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Thursday, December 29, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Just singin' deck the halls...don't look like Christmas at all
Wednesday, December 28, 2011 8:24 AM
Mamma mia, what a boatload of adventures this new year has to offer...I'm sure of it!
Honest to goodness, it was such a wonderful thing to see my family, and yet, these past few weeks have been the most difficult of my whole mission. It seems that everything has come to a standstill, but now...things are looking up. I think the majority of it all is that I FEEL so much better. There is a possibility that I am now gluten intolerant. I have been off of bread, pasta, cookies, anything with wheat for the past 4 days and I feel better than I have in a LONG TIME. Here's hoping that it works. Believe me, you can gasp all you want...it is difficult, but I KNOW the Lord is blessing me to not have cravings for breads (my FAVORITE) I just don't desire it right now...He's helping me out :)
Christmas was an adventure, we actually ate with an Ecuadorian Famiy and an Indonesian/Filipino family...and the food was delicious. It really made me appreciate Christmas Time at home, and yet, I still felt extremely loved by these families...giving all they had to feed us and help us enjoy their traditions of Christmas. It's just festa time around here, Christmas last week and New Year's this week...which we have to stay inside the 31st ALL DAY LONG because people find a little too much wine and alcohol to their liking. Oh well, should be fun cleaning all day! :)
I'm trying to think of things to say and write...honestly it's been a difficult week, and I need to do better at looking at all the miracles we really do see. Okay, okay, first of all KERLY is the newest member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!!! We are SO excited for her...she has such a calm spirit about her, that the turnaround is completely amazing!! I remember first seeing her, wild and lost..but now, she seems to feel more confident in who she is and where she is going. It is SUCH a beautiful thing to see. She was late coming to receive the Holy Ghost, and almost didn't have a chance to receive it, but Heavenly Father stepped in and she got there in time...that was definitely a miracle. I'm getting better at finding...better at talking with people on the streets and testifying. There was a family on the bus that we just started talking to, having a real conversation. Things were awkward at times, but I didn't feel it. All I could do was testify and leave them with a copy of the Book of Mormon and my testimony. They wouldn't accept it at first, but I felt the Spirt so strongly, because I was so happy inside to be talking with them, at they, well they just seemed drawn, almost confused as to why they were willingly taking the Book..and then they had to get off the bus. But it really boosted my spirits in reminding me, that although tough times come, I still need to open my mouth and things will get better.
When you are HAPPY in life, it makes all the difference. If you aren't happy, they always say to serve. "Forget yourself and go to work" and yes, it's a little difficult to forget your aches and pains and the burning sensation in your eyes...but when you see someone's heart become lighter and the Spirit working through you...you DO forget all the troubles and you DO become a little more refined...the diamond that the Lord is preparing you to be. We received a referral from Cate (an South African woman in the church who we go and visit every week) and her name is Jackie. Jackie is 31 from South African, and just wonderful. She's spunky, and LOVES to tell stories, and loves to cook! They invited us over for lunch, Christmas lunch on the 26th, because that is another Italian Holiday and Jackie made us a genuine South African meal...it was delicious!! At the end of the meal, the Anziani started with the spiritual thought, which led us into teaching too because Jackie is more comfortable with English. But, the Spirit was so strong as we testified, and it helped me realize even MORE what a blessing the gospel is. Here we have a beautiful,married, 31 year old woman...STILL searching for SOMETHING in her life. She feels that something needs to change, but she doesn't know what...ha ha ha, ringadingding, have you seen our tags? Yes darling, it's your ticket to the waters of baptism...your ticket to eternal life...a COMPLETE change from the life you are living now.... Needless to say, we should be meeting with her tomorrow.
Okay okay, shame on me, the Lord has blessed me with so many miracles, and I was just too down to notice them this week. Some weeks are more filled than others, but they really are there. I am so grateful to be serving as a missionary, and I get a little anxious to know that I am on the downslope. It's crazy when you start seeing the missionaries you " grew up with", start preparng to go home!! That'll be me sooner than I know it. The time is far spent, and it flies by so fast...If you ever feel a prompting to talk to someone...do it! It takes practice, and I am no expert, but by golly, I'm going to be working my best to keep improving. Don't loose yourself in your memories, but look forward to the future. Don't loose yourself in what COULD be in the future either, but work NOW to be your best self and you'll come to realize that what was once the future, will actually become your yesterday. I hope that made sense...just remember to be your best NOW and the future will come sooner than you know it, your future self that you see...could be the actual YOU sooner than you think!! I love this gospel and I am SO grateful for it! I hope all is well and I hope to hear from all of you in some form or other...*wink wink, nudge nudge*
bacci e abracci, buon anno and buone feste,
Sorella bowman
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
'Tis the Season
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 9:21 AM
Cari fratelli e sorelle,
My goodness, I cannot believe that this year is already coming to a close. I was humbled by my brother's Christmas letter and marveled completely at how much he has grown. His testimony has become so beautiful, if not more beautiful and stronger than before his mission. He's been called to train as well as be district leader...I am SO proud of him! But, my dear brother recounted a story of a Christmas Eve experience only he and I were able to witness. We truly were humbled by a homeless man's gratitude and humbled now, looking back, that we weren't the ones to step in and take care of him. I am so grateful for the growth I am experiencing and how, as an 18 year old little punk, lost and confused...I'm so grateful to have shed that skin and be where I am today.
This Italian Christmas is so much different than what I am used to back in the good ol' United States. It's very true, just as President Monson said, that materialism is consuming the beauty of Christmas and the Savior is lost amidst all the wrappings and gleaming toys. I think back on one of the most memorable Christmas Eve's I was able to enjoy, growing up in Texas. I was but maybe 14 or 15, I don't exactly remember my age. What I do remember is hearing my mother recount to us that a family in our ward would not be able to have a Christmas this year on account of the father losing his job. We all felt very sad, but none of us children really thought that we could do anything. But, I am so grateful to my parents for teaching me a wonderful lesson that year, because we found that we really COULD do something...Our beloved gamecube, something that I never could figure out...remote controls and games sticks or whatever they are called, never could figure them out, I am personally a super nintendo type of girl, but whatever...our beloved gamecube sat in our toy room, played practically everyday, and eventually became a vice for the other kids...and my parents sat us down one day and declared they wanted to sell it. They wanted to sell it and use the money to help this family for Christmas. I remember my brother's being upset, but then weighing the odds, consented and happily, my dad took care of business and retrieved money to help this family. Long story short, with the money we received from selling the gamecube, we were able to buy almost everything on these children's Christmas lists. We wrapped everything up in a GIANT BOX, and we silently carried it to the front door and left it on the steps of this family's home...Sprinting BACK to the car, which was parked across the street, my dad makes a phone call and says in a spooky voice "Check your front porch"...and we turn off all the lights in the car and watch silently for what happens next. The front door opens and the children see the box, and then the rest of the children come running out and running too and fro to see if they could catch the ones who left the box...Seeing the joy and excitement of their faces was such a treasure...giving up something that we enjoyed playing for something absolutely PRICELESS...that is what Christmas is all about.
As you think of this Christmas, it's not about the gifts...it's not about the fanciest or prettiest things...but the love that people have to share for one another. A warm home, always open to the missionaries, with a cup of hot chocolate, hand made right on the spot, is something that warms my heart completely. Or seeing an investigator be embraced by a family who joined the church just over 6 months ago, taking her to be one of their own, because love is absent in hers, that's What Christmas is all about. Even though it is difficult being away from home, I recall all the Christmas Times we have shared together, and I just sit and recall how grateful I am to be blessed with the family that I have. How grateful I am that my Heavenly Father loves me enough to send me hear on a mission, not only to see, smell, and hear things I have never seen, smelt or heard...but learn new things that i can improve now and upon my return. Familial relationships are more important than anything in this world...giving gifts must come from the heart...time set aside to turly give something to someone you love, for their benefit...just as our Heavenly Father did. Heavenly Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ to this earth to be the Savior of the World. Without His birth, we would be lost...the plan would have been frustrated. But no, Jesus Christ kept His promise to us and to the Lord and paid for the debts that we will NEVER be able to repay..and He lovingly called upon Joseph Smith to be the prophet of the Restoration, so that generations now and generations to come would have the gospel...spread to all the world.
The still small promptings you receive, I am learning, are not just "my own thoughts" but are actually, when you are listening, promptings from the Lord, telling you to help someone. To become a disciple of Jesus Christ is an evergrowing experience, something that I will continue to improve until the day that I die. But the beauty of it all, is that I am growing. Growing and loving the life that I am living. I testify that the Atonement is real, and that Jesus Christ truly is the balm that we are all searching for. We just have to learn how to let Him heal us. I look back on my days in the MTC and I look where I am now...I know Jesus Christ is the True Healer. He's healed me and I KNOW that He can heal those who are struggling, and I am so grateful to help move this work forward and find those who cannot find the balm themselves.
Brothers and Sisters, May we not forget the true meaning and focus of Christmas...This I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
On that side note, I have had more pandoro (a sweet bread here that they make...a mix between pound and angel food cake) than I can imagine, more lisagna than I have ever had in my life, and more tender experiences that I am so grateful to experience now and times to come. Kerly was baptized this past weekend, and will receive the HOly Ghost on Christmas Day. Liz is still working towards her baptism and our ward Christmas Party is just around the corner. Zone conference is on Friday, and then the eating and festivities begin! All's well that end's well...
bacci e abracci,
sorella bowman
**********************************************************************
Just a side note.......
Just as a side not..I have been striving more than EVER to listen to the promptings of the Spirit and really feel the guidance of our Heavenly Father. As we were on the bus yesterday, I was a little frustrated with the fact that we had only had ONE LESSON the WHOLE DAY, and yet, it felt like we had been going NONSTOP! As we got off the bus, I was a little distressed, and I turned and saw a woman..."Go talk to her" and I shoved it aside and kept walking. But then, I realized what I just did and told myself..."It's time to make the change..." and i went back, and introduced myself. I brush my hair back, which reveals my tag and the woman points at my tag and says "That's my church. THat's my church..." and it comes to be that she has been an inactive member for about 4 years now, baptized 4 years ago. We ended up teaching a wonderful lesson on the Plan of Salvation and gave her comfort beside the fact of her mother's death, which she revealed to us through the conversation. The Lord's promptings are still promptings...we just can't be still, we have to act.
Liz had a lesson the other day with us. We were so excited as it has been a long time. As we were preparing for her lesson, we had no specific ideas come to mind to teach, and so we prepared our lesson on Obey, Pray, Study, but were also open to being Spirit led. As we come to the lesson, it lasts quite a while, but the Spirit was very strong. We asked her questions and asked her to offer the prayer to calm her fears about talking with her mother about baptism. As she prayed, her face changed, and I asked her how she was feeling. She looked up and asked us if we had talked with Erica (her friend who introduced us to her) and we blatantly told her no. She sat for a while and said, "With all that you have been asking me and telling me, I was SURE you had spoken to Erica. But now, knowing that you haven't, I know that this was an answer to my prayers. I had some serious doubts this past week, but I know that I have to keep going forward because everything that you both said, was exactly what I needed to hear. After the prayer, I felt something...and it felt good." AN ANSWER!!!!!!!!!!!!! The church is true. Punto. :)
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Silent Night...Holy Night...
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 4:17 PM
Not so calm, but very bright. What can you do about living RIGHT NEXT to an Ambulance Parking Garage thing...I don't even know WHAT it is, but sirens are going off all the time. Sadly, I think Christmas Eve won't be any different.
Well friends and family, the time is drawing nigh and I CANNOT BELIEVE I am halfway in...2 days. Speaking of which, Happy Birthday Mom! Happy Birthday Daniel! And Happy Anniversary Gramma and Grampa Egbert!! What an eventful day! We just received news about transfers and Sorella Nilson and I are together AGAIN in Genova AGAIN for the 3rd transfer in a row. We were SO HAPPY!! We had calls all day on Monday from random members in the ward to see if we were staying...when they found out we were, they were all so relieved. There is still so much work to do in Genova, and we are so grateful that our wills were in align with Heavenly Father's. Come to find out, as President was doing the transfers, numbers came in and he had to close a coppia of sisters. The only one that would make sense would be to close down a companionship in Genova because there are 2...but he was definitely told NOT to touch any of the sisters in that city...he ended up closing a companionship in Firenze. So all four of us who opened will be staying here once again. We are SO happy to be staying here for Christmas, and now I can rest easy. I've been REALLY relying on my blessing about being able to walk through homesickness...it's been pretty hard, but I keep telling myself to keep serving and the Lord will help me through it. It's not that much time and more blessings will come through sacrifices.
Sorella Nilson and I have been working really well together in teaching. We have been sharing a Christmas message about hope. As it came to be we made little cards, each with a symbol of christmas on it. Each square had a picture and on the back a letter. Everyone has really been loving it and I've seen quite a bit of people look relieved as to what the TRUE meaning of Christmas is. I've noticed here that the holidays are VERY materialistic and the true meaning of Christmas is a little lost...so I'm really grateful that Heavenly Father has been inspiring us to share what we are sharing.
(this is HOPE in Italian)
S-Stella (star)
P-Pastori (shepherds)
E-Eccitazione (excitement)
R- Re (King of Kings)
A-Albergo (hotel...no room in the inn)
N-Natale (christmas)
Z-Zona di Betleem (Town of Bethlem)
A-Angeli (angels)
As we turn over the cards and put them in order of the spelling of the word, everyone just marvels. It's amazing how much Primary is helping me teach! I think I'd love to be called to do Primary Singing Time someday...it's really a great joy! Especially with all the fun materials and things...oh we are so blessed!!
As I reflect upon this Christmas season, I can't express how much my mission has changed me and how grateful I am to the Lord for getting me here. I reflect upon myself BEFORE the mission, and I KNOW that I was the stupid lamb who would wander away on purpose. When shepherds have a sheep that wanders continuously, they finally get ahold of the lamb, break it's legs and carry the lamb around until it is healed. The sheep has no choice but to listen and come to know the shepherd. I am SO GRATEFUL that the Lord broke my legs...because I am finally coming to know Him in such a magnificent way and truly understanding what it means to have faith! Every aspect of myself and testimony is growing, as well as my compassion for others. I used to have the idea of "Well, they dug that hole, so they gotta work it out" but now I realize, that that's not how Christ would be. Sure, people make their choices...but when I see homeless people begging on the street, every single day, my heart breaks just a little. That is someone's son, someone's husband, someone's dad, grandpa, uncle, you name it...and when they were little boys or little girls...I don't think they dreamt of sitting on curbs begging for money to get by. Then you see people begging, SAYING they are hungry...and yet they just want a pack of cigarettes. It still makes me sad, because most of them smoke so they don't feel hungry. Count your blessings my dear friends...count your blessings.
I am humbled everyday by how much the Lord loves me. Just when I want to smack myself for not doing this or not doing that, the Lord truly puts someone in my path that needs to be spoken to. Yesterday we had a couple appointments cancel on us and I wasn't feeling well and just didn't know what to do. So, my companion and I knelt down in prayer and we decided to go and visit an excommunicated sister who just had a brand new baby. On the way, we found a less active, a woman who had been looking for OUR English class approached us, and on the way home we found a beatiful little family who is interested in coming to the ward christmas dinner. But I think the most humbling experience that I have had on my mission has been my experience with the Yepez family...
Do you all remember me talking about that beatiful family that we met on the bus? How I just felt pushed to keep speaking spanish? Well, come to find out I am using and remembering more and more Spanish as time goes on...the Lord truly does give you what you need! But anyways, we were so fortunate as to make an appointment with this family Sunday night at 8:30...we kind of got lost because they live up on hills, pretty much nowhere to be found. But we finally found them and arrived on time. As we entered the home...it was such a peaceful and beautiful feeling. Come to find out they have ANOTHER daughter who is 17 named Angie and we spoke with her, the youngest daughter and the mother...then the father came home and the boy. I have NEVER met a more prepared family in my life. The spirit was so strong during the whole lesson and the children have been raised to fully rely on God. They wanted us to come back and so we are hopefully going to see them on Saturday. Just asking them what God was to them and hearing all of their testimonies was such a beatiful thing. By the end of the lesson, we had asked Fernando (the father) if someone in their family would offer a prayer. He asked his wife to do it, who hesitated at first because she can't really speak Italian...but she asked if she could offer it in Spanish...and so we all knelt down and she prayed. As she prayed, she thanked God for all that He had given them and for these little sisters who have come to share His word. By the end of the prayer she said "Father, I know that these sisters are sharing the truth and that they truly are your messengers. Thank you for sending them to us" OOOOOOOOHhhh!!!!!!!! I was SO TOUCHED!! We gave them a book of mormon, asked if we could see them again and the children were more than eager for us to come back...as well as the parents. They have seen so much struggle, but during that time, they turned to the Lord and studied the Bible as a family to make it through. Sorella Nilson and I are just more than eager to see them come to church. Work is hard for both parents right now because the economy is such a bummer...but I KNOW the Lord will provide a way. If we hadn't gone and seen that sister, if we hadn't done casa, if we hadn't just felt like taking number 12 and hadn't just opened my mouth to speak SPANISH...we NEVER would have found this family...NEVER!!! God puts us where we need to be when HE needs us to be...and I need to remember that I am more guided than I think I am. When I think I'm a failure for the day...I need to remember all the blessings God has given me...and they are innumerable.
For heaven's sake we are staying here ANOTHER transfer, which is VERY rare in this mission...everyone thinks we're lying when we say that ALL 4 of us are staying here...AGAIN. Speaking of which, we found Andrea the other day on the bus...and we have an appointment on Saturday...things are looking up!!!
Everyone have a lovely rest of the week...I KNOW THAT MY SAVIOR LIVES AND THAT THIS IS HIS GOSPEL!!!
bacci e abracci, (kisses and hugs)
sorella bowman
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
The Countdown Begins!
She mentions doing a casa in her letter so I asked her what a "casa" means... This is her reponse...
Casa...shoot! I forget! Casa means you go a suon...uh...you ring the doorbell on the apartment wall and see if people will let you in. You climb to the top of the apartment building and work your way down, knocking doors and running into...interesting people.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011 7:36 AM
What a wonderful thing it is to see family pictures from friends who just were married right before I left! Amber and Kevin, the pictures are beautiful! Thank you so so much!
This is an important time...everything is about the family. The holidays are spent a little, no okay, VERY differently here in Italy. Only midnight mass and a big lunch on Christmas day. Nothing else really. Nonetheless, thanks to Mom, I have a stocking hung and many other treats in store for Christmas morning. I guess Christmas day is just a day for fun and spending time with members...I am SO relieved! And yet, we are praying SO HARD to stay here another transfer...neither of us want to leave (Sorella Nilson and I). All the members in the ward are praying for us to stay...it's really touching to actually hear them plead with the Lord to leave us here, at least for Christmas. I know He's listening...what I DON'T know, is if it His plan for us.
The Lord really does guide us as missionaries. It is truly amazing. This past Saturday, my companion and I just had miracle after miracle. It was AMAZING! I get into these swings where I just want to talk to anyone and everyone. But yet, you still have to wait for the Lord to guide you. It started off with us talking with a woman and her daughter, just about Christmas. THey ended up not being interested, and descended from the bus. As they got off, a TON of people got on and I got squished into the empty seats along with an ecuadorian woman. She sat there with her head down...and I just turn to her and try to start casual conversation. "Wow, there sure are always a LOT of people on this bus! Always!" Smile...look at her...nothing. Try again. "So where are you coming from?" Shut down...but then I just stare at her with a smile on my face. She looks up, startled and says she thought I was talking to my companion! As we started talking, come to find out we were able to teach her a lesson about prayer and how the Lord has a plan for her and her children and how she can be together with them forever. As I asked if we could say a prayer (yes, right there on the bus) she said yes, and we prayed. As we finished, she just about started crying...kissed my face, gave us her number and said she would look forward to our call. We had to descend and so we left a Plan of Salvation pamphlet for her to read. MIRACLE!! A few hours later we had an appointment that went really well and as we left the palazzo, my companion took a look at the palazzo across the way and said "Teach me how to do casa, I want to learn" Oh, that was the LAST thing I wanted to do because we had already planned to go see another member...but nonetheless, I marched forward and began the adventure of casa. There wasn't any success, but the truth of the matter is...if we HADN'T done casa, we wouldn't have been where the Lord needed us to be...
As we finished the palazzo, we went down to the bus stop and saw that a 12 was coming in 1 minute and a 13 was coming in 3. 13 would be the bus to get us home, but for some reason I decided to take 12...which would only put us 2 stops down the road. As I get on the bus there is a BEAUTIFUL family, just sitting there. The mother keeps smiling at me, and I at her...but I never made the chance to converse. SO the bus gets to the capolinea and 13 comes right up...which we take..as well as the family. The mother sits down with her 7 year old daughter and I plant myself, casually of course, right in front of them. I take the plunge and start talking. The mother looks at me and in broken Italian says "I don't speak Italian" and I could tell from her accent that she spoke Spanish...I ask her "Habla espanol?" And she smiles and says yes...and oh my heavens...I started speaking spanish to her. It was VERY VERY broken, but I was given enough words to communicate with her and bear my testimony of our message being important. I didn't know what i was doing...for heaven's sake! But I felt this push to just keep my mouth open and the words would come. The important thing was that because I tried, she wanted me to meet her husband (who spoke Italian) and we have an appointment with them this weekend. It was such a humbling experience for me...just when I think I've been too lazy and I haven't been a faithful servant...the Lord shows me that He is still looking out for me. The Lord LOVES His children.
I know this letter isn't very long, but I've run out of time. I received a call this morning from the AP's asking me to come to Milano TOMORROW MORNING and teach the Zone Leaders of the mission about how we can better use the members in our missionary work. Aye yay yay...teaching the Zone Leaders...this will be an adventure! But yet I am honored because...it will be a priviledge to work with all the Zone Leaders and the President side by side. I'll include the letter I wrote to my dad very quickly...okay, no I won't...I've written here more than I thought! Comunque, things are wonderful here in Italy and I hit my 1/2 way mark next week...I'm officially old in the mission. I can't believe it.
Thank you for your prayers and support. It is really felt!! Oh, by the way...we had an AMAZING lesson in Institute yesterday. We sisters are able to go because it is for the young adults not married...we work with them. But the lesson was about the temple...DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW AMAZING THE TEMPLE IS?!? If you haven't gone this week or this month...PLEASE GO!! We don't understand HOW BLESSED we are to have a temple just down the road...we learn so much, and yet it is so easy to forget. We are working with a young woman who served a mission, so strong in the church...and went completely inactive because of being offended...she doesn't remember a thing about the temple. Breaks my heart! So much beauty and so many key things come from going to the temple! If only I could express it! Feast upon the scriptures...because your spirit is ALWAYS hungry...you just have to learn how to listen to it's pleading for spiritual food!! FEED IT!!!
buon natale,
sorella bowman
Casa...shoot! I forget! Casa means you go a suon...uh...you ring the doorbell on the apartment wall and see if people will let you in. You climb to the top of the apartment building and work your way down, knocking doors and running into...interesting people.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011 7:36 AM
What a wonderful thing it is to see family pictures from friends who just were married right before I left! Amber and Kevin, the pictures are beautiful! Thank you so so much!
This is an important time...everything is about the family. The holidays are spent a little, no okay, VERY differently here in Italy. Only midnight mass and a big lunch on Christmas day. Nothing else really. Nonetheless, thanks to Mom, I have a stocking hung and many other treats in store for Christmas morning. I guess Christmas day is just a day for fun and spending time with members...I am SO relieved! And yet, we are praying SO HARD to stay here another transfer...neither of us want to leave (Sorella Nilson and I). All the members in the ward are praying for us to stay...it's really touching to actually hear them plead with the Lord to leave us here, at least for Christmas. I know He's listening...what I DON'T know, is if it His plan for us.
The Lord really does guide us as missionaries. It is truly amazing. This past Saturday, my companion and I just had miracle after miracle. It was AMAZING! I get into these swings where I just want to talk to anyone and everyone. But yet, you still have to wait for the Lord to guide you. It started off with us talking with a woman and her daughter, just about Christmas. THey ended up not being interested, and descended from the bus. As they got off, a TON of people got on and I got squished into the empty seats along with an ecuadorian woman. She sat there with her head down...and I just turn to her and try to start casual conversation. "Wow, there sure are always a LOT of people on this bus! Always!" Smile...look at her...nothing. Try again. "So where are you coming from?" Shut down...but then I just stare at her with a smile on my face. She looks up, startled and says she thought I was talking to my companion! As we started talking, come to find out we were able to teach her a lesson about prayer and how the Lord has a plan for her and her children and how she can be together with them forever. As I asked if we could say a prayer (yes, right there on the bus) she said yes, and we prayed. As we finished, she just about started crying...kissed my face, gave us her number and said she would look forward to our call. We had to descend and so we left a Plan of Salvation pamphlet for her to read. MIRACLE!! A few hours later we had an appointment that went really well and as we left the palazzo, my companion took a look at the palazzo across the way and said "Teach me how to do casa, I want to learn" Oh, that was the LAST thing I wanted to do because we had already planned to go see another member...but nonetheless, I marched forward and began the adventure of casa. There wasn't any success, but the truth of the matter is...if we HADN'T done casa, we wouldn't have been where the Lord needed us to be...
As we finished the palazzo, we went down to the bus stop and saw that a 12 was coming in 1 minute and a 13 was coming in 3. 13 would be the bus to get us home, but for some reason I decided to take 12...which would only put us 2 stops down the road. As I get on the bus there is a BEAUTIFUL family, just sitting there. The mother keeps smiling at me, and I at her...but I never made the chance to converse. SO the bus gets to the capolinea and 13 comes right up...which we take..as well as the family. The mother sits down with her 7 year old daughter and I plant myself, casually of course, right in front of them. I take the plunge and start talking. The mother looks at me and in broken Italian says "I don't speak Italian" and I could tell from her accent that she spoke Spanish...I ask her "Habla espanol?" And she smiles and says yes...and oh my heavens...I started speaking spanish to her. It was VERY VERY broken, but I was given enough words to communicate with her and bear my testimony of our message being important. I didn't know what i was doing...for heaven's sake! But I felt this push to just keep my mouth open and the words would come. The important thing was that because I tried, she wanted me to meet her husband (who spoke Italian) and we have an appointment with them this weekend. It was such a humbling experience for me...just when I think I've been too lazy and I haven't been a faithful servant...the Lord shows me that He is still looking out for me. The Lord LOVES His children.
I know this letter isn't very long, but I've run out of time. I received a call this morning from the AP's asking me to come to Milano TOMORROW MORNING and teach the Zone Leaders of the mission about how we can better use the members in our missionary work. Aye yay yay...teaching the Zone Leaders...this will be an adventure! But yet I am honored because...it will be a priviledge to work with all the Zone Leaders and the President side by side. I'll include the letter I wrote to my dad very quickly...okay, no I won't...I've written here more than I thought! Comunque, things are wonderful here in Italy and I hit my 1/2 way mark next week...I'm officially old in the mission. I can't believe it.
Thank you for your prayers and support. It is really felt!! Oh, by the way...we had an AMAZING lesson in Institute yesterday. We sisters are able to go because it is for the young adults not married...we work with them. But the lesson was about the temple...DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW AMAZING THE TEMPLE IS?!? If you haven't gone this week or this month...PLEASE GO!! We don't understand HOW BLESSED we are to have a temple just down the road...we learn so much, and yet it is so easy to forget. We are working with a young woman who served a mission, so strong in the church...and went completely inactive because of being offended...she doesn't remember a thing about the temple. Breaks my heart! So much beauty and so many key things come from going to the temple! If only I could express it! Feast upon the scriptures...because your spirit is ALWAYS hungry...you just have to learn how to listen to it's pleading for spiritual food!! FEED IT!!!
buon natale,
sorella bowman
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
It's Christmas Time in the City
Wed, Nov 30, 2011 at 9:24 AM
Buon di!
They have lit up the streets and are literally roasting chestnuts in the piazza's here in Genova! There is a HUGE pine tree in the main square and Sorella Nilson just ooh's and aaah's everytime we pass it. The Italian's openly admit that they don't celebrate Christmas...just a Christmas mass and a big lunch Christmas day. In compared to America, (hand circle motion) it's nothing. haha, I hear that a lot. Anyways, at least we have the Ecuadorian families who really know how to celebrate and really know how to eat. All during Thanksgiving I was thinking about the time differences and as I was going to bed I was thinking "Dad's probably making the crab dip about now, the football game is on and the kids are just having a ball"...Can't believe I'll already be home almost 2 months this same time NEXT year...time flies!!
As far as this week goes, we are all starting to get a little panicky around here...NONE of us want to be transferred! Transfers come the week RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS...please pray that we'll stay here. I had a dream that I was transferred and sent to the office...I'm praying not!! I'm really starting to progress in opening my mouth and talking to people...even with the ups and downs.
Mamma mia, this was a weak to laugh at...especially yesterday. After you have such a spiritual high, life hits you and you're done for. Well, not done for because I've been blessed with the ability to laugh when...you really shouldn't...but I do! Not in a sense of being inappropriate, but in situations where you just typically wouldn't laugh at. Truthfully, it makes things easier. For example, we had an AMAZINGLY spiritual lesson with one of our less actives. We received a little letter from the Anziani that THEY found...it was a letter from Heavenly Father to us...we had her read it...and she started weeping during her reading. I can't imagine really actually forgetting that Heavenly Father is there for me and that He loves me. I can't say I've ever felt forgotten...I've just felt beside myself. Here on the mission, you see it in people's eyes and hear it in people's words...that there is NO GOD and that HE doesn't exist or love them. Absolutely incredible. NEVER FORGET that GOD DOES EXIST and HIS PLAN IS FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US!! Oh, simply amazing. So after we, well, if any of you are squeamish...don't read until the next paragraph....I have to say that you find and see things that you NEVER hope to see again...in your life...ever. And I mean it. We were waiting for the bus, and a woman walked by with a dog...a old dog that had the face of a bear. As it walked by, it's rump...was horrible. It was infected and rotting, and if I was that woman, I would have shot it to put it out of it's misery. If Correne and Gramma can remember with the dog down the hill and how he was so miserable 2 summers ago? Yeah, this dog...oh so sad. As we are waiting for the bus, it finally comes and I'm just thinking about our next appointment...and this woman gets on WITH THE DOG...only she had shoved toilet paper into it's little rump hole to stop...I don't know what. As the door closes, I'm working on distracting my companion because she's about to vomit...she's super squeamish...and then I hear this 6 year old boy say "oh puzza" which means that there is a horrid smell. I turn towards the boy and he is like crawling towards the window, covering his nose and mouth while his older brother is trying to get him to calm down. And then...dun dun dun...I smell a smell so putrid, I'd take a flatulant any day. My companion started gagging and we just burst out laughing into our jackets. We couldn't laugh out loud, just trying to breathe into our coats, not through our noses because it burned and not through our mouths because you could taste it. We were trying to get air anyway we could, but that poor dog was..just rotting. I NEVER want to smell that again...I still laugh about it to this day. Let's face it, sometimes you can either laugh or gag or cry...and I chose to laugh. Thankfully she got off the bus a few stops later, but seeing everyone's faces was priceless, and we felt queasy for the rest of the day...but still tried our best.
We were going to another appointment and walked past a hispanic couple. As I passed them, a conversation with them popped into my head...but I kept walking. We got to the bus stop and they were still there...I told my collega that I felt that we needed to talk to them...so I did. As I walked up, OH! it was one of THE RUDEST women I have met on my mission. Basically she was, well, not being Christ-like. Comunque, I wished her a happy evening and left her to her anger. It's sad when people act that way...I hope someday she'll be happier.
This weekend is going to be SO GREAT for SO MANY of our members!! It's a ward temple trip and Claudia gets to go!! SHE is so excited! We gave her a really nice triple and made a dedica inside the cover. She about cried when she received it. Sorella Nilson made her a reall pretty cover and there were pictures of us on the inside. She is so excited to go and is really considering going on a mission sooner than she thought...CALL IN THE REPLACEMENTS!! Miracles miracles miracles.
We met with a new investigator named Nelly today. Her story IS one of those stories you think are fake, like the Mormon legend stories...but it's true. She made us a delicious lunch and gave us a referral AND a new investigator. Tatiana...SHE has been prepared. She has been searching ALL HER LIFE to find which church is true. A LOT of people say here that there has never been a church that has "touched" them. As we sat down, she started saying a lot of "the bible says this..." or "what I have come to know..." at first I was a little tense because I thought she might be an under cover Jehova's Witness or an Evangelist, but I felt inside that I just needed to listen. As I was teaching, and time went on, I just got the impression that she is saying and asking so much because she is hungry and thirsty for knowledge...Throughout the lesson her questions were just PMG straight out of the text. "Where is the true church?" "How can we KNOW and not just THINK that this church is true?" "Why isn't there just one church...we are ALL children of God" Holy moly. We go through the lesson and just explaining piece by precious peace...the Spirit was SO strong...just words flowing in and out! Finally, once we got to the First Vision...everything changed. She had the "locked in" face, and absolutely silent. The hunger appeared and satisfaction was starting to sink in. She looked like it was something SO PRECIOUS...gently she happily accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon. I'm telling you, when she put the Book of Mormon and the Bible together, it looked like a hunger within her was being fed....literally, like a answer received after YEARS of searching. When we asked her if SHE had any questions, she looked straight at us and said "Yes, I have one question...When are you coming back to my home?" Miracles. Brings tears to my eyes as to how much we are blessed. Look for them!! They are there!!
With Tatiana, I can't explain the whole situation. But for me, it was a beautifully spiritual experience. I have NEVER seen a hunger placed on someone's face, and how she looked relieved when she put the Bible and the Book of Mormon on top of one another. "You mean to tell me that with these two books, we have everything we need to go back to God?" "Yes...we are missing nothing. The truth is HERE and we are here to teach you!" With that, a reverance settled over her and a peace settled over me with the feeling..."this is what missionaries are for..."
Brothers and sisters, family and friends...I stand before you today as a witness of our Savior Jesus Christ. This gospel is so precious, and how dare I become scared and shut my mouth as to not teach it. Come what may and remember that the Lord will exhalt those who will declare His word. I'm not perfect, and I'll probably shut my mouth again, but the key is that I am still trying and still willing to grow. I know my Savior lives and that Joseph Smith really and truly DID see God the Father and Jesus Christ. Praise to the man, for without his humility, we'd still be in darkness. I am SO grateful to Thomas S. Monson, our prophet, seer, and revelator for us from the Lord. I KNOW that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, I'm almost half-way through my 3rd time of reading the precious book here in Italy. If all goes well, I'll have completed it 6 times here on my mission...I can never get enough. I love this gospel with all my heart. I know it's true!! Vi lascio questo, nel nome del mio Salvatore Gesu Cristo...Amen!!
Bacci e Abracci,
sorella bowman
Buon di!
They have lit up the streets and are literally roasting chestnuts in the piazza's here in Genova! There is a HUGE pine tree in the main square and Sorella Nilson just ooh's and aaah's everytime we pass it. The Italian's openly admit that they don't celebrate Christmas...just a Christmas mass and a big lunch Christmas day. In compared to America, (hand circle motion) it's nothing. haha, I hear that a lot. Anyways, at least we have the Ecuadorian families who really know how to celebrate and really know how to eat. All during Thanksgiving I was thinking about the time differences and as I was going to bed I was thinking "Dad's probably making the crab dip about now, the football game is on and the kids are just having a ball"...Can't believe I'll already be home almost 2 months this same time NEXT year...time flies!!
As far as this week goes, we are all starting to get a little panicky around here...NONE of us want to be transferred! Transfers come the week RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS...please pray that we'll stay here. I had a dream that I was transferred and sent to the office...I'm praying not!! I'm really starting to progress in opening my mouth and talking to people...even with the ups and downs.
Mamma mia, this was a weak to laugh at...especially yesterday. After you have such a spiritual high, life hits you and you're done for. Well, not done for because I've been blessed with the ability to laugh when...you really shouldn't...but I do! Not in a sense of being inappropriate, but in situations where you just typically wouldn't laugh at. Truthfully, it makes things easier. For example, we had an AMAZINGLY spiritual lesson with one of our less actives. We received a little letter from the Anziani that THEY found...it was a letter from Heavenly Father to us...we had her read it...and she started weeping during her reading. I can't imagine really actually forgetting that Heavenly Father is there for me and that He loves me. I can't say I've ever felt forgotten...I've just felt beside myself. Here on the mission, you see it in people's eyes and hear it in people's words...that there is NO GOD and that HE doesn't exist or love them. Absolutely incredible. NEVER FORGET that GOD DOES EXIST and HIS PLAN IS FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US!! Oh, simply amazing. So after we, well, if any of you are squeamish...don't read until the next paragraph....I have to say that you find and see things that you NEVER hope to see again...in your life...ever. And I mean it. We were waiting for the bus, and a woman walked by with a dog...a old dog that had the face of a bear. As it walked by, it's rump...was horrible. It was infected and rotting, and if I was that woman, I would have shot it to put it out of it's misery. If Correne and Gramma can remember with the dog down the hill and how he was so miserable 2 summers ago? Yeah, this dog...oh so sad. As we are waiting for the bus, it finally comes and I'm just thinking about our next appointment...and this woman gets on WITH THE DOG...only she had shoved toilet paper into it's little rump hole to stop...I don't know what. As the door closes, I'm working on distracting my companion because she's about to vomit...she's super squeamish...and then I hear this 6 year old boy say "oh puzza" which means that there is a horrid smell. I turn towards the boy and he is like crawling towards the window, covering his nose and mouth while his older brother is trying to get him to calm down. And then...dun dun dun...I smell a smell so putrid, I'd take a flatulant any day. My companion started gagging and we just burst out laughing into our jackets. We couldn't laugh out loud, just trying to breathe into our coats, not through our noses because it burned and not through our mouths because you could taste it. We were trying to get air anyway we could, but that poor dog was..just rotting. I NEVER want to smell that again...I still laugh about it to this day. Let's face it, sometimes you can either laugh or gag or cry...and I chose to laugh. Thankfully she got off the bus a few stops later, but seeing everyone's faces was priceless, and we felt queasy for the rest of the day...but still tried our best.
We were going to another appointment and walked past a hispanic couple. As I passed them, a conversation with them popped into my head...but I kept walking. We got to the bus stop and they were still there...I told my collega that I felt that we needed to talk to them...so I did. As I walked up, OH! it was one of THE RUDEST women I have met on my mission. Basically she was, well, not being Christ-like. Comunque, I wished her a happy evening and left her to her anger. It's sad when people act that way...I hope someday she'll be happier.
This weekend is going to be SO GREAT for SO MANY of our members!! It's a ward temple trip and Claudia gets to go!! SHE is so excited! We gave her a really nice triple and made a dedica inside the cover. She about cried when she received it. Sorella Nilson made her a reall pretty cover and there were pictures of us on the inside. She is so excited to go and is really considering going on a mission sooner than she thought...CALL IN THE REPLACEMENTS!! Miracles miracles miracles.
We met with a new investigator named Nelly today. Her story IS one of those stories you think are fake, like the Mormon legend stories...but it's true. She made us a delicious lunch and gave us a referral AND a new investigator. Tatiana...SHE has been prepared. She has been searching ALL HER LIFE to find which church is true. A LOT of people say here that there has never been a church that has "touched" them. As we sat down, she started saying a lot of "the bible says this..." or "what I have come to know..." at first I was a little tense because I thought she might be an under cover Jehova's Witness or an Evangelist, but I felt inside that I just needed to listen. As I was teaching, and time went on, I just got the impression that she is saying and asking so much because she is hungry and thirsty for knowledge...Throughout the lesson her questions were just PMG straight out of the text. "Where is the true church?" "How can we KNOW and not just THINK that this church is true?" "Why isn't there just one church...we are ALL children of God" Holy moly. We go through the lesson and just explaining piece by precious peace...the Spirit was SO strong...just words flowing in and out! Finally, once we got to the First Vision...everything changed. She had the "locked in" face, and absolutely silent. The hunger appeared and satisfaction was starting to sink in. She looked like it was something SO PRECIOUS...gently she happily accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon. I'm telling you, when she put the Book of Mormon and the Bible together, it looked like a hunger within her was being fed....literally, like a answer received after YEARS of searching. When we asked her if SHE had any questions, she looked straight at us and said "Yes, I have one question...When are you coming back to my home?" Miracles. Brings tears to my eyes as to how much we are blessed. Look for them!! They are there!!
With Tatiana, I can't explain the whole situation. But for me, it was a beautifully spiritual experience. I have NEVER seen a hunger placed on someone's face, and how she looked relieved when she put the Bible and the Book of Mormon on top of one another. "You mean to tell me that with these two books, we have everything we need to go back to God?" "Yes...we are missing nothing. The truth is HERE and we are here to teach you!" With that, a reverance settled over her and a peace settled over me with the feeling..."this is what missionaries are for..."
Brothers and sisters, family and friends...I stand before you today as a witness of our Savior Jesus Christ. This gospel is so precious, and how dare I become scared and shut my mouth as to not teach it. Come what may and remember that the Lord will exhalt those who will declare His word. I'm not perfect, and I'll probably shut my mouth again, but the key is that I am still trying and still willing to grow. I know my Savior lives and that Joseph Smith really and truly DID see God the Father and Jesus Christ. Praise to the man, for without his humility, we'd still be in darkness. I am SO grateful to Thomas S. Monson, our prophet, seer, and revelator for us from the Lord. I KNOW that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, I'm almost half-way through my 3rd time of reading the precious book here in Italy. If all goes well, I'll have completed it 6 times here on my mission...I can never get enough. I love this gospel with all my heart. I know it's true!! Vi lascio questo, nel nome del mio Salvatore Gesu Cristo...Amen!!
Bacci e Abracci,
sorella bowman
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
There's nothing like...
Wed, Nov 23, 2011 at 9:37 AM
Getting a Christmas package that has the WHOLE mail room talking before you even know that it's for you! Hahaha what a GREAT and exciting Christmas box to receive! Thank you so much, Mom! Everyone was holding it and looking to see for who it was...Anziano Proctor took one look at it and said "It's for Sorella Bowman...and it's from her mom." Sure enough, it was! Thank you so much!
I cannot tell you how wonderful of a week it is been. There have been tears of joy, tears of sorrow, and laughs of confusion and happiness this whole week! So many miracles have come, practically into my lap! So many new people I have met...not investigators quite yet, but they are coming around the corner...I can feel it.
All of these miracles came when I just humbled myself to the dust. I have been really focussing on making my prayers more meaningful and REALLY SPEAKING with Heavenly Father...not just covering the basics. As a Thanksgiving Treat, we had training on my birthday (the 18th) and for that specific training we watched 17 Miracles. WHAT AN AMAZING MOVIE!! I have never been so humbled in my life! I realized what little faith I have...and how the Lord really DOES FOLLOW THROUGH with what HE SAYS HE WILL DO!!! So, I have been working on it..really pondering what faith is..and how much more I can improve. And thus the miracles began to flow...
I said last week that Paola didn't want to learn anymore...let me recount to you all my MIRACLE to President this past week: (sigh) If only there was room enough for more! I have SUCH a strong testimony with the training we experienced on the 18th. Just asking inspired questions really, really works. Saturday night we had an appointment scheduled with new convert/less active/nonmember family. The nonmember is the daughter and we have been teaching her for a while. Last Saturday she EXPLODED on us and we had NO idea why. We waited a week and decided to go back again and focus more on the mother. As we showed up, our cute little lesson about God is our Heavenly Father and the Gospel Blesses Families...no one is home EXCEPT for the daughter. DAH?! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?! She wasn't very happy to see us, but let us in anyways. The daughter left for the bathroom and my companion and I looked at each other...both expecting the other to give SOME direction. I just let my companion take the lead in the lesson like we practiced, praying the whole time that SOMETHING would come to my mind when it would be my turn. As she looks at me...I have absolutely NOTHING in my head...and I start with that. "Paola, I have no idea what to say to you right now..." and from there, I don't really remember what I said...but it all led into inspired questions. I testify that they were inspired because I don't remember at ALL what they were...they were all leading up to one question that Literally broke the dam in her heart. I asked one question and she just started bawling. Come to find out, all our suspiscions were confirmed and our lesson went from her never want us to be in her home again, to her wanting to read the Book of Mormon and to work on a desire to come to church. THAT, in itself, is a miracle.
That was Saturday. Sunday was beautiful in the fact that the Primary President has asked me to do Primary Singing Time and teach the children the Christmas Songs for the Primary Program. THANK YOU EGBERT FAMILY FOR ALL THE INSPIRED TEACHING YOU HAVE DONE AND I HAVE WITNESSED!!!! Sorella Nilson played the piano while I taught. All I had them do was clap the rhythm along with the music, sing the words after me...just very basic things. ALL THE CHILDREN LISTENED AND FOLLOWED ALONG!!! The Primary President and her counselor just stood in the back with their mouths LITERALLY opened...I'm looking forward to next sunday. :) Monday night, I was just down in the dumps again because we need to find more people to teach. We had spoken to a lovely woman on the bus and I just got so tongue tied in what she was spilling to us. I couldn't quite get an invite out because she spilled and then had to get off. As I was praying...I asked heavenly father to help us find her again. As I was praying I felt a strong impression to be at a certain bus stop at 12:00 the next day. As I was listening, I told Heavenly Father that we had an appointment at 11:30..but if we neeed to be there at 12...I KNEW He could make it happen. The next day: We are on the bus and everything is going just fine...the wind is really strong and really picking up. All of a sudden we start hearing snapping noises and are just confused with what's going on. The cables to the bus snap and all the power shuts off...it's 11:20. The bus slides to a stop at the FIRST stop for the bus we WOULD take to get to " THE STOP" in my impression. As I am calling our less active...the bus to take us to "THE STOP" shows up almost immediately...and I run for it. I recall all this to my companion and I am anticipating exactly what the Lord wants us to do. As we show up...it's 10 minutes until 12:00 and we start looking. We never found anyone, but we taught a homeless man...I just felt impressed to teach him. He didn't understand much, but he did ask for a book of mormon in Italian for his son so his son could translate it for him. I was bummed because I was expecting to see the woman again...but I felt a little voice say "I am proud because of the fact that you listened and went anyway" That's what I am holding on to...I went anyways..not knowing what to do and not really getting any success. But we are all learning...and it was a testifying factor to ME that the Lord WILL do what He SAYS He will do.
There is so much more to share and I just can't fit it all in! Long story short, I smiled at a girl on the bus and she approached us..asked to learn from us and we have an appointment with her on Sunday. It was a strange encounter because it NEVER happens...but we will see how it goes. Yesterday we were searching for some less actives and we couldn't contact them, so we went to a member's home to warm up. As we were doing so, we shared a thought and ran for the bus. We got to the train station and had to run for the other bus...Good thing we did so because as we sat down a man turns to us and says "YOUR MISSIONARIES FROM THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS" Why..yes..yes we are :D ANd he starts saying how he was studying with the missionaries in Torrino and now that he's here he wants to study with us. He has a couple friends who would like to study too and about 100 people who would like to come and listen to us share spiritual thoughts and learn to pray. He wants us to call him (today) and get something started. We've passed him to the Anziani and they have either got a crazy man on their hands...or one of the most golden finds I have ever heard of. So here we go forward with faith...We received another referral from the Anziani and are looking forward to teaching this woman.
MIRACLES HAPPEN!! Happy Thanksgiving to all and I miss you all!!
con amore,
Sorella Bowman
Getting a Christmas package that has the WHOLE mail room talking before you even know that it's for you! Hahaha what a GREAT and exciting Christmas box to receive! Thank you so much, Mom! Everyone was holding it and looking to see for who it was...Anziano Proctor took one look at it and said "It's for Sorella Bowman...and it's from her mom." Sure enough, it was! Thank you so much!
I cannot tell you how wonderful of a week it is been. There have been tears of joy, tears of sorrow, and laughs of confusion and happiness this whole week! So many miracles have come, practically into my lap! So many new people I have met...not investigators quite yet, but they are coming around the corner...I can feel it.
All of these miracles came when I just humbled myself to the dust. I have been really focussing on making my prayers more meaningful and REALLY SPEAKING with Heavenly Father...not just covering the basics. As a Thanksgiving Treat, we had training on my birthday (the 18th) and for that specific training we watched 17 Miracles. WHAT AN AMAZING MOVIE!! I have never been so humbled in my life! I realized what little faith I have...and how the Lord really DOES FOLLOW THROUGH with what HE SAYS HE WILL DO!!! So, I have been working on it..really pondering what faith is..and how much more I can improve. And thus the miracles began to flow...
I said last week that Paola didn't want to learn anymore...let me recount to you all my MIRACLE to President this past week: (sigh) If only there was room enough for more! I have SUCH a strong testimony with the training we experienced on the 18th. Just asking inspired questions really, really works. Saturday night we had an appointment scheduled with new convert/less active/nonmember family. The nonmember is the daughter and we have been teaching her for a while. Last Saturday she EXPLODED on us and we had NO idea why. We waited a week and decided to go back again and focus more on the mother. As we showed up, our cute little lesson about God is our Heavenly Father and the Gospel Blesses Families...no one is home EXCEPT for the daughter. DAH?! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?! She wasn't very happy to see us, but let us in anyways. The daughter left for the bathroom and my companion and I looked at each other...both expecting the other to give SOME direction. I just let my companion take the lead in the lesson like we practiced, praying the whole time that SOMETHING would come to my mind when it would be my turn. As she looks at me...I have absolutely NOTHING in my head...and I start with that. "Paola, I have no idea what to say to you right now..." and from there, I don't really remember what I said...but it all led into inspired questions. I testify that they were inspired because I don't remember at ALL what they were...they were all leading up to one question that Literally broke the dam in her heart. I asked one question and she just started bawling. Come to find out, all our suspiscions were confirmed and our lesson went from her never want us to be in her home again, to her wanting to read the Book of Mormon and to work on a desire to come to church. THAT, in itself, is a miracle.
That was Saturday. Sunday was beautiful in the fact that the Primary President has asked me to do Primary Singing Time and teach the children the Christmas Songs for the Primary Program. THANK YOU EGBERT FAMILY FOR ALL THE INSPIRED TEACHING YOU HAVE DONE AND I HAVE WITNESSED!!!! Sorella Nilson played the piano while I taught. All I had them do was clap the rhythm along with the music, sing the words after me...just very basic things. ALL THE CHILDREN LISTENED AND FOLLOWED ALONG!!! The Primary President and her counselor just stood in the back with their mouths LITERALLY opened...I'm looking forward to next sunday. :) Monday night, I was just down in the dumps again because we need to find more people to teach. We had spoken to a lovely woman on the bus and I just got so tongue tied in what she was spilling to us. I couldn't quite get an invite out because she spilled and then had to get off. As I was praying...I asked heavenly father to help us find her again. As I was praying I felt a strong impression to be at a certain bus stop at 12:00 the next day. As I was listening, I told Heavenly Father that we had an appointment at 11:30..but if we neeed to be there at 12...I KNEW He could make it happen. The next day: We are on the bus and everything is going just fine...the wind is really strong and really picking up. All of a sudden we start hearing snapping noises and are just confused with what's going on. The cables to the bus snap and all the power shuts off...it's 11:20. The bus slides to a stop at the FIRST stop for the bus we WOULD take to get to " THE STOP" in my impression. As I am calling our less active...the bus to take us to "THE STOP" shows up almost immediately...and I run for it. I recall all this to my companion and I am anticipating exactly what the Lord wants us to do. As we show up...it's 10 minutes until 12:00 and we start looking. We never found anyone, but we taught a homeless man...I just felt impressed to teach him. He didn't understand much, but he did ask for a book of mormon in Italian for his son so his son could translate it for him. I was bummed because I was expecting to see the woman again...but I felt a little voice say "I am proud because of the fact that you listened and went anyway" That's what I am holding on to...I went anyways..not knowing what to do and not really getting any success. But we are all learning...and it was a testifying factor to ME that the Lord WILL do what He SAYS He will do.
There is so much more to share and I just can't fit it all in! Long story short, I smiled at a girl on the bus and she approached us..asked to learn from us and we have an appointment with her on Sunday. It was a strange encounter because it NEVER happens...but we will see how it goes. Yesterday we were searching for some less actives and we couldn't contact them, so we went to a member's home to warm up. As we were doing so, we shared a thought and ran for the bus. We got to the train station and had to run for the other bus...Good thing we did so because as we sat down a man turns to us and says "YOUR MISSIONARIES FROM THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS" Why..yes..yes we are :D ANd he starts saying how he was studying with the missionaries in Torrino and now that he's here he wants to study with us. He has a couple friends who would like to study too and about 100 people who would like to come and listen to us share spiritual thoughts and learn to pray. He wants us to call him (today) and get something started. We've passed him to the Anziani and they have either got a crazy man on their hands...or one of the most golden finds I have ever heard of. So here we go forward with faith...We received another referral from the Anziani and are looking forward to teaching this woman.
MIRACLES HAPPEN!! Happy Thanksgiving to all and I miss you all!!
con amore,
Sorella Bowman
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011 10:52 AM
Ciao tutti!
I'm already diving head first into the Christmas season...right along here with the beautiful country of Italy. You have to stay straight and focus on not getting homesick...especially when the air smells like Christmas and everyone is changing the decor in their windows. I'm hoping President will extend the transfer or let me stay here in Genova BECAUSE Christmas is the 1st week of NEXT Transfer!! Che peccato! Since I can't write to Santa this year, I wrote him instead...here's hoping I've been good enough!
I've been doing a LOT of reflecting on my life this week. Reflecting on how far I've come and reflecting on how much the Lord has blessed me. Just when I think I'm not doing well at all...the Lord sends a miracle...the actual situation AND the fact that I was able to hear His gentle prodding. For example, this transfer my companion and I really want to make 20 lessons each week. We are trying our VERY HARDEST to talk to people on the bus...to just jump right into the blessings of the gospel...and it really works. It takes SO MUCH FAITH...but SO MANY BLESSINGS come from it. Sunday night rolls around and it's time to head home...and we only have 19 lessons. Well, by golly, I am DETERMINED to get those 20 lessons and I KNOW that the Lord will provide someone for us to teach...Sorella Simkins (another sister missionary who lives with us) always says that she thinks we are led more than we know. As we were waiting for the bus at the Piazza, I was pondering that fact, and I was thinking "how could we get a lesson on the bus?" And then I look across the piazza and there is a woman sitting all by herself. As I look more intently, our bus passes...but I don't move. I had the strongest feeling...don't take the bus, and go talk to that woman. My thoughts? We will be getting home pretty late...we should go. Even though I already decided we weren't going to take it...I was just thinking of how to approach her. Truth be told...you never know how to approach until you open your mouth and the Lord literally fills it! And as I looked toward the bus...the feeling was so strong to NOT take it, and I just started walking towards teh woman. I looked at my companion and said " How about that woman over there?" And just as I said it, my companion laughed and said..." Yep! I was going to say the same thing!" We walked her direction and she opened to us IMMEDIATELY!! Talking about how lonely she is and that our visit was exactly what we needed. We had a great little lesson and just felt wonderful that we could help one of Heavenly Father's daughters...remember that she's still important. What an amazing experience. All she could say is that she just wonders why Jesus has given her these trials...she loved her husband so much, why did God have to take him? How can she find answers for her children to appreciate and love her more and not say she's a bad mother because she's getting older? Yeah...there is BRUTAL exchanges here between people that we find every day. Young couples will be arguing their heads off and the next minute you just wish they would go get a cave!! Well, you wish they had the gospel, were married, and THEN go get a cave...but what can you do?
But again,I look back and just see so many miracles. I see myself changing...and even with some challenges that I am facing now...in the past I would have just given up and I would have thrown everything to the dogs. But I have SUCH a different perspective on time and what I really CAN accomplish. Even though some things in life become set-backs, you CAN overcome them and you just have to learn that good things don't come for nothing. I've decided to change a saying that i learned a while back to be more personal..."You never said it would be easy...but you DO say that it is worth it" You gotta keep a perspective on now and that pushes you forward to the future. Oh, how I think back to the 4 months before my mission...and oh, how grateful I am to be WHERE I am today both spiritually and locationally. A year ago this Friday I was opening my mission call and just about dropping my baby sister because of how shocked I was. Oh the things that the Lord blesses us with. You know, He DOES have a sense of humor...even when you are weakest, He blesses you and just prods you along to remind you that, ONLY THROUGH HIM, you CAN do this.
You question sometimes, what exactly you are doing here. And as I'm typing this...it's really just the adversary trying to get to you. And so, when you get that way...without realizing that you are, the Lord sends someone to brighten your spirits, and in mission lingo...that's someone solid to teach. Liz explained the WHOLE plan of salvation back to us...a 16 year old girl who admits that she is coming to know who Heavenly Father really is...and wants to come closer to this religion. She LOVED church and she just smiles SO BIG during our lessons...she's reading and praying...and really opening herself up to feeling Heavenly Father's love for her. A woman in our ward gave us a referral to a friend of hers and we had a lesson with them this past Sunday. It's a family who is just thirsty...and HUNGRY for peace in their lives. We have another appointment next Sunday. That reminds me of how much of a missionary I've become...whenever we watch Finding Faith in Christ or The Restoration...you wanna pop popcorn and when the 1st Vision comes...you just want to prod the person next to you and say "yee! Here comes the best part!!" Well...haha....I do at least!! True story. Ma, scherzo aparte...The First Vision DVD really does wonders!! If you want to help a friend, have a family night and show that...then bear your testimonies. It's amazing. AND INVITE THE MISSIONARIES!!! Another miracle...We went through the area book a few days back (well my companion did because I got sick) and we found a few names to call. We had called Christiana and there were no responses...a name we had called before. But Monday night, we decided to call again..and she was SO excited to meet with us. We sheduled an appointment with her for today and, the adversary was working SO HARD! When we showed up to the address, it was SO INTIMIDATING! It was this huge, articulately decored building...a law office. "you mean to tell me her office is in THERE?!" And I look at my companion and say "holy moly...I feel underdressed..." She just laughs and says "me too...I feel like I'm in kindergarten..." Comunque, we walk into the office, catch the elevator and go to the 5th floor. It opens...and there's her office. We stand outside the door for about 5 minutes without saying a word...it was SO intimidating...and i had NO idea why!! Regardless, I bit the bullet and buzzed the door. She opens it...and she is the warmest person in the world. We hear her story, leave a spiritual thought, and get a new investigator along with her! Her coworker was listening to us and at the end asked for the scripture we shared and a copy of the Book of Mormon...which my companion grabbed just before we left!! I had a prompting to grab one but I forgot...because I think my companion, at that very moment, decided to grab one as she was walking past the closest! CHURCH IS TRUE...YOU HAVE TO TEACH THE GOSPEL TWO BY TWO!!
All these miracles came just when we needed it. We had to let Paula go this week. Her heart is too hard and she is too stubborn to accept anything more of what we teach. We had a lesson with her on Saturday and we had decided to extend a baptismal date. We prepared a BEAUTIFUL lesson on how faith is a course of action, and would she be willing to show her faith and be baptised. Instead of the Spirit completely leaving when she said no, and went on and on about how could we even think to say that OUR CHURCH has authority and others don't...the SPirit just got stronger. I felt the power of the Lord within me, and my foundation being SO SOLID that I KNEW the Book of Mormon was true. I KNEW that Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ...and no matter how bitter her words became, I was unshaken. I had NO QUESTION about what we were teaching...it was all true. Sure, we were devastated that there was nothing we could do for her...for heaven's sake I cried when she only thought we knew the church was true because it was what we believe. I felt like Dad whenever he has to apologize for something...I looked up and said "I am so sorry..I have mistaken. I don't think that this church is true...and I don't THINK that Joseph Smith saw what he saw...but I KNOW that this church is true. HOw? Because I have read the Book of Mormon...living proof that God still loves us and He wants to reveal things to us BECAUSE He has given us a prophet on the earth today..." and a few other things. But, friends and family...point is...I knew. and I STILL KNOW. Through it all, all she could do was rub her head and say that she was confused. She doesn't think there will be an end of the world, she KNOWS that God will bless her for the fact that she got baptized, it doesn't matter how she does it, and you can never find answers...there will always be searching. "Oh the cunning plan of the evil one...or the vain (frailties?) and foolishness of men..."Cuninng plan of the evil one is right...We are at war. Raise your kids right...or it'll come back to bite you in the foot. ANd boy....it just hurts to see this family suffer...but...when there is no foot to put down or fear to do so...your kids will...well...they'll get lost, and you as a parent will too...if God isn't on your side...or you just don't listen to His guidance.
Comunque...testimony builders come in small ways and challenges come because the Lord just wants you to get over the hill and see all the blessings he has for you. The temperature has dropped outside because I can't feel my fingers anymore, so it's best to get moving!! :) Until next time, Counsel from Sorella Bowman...bear your testimony, raise your children according to the gospel, and don't be afraid when the winds of the adversary come your way...because the Lord knows EXACTLY how to calm them...just ask for His help :)
Con amore,
Sorella Bowman
Ciao tutti!
I'm already diving head first into the Christmas season...right along here with the beautiful country of Italy. You have to stay straight and focus on not getting homesick...especially when the air smells like Christmas and everyone is changing the decor in their windows. I'm hoping President will extend the transfer or let me stay here in Genova BECAUSE Christmas is the 1st week of NEXT Transfer!! Che peccato! Since I can't write to Santa this year, I wrote him instead...here's hoping I've been good enough!
I've been doing a LOT of reflecting on my life this week. Reflecting on how far I've come and reflecting on how much the Lord has blessed me. Just when I think I'm not doing well at all...the Lord sends a miracle...the actual situation AND the fact that I was able to hear His gentle prodding. For example, this transfer my companion and I really want to make 20 lessons each week. We are trying our VERY HARDEST to talk to people on the bus...to just jump right into the blessings of the gospel...and it really works. It takes SO MUCH FAITH...but SO MANY BLESSINGS come from it. Sunday night rolls around and it's time to head home...and we only have 19 lessons. Well, by golly, I am DETERMINED to get those 20 lessons and I KNOW that the Lord will provide someone for us to teach...Sorella Simkins (another sister missionary who lives with us) always says that she thinks we are led more than we know. As we were waiting for the bus at the Piazza, I was pondering that fact, and I was thinking "how could we get a lesson on the bus?" And then I look across the piazza and there is a woman sitting all by herself. As I look more intently, our bus passes...but I don't move. I had the strongest feeling...don't take the bus, and go talk to that woman. My thoughts? We will be getting home pretty late...we should go. Even though I already decided we weren't going to take it...I was just thinking of how to approach her. Truth be told...you never know how to approach until you open your mouth and the Lord literally fills it! And as I looked toward the bus...the feeling was so strong to NOT take it, and I just started walking towards teh woman. I looked at my companion and said " How about that woman over there?" And just as I said it, my companion laughed and said..." Yep! I was going to say the same thing!" We walked her direction and she opened to us IMMEDIATELY!! Talking about how lonely she is and that our visit was exactly what we needed. We had a great little lesson and just felt wonderful that we could help one of Heavenly Father's daughters...remember that she's still important. What an amazing experience. All she could say is that she just wonders why Jesus has given her these trials...she loved her husband so much, why did God have to take him? How can she find answers for her children to appreciate and love her more and not say she's a bad mother because she's getting older? Yeah...there is BRUTAL exchanges here between people that we find every day. Young couples will be arguing their heads off and the next minute you just wish they would go get a cave!! Well, you wish they had the gospel, were married, and THEN go get a cave...but what can you do?
But again,I look back and just see so many miracles. I see myself changing...and even with some challenges that I am facing now...in the past I would have just given up and I would have thrown everything to the dogs. But I have SUCH a different perspective on time and what I really CAN accomplish. Even though some things in life become set-backs, you CAN overcome them and you just have to learn that good things don't come for nothing. I've decided to change a saying that i learned a while back to be more personal..."You never said it would be easy...but you DO say that it is worth it" You gotta keep a perspective on now and that pushes you forward to the future. Oh, how I think back to the 4 months before my mission...and oh, how grateful I am to be WHERE I am today both spiritually and locationally. A year ago this Friday I was opening my mission call and just about dropping my baby sister because of how shocked I was. Oh the things that the Lord blesses us with. You know, He DOES have a sense of humor...even when you are weakest, He blesses you and just prods you along to remind you that, ONLY THROUGH HIM, you CAN do this.
You question sometimes, what exactly you are doing here. And as I'm typing this...it's really just the adversary trying to get to you. And so, when you get that way...without realizing that you are, the Lord sends someone to brighten your spirits, and in mission lingo...that's someone solid to teach. Liz explained the WHOLE plan of salvation back to us...a 16 year old girl who admits that she is coming to know who Heavenly Father really is...and wants to come closer to this religion. She LOVED church and she just smiles SO BIG during our lessons...she's reading and praying...and really opening herself up to feeling Heavenly Father's love for her. A woman in our ward gave us a referral to a friend of hers and we had a lesson with them this past Sunday. It's a family who is just thirsty...and HUNGRY for peace in their lives. We have another appointment next Sunday. That reminds me of how much of a missionary I've become...whenever we watch Finding Faith in Christ or The Restoration...you wanna pop popcorn and when the 1st Vision comes...you just want to prod the person next to you and say "yee! Here comes the best part!!" Well...haha....I do at least!! True story. Ma, scherzo aparte...The First Vision DVD really does wonders!! If you want to help a friend, have a family night and show that...then bear your testimonies. It's amazing. AND INVITE THE MISSIONARIES!!! Another miracle...We went through the area book a few days back (well my companion did because I got sick) and we found a few names to call. We had called Christiana and there were no responses...a name we had called before. But Monday night, we decided to call again..and she was SO excited to meet with us. We sheduled an appointment with her for today and, the adversary was working SO HARD! When we showed up to the address, it was SO INTIMIDATING! It was this huge, articulately decored building...a law office. "you mean to tell me her office is in THERE?!" And I look at my companion and say "holy moly...I feel underdressed..." She just laughs and says "me too...I feel like I'm in kindergarten..." Comunque, we walk into the office, catch the elevator and go to the 5th floor. It opens...and there's her office. We stand outside the door for about 5 minutes without saying a word...it was SO intimidating...and i had NO idea why!! Regardless, I bit the bullet and buzzed the door. She opens it...and she is the warmest person in the world. We hear her story, leave a spiritual thought, and get a new investigator along with her! Her coworker was listening to us and at the end asked for the scripture we shared and a copy of the Book of Mormon...which my companion grabbed just before we left!! I had a prompting to grab one but I forgot...because I think my companion, at that very moment, decided to grab one as she was walking past the closest! CHURCH IS TRUE...YOU HAVE TO TEACH THE GOSPEL TWO BY TWO!!
All these miracles came just when we needed it. We had to let Paula go this week. Her heart is too hard and she is too stubborn to accept anything more of what we teach. We had a lesson with her on Saturday and we had decided to extend a baptismal date. We prepared a BEAUTIFUL lesson on how faith is a course of action, and would she be willing to show her faith and be baptised. Instead of the Spirit completely leaving when she said no, and went on and on about how could we even think to say that OUR CHURCH has authority and others don't...the SPirit just got stronger. I felt the power of the Lord within me, and my foundation being SO SOLID that I KNEW the Book of Mormon was true. I KNEW that Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ...and no matter how bitter her words became, I was unshaken. I had NO QUESTION about what we were teaching...it was all true. Sure, we were devastated that there was nothing we could do for her...for heaven's sake I cried when she only thought we knew the church was true because it was what we believe. I felt like Dad whenever he has to apologize for something...I looked up and said "I am so sorry..I have mistaken. I don't think that this church is true...and I don't THINK that Joseph Smith saw what he saw...but I KNOW that this church is true. HOw? Because I have read the Book of Mormon...living proof that God still loves us and He wants to reveal things to us BECAUSE He has given us a prophet on the earth today..." and a few other things. But, friends and family...point is...I knew. and I STILL KNOW. Through it all, all she could do was rub her head and say that she was confused. She doesn't think there will be an end of the world, she KNOWS that God will bless her for the fact that she got baptized, it doesn't matter how she does it, and you can never find answers...there will always be searching. "Oh the cunning plan of the evil one...or the vain (frailties?) and foolishness of men..."Cuninng plan of the evil one is right...We are at war. Raise your kids right...or it'll come back to bite you in the foot. ANd boy....it just hurts to see this family suffer...but...when there is no foot to put down or fear to do so...your kids will...well...they'll get lost, and you as a parent will too...if God isn't on your side...or you just don't listen to His guidance.
Comunque...testimony builders come in small ways and challenges come because the Lord just wants you to get over the hill and see all the blessings he has for you. The temperature has dropped outside because I can't feel my fingers anymore, so it's best to get moving!! :) Until next time, Counsel from Sorella Bowman...bear your testimony, raise your children according to the gospel, and don't be afraid when the winds of the adversary come your way...because the Lord knows EXACTLY how to calm them...just ask for His help :)
Con amore,
Sorella Bowman
Monday, November 14, 2011
Raindrops on Roses...
and thundering showers...TV's and Sirens and rainfall for hours. Streets filled with water and muddy filled streams...these are a few of my favorite things!
I don't know if any of you watched the news this past week, or CNN or anything, but Genova and Cinque Terra was a big focus. We lost 4 days of missionary work this week because of severe flooding. For me, it was a test of faith...because where we live, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and you wouldn't believe what was going on 20 minutes down the road. So...we stayed inside. When we were finally able to go outside, we went downtown to do some contacting with less-actives...and the streets are FILLED with mud. There are shops just throwing out clothes and merchandise destroyed. So much looting was going on and just so dangerous. Our bishop was calling us and making sure that we stayed inside...Needless to say...we got a LOT of studying done.
With all that studying, I was really really grateful for it. Right up until that time, I just felt like my body was giving up...done son! And so, I was able to take time to rest and really, realign myself with what my heavenly father wants for me. Enough was enough with the no-talking-to-people-on-the-busses thing. I was really receiving some chastisement. I came to realize that when you are happy and just excited about the day...people really don't mind talking to you. I really felt pressed to just tie my personality in with gospel...like really try it..and it works!! On the day that we were able to go out and preach, my companion and I really decided to make a goal of talking to at least one person for a bus ride...genuinely talking and genuinely inviting. That morning during studies...I was terrified. I can't explain it...but I was terrified about what we were about to go forth and do. My heart was just squeaking...I don't even know how to explain it. I knew what we had to do...but just walking up to someone sounded terrifying. I am a person who watches for a bit and then makes an entrance...can't do that with missionary work. there's not enough time. Thus...the hearbeat was thumping. As I shared with my companion my concerns and really communicating with the Lord my desire to share this gospel with anyone and everyone...my heart just melted. There is a woman who we see, all the time, begging for money. And the Lord placed her in my mind to share our teaching drills...and it was a miracle. I cried for heaven's sake. Even the lowliest of people, who have made choices to be where they are today...God still loves them. We can't be choosy in who we share the gospel with. Sure, we have to be smart for our own protection..but God loves them just the same.
That's been my week...inside and really coming to find the Lord. I don't have a whole lot of time this week...but just know that I am coming to myself. Those who knew me before, like 4 months before my mission...that was NEVER me. I was laying in bed the other night and a thought came to my mind "wow, I'm really truly happy again" Yeah...I'm really, truly happy again. I laugh more than ever, my heart is just open and fresh and pumping...where as before it was weak and broken...and tired. Nope. Not anymore. God really loves me and He can heal anyone and everyone. If He can heal me and get me on a mission, He can do ANYTHING for everyone.
Gotta go,
con amore,
Sorella Bowman
[Wednesday, November 9, 2011 2:54 PM]
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Oh thank heaven...
[Wednesday, November 2, 2011 9:11 AM]
for the month 11! Yeah, yeah, yeah I'm so clever! Just kidding...
Well, I can't even believe that it is ALREADY November 2! I made my new planner for the next transfer, and we are already having to plan for December! The end of the transfer is exactly December 18...2 days AFTER my halfway mark! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?!
The main focus of this week has been my companion and I trying to figure out how not to get sick, how to convince the members to give us smaller portions, and to be happy in our frumpy-ness. The mission weight gaining is a true thing my friends. No matter HOW HARD YOU TRY you can't avoid it! And, you know, with it all, the Lord is just giving me mental armor to not get SUPER frustrated when the members come up to me and pat my cheeks and tell me they are writing home to say I'm doing well and getting fat. "sigh". True story...a member the other day prepared lunch for us and came up to me, patted me cheek and said "Oh poor little thing, you are getting so big! But that's okay, people see your card and your smiling face and they'll just look past it all" Oof, I was a little depressed, but my companion said that we'll help each other work together and we WILL succeed this transfer! Today is our last hoorah and it's Body for Life for the next 6 weeks. But...you gotta love the food...oh mamma mia...it's going to be so hard to say no!! BUT I've gotta learn, eh?
You know, the Lord just works in such mysterious ways. My health has been the biggest thing...I have a cough and it's starting to turn into a "seal cough"...I'm almost 22 years old and I STILL don't know the medical term for it...But, I am really being concious of it all and sometimes I just CAN'T get up. MY morning prayers consist of conversations with Heavenly Father to allow me to sleep in 15 more minutes...and He usually allows me to because I fall asleep but hear a voice exactly saying 15 minutes later, "Okay Sorella Bowman...time to get up!" And I can! It's amazing...the Lord is so aware of us!!
I had an amazing experience the other day when my companion and I decided to make a trip to the hospital. We had to go to the hospital yesterday to visit a member. Lina Salazar is her name. She called us, as her son has been sick for the past few days with a HUGE fever and throwing up all the time. They thought it was just a virus that would pass. He received a blessing, but the fever came back stronger than ever 2 days after and she rushed him to Pronto Soccorso. The staff was upset with her because her son just complained of stomach pain, they said it would pass. So they made her wait for 4 hours to be seen by the doctor! Once they finally decided to see her, it showed his appendix were inflamed and they would take them out the next day. As they went in for the surgery, the scope showed his appendix had exploded. There was infection everywhere. My thinking is that it happened during the night, or at least during the waiting period. They didn't help her out immediately, more because she isn't true Italian. Racism is VERY strong over hear...lit my fire when I found out how they treated her! Anyway, For the past week or so, I've been feeling a little down..really wondering WHAT was I doing here! But as we walked into the hospital room where the little boy, Daniel, was hooked up to tubes and wires and bags, the parents faces turned toward us and just a sense of relief came upon them. They were so distressed at seeing their son in this way. Instead of the 3 little incisions like I have, they had to cut him completely open, just like a C-section and clean him out. He has to be on straight liquids for 3 days, wait for another 2 and if the infection doesn't come back then he is free to go. If it DOES come back, they have to split him open again and do the process all over. As we were in there, quiet as church mice, their faces just looked to us, and I really felt the mantle of the Lord and calling of missionary work upon my shoulders. The father asked the little boy if he'd like for all of us to say a prayer together. Christian (the dad) just looked at us with tears in his eyes, so tried and laden with a heavy burden. But we became a sense of hope! Us, two young, well, women...what the heck? Come into the room with the mantle of the Lord upon us, became their sense of hope. Daniel wearily knodded his head and pointed his finger towards me to say the prayer. I was OVERCOME with the Spirit and love for these people. I just about started crying. I plead with the Lord and really felt the communication with Him. It showed me that even though I have my weaknesses, I am STILL called of the Lord to do HIS work. THe Lord WILL make my weaknesses become strengths, but in the meantime, He magnifies my strengths to still go forward and do His work. It's truly amazing the miracles you see in your life... and you always need to make sure you are looking for them.
As time goes by, it is truly going by faster and faster...and sometimes I panic that it is going by TOO fast...but, time is of the essence and you HAVE to use every single minute that you can. Ups and downs still come, as I said last time, but the downs have to come so that the ups are super exhilirating! It truly is like a roller coaster...feelings included and all!!
I hope everyone had a happy halloween...Halloween isn't celebrated here, so we took some funny pictures and shared a pack of M&M's that Mom sent me a while ago. New favorite candy...holy moly! White candy corn M&M's? BRILLIANT!!
My time is up and i hope all is well!! THank you all for your letters and support...they really do mean the world to missionaries...and especially to me!!
Con amore,
Sorella Bowman
for the month 11! Yeah, yeah, yeah I'm so clever! Just kidding...
Well, I can't even believe that it is ALREADY November 2! I made my new planner for the next transfer, and we are already having to plan for December! The end of the transfer is exactly December 18...2 days AFTER my halfway mark! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?!
The main focus of this week has been my companion and I trying to figure out how not to get sick, how to convince the members to give us smaller portions, and to be happy in our frumpy-ness. The mission weight gaining is a true thing my friends. No matter HOW HARD YOU TRY you can't avoid it! And, you know, with it all, the Lord is just giving me mental armor to not get SUPER frustrated when the members come up to me and pat my cheeks and tell me they are writing home to say I'm doing well and getting fat. "sigh". True story...a member the other day prepared lunch for us and came up to me, patted me cheek and said "Oh poor little thing, you are getting so big! But that's okay, people see your card and your smiling face and they'll just look past it all" Oof, I was a little depressed, but my companion said that we'll help each other work together and we WILL succeed this transfer! Today is our last hoorah and it's Body for Life for the next 6 weeks. But...you gotta love the food...oh mamma mia...it's going to be so hard to say no!! BUT I've gotta learn, eh?
You know, the Lord just works in such mysterious ways. My health has been the biggest thing...I have a cough and it's starting to turn into a "seal cough"...I'm almost 22 years old and I STILL don't know the medical term for it...But, I am really being concious of it all and sometimes I just CAN'T get up. MY morning prayers consist of conversations with Heavenly Father to allow me to sleep in 15 more minutes...and He usually allows me to because I fall asleep but hear a voice exactly saying 15 minutes later, "Okay Sorella Bowman...time to get up!" And I can! It's amazing...the Lord is so aware of us!!
I had an amazing experience the other day when my companion and I decided to make a trip to the hospital. We had to go to the hospital yesterday to visit a member. Lina Salazar is her name. She called us, as her son has been sick for the past few days with a HUGE fever and throwing up all the time. They thought it was just a virus that would pass. He received a blessing, but the fever came back stronger than ever 2 days after and she rushed him to Pronto Soccorso. The staff was upset with her because her son just complained of stomach pain, they said it would pass. So they made her wait for 4 hours to be seen by the doctor! Once they finally decided to see her, it showed his appendix were inflamed and they would take them out the next day. As they went in for the surgery, the scope showed his appendix had exploded. There was infection everywhere. My thinking is that it happened during the night, or at least during the waiting period. They didn't help her out immediately, more because she isn't true Italian. Racism is VERY strong over hear...lit my fire when I found out how they treated her! Anyway, For the past week or so, I've been feeling a little down..really wondering WHAT was I doing here! But as we walked into the hospital room where the little boy, Daniel, was hooked up to tubes and wires and bags, the parents faces turned toward us and just a sense of relief came upon them. They were so distressed at seeing their son in this way. Instead of the 3 little incisions like I have, they had to cut him completely open, just like a C-section and clean him out. He has to be on straight liquids for 3 days, wait for another 2 and if the infection doesn't come back then he is free to go. If it DOES come back, they have to split him open again and do the process all over. As we were in there, quiet as church mice, their faces just looked to us, and I really felt the mantle of the Lord and calling of missionary work upon my shoulders. The father asked the little boy if he'd like for all of us to say a prayer together. Christian (the dad) just looked at us with tears in his eyes, so tried and laden with a heavy burden. But we became a sense of hope! Us, two young, well, women...what the heck? Come into the room with the mantle of the Lord upon us, became their sense of hope. Daniel wearily knodded his head and pointed his finger towards me to say the prayer. I was OVERCOME with the Spirit and love for these people. I just about started crying. I plead with the Lord and really felt the communication with Him. It showed me that even though I have my weaknesses, I am STILL called of the Lord to do HIS work. THe Lord WILL make my weaknesses become strengths, but in the meantime, He magnifies my strengths to still go forward and do His work. It's truly amazing the miracles you see in your life... and you always need to make sure you are looking for them.
As time goes by, it is truly going by faster and faster...and sometimes I panic that it is going by TOO fast...but, time is of the essence and you HAVE to use every single minute that you can. Ups and downs still come, as I said last time, but the downs have to come so that the ups are super exhilirating! It truly is like a roller coaster...feelings included and all!!
I hope everyone had a happy halloween...Halloween isn't celebrated here, so we took some funny pictures and shared a pack of M&M's that Mom sent me a while ago. New favorite candy...holy moly! White candy corn M&M's? BRILLIANT!!
My time is up and i hope all is well!! THank you all for your letters and support...they really do mean the world to missionaries...and especially to me!!
Con amore,
Sorella Bowman
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Ok...now it's really getting cold!
Wed, Oct 26, 2011 at 9:37 AM
Mamma mia!
I find myself saying that EVERY DAY!! It truly is so cold up here in Genova. The wind blows, the rain is literally like ice, and it's always wet. The cold chills your bones and you just don't know what to do about it! So...what does that mean for P-day? You bundle up tight and head to the market! Little to your knowledge that it is a beautiful 65 degrees outside, the sund is shining, and there isn't a trace of wind. (eyebrow cock) So, we end up carrying everything around with us as we buy scarves (which are probably my new favorite accessory), fleece lined tights (WHAT HAVE I DONE WITHOUT THOSE THINGS?!?!?), and slippers because the heaters don't turn on IN ALL OF ITALY until November 1st. Yep, we can't just turn it on...it's literally controlled by the government or something. Mah, we are learning how to keep ourselves warm...Thank you Christmas and Birthday expenses!
Spiritually speaking...
Life truly has its ups and downs. I am so grateful for the uplifting emails I've received from family and a few friends. Quite literally, I was just thinking to myself...because for the past week and a half I have been SO TIRED that it literally hurts to get up...so I keep sleeping in...and then I get frustrated with the disobedience and NO EXERCISING that it's just a circle of nastyness!! And so...the adversary started pickin'..così "Sorella Bowman...what are you doing here? You haven't even reached your halfway mark and you are exhausted...do you relaly want to continue like this and waste the Lord's time sleeping? Or rather, you're so tired...what's the point?" Ugh...terrible I know...it makes me tear up just typing it all. But, I'm really striving to push through it all and push through the tiredness and just keep going. For heaven's sake...we had a baptism last week!! Little by little the Lord's work will be done. We have seen the magic with Paola Garcia. During scambio this week (which is a WHOLE nother story in its own) we visited this family and had an amazing lesson on the Plan of Salvation. I had to really lead the lesson because my scambio companion didn't really want to say much..and it was SO AMAZING!! The Spirit was SO STRONG and so many things were said that it wasn't me at all. But it was exactly what the family, especially Paola, needed to hear. My Sorella Nilson and I scambied back and went to see the family again. We were 30 minutes late because traffic was just letting out from a soccer game...and as we show up, the parents are leaving to do spesa (grocery shopping) and Paola is just chillin' at home. So we decide to teach her...when in reality it was the other way around. This girl did a complete 180...turned her life around completely!!! She was just explaining how she feels about life now with the gospel and how her life felt so empty. There was no love between her and her parents and she wanted to live life her way. But now, her life is truthfully beautiful. I was left speechless. I couldn't think of what to say!! We just kept listening and praying for something to share with her...when all we could do is share our testimonies and compare her life with the experience in Alma 26 (lifesaver chapter!!) It's amazing what the Lord does. I do get bummed sometimes because it's still a struggle for me to share the gospel on the packed, sweaty, germy busses (YULGH!! People do NOT cover their mouths here!! Thank you emergency 3 times a day and handwashing...still sends shivers down me spine! ANd yes...I meant to say "me") but nonetheless I am always looking. For example, the other day, we were heading to a members home to visit her before she went to the hospital the next day for some issues with her heart, and this little old man with no teeth starts talking to my companion. I'm just listening and she turns to me, panicked...so I start chiming in. He was the sweetest little old man. It made me just about cry when I recounted the story to my Zone Leaders. Before we departed (which we purposefully missed our bus stop), the last thing he said to us was that it was a joy to talk with us and that we were like rays of the sun. Rays of the sun. Can you believe that? Just when you think that you are just a humbug little person, you really still have the light with you when you can't even keep your eyes open. Lina Salazar was struggling the other day (a NC of 6 months) because her mother was going to the ER...and the first thing that popped into her head was to call the Sorelle Missionarie...can you believe that? We ended up helping her clean her house and cook dinner for family night...which was cow heart with rice. (For heaven's sake...if it looks good...then eat it. It really is a mental thing...pretty much super delicious!!) Okay...the adversary has just gotta stop getting to me...I'm still making differences, even if it is a slower pace right now. You have ups and downs, but the downs make the ups that much more special! Claudia was baptized this past Sunday and it was beautiful. She looked beautiful. The spirit was so strong and she was so excited for her day to finally be here! She recounted to us that when she got home a few days later, she was on facebook and found a picture of one of her best friends had been recently changed. They lost contact for a while just with the bustle of things..but come to find out...they were baptized on the same day!!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?!?!!? She had NO IDEA that her friend was studying with the LDS church...but there she was in white with two Elders! Claudia had a hay-day and can't wait to send her family the Book of Mormon.
The Book of Mormon. Literally, a whole nother adventure in its own. Our investigators find that this book is the ONLY thing that brings them peace when they need it the most. I look back on my life and it is a SHAME as to how much I didn't use it. If you haven't read it today, go read it right now. If you haven't finished it in you life...make a goal to finish it by the end of the year...and I PROMISE it will bring you SO MANY BLESSINGS!! Okay, miracles are everywhere...if you ever have a bad day...just look at the good things that have happened...even if it means that someone gave you a cup of hot chocolate and it tasted just right. Something simple can change your whole day.
Temporally speaking...
I laugh. I laugh SO MUCH on my mission. It's truly amazing. And you know, it's a blessing. We have to call the ZL's pretty much every night because we get home past 9:30 quite often, but they say they look forward to it. Anziano McMahon just says that my voice is just so happy...no matter what crazy things happen! For instance, we had to switch back on scambio...so my little companion and I boarded the train at 6:45am (which meant getting up at 5:30) only to find out, once we were in Savona, that there was a sciopero. ALL THE TRAINS DECIDED TO GO ON STRIKE!!! So we were stuck in Savona...basically the halfway point. Luckily the Elders came and found us and let us do some grocery shopping for some food and the older missionary couple (bless their hearts...literally, please pray for them...they need these blessings!! Anziano and Sorella Robinson) came and picked us up in Savona...drove us to Cuneo and back to Genova. It was like driving with Gramma and Grampa on roadtrips. WHICH I was really missing our Fall weekend trips to yellowstone...Gramma Egbert..you better believe we are doing it again when I come home...especially for the Elk bugeling!! But, in Savona it was quite an adventure because we wanted to shop cheap. Our list...bread, eggs, cheese and two yogurts. One of the Anziani asked, What can you do with that? Oh Anziano...what can't you do? We ended up making egg and cheese sandwiches for all of us...pretty good too. When the Robinsons swtiched and brought us home, they made PB and Honey sandwiches and all sorts of snacks...they really took care of us. But, through it all, you just have to laugh!! Another thing, I had been waiting ALL WEEK to get some herbal tea...warms you right up! So I snagged some at the store and I was showing Claudia what we CAN drink...and she asks if it was for her. And before I could answer my collega responds YES! Wait...what? hahaha so all I could do was laugh after giving it to her. After I passed the box, my companion doubled over as we walked away from Claudia and she just started apologizing. It was only AFTER I handed over the box that she realized she had NO IDEA what Claudia just asked and felt like a big jerk. hahhahah Needless to say, she is buying some for me today.
That's all the time I have now...thanks for everything!!
Con Amore,
Sorella Bowman
Autumn- your baby is BEAUTIFUL!! I LOVED the announcement and thank you for the email!
Ams- YOUR BABY HAS YOUR LIPS!! Oh my gosh I cannot wait to meet the little guy!! I loved the announcement too!!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
"I have eaten THE STRANGEST THINGS this week...and I didn't cry"
Wednesday, October 19, 2011 9:11 AM
Oh what a beautiful day...I've got a beautiful feeling everything's going my way!!
Oh if only you could make the mission a musical...hahah what a kick it would be! I've lost track of time during this email session because I've been chatting with my mom via email back and forth. BUT I will try and update as best as I can!
I went to the market this morning and holy smokes, I felt like Aladdin on the streets of Agruba! It was really fun, bought some scarves and a little backpack. The wind is picking up here, and snarls my hair up like crazy..BUT I haven't cut it yet! A promise is a promise!
Claudia's baptims is coming up THIS SUNDAY and we are so excited for her. Tonight for ward council we have to set everything straight, but everything seems to be in order :) I just love her so much and the ward is really embracing her. She still is timid about coming to GANS (young adults not married) (I honestly don't remember what you call it in English...yipes) but we are working with her. Kerly is going to be baptized NEXT Sunday and received a blessing this past week that is really helping her. The Book of Mormon brings her so much peace and comfort that it is truly...FABULOUS :)
I am so grateful for all the experiences I am having and the things that I will be coming back to. Time is flying by so fast...I already have to make decisions about coming home so the office can set up my travel plans for me in January. Crazy! I just think...this time last year, I was finishing up my papers and making final decisions...and now look at me. I have to make decisions of how to bring people to salvation and which busses to take to make it on time and leading planning sessions and so forth. Not panicking in public transportation? ME?! Who would of have thought that I would be completely calm when I took the wrong bus one day...Yes ladies and gents, I'm turning into a little swan...hahhahah Just kidding. But no seriously, I think I'm really growing up. In fact, we had a really, schifo, strange man come out of no where when we were headed to an appointment...He wanted said that I should know I'm pretty cute and that he wanted to see us later...Yeah, I gave him the stiff leg and he buzzed off. What I should have done is invited him to repent of his lasciviousness and be ready to face his Redeemer at the end of the last days to avoid the firery furnace that awaited him...But alas, the thought came only AFTER I was home and reflecting upon the day. Anyway, maybe I handled it how I should have haha
Still preparing for the primary program this Sunday and still getting through the music. They do things WAY different here with the primary...the teachers don't sit with the children! The teachers teach and then go to RS...It's simply CHAOS. Ugh, I get a headache...and so I'm hoping I can help turn things around with being the singing time teacher. Yes, yes...the Primary President (after a musical practice) came over to me and my companion and just about cried. We offered our help and she willingly took it...we'll be in accord on Sudnay :)
OH! I almost forgot!! I have eaten THE STRANGEST THINGS this week...and I didn't cry...I just ate it all. I ate chicken feet (not good...it's only skin and bones); octopus WITH THE SUCKERS on it's legs; chicken hearts YES NOTE THE PLURALNESS; chicken liver and I think uterus...it was a part only found in hens, so that's what my guess is...and some weird fruit here called Kako that is THE weirdest tecture but still pretty good just the same; a lady in our ward made these mashed potato things with little bits of white cheese inside and on top a peanut butter sauce...that was absolutely delicious!! Man, the combinations these people come up with just kill you...sometimes literally.
Anyways, I am so grateful for the emails I get from you all. Ams, I got the pictures and I just can't wait to meet the little guy! The pictures were adorable!! Have you gotten my letter in the mail by chance? And Correne, thanks so much!! Don't worry, I'll be home sooner than you know it! Haha :) And Elder Bowman, thanks so much for the talks, I am very excited to read them!!
Alright, I have to right President...just remember that with the Lord you literally CAN do all things!!!
Con amore,
Sorella Bowman
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