1.
Michael was baptized on Saturday! It was a stressful week preparing for it but
it turned out great and we are so happy for him! His story is a miracle for the
books and I am so blessed to know him and to have taught him :)
2.
Exchanges! Sister Fristrup came to Western Hills this week and we had so much
fun! We worked hard and talked about how it feels like yesterday we were in the
MTC together!
3.
Ray Aragon is a new investigator we found this week! He is an older man who
takes care of his disabled great granddaughter. He was raised Catholic but is
LOVING what we are teaching him and committed to be baptized at the end on
November :)
4.
We got an awesome member referral this week! Her name is Alma and she came to
church yesterday and loved it. The member actually met her through her 7 year
old daughter being friends with Alma's daughter at school.
5.
Anddddd, I will be staying in Western Hills, Rio Rancho with Sister Toomey and
we will be the sister training leaders for the Rio Rancho and Albuquerque North
stakes :)
Down
Low, 2 Slow.
1.
Sister Rackley is leaving us! But, she is washing another area in the same zone
so we will still get to see her every week :) Trio life was fun while it
lasted!
2. I
am overwhelmed and beyond stressed... :) No worries though!
We
had a good conversation with one of our investigators, Pablo, this week about
the purpose of life. In Alma 34:32 we read, "For behold, this life is the
time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the
day for men to perform their labors." Pablo asked us about individual
purposes, other than the general purpose for all of us here.
Of
course we all have individual callings we are here to perform. Everyone's
differ and they even change over time. Right now, you might have the calling as
mother or father of your family, along with other church callings, like primary
teacher and home or visiting teacher. No matter our callings in any aspect of
our lives, we are asked to magnify them.
I
think some of the most common excuses used when it comes to callings is time,
fear, means, and energy. This thought led me to examples in the scriptures of
great people who had great callings to perform. Nephi was sent to get the
plates from Laban, Moses was told to guide the children of Israel to dry
ground, Alma, Ammon, Aaron, Amulek, and the sons of Mosiah are only a few of
the missionaries who went forth to preach the gospel. What if they hadn't done
the things they did? What if Joseph Smith said that he didn't have time to
organize Christ's church because there was just too much to do on the family
farm? Or if he said the persecution was too much to handle? What if he gave up
on finding a printing press that would publish the Book of Mormon?
And
what if our ultimate exemplar and Savior, used these excuses when it came time
to perform the Atonement? None of us would be here today if it weren't for what
these people did long ago. D&C 19:19 says, "Nevertheless, glory be to
the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of
men."
My
invitation this week is for each of us to look at our purposes or callings in
life, and recommit to magnifying them, submitting your will to His, and
connecting it back to God's purpose for all of us.
I
love you all! God speed!
Love, Sister Bowen
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