Eating Guinea Pig

So this week was bitter and sweet. It was a really good week in fact, but absolutely no one came to church that we had committed so we are really bummed out. However, I'm only going to focus on all the absolutely cool stuff that happened this week to turn the frowns upside downs!!

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Monday was fun because we had a water fight with a whole bunch of zones. my companion had the brilliant idea to go to the market and buy water guns. so we zoom off in a motto taxi and return and start to sneak attack everyone. it was super muddy where the hose was, and the zone leaders started carrying and dropping one another in the giant mud pit. the sisters started flinging mud at each other, but I escaped unmuddified. later we finished the day at a pizza restaurant with old friends in different zones and it was a great day.


Wednesday we had a meeting with Elder Godoy who is a general authority (70). He originally speaks Portuguese and we heard from our mission president and his wife, then from sister Godoy and Elder Godoy. Elder Godoy was super warm friendly, and surprisingly humorous. It was a great training and I got to ask a question (he did a question and answer session) and learned more about the importance of being sealed as a family.


When we returned we had the talent show for our ward which turned out to be great fun. Our dancing contacts came and were able to show off their talents and we were able to sing querido juan with Oscar, our first counselor and then give our shadow puppet show a whirl. we miscalculated the difficulties to manage the puppets, hold the microphone, and read the script while hiding behind a low blanket with a extremely hot lamp behind us... so it didn't really come out who we wanted, but yea it was an experience well never forget, and my companion and I still crack up thinking about it.


Then Saturday we were able to go to a baptism of my companions old investigator in her area that is just a couple of blocks from where were at. This brother heard from the missionaries 14 years ago but didn't get baptized for personal doubts and struggles. but lo and behold when sister Paez and her companion knocked on the door it changed his life forever, and this last Saturday could enter into the path that could bring him back to his heavenly father. I really liked his story because it makes me feel better about all the people that we maybe have tried to help and teach that rejected the message. we never know the impact of our presence on this person, and maybe just 14 years down the road they remember and be able to have the faith to take the step to come unto the Father.


For lunch Saturday a member, Alisia Montero, made us the well known Cui for lunch. or as it is called in English, guinea pig. We were super excited to be able to try it because it was the first time for my companion and I and we squealed and ate as much as we could. the way the sister prepared it you eat the skin and everything.... and it was such an experience!!! she gave us the heads as well, and i ate an eyeball, and my companion the tongue, but we didn't have enough morally courage for the other parts (ie the brain). Elder Ushi helped us out with that. Saturday then ended perfectly when our first counselor invited the district to pizza (we now have a new favorite pizza place). We got to hear a bit of his conversion story, and how awesome really is the book of Mormon!!! (he went from smoking 3 packs of cigarettes a day to 0!!!)

Then well, Sunday ended on a rather sad note when the 8 or 9 people that we committed to come to church... well didn't. I was tearing up a little in sacrament meeting but a loving member who we reactivated (Miriam whose son we baptized) was so very loving, gave me a sweet note and made me feel a lot better. It doesn't matter the language, the place, the culture, the country, the love of the savior is so strong and influences so many to do good its astounding.


Shout out to my mother for her awesome missionary experience this week, and I would love to hear from others of ways that they are opening their mouth to be able to share the good news of the gospel.


Much love de


Herman Bowers