Sunday, December 17, 2017

Mom Of A Missionary...E-Mails from Mexico...November 6th...

Enfermifiesta!
 Hello all! Elder Bowlby here.

We're doing our best out here en Bosque. It's the final week of the transfer, and we're already in november! Wow.

I don't have a lot to tell you all because not much happened this week. My companion got sick again and we went to the doctors office. He's got a really bad cough and he lost his voice this last saturday! I myself (thankfully) am not sick.

We have looked for a house and have not found one yet. We looked at one that is an apartment (and yes, has windows), but my companion and I did not like it, as the back patio is shared with three other people who can easily take our stuff and/or knock on our back door.

We're working on a holiday choir for La Navidad. All of the missionaries in the zone are getting together and are going to sing and right now in our practices we sound great.

Because of certain impediments (health, house, etc) we've been a bit slowed down recently, but we push forward every day with a new perspective!

I hope that all of you out there are working hard, smiling, and pushing forward with your ambitions, lives, and dreams! Never stop believing in your divine potential as a person. You can accomplish anything you want as long as you believe you can!

Please remember to take the time to read your scriptures daily. I've noticed that when I study the scriptures I receive the answers and the strength I need to push forward and move onward with hope! I testify that you too can receive strength from on high when you study your scriptures and apply their teachings.

Please stay safe. God Bless.

-Elder Bowlby

Mom Of A Missionary...E-mails From Mexico...October 30th

Cinnamon-Flavored Skull-Shaped Cheetos


 ​Hello, Family and friends! It is I, Elder Bowlby once again. Felicidades.
Casi es día de los muertos aquí. Hay mucho pan dulce, muchas calaveras y esqueletos... incluso a estos cheetos! Son de sabor canela.

 ​Cinnamon flavored skull cheetos! I'm not lying to you! In fact, I'm keeping the bag so that way when I get back I can show everyone that yes these were a thing and they were real.

To be honest, this week was a strange rollercoaster. Lets get to it, shall we?

Lack of Money
Thank goodness that everything was resolved. We took a (cheaper) bus to the Mission office to ask what on earth was going on because apparently my companion and I were the only two missionaries in the whole mission to not recieve our alotted travel money for the transfer. Long story short we got our allotted funds and could sleep in peace knowing that we could finally afford the bus.
Also, please don't think I'm starving 😅 When I said there was nothing to eat I didn't mean we went without eating during the day. The members are very kind and there is a scheduled calendar when the members offer to give us a lunch... I am very grateful. I am certainly not losing weight either. If anything, It is a message to me to better manage my money! (Or, you know, stop living with another companionship of missionaries. Speaking of which...)

Small house, big problems

We were only supposed to live with the missionaries of Bosque 1 for about two weeks as by week 2 we were supposed to be moved into our new home. Unfortunately, there was a complication in the house we were going to rent and it was denied by the mission president.
It is now week 5 of the transfer, and we still haven't been able to move out. In fact, it doesn't appear there are any houses for rent in our new area. Well, nothing safe at least.




​(The only house for rent in our area. No windows! 😧)
Sometimes I wonder why the food runs out so fast and then I remember that there are four missionaries in our house. At least we get along well and sleep good!



It actually got cold?¿?
We've been experiencing a cold front here. A very bizarre cold front. Nothing winter-jacket worthy, but it's enough to say... "Hey, it's cold!"
It's very nice. A break from the normal monotony of endless heat and sunburn. There's just one issue.

EnfermedadesWith the sudden temperature change basically everybody in the house has a cold and that's a load of fun but also a part of life. Just because I'm a missionary doesn't mean I won't get the common cold!
My companion got the worst of it. It was the first time sick in all of his thirteen months as a missionary, and he was struck pretty badly. He was ordered to stay in bed for two days.

Other strange eventsIn short, this week has been far from normal. But that's okay! It's part of life. Get closer to the Savior and he can help you through whatever challenge you face.
Stay faithful.

-Elder Bowlby​

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Mom of a Missionary... Emails from Mexico...October 23rd....

Filled to the brim, and not in a good way.
 Here's a riddle for you.

You can take it sitting or standing,
When it's filled to the brim it's a bad thing,
It moves the people here and there,
and sometimes the cost isn't fare.


Do you know what it is?


ES UN TRISTE AUTOBÚS


(Spoiler alert I didn't take this photo because I would look very weird if I just took photos of random buses (but this is exactly the same type of bus we use here)).

Hello family and friends, it is I, Elder Bowlby once again.

 (Yes, this photo is mine. Taken in Altamira, Tamaulipas.)

The week has been a bit rough on me. I never imagined the mission could bring so much stress! It's a lot to think about, because I'm not only preaching the gospel, I'm also preparing for my future life. If I can't manage the fact that the bus fare is 13 pesos a person, how am I going to manage gas in my own car??
Behind every moment, there is something to learn. I am really going to appreciate all of the things I took for granted in the U.S when I get back.

It's funny, really. When I arrived here I said I wouldn't complain about anything because we have a supermarket nearby.

Now I'm complaining because I've spent all my food money on the B U S and there is nothing to eat 😕
But things like this happen! Don't worry. It's all a lesson about managing money.
Something I'm going to need to learn... and quick!

In any case, we are working, and we are trying very hard to help others.

Your questions answered:

Q: How do you get your hair cut?
A: The same way you normally get it cut. You go to a hair-cut-place and the stylist cuts your hair and you pay them money. And yes, there are people who do it quite well for 50 pesos.

Q: Are your clothes holding up?
A: Yes. They are fine. They're a bit yellow at the neck but my companion says he can show me how to clean that up real nice.

Q: Are you serving with missionaries from other countries?
A: Yes. While there are many missionaries who are serving from various parts of Mexico (my companion is from Merida, Yucatan, for example), there are other missionaries who are from the U.S and also other spanish speaking countries. One of the Elders is from Honduras, another from Costa Rica, etc etc. I actually had the opportunity (because I was asked) to draw all the missionaries from my current zone. Can you tell which one is me?
 Q: Do you ever sit and draw what surrounds you?
A: Recently no. I don't have much time to draw when I'm out and about. I do however, have a pretty nice memory, so when I see something I like in the streets, I can normally put it down on paper when I get back.

Q: Where you live, is there a winter season? How cold does it get?
A:"Winter" here is described as "a few cold fronts here and there". It does not get any colder than a typical Utah spring. I highly doubt I will need any winter gear.

Q: Will you be able to visit the temple in this new area?
A: I was there just this saturday to help with family history work. The temple is a bus ride away, and it actually costs less to take a bus to the temple than it does to take a bus to my proselytising area.

Q: Have you had any new foods to try?
A: I haven't had it yet, but here in Tampico they have something called "Tortas de la barda" which is a specialty Mexican hamburger. I hear it is very good. Everything else is more or less Mexican.

Q: Was the snake in that picture poisonous?
 A: To be brief the snake is the least of my worries right now.

Q: Have you recieved any of my letters yet?
A: Sadly, I haven't recieved your letters yet, Mom. I hope I will recieve them soon, I love the pictures of Salt Lake City that you send.

Q: Do they have fall where you are?
A: No, but there are certain times of the year where certain fruits are available. There are no mangoes in season right now, but there are peaches, I believe.

Q: Who is your companion and where is he from?
A: His name is Elder Estrada from Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.


Thank you for your e-mails and your time. I am always happy to hear how you are doing in these pathways of life. Please remember to say your morning and nightly prayers.
God bless you all, and stay safe. You are blessed to live in a promised land.

-Elder Bowlby

P.S These here doritos are delicious and I will do my best to find them in the U.S and we can all enjoy some spice when I get back

Mom of a Missionary...Emails from Mexico...October 16th....

I just need to do what I just did three more times!
 Hello, everyone! Elder Bowlby here.

Can you believe I'm 1/4th of the way through my mission? The past six months have felt like nothing. Heck, the past two weeks in Bosque have been a blur!

The curent living situation

Living in a cramped house with four other people is not all that it's cracked up to be but who cares because we all get along.

Except sometimes we don't

Basically we're not perfect. Every person has their quirks and I'm learning bit by bit to apreciate others for what they do right and not what they do wrong. It's not very easy for me. I seem to be stressing and getting frustrated more rapidly... Huh!

One of the most stressful (and funniest) weeks we've ever had

Okay, so, this week has been a rollercoaster ride for sure.

Monday the 9th of October:
We had no money. Like, nothing. We also had no food. Soooo we didn't buy any food like we normaly do. That was bearable. I don't eat much dinner anyways. The portable air conditioning was sucking up a ton of energy and the lights repeatedly went out in our little apartment, but we slept well and the power ceased to be an issue until...

Tuesday the 10th of October:
Instead of our normal work routine in the morning we went to see if we had recieved any form of money whatsoever with which to buy food. Luckily an Elder in our house recieved some sort of reimbursement for his spending in the past transfer, and with that we were able to buy food. After returning home from a day of work, we turned on the portable AC and sat down to rest, when the power went out and failed to return like it normally did.
Two Elders went out to check if there was anything wrong with the power box (because here in Mexico, your power monitor is out in the street for any ol fool to tamper with) and they returned with news that it certainly wasn't a problem with any wires outside of the building (which could have been an option due to the strong winds that night), and that the house was still recieving electricity. It was probably a problem that was inside the house.
We opened the windows to let the air in, and to secure that nobody would try to reach in and open the door by means of an open window, we locked the door with a secure bolt and keys,
 Wednesday the 11th of October:
Now, this day we had an important meeting with the Mission President outside of the Tampico Tamaulipas Temple, and since meetings with the mission president are incredibly important, it was reccomended that we arrived early.
We were all ready and set to leave, and as we gathered in front of the door, the question arose:

So... where are the keys?

We can't open the door and are trapped inside of our house because the door is locked shut and we need the keys to open it. Unlike the wonderful doors in the U.S, this door has no way of manually unlocking from the inside without the keys, and because we live in Mexico, to deterr thieves and criminals, all of the windows are barred on the outside (basically extra security because let's face it sometimes glass isn't enough.

Each of us denied that we had the keys. Now, the question arises about who has the keys or what happened to them. There are four suspects and a few theories.
The four missionaries in our house are:

1: Elder Bowlby (Me, guilty of the problem). It was my suggestion in the night that we lock the door with the keys because with the windows open, I'd like to be sure that nobody reaches in and opens the door in the middle of the night while we're sleeping. It seemed like a good idea to the other Elders, so we went through with the plan.

2: Elder Vazquez (Apparently sleep-talking when this all went down). When asked where the keys were, he basically said that they were on his desk. And they were! But he had no idea that we asked permission to take the keys and lock the front door. Buuut we did anyways.

3: Elder Estrada (My companion, the one who got up and locked the door). Very kind of him, really. Got up in the dark house, managed to grab the keys, lock the door, and return to the room without issue. When finished, he tossed the keys onto the desk of Elder Vazquez (and we heard that yes, they landed on the desk), and went to bed.

4: Elder Thurgood (Companion of Elder Vazquez, sleeping on the floor.)
Had no part in this really, but this night he was sleeping on the floor by Elder Vazquez's desk (because there are only three mattresses). He does, however, get up and get ready much more quickly and readily than the rest of us.

Well, we were stuck. Keep in mind that there is also no electricity in the house, so we have no light. Frantically, we emptied Elder Vazquez´s desk, but found no trace of the keys. We checked the floor. Nothing. We checked underneath the AC and the beds... but nothing.
Well, we were stuck. Keep in mind that there is also no electricity in the house, so we have no light. Frantically, we emptied Elder Vazquez´s desk, but found no trace of the keys. We checked the floor. Nothing. We checked underneath the AC and the beds... but nothing.

We were already quite late. As we hastened to find a solution, Elder Vazquez managed to find an escape route through a window (ripping his only unripped pants in doing so), just big enough for him and I. Elder Estrada and Elder Thurgood were trapped inside the house. We agreed that Elder Vazquez and I would go to the meeting with the Mission President as Elder Thurgood and Elder Estrada would continue looking for the keys.

We arrived late to the meeting and our cell phone battery died (because we couldn't charge it at home), so we couldn't keep in contact with our poor, trapped companions. Fortunately, after the meeting and a bit of charging, we recieved the message that our companions had found the keys to the house, and they were waiting for us at our meeting place for lunch.

We didn't know where the keys had been until we arrived and sat down. What had apparently happened is that Elder Estrada and Elder Thurgood had cleaned the entirety of the bedroom, taken everything out, and put everything back in. After failing to find the keys after all of that, they decided to take a nap.
Elder Estrada began to question Elder Thurgood about his missing 100 pesos (a mere measly 5 U.S Dollars), because it was all that he had for transportation money and he believed that Elder Thurgood had his misplaced money.
Defiantly, Elder Thurgood said he did not have any of Elder Estrada's money whatsoever, and he would prove it by taking everything out of his pockets.

The first things he pulled out were the keys to the house.

We worked normally until our return home. Arriving, we encountered that the problem with the lights was merely that we burned a fuse outside of the house (that we didn't see) and all we had to do was replace it.

Tired, we all retired to bed.

THE REST OF THE WEEK
Went normally. How lucky!

So that's my weekly update for you. I love you, Miss you a ton, and hope that you are all quick to remember God in your daily lives.

Until next week,
-Elder Bowlby

Mom of a Missionary....Emails from Mexico...October 9th...I Love It Here!

I love it here.....

 Hello my beloved family and friends! It's me, once again.

​First off, let me just say that I love it here. The area is super nice. We're an hour away from the shore (and sadly I can't go there) but who cares! The climate is super fresh and it just happens to be my favorite temperature. The houses are all so nice and the people are friendly and there are tons of cats running about. A ton of cats! Like, on every block there's a cat.


 And, oh yeah, there's actual supermarkets here.
I have plenty of food options. I'm also eating more eggs.


We're still living with the other missionaries as of right now, and all four of us eat together with the members. Everybody cooks really well out here.
We're constantly moving in between one area and the other. Our area is a north of Tampico, in Altamira. We have a lovely little place to work out there, and we are in the process of getting our new housing in order. I am so excited because I love where we are going to live.

We do not have a lot right now because we're in the process of helping the other Missionaries with their investigators. We're working our way towards our own proper bunch of people to help. It seems that a lot of people here have distanced themselves from their religious traditions... but they still believe in Jesus, which is good. Our job is to help them strengthen their faith.

I'm very grateful to hear that you are all doing well, and that you're moving forward day by day. Keep up the hard work! You are wonderful. God loves each and every one of you.

Your questions answered:
Q: Have you tried any new food?
A: Not anything too cultural, really. There was a member who served us delicious grilled steaks and they were fantastic.

Q: Is it a lot of work to open an area?
A: More or less. It would be less work if we had our house.

Q: Do you ever get to talk to Elder Curran?
A: We still communicate more or less. I recieve his weekly e-mails and read them to see how he is doing. He probably is reading this right now. Long time no see, Elder!

Q: Do you ever speak english?
A: It is encouraged that we help the missionaries who are native spanish speakers to speak english.

 Spiritual Thought :)

Cuidese Mucho 😎

-Elder Bowlby

Our Family Christmas Letter 2017



                                                          
                                                                          December 6,2017



Dear Family and Friends,
     I hope this letter finds you healthy, happy and enjoying the holiday season.  This year has gone by so fast and our little family has had many changes.  So here is a little of what is going on for each of us.


Gabrielle:  Our youngest is a senior, she is at the top of her class academically and is applying to colleges in Utah.  She wants to go to the University of Utah and study accounting and Asian studies.   She still is very active in Karate.  She teaches every Monday and Wednesday and then does her class after.  She just earned her Red/Black belt.  So now her training intensifies as the next belt is Black.  It takes about two years to achieve the black belt at this point.  This summer she took a trip to Washington D.C. to learn about our country’s national security.  She had thought she might want to go into law enforcement, but has found that that really isn’t what she is interested in.  One thing she does want to do is travel, so she is hoping in the future to do study abroad programs. 

Jacob:  Last year at this time Jacob received his Church mission call to Tampico Mexico.  This was something Jacob always said he would do.  While there was a lot of preparation involved,  on April 18th we dropped our Son off at the airport and tearfully watched him head out on his first adult adventure. He will be serving for two years.  Jacob is growing and learning about himself and he is also serving the people of Tampico Mexico.  He has been in two areas so far.  The first area he was in was San Felipe Mexico.  It was a very small village, that did not even have a big grocery store from the sounds of it.   He is now in Bosque Mexico.  He and his companion are helping to start a new part of the mission area.  While he is having good and bad weeks, from his emails I can tell that he is really enjoying this experience and that he is glad that he chose to serve a mission.  I believe he is learning many life lessons that he would not learn at college.  If you would like to read any of his e-mails just contact me and I can forward them to you.  If you would like to e-mail him let me know and I can give you his e-mail information. He sends out an e-mail to friends and family every Monday .   I am counting down the days when we actually get to talk to Jacob; as of right now all we get is a weekly e-mail. Christmas will be extra special as we get to video chat with him.


Kimberly:  I have been working at Harmons grocery store for almost two years.  I had been a front end supervisor; this spring they had an opening in their accounting department and I asked to be moved to that position.  I have had enough of being a supervisor.  I loved learning the accounting for the store and really enjoy this new job.  I work less with the customers and more with the money and numbers.   My new job has better hours and a lot less stress.  I have had a lot of free time to work on some of my hobbies and am putting together some photography books.  I am also planning some adventures for Jim

and I when we become empty nesters which is not that far away.  I think I’m like my daughter- I want to travel.  Even if it is just day trips, I’m ready to see more of the world around me.





Jim:  Right before Jacob left on his mission Jim changed jobs.  It wasn’t a planned change as he loved his previous job and the people he worked for, but it was and opportunity that came to him and was just too good to pass up.  Jim now works for Sun Products, which is the second biggest maker of household soap products.  He works graveyard shifts, and fixes their printing presses and other machines.  Graveyard shifts are hard to adjust to and making it a challenge for him time to get the sleep he needs, but he does get 3 days off one week and 4 days off the next week.  We get to spend a lot of time together on his days off.   The extra free time also allows him to work on his old car project and help his friends with their old cars too.   This winter he plans on getting the house organized as he thinks it will be too cold to work on his car.  Jim went with Gabrielle this summer to Washington D.C. and while she was doing her weeklong program he drove up to New Jersey to visit with family and friends.  We are grateful to everyone who let them stay at their houses and visit.  We are hoping they get another trip out this coming  year. 
 We hope you are all well and wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
From,
Jim, Kimberly, Jacob and Elle.