Zone Conference

April 4, 2016

Well this week was zone conference! It was very nice for being from 8am to 4pm. It was actually very helpful and gave us some really good insights of how we should go about mission work. There were 4 zones there and we got to see those who we haven't seen since late January! It actually turs out though another missionary from my MTC group went home. That makes 3 in 3 transfers...... It is sad to see that but it is for the better I believe. Bounce on Monday was fun though. We went with a hilarious member from the ward and his family. It was very fun and pretty funny watching this guy jump. We had two solid lessons with Costa and were able to teach him the Plan of Salvation as well as the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We will probably commit him to baptism this week! We also have finally got Matias going to church and if all goes well he will be baptized on the 8th of May!! On Sunday this week we had a Stake Easter Cantata. Basically just music and singing from a choir! It was actually really good and reminds us of the true meaning of Easter. I look forward to conference this weekend as well! I got to see the Saturday morning session at a member house as well as the world report! It was really nice and very inspiring! It is crazy how the Provo City Center temple was done! They had a whole spotlight on it and it is insane! I also heard that they announced a new temple in Zimbabwe!! That is awesome for the African continent! That will make it so much cheaper and easier for people to get to the temple! Also this week is the Durban Temple ground breaking! That should be cool! We have a few members going so that will be a good experience for them!! Also just Ether and Moroni left in the Book of Mormon then I move on to the New testament and finishing Jesus the Christ. I have made a goal to read the Old testament, The new testament, The Book of Mormon, D and C, and the Pearl of Great Price each year that I am on mission! IT will be a good challenge and one I think I can do! Anyways have a good week and stay safe!! Love you all! 

Elder Cowan

April 2, 2016  Watching Conference at a member's house

"Eggsploding Priesthood Class"

I will start with probably the best thing that has happened to me on mission! In Priesthood class there was a object lesson. This object lesson involved a egg and how you can not break it if you squeeze in a certain spot. Wait before I go any further we meet in the chapel for priesthood. Any way the teacher calls this huge Afrikaner that was visiting to try and break this egg. Well he tried a second couldn't do it then he tried again and next thing you know you hear a huge pop and egg is flying everywhere. It was hilarious cause no one was expecting it! Egg was all over the pews and up on the microphone and basically all over everyone that was there. I somehow avoided the spay which was lucky!! Well for lessons this week was good. We had some amazing lessons with some great people. My favorite was with a investigator named Tarira. Elder Savage, a member, and I had met her when we were tracting in the Randburg CBD (Central Business District) in a apartment building. We taught her then and had a good how to begin teaching. We went back and taught the half of lesson one and then she kind of disappeared. But we called her and set up a time to see her and we were able to finally this Saturday. It had been almost 3 months since we had taught her and it finally worked out. We gave her the rest of lesson one and she took it really well. She doesn't have a opinion on Joseph Smith or the Book of Mormon which is good in her case so she can find out! I am excited to keep teaching her! We also had a good lesson with Costa and taught him the Plan of Salvation. He took it well which is good and he came to church. For everyone general conference is next week for us it is in two! We get the broadcast on the 9th and the 10th. On the 3rd for us is a Easter cantata that we are going to hosted by our stake. It will be a great tool to bring investigators to and have them enjoy the music! We are going to a place called bounce today! It is a bit like airborne and it should be fun! We are going with some members and there kids! Anyways I hope everyone has a good week!! Talk to ya soon!

Elder Cowan

Another week bites the dust!

Well after emailing last week we went Ice skating!! It was pretty fun since we had about 10 other missionaries there. I fell plenty of time which was a given for how much stuff we were doing. We had some great investigator lessons this week! We actually received 4 new investigators! 3 of which are a family and there is also one younger son! The other is someone who lives with a member and was just a chance encounter! We taught the family about the Book of Mormon and what it is. They seemed very interested and said they would read. We haven't seen them since then but we totally will checkup this week! Let see, we also taught the lady that lives with a member as well. She seemed fairly interested and said we can come back so hopefully she will have that desire to learn of the gospel. Eideth and Palesa dropped us cause they were just expecting to find a job or receive money asap. So we have given them there space and will check up with them later this week and see how everything is. I am very doubtful with them though. They were investigating the church for the completely wrong reasons. We also had a solid lesson with the people that gave us the worms as well as with the YSA coordinator and his brother the ward mission leader and there really cool friend who is also in the ward. A investigator was supposed to come and ask her questions but she ended up having to work! Other than all that it was a pretty normal week! Nothing spectacular happened so yeah!! Anyways have a good week! I love you all.

Love Elder Cowan

Lessons and Finger Story!

Well this week was very interesting....... On Tuesday a Elder in our district was messing with his bike and trying to
fix it or something. The bike was flipped upside down and he was peddling the bike with his hand. He got it going
really fast and was working on the back tires quick release or something and his hand slipped and his finger went 
right into the disk brake and it took off the tip of his finger.from the nail up. It was mostly the skin but it broke the
finger as well. The zone leaders and him were at the hospital basically for 7 hours and then switched hospitals
because the other one didnt do anything for those 7 hours. He was admitted to the Hospital and stayed basically
3 nights. It was crazy! All for one measly finger. Other than that we had some solid lessons with some new
investigators name Eideth and Palesa. They are very firm believers in Christ and are actually quite interested in
the gospel! We saw them twice this week and hopefully they understood! they didnt have many questions after
which is nice! We saw Costa as well this week. We didnt get much progression with the lesson that we wanted
to due to some questions and what not he asked, and we are going to go back over that same lesson this week 
coming week. We have a cool thing this week as well coming up! We are having a question night with a few
returned missionaries in the ward with this investigator we have! It was all a members idea cause she has some
really good thought provoking questions. So we will see how it goes! I will keep you all posted. Anyways have a
good week!!!! I love you all!!!

Elder Cowan

WORMS and Temple Visit!

Well this week was a bit crazy! We had transfers and I received Elder Warnock with no problems! we had a good week here with some very good lessons! Elder Warnock got to know some of the members which is really really good! He is gaining their trust! Also Elder Savage went home which isn't good! He was just sick and the doctors could not help here. Lets see... We got canceled on a lot this week for some reason, Especially on Sunday! We were pretty up set but it all turned out alright. We had dinner at home but we did not have to make anything due to a member giving us burgers at church randomly! So they were very very good! After we ate we went to the Herberts who are some members in the ward. It was the wifes birthday on friday so we made some cupcakes and brought them and had a dessert party basically. It was all fun in games until it got serious when she surprised us with a very special treat....... Mopane worms....... Yeah she did it as a joke but she did make us eat at least one which we did. There should be some pictures some where. They were not that bad actually! They just tasted like grass but crunchy! So we did that and now I can actually say I have eaten a worm! It was a very odd experience especially after eating two of them. But I glad i did and once it was in the mouth it was fine! We also got to go to the temple this week which was nice! It is always a good experience as always and i am excited to go again soon! Well there should be a lot of pictures this week! I hope yall enjoy! Have a good week! Love you all! 

Elder Cowan

I think Elder Cowan is training to be on Fear Factor!

(his favorite tv show when he was a kid)

Transfers!

Well... big news this week so if we could get a drum roll please. DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD...................... I am not getting transferred!! I am staying here in Randburg for another 6 weeks at least! But Elder Savage is getting transferred t Dobsonville which is a township! He is going there with a kid from my MTC group named Elder Wikaria from new Zealand. It will be good for Elder Savage especially because Elder Wikaira is a professional cook that was a top finalist on a world wide cooking contest! He doesn't know if he has won or not because if he knew he could spoil it. Anyways my new companion is also from my MTC group and his name is Elder Warnock! He is a good guy and I am really excited to have him here. He was the first missionary that I met that was going to be in the MTC with me. We met each other when we went and got our visa's in California! That was the highlight of the week so everything else may seem lame. But we had a Mother and Daughter who randomly showed up at church who have never been there before. They said they found out about the church online and chatted with someone and decided to come! So that will be nice! We also taught Costa this week. Not sure if i said anything about him or not. But it went well and he is learning a lot. But that really is all that happened this week Elder Savage was sick most of the week so we were in the Flat a lot and didnt really get out the Latter part of the week! But like I said I am excited to start with Elder Warnock tomorrow and get back to work! This transfer will be a really nice one I hope! Anyways hope you all have a good week! I love you all. 

Love, Elder Cowan

Another week in the book!

Well this week was pretty average! Yet for some reason it went by very very very very very very quickly! We can start with dinner last Monday which was actually very very fun! We were at the Pienaars house who are members in the ward who have a son who is serving in South Jordan  or West Jordan not to sure. Any ways they have two other sons that are back home one who is a return missionary who just got home and a younger one. The Younger one decided to take me on in a drinking contest (seeing who could down punch the fastest). He won the first one barely I beat him the second time when the whole family joined in. We both lost to the other brother who finished a whole glass in 3 seconds.... Then we went for the tie breaker... And we tied.. We found out who was the champion on Friday at sports night with the ward! And of course it was I!!! Lets see we also taught a new investigator that was a referral so that was nice! He is actually very willing to learn the gospel and he is inviting friends when we teach him. The first lesson went well and he has a lot of questions which means he is willing to learn which is good as well. We has some great Recent Convert lessons this week as well I wont go into those cause we had just answered some questions as well as teach the Plan of Salvation again. We also had some good times with members as well! One of the couples in the ward downloaded Meet the Mormons as well as a ton of Im a Mormon videos. So Elder Savage and I have something to keep us busy if the other is either sick or when we have some spare time while we eat! But yeah this week was just about the Same old stuff we normally do! Oh last night was Hilarious Elder Savage had just layed down in his bed and he had rolled over and opened his eyes and there was a big ole' cricket right next to his head! It was quite funny to hear him scream and run into the kitchen to get a container to get it out. Oh yeah it also pooped on his bed! Anyways that is all that happened! I wish everyone a good week!! love ya all!

Elder Cowan