Sometimes I look around and it´s hard for me to believe that I live in Ecuador.

Hi Family.

This week was probably one of the FASTEST WEEKS that have flown by. I love working with Hermana (Sister) Stephensen. The work is great. Today we had transfers and a lot of the mission moved around. Elder Rubisch, our Zone Leader, gave us the cambios (transfers) last night at like 12.30 am, and then he made it sound like I was gonna have changes! 

It was really nervewracking because I really LOVE this ward, and the people we are working with, and our sector, and my companion, basically everything (obviously it´s hard, but that's what makes it worth it! weeee) ANYWAYS he said, ¨Hermana Bowman, Usted se va aaaa.....(Sister Bowman, you are going..........long dramatic pause as if he were looking at his notes to see what sector Pres was gonna send me)..... quedar con la Hermana Stephensen (to stay with Sister Stephensen).¨ We both about died. Ha. But we get to be in a trio for the next week because one of the misioneras (missionaries) is waiting for her "daughter" (or trainee) who is getting here on Thursday.

Well, I have my new agenda with me for this next transfer so I don´t remember too much of what happened this week, but I DO KNOW that this is definitely the Lord´s work and that I am very privileged to be a part of it. 

So we had a cool thing happen, we were contacting in Zámbiza, and there was a baptism at church in like 30 minutes, and we reeeally wanted to go watch it, but there's a rule that we can't go unless we have an investigator with us... So we contact this lady washing her dishes outside and start helping her, explain who we are, etc, and then just BOOM invite her to the baptism, and within the 2 minutes of meeting her, she´s like, ¨Sure! Will you wait for me to change?¨ Crazy awesome. Then we went to the baptism together, and she loved it and asked when she could be baptized. Awesome. 

We are working a lot with a really cool lesser active fambam, and they have a tamale and humita business, so that is always fun. The son is an Atheist (we have come in contact with tons of them lately, so I´ve been studying the Bible extra hard, hahaha), and the dad and daughter were baptized 2 years ago, but they aren´t so sure about the church anymore. But they´re super open to reading and discussing, which is what we do and then let the Spirit take care of the rest! They´re a loooot more open than before. It´s crazy how much the Lord softens people´s hearts. 

My companion is suffering from a cold. So a really angelic member brought us literally 30 oranges this morning, NO LIE. I love this ward. Tender mercies. It´s so fun to look for God´s hand in everything. I know that He is constantly guiding us... and also guiding others. Never postpone a prompting! Service makes you happy. 

Our Zone Leader and District Leader are going home tomorrow, so they gave their ¨farewell¨ talks in the ward this past Sunday, wow. I am so immensely grateful for the time that we have to serve the Lord FULL TIME. So many blessings and miracles, and happy times, and hard times, and incredibly amazing times. Life is so fun, isn´t it? It was way cool to reflect with them about the past 2 years of their life and hear all of their cool experiences. Something that the both of them said was that the biggest convert they got, was themselves. I can testify of that, I know that these past nine months have truly shaped and molded me in inexplicable ways. Never before have I felt SO close to my Savior. 

HOLY MOLY, I can´t believe I´m at my halfway point in the mish. ¨It's all downhill from heerrreee. (Matt Farmer)¨ I can´t believe it and I don´t wanna accept it. Deniaaaaal! I have been having nine month nightmares. Not fun. I wanna stay here forever. 

Sometimes I look around and it´s hard for me to believe that I live in Ecuador. 

Well, make sure that you pray and read the scriptures. Lemme know if y'all need anything, I´m heeeeeere for yaaaaa. 

MAKE GOOD CHOICES, REMEMBER WHO Y'ALL ARE!!!

Con amor (with love),

Hermana (Sister) Bowman