Banjir human Latin Astagah!

Banjir= floods  hujan=rain  laron= THOSE DEMON BUGS WITH HUGE WINGS THAT ARE ATTRACTED TO LIGHT ASTAFIRGHALLAH!!!!  do yall remember that train story when I was in bogor??/ when the doors opened and all these nasty laron entered?!?!?  ya. well. it's rainy season, so guess whats back. T____T

Hey fam what's happenin.  This week was soooo long and challenging and faith testing and just everything.

soooo it turned out that my child didn't get here until WEDNESDAY  and Monday and Tuesday we had bike problems so not much happened, contacted a few cool people.

Wednesday:  picked up my daughter

New comp: SISTER TOALA

From?  NEW ZEALAND

SHE'S SAMOAN!  SHE'S SO TALL SHE'S LIKE 6'2!!!

that day we also had 2 great lessons.  one with a new investigator namanya Ibu Y, she's so cute, she used to be catholic, but now she follows her husbands religion. I think I told yall about her last week, shes still amazing and she did her homework, (read from KM) and prayed about it,  SHE JUST HAD A BABY GIRL we got to go see her sooo cute,  she says next week she'll come to church.  and last time she said.  "I Miss Him. (Christ)"  isn't that beautiful,  we're helping her find him again, and it's by doing the most simple things..  President Erying says that as we serve others, read our scriptures and pray everyday, we really will 'Always remember Him' as we've promised Heavenly Father each week as we partake of the sacrament.  Just the little simple things that we do everyday can help us come closer to Jesus Christ and really become His Disciple.

My last 2 months here in Surabaya have been awesome, we've found so many new people to teach and I really thought we'd be having baptisms soon but all of a sudden it seems like all of the people who had real potential are slowing dropping off the face of the earth. and it's just like.  :o  what have I been doing the past two months?? Heavenly Father we are trying our best we're trying to increase our teaching skills and be obedient and from our point of view it's like there's no success..  it can be discouraging sometimes if I'm being honest, but I know it all comes down to our faith.  The Elders gave us their investigators daughter to teach who wants to be baptized with her mom!  Her name is Mbak V!  we're planning on seein her everyday this week to get her prepared!  Such a miracle, sometimes we do have to work as hard as we can, and sometimes it seems like it's all in vain, but when we hold through and are diligent unto the End the Lord blesses us!  so that was cool.

Sunday we found a really sincere new investigator. Ibu S, she lives by herself and works in Surabaya and her son lives with her parents in a desa (village(like legit junglely monkeys cool village))  her life is so hard,  when she was 7 months pregnant with her son her husband wasn't faithful to her and left her, she really opened up to us and when we talked about the covenants we make with Heavenly Father when we're baptized she received it! 

One thing I've realized with other Christians while I've been serving and learning about the gospel of jesus Christ is the differences between our church and every other Christian domination.. With the fullness of the gospel, we really can receive the blessnings of the atonement of Jesus Christ!  It's great other people love Jesus, and  I know God blesses them too,  but I know the only true way we cn receive forgiveness for our sins, be completely healed from pain or sorrows is if we're baptized by Christ's true authority and receive the GIFT of the Holy Ghost.. Heavnely Father is so loving, and he knows we will struggle with weaknesses and trials and all sorts of stuff, but with the holy ghost we really can feel his loved, be cleansed from our sins and feel free!

I know this gospel is the only true gospel that will bring us everelasting happiness, the only way we can really really apply the atonement in our lives!

Okay now to talk about training.. woah.. it's so weird being a mom.... it's only been like 5 days.. and I've learned a lot... like how much I need to stop thinking about myself and what I want,  I've repented don't worry, but MAN it is hard to overcome the natural man, but my child has helped me see how important it is to really just forget about ourselves and do the Lord's will, I need to be thinking about how I can help HER and our investigators.   It's so weird to think that almost a year ago I was in her shoes...  she's so positive though, I remember how hard it was to adjust to living in the crazy but beautiful country of Indonesia!  getting used to the FOOD the SMELLS the people, we are having so much fun though and we're always laughing.  Her testimony is so strong and beautiful,  I'm so proud of her,  even with her simple language I know that our investigators can feel the spirit when she testifies and that is what matters!

well, I think that's all I have to say for this week.  we're going to be finding like crazy again this week until we find that one red tomato who wants to follow the example of Jesus Christ.  this church is true yall,  oh oh I have a cool quote from the Liahona.  (this was when President Russel M. Nelson's grandpa(who already passed away)  visited his dad. and his dad asked his grandpa if this church was really the true church.)

"My son,  just as sure as you see that picture(of the first presidency), just as sure is the gospel true.  The gospel of Jesus Christ has within it the power of saving every man and woman who will obey it, and in no other way can they ever obtain salvation in the kingdom of God.  My son, always cling to the gospel.  Be humble, be prayerful, be submissive to the priesthood,  be true,  be faithful to the covenants you have made with God.  Never do anything that would displease God.  Oh, what a blessing is the gospel.  My son, be a good boy."  !!!  ISN'T THAT LEGIT!  Let's all try our best to be good boys and girls and just keep god's commandments, that's all he asks of us because he LOVES us and knows the commandments will help us and keep us safe and happy!  No no we're not gonna be perfect but repentance is real and amazing! Complete obedience to the gospel entitles us to all the blessings people of Indonesia!  have a nice week yall!  <3 Sister Rowntree

1) MY CHILD!!!!1 (:

2) she thinks our height difference is hilarious!!

The Fabulous 3

welp.  it turns out.  yes. i am still training.  but i have not moved to surabaya 2  SO I DONT HAVE TO WHITEWASH HALLELUUJAH!!!!

My child is coming tomorrow!!! (most likely) I'm so excited to train.  She is from New Zealand and she's polynesian, but I dont know how to spell her name, i'll let you know next week.

so this week i've been with sister utomo and sister Bourelle AND WE'VE HAD SO MUCH FUN!!!!!  thinking about trios used to give me anxiety but this trio has been a BLAST.  sister utomo is finishing up her mission at the end of this transfer, and sister bourelle is one of my favorite sisters. we are litterally twins. shes just canadian and i'm american that's the only difference we love the same movies songs tv shows it's so fun.  we've seen many miracles this week too.

time is short so i'll just share 2 cool stories that happened last night.  so this week we were rejected hard core but on the way to that terrible appointment we met this sweet pregnant woman who used to be christian but has then become the other religion to follow her husband. we told her who we were and she said she needed someone to talk too.  so we went to her house yesterday.  she was so opened to us on how much she misses the bible and how she used to feel in her heart, she says she needs jesus to help her, but it's hard since she's changed religion.  we promised her the blessings and comfort she'll get from learning our message.  she even prayed to heavenly father in the name of jesus christ after our lesson. the spirit was so strong and so sweet, and it just hit me how amazing being a missionary is. we are here to help people come unto jesus christ.  Help people remember who they are and what they need. i was so touched by her.

and then the second story when i was still in malang i met this lady at the park, we told her who we were and she's like sorry i'm not christian and we're lqike oh okay. so we keep talking and then she's randomly like. but i want to marry a christian. and i'm lke. huh?  and she's like. i'm so confused. and i asked her if she knew anything about jesus christ and she's like no. so we gave her a plan of salvation pamplet and got her number cuz i was about to move to surabaya and she lived in the exact same area! so i finally get to surabaya and try calling and texting but she seemed not interested..... 7 weeks later i get a call from a number that's not ssaved.  

"Hello?"  "Is this sister rowntree? do you remember me?"  and i'm like uhhhhh sorry this number is not saved... .and she's like, you met me in malang and iwas like OH YA I REMEMBER YOU HI. and she's like, i'm coming back from church right now... and i'm like  WOAH YOUR'E GOING TO CHURCH NOW?!?! can we meet today?  

so we met her and her new boyfriend who is christian at this big park.  she told us about her hard life, and how she wants to find peace and happiness in jesus christ.  we shared the restoration with her and hse is the most humble person ever willing to accpet. she knows she has little knowledge about the savior but we promised as she reads the book of mormon she'll come to know it for herself that he's her savior too.  IT WAS SO COOL. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!  pray  for missionary opportunities  yall.  show your light, come unto the savior and follow those first promptings from the spirit. I love you all  have a nice week!

sister rowntree

1) my sweaty face and cute indonesian baby

2) lol this was from forever ago.

sorry i dont have anymore pics i forgot myt card reader and sister bourelle's card reader isnt working next week i swearrrr i'll send some bye!!

I am of child

WAHHHH!!!!!  THIS WEEK HAS BEEN INSANE!!!  LITERALLY. THE MISSION HAS EXPLODED.  why you may  asks?

TANSFERS.  I swear this was the most dramatic transfer of my life astaGA.

so yes I have some news.  (and this news will explain the title (: )

IM TRANSFERING

to......

SURABAYA 2. so it's not that far lol.  I'm just in the other building.. but do you know what that means.....

I'M WHITE WASHING SURABYA 2. which is 12 times bigger.  oh.  white washing= like... sending new missionaries in an area, (like not having just one missionary go in the area with a companion that already knows where things are.)

and top all of that.  IM OF CHILD!   I'M BECOMING A MOTHER!!! (Becoming a trainer (; )  finally after 11 months of being in the country I'm finally going to be able to train a new missionary!! I'm so excited!! but also sooo terrified because I HAVE NO IDEAE WHERE ANYTHING IS IN MY NEW AREA AHH!!!!  we literally hve nothing. lol.  I don't think there's many progressing investigators there cuz there's been no sisters working in the timur area for like 3ish months.....  sooooo this is going to be an adventure but I'm so excited.  miracles happen when you get lost and you don't know where you're going I swear!  it's like nephi when he's like "and the spirit led me beforehand or something I forget" that's how sister ratu and I found sister Y  (':  so I know the Lord is just wanting to me grow again.

mssions are so funny, you start getting comfortable and then the lord's like "nnNOOOPE!"  and smashes a piece of cake in your face do you get what I'm saying?  AND 2 MORE SISTERS ARE COMING TO SURABAYA, so they'll be in my old area... they're so lucky.... sister hyde and I have found over 40 new investigators this last transfer and we have 2 baptismal commitments so the sisters white washing my old area have it SOOOOOO good.  it's ifne. -___-'   (; just kidding, I will do the Lord's will.  yup so that was the explosion, seriously there were so many tears this week hahahaha

wow.   also sister hyde and I worked soooo hard this week. we found our 10+1 new investigators and IBU E and her son came to church! Puji Tuhan!  The lord is so good.  

I just want to share a little thought on faith.  with faith we can do anything.  that's like the main thing I've learned on the field is that I am literally nothing, and can literally do nothing if I don't rely on the lord in every aspect of my life!  wow!  I love this work, sorry this email is short.  Have a nice week yall and find some ways to strengthen your FAITH!