Receive Love - The final email.

Terima= receive

kasih = love

terima kasih= Thank you.

well, i am currently writing my last email to yall, at my house! I'm home!  it's so weird! i feel SO WEIRD.  but i am at peace and i am so happy to be with my crazy family again!

I just want to share a few miracles of my last week as a missionary and how they strengthened my testimony of the reality of a living loving God. 

1.  My last night, sister cardon and i had a few appointments, mostly with members, and before hand we wanted to find a really cool contact that we met a week before.  an hour and a half later, we still hadnt found his house!  and there were christians everywhere, and the neighborhood was very nice, like they were all very wealthy.... and... not so humble.  NO ONE wanted to listen to our message, and i was like,  "man.  heavenly father, i really just want to give the first vision ONE last time!"  we hadn't shared the restoration all that week, and if we did, sister cardon was the one giving the first vision.  i was so bummed, we started walking back to our bikes when sister cardon heard music coming from a house.  she started dancing and a man was sitting outside on the inside of his gate.  basically, sometimes, as missionaries we try ANYTHING to interest people to letting us enter into our homes,  that nights' tactic.  dance.  we tried asking him what he was listening to, and he called out for his wife, which turns out she can speak english!  they let us in.  and we shared our message.  Sister Cardon gave me the go to testify of Joseph Smith's experience, the spirit was so strong as we gave the first vision.  No one with a pure heart could deny the power that was manifested in that moment.

This sweet family rejected the message, but it's not us they're rejecting it's the Savior himself.  Usually I would be sad or irritated at moments like this, but at that time while this family was turning us down, I truly felt so much love for them, I felt Heavenly Father's love for this precious family, and of how much He wishes them to come home to Him. I also felt as I smiled  through the rejection, I felt The Savior's love for me and Sister Cardon, for still loving them for still caring about them.  I  cant really describe the feeling, but all I know for sure with all my heart is that the Lord was pleased with our service.  It was awesome, Heavenly Father immediately answered that prayer of mine.

2.  on our way home from Indonesia, on our flight from Hong Kong to LA, we sat next to the most prepared and most humble man I've ever met.  Sister Patton and I (MTC comps reunite again!(and it's like extra special bc we've grown SO much in our teaching skills and our knowledge of the gospel, sitting on a plane ride home, moments before finishing our mission.(heavenly father had one more person we needed to help)))  and his name was Phillip.  We listened to him for 5 hours, just letting him pour out his soul to us.  His Lutheran, married to a non active member, and all he wants is to be the best father he can be. He wants peace and balance in His life.  I learned so much in this moment with this man, about the importance of listening.  Like when we first met him, i kinda of immediately went into missionary mode, like hey where are you from, hows your fam? do you go to church? annnd your family can be together forever with this message."  but that wasn't what he needed, what he needed was someone to listen to him, and afteer we had done so, fighting through the drowsiness of plane flights and keeping our eyes open,  we testified with all of our souls that God lives, that Heavenly Father cares about Him, we shared our own personal experiences and we gave him homework in the book of mormon.  He said he was excited for this, he knew that it was god's plan that we sat by him that morning in Hong Kong.

I know that God lives, and I know that He loves His children.  Everything happens for a reason, it's all in His plan.  I know that Jesus Christ is His Son, and he and our father in heaven love us PERFECTLY.  no matter what we do, what we've done, they will ALWAYS love us, and they're always ready with extended arms out reached towards us to bring us in, bring us home, bring us unto Christ.  The restored gospel of jesus christ is true.  i know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, called to open this last dispensation so that we can recieve all of the eternal and everlasting blessings of the full gospel of Jesus Christ.  I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.  I know that it changes peoples lives, i've seen it, i have seen for the past year and a half, people who have NO IDEA who Jesus Christ is, come to know who He is by reading that book.  I know it changes hearts, because it has changed mine.  Jesus Christ lives, and because of His atonement everything is possible, we just have to try.  taking off the name tag last night was the HARDEST thing i've ever done in my entire life, but i felt completely encompassed in his arms of love as I said goodbye to the past year and a half of my life. I tried my best, and I know that Heavenly Father loves me.  I am at peace.  

I know the Lord has sooo much more in store for me as i begin this new chapter of my life.  Thank you all for the love and support throughout this journey.  This is only the beginning of the best to come, this was the best year and a half so far.

Saya Tahu bahwa gereja ini benar, saya tahu Bapa Surgawi mengasihi kita masing2, dan mendengarkan doa2 kita.  Tolong menyimak pada perkataan nabi kita, Presiden Russel M. Nelson, dan melakukan apa yang dia mendesak kita untuk lakukan.  Saya tahu ini gereja Tuhan Yesus Kristus, dan bahwa dia masih membimbing kita melalui Nabi nya.  Saya tahu semuanya ini benar, dan membagikannya dalam nama Yesus Kristus, Amin.

1) on our way to taman safariiii

2) cutest baby chimp everrr (but we couldnt hold him this time)

3&4) dream come true

5) final testimony meeting <3

1) special fireside (willy is basically a member)

2&3) my favorite muslim girls by pak D's house

4) favorite half indo and german baby <3

5) feelin myself lol

1) my awesome zone leaders!

2) cute baby

3) favorite family

4) my sweet solo members

5) Sister Patton Sister Fuglsang and I reunited one last time #MTCCompsForLife <3

Uhh, this is weird.

HEY FRIENDS HEY FAM THIS IS WAY WEIRD!

i am going home

what

this week has been the best week yet!  so many miracles

and i literally ahve no time to write a last email!! sorry!!!!

i promise when i get home on wednesday i'll send one olast one with my testimony

thyis mission has changed my life!!!  i am so grateful for the savior and fo rmy heavenly father.  I lvoe this gospel, and i'm so grateful for everything i've learned SO MUCH.  i wish i had time to express my love even more.  but i really got to go

this church is true!  there's NO WAY i wouldve survived my mission if it wasnt.  thank you all so much for the love and support throughout this journey. 

SEE YOU SOON! (:

The beginning of the end.

NEWS

1. our mission president has given us more than an hour to email!  life is GOOD.

2.  um. recently because we're doing more service, we've been teaching our kinda investigators daughter how to read and write bc she's not in school. she's 7 and cant read ):  and while helpign her, and singing songs with her with the uke, i've gotten this werid fuzzy feelings in my heart and i think i want to do something to work with kids when i get home. i dont know if that means i'm supposed to be a teacher or something, but my new dream calling is to be in the nursery.  I am confused, but all of a sudden i love kids. o>o

3. THIS IS MY LAST WEEK AS A FULL TIME MISSIONARY WHAT!?!?!?! SOOOO CRAZYYYYYYYYYY AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

It's so surreal and so crazy and weird, but i'm excited. and i am so grateful for the experience I've had as a misisonary.  Without the mission, there's no way I'd be fully converted to the gospel, the depth that the Lord desires me to be converted.  I am so grateful for everything that i've learned, felt, and experienced.  i'm not dead yet, so this week we're gonna kill it!  

ya know, i was sad at first, because none of my investigators are geting baptized before i leave, but i know they will, I love heavenly father's children here, and i'm leaving them all a prepaid envelope with my address on it so they can mail me their picture when they fianlly are baptzied (:   Life is good, the Lord is good, the gospel is true!  I promise next week's email will be more heart felt!

Go read Mosiah 4, it's like on eof my favorite chpaters in the book of mormon. my favorite verses are 2 qnd 3, where teh people of benjamin are done hearing his words, and they realize how crappy theyve been, but instead of being sad, they plead for mercy and for their hjearts to be purified, and the holy ghost rests upon them and they receieve a remission of their sins, it says, they were filled with JOY<3 thats so beautiful.

we can feel like that every week yall, when we take the sacrament with a broken heart and contrite spirit, before hand, we've already prayed with all of our hearts to know what heavenly father wishes for us to change to become better in prayer.  I loved President Nelson's talk, so beautiful, i know if we apply his counsel in our lives, we can be filled with this joy as well.  Love you all!  have a christ centered week yall!

sampai jumpa lagi ya?

1) said goodbye to sister liliek last night 

2) THE MOST HEALTHIEST CAT I'VE EVER SEEN IN INDO SOO SOOOO CUTEEE

3) teaching this little girl how to read and write <3

4) YALL, THIS LADY HAS 13 CATS AND A HUSKY AND 2 DOGS I WAS IN CAT HEAVEN!  she didnt receive a book of mormon tho lol 

5) Sis Siwi <3

I love being a missionary!

HEY FAM,

I ahve to make this short, but long story short.

the dreadful disease of trunkiness has settled into my body, and liek, ya of course i'm still doing missionary work but it's like, satan is trying sooo hard to make me feel lazy or bored and all these crazy emotions i didnt think would come upon me at the end of the mission. i was like seriously gettting stressed, i kept asking myself, "whats wRONG with me!??"  "why am i not enjoying the time of my life?!?!"  etc... 

and then while i was wallowing in sorrow, we had our day of miralces.

miralce 1.  i met this mas at gramedia who is our investigagors friend but we didnt get his number and then he stoopped working there and i was like noooooo we didnt get to follow up if he read about the restoration!! and THEN (oh ya that happened liek 2 motnhs ago)  we were biking after DTM to find food and i wasl ike LET US GO HERE! i wanted gado gado, and guess who was in that warung. THE MAS FROM 2 MONTHS AGO!!! he was like, DO YOU REMEMBER ME? and i was like uhhhhh and he's like I'M R'S FRIEND and i was like OHHHH MYYYY GOOOSHHH WE FOUND YOU!!! WE HAD A GREAT TALK AND HOPEFULLY THE ELDERS WILL MEET WITH HIM <3

right after that we met a mantan simpatisan who's been gone for months and we were able to invite her to conference!  it was a, we were in the right place at he right time miracle

RIGHT AFTER THAT.  i had a prompting to go to a less active memeber, and we met her new neighbor who wants to become closer to god, and follow the example of jesus chrsit to be baptized.  our jaws were just dropped the whole way to our next appointment afterwards, the humilty of this single motherw as so inspring and teaching her who her heavenly father and his son jesus chrsit was to her, was so so special.  we stopped as soon as we could to give a prayer of thanks to heavenly father.

and then the last miracle our investigator (WHOS THE ONE WITH THE FRIEND) FIANNLLY READ HER HOMEOWKR IN THE BOOK OF MORMON!!!  such a miracle. i know shew ill receive answers to her prayers as sh reads and ponders the book of mormon.  

sister cardon said to me, "see sister rowntree?  the lord still needs you here!"  and that was the cure to the trunk!  i am not a perfect person, but boy i was sure humbled that day, and was reminded of the importnance to always show your gratitude for the many blessings which heavenly father has bestowed upon you. i know he Loves me, even when i'm a dumb dumb, I know he lives. I know His son Jesus chrstis is my redeemer and lvoes me perfectly. I know President Russel M. Nelson is a prophet of God, once again, his words have touched my heart.  This is the true church of Jesus Christ, and i know that the beautiufl poeple of indonesia need this in their lives. I'm so grateful i still have 2 weeks to serve iwth all my heart might mind and strength to invite others to come unto jesus christ.  

love you all!

sampai nanti ya?

1) i took out my hair

Biasa Saga

Hey friends hey fam! what's up!

sorry this email is coming in so late we went to JOGJA today to a CANDI a hindu temple

this week was super normal, nothing excitign yall. buuuuut i do have news!!

1. TRANSFERS.  sister shiukumar got transfered in the middle of this transfer to semarang! she is now the new STL for jawa tengah adn i've been released!

i'm super grateful from the experience i had being able to serve adn help my sisters here in indo!

i will miss shiu kumar dearly.  i love her to death, but life goes on

2. my nwe companion is... SISTER CARDON!  born in alaska, lived in germany for 6 years, and now lives in utah!  she emailed me before she cme on the mission and now look! she's killing me! crazy!   these next 3 weeks will be a blast!

we had one investigator to church yesterday, that was a miracle. 

i've been reading Jesus the Christ like i would read a manga,  i lvoe it so much and i love learning more in depth about the savior.  the churhc is true yall! i hop e you enjoyed conference! i hope you dont just listeen and keep[ living your normal lives,  i know the lord will speka to each one of us, and tell us what we need to do to become better, what we need to change. i cannot WAIT to finally watch this week n indonesian!

uhhh  annnd one of teh new apostle,  i\ve met  before what waht!!  so cool!

thats all folk!  love you!

-sister rowntree

1) shiu and i's last day )':

2) sister cardon and i xD

3) this is sister cardon

4) train ride to jogja!

5) i have more candi pics on everyone else's camera... so next week ya? (: