December 2011: Pictures from Hermana Bowles

This is part of the walk down to the waterfalls.  There was a rope bridge over a river and everything!

This is Santa Clara.  It's in the other branch but when we go on exchanges with the other hermanas I get to visit.  It's a little "pueblito" down the hill from the regular city of Moyo.  My camera can't capture the real beauty--it is G O R G E O U S.  There is 1 family of less-actives that we vista here.  It is exercise for the day walking there and back but soooo worth it.

Ready to go in the rain.  If I haven't made a point of saying it already...it rains here.....A LOT!  It rains more and more into December and January.  When it finally lets up in the end of January, the river goes down and that's when dengue emerges. YIKES.  I'm still learning to listen for it, but you can hear the rain coming from way off in the jungle.  It sets over the jungle hills like cotton candy pulling at the palmeras.  It's a beautiful gray mist that looks quite mysterious.  Hernana Nunez stops me in the street, "Listen, can you hear it?"  "What?"  "The rain is coming."

Celebrating my 22nd birthday with "fuanes" (back in November).    To celebrate, Hermana Nunez bought  fuanes which is a rice/chicken ball that comes wrapped and cooked in a giant leaf.  Don't worry, you don't eat the leaf wrapping paper.  It makes me think of the Peruvian version of hobo- dinners when we go camping.  YUM

I love the zone tradition of buying a birthday cake and soda for whoever has a birthday.  One week, Hermana Nunez and Hermana Sanhuera both celebrated turning 24 on October 30.  The next week we ate cake AGAIN because it was my birthday.  I'm glad the zone leaders forgot about my birthday because it wasn't on the list of October birthdays and they had to buy a new cake with my name on it, even though it was all in the same week--sweet!

December 2011: Merry Christmas from Elder Bowles

Yes!!  Snow in Southern California.  Actually it was a huge hail storm, but close enough.

This little Christmas tree has a history.  It went with Elder Warmoth's Dad on his mission, his mom on hers and now their son on his mission.  They used toilet paper around the bottom to look like snow.

Cute missionaries with the Christmas spirit in Compton!  (Try to overlook the typo!)

Dinner cooked in a banana leaf.

Yum!  Eating dinner with Hermana Nunez

The hermana challenge:  walking through the muddy streets during the rainy season!  Where are your boots Kristin?

Here I am Moyobamba!  

Monday December 26, 2011: Hermana Bowles

Hola Padres!

 

It looks I'll be here with Hermana Nunez for the next six weeks until she ends in February.  Wow...sigh of relief for not training right now :)

 

Christmas phone calls are such a tricky thing......I didn't want it to end.  It was so good to hear your voices.  Sorry if you have questions I never answer.....just ask them again and again.  It's honestly that I forget because I'm so busy typing and copying over pictures

 

I told Hna. Nunez that she was in the family Christmas card and she thinks it's really funny.  Be sure to send on a copy so we can stick it on our mini-fridge:)

 

Christmas is an amazing thing.

 

We went to Soritor this week. It's in a new area in our zone that just opened up this change.  All fourteen of the missionaries en Zona Moyobamba went to Soritor on Wednesday.   Half of our trip there was spent doing a blitz contact in Soritor with every companionship in a different street.  Second half was spent caroling christmas hymns in the plaza.  It was kind of cold and early, but the few people who sat and listened to us were cute.  One six year old girl was with us the entire time.  At the end one of the elders handed her a hymnbook and she directed us.   A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E. It was so cute to see the little families who stopped to watch.  Hopefully having President send us to Soritor will get the name of the church out more there and help the elders find families to teach.

 

Wow....ojala for eating about six dinners in two days and SURVIVING.  All of the hermanas got to sleep together in our house on Christmas Eve.  When Hna. Sanhuez and Hna. Steimle came over I was laying flat on my back on the bed.  They looked in and saw me and started laughing.  "wow...it looks like you're four months pregnant", they said.  If that doesn't go to show how much food I ate then I'm not sure what does.

 

The branch talent show was great.  LOTS of people came and more importantly both us and the elders had families of investigators who came!   FAMILIES!   We got so excited with the parents walked in with their five to six hijitos walking in behind them.  The primary kids danced cool cultural dances and I think that was my favorite part.  Enjoyed panatin and chocolate and felt so christmasy.

 

It was neat to spend Christmas in Belen (bethlehem).  My branch is the "Belen Branch."   To think about the significance of that throughout the whole month made it really special.

 

Belen...a great piece of paradise.

lots of Moyobambina amor,

Hermana Bowles

Pictures from Elder Bowles

Crazy zone meeting

Garrett with some Elders in front of the Los Angeles Temple

Monday December 26, 2011: Elder Bowles

Dear mom and Dad,

 

It was good talking to you on Skype.  Well I have been out for a year and I can do it one more year!!  It will go by so fast, then I will be home.  Crazy, I try and not think about it.  Well Carson is really close to my mission and I hope they don't try and find me in Compton.  I will be hidden ha ha.   We talked a lot yesterday so I don't know what to talk about.  We have a baptism this Saturday so it should be good and he will be confirmed on the first!!!   First baptism of the year.  Have a great day and I will talk more next week.  Its just you know we talked yesterday so I am talking to you again.  Love you and have a great new years eve!!!!  Whoo one more year to go.

 

Love you,

Garrett

December 19, 2011: Hermana Bowles pictureK

Hermana Bowles and her zone on a P-Day hike up the hill over-looking Moyobamba