Passport to Peace

High 5!

1. Exchanges! Hermana Quist came to Eldorado with me! We had fun and I learned a lot from her. We finally got in to see Steve and Crystal and they had some concerns but we resolved them and they committed to lessons again, once a week :)

2. We went on splits with members this weekend and saw lots of miracles! We met this lady named Jainee who right away, opened up to us and asked us to pray with her right there in a parking lot! It was awesome. We told the missionaries in her area about her so hopefully they can start teaching her. She has so much faith!

3. Amanda is one of our investigators and her daughter Makayla is turning 8 this year. She came to church on Sunday and loved primary! I know she is a great example to her mom!

4. This weekend we had dinner with a family full of investigators, recent converts, and less actives! It was very evident that the spirit was there and we even stayed afterwards to help clean their kitchen. We saw relationships mended and happiness in that home. They recently lost their dad so we knew we needed to be there.

5. Last night we taught the Gatchell family. They are formers from about 2 years ago but we feel like they are more prepared now. We will see them once a week and hopefully get them progressing! They have a lot of questions about the Book of Mormon so we are excited!

Down Low, 2 Slow.

1. Our car got towed one night...it was a mistake so we didn't have to pay to get it back but still pretty funny.

2. Elijah MOVED :(

President Monson says that prayer is the passport to peace. In a recent conference address given by Elder Martino, we learn that when we turn to God, answers to our prayers will come. Personal revelation is key in this life when we desire to do God's will. This revelation can be acquired by remembering the 3 P's!

1. Preparation- we must prepare our minds and hearts to receive guidance from the Lord by being worthy and striving to always be obedient to the commandments.

2. Prayer- we must pray sincerely and with real intent, meaning we will act on the answers we are given.

3. Promptings- we must act quickly on promptings and impressions we receive with faith that the Lord's ways are better than our ways.

Elder Martino uses the sons of Mosiah and Nephi vs. Laman and Lemuel to describe the importance of these 3 steps. Nephi and the sons of Mosiah had spiritual experiences and then acted in faith which led to answers coming and faith increasing. Laman and Lemuel on the other hand, doubted and murmured. Their faith without works was dead. 

Elder Bednar has a Mormon Message called Patterns of Light. Personal Revelation might come in the form of a light switch, suddenly and all at once. Or it might come as the sun rising on the horizon, gradually and little by little.

Elder Martino counsels us, "Be obedient, remember the times when you have felt the Spirit in the past, and ask in faith. Your answer will come, and you will feel the love and peace of the Savior. It may not come as quickly or in the format you desire, but the answer will come. Do not give up!"

God speed!

Love, Sister Bowen

Power In Resistance

High 5!

1. John came to church on Sunday and is on date to be baptized on March 5!

2. Our zone helped at the food bank again this week! It is so humbling to see the families that come through there. They are so receptive to Christ's help.

3. Our new investigator I mentioned last week, Elijah, is doing really well! He is understanding the gospel and is making huge changes! He wants us to come almost every day because of the spirit he feels when we are around. 

4. Our ward put on a Valentine's dinner this week and it was a hit for so many less active and part member families! 

5. We found 2 solid potentials this week who we got return appointments with! Pray for Emily and Richard!

Down Low, 2 Slow.

1. We officially had to pass our apartment manager, Darlene, off to the elders. She lives 1 street out of our area... :( Hoorah for Israel though!

2. So many people cancelled on us this week.

We had a really good lesson in Relief Society a couple weeks ago! It was based off chapter 3 in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Howard W. Hunter. He talks about adversity and how we all face challenges and trials during our mortal life, but that it's all part of God's plan and our eternal progression. 

In our trials, the Savior extends to each of us the invitation He extended to the man at the pool of Bathesda: "Wilt thou be made whole?" (John 5:6) Through Christ, I know we can. Although adversity causes resistance and opposition, it also propels us forward. Joseph Smith said, "Men have to suffer that they may come upon Mount Zion and be exalted above the heavens." 

Our difficulties in mortality can humble us, refine us, teach us, bless us, and be powerful instruments in the hands of God to make us better people, to make us more grateful, more loving, and more considerate of other people in their own times of hardship. In 2 Nephi 2, we learn that the opposition we face is for our gain. President Hunter explains that our difficult moments are intended to "bless the righteous and help those who are less righteous move toward repentance." When you look back on the trials you have faced, I hope you are able to see the lessons and growth that come from each one. 

This is the part of the chapter that struck me the most..."Where one door shuts, another opens [...]. We are not always wise enough nor experienced enough to judge adequately all of the possible entries and exits. The mansion that God prepares for each of His beloved children may have only certain hallways and banisters, special carpets and curtains that he would have us pass on our way to posses it." 

I can maintain a "perfect brightness of hope" (2 Nephi 31:20) when passing through trials, as I remember that the only perfect person who ever lived faced more adversity and trials than I ever will. It is a price we should all be willing to pay to become more acquainted with our brother, and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

God speed!

Love, Sister Bowen

5 Second Rule

 

High 5!

1. Lots of NEWS this week! Terry is in our apartment complex. He teaches sober living and addiction recovery, has 2 brothers who are members, and say he feels like God has been telling him that he needs to "take some sort of classes in order to join an organization that will give him the chance to preach the gospel"...hmmmmm WE'VE GOT JUST THE THING! Kevin and Brother Corwin came with us to his lesson on Saturday and he felt the spirit so strong and loved the Restoration :)

2. Elijah is another new! He is actually a family member of a recent convert in our ward! They are roommates right now and we had an appointment with the recent convert this week and he asked if he could listen in so we taught them both and then he asked us to come back! He is on house arrest right now but super interested in changing his life around. The Atonement can do that!

3. Nyahsia is a neighbor to a few members in our ward and we were told about her a long time ago but have had the hardest time contacting her. Well, we were having dinner at one of the members who lives next door to her this week and right in the middle of dinner she knocked on the door! It was a miracle! So we finally got to meet her and her 2 kids (6 and 2) and set up a return appointment for the next morning. We taught her about the Atonement and before we could even extend the invitation to be baptized she told us, "I really want to be baptized. When can I be baptized?" There are some things she needs to do before that day comes but keep her in your prayers :)

4. Last night some members had a Meet the Mormons movie night at their house and had the Mruczek family over. They loved it!

5. Remember Kevin? ...recent convert, got baptized in October, is completely def, and married our ward mission leader's daughter (who is also def) ? Well, this Saturday they went to the temple and did baptisms for the dead! We heard the most beautiful testimonies on Sunday of the peace they felt there and how they can't wait to be sealed later this year! I am so grateful to have part in their lives. My heart is so full!

Down Low, 2 Slow.

1. Big down low this week...no baptism this weekend :( Coby's parents are separated and he needed both parents permission in order to do it. His dad also says Coby isn't ready. I am SO sad. 

2. Superbowl Restriction! On Sunday we had to be inside at 4:00 and couldn't leave, haha!

This week we had a really good Zone Training and a lot of it focused on learning to recognize and respond to the spirit. Mastering this task is a life time pursuit and my mission has helped me improve! Something that has helped me, and I hope can help you, is the 5 second rule. When you receive a prompting from the spirit, you have 5 seconds to act on it! I've realized that if I wait much longer than that, I begin to question or doubt if I should still do it. 

When we are confirmed members of the church, we hear the words, "Receive the Holy Ghost" and every week after that, we partake of the sacrament and are reminded that if we will do our part "we may always have His spirit to be with us". Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,temperance: against such there is no law." Elder Bednar talks about this and says that if the prompting has any of these qualities, don't wonder if it's your own thoughts or a prompting from the spirit, just go for it! He uses the words, "quit worrying about it!" 

I encourage you all to read President Eyring's talk from the most recent General Conference called "The Holy Ghost as Your Companion". "The companionship of the Holy Ghost makes what is good more attractive and temptation less compelling. That alone should be enough to make us determined to qualify for the spirit to be with us always."

Preach My Gospel says, "Your task is to live worthily, pray fervently, and learn to recognize and follow courageously the Spirit's guidance." I hope and pray that all of you will choose to apply the 5 second rule into your daily life! I promise as you do, you will see miracles and be of great assistance to our Heavenly Father. 

God speed!

Love, Sister Bowen 

Voices

High 5!

1. I AM STAYING IN ELDORADO! SO HAPPY! I do have a new companion though! Her name is Sister Johnson :) I don't have any pictures with her yet but next week for sure! Sister Morris got transferred down to El Paso to serve in my baby area!

(We've all been together for 4 1/2 months and finally got seperated :(  It was the best district!)

2. This week we got to help at the International Night for the Activity Day Girls. It was really fun! All the girls wore clothes from the countries of their heritage, they learned and performed dances from around the world, and ate some crazy foods!

Fun at International Night!

3. We did a mini exchange with the Spanish sisters this week- just half a day. Hermana Marzo and I have fun together :)

4. We went to contact a referral this week so we pull into the parking lot of these apartments and see a family moving in! So, we asked them if we could help and they let us! We asked them which apartment number was their's, and sure enough it was the same number we were going to knock on! We talked to them and they invited us back. The husband is actually an inactive member but his wife and 2 young kids (age 9 and 10) are not baptized (yet)! Pray for them!

(Amy is one of my favorite member missionaries and is always willing to go tracting with us!)

5. We had a farewell lunch for Sister Morris with the Anderson's on Saturday and they took us to Bahama Buck's. We are sad she is going to miss Coby's baptism, which has been changed to February 13th!

(Sis. Morris will be missed but we had a good 3 transfers together and I know she will tear it up in UTEP!)

(I LOVE Taytum!)

Down Low, 2 Slow.

1. We had a brunch scheduled with a couple in our ward this week because they invited their non-member neighbor family over. They made a TON of food and the family didn't show up :(

2. It's snowing again :(

This week I saw a billboard that said "Spin the wheel of sin, and win." I was thinking about what it means and as I was studying the scriptures and conference talks came across a lot of things that relied on which voices we choose to listen to. There are so many out there. We can listen to friends, parents, media...in the end it comes down to 2- the spirit of the Lord or the adversary (Satan). In the recent conference address called "Choose the Light" Elder Stanfill talks about these voices. "When we consider thoughtfully, why would we listen to the faceless, cynical voices of those in the great and spacious buildings of our time and ignore the pleas of those who genuinely love us? In our lives, the extended hand of the Savior may take the form of help from a trusted friend, leader, or loving parent." It is important to recognize and develop the skill of discernment when seeking advice or council. Too many times, we search for those around us who will agree with our reasoning rather than offer help from above. Elder Stanfill says these people have "private agendas that can tear down rather than elevate and ridicule rather than uplift. They receive undeserved credibility." Let the voice of the spirit, in whatever form it may come, guide you through life. "Let the Holy Spirit guide, let his whisper govern choice. He will lead us safely home if we listen to his voice." (Hymn # 143)

God speed!

Love, Sister Bowen