BOY!! She's on fire. She has a bit of her mama in her. I'd be dang upset too. Read on and see why.....
Rosalee
Love,
Rosalee
Buongiorno tutti!
So, as I sit here and sweat, and sweat, and sweat, I can't help but be excited for this work. This weather is extremely taxing, and it has been very difficult keeping my body in check. Don't worry Mom, Sister Wolfgramm has been helping me keep balanced. I had to buy peanut butter and gatorade, and I have to eat 4 fruits and 4 vegetables everyday, as well as a vitamin. And water is so important too. But I'm telling you, it is so hot that you don't even want to eat. We shower and sweat for the rest of the day...NEVER is the weather cool. I'm dripping right now as I'm writing and I feel absolutely disgusting...bleh! BUT...I do love Modena and wouldn't trade it for anything. I just feel so blessed to know that you are all in air conditioning, and that is the life that I come from. The Lord really has given us so much!
As far as this week goes, we have Consiglio tonight and I am NOT excited. We are basically going to have to break the boxes of the ward here...basically call them on the carpet. It's really sad that we have to go in with our guns up, but I do know that it is a form of righteous indignation. Believe me, I am NOT justifying myself or my companions or the Anziani...the ward really is in the wrong on this one. Basically, after our baptism on the 9th, Bishop pulled me and my companion aside and asked us to start teaching more Italians and stop teaching the Africans. It is a ward goal and since we are apart of the ward, he would like us to participate. They think that we are only teaching Ghaneans and Nigerians because they speak English, and we as missionaries don't want to speak Italian because it is a hard language. Ugh! Just gets me fired up just thinking about it! Regardless, Sorella Johnson took the baptismal forms to be signed, to confirm the baptism and Bishop was so put out and almost didn't sign them because he thought that they were for our other 2 investigators who came for the baptism. Hard to believe...it really makes me so upset. I'm going to mention this in my email to president, but it really is a struggle right now. Also at our baptism of Riche and Anna, Riche had to be baptized 3 times...1st because her hair floated up and the 2nd time because I and another ward member mentioned that her hand was COMPLETELY out of the water. We teach COMPLETE IMMERSION and it's not a big deal in the U.S. if someone says something...Neither of the witnesses saw it, but they re-did it anyways because it had to be done right! Bishop again pulls me aside and basically tells me to keep my mouth shut because it isn't my job. IN the future, even if the new convert has BOTH legs out of the water, it isn't my place to say something. BY GUM IT ISN'T! I just started crying...right there. Working so hard to make this baptism work, preparing my other two investigators for baptism, STRUGGLING to get this ward to support and trust the missionaries...and all I could do was cry. He said that he still appreciated me...but you know, I talked with the ZL about it...and they said that I did the right thing. It IS the witnesses job BUT the ward members should NOT get mad at me because as missionaries, we are there to make sure the work gets done. So tonight, at consiglio...there is a LOT of explaining that will happen.
THe thing is, the investigators that we have are ABSOLUTELY SOLID!! Anna and Riche's baptism, aside from the incident with Bishop, was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. I have taken pictures and will be sending them home soon! Seth and Felix came to the baptism, and Seth FINALLY decided on a solid date and is SO excited. He is being baptized on the 23rd. With my eyes all red and puffy, the lesson was still AMAZING!! The spirit was so strong! Felix was in the room too, and was so proud of Seth for <finally talking like a man> haha I looked at Felix after a minute and asked him to be baptized on the 30th...he had made the decision to be baptized the week before (something I didn't expect until at LEAST the end of the transfer!!) But I looked at him, and he looked at me and sighed and chuckled <Sistah Bohmahn, you took da wurds right from mai haht. Dat is de date I want> BAPTISM TIME!!! We are now working on getting his family to hear the gospel in Nigeria. He LOVES the idea of being sealed as a family in the Nigerian temple. He shows up EVERY SUNDAY and this last Sunday he showed up in a Suit and Tie!! These investigators are amazing, Mom and Dad...just amazing. Anna is SO STRONG and does more than any new convert I have ever seen. She gave her mother as a referral in Congo and always checks to see if they have called her. We had a ward grill that was a total flop, no one showed up until an hour and a half later...but Anna was there on time and helped Sorella Johnson and myself, as well as the ward activity leader set up. She even had her children do it too. That is what got to me about what my Bishop said to us...right after this wonderful ITALIAN family's baptism...he comes and says we need to stop baptizing africans. Please understand I respect my Bishop, and I love my ward, despite the racism...but a baptism is a baptism, and we are here to bring EVERYONE to the gospel of Jesus Christ...no matter WHO listens. They want us to baptize more Italians, but they don't even take care of the inactive Italians that they have...lessons to be learned I guess.
But anyway, Sorella Johnson and I have 2 MORE baptismal dates for these 2 sisters of a member in the ward. Her name is Gricelia and I saw her one Sunday sitting with two women I didn't recognize. I walked up to them and find that they both just arrived from Cuba and Gricelia wanted THAT WEEK to have an appointment with us to teach them. They only speak SPanish, and sadly, I cannot remember ANY spanish for the life of me...soley Italian. But Gricelia translates and so does the Spirit. They have a baptismal date for August 6th...a goal to reach! Elder Bowman, I am SO PROUD Of you for the work you have done in E-Town...I practically cried when I read your letter...Talking a woman out of suicide is an AMAZING task...and i KNOW you had the spirit of the Lord with you as you taught this woman and saved not only her life, but the spiritual lives of all her friends!
I'm sorry to have complained, but I was really low with the mentality of the ward. To be honest, I just wanted my daddy and my mommy and to cry...such a sucker...but I really did!! You are missed!! I am glad that everyone is having such a wonderful time in Idaho...I was really missing it around the 4th! BUT...I am enjoying it here and having the time of my life. I am learning so much and growing so much!! Thank you for the package Mom...I have NOT received it yet, and it probably got in RIGHT after Zone Conference and I'll be getting it next week...don't worry.
I promise the work is going well and the work entails EVERYTHING! You struggle with the planting and harvesting, but the effort produces the fruits of your labor. Thank you for all the emails that everyone has been sending..Sister Betty Jo Gillespie's email made me cry...thank you for your conversion story...I FELT the truth of it!
This gospel is true...my patience is growing and my love for life and this gospel is EVER increasing. I cannot testify of the importance of a mission in someone's life...I am growing for the better and learning to teach and love just as the Savior did and does. And...I haven't changed as far as being my bubbly self...I still speak out and I am still the strong personality...just more refined I guess? I love who I am becoming and I feel the Lord's strength with me ALL THE TIME!! We got 20 lessons this past week, and are on our way to doing it again! We have a promise that if we do 20 lessons a week, our baptisms will double!! ONWARD, EVER ONWARD AS WE GLORY IN HIS NAME!!!
Love,
Sorella Bowman
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