great touching talks that were given! Other than that this week was normal! My son is doing good and is still getting used to SA but yeah all in all we are fine! Love you!

Elder Cowan

Interviews and Gym

So this week was really not to eventful but I will try my best to fill you in! We had interviews this week at the mission home which was really great! We went over some more effective ways of doing companionship study! But yeah the Interview went well and yeah! My companion is doing really great and he like the area! He isnt liking the food much but that is okay he will change. On Sunday we got invited over for some Zulu tradition thing and I think it was probably in the Top ten meals of my whole mission but Elder Trammell really didn't like it to much, like not at all! it was kinda funny!! This week as well we got Gym passes so we actually started that today!! It was really nice to start working out again even thought we awoke at 5 oclock!! it was nice and I am a bit sore but NO PAIN NO GAIN!!! Anyways that was really the week! I just want to thank all of you who sent cards or letters with the package that was sent! It was really nice to see all of those so again thank you! I love you all!! 

Elder Cowan

My Son and Two more on Date

Well this week was really interesting! I technically have had about 4 companions through this whole week. The first was Elder Malunga who I lost on Monday. I was then companions with Elder Jennings until Tuesday morning when i got Elder Nielsen for another day. Wednesday is when we received our new missionaries who are fresh from the Provo MTC. My new companion who I am training is Elder Trammell from Clearfield Utah! He is a really cool guy and is willing to work which is all I can ask for!! So yeah anyways back to the week! I was in Katlehong and Germistion on Tuesday which was really cool to go back and see some people!! They are just so great that side and it was nice to see them! Then we picked up our guys on Wednesday and spent most the day that side! But yeah we were able to see a lot of our investigators and we actually were able to put two more on date for baptism for the 3rd of September! So we have 10 people on date which is such a blessing!! The Lord is working great things here in Germistion and I am truly grateful to be serving here for that!! Anyways I love you all and I wish you the best! 

Elder Cowan

Transfers, Baptisms, Temple, Exchanges and Birthday

Well this week was really good!! There were a lot of good things that happened this week and some great memories made. Well to start out transfer news was sent out on Saturday and yeah!! So obviously my companion is leaving and I will be getting a brand new missionary so i am training again. I really excited because the area is really thriving right now and we are having a lot of success. This week we had two Baptism Karl and Nigel. It was really great and they really did have a great experience. They both are about 17 years old and they will be good assets to the ward! We went to the temple on Friday! What a great experience and a great way to spend my birthday! We took some pictures and yeah it was nice! But I will send them next week because I still have to get them from some people. We went to Roco Mamas Friday with Elder Jennings and 'Ahome'e. We had some really good food and had a good time as well! Great way to spend my Birthday. This week as well we had two exchanges one Tuesday and the other on Wednesday. Tuesday we had it with the Zone Leaders so Elder Malunga went with Elder Stevenson to Alexandra which is a pretty ghetto township and Elder Powell went with me to Germiston. It was good and I learned a lot from him. Wednesday I went to Katlehong and it was good seeing some old faces that I havent seen for awhile! But yeah all in all it was a really good week!! I love you all!! 

Elder Cowan

Zone Conference

This week we had the opportunity to have a zone conference! It was really nice and I truly enjoyed! There was a lot talked about and a lot that we have taken in and will apply to our missionary work! We heard a lot about the new mission president MTC meeting and it was really good. There was this really awesome story about two brothers that Elder Holland talked about. This one went out and left home and joined the Hells Angels and traveled around. He came to his sense and headed back toward home but missed it and went to Southern California and joined that side. There he was sitting on his porch and some missionaries walked past his house and his dogs came to the gate and barked and so they kept walking when they both stopped and conversed. They walked back the dogs became quiet and they walk through the gate and went to talk to this guy. He knew missionaries because he grew up on the church in Pocatello Idaho where he ran away from. While the missionaries talked to him one asked where he was from and stated he was from Pocatello. They Elder asked if he knew a certain family and he said yes that is my parents. The Elder then said that he was his brother that he didn't know he had and that the missionary didn't even know of the other brother. IT was just a great small story eventually the man returned home repented and was then married in the temple. This just illustrates the importance of the spirit in missionary work. But yeah this week really wasn't eventful either. We had 13 of out investigators attend church and that was really great to see! But yeah I love you all!!

Elder Cowan