Things have been going really well with the
work. A lot of things are dealing with testing my patience and just
relying on the Lord. Our one investigator Francesca is
progressing...ever so slowly. BUT!! Our relationship with the ward is
growing TREMENDOUSLY!! Sorella Hanks and I feel so excited!! I was
struggling one day in the fact that our investigor pool is more like a
puddle...and what kind of work was the Lord expecting us to do here in
Milan. I wasn't feeling good one day, so I decided to pray diligently
and then take a little nap. As I was praying, I was just frustrated
"Heavenly Father! Why don't we have any investigators? What am I doing
wrong? I want to serve thee and I have no idea what I'm doing here!
Please, help us find investigators so that we can have baptismal dates!"
And then, it hit me "I haven't sent you and your companion here to
Milan for baptismal dates. I want you to go and find those who have lost
their way." We are here to build the ward and help the ward find out
who really lives in their areas!! We had a little visit with the Relief
Society President yesterday and found out a lot of....henpecking? I
guess there are more issues in this ward than what we were aware of. But
we tried some smoothing over and we really ARE getting a lot
accomplished for the ward. After the visit, we went with her and a NC to
visit a less active sister named Marcella. She is a YSA and just got
back from vacation. Sorella Hanks and I had been praying for a
less-active, part member family and we had no idea about this Marcella
girl. So we go, thinking to strengthen the ward, and SHE is the only
member of her family...consisting of her mom, dad, and younger sister.
When we got home for nightly planning, Sorella Hanks' and my eyebrows
shot up...our vision for this transfer is to find and baptize and
reactivate a less-active, part-member family. Thank you Heavenly Father.
We are helping the RS president clean the chapel tomorrow, and we hope
Marcella and her sister will be at the FHE we prepare every week. THEN,
if they ARE there, we swarm!! Just kidding...more like make an
appointment with her family and visit a bit more.
Speaking of visit....VISITING TEACHING IS SO
IMPORTANT!!! I have SUCH a testimony of it...it really is the Lord's
tool to build relationships between members and sisters of the ward! As
the RS President and her companion (the NC) did their lesson, they just
shared the message and wanted to "get out of their hair". And I was like
"WOAH?! Wait a minute...No testimony? No inspired question? Let's slow
things down a bit..." The message was about Daughters in My Kingdom
(WHICH! If you haven't read it, you totally should...it's beautiful!) So
the NC shared the message in English (She's Filipino) and I translated.
Once the message was done, the RS president just said "Va bene" and was
getting up to leave! She shared her testimony, a little bit, but was
focussed on getting out. So I jumped in and asked if I could ask a
question..I wasn't going to let this opportunity leave! Here was this
less active 24 year old girl and her mother, who ISN'T a member, taking
time to listen to a message about a book they have never even read! So I
asked a question "What does it mean to be a daughter in a kingdom? To
know that you are a princess?" And the whole feeling changed...The
daughter responded saying that she felt priviledged and that it was
something wonderful. And the mother, WHO ISN'T A MEMBER, answers and
says that it is a beautiful thought and it gives her comfort. She then
goes on to say that things are really hard right now and they are
struggling...and then the RS President jumped in and started sharing her
story about how she found work. Daauughh...Anyway, that's all we needed
and Sorella Hanks and I went forward from there. That little tidbit
could have been worked with so diligently, but I think we get wrapped up
in the idea of sharing the message and getting out...when in reality it is a time to strengthen one another and lift the hands that hang down.
I LOVE MY MISSION AND I AM LEARNING SO MUCH!!! So that was an
interesting experience and yet so grateful for it because we know now
who to try and work with and go forward from there. Little by little a
mission changes your ideas of certain things in the church, and it only
changes you for the better. LIFE LONG LEARNING! LIFE LONG CHANGING! LIFE
LONG DISCIPLESHIP!!
And that's another thing...life long discipleship.
We actually have become really good friends with a young couple in our
ward. Her name is Jackie and his name is Nathan. THey have a little girl
named Elly (Elliana) and they are the Marshall family. We are actually
having dinner with them tonight because they want to introduce the
gospel to their land lord. He is here in Italy for school on a study
abroad...he is from Blackfoot and she is from Minnesota. They will be
here until the end of July. But, we see that our hardwork is helping the
ward because Nathan SWORE off sister missionaries. He served here about
5 years ago and the sisters were a joke...always making problems. But
after we got to know them and talking with them, he told Jackie to
invite us to dinner again this past sunday. PROGRESS!! Hahah Jackie was
really happy that we changed his heart...I think she likes having people
close to her age to talk to...in English nonetheless. BUT!! Hearing
those sisters like, ruin an elder's idea about Sister missionaries, and
even President and Sorella Wolfgramm were concerned when they first
arrived. The sisters that were in the mission when they arrived were
crude, rude, and un-Christlike...they were GLAD to see the sisters
leave! They didn't want to deal with them anymore! And I see now like,
if you have the opportunity to serve a mission it can change you to be
the person you want to be. I am so glad because I am learning how to
deal with things...fully relying on the gospel. You learn mothership,
sistership, self-ship (?boh?), and discipleship, all cram packed in 18
months more or less.
I am so grateful for the things that I am learning
and how I can truly talk with my Heavenly Father about anything and
everything. My tiredness frustrates me and I feel like a lame-o because I
just need to sleep...that's all my brain will think about "sleep...you
can't go further just take a nap." Do I feel better afterward, yes. But
do I feel lousy that I had to take that time away from the Lord's time?
Also yes. So, I decided to pray about it. I just told Heavenly Father
that I just can't do it. I can't get up in the morning...my body hurts
and I am so tired and I'm frustrated because I am tired of eating such
heavy foods and wah, wah wah. And basically I threw a tantrum and went
to sleep. As I woke up, I received an answer to my prayers...1
Corinthians 10:13..."that ye may be able to bear it" I was just reminded
that I have some factors that are against me and that I need to be
patient. I can't let this get in the way of missionary work. And
sometimes it does. For example, the other day we were visiting Francesca
and she has patience the size of a lentil bean. I was trying to explain
something and she wouldn't listen...so I just got a tight lip and had
my companion take over. I was fuming! And I think it all stemmed from
the fact I was mad at myself for sleeping, I was mad that she made me
eat so much food, and I was just mad....So I decided to not say anything
because I DEFINITELY wasn't feeling the Spirit. Luckily my companion
turned it around and I was able to refocus. But, I can't let the little
things get to me and I really need to work on it. So, I think Francesca
and this whole sleepiness thing is teaching me patience and
understanding...something I thought I had...but realize now that I
really lack. Francesca didn't think anything of it and the lesson ended
up being a really good thing. I had to lay down the law because she
wants me to marry her son..Filippo, who is a total weeny...smokes,
drinks and just whines about life....and he's almost 40...still living
at home. I just layed down the law and then bore my testimony about how I
will marry a man who will be worthy to take me to the temple...Then she
said that she'll convert her son....and I just rolled my eyes and bore
testimony again of the importance of the gospel and the importance of
the sealing power in the Lord's house.
Love,
Sra. Bowman
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