Pictures of Hermana Bowles and her "Nuevita."

Hermana Bowles with her new companion.  She is now a Mom and Sister Rodriguez is her daughter.
Sister Rodriguez is from Mexico City, Mexico.  The Mission President told Kristin that she would be training her for 3 months there in Moyobamba.  By the time she is finished she will have been in the same area for 9 months!  Good thing she loves it there.

February 13, 2012: Hermana Bowles: Feliz Dia de Amor

Hola Familia!

 

Drumroll...............rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.............my new companion is Hermana Rodriguez from Mexico City, Mexico.  She's twenty-one and so ready to work.  Everyone she meets tells her that she talks like someone off of the novelas (soap operas), which is funny because she says she doesn't even watch those at home.  I told her I'm expecting a novela dialogue reenactment between her and Elder Blanco (el otro Mexicano de Monterrey) during district meeting tomorrow.  Included is a picture of us in our first hour together :)

 

It is such a relief to have a companion again.  I felt a little like a "foster missionary" from Sunday at noon to Wednesday at noon, being passed from member to las misioneras and back to the members.  It feels so great to back in a real companionship where we can rely on eachother.

 

We taught the young women how to make pizza this Saturday.  It actually turned out really yummy!  It was the second Sunday of the month which meant the obra misional turn to speak again.  Of the four of us, we divided the first four mission lessons in Preach My Gospel.

 

We taught lots and lots of new people this week.  President Blunck has changed the program direction a little so now we work with half less-actives and half investigators.  Now the trick is remembering how to work with investigators more after a different focus for four months.  I guess that's why it's good I'm with a new missionary from the CCM who only focused on teaching investigators so that we can learn together.   I keep learning that we will find the people who are prepared and ready to receive the gospel.  We are not salesman and can't force anyone to accept anything.  Like dad said, we are agents of love helping families through the message of the restoration.

 

Thanks so much for your sweet packages.  Haha....I actually got valentine's day before Christmas, but that's okay.  I've opened up the quotes.

Haha...I think having my "hijita" is making more weary to have actual real children in the future.....haha....just kidding.  But really--I feel this incredible new pressure and sense of responsibility.  I've focused alot on just calming down and praying....lots and lots of prayer.

 

As far as service goes, we haven't had a mission service project here in la selva (jungle).  We are supposed to look for service around where we live to do every Wednesday morning.

 

Hmm....progress and the less-actives.  Still an interesting assignment with ebb and flow that I never imagined.  Good news is the majority of Less Actives we taught this week came to church.  You can visit and visit someone, but it's really up to them.  It is so individual.  We're going to try to work more and more with the members and get the visiting teachers more on check because everyone we meet tells us "oh it's sweet that you're visiting. No one ever visits me." 

 

Dad: thanks so much for your quote from Sunday.  I pray everyday to understand the Spirit.  It's like learning spanish all over again having to understand to teach by the spirit.  I wrote the quote in my missionary agenda :)

 

Thanks to Garrett, I read Elder Uchtdorf's "Forget Me Not" address this week.  Here is a quote I liked:

 

"...we sometimes see the gospel as a long list of tasks that we must add to our already impossibly long to-do list, as a block of time that we must somehow fit into our busy schedules.  We focus on what the Lord wants us to do and how we might do it, but we sometimes forget why.  My dear sisters, the gospel of Jesus Christ is not an obligation; it is a pathway, marked by our loving Father in Heaven, leading to happiness and peace in this life and glory and inexpressible fulfillment in the life to come.  The gospel is a light that penetrates mortality and illuminates the way before us.  While understanding the "what" and the "how" of the gospel is necessary, the eternal fire and majesty of th gospel springs from the "why."   When we understand why our Heavenly Father has given us this pattern for living, when we remember why we have committed to making it a foundational part of our lives, the gospel ceases to become a burden and, instead, becomes a joy and a delight.  It becomes precious and sweet....seek out the majesty, the beauty, and the exhilarating joy of the "why" of the gospel of Jesus Christ."

 

I hope everyone has a beautiful and loving Valentine's Day.  I know Heavenly Father LOVES us.  Yes, He loves you, too.....and so do I!

Happy Day of Love.

 

Love always,

Hermana Bowles

February 13, 2012: Elder Bowles

Dear mom and dad,

 Which do you want, first the bad news or good news.  I'll
give you the bad news.  I got sick this week.  Waaaaa.  Me and Elder
Warmoth went to pick up dinner at a member's house.  As we were talking
I didn't feel good.  I was just bending over and was about to throw up
in the house.  I told Elder Warmoth to wrap it up because I got to throw up.
After we left I went out of the house and threw up. blaaa on the
street.  It was quite a big one.  It got all over my shoes and pants.
That's missionary life.  SO I was sick that night and stayed in the
apartment Wednesday night all Thursday and my stomach was feeling better
on Friday.  It is not fun to be sick when you are a missionary because
you can't go out and do missionary work.  It was bad and this is the
first time I have been sick on my mission.  So that is the bad news.

The good news is me and Elder Warmoth taught a really good lesson to
an investigator.  It was a good spiritual lesson.  Her name is Martha
and Martha is looking for a church that has a modesty standard, is
peaceful, studies the scriptures together and everyone supports
each other.  So we told her that what she said, our church has.  I felt
prompted to share with her a song we sing at church.  The song is I am a Child of God.

 We explained that God loves each one of us and wants
everyone to partake of his gospel and I am a child of God teaches us
that God really does love us.  It was good and at the end of the
lesson she almost cried, it was so close she was a bout to but didn't
want to because we were there.   I never knew how
powerful a song can be.  I hope she will come to church and she will
see it for herself.  That's my week this week.  so it was really
good.  

So you want me to get my suit here.  okay.  It will be black.  I don't
have time today to get it but I will have time next week to get my
suit.  I will get it next week.  Mom and Dad if possible can you email
me Andy's Address in Bulgaria?  I forgot to write him a letter
last week so I will see what happens.  You are the best I love you mom
and dad you are a great example to me thanks.  I will look for a CD
and try and put my pictures on it.  It might take like two to 3
weeks.  Thanks I love you I will continue to work hard.

Thanks--Love you

Love Elder Bowles

Elder Bowles "working" hard!  Garrett actually found the street where Grandma and Grandpa Dew lived when they were first married.  It is called Coral Street.  They lived in a an apartment like you see in the picture--the 1-story unit.   He and his companion visit this area regularly.

Garrett loves the Southern California sunsets.

He is using his "grilling" expertise on the mission.  At home he was the bar-b-que king!

Our nature lover found a little nature in the big city.

February 7, 2012 Elder Bowles

Dear Mom and Dad:

 

 First thing before I forget.  My black suit is
starting to rip and I am getting too big for it.  SO I need a new
black suit.  DO you want to send me one or do I buy one here.  It is
probably cheaper in Utah.  

 

Everything is going good.  First off The
superbowl aaaa.  Do you realize when I am on my mission I miss 3 super
bowls?  Even though I don't watch it I miss 3-- one in the MTC and 2 on
my mission.

 

 Yesterday was the superbowl man nobody wants to talk to
you.  Everyone got their eyes hooked on the T:V  and watching the most
important game of the year.  So we can't knock on doors people might
get mad at us, can't go by members  we will interupt them watching
the superbowl and we might lose their trust so the most effective
thing we can do right now is ITL.  ITL is when we walk down the street
and talk to people about the gospel.  Sometimes we will give them a
card and then walk away.  Not very many people on the streets.  It's
better than nothing.

 

 When we found out Maria is avoiding us and went
back to her old ways Elder Warmoth was really mad and said we are
held accountable for that.  He was upset.  I just couldn't focus that
night so I told him that we are not held
accountable now forget about that.  He said Elder Bowles she is our
recent convert that we baptized.  Then I said we followed the spirit
and she was ready for baptism--  we are not held accountable for that.
At  some point in her life she will remember that the gospel blessed her life

and that's where she found the most happiness.  She has AGENCY.  It was intense that
night so it was interesting.  

 

 No spiritual experiences but this
week I was talking to this one person and I may be related to them.
She saw my name tag and said Elder Bowles I know a Bowles.  He was the
Principal at hamilton middle school and we used to call him daddy
Bowles.  Dad are there any friends or people in our family with the last
name of Bowles and that was a principal at hamilton high school?  I thought
it was really interesting and said I don't know I will find out.  So
that is good.  That was it for the week.  

 

Thank you and Love you

Elder Bowles

Pictures from Peru--February 7, 2012

Helping at a baby shower for a ward member,

Little Manuelita got baptized Sunday Feb. 6 just before Hermana Nunez left for Lima to finish her mission.

Wow--check out those hard working feet!!

February 7, 2012 Hermana Bowles--Goodbye Hermana Nunez

Hola Familia.

What a week.   Little Manuela was baptized on Saturday.   She and her mom (who is less-active) are coming back bit by back, although it's always a process.   I loved how eager she was to be baptized.  She kept talking about how good she felt J

Zulema finally had her baby!!!!!   We helped at her baby shower this week and had a good laugh dressing mothers with balloon babies  in newspaper outfits.   She had a little boy Saturday afternoon.

Visited Mama Enith this week like always (she was baptized back in October).   We've started reading the Book of Mormon more with her lately with her son.   This last week we read 1 Nefi 1 and at the end started talking about faith.   I asked her if she had any experiences with faith and she started telling us a neat thing that happened this week.   Enith sells food en el mercado, but to buy all the food to start she needs 150 soles.   She hasn't been working for a while because she's been sick, but finally was well enough to start up again and they needed the money.   She took her 100 soles to the mercado in the morning to buy everything on her list, knowing that it would be tight because she was short.  To make a long story short, she kept checking her list to see what whe was forgetting, but she had bought everything.   Paid the moto to go back to her house and realized that after she paid the moto, she still had 49 soles.  Somehow she bought everything she needed with only half of what she had, and a third of what it normally takes.  Heavenly Father takes care of his children.

This week Hermana Nunez ended her mission.   She left Sunday right after church for Tarapoto and Lima.   She'll fly into Cartagena, Colombia on Tuesday.  I couldn't have asked for a better trainer and companion.  In the meanwhile I've been passed between members and las otras hermanas misioneras.   It's strange, but I still keep looking over my shoulder or at my side and Hna. Nunez isn't there.   Hermana Nunez taught me such a deep love for the scriptures and I always loved during our study time when she would be reading and all of the sudden say something like "wow that's so cool" or "las escrituras son lo maximo" ("The scriptures are the best")or "oh ahora entiendo."  ("Oh now I understand")  This next little while will definitely be a time of growth.   We took a picture of her legendary feet before she flew out.   That scripture of how blessed are the feet of those preaching the gospel or something like that comes to mind.

Scary news.  I am training the next two changes!   AAAAHHH!   President Blunck told me in interviews on Thursday and I still don't think that it has hit yet.   My nuevita  companera arrives Wednesday morning direct from the CCM-mision offices in Lima.   Don't know who she is yet or where she's from, but I'm having a lot of faith right now.

Thanks for all your love from home.

Love always,

Hermana Bowles