His Work, His Way

High 5!

1. Sister Ingold is here and ready to go! My greenie is doing really well at adjusting to the area. She is really sweet and is hungry to learn everything! (I'm pretty sure I am learning more than she is!)

2. School is in at UTEP so the institute is hoppin' again!

3. We had a prompting to visit a less-active this past week. Her name is Alexis. We went and her whole family listened in on our message and there was not a dry eye there! The spirit was so strong and they really want to come back to church.

4. Mysty and Anna came to church for the first time on Sunday. They both LOVED it!

5. We helped paint a members salon yesterday for service! It was fun :)

Down Low, 2 Slow.

1. Mysty decided to stay in the family ward :( NOOOOO.

2. I still can't speak Spanish...only Spanglish.

We had a crazy week but it was good! I don't feel qualified to be training but we are learning together and I am learning to rely more on The Lord a lot more than my own abilities.

My thoughts this week come from Daniel chapter 3. Sadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego refuse to worship a golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar puts forth for all to worship. If the people don't follow his command, this unrighteous king threatens to cast them into a burning fiery furnace to be killed. These 3 men, full of faith say, "If it so be, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand." The true statement of faith came after..."BUT IF NOT, [...] we will not serve they gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." True faith is shown when they still believe and trust God, even if things didn't turn out the way they hoped.

Faith is believing that although we do not understand all things, He does. Faith is knowing that although our power is limited, He is not. Faith in Jesus Christ consists of complete reliance on Him. Faith is total trust in Him.

May we all try to submit our will to God's will and exercise true faith.

I love and miss you all. Have a great week and...God speed!

Love, Sister Bowen   

Faith Points to the Future!!!

High 5!

1. I'M STAYING AND I'M TRAINING! WHAAAAAT!? Yes! I got a training call! My address is the same and I will pick up my new companion fresh off the airplane tomorrow! I'm so excited!

 (And Bahama Bucks just opened down the street!!!) :)

2. John got ordained yesterday!

3. We finally saw Jaime this week and he wants to get back on track so we are helping him work towards a new baptism date!

4. Tino is LOVING church! We saw him almost every day this past week and he is really grasping onto the lessons.

(John and Tino stole our name tags when everyone was playing missionary tag at FHE, hahaha. They said they helped them win.)

5. We got a call from a member in the 4th ward during church yesterday who invited us over for dinner and to meet their friend who wants to get baptized!? Her name is Misty and she is on date for September 12th!

Down Low, 2 Slow.

1. John is officially moving to Las Vegas tomorrow :( (Normally that would make me happy but I'm in Texas!)

(I got my first pair of cowboy boots! :) Texas does something to you...)

2. Sister Baker is getting transferred to Hondo Pass to be companions with Sister McKendrick! Hondo Pass keeps taking my companions!

(And John took us to a sushi buffet last week...don't let my face fool you, I still don't like sushi, haha but I tried all of it!)

Sooooo, 3 months out and I'm training a brand new missionary! Ahh, I am so anxious to meet her and humbled that Heavenly Father trusts me enough already! Here we gooooo!

Luke 17:32 says, "Remember Lot's wife." If you haven't read Elder Holland's talk on it, I highly recommend it! It's sooooo good and my thoughts today come from it. In D&C 58:42 the Lord promises us that after we repent, He remembers our sins no more. What a comforting promise. However, why is it that we remember them, often times with great force? George Santayana said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." It is so important to learn from our past experiences but we should not dwell on them. In the story of Lot's wife, as she leaves Sodom and Gomorrah, she looks back and is turned to a pillar of salt. Her downfall was not that she looked back, but that she desired to go back. We cannot let our attachment of the past outweigh our confidence in the future. Don't miss here, now, and tomorrow because you are trapped in there, then, and yesterday. Look back to the glowing embers but not ashes. Leave your summer cottage in Babylon and do not retire to it again! I testify that our loving Heavenly Father cares a whole lot more about where we are going than where we have been and He has great things in store for each of us if we will exercise our faith and trust in Him. {Philippians 3:13-14}

Have a great last week of summer vacation! I love and miss you all! God speed!

Love, Sis. Bowen

 (Last P-Day we got to go bowling!)

Gather The Flock!

High 5!

1. John's baptism! Ahh! Saturday was an amazing day! John's friend, Adam, who introduced him to the church while they were in basic training 2 years ago, drove down to El Paso to baptize and confirm John! The spirit was SO strong. John's testimony is amazing. After the baptism, we all went out to eat together :)

2. Diana's baptism! So many people came to support her and she looked so happy! She is so excited to be a member of the church. It was such a special day. 

3. Anna committed to baptism!

4. John's best friend Tino, came to his baptism and is now meeting with us! He lost a brother a few years ago and has since, stopped going to church, but the Holy Ghost touched him at the baptism. He came to church on Sunday and hasn't missed an FHE. We are teaching him the Plan of Salvation tonight! Miracles.

5. Sunday we had dinner with 2 Senior couples serving down here in El Paso. Yummmmm. They spoiled us!

Down Low, 2 Slow.

1. One day this week, 6 out of 7 of our appointments cancelled...haha.

2. I'm being forced to like tomatoes. I keep having to eat them! Lol

Well everyone, this week went by WAY too fast and now it's week 6! It's the last week of the transfer so P-Day will be Monday next week and I will know my fate, haha. I want to stay but I guess we will see what the Lord wants for me :) Until I know if I'm staying or leaving, hold off on letters and packages just in case!

Recently, I've been reading Our Heritage all about Joseph Smith and the pioneers. So many saints served missions and then were given leadership callings in the church. I realized that then, the saints were gathering the gatherers. Now, we have over 85,000 missionaries worldwide and we are gathering Israel! As missionaries and members, together, we are gathering Israel. 1 Nephi 22:25 says, "And he gathereth his children from the four quarters of the earth; and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find pasture." We have a great responsibility and privilege to do the Lord's work in these latter days. Like the righteous people who had the faith to just look to the staff that Moses raised and be healed, let us look to God in all we do and live our lives to our fullest potential, bringing all those we can, with us, into his fold. My question and testimony for each of you is found in Alma 5:39..."And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye?"

I love and miss you all SO much! Enjoy the last couple weeks of summer! God speed!

Love, Hermana Bowen  

Keys To The Kingdom

High 5!

1. We got to visit John while he was in the hospital this week. It was very entertaining to say the least, haha. He is doing really well.

2. Tony teaches a suicide prevention class and we got to attend one this week!

3. New month= new miles!

4. A family in the 1st Ward invited us over for dinner last night because their 9 year old daughter wants to serve a mission! We got to teach Family Home Evening and it was a great change of pace to be with a family.

5. WE HAVE 2 BAPTISMS ON SATURDAY! :)

No lows this week :)

This week I've been studying obedience. In D&C 130:20-21 we learn that God gives us commandments in order to bless us. Sometimes we think that Heavenly Father has this big cloud of blessings that He is waiting to bestow upon us for when we do something right or good...that is partly true, however from a different perspective, when we are disobeying or making wrong choices, we are putting an umbrella up to the things that He wants to bless us with. The best way we can show God that we love him is by keeping His commandments. John 14:15: "If ye love me, keep my commandments."  King Benjamin reminds us of how happy we will be if we just choose the right. (Mosiah 2:41) Let us all try a little harder to take down our umbrellas and enjoy the abundance of blessings that our Heavenly Father is trying to give us.

Have a great week! I love and miss you all so much! God speed! 

Love, Hermana Bowen 

Authentic Mexican dinner with Kim! :)