Well hello jello:]
Oh my goodness I don't even know where to start. SO many incredible things have happened this past week, I hope that this email will do it justice!
We got the incredible opportunity this week to have a training session in the temple with the temple president and President Pingree. My mind was blown. I have been praying over the past 4 months asking Heavenly Father to teach, remind or show me who I was before I came to this earth. Please just help me understand the person I was before so that I can stay true to it. Well, we get dressed and as we're sitting in the chapel the temple president walks in and says, "My objective in you coming to the temple today is to remind you of the person that you truly are." My heart started pounding and I instantly knew that Heavenly Father was answering my prayer. The revelation that I received that day has changed my life forever. I now know of the reality of God. He is so real and so aware of each one of us. I can feel it as I pray, my relationship with Him has changed forever and I'm so very grateful for that experience!
I should also talk about one of my all time favorite investigators: Jordan Perry. So we met Jordan through Derrick and Chera (our recent converts) and Oh My Goodness. I think she just might be one of the most prepared girls I have ever taught. Just from last week to this one there is such an apparent change in her it blows me away. During one of our lessons I was leaning over just kinda doing my thing and she said Sister Bowden... I look at over and say "yeah?" ... (still just kinda not thinking)... Well, I did what you asked me to do... I prayed about it. All of the sudden I realized what was going on so I stop and look at her and ask, "Did you pray about being baptized?" She smiled at me and said "Yes!" She got her answer and she's ready to do it! AHHHH!!! And the crowds go wild!! I WAS DYING! Is this not the exact moment that all our hard work goes towards?! I think I started tearing up haha and just told her how much that decision was going to change her life. How much that decision was also going to impact my life. She's just incredible. During our lessons the spirit tends to flow right through me to her. I've never really experienced anything quite like it. I love her very dearly and I'm counting down the days til her baptism on July 19:] It will be great.
I've felt a little bit of weight with this whole STL thing going on. We had a leadership meeting this week and during it one of the assistants says "a call to leadership is a call to have your weaknesses exposed." Hahaha Oh well, if that isn't comforting I'm not really sure what is... I'm doing my very best to step up my game but man.. I was hoping to just coast on through til September. Ironically enough this past week we came in contact with four promising Spanish speaking families. We don't have any Spanish missionaries that cover our area cuz it's too hard on their miles so basically Sister Diaz and I have become a zebra companionship. Haha I'm gonna have to talk to the new president about it but yes, I've been trying to pick up some espanol for my companions sake:] It's tough, and there is no way that I'm gonna be fluent in 3 months but hey, it's a new challenge and i'll do what I can!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE BIRTHDAY PACKAGE!! I absolutely loved the balloons! Haha of course halfway through I realized that all of your guys' lips had been on them, but hey we're family right? My birthday was a great one:] I'm feelin 22!! and welp I still basically feel the same!
Heavenly Father has been so incredibly good to me. He blesses me each and every day and I'm so grateful for the opportunities he has given me to strengthen my faith in Him. I feel like I may be getting this missionary stuff figured out, it's just diligent effort. I love my Savior, I love this gospel, and I'm so honored to have this time to strive and share that love with others!!
MISS YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH!!!
Love, Sister Bowden
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