Christmas Pictures Galore!

sorellabowman's photostream on Flickr.

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

'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. :)

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

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