Ohlo family!!
This past week was let's just say SO much better than last week and I
once again am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who knows me and
is constantly trying to get me to be better!
So last Monday night I got to eat dinner with the Maiava's from
Fairfield and it was probably the best dinner I have had in such a long
time. Sa was so excited to see me and when we got there I found out that
she had put the whole thing together just so that she could see me. I
felt so so grateful for their family, it was a good reminder for me that I really have had an impact on certain people while i've been out here.
Tuesday!
haha ok so we got permission to go with some of the alzheimer's
patients we work with and take them to the butterfly museum downtown. It
was such a good time. When you first walk in there are all these signs
that say don't touch the butterflies la la la, well when we got in one
of my favorite ladies betty started going buckwild and was trying to
chase all them down. hahaha I wasn't really sure what to do because
sometimes alzheimer's patients act like 5 year old kids, but we managed
to get things under control and it ended up being a really good time for
us.
At
our ward correlation meeting this past week I finally brought down the
iron fist. I explained to them how it was time to start changing things
and how the past 3 months I have felt like I haven't done anything in
this area. I was honest and sincere and told them how much I really
needed their help or nothing was ever going to happen. I think that I
have been pretty passive the past three months just telling everyone oh
you're so great.. Oh you guys just keep it up, we sure do appreciate
you! Ya know just trying to be that cheerful missionary that never seems
to be down, but I just reached my limit. I need to have the support of
this ward and I should have had it since day one. Well that got things
cooking which made me pretty happy. The ward missionaries seem to be on
board with us, as we were walking out one of my favorite guys Brother
Meldrum came up to me and said I like your style Sister Bowden. I
laughed and said I'm not sure what you mean... and He just went on to
say You just really know how to get people inspired. I like the way you
do things. While the past couple months have been pretty tough for me I
have come to realize something. My own personal conversion has grown
immensely. I know that faith isn't something that is handed to us. It
isn't just waking up in the morning and saying Heavenly Father, give me
somebody to teach and expecting it to happen. A part of faith is
accepting His timing, It's knowing that He will let things happen at the
right time and until then, you just have to keep being obedient and keep
doing what you know is right. Patience is holding out til the end:]
We
also have a new investigator!! Emily Wilson is 20 years old has been
less active for about 4 years and is pregnant with twins! She wants to
raise her sons in the church so her and her husband have agreed to
listening to the discussions! ah I'm so excited:] When we met with
charlene this past week, she told us that she wasn't sure if she should
keep meeting with us. She said that if she didn't feel right about the
church after a year and half maybe it just isn't the thing for her.
Before I could let all my hopes be crushed a pulled out a scripture that I had been wanting to share with her for the past 3 weeks. As i had her
read it she started tearing up and I know that she felt the spirit. I
know that it was an answer to her prayers, but right as she finished it
and the spirit was right there, her husband walked in slammed the door
and all the kids went buckwild:/ ahhh I just can't win!?! When we left
though I felt at peace because I know that I did everything that i
could. Now it's just up to her and whatever circumstances she is placed
in. Karen Foreman's lesson went really well.. it just kinda irritates
me that all these miracles have happened in her life and she'll still
say "well I'm just not an every Sunday kinda person" mmm well I think
you need to be and I know you know it. Ah the weirdest thing happened
though. We were talking about prayer during her lesson and she struggles
with saying real prayers and taking the time to kneel down. I don't
know why I said it but all of the sudden I'm promising this lady that if
she said her prayers and asked heavenly father to share the gospel with
her family that it would happen. UH I can't promise her that?! heck oh
heck as soon as it came out of my mouth I just felt like haha mmm I hope
you back that up Heavenly Father. So I guess we'll see if she said her
prayers right?:]
We
had zone meeting this past week and for a part of it we got with
another set of Elders and were practice teaching one of our lessons. The
elders went first and it was so interesting to see how differently they
taught then me! not in a bad way or anything.. just different. They go
la la la we give them feedback and then we went. When we finished it my
friend Elder Cornwall looked at me and said well, I think I need to go
re-evaluate my life because you guys just put us to shame. hahaha.
Teaching the gospel has seriously become something that I really love to
do, now if I could just actually find some people to teach all my
problems would be solved:]
We
had ward council yesterday and I literally wanted to junk punch our
bishop.... mm sorry that was probably uncalled for. but seriously all of
ward council he's talking about things that really aren't even that
important... and then at the end he started talking about this year's
goals. He's planning on having five baptisms this year... 5?!?! no I'm
sorry but no this ward can do SO much more than that. At the end I tried
to get my two cents in, I talked about how before we can even begin to
have new people coming to church this needs to be a ward that Heavenly
Father can trust. So long story short, we're coming down hard on this
ward and I'm so so grateful to have Sister Newhouse here to back me up.
She's really good at just sticking to her guns and not letting things go
until we really have made our point.
But
that basically sums up my life for now:] I love you guys so much! I
hope that everybody is doing well and that the start of the year has
just set the tone for 2014. I love being a missionary and it's been
awesome to see how the challenges that I have been facing really have
helped me grow and learn.
Love Sister Bowden
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