Aren't we a couple of hotties!?

HOLAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (HIIIIIIIIIIIIII)

Hi, this is going to be ADD and short. Like me. Even though I think my height is average. 5´6.5´´

Weeeeeeeeeeee - Quiiiiitoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Well anyways, the giant missionary conference was awesome. The following zones were there: Quito Este (us woo, represent), Quito Oeste, San Rafael, Esmeraldas, Ofelia, Calderon, and the Oriente (the jungle). Our mission is dope because we have all four; costa, selva, campo, and sierra. Yayyyyy.

Elder Waddell taught us some incredible things. I have like a whole notebook full of apuntes (points). I loved it. His wife spoke and he translated for her. She spoke on how we need to have a firm foundation for our lives and that the mish is a wonderful time to develop all the qualities we need to combat this world with increasing dangers and temptations - it was really good. She shared the story about how the foundation of the Salt Lake City Temple couldn´t be sandstone, but (needed to be) granite. It was great.

Hna (Sis) Richardson taught up how to have our CAPAS (capes) to be superheroes. (She loves the letter things. What are those called? I know there's a word, and it's not onomonopia. Ugh, idk. My brain is going to explode when I go back to college hahahah I can´t think in English anymore.) C stands for "creer" (to believe). A stands for "aprender" (to learn). P is for "pedir" (to ask). A is for "actuar" (to act). It doesn't really work in English. BLAA. hahahahha blaaaaaaaaaaaa. Yyyeah, nope. 

We learned a ton of other cool stuff. And then in the middle, Hna (Sis) Deveraux and I sang our duet. We did the first verse acapella just the melody together, then we split into harmony with the piano for the next two, and then the last verse we did acapellllla again, harmonizing in English (the Spirit was WAY strong). It turned out alright considering it was like the first time I met her about 10 mins before the meeting. Hna (Sis) Waddell cried. So either it was reaaaallly good or reeeeeallly bad, hehe. 

Aren't we a couple of hotties!?

Our ward mission leader asked me last minute to teach the Principios de Evangelio (Gospel Essentials) class for all the investigators and recent converts. Luckily, I am always walking around with a dry erase marker and was quite prepared. Also, it was on chapter 17 ( https://www.lds.org/manual/gospel-principles/chapter-17-the-church-of-jesus-christ-today?lang=eng ) LUCKKKKKKKKY FOR MEEEEEeeeee, we share this message various times every day. It was a really good lesson, and the class was giant. Like 12 people. 

I am so grateful for the restoration of the fulness of the Gospel in our day. It truly is the best thing ever. I am grateful that as a result of that, we have the Book of Mormon, which contains the precious truths that will truly lead us to eternal life. HOW COOL THAT WE LIVE IN THE TIMES WHERE ITS ALLLL in FRONT OF US. How blessed we are :)

                                        

Me and my comp comp.

Well, I´m stuck in all the war chapters of Alma currently. This time reading through I am learning a lot of really cool stuff I never before noticed.

NANCY CAME TO CHURCH. It was wonderful. The speakers in Sacrament said just what she needed to hear. We gave her a tour of the chapel and when we got to the baptismal font, she got excited for her baptism. It was really cool. She received her answer that this is the true church. So happy for her! Weee.

We also had a lot of lesser active people at church. It's just as important to help the lesser actives to return to the light as sharing the Gospel with people who have never heard it before. WOOO OBRA DE SALVACION. (WORK OF SALVATION)

Hanging out with Nelly (a recent convert's) kiddos and some random doggie.

I love contacting, it's my favorite thing to do. It's so fun talking to strangers about this awesome message, because instantly we have a connection and it's just so awesome to learn about other people's lives. Also, rejection doesn´t ever hurt anymore hahaha, yay. I´m prepared to do summer sales now. I joke, I joke, I kid, I kid. But I really do love contacting. It´s such a blast. 

What else cool happened this week............ hmmmmmm. I dunno. But next week I might be able to see Elder Bowman in the offices wooo wooo. It's almost been a year and we´re like miles apart, yet we haven´t seen each other. I sent him a brownie for his bday -  hahaha. 

Well, y'all have a great week. Make good choicessss.

CON AMORRRRSHHHHHHHHHHHHH-

Hermana (Sister) Bowman

Attitude is 85% of everything and anything. 

How we respond to life is the part we CAN control. 

¨The problem is not the problem, the problem is your attitude about the problem.¨ -my man Captain Jack Sparrow

Attachments area

"Lord, I Would Follow Thee" :)

Hi family, how goes it?!

We love Libros de Mormon! And being Misioneras! Woo woo.

So we got the General Conference Liahona and I almost peed my pants out of excitement. I LOVE THE GEN CONF ISSUES OF THE LIAHONAAAAAAA.  Wooo!!!  Well, this week was crazy fun. I love being a missionary. It's hard, but hey, that's how we grow. The time is positively flying by and I want it to stop.

Me and my comp comp. I taught her to love selfies and mirror pix. She´s a pro at them now. 

Our district, group pic.

We went bowling as a district today at Quicentro, this really nice mall. T'was fun, we went with our district. We are all from different countries: Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Honduras, Chile, and USA -- WOOOO. Guess who won? USA!!!  Which is weird because there weren´t bumpers or anything. Hah. Then we went to the offices to pick up Liahonas and more folletos (pamphlets) and whatnot. It´s way cool to be so close to the offices now. And now we are here, writing y'all.

I´m almost at 7 months!!!!! hahahah joke joke joke. This was bowling today.

WUT WUT BOWMAN with 115 puntos (points)!!!! I wonnnnnn. Without bumpers.

Hey, remember the drunk guys that almost threw up on us the other night? Lo and BEHOLD, my companion and I were waiting for the last bus of the night from Rio Coca to El Eden, and out of nowhere, appears Issaaac! One of the guys. We sat next to him on the bus and asked if he remembered us, "faintly," he said. But he was actually REALLY interested in the message! He was actually LOOKING for the missionaries. I was blown away. God works in mysterious ways. We have a cita (appointment) with him tomorrow.

We have been working with hermanadores (member missionaries), we even had them go pick up our investigators this Sunday, but no one came. However, their testimonies truly are so valuable. Members are the best. It's SO NICE to have a lider missional (ward mission leader) and misioners del barrio (ward missionaries). It's great. So this week was pretty great. We are working more with the members and this ward is amazing, I LOVE IT! When we put the efforts of members and missionaries together, there is success.

My english class, I love them. They've learned how to pray in English, and introduce themselves; and they know all the numbers and colors. I love Saturdays at 4 pm.

So there are two jovenes (young teenager boys) that are brothers who are investigating the church. Dennis and Bryan. We had the opportunity to go out with our mission leader and the leader of Jovenes Adultos Singles (Young Single Adults) to go visit them, and that was awesome. They love reading The Book of Mormon. Bryan said that 3 days before we contacted him, he was thinking really hard about how he needed a change in his life, and then he said that we showed up on his doorstep! It's so awesome how God works. I love it. 

Elder Waddell ( https://www.lds.org/church/leader/w-christopher-waddell?lang=eng ) is coming on a mission tour this Thursday and guess who got a phone call last night from President asking her to sing in front of the WHOLE MISSION!? Yes, me. "Lord, I would Follow Thee." LOVE LOVE LOVE that song, I am stoked. Yay. Just call me Hermana Archuleta. Haha, jk, please don´t.

He asked us to read this great talk https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/converted-unto-the-lord?lang=eng to prepare ourselves for the allll dayyyyy workshop (I LOVE THESE THINGS) and it's really amazing. I love the part about CONVERSION.

¨Conversion is an enlarging, a deepening, and a broadening of the undergirding base of testimony. It is the result of revelation from God, accompanied by individual repentance, obedience, and diligence. Any honest seeker of truth can become converted by experiencing the mighty change of heart and being spiritually born of God (see Alma 5:12–14). As we honor the ordinances and covenants of salvation and exaltation (see D&C 20:25), “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ” (2 Nephi 31:20), and endure in faith to the end (seeD&C 14:7), we become new creatures in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). Conversion is an offering of self, of love, and of loyalty we give to God.¨

 I invite all y'all to become a little bit more converted :) 

I´ve been reading The Book of Mormon more this past week and have really been able to see a difference in everything. I am thankful for the precious truths that were saved specifically for our day, and I know with allllllll my mind, heart, might, and soul that this is the TRUTH, and am so happy for the oppportunity to share it with everyone daily, but also recharge and prepare myself spiritually daily. There is such power from reading and pondering! And praying! :) Y'ALL CAN FEEL THIS TOO. Just pick up The Book or Mormon and read. It will change your life, I can promise you that. Also, watch this, it's really cool. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dNYpXZIN_c

Love y'all so much, hope that all is wellllllllll.

REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE AND MAKE GOOD CHOICESSSSSSSS!

Con muchísimo amor (With a whole lot of love), 

Hermana Bowman

'Like the intense fire that transforms iron into steel, as we remain faithful during the fiery trial of our faith, we are spiritually refined and strengthened. These fiery trials are designed to make you stronger.'

No esperes los buenos tiempos para ser feliz, sencillamente sé feliz y los buenos tiempos vendrán. 

Transferred to Quito!

Mudders day selfie.

It was great to talk to the fambam yesterday on Skype.  Love y'all and hope y'all are well.  Let's seeee, I had to do some paperwork online for President today so I´m gonna make this short and sweet. 

Monday we had changes/transfers. I got here, was received with rain, rain, and more rain. We went over to a gringo (American) fambam´s house for dinner and ate MUFFINS AND STEPHEN´S HOT CHOCOLATE. I almost died, then they gave us KRAFT MAC AND CHEESE to take home. They said it had just come in from Amazon that day hahaha. 

Our ward has like 3 gringo (American) families because one of our sectors has the US Embassy in its boundaries. So that's fun. We work in 3 GIANT sectors, I bet y'all could googlemaps it. It's Nayón, Zambiza, and Monteserrín. It's way fun. We take buses everywhere. It's incredible because everyone understands what we teach and the questions and the lectura del Libro de Mormon (lesson on The Book of Mormon). It's like a whole different world here in Quito. 

On Tuesday we had consejo de barrio (ward counsel) and it was awesome because everyone was in attendance, and all of the members had their iPads whipped out, taking notes, scheduling firesides about same sex marriage -- basically saving the world in consejo de barrio. Our Bishop is the former Stake President from Quito, and he is totally on the ball. 

LET ME TELL Y'ALL, it is so much easier (well, not easier, but there are less complications) when the members work WITH the missionaries in the Obra de Salvacion (Work of Salvation), it truly is a big work, and accelerating quickly. 

On Wednesday we almost got thrown up on in the bus on the way home while getting hit on by some drunk dudes, which is always fun (NOT). We had a really good District and Zone meeting too. Our zone is a lot tinier than Zona Imbabura, but it's really nice. 

Thursday we went and dropped off Hna. (Sis.) Obendorf to get her 'hija' ('daughter' or new trainee in actuality). (She's training and was in a trio with us for a bit.) So we were in Quito centro (downtown Quito) for a bit. 

Then we visited Nancy who is progressing nicely. :) She´s awesome, but she won't come to church because she works. IT'S IMPORTANT TO GO TO CHURCH Y'ALL! She loves The Book of Mormon, and really likes our visits but it's hard for her to keep progressing if she doesn´t go to church. Meh. 

We went out with the Bishop's wife for a bit and then we also went out with the Lider Misonal's (Ward Mission Leader's) wife. It's fun to do visits with members, their testimonies are SO amazing and important for the investigators to hear. 

On Friday we had interviews with President and learned more about how to use The Book Of Mormon more effectively in our lessons. 

IDK what happened on Saturday but I´m sure it was magical. 

My favey hymns so y'all can practice them...

Sunday we had church at 2 pm and ate at a Costa Rican´s house. She's from Heredia, which is relatively close to where we used to live (Escazu and Santa Ana). Anyways that was cool. 

Then after church, we went over to the member family and I got to Skype my fambam on this giant flatscreen (SO MUCH BETTER THAN CHRISTMAS where it was like the gangster-est internet cafe and it was frozen and whatnot.) 

Kinda bummed I didn´t get to see the Bybee´s though. But its alright, there is always Christmas! Well, after I hung up I was crying a wittol bit, but I walked out and lo and behold... 

STEAKKKKKKKKKK complete with A1 sauce. It was so awesome - hahaha. Then we had Ghirardelli brownies. I didn´t know I was so obsessed with American food until I came on my mission --hahahahhah. But it was great. 

And here we are again, another Monday. I am really excited to see what this week will bring. Always remember to read The Book of Mormon, it contains the plenitud del evangelio restaurado (fulness o fthe restored Gospel). 

I love all y'all and send you BIGIIGIGIIGGGG HUGS!!!!

Con amor (with love),

Hermana (Sister) Bowman

Hello world!

ch ch ch chaaaaaanges

So, hi. I'm in the city now.... soooooooooo oddddd. Something even more extraordinary is that tomorrow, I will have been out in the field as a missionary for S I X MONTHS. Eets craaayzee.

IT IS GOING ROCKINNNNNN'. I got tranfserred a couple of hours ago to QUITO -- THE ACTUAL CITY! My zone is Quito Este (East)... so stoked, but it's like a whole other mission and I have to get used to everything all over again... I almost got hit by a car because I'm just so used to walking in the street and saying "hi" to cows. Hahaha. My compcomp is from Bolivia, Hermana (Sister) Velasquez [this is now my 3rd comp who is Bolivian] and the sector is called El Eden. And it's actually the Mission President's ward so it should be reallllllly great. {Also I am told that there are gringos (Americans) here?????? WHAT?? What's a gringo? Haven't seen one in six months.}

I´m kinda nervous because I´m used to teaching people with big pauses, lots of visual aids, and lots of questions, aaaaaand predominantly in Kichwa.... and here the people are lots different than out in the campo (countryside), and it is definitely going to be a change. But I also know that God has sent me exactly where I´m supposed to be, and I´m excited and thankful for that, and I know that through fe (faith) and diligence, as well as the awesome 1 Nefi 3:7 (1 Nephi 3:7) scripture, He will always provide a way. :)

7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I ^awill go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no ^bcommandments unto the children of men, save he shall ^cprepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

I was bummmmed though, because Diana and Wuary are getting baptized this and next week. I am so proud of them. They are truly applying the Gospel to their lives, it's such a cool transformation to watch. But even though I won´t be there, I am SO grateful that they are making this important covenant and taking this step closer to eternal life.

It was way hard to leave Imababura. There are so many people there I love too much for words. Everyone is so special in their own individual ways. I will really miss the members and everyone, dang. A handful of people actually came to the bus terminal in Otavalo to say "bye" before I got on the bus to Quito. It was real cool. Ecuador is awesome. I love how the gospel unites ussssss, it's sweet. 

May looks like its going to be a great month. We have interviews with the President later this week. Elder Waddell is coming (I think he´s like an Area Seventy or something. It's a big dealio.) I´m in a brand new sector, and it´s just a happy month. I firmly believe that there are people waiting to hear this incredible message here in El Eden, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to share it!

I enjoyed my time out in Imbabura, and I am sure that there will be lots of tests and trials as well as happiness and success here in Quito, I am ecstatic to see what it will bring. I love fresh starts. Woo woo. 

The Atonement is truly for you. Specifically and completely. God knows you inside and out. This Gospel is amazing. It encompasses anything and everything we need here. Christ is truly our big brother, our Redeemer, our Savior. Heavenly Father is truly our Father. The Plan of Salvation is SO real. We can really get back to our heavenly home. Families are absolutely so important here on Earth, treasure them. Feast upon the word of God, the scriptures help us.

Pray sincerely and frequently to your Father in Heaven, He LOVES you and WANTS to hear from you. :) My favorite thing is that there are so many imperfect people, like myself, who are all constantly striving to be more & more like Christ. This Gospel is about progress, change, & it is completely centered on Christ & His love.

I echo our Prophet´s invitation for us all to become more dedicated disciples of Jesus Christ... to strive to live better. Try a little harder to be a little better. :) Stand a little taller. Go the extra mile! :)

"We will all face fear, experience ridicule, and meet opposition. Let us—all of us—have the courage to defy the consensus, the courage to stand for principle. Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God’s approval. Courage becomes a living and an attractive virtue when it is regarded not only as a willingness to die manfully but also as the determination to live decently. As we move forward, striving to live as we should, we will surely receive help from the Lord and can find comfort in His words. I love His promise recorded in the book of Joshua:
“I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. …
“… Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
My beloved brethren, with the courage of our convictions, may we declare, with the Apostle Paul, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.” And then, with that same courage, may we follow Paul’s counsel: “Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

THANK YOU for all your prayers. Know that yall are always in mine as well.

Read the Book of Mormon for 5 minutes today! And tomorrow! And the next day! Aaaand the next!

Hey, SUNDAY, I shall see y'all. :)

Con amor (With love),

Hermana Bowman