Pictures from Hermana Bowles September 25, 2011Zon

P-Day service project--FREE CAR WASH!!

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CELEBRATIONS!!!  Hermana Bowles' 3 month anniversary and 

Hermana Nunez 14 month anniversary

Hermana Bowles got her birthday package 1 month early!  Oh well, at least it got there.  They said it would take 2 months and it only took 3 weeks!  Hurray.  She especially enjoyed the taffy and peanut butter.

September 26, 2011: Hermana Bowles--Happy Primavera (Spring)

Hola Familia!

Spring officially started the 24th which meant one thing....fiestas. ALL. NIGHT. LONG. I think half the reason the the first day of everything exists here is so people can drink more. All the colegios paraded around in the street. About a million and a half bottle rockets were shot off. All the partying into the next day meant that Herman Nu couldn't sleep at all. The music was so so loud and the explosions were never ending.

Hermana Wilma brought out her Hindu costumes this week and was dressing up Hermana Nu and showing her how to dance Hindu style. I couldn't stop laughing. Hermana Wilma must be at least 70 years old but acts like she's 17. She has this mannequin in her house that's completely covered in tinfoil. It has a skirt and a pink beaded bra. She uses it to display her hats that she crochets. LOCO.

hm mm....spanish. Still feel like i'm in this non language black hole. The funniest is when people say pray in English and I literally can't. The words just aren't there. Every time I talk now it's a mix of english and spanish. Great....now i can't pray or say anything in any language. The other day when we were eating lunch at a member's house, i said muchos peoples. What!??! I didn't even notice that I'd said that until Herman Nu started laughing.

I'm so excited for conference this weekend! I just hope that if there are no English rooms that I'll be able to understand at least part of what's said. We didn't get to hear the RS session so i'll just have to read it.

Found lots of new investigators this week. Carlos is 24 and has so many questions about the Book of Mormon. It's so easy to teach him because he wants to know how all the history fits together and says all the time that he really wants to feel the spirit because he's prayed before and said he didn't feel anything. Haha he's even gone to institute for the past year and a half with his friend whose in the ward. He would be such a strong priesthood holder because he really wants to understand everything.

We watched the Testaments with Miriam and her husband. Her ancient great grandma came out and watched it. Miriam was so cute and trying to explain everything to her great grandma....who, by the way has hardly any teeth so i can hardly understand her. Then her brother came in and she was explaining the story to her brother and how there were flashbacks between the Americas and Christ at the same time. Miriam is always asking if she's doing things right and trying to change from how she was before. It's awesome. This week she and her husband weren't going to come to church because they wanted to open their little vendor stand and work because they�need to pay off their product supplier. We explained how now she's in the perserverar hasta el fin part and promised her the blessings that would come if she would still come to church....and there their little family was on Sunday.

So I don't know if I've explained about comvees, but i'm kind of glad our transportation money was cut in half this month so we don't ride them here as much. Take a minivan, blast ragatone music, and hire a man to hang out the window and call out locations they're driving to and that's a comvee. Sometimes it starts driving off when we're not even all the way in. Mototaxis are basically motorcycles with a tent pitched on the back for people to sit in. The streets here still scare me. If it looks like there are two lanes of traffic, there are at least three, if not four.

Hermana Nu and I celebrated mission anniversaries this week. We used my early birthday package....Bought arroz con leche and lit candles in them. My little three month arroz con leche was nothing compared to hers. In the picture, Herman Nu looks like she's holding a ball of fire because of the fourteen candles. The two of us together are almost one complete mission for Hermanas.

love always,

Hermana Bowles

September 26, 2011: Elder Bowles

Dear MOM and DAD:

This week was amazing aaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!! amazing!!!!!!! I will tell you why.
My companion is Elder Wade and he is from Oklahoma. He loves football and I said Elder Wade, BYU beat Oklahoma like 1 or two years ago. He is a fan of Oklahoma football. He said he hated that game. But then I said but BYU beat them ha ha. It was funny. Elder Wade has been out on his mission for 6 months and he just came from long beach over by Compton. He is really cool. Yes I have been in this area for a long time almost 6 months and and it will be 9 months in the Zone. I am the longest elder in the Zone. So I have been here quite a while. Last week I told you I saw Craig Sheanshang it was cool I have a picture of him. I had to use someone Else's memory card when I took pictures on that day. I printed those pictures and will send them home. There are like 6 pictures I printed. I will send those home. There are more pictures on my memory card. Sorry I have not been sending pictures I can;t send them today because my connector is at the apartment so I will try and send it next week. I am just looking for some CD so I put my pictures on them send my pictures home. Or I will just send my memory card back home. Don't worry I have a plan. I am trying to send those pictures. Sorry.

Well this week was cool Yesterday day me and Elder Wade taught a powerful lesson to a guy named Madison. Even though it was noisy the spirit was so strong. Madison has that strong desire to learn more about us. He is very religious and talked the whole time how Heavenly Father blessed his life, and how god blesses other people's lives. He was so grateful. He is very interested and asked us if we could come back again to learn more what we believe. He is a really good investigator and I know he is seeking the truth. The spirit was so strong and the lesson just flowed really nice.

Last friday we got a phone call from the mission office. They told us to take our car up to the mission office and they are going to give us a new car. We are like what ? So we go up there and they said this is your new car, take good car of it. Our old car was a 2008 Toyota. The new car is a 2012 CHEVY MALIBU and it is so COOL.!!!! I drove that new car back to the apartment and it is sweet. It drives smooth and nice and I really like it. I have been driving this NEW 2012 CHEVY MALIBU for about 5 days and will still continue to drive it. I love it-- everything is better, the car the music and everything. Nice and shiny. Well, that's my week --good lessons that we taught and got a brand New car to drive all around town. So it's really good. I get excited everyday to drive that car. Me and Elder Wade are very happy.

Don't worry I am trying to send pictures and next week I will try and send pictures through the email. Thanks for setting an appointment to get my cochlear implant mapped. Thank you I love you both. NEW CAR!!!!

Pictures from Hermana Bowles: September 19, 2011

Hermana Bowles and Hermana Nunez with the Elders from their zone.  They

 are having a bar-b-que on P-Day.

Service project moving rocks.  Note the cups of water.

Hermana Bowles and Hermana Nunez with their first baptism--Miriam.  Her husband baptized her and the stake president attended the baptism and performed the confirmation.

September 19, 2011: Hermana Bowles--F is for fleas

Hola Familia!

An adventurous week...kind of.

Well, my invincible iron stomach met its match this week. Had a fever Monday and woke up Tuesday with so much pain in my stomach that I didn't want to get out of bed. Had a fever the whole day and stomach pains that I nicknamed labor pains with Hermana Nu. A big no thank you to the bacteria that decided to infect my stomach. Luckily, ciproflaxin is a miracle drug and ahora, todo esta bien!

I feel like I have chicken pox all over again. F is for the fleas that I killed with off this week that were in my bed. I can't even see them, the pulcras are so small, but they bite something awful! Luckily I sent my sheets to laundry and sprayed my mattress and blankets with OFF and I think they're gone now.

Miriam got baptized on Saturday!!! When she entered the font the spirit was so strong and I was so happy for her....even though she was terrified of the water. The neatest part was that her husband, Manuel, got to baptize her! Now they are a complete cute little family in the ward. Before her baptism when we were taking pictures and waiting to get started, walked out into the hall and Elder Waddell and Elder Soliz were there! Both of them are 70s and Elder WAddell was the visiting authority (secretary in NW South America Area presidency) who was going to speak at our stake conference the next day. He is SO SO so tall. Hermana Nu and I got to talk with them out in the hall for a little bit and Elder Waddell congratulated Miriam on her baptism. Such a sweet a experience for someone as nervous as she was! The stake president was there, too, and got to confirm her afterwards. How awesome!?! Next stop: temple! I really want to be able to go to their sealing in a year. Miriam talks about being married in the temple all the time. She's such a good example of trying to understand the gospel and live it the best she can. She started paying tithing before she was baptized!

Stake conference was on Sunday and Elder Waddell reorganized the stake presidency of Carabayllo. Our bishop was made stake president and his uncle one of his counselors. What a change! Now we need a new Bishop.......all the members are so worried that we don't have a bishop right now, or at least only have a half bishop right now because he is split between the stake and our little ward. After the changes, there was a live broadcast with President Monson, Elder Christofferson, Sister Beck, and another authority. Everyone could speak spanish except for President Monson. Really really neat. They talked all about the family and stressed getting married in the temple. The best part about Sunday was that the sun came out.

Love love love,

Kristin

September 19, 2011: Elder Bowles

Dear Mom and Dad:

Everything is good and I had a fantastic week. I am going to tell you this before I forget. I need a mapping done on my cochlear implant. IT's time and needs be mapped. I have been using the cellphone quite frequently and I am having a hard time understanding people on the street. So my Cochlear implant needs to be mapped. As soon as possible would be good thanks. You can call sister Burbert about that.

You are probably wondering who is staying and who is going. Elder Sturdevant is leaving and I will be staying for another transfer. My new companion is Elder Wade and I will meet with him tomorrow. So I will find out what he is like. By the end of the transfer with Elder Wade it will be 6months in the area and about 9- 10 months in the Zone. I have been here since February. Yesterday they said a group of missionaries will be almost done with their missions and will be returning home in a couple of days. When I was at that Fireside I saw Elder Sheanshang. I can't believe it. Elder Sheanshang is doing good and can't believe he is in the same mission with me. His Spanish is coming along. My old Companion Elder Serrano is done with his mission and will be returning home on Tuesday back to Mexico. I am going to miss him a lot. He was my companion and is going home. I said goodbye to him and wished him luck in the future. Maybe our paths will cross again. The fireside was a really good and spiritual experience. The spirit was so strong in that room you could feel it. That fireside gave me the motivation to work hard in my area and get a baptism in the cerritos 1st ward. I am going to work harder. At the Fireside all the Missionaries sang WE BRING THE WORLD HIS TRUTH then at the end of the fireside all the missionaries sang the closing song GOD BE WITH YOU TILL WE MEET AGAIN. It was so good and gave me the motivation to work harder.

Don't forget my coclhear implant and that it needs to be mapped so I can communicate better. Thanks I love you and there will be more next week.

September 12, 2011: Elder Bowles

Dear Mom and Dad.

BYU beat Ole MIss that's better than Texas. All the teams will receive a heads up on what is going on at BYU. Everyone is getting their mission calls that's so crazy. I still have those two big boxes of food and I have have not even finished it. I will probably gain another 5 to 10 pounds from eating it. I will work out harder in the mornings to lose all those pounds.

Yesterday was the primary children's program in my ward. It was so cute to hear them sing and to say their parts. It was so cool. I was there 10 years ago and I still remember it. Last week on Friday the ward was doing a dinner. They said bring your friends, family anyone you want to invite and come and enjoy dinner. A lot of people came about a little more than 200 people came and it was good. I was surprised. We saw some less active, nonmembers, and people that we don't know. So it was good.

When I was at the party I saw this old 1930 car-- it was so cool. I took a picture of it. The owner of that car said Do you like it? Then I got to go inside of it. It is small and I got to sit in the driver seat. He said you want to start it up? Yes of course. This 1930 car is a model A car. This car does not start up like a regular car. It takes like 5 different things to start it up. The guy that was showing me was like you do this, pull this, push this, push down that and push this and you will start it up. I did all that and it started right up. Hey now I know how to start a 1930 model A car. It was so cool. I don't know if you count that as a mission experience but it was a cool experience.

Yes california is a hard mission and nobody wants to listen to you. We just keep going day by day and maybe one day someone will listen to you and eventually get baptized. So I will just keep looking for people to teach. Thanks for your support I love you. What city is Kristin in? Have a good week.

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Soy Una Flor--9-12-11: Hermana Bowles

Hola Familia!

So I guess I haven't given many zone details here. Yep you got it right. I was the only hermana to enter in the last changes. Supposedly 4 more hermanas enter for cambios in octubre. My zone in Caraballyo has 17 missionaries in it and Hermana Nu and I are the only hermanas. Up to 3 months ago this area didn't even have Hermanas and for that, Hermana Nu calls herself the pionera of Libertad....haha. I think there are only 3 companionships of Hermanas in and around Lima. Most of the hermanas are in the Selva because it's safer. I cannot wait to go to the jungle!!!!! It's green and lush and full of the friendliest people in Peru, from what Hermana Nu tells me.

President and Hermana Blunck are really really nice. My "parents" in Lima. They're always telling us that their focus is to help us be the best missionaries possible. When he found out that Hermana Nu and I don't have warm water in the morning, that instant he had the zone leaders figuring out when they could meet a repairman at our apartment to fix the situation. They're strict with the rules, but so loving.

Home improvement projects last week consisted of buying a mirror, a shower curtain, a trash can, and cutting out pictures from old Liahonas and plastering them in an awesome cuadra on our wall. I love our little house. Have I mentioned that I feel like i'm camping ALL the time? Good thing I like camping :)

One of the coolest experiences this week came from a street contact that we ended up teaching a lesson to. Had my first experience with being in someone's dream! I didn't think it would come so soon. We went to find the Familia Monta for a visit and as we were knocking on the door, this old lady across the street shouted that they were at work. (keep in mind during this whole experience that I only understand half of what's going on which made the spirit that much stronger when she'd talk about certain things.) Crossed to street to talk to her and ended up persuading her and her daughterinlaw to have a short lesson in their house. It was really confusing because we ended teaching each of them one at a time,but the daughterinlaw took us to the back of their house (actually it was more like a second city inside). Talked to the hindu daughter-in-law about the plan of salvation and then when we went to leave, her motherinlaw said it's my turn and took is into a room at the front. The mother in law, Sabina, is from the cierros and took Hermana Nu back to her prime of teaching in the jungle. The people need a lot of simple explanations of the same thing over and over. Ended up talking about the stories her grandparents would tell her about a white god descending and how he was Jesus Christ. It gave me chills how the jungle people know things and don't know things all at the same time.

Anyway, the COOL part, was when she said, yeah, I had a dream last night. In my dream, two bunches of flowers entered my house and walked all the way to the back. When I woke up, I was worried that it was foreshadowing something bad, but I realized that couldn't be possible because flowers only bring good things. I've been thinking and thinking and decided that you're the flowers. haha...just a little bit cool.

Hopefully, Miriam will be baptized on SAturday! My first one I've seen in the field! Her husband is returning to the church and it's awesome because they're already married!!! (They got married when he got baptized years ago). No one is married here. Nobody. To find a couple that's already married is golden because that huge no-baptismal issue doesn't exist. President Blunck gave us some statistic that 80.90 percent of the couples here just live together and never marry. AAAHH!!?!?!? For that reason, families are gold when they're married before the missionaries find them. Anyway, she's had the discussions twice before and backed out at the last second, so I'm praying that she goes through with it this time. She seems so ready. Miriam and Manuel and their son Sebastian are such a cute little family. During our visit last night they brought out family pictures of their wedding and I could tell how much they trust us now. We've already talked about how since I 'll still be in Lima in a year, I could come back for their sealing. Miriam talks so much about how the responsibility of her son has made her take things more seriously.

Favorite scripture of the week is in Enos 1.27. Oops. Should've brought my LDM to write it down. The Lord's promise for the faithful is so sweet.

Love always,

Hermana Bowles

Pictures from Kristin 9/10/11

Kristin leaves the Lima CCM and meets President and Sister Blunk

Hermana Bowles and her first companera--Hermana Nunez from Columbia. 

This is their room with pink walls and all.

Hermana Bowles in front of the Lima Temple.  The Peru Temple was the second temple built in South America.

Las Hermanas overlooking some of their area.  Go Sisters!!

Watch out Lima, here I come!

September 5, 2011: The Ugliest Dogs in the World: Hermana Bowles

Hola Familia!

Let it be known that the ugliest dogs on the planet live in Peru! I dont even know how its possible, but they are hideous! One dog that Hermana Nunez and I walk by everyday is pregnant and hairless, except for the mangy mohawk of hair thats matted on top of its head. Its a slight purplegrayish too which is gross. Luckily they pretty much just bark and stay away...nothing too lifethreatening.....yet :)

This last week we had a service project for an investigator couple in the ward who was raising money to buy their marriage papers this week (theres a free massive wedding ceremony at the Municipal on the 24th). He made ceviche for the ward and sold them at 5soles a box. The elders in our district all came and the eight of us ate ceviche (technically, I dont know what it was. It was cooked ceviche so it was legal for the missionaries.) IT was really good. Hermana Nunez and I spent the next two hours with Romelio after lunch taking the boxes around to families in the ward.

The other service project last Wednesday was breaking rocks on the side of the mountain for a family who is adding on to their house. We practically finished! One more week and the family will be good to go. They are investigators of some elders in our district.

Our Pension is with Hermano Max. I dont think Ive seen him frown yet and hes always laughing. When I dont understand he tries to spit out the word in English which makes it even funnier that I dont understand. We have breakfast (yogurt, cereal, hot milk and milo, bread) and dinner (rice, rice, meat, rice) with him and lunch with members.

Yesterday we had lunch at a members house and I thought I was going to die there was so much food! Theres a rule in the jungle that you have to eat any and all of the food they give you. SInce, this sister was from the jungle, this rule applies to her house. I didnt believe Hermana Nu until we got there. First plate came and was FILLED with a vegetable mix and a tamale. She brought out a hot strawberry drink, too. I finished those, looked at Hermana Nu and said: well that wasnt so bad, look, I finished! SHe just laughed and told me we werent finished yet. AAAH. NExt plate was FILLED with potatoes, meat, and rice. By this point I was stuffed to the brim.....and then she brought out another plate!!!! AAAHHH!!! THis time it was all fruit with with bananas, apples, mangos. Another strawberry drink. I wanted to give up and told Hermana Nu that I felt like Id just finished Thanksgiving dinner. I couldnt eat another forkfull. No wonder all the missionaries get fat and flabby who go to the selva. It was the first time the meal was actually nutritious, but there was so much that my stomach wanted to explode.

I really wish time existed here. Everyone is late to everything.....we had a missionary activity last week at 6:30 and no one even showed until 8:15. AAAAh punctuality makes me want to scream.

I have two favorite things about where we live: our pink room and hermana wilma. Hermana Wilma lives next to us and is so deaf its hysterical. You have to repeat the same message three times, yelling. I can always hear the program shes watching through the wall because the volume has to be turned up so loud. Hermana WIlma wears these yellow dangle sparkly earrings and has died red hair. She loves the elders who baptized her to pieces over 30 years ago and calls them my elders. She invites her friends to her house for us to teach about the gospel. WAy to go sister senior missionary! She always makes refreshments after, too. I feel like Im at grandmas ;) She lays out bread and jam and fake coffee for everyone.

September means spring is coming. I am so excited to see the sun more!!!

Love always,

Hermana Bowles

September 5, 2011: Elder Bowles

Sweet go Cougars!!!!!!!!!!! Wish I was there to see it. I can always watch the game when I go back home. My birthday is tomorrow and I am so excited and I can't wait. I told my companion I will sleep till 7:00 because it's my birthday that's the only exept ion, I still have to get up at 6:30 waaaaa

You will have a wonderful year with the kids --no more 30 kids in the classroom. Good thing you will have good kids this year.

Wow two boxes of tomatoes. You did a good job taking care of that garden. Now it might get out of control next week. IT rained this morning so utah might get some rain and finally have some moisture get on the grass. Sister Bowles told me I 'm going to turn 20 and she called me old. I told her you are 21 and older ha ha.

Well our investigator Leslie came to church yesterday. Leslie is living with a member and that is really good and the member will be there to answer her questions and will support her. That's really good and it's a win win situation. She said she has read the Book of Mormon when she went on vacation and really liked church. It's really good and me and ELder Sturdevant are really excited to work with her. We have an appointment with her on Tuesday and can't wait to begin teaching her. She is really nice and willing to listen.

Cub scouts-- how fun. So cool that a police man will come to the church and will show all the kids what the policeman has. That is really cool.

THe missionary work picked up a little here and we are still working hard finding people to teach. Thanks and Happy birthday to me ha ha I am 20 and my first birthday on my mission and I have one year and a half before I return back home. Thanks for supporting me and I'll let you know more next week. Thanks Elder Bowles.

Love Elder Bowles. Love all of you bye Stay tuned for more next week.