sista b

Highlights:

Me with animal crackers............... my favorite. We hit the jackpot in Otavalo. 

-I turn '3 months old' in 3 days -- WOO!  Feels like it's only been like 3 weeks, crazy.

-A girl we are teaching (Michelle, 7... almost 8) while praying said, Querido Padre Sebastian (Dear Father Sebastian) instead of Padre Celestial (Heavenly Father). Probably the cutest thing ever. 

-I got food poisoning, so fun. 

-Gotta keep a good eye out because mocoso travieso (snot-nosed meddling) children try and throw water balloons at us - we are a favorite target - because its almost carnival time... which is where you can hardly go into the streets because people throw water, paint, mud, flour, etc on you. So that is gonna be a fun week.

-We hung up our clothes to dry last week and came home and they were EVERYWHERE because it was super windy hahhaha hashtag no washer dryer probs.

-Contacted a nun this week. Frienemies.

-The kids we are teaching (Gabriel 13, Richard 15, Bryan 9, Melanie 11) named their wittol doggy OSH, because they were looking through my notebook with notes from the conference we had this week and saw OSH, it means Obediente, seguidor, humilde. So yay.They came to church yesterday and are SO pilas (which means batteries, which means super smart) and they have a date to be baptized on the 22nd! AH and they are so cute, we gave them The Book of Mormon and the next day we came back, they had put a plastic cover on it. They taught us the Plan of Salvation yesterday for fun and did it perfectly. I love them. Kids are my fave.

-The next date that we are setting for people is 3/1, AKA MY BDAY!!!!!!!! (Time to leave the teen years behiiiiiiind... 2 decades ago, I was born. AH, I am ancient now.) So I have been inviting like every contact to be baptized hahah, even though I liked doing that before, it's just extra fun now.

-I am really happy. I am trying really hard to be grateful for absolutely everything: the good and the bad. And I have realized that that makes me SO much happier. Come what may, and love it! I understand that this is the time where my Father in Heaven can mold me into the person/missionary He wants me to be, and I can´t fight it! Like it says in Alma, it is much better to choose to be humbled... and then Ether 12:27 (I really do think that is one of my favorite scriptures) helps us understand why exactly our debilidades are shown to us, to become better! That´s why we are here on earth, to become more like Heavenly Father, but we have to learn by experiences, consequences, and the use of our free agency. BEING A MISSIONARY IS SO COOL!!!

Me with yummy fresh squeezed lemonade at a restaurant on prep day.

-We really focused on finding cool ways to explain the lessons this week -- it's WAY more fun hehe. AH my favorite was teaching the Word of Wisdom this week to Richard, a kid who just turned 9. His family is really, really struggling. We brought rice, milk, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, corn, bananas, and onion to explain how to eat healthy, and then left it with his family (it was only like 6 dollars). His mom was so thankful. I was so so happy. We talked to the Bishop and he will see what he can do to help them out a little bit. That was one of my favorite experiences. 

-This has been a great cambia (transfer), I have learned so much from the people and from my companions. I LOVE Hermana Urbina. We are a great team, we compliment each other. Its easy for us to get on the same page and then just go to work. I am truly the happiest when I am working hard. Peguche is awesome. I never wanna leeeave! (but I´ll go where you want me to go, oh President... We have transfers on Monday) 

-So we have been studying the lessons extra hard and like, putting our own spin on things, and adding in questions and our favorite scriptures we have found for each principle. Its been really fun. The days are literally flying by because we are busy every second of the day. 

-Hermana Campo gave us food to eat on Thursday because we don't have a set mamita that day, and DANG SHE COOKS GOOD! But she made morrocho!!!!! AND I FELT SO LOVED! She was like, ¨Hermana Bowman! Hice su favorite (I made your favorite!)¨ I almost cried - she´s such an angel. I love the members. 

-I  throw up at least once or twice a week. It's fun. Sickness is a constant companion of mine (as well as the Spirit heh) But yeah, it's all good. The harder we work, the less sick I feel. I´m gonna get it checked out soon. 

SAY YOUR PRAYERS AND MAKE GOOD CHOICES!!!!!!

Con amor, 

Hermana Bowman

PS. Don't forget to send my b-day package!!!!!!!!!!! hehehhehe jk jk 

PPS. Aunt Terry - I like Alma 26:12 for the placa (plaque)!!! Gracias. Thank you.  

PPPS. We ended up not going to the cascada, so these selfies will have to do.... sowee.