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
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)