I Find That the Scriptures are Becoming More Alive

Wednesday, May 9, 2012 9:06 AM

Sounds like things are going really well! I am so excited that everything worked out for the fundraiser and that you had all the help! Congrats! I'll need to pay more attention when I come home for visits so that I can learn some more cooking tips from Dad...I wished I had paid more attention when I had the opportunities!

As far as your choir calling, Mom, relax! You have conducted Primary like, all your life! And a ward choir is just like primary, only the people are like 30 years older. No big! Haha! They probably don't know much about music except the Pratt's, but I am sure they would be willing to help you when you needed it. The Lord called you there for a reason because He knows you can do it and learn something great! And about getting your degree? Why not?! You want to, so do it! You are right, you aren't getting older...but you know, whenever I would travel through the airports and stuff, I saw this add for the oldest person getting a degree...know how old? A 98 year old woman! It's NEVER too late! I say go for it...it'll only help you from here on out!

I look forward to skyping too...it sounds like Daniel is doing better. I have been praying for him and his companion. That Daniel would see his companion as a person struggling and maybe use some inspired questions as to how to help him out. Missionaries come from all sorts of backgrounds, and the only way to help them is to see them as people too...and not categorize them as "they should be working like this..." If my companion thought that about me...I would feel like a big turd...all my mission. THis past week I have had more stomach problems...a pain that doesn't go away until around like 10 in the morning. Yesterday it stayed with me ALL DAY LONG and all I could do was lay down and stick to the brat diet. Sorella Wolfgramm, poor thing...she can't even help me and yet still wants me to call. So I called her and told her what was up, and she wants me eating more fruits and veggies...more fiber! Which our fridge is already a living garden so we are trying even more! I am trying my hand at cooking dried beans, and my companion is all for it. Summer time is here and the markets are FULL of delicious stuff. We got ready this morning because there is a market every Wednesday right by our house and I LOVED IT! We got SO MUCH GOOD PRODUCE and I felt like a stud because we compared prices from our usual shopping to the market and we struck gold!! AND because are "beautiful, young American girls" the vendors would give us price breaks "just because we are us" Haha HECK YES!! So we bought kilos of lettuce, cherry tomatoes, apples, oranges, asparagus, fennel, celery, carrots, kumquats, strawberries, kiwi, bananas, cantaloupe, and watermelon! We are still bummed about our blender, and I know dad said to get a new one but my companion just can't justify it quite yet and wants to see if someone can fix ours because it is brand new! We DO miss the green drinks, that's for sure. And we both laughed as I read about Daniel's "no air conditioner and windows being sealed shut..." All I could do was laugh and think, welcom to Italy. The only way to stay cool here is to shower cold...and tie your hair up and no make-up. It's starting to get warm, but it is only the beginning. We are already getting sandal tan lines and the famous missionary tan lines...hahah woo hoo!! So still going off about food, our investigator Francesca was SO worried about me yesterday...when my illlness was the worst. She had prepared her delicious minestrone just for us, because she knows how much we love it and I just wasn't sure I could stomach it...literally. But she kept saying that I have dropped too much weight too fast and that I needed to eat. Mind you, I haven't lost anything. And she..hahah, gosh Sorella Hanks and I just laughed about EVERYTHING last night. This woman is just so funny and so attached to her food! We are trying to help her lose weight and convince her that she doesn't have to lost 50 pounds before she can be baptized. It will serve her WONDERFULLY to lose the weight, for crying out loud she has to take a blood decoagulant to live..."Did you know that the medicine I take is poison for rats?" WHAT?! OH MY GOSH!! hahaha But she also believes that her son has a stomach ulcer because he at sandwhiches at 12:00 noon all his young life, and the bread was too dry. LOL!! I laughed so hard until I realized that she was serious.....Italians and their wives tales...

But the progress with Francesca is really slow. We WERE going to drop her yesterday, but Sorella Hanks and I felt so impressed not too...she would literally die without us. Heavenly Father loves her so much, and we just need to be patient with her. We are making progress with the ward and finding the lost ones...we got 19 lessons last week...almost the mission goal of 20! And each lesson we taught was exactly where we needed to be...it was amazing. I was saying my prayers the other night and I was asking Heavenly Father to guide us to those who are in need of our help...and it hit me that He is. Not in the form of investigators, but in the form of members who are losing their faith. VISITING TEACHING AND HOME TEACHING ARE SO IMPORTANT!!!!! MOst of the members don't have these key people...we have felt impressed to ask if they have one or the other and sometimes they have neither!! These single women don't have priesthood holders in their homes and when they don't have home teachers WHO CAN GIVE THEM BLESSINGS?! So we are trying to meet with the RS president to help her get some VT set up...Sorella Hanks was secretary of the RS in her old ward and so VT was a BIG part of her responsibility...and I...am learning much, much, more of the importance and will DEFINITELY take it more seriously when I come back.

We had interviews this week with President and I was a little worried...fears of him suggesting I go home because of my illness...but it was the other way around. As we started talking, he asked me to share my experiences in any shape or form...and of course I started talking about my thoughts and fears as to where I am now. And it turns out, my illness here in the mission has changed my life. I started talking about how I have really turned to Heavenly Father and looking at where I am in my mission, I am doing things because I WANT to, not because I HAVE to...and it was a really wonderful spiritual confirmation to me that the Lord is pleased with the work I am able to do. I really AM grateful to be a missionary. The Lord KNOWS I can't go out and push like I used to and He knows that it won't be fixed until I can get proper medical attention...but I need to serve and love with all that I can give. And thus I am beginning the Book of Mormon again for the 6th time but circling repentance, prayer, knowledge wisdom and remember. I find that the scriptures are becoming more alive and I just find the testimony of Joseph Smith like, burning within me! I read his testimony of the whole experience and also the testimony of the witnesses and it was just remarkable. I found myself thinking "it's so true...this is so true! How cool would that have been? I wonder why this happened...?" and all sorts of other questions. I am also studying PMG MUCH more indepth now and actually writing down my thoughts...yeah yeah, I know. Journal writing has ALWAYS been a struggle for me...mainly because I justify my emails home as journal entries..but I do write a lot of my thoughts in my study journal and am working on my personal journal. I am experiencing a LOT of personal growth and finding a lot of permament changes that I am going to strive to keep with me for the rest of my life. I no longer have homesickness, just a little frustration as to how sick I get and if it's me or I am really sick...usually I am really sick because my companion asks what's wrong...and when I sleep...I am OUT. She is so patient and I am just so grateful for her!!

I know the Lord is aware of me and I know He is guiding our work. If the ward isn't willing to do the work, the missionaries will step up to the plate and gem this ward!! It's hard work and sometimes stressful because you think "THIS SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF!!!! YEAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!" But then, my companion pointed out that these people are like 1st and 2nd generation members of the chruch...we are dealing with babies still. SOoooo we have to watch the boundaries of the things we say...22 and 23 year olds counseling the Bishop and RS President is a touchy subject...but we are making good relationships with the wards. Our 1st counselor LOVES us and the 2nd counselor too...so they do listen and they DO KNOW that we are hard workers. I bore my testimony on Sunday and really enjoyed the experience. I really do love these Italian people and the experiences I am having. Thank you for the prayers and the support and more digging and sifting will be done here in beautiful Milan! Love you all so much!! Love, sorella bowman

p.s. Can't wait to hear from you all on SUNDAY!!!!