Thursday, August 11, 2011 7:10 PM
 
Dear Family and Friends,
 
I canNOT express how GRATEFUL I am for all of the wonderful emails and pictures I received!! Autumn, HOLY SMOKES!! I was just DYING...the pictures are BEAUTIFUL and yet, I am really looking forward to the letter about the car...everything's okay, right? But Mom, it sounds like you have been as busy as ever...and it's okay that you missed last week. I finished my email session, went and did grocery shopping and a lesson, and it wasn't until AFTERWARDS that I thought <Sorella Johnson...my mom didn't write me this week! Weird...> And then I kept pedaling. But I am SO glad to hear from you now. I LOVED the pictures...Briellie really DOES look like me..and the cake Cadha did was BEAUTIFUL!! I can just picture Briellie shaking at the cake...hahaha that is SO FUNNY!! I just loved the pictures and everything...I was laughing and smiling the whole time.
 
So, the baptism of Eva went BEAUTIFULLY!!! The Spirit was just SO strong, and the confirmation was that much more beautiful too. It is just amazing to see these people change and the process that they take. We had a lesson with Felix and Seth yesterday...they are going to be receiving the Priesthood on Sunday and they are taking it VERY seriously. Last night's lesson was on Missionary Work and Sorella Johnson and I shared our mission scriptures on our plaques. As we bore our testimonies on Missionary Work, they both started talking and just shared POWERFUL testimonies of how THEY KNOW THAT THIS CHURCH IS TRUE. I am telling you, it was the most BEAUTIFUL thing I had heard. Felix is praying constantly that his wife's heart will soften, and when he goes home for Christmas that she will see he is TRULY happy..and he has direction in his life, and he KNOWS who he is. Seth is looking forward to sharing the gospel with his friends because he FINALLY found the truth...and he believes that he is going to be a savior for his family, so that they TOO will accept the gospel someday. The phrasing that Ghaneans and Nigerians use is so much different than the American culture, so just trust me that they were completely sincere in all their words and you just KNOW that they know the truth of what they are learning. Nonetheless, I got all teary eyed and just felt SO BLESSED!! They presented Sorella Johnson with parting gifts and tried to give us money again for a meal...Felix was so funny! He looks at me and goes <Sistah Bowmahn, I know we can't give you money, but we wanted to take you for food. Seth explained to me that this cannot be so, and so we have money here...and I am going to put it in the bag> And the whole time he is looking at me like I'm a bomb about to explode..which is NOT my facial expression at all. But, as he is trying to, I gently say <Felix! You KNOW we cannot accept the money!> And they went on and on about how we shouldn't disappoint them and so I came up with a brilliant idea. I said, <You know, we are teaching your friend Samuel tomorrow night. You both are members now, and he is an investigator. Save the money and buy us pizza...we will eat together in the park with Samuel tomorrow night.> And they accepted this WHOLE HEARTEDLY...phew...problem solved and completely acceptable!
 
We went to Eva and Gricelia's home the other day for a lesson and Ursula now has a date! We are praying for her to be ready for baptism on September 10...it is going to be wonderful. They had us over for dinner and they just love me...because I can really eat...and I have no shame. I had some shame during dinner because I really WAS eating so much...but I was  SOOO HUNGRY!! They just laughed and loved it just the same. Eva, once she realized that her son is my age...that she is old enough to be my mother...she just has this twinkle in her eye, she's adopted me as her daughter of some sorts. I don't mind...she is a WONDERFUL person...and I don't blame her...she must miss her son a LOT.  But everything is going beautifully here and I am just loving my mission right now. There is soo much to learn about and so much to experience. The weather is cooling down too, so the days are MUCH more enjoyable and not so miserable. My legs are still VERY scarred from all the mosquito bites...we have smoke things and spray, and they STILL bite... I don't really know what to do! So, I've been putting bag balm on the scars and they aren't so firey red anymore...Anyone have any suggestions to minimize the scarring??
 
I am sure you all are on pins and needles about transfers and what is going on. I'm telling you, NC (new convert) prayers are SO POWERFUL! Really quick, Chris (Anna's 6 year old son) prayed that we would have some wind one day so that it wouldn't be so hot. Next thing we know, Sorella Johnson and I are biking with ALL our might because the wind is just blowing us which way direction. Next time we are going to ask him to ask for wind AFTER we get home. Felix has been praying for me to stay here in Modena. He says I still have so much more to teach him, and he says his faith is strong so God WILL listen to him. And in fact, the Lord has. We have to catch a 6:25am train tomorrow to Milano because...I have been called to serve as a trainer. Yes, my friends and family..3rd transfer in and I have my first greenie arriving today. I'll be doing a few workshops and then meet her, and off we go. I KNEW it was coming...I think I mentioned something in my last email. But, I was just waiting all day for the phone call, and right after lunch the AP's called and said that the Lord desires me to train one of His newest missionaries. It's a LOT of responsibility now, and it is a LITTLE daunting because I realize how MUCH I need to work on. But the Lord needs me to do it, and so, with His help...I know I can. I can really do anything when I rely on the Lord. So this will be a fun adventure and I will keep you posted. I called the ZL last night to know the train times, and Anziano Neilson just started laughing because he was SO excited for me. I am the only Sorella training in our whole Zone (yipes!!) but all he could say was that I was more than prepared and I would be just fine. He asked me how I felt when the AP's said I would be training and I calmly told him and said that I already had a feeling that I would be doing it...and he just laughed SO HARD and kept saying NO WAY, that is SO AWESOME! Gosh, I love my zone hahahha
 
So that is our latest adventures...thank you all SO MUCH for your support. 
 
Con amore per tutti,
Sorella Bowman
 
p.s. ...may I have some more peanut butter?? Please??