Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Week 13 - Soul Searching Stuff

Well ohlo family!
So this week was oh just another glorious week out here in sweaty humid texas! Lots of biking and wanting to pass out, ya know, the usual.
 
We finally got in contact with the Day family! woop woop and we're starting the lesson with their 3 girls julie, jamie, and jenny. They are 9, 10, and 11 and want to get baptized. The only problem is their parents are super less active and have started some word of wisdom habits, but hey it's nothing a little Spirit can't fix, so we'll see how things start progressing there. 
 
We went and did service again at Sister Siemens ranch, we helped her clear out her hay room, and can i just say i have NEVER seen so many giant cockroaches in my whole life. haha one started crawling up my leg and i wanted to die. haha Hardy and Vought being the little dumbheads didn't even warn me. But it was really fun, by the time i get home i'll know how to run a ranch and everything! 
 
We visited again with Rachel Britto and sometimes it's so hard to keep the Spirit going, we'll have good aha moments and then i swear between their bull dog, their daughter Ava, and who knows what else something always destroys that feeling! haha It's gonna take everything i have to get this woman to gain her own testimony. But, challenge accepted. 
 
We also had a really good lesson with Collin Foerster! We gave him a copy of the children's Book of Mormon, the one with all the pictures and he couldn't put the thing down! He kept asking questions and wanting to know more and i thought it was a really cool moment for his mom to see how interested he really is. As we were leaving his house we saw this old lady out on her porch so we went to talk to her, we didn't really get to share a message but we sang for her and she started crying and asked us to come back next week. 
 
The best moment of this week though was actually while we were knocking one night before dinner. Let's get something clear, knocking on doors is probably one of my least favorite things especially since the whole tobacco on my face incident, but heck we decided to do it. We knocked on this one lady's house and when she answered she said sorry i'm taking care of someone sick inside and we've just had a death in my family. I don't have time right now, so i asked if we could leave her with a prayer and she said that'd be nice. As i said a prayer on this lady's porch I felt the spirit take over, and i said things that i honestly don't typically say in my day to day prayers. I said how grateful i was for the knowledge that we have of our families being together forever, and at some point i said how grateful i was for Christ and that through him we can overcome any hard thing. When we said amen, she was crying and just said thank you over and over again. I will never forget the feeling i had as we were walking back down the street. Tau gave me a huge hug and said Man you're the best trainer ever, haha but i'm not, The Spirit is. 
 
We also had the first "real" discussion with the Henke family, man Todd (the dad) just isn't feeling the Book of Mormon, but his 2 sons want to be baptized. So we've decided to focus our efforts more towards his 2 sons Cameron and Joel and have him sit in and listen to them, then have him be right up in the front when they are getting baptized. I know it's gonna make a difference. Michelle came up to us at church and grabbed my arm and said i really just want to thank you two. I asked her for what? And she said you two have changed my families life forever, we've never been this happy and i can't say thank you enough. I know, I know the gospel can change people's lives.
 
So this past week we hit my 3 month mark! Holla! haha but really some somewhat deep things hit me. As i was reading in alma 7 it hit me just how incredible the atonement really is. And how grateful i am for our Savior Jesus Christ. I'm striving to make my relationship with Him even deeper and stronger. It made me realize though i have very seldom of those "deep strong" relationships as it is. While i know others have felt very strong connections to me, I'm not sure if i have felt the same way towards them. I'm trying though to open up more freely, to let myself have those relationships with those around me. I also have come to realize how truly blessed i Macall Bowden am. But that's not the point of it, we are given our talents and strengths to influence those around us. It has very little to do with ourselves. I'm trying to personally see how my talents can help those around me, how my personality can give light to others. The best way i can show my appreciation to our Father in Heaven is by serving him for these 18 months. My faith runs deeper than any ballet contract, any "potential" boyfriend. My faith means everything to me and it's what sustains me through it all. I can not even express to you guys how grateful i am to be on a mission, the Lord knew how stubborn i'd be about it my whole life, so miraculously he prepared me in ways that i wasn't even aware of. I love this gospel. Even if i'm still crazy emotional Macall my heart will forever be changed:] 
 
ON Saturday night as we were biking home we decided to stop for some mucho mangos! The sun was going down and me and Tau started singing the Circle of Life from the Lion King. haha I'm sure people were wondering why two sweaty girls were singing in the parking lot, but hey it's whatevs.  I've never been happier, I've never cried harder for other people, I've never sweat so much, haha and i've never loved this gospel more.
 
Transfers are this week so i'll have to let ya know what goes down! We're being put in a trio for the next couple days which i'm totally stoked about, It's gonna be me and 2 polys! haha I love you guys so much! My prayers are with you daily and hope you know how truly grateful i am for all the sacrifices you have made, continue to make, and will most likely make for me in the future!
Stay strong, preach on:]
-Love, Sister Bowden

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