Week 4 - July 30, 2016

Another week in the books here at this place. On Sunday, I was called as the new District Leader, which actually doesn't mean much, I just call on people to say the prayer in class and then have to go to some meetings on Sundays in the branch and report about 11-D. Elder McLaws and Gappymier are the new Zone Leaders. McLaws is awesome. He grew up in Arizona and about 300 mormons graduated in his class but he was the only one to go on a mission. He is a stud and was a good football player in High School.

On the 24th, we had the Nashville Tribute Band come play for us and that was pretty cool to see people rocking out to some LDS music.

Elder Bean left on Monday and he was so happy to get out of here. I hope he is doing good out there in New York! Kye, Stockton, and Sarah got into the MTC this week and it is good to see them all. I saw Kye sleeping on a bench today and then ran into Stock today and his name badge was missing and for some reason that was funny to me. It's almost dumb how easily amused you get in here. Jon is leaving tomorrow and he got in here a week after me and that is frustrating! Happy for Conner getting his call to Bakersfield! I have a good group of friends.

My comp Elder Wright had his birthday this week so we threw a party for him and it was a good day.

Class this week has been rough. We all love Brother Garlick; he brings the spirit everyday he comes in to teach us. We are his last District he teaches here. Then we have Sister Toma, who just got home from the Berlin Mission 8 months ago and got married a month ago, and it is hard to stay awake and pay attention during her lessons but I think she is just side tracked by other things in her life but we all like her. The German is coming along but is so frustrating and hard. It is such a literal language and the grammar and sentence structure is difficult. One word can have 4 different meanings.

Overall had a great week. We watched some videos in class of families getting baptized and then being able to go to the Temple together and I just got a craving to want to help people be able to do those things. Families are the most important thing ever. I love going to the temple on P Day and seeing the married couples there and a few weeks ago Elder Bednar emphasising the importance of family and his role as a Father and Husband. The Temple revolves around families. Can not wait for that time of being a Father and Husband. There are over 50 pronouns that describe God, and the one he asks us to use is Father. 

TRC this week was great. We taught a missionary that just got home a month ago and he didn't say much but our next guy served in the Germany North Mission in 67-69 and he said " I remember a Robert Rothwell as my pediatrician when I was younger." That took me by surprise and we gave him a lesson on Nachstenliebe "Charity" and felt the spirit so strong while we were with him.

So excited to serve the people of Germany! I get my travel plans on Friday and that just gives me the butterflies!​

Love you all and hope you are all doing well! Have a good week.

-Elder Rothwell

Favorite Scriptures of the Week:

**D&C 121:45

"Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven."

**D&C 18:10-13

" 10 Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;

 11 For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him. 12 And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance.
13 And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!"

**Mornoi 7:45-48

"45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

 46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—
 47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. 48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen."

**Ephesians 6

(this is just the heading)

"Children should honor their parents—Servants and masters are judged by the same law—Saints should put on the whole armor of God."

Elder Rothwell with (from right to left) Elder Christiansen, Elder Lundell, Elder Bean, and Elder McGee!

 We got this video of Dax along with some pictures on Wednesday!

"So guess who we ran into playing soccer after dropping Sarah off!  He was giddy and full of life!!"

We Love Elder Rothwell and the work he is doing!

Week 3 - July 23, 2016

Hello everyone. All of the English speaking missionaries that came in with us get to leave on Tuesday and Wednesday next week and we are all a little bit jealous but at the same time I feel like I need more than another 3 weeks in here. Everyday is the best and worst day ever. The German is hard but it is coming! Collin and Carson got in this week and I got to see them, they are doing great! Grant leaves next week and him and his company get in a fight everyday it is hilarious. I also heard that  there have been some things happening in Germany so hopefully I survive out there.

Sunday was good. I got to teach the priesthood meeting on the Book of Mormon and Elder Wright and I got to bless the Sacrament and we really enjoyed that. The craziest thing happened at our Sunday Devotional, at the end of watching "Character of Christ" by David A. Bednar, he and his wife walked in and we were like, no way. They had a question and answer period for about 2 hours and it was just so cool. I have a ton of notes written on what was asked and his answers, but the main message I got out of it was-  doing the best we can is all we can do and the Spirit makes up for the rest of it and that is how we stay spiritually tuned and that people are converted on what the spirit teaches them not what we say. Missionaries are far more what they are than what they say.

The rest of the week was a blur... The days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days. In our Tuesday Devotional, Elder and Sister Clarke talked to us and that was awesome. "Diligence is more important than intelligence." "Pray for the spirit, live the commandments, read the Book of Mormon, and APPLY THEM." We also had an ugly tie trade that night and we all had to wear them the next day. That is about as wild as we get during our week.

The Argentines that got in last week think they are awesome and they have the same workout time as us so we about get in a fight everyday but it is fun and gives us all something to look forward to during basketball and soccer. Nothing is more competitive and prideful than church sports, it cracks me up how serious people get. Elder Hughes and I have to calm each other down. Also Elder Wright takes the longest showers and brushes his teeth for 5 minutes every morning and night. Such an interesting guy but I love him and enjoy teaching with him.

Yesterday in class Brother Garlick, our teacher, just kind of got in our face and was like, "give all that you have on your mission, just work hard!" He just went back to Germany a couple of weeks ago and the members were telling him that the missionaries just aren't working hard. He was so mad that people told us that it is hard to baptise over there, he said that is bull crap and that if we work we will baptise so many people. He gave a lesson that day on 1 Corr 13 and it was so good and spiritual. I challenge everyone to read that chapter. It is one of my new favorites. That hit home with me this week. I could write for days.

I am doing well and am enjoying the journey. Thank you for all of the prayers, they are felt. I hope everyone is doing well.

-Elder Rothwell

Favorite scriptures this week

*1 Corr 13

(this is just the heading)

"Paul discusses the high status of charity—Charity, a pure love, excels and exceeds almost all else."

 *Moroni 7:47-48

"47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

 48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen."

Daxton and his companion, Elder Wright along with their roommates!

*D&C 84:88

"And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

*Gal 5:22

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

*3 Nephi 5:13

"Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life."

Elder Rothwell and Elder Hughes