Mom of a Missionary....Emails from Mexico...August 20, 2018

So you're telling me... I'm a combine harvester??



Hello, Friends and Family! Surprise! It's me again. Elder Bowlby.

This week has presented a new array of challenges and discussion!

We have had opportunities to preach repentance, to extend boldly invitations to baptism, and to work harder than ever before! We were able to fast with one of our investigators, and it went really well. He enjoyed the idea of a fast, and was able to do the whole 24 hours! We're going to see how he's going today.

The mission president came to meet with us this Thursday. He helped us understand our purpose as missionaries to invite the people to church and baptism, sanctifying themselves and helping them understand the doctrine of the sacrament. He notified us that we need to start stepping up our game, and talk to 20 people per day!! He showed us that we are like the blade of a combine harvester. We sort out the grain that is good from the stem that is not so good. I have a lot more work to do now! Woah.

...And we actually managed to do it! For one day, heheh. We need to still keep stepping up. The day in which we did it, we were quite successful.

We're moving forward! I'd like to share with you a scripture from my personal study this week: Jacob 1:7-8

7 Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to come unto Christ, and partake of the goodness of God, that they might enter into his rest, lest by any means he should swear in his wrath they should not enter in, as in the provocation in the days of temptation while the children of Israel were in the wilderness.

8 Wherefore, we would to God that we could persuade all men not to rebel against God, to provoke him to anger, but that all men would believe in Christ, and view his death, and suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world; wherefore, I, Jacob, take it upon me to fulfil the commandment of my brother Nephi.

The mission's goal is this: to invite and persuade others to come unto Christ, and leave behind the impurity of the world, understand the atonement, and follow Christ so that they can enter into the kingdom of God. It's not easy, but we're promised that if we work hard, we will be blessed in many ways, spiritually and temporally.

Take some time this week to read the scriptures and understand how they apply to you! You'd be surprised at what you will find.

Love you all, miss you! I'm always happy to read your e-mails. Thank you for keeping me posted!

-Elder Bowlby

Mom of a Missionary.....Emails from Mexico August 13, 2018

Working

Hello, Family and friends! Elder Bowlby here.

Working as usual. We're doing our best.

Not much has really happened this week. We have been going through the motions and it's been alright. Finding new people to teach, working hard and inviting the people to change their lives!

My posture has improved ever so slightly from all of this posture work I've been doing. I'm working hard to manage my money well too!

Well, just a quick scripture from my studies:

4 Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark.

5 For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.


We are to seek divinely given information, revelation for our lives and guidance for our decisions. If ask, knock, and search, and then receive the Holy Ghost (and what he tells us to do), then we will be aptly prepared to do what the Father needs us (and wants us to do).

Love you all! Have a great week, Stay strong and keep reading the scriptures.

-Elder Bowlby
These short e-mails home are hard.  I want to have pages, I want to know everything...And sometimes I just get half a page and have to live with that.  While the rest of the world dreads Monday, it is the day I can't wait for.

Mom of a Missionary.....Emails from Mexico August 6, 2018

Above all, the theme of this week is obedience!

Hello, my dearest family and friends! Elder Bowlby here.

There has been a recurring theme in the mission ever since the new mission president arrived, and that theme has been OBEDIENCE!

Basically, we as missionaries are to follow the rules as they are! Even if we don't understand... the rules are for our own good.

I'm applying repentance more and more for the mistakes I make day by day, and I'm focusing more on Christ during the sacrament meeting. I'm working on receiving revelation, and applying everything that I learn!

I'd like to say that I had a really interesting week, but not much has happened. It's the normal missionary work. I'm trying to find a balance with drawing, too. I need it to de-stress, but at the same time, I can't let it distract me from what is important. I'm working! (But also need to relax a little).

Anyways, I love you all! Know that your father in Heaven loves you and is watching over you all. You are strong! Remember that faith is also a principle of action! We have to act, and that's when we know whether our answer is of God!

Miss you!

-Elder Bowlby

My Weekly Garden Walk Week 14.....July 3, 2018. The Summer flowers are starting to bloom...

This is another afternoon walk.  So there won't be a ton of photos.

I love these Black Eyed Susans.

Looks like the bees love them too.

The rose garden.  Not many roses in bloom at the moment.

I think there will be a second bloom of roses at some point.

Looking towards the main entrance from the Vista mound.

I must like the Evening Prim Rose as

I have a lot of photo of it the past few weeks.

Not much change from last week. 

Hopefully my next walk is in the morning. 

G.G.

My Weekly Garden Walk....Week 13 b... A Short Hot Walk in the Afternoon...

All around the gardens they have potted plants.

Here is the weird tree flower plant in a big pot.

As I learn about the different plants I will be 

going back and putting their names in.

I just bought a book with flower information I hope 

to learn more and share soon.

I'm trying to take photo's of the same spots every

week so that I can notice the changes more.

If I walk in the afternoon I take less photos

because summer in Utah is way too hot!

The Black Eyed Susans are one of the 

star bloomers right now. 

There are also lilies everywhere. 

The flowers around the stream are starting to get bigger.

I like Cat tails.  An interesting water plant.

This is an interesting flower.

A rabbit in the garden.  He must be well fed.

I like how they used cabbage and other 

edible plants as part of the gardens.

This is the view form the stairs going up to  

the Vista Mound Garden. 

I think the plants are petunias and red geraniums.

Now heading towards the Fragrance Garden.

The stages of bloom for the Evening Prim Rose.

Looking towards the Italian Gardens.

What a beautiful orange color. 

I love this spot of the garden.

Sorry for the sideways videos.  I have figured out what I have done 

wrong with the videos so in future post this will be corrected.

If I had lots of money and a large garden I would do 

this carousel .  I just love it.  Although I might 

want a real carousel that you could ride.

I'm getting into learning about birds.  They are hard to get good photos of

because they don't stay still long, and are usually at the top of the trees. 

I thought this was a cool photo, I took the photo right as the bird decided to fly way.

The back side of the stream.

looking down the big hill from the main entrance.

This is an interesting plant. It was pretty far away

so I couldn't get a close up of the flowers.

Well I made it through a very hot walk. 

I like summer if I'm out in the morning, the afternoons

are a bit too hot for me.

Was there a photo you liked?

G.G.