Week 21

Not much time this week. The library closes early on tuesdays. I am also packing for transfers! I am going to Norwich to serve with Elder Stahle. (Stay- lee)

I was glad to get your e-mails this week they were great! I am sending a few things back home that I don't use and that don't fit. Hope you have an amazing week!

Love,

Elder Owens

Week 20

I don't have really any time but this past week has been awesome! I have really enjoyed it! We taught 19 lessons! On friday and saturday we found 3 new investigators and we really felt the spirit strongly when we were teaching a man who we have a language barrier with but brought a member with us (Bro. Pierre- who wants to move out to Utah to live) He read the first vision in french (brought by bro pierre) and we just sat there and watched him read it, but we could feel the spirit testifying to him that it was true. After he finished he said ok a couple times and thought a little bit longer and then said "This is very important". That simple phrase is so true. I loved it. Then after the lesson was over we walked out of his apartment(a tiny place with his wife and 5 kids living in 2 rooms total) and it was like walking into a different world. The spirit was so strong in the one, and so apparently absent in the other, it was powerful. Hope you have a great week! Thank you for the pictures and for the stories and e-mails, I really appreciate them and your support. We went to Howe caverns today for our district activity. (I didn't think to bring my camera) oops. It was a lot like Timp Cave, I will send some pictures next week(Transfer calls this weekend! already!) So that will be on tuesday.

I am going on exchange with and Elder(Vogelsane) Who is from southern CA Right next to where Melody is living(Adjecent city- Lake Forest) today. But I am out of time now, so talk more next week!

Love,

Elder Owens

Week 17

My Companion- Elder McBride and I have really tried to focus our daily planning sessions more and make it a time of revelation, a time where the Lord can tell us were we need to go. On friday night we choose some streets based on what felt right, and then compared streets. We tracted the next day the ones that were in common, and one that we each felt more strongly towards. So we started tracting, and Elder McBride felt inspired to start talking about family at the second door we knocked on. This 70 year old man has lost a wife, and ~3 kids, so family was a very sore spot for him, and he told us that if we hadn't choosen to talk about family, he wouldn't have been receptive to us at all, but we were able to testify of eternal families and left him with a family proclamation. This is just one example, we have had quite a few of these experiences, but this one was especially cool because when I shared it in Sunday School it tied into the lesson really well and I think that the members of the Branch needed to hear it. They feel like this is a hard area and that not much progress can happen. I have been trying hard to keep my expectations and my faith high, and I hope that they will start to have a greater zeal for missionary work soon. We started teaching a family- Stephanie and John who have 3 kids. Neither have a religious back ground, and they were really open to having us teach them. I see great potential in them and know that they would be an awesome addition to the branch and it would help get the members excited if they were to see a little success. There does need to be work put in though, I think that sometimes they feel like it should be handed to them on a silver platter, Because I feel that way a lot of times too. We have zone conference tomorrow, I am way excited for it! We have a lot of lessons planned for this week, I hope to pick up a few more investigators and help those we have start to progress.

Do you have any questions for me? Anything specific you want to know about Elder McBride? Have a great week!

Love,

~Elder Owens

P.S. Funny story- That man that we talked to about families, His name is Ed, as we said that it was a pleasure talking to him and were exchanging names, I said Elder Anderson was my name. hahahaha, it was funny, I was like "wait, no it isn't!" it is Elder Owens!