Dear Family,

Here are some fun pictures of us from this past week. We are really enjoying working with Teresa and have shifted our focus-just because they are so distracting- and are going to be teaching her children at the same time as her, so we have held off on the baptism. She is having so many AHA! moments. She continues to say: "I know that! but she hasn't ever heard it before. It is so wonderful to see the spirit have an effect on people's lives. We have also been working with a brother in the ward who has had a really rough childhood, and his grandma took him in and saved him from it. He has struggled with his testimony and with any desire to come to church or participate. It was so cool to be able to see how the Lord knows each of His children. We have been able to teach him the missionary lessons and he is excited now to read from the Book of Mormon, he loves to pray now, and there is a new light in his eyes, more hope and much more joy. It is so wonderful.

We ate dinner at Brother Lopez's house(on his roof) And then threw the blanket off. While we were up there his dog dissappeared so he was searching all of friday night and saturday for him. He hasn't found him yet. But I shared my testimony in sacrament meeting about how each of our trials are personally geared towards us. I am so grateful for all of the things that I have gone through and experienced because I am so much stronger because of it. Brother Lopez got up right after me and was still worried about his dog, but bore a simple testimony that the Lord has a perfect plan and that no matter what happens, it will be all right. It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from President Hinkley: Everything will turn out in the end. If it hasn't turned out yet, it isn't the end.

Love, Elder Owens