Come and See!!!

High 5!

1. Kenning! We met Kenning while tracting this week and oddly enough his grandpa was a Mormon and just passed away. We testified about eternal families and he said his grandpa left him is original Book of Mormon with all his markings in it so he was finally going to open it and start reading it. No coincidences :)

2. We are currently teaching a girl named Raven right now and her mom got baptized on Saturday! She feeds us all the time so we went to support her. I'm so grateful for her example to Raven. Hopefully she's next!

3. Juliano was a referral given to us while tracting and he is SO solid. He asked us if we could meet every single day this week and accepted baptism!

4. Our investigator, Sergio, is scheduled to be baptized on July 18th. This week his mom joined us in one of our lessons and cried to us about how grateful she is for us befriending Sergio. She said she can see the difference our visits are making in him and his life.

5. Sunday was the happiest day of my mission so far. We had 2 investigators, 3 less actives, and our recent convert at church, AND one of our members who has been going through the repentance process got a calling. I sat there and cried because it was so incredible to witness all of it.

Down Low, 2 Slow.

1. We witnessed a motorcycle accident this week and the guy ended up dying :( So scary and really sad.

2. Heat= headaches!

This week started out rough but it ended really well! I read Elder Bednar's talk, "Come and See" and realized that my reasons for being on a mission are centered on the fact that this gospel has brought me complete joy in my life and I want others to know that they can have it too. When life is good or when life it hard, this gospel is always there. Eternal happiness is WAY better than temporary happiness and I want others to find refuge in Jesus Christ, as I have. My invitation to you all this week is to, "come and see" (John 1:39) what this gospel can do for you. I promise it will bless you in ways you could never imagine.

Have a great 4th of July! It's my favorite holiday so PARTY for me! ;)

P-Day will be Monday next week because Tuesday we have transfers, so I will talk to you all then!

Love you all so much! God speed!

Love, Hna. Bowen 

Look to Him...and LIVE!

High 5!

1. We met Pricilla while we were walking around in Sunland Park this week! She invited us over right then and when we got there, her 4 sisters came in and joined us as well as her mom! What in the world!? They are SO excited to learn about the Book of Mormon.

2. Exchanges! We went on exchanges with our STL's this week so I took over my area for a day! I was nervous a first but it was really fun and Hermana Espinoza taught me a lot!

3. Sandra! We knocked on Sandra's door this week looking for her daughter but she was still away at school. She invited us in and gave us the best Mexican lemonade! We ended up having a lesson about the Book of Mormon with her. It was awesome.

4. We've been out of copies of the Book of Mormon for a while now because our shipment hasn't come down from Albuquerque yet. We notice a big difference when we have them so it was really hard. We were praying all week for help when we got a phone call from a Young Women's President in our stake. She said they had just gotten back from Girls Camp and had 140 copies of the Book of Mormon with testimonies written on the inside covers from all the girls up at camp...!!! We went and picked them up from her house the next night and she fed us dinner. MIRACLE.

5. We had a couple from our ward get married this weekend and Diego got his mission call to San Diego, CA Spanish speaking! We are so happy for all of them!

Down Low, 2 Slow.

1. The other morning, I opened my eyes to get up after saying my prayers and there was a scorpion right under my face!

2. We had our first lesson with a less active member who just decided to move her records into our ward. Her name is Roxanna and I love her! (This isn't the "low" part.) She doesn't speak English...ahhhhh. We took a member with us to translate but it was hard to see her cry and not be able to say anything to help her :( I get so frustrated with myself but I'm being forced to learn, haha.

Something funny though...Sister McKendrick says I sleep talk in Spanish now, hahaha.

This week, I read in John 4 about the woman from Samaria at the well. At the beginning of her encounter with Jesus she calls him a Jew, but as the story goes on, she eventually calls him Sir, then Prophet, the Christ. I think this can relate to us. As we make Jesus Christ the center of our lives, he becomes more to us then just a brother. He becomes our Savior. As we focus on strengthening our relationship with Him, we will begin to recognize the constant need for the Atonement and we will desire achieve more of His attributes.  

I also have a challenge for all of you! Have family prayer often! I've realized not everyone has had that in their lives and it's something that I look back and am SO grateful for but took for granted. Before you pray, ask each other anything specific anyone would like to be included in the prayer. It will bring you closer to God and closer as a family and we need strong family units!

I love you all! Thank you for the constant support. God speed!

Love, Hermana Bowen    

All Is Well!

(Happy Father's Day!  Shoutout to my dad, my uncles, my grandpa, my opa, and all the other dads who have played a role in my life.  You are all amazing examples to me and  look up to all of you so much.  Have a great week, I love you all!!!!)

High 5!

1. Zone Conference! My first Zone Conference was amazing! We focused on learning to teach like the Savior; simply but powerfully.

2. Daniel! We met Daniel when we were leaving a dinner appointment. He was outside his house and we told him about the Book of Mormon. Sister McKendrick and I wish we could get the reactions on peoples faces when we tell them Christ came to America. It's priceless. Anyways, he just graduated high school and we get to teach him this week.

3. LAURA'S BAPTISM! Ahh, it went SO well. She had so much family support there and the spirit was so strong. The best part was hearing her testimony after the confirmation. She is incredible and really has become one of my best friends.

(She is now the only member in her family and they are so supportive of her decision!)

(She was baptized by her boyfriend, Deigo.  He leaves for his mission really soon, we are so excited for her!)

  

(The senior missionaries are SO good to us.  They take such good care of us.  Laura asked Elder Edwards to confirm her.)

(I love Laura so much.  It is a privilege to know her. She is amazing and one of my best friends.  I know I knew her before this life!)

4. Stake Conference! This Sunday was our Stake Conference. They focused a lot on effective scripture study, especially in the family as well as Sabbath Day observance.

5. On Sunday, my companion and I got to participate in an open house at the institute building. 30 Baptist missionaries came and watched Finding Faith In Christ and then we had an open question/answer portion. Scary, right? It was SO cool and my conversion to the gospel was deepened through that experience. I know they felt the spirit and left having a good impression of our church.

Down Low, 2 Slow.

1. I ate cow stomach this week! (Good thing they didn't tell me what it was until after I ate it.)

2. The cockroaches here are MASSIVE. That's what I get for hating them so much, right?

I love my Savior so much and I love that I learn more about Him every day. This week I read the talk, "Sunday Will Come". If you haven't read it, I highly suggest it. When we think about the darkest day in history, we might think of the Friday that Christ was crucified. He endured so much to the point where he bled from every pore. I think it is normal for us, to have days, weeks, months, or even years that seem unbearable. That Friday, I'm sure Mary, the people he healed and taught, His apostles, and all of His other disciples felt no hope and in essence, they didn't feel like they could go on. BUT, on Sunday, Christ rose from the dead. He conquered death and because of that, we know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. We all go through times when we feel broken and unfixable, but Elder Wirthlin promises us, "No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come."  Matthew 11:28-30 says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest until your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Believe Christ can do what He says He can do and trust in Him completely. Don't just know of Him, know Him and make Him apart of you.

I love you all! Have a great week! Happy summer and God speed!

Love, Hna. Bowen

Dejale, Deja, Dios!

My P-Day was moved to today because we have Zone Conference tomorrow!

Shoutouts! Mom, Dad, Oma, Aunt Jessie, and Hannah :) Thank you ALL for the e-mails and letters! Tell Hannah that the picture she drew for me is hung up on my wall! I love it!

High 5!

1. Alexa! We met Alexa at the bus stop this week. She is a senior in high school. She was sitting on the bench with her head down so we asked her if everything was okay. She said she had to get off the bus because she felt sick. We got to talking and after we introduced her to the gospel, Sister McKendrick and I both had a feeling to tell her how beautiful she was. She started crying and said that no one has ever told her that before. How sad, right? She needs Young Women's in her life! We exchanged numbers and she agreed to meet up again this week!

2. We went to the park this week, which we named the Park of Miracles and met Sergio. We was sitting alone on a bench and Sister McKendrick and I took a seat right there in the grass and pretty much taught him the first lesson. He was intrigued by the Book of Mormon. We can't wait to teach him more this week. 

3. Yesterday we had 3 investigators come to church and 2 of them bore their testimonies! What in the world!? The Lord is handing us prepared people every day.

4.  Last night we were walking around a neighborhood and there were lots of kids outside playing and riding their bikes. They ran up to us to ask us our names and they ALL wanted pictures of Jesus. One little girl, Mia, she's 6, insisted that we come talk to her mom. It broke my heart to watch Mia try so hard to get her mom to listen to us, but she wouldn't. No wonder we are told to become like a little child.   

5. My goal was to get a baptism on Dad's birthday and we did it! Laura is getting baptized on Saturday and I couldn't be more excited. She asked me to give the talk on the Holy Ghost.

Down Low, 2 Slow.

1. Sister McKendrick was sick on Thursday.

2. My legs are covered in bug bites.

Dejale, Deja Dios- Let go, let God. This week I realized that I have a front row seat to the greatest miracle of all. I get to witness the Atonement of Jesus Christ working in people's lives, other than my own. Jesus Christ came and suffered for our sins. Are we a price He had to pay, or an investment He made? The Atonement is there for US. Utilize it and show Him how grateful we are for it.

This week we were informed that we were to buy fake engagement rings...yeah. The YSA ward doesn't have the best track record for that apparently.

El Paso is a funny place. They are a little behind the rest of the world, like Blockbuster still exists here, there's Peter Piper Pizza, K-Mart, and creepy ice cream trucks made from old ambulances that play creepy music EVERYWHERE! Haha!

Anyways, arise from the dust and don't be distracted from what's most important! Find people to share the gospel with. Spreading the gospel has made me the happiest I've ever been and we all can be missionaries by the way we live. I've noticed that learning Spanish as I go has been such a blessing because it's so much easier to testify boldly when you only know how to say so much.  

I love you all! Send letters and pictures! God speed! Talk to you next Tuesday :)

Love, Hermana Bowen

Here Comes The Son!!!

High 5!

1. We got to spend a few hours this week serving an elderly lady in our area. Her name is Cici. Her husband just passed away of cancer and her grandson, who usually does her yard work, is out of town for the summer. She is so sweet and cries every time we leave because she is just so grateful for us. The elders are going back to read with her this week.

2. Amanda's baptism! Amanda was introduced to the church by her friend who is now serving a mission. His family took her in and the dad was able to baptize her on Sunday. Member missionary work is the best! The spirit was so strong and her testimony is powerful.  

3. Laura is prepared. This week we started teaching a 19 year old girl. Her name is Laura and because of her I know that God prepares His children before He sends missionaries. She is getting baptized on June 13 and I cannot wait.

4.We were contacting in the gang capital of El Paso this week and we met Randy. He is probably in his late 50's but we just stood up on these rocks and talked to him over his fence for about 30 minutes. He was so kind to us and gave us all this advice about life. Listening to people's stories and experiences teaches me so much.

5. Adam. Yesterday I witnessed a miracle. We were contacting at a park and weren't speaking much English. I was getting frustrated so we stopped and said a prayer that before we left, we would be able to talk to 1 person in English. We noticed a YSA aged young man sitting at a picnic table drawing in a sketch book. He was very talented so we asked if we could see more of his work. All the drawings he showed us were gospel related. He also had a bible sitting next to him on the table. We asked him if he read the bible a lot and he told us no. Surprised and a little bit confused, we asked him why he brought it to the park with him. He said, "I don't really know actually..." We briefly taught him about the Book of Mormon and when we gave him a copy, he held it in his hands like it was a million dollars. We get to teach him later this week and I feel really good about it. God answers specific prayers.

No down lows this week, besides the fact that I can't speak Spanish and everyone laughs at me when I try to, haha!

My ward is humble. They rely a lot on the missionaries but we rely a lot on them too. I was able to speak in sacrament meeting this week about establishing our roots. Good roots=good fruits. Each one of you has a testimony but it is up to us to become converted. Live what you know. Reread Elder Renlund's talk entitled, "Latter Day Saints Keep On Trying." We are all in need of the same infinite atonement. "A saint is a sinner who keeps on trying." Jesus Christ was literally lifted up on the cross so that we can be lifted up at the last day. We have the truth! Don't take it for granted.

This week I started a new thing! I got a brand new, blank copy of the Book of Mormon and each morning as I read, I mark the scriptures I like and in the blank pages in the back, I write why or how that verse has impacted me. When I'm finished, I trust that I will know who I need to give that Book of Mormon to. Do it with me!

Funny story! We were meeting with a less active member earlier this week and she was so excited to tell us that she did a good deed! We asked her what it was and she said, "I helped someone hop the border!"

I love you all so much! Thank you for the support. I can feel it. Pray for my Spanish! God speed!

Love, Hermana Bowen