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

Getting ready for our puppet show

So Hermana Paéz and I didn't get transferred so I will stay in San Carlos until 21 of April. After that I think that I will go to a different area... "to die" as they say in the mission. I'm really excited to be with my companion and to still be in this area. We are hitting a rut as it goes progress wise, but finally we had one person come to church for the first time this last week, so it was great to have at least ONE that is progressing now.

Our Zone

This last p day we had a parillada with a family in our ward to say goodbye to Elder Mejilla. we now have a new district leader, Elder Vargas, from Texas serving with us in San Carlos, and were excited to be able to progress and have some baptisms soon.

Grillin

A funny story that happened last night is that we passed by to see if a family was home to visit and they were just leaving, but a neighbor was passing by. We invited her to the talent show that we were going to have and she absolutely lit up! Oh my boy sings and dances she exclaimed. She was talking about it, and then invited us into her house to show us the taping that she had of her child on TV a couple of days ago. And it sure is true, he sings and dances like a little maniac and is incredible! he was in the house (hes 11) and performed for us, as well as his 3 year old sister, and we were talking about his experiences. To show our appreciation we shared a bit about the plan of salvation and the family accepted us to come back and share a bit more this Friday. they told us they won't baptize because they´re baptized in the catholic church, but we have faith that hearing about the restored gospel will help the holy ghost to touch their hearts and changes their minds! That is a big obstacle that we have hit this week about people only wanted to listen to us, but not follow through with their promises. But were trying to do practice and verify better to try and help the people progress.

This next week we have a tour from Elder Godoy, and were super excited. This Wednesday were going to hear from him my companion and I are stoked! Also in our ward we have a missionary activity of a talent show. us missionaries are preparing to tell a story from the Book of Mormon using shadow puppets. We have been working on it with every free moment that we have and I think that it will turn our really great! I don't know how to send videos but at least I try to send pictures.

Hope everything is going well, I love to hear form you all, and I appreciate your prayers, emails, and letters! Yesterday I completed 14 months in my mission. I hope to continue to receive your support for these last 4! Whooo!

Hermana Bowers

My Apartment

Making Lemonade out of Lemons

Well the last p day we had was an interesting opportunity to make lemonade out of lemons.We had a huge soccer tournament scheduled with the whole mission, and we were 5 min from getting to the field in bus when we received call saying that it was canceled. So we piddled around trying to find something to do, and well after a while my companion and I went out to lunch and then did our grocery shopping. We found some milk that called my interest (to my quarter dutch side) and then we ate ice cream and paid to lay in some massage (I don't know how to spell that) chairs for 10 min. IT WAS FANTASTIC :)

This Milk is called "the Beautiful Dutchess"

Heather emailing home

This week was just trying to find new people to teach that want to progress. We have found that a lot of our investigators receive us to teach and everything, but don't progress. So were trying to find people that are waiting to hear about the gospel and want to complete with the commitments that we leave them (read tier scriptures, go to church). We did divisions to go and pick up people for church, we had a gran total of 11 people we were going to bring... and not a single one came. this is the second week that this has happened so we wont be baptizing until the middle of march (because the investigators need to attend at least 3 time for 3 hours before we can baptize them), but were trying to keep our chins up, and be happy, and see where the Lord guides us.

The most exciting thing this week is that a family of three said yes to baptism. We went to pick them up, but weren't home but at least we got them to say yes, so they´ll be our goal for April :) it was a cool moment when my companion extended the invitation and finally the reservations seemed to melt from the mother and she said YES! With a little more cultivating I think all will work out just great.


Today is transfers, and my companion and I really have no idea what will happen. I hope that we get to stick together till April, or the end of this transfers, but ill have to fill you guys in next week! Our ward is really awesome, and supporting us with praying for our investigators. We have started at the end of every lunch leaving list of names for the families to include in their prayers with their specific challenges. We have received a lot of enthusiasm from the members, and I know well see the fruit of our labors soon!

Heather and her companion 

Emergency Transfer

Emergency Transfer

Well this week started with a surprise, we were winding down Tuesday in the night and we received a call from the mission assistants. My companion was transferred to another area and we had to be ready in the offices at 10 in the morning the next day! So it was a flurry of packing writing letters, trying to say good bye to members and converts and then whoosh like a twinkling of an eye Hermana Paez was my new companion.

My New Compaion Sister Paez from Mexico

Hermana Paez is from Mexico, she is 20 years old, will complete 10 months in the mission this 7 of March. She loves to cook, sing, dance and is just a great big bundle of joy. I really hope that we stay together in this area of San Carlos for the transfer that starts the 10 of March and I´m super excited to have her as a companion.


So this week as been full of showing my companion all our recent converts, the less active that we're trying to reactive and rescue, and the different families that were trying to teach and help be baptized. Tuesday night we had an activity of carinavles (water games) and we had a few investigators show up which was cool (they didn't come to church this Sunday but its a start no?).

Water Games- our activity

This Saturday we had the a very special baptism for me of Sebastain Brad Blas Sosa. His mother was a less active that we have rescued and with the mother active and supporting we were able to baptize Sebastain. He has been such a great example and support for his mother to be able to reactivate and attend all the hours of church. He was always helping his mom get ready and trying to get her in the church so he could be baptized. Miriam, the mother, is an amazing mother and a dear friend of mine. She is divorced and has had many struggles in her life, but really has all the desires to make it to the temple and be able to put things right and enjoy the blessings that she knows she has been missing. The two are just absolutely fantastic and it was a joy to participate in their baptism this Saturday.

Sebastian's Baptism 

All I have to say this week is that the Lord works in mysterious ways, and he may not always answer our prayers when we want, or how we want them to be answered, but does hear us and always wants what is best for us. I know that if we stay obedient, and try our best he will bless us with joy and happiness and that sometimes its hard to understand and apply, but really our happiness doesn't depend on the actions of other people. I love all of you!

The Zone activity

Eating with the zone at Rustica

Our Service Project- Help cleaning a house- this person has 40 dogs

Hermana Bowers