A Missionary in Milan: Alma 14:28; Doctrine and Covenants 42:6

It's interesting....as I read my kids letters, so often I get chills. I know it's the Spirit testifying to me of all that they are doing. Please pray for both Camille and Daniel's continued protection and ability and worthiness to listen and follow the promptings they receive. I love my kiddos so much. I miss them so much but look at how they are growing. There is nothing in this world that can replace this wonderful time in their lives. It will bless them forever.
Thanks for all your prayers and support. They are felt.
Love,
Rosalee and Anthony

Wednesday, January 18, 2012 9:04 AM

I feel empowered. I can't explain why, and yet it might be because of the miracle story I recountered to President Wolfgramm. At this time, I think I'll recount all of the crazy things that have happened this week and then top everything off with my testimony of the work I am blessed to be performing as well as the work of the Lord.

First things first, Mauro and Cecilia are doing marvelously! They came to church this past Sunday and really enjoyed themselves. We explained that they can come to church in normal clothes if they would like, but we explained what they will encounter...everyone in their Sunday best! Nonetheless, when they showed up in church (before we did!) they were both in Sunday best. Mauro had read the Plan of Salvation pamphlet we left him and in the back "it clearly says that we must be in our Sunday best! Cecilia go and change, I don't want you looking like a gramma on our first Sunday at church!" And sure enough, she was in a skirt and blouse, and Mauro was looking like Indiana Jones...leather neck thing and everything...hahah it was great!! Sunday school was a bit more challenging for them because Cecilia isn't receiving this great testimony to keep going forward. She's going to go forward because she doesn't give up easily, but then Mauro piped in and said, "Cecilia, it's because you aren't reading! That's why you aren't feeling anything." Mauro is already talking about baptism...his hunger is IMMENSE for the gospel, and sometimes Sorella Nilson and I don't even know where to begin with answering his questions!! But the Lord has blessed them with peace in their home and Mauro with much more patience; they recounted that to us in our last lesson. YEAH!! But anyways, they enjoyed church and as they were leaving they invited us to come and join them for lunch...at a Chinese restaurant. EERRRRRKKKKK!!!! BRAKES!!!! Shamefully my thoughts were "shoot...what do we do? We know we don't go to restaurants on Sunday...but we don't want to offend them!!" But, I knew we had to be a good example...so we thanked them graciously and declined. After even more pushing and prodding, and recounts of how delicious the food was, amongst all this and our grumbling stomachs, we still declined. They were pretty put out, but inside (amidst the "I feel so bad!! sentiments) we knew we did the right thing and that the Lord would bless us. It was an even greater strength to me as the Spirit recounted a little story I heard at the beginning of my mission about 2 Elders serving in Asia somewhere. One of their investigators had invited them over for a lesson and prepared a special tea for a revered friendship ceremony. He invited them to drink, and for fear of offending him, they did. Through this action, sneaky as that man was, he never joined the church because he didn't want to be apart of a church who has double standards. Sure, it's his own choice not to join the church...but it told me of HOW IMPORTANT it is to live our standards because SO MANY PEOPLE are watching and taking into account!! I gained a strong testimony that day of keeping the Sabbath Day Holy...so next family trip Mom and Dad, I'll buy bread and peanut butter and jelly for our Sunday dinner as well as personal boxed cereal with milk for a delicious breakfast...one day of sandwiches, Dad...really won't hurt. Besides! We'll be blessed!! So my companion and I went forward with faith, and by the end of the evening the offenses were gone and they happily joined us for dinner at Lina's house for FHE the next day.

Let's head to Liz, and then Marlene. Liz is our 16 year old who has FINALLY gotten the courage to talk to her mother! Everything is clear and set for...attending church and studying with us. This week we are praying for her mother's heart to allow her to be baptized, as Liz has asked her date to be NEXT WEEKEND!! So, as soon as we get her mother's permission, all will be well! She is blossoming and flowering in so much confidence in herself, it's really really wonderful!! She has some bounds because of home rules, but I know in time all will be well.

Marlene is progressing so well too! She can't get baptized this week because there is so much more to teach her. But, the biggest step was to hear her testify of the gospel and of baptism to Cecilia this past Sunday. Marlene humbly stated that she doesn't know everything either, but she does know that baptism will help her come closer to God and change her life. The struggles that she is going through, are only struggles, and she has the faith after baptism, that all will be made right in the end. HOORAH FOR ISRAEL!!

Now Lina...or rather, the Salazar family. They are such an inspiration to me, and will truly be life long friends/family. They have DOVE into their callings of being ward missionaries and have encircled us with so much love! It's truly amazing. Their have such strong testimonies and are so grateful for what the Lord has been blessing them with, I just love being around them. I just have to recount the things that Lina has humbly and happily prepared for us...As I learned of my dad trying his hand at making sausage, I cringed a bit. NOTICE: IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH DO NOT READ ON!!! Only because Lina invited us over for lunch one day...she was making sausage!! And the sausage here is delicious, so we had no issues accepting the invite. We get there, and there is a strong aroma of iron...She lifts the pot lid and we see a soup..full of pig ears, lungs, hearts, feet (WITH THE HAIR ON IT STILL!! YAAAHH?!!?), liver and something else I didn't know the translation for. So the soup was good..but then she invites us to watch her make the sausage...I see a huge pot of rice, which looked absolutely delicious...and then a little bowl of tripe. Yes, she put the rice INSIDE the tripe to make the sausage...but that's not all. With the rice she added a nice liter of fresh pig's...blood. Yes...In my mind I am screaming "THIS HAS GOT TO BE AGAINST THE WORD OF WISDOM!!!" I can say to you all, that it was the HARDEST MEAL I have EVER had to eat...but we did because we KNOW it took so much work for her to do. At least we finished the meal (she gave us a peice of everything...I couldn't eat the feet..it was just too fatty...and the ears too...yipes) The soup broth was DELICIOUS but the sausage...just was so...I'll leave it at "iron-y" that it was a struggle and every bite included a prayer. Suprisingly the day after it was better because she cooked it more and gave us some...and that was actually yummy...but the day before...mamma mia...never again. I have also decided that I LOATHE liver and I LOATHE tripe. I don't remember if I mentioned Lina serving Liver and Tripe for dinner once...but...I just prefer to eat with them when they are "poor". Simple potatoes with rice and lots of fruit and vegetables. Nonetheless, this family has served us and I pray every day that the Lord will bless them with the things that they need. Also, because of this family I can say I have now eaten every single part of an animal that is edible...accept...an organ specific to males...but Christian said that that will be coming in the future...yuuugh I pray not.

So other than the adventures with food and other crazy encounters are church, I have seen many miracles by the hand of the Lord. Yesterday was an example that strengthened my testimony very strongly. May I share with you the miracle I shared with President now: "I would have to say that yesterday was a miracle that happened. As my companion and I were riding the bus, I saw 2 Jehova's Witness board. At least I thought they were, they didn't have side bags like usual, but plastic colorful boxes. And then I saw more, and more, and more, until there were about 16 of them. They were loud, obnoxious, and I was quite surprised as to what my eyes were beholding. (They were yelling at one another, yelling at the bus driver, and even making fun of the name Jesus.) One, in a purple shirt and matching tie, saw our name tags and called all his friends to swarm us. My companion and I were calmly against the standing seats of the bus, and then they literally boxed us in. My companion and I truly experienced what it meant to be mocked and scorned for the Lord's sake. Missionary mode told me to speak, but a bit deeper inside myself, I felt impressed just to smile and respond if asked a question. These men would look at us, sneer, and make rude comments, and a young lady looked at me with such hatred, it was shocking! Eventually, they left and took a seat near us and asked us where we were preaching today. As they made fun of us more, and made the work of the Lord a competition, we simply got off the bus and wished them luck. As we went inside the church, my companion and I were a bit shaken up. We both recounted later to one another, that we felt the Spirit of the Lord within us, and had the power within our hearts to testify of the truthfulness of our message. I opened the Book of Mormon as I had a question within my heart as to what I should of done, or if I had done the right thing. And I opened in 3 Nephi where we read "contention is not of me, but is of the devil". We both knew that these people were looking for a fight, and yet, we were firm in our faith and truly felt the magnificence of our calling. HOW GREAT IS THIS GOSPEL!!! It was a miracle to me to feel the manifestation of the Spirit and how powerfully we can feel the sustaining of the Lord's angels amidst shame and scorn. HOORAH FOR ISRAEL!!" Thus I left the subject of this email as such. I truly felt strength from the other side, and no fear or doubt was within my heart. As I told what happened to our other companion at home, Sorella Simkins, her mouth just hung open. She told US stories of people she taught in Milan who were converts from JW's. One woman said of how, for 5 years, she frequented the church and her soul just seemed be sucked out. When people would go out and proselyte, they would call the people "damned" if they didn't accept their message. Oh, how grateful I am to be a missionary for the Lord Jesus Christ. As I still struggle to open my mouth, from that incident I have a new found affirmation of what I am sharing. I know that this gospel is true and that the Lord LIVES!!

We had an hour to go do some proselyting, and things were slow because there was a HUGE strike of busses and taxies, so no one was out and about. But, we felt impressed to go to a piazza nearby. We started walking, and as we got to the piazza, no one was there. Okay, sure there were young kids doing drugs and drinking and couples making out...yeaah not quite ready for that. We walked around the edifice and saw a young girl in a corner and I looked at my companion and off we went!! Her name was Marta; a beautiful 17 year old girl with no belief in God whatsoever. She had a firm belief in science...and as I had a desire to teach this young lady, I knew began to testify of how God used science to create this world and that God DOES have laws to follow. I even shared a story of one of my aunts who struggled with evolution and her testimony, but in the end God won. The girl caught me up for a second when she said that science explains things that God can't. I said si, but then went forward and said "or so my aunt thought!" And the girl was locked in!! She didn't take a Book of Mormon or anything...but I felt confident that the Lord was looking out for her and that the Lord wanted her to hear that message. Who knows in the future...but we testified of the Living God...and I hope her heart was pricked.

3 Nephi 11:3 has become a new favorite scripture of mine, I am ALWAYS intrigued when I read this scripture because I have learned that this is how we must teach!! Quietly and calmly and through the power of the Holy Ghost. TESTIFY TESTIFY TESTIFY of the Living God...not only through your words but also of your actions!! Friends and family, how grateful I am for this gospel and how grateful I am for the help from the other side! He lives! He lives! And I leave this letter with you all in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

bacci e abracci,

sorella bowman