Mom of a Missionary....E-Mails from Mexico...February 12, 2018

Stress Mess Mc'Bowlby

Heya, friends and family! It's me again, Elder Bowlby!

This week has been a rigorous training exercise of faith and might! Lets break! Into! The! Details!

So, my area is Purificacion (Literally translates to Purification, and I have no idea why the name). But it's a little section of Ciudad Victoria built directly on the side of a hilly mountain. It's a lot of hills and rocky pathways, and one colonia of the area is on the other side of the mountain, so to get there we have to climb on up and then climb down to get there. Long story short we haven't gone there yet.

I've been pushing myself to! The! Maximum! I'm working super hard (as I have not yet learned how to work super smart), and reaching for those goals! Reaching out to others! Yeah!

I also broke my own heart this week because we found this really nice couple and they invited us to teach them a lesson inside their home and everything and we felt amazing. We thought they were investigators but when we asked a member who lives nearby they said: "Oh, Elder! Those two are members! And they've been inactive for years because they didn't understand tithing!"

I am still recovering the pieces of my heart after what I thought was a family super prepared to recieve the gospel. I'm not giving up on them, though! We are going to pass by with the bishop and see if we can reactivate them and bring them back to the church.

Other than that, we have been knocking doors this week. Up and down and up and down, here and there... Elder Jensen is putting forward a lot of effort too. He's always so positive! I need positivity in my life because I'm so rough on myself.

But I cant be unmotivated so soon! I'm going to keep on chugging! Maybe if I do things well, I'll treat myself by buying some sort of brik-a-brak for my birthday :0

Please read Alma 13:27-29 in your spare time. It's something that I read this week and personally liked a lot.

I will see you later! Love you all loads. You are well missed!

-Elder Bowlby

Mom of a Missionary...E-Mails from Mexico...February 5,2018

So, you mean to tell me that was tap water?

​(The passage from civilization to the unpaved wilderness)

Hello, family! Transfers have arrived again. I've been changed to the area of Purificación and my new companion is Elder Jensen from Utah. He actually just came out of his in-field training, which makes me his second companion. He's a very good missionary from what I can see. He's got a big heart.

I'm the one in charge right now, though. It's going to be a bit of a hassle for me, I can tell. I'm going to see a lot of change in this six-week transfer, which means I'm also going to see a lot of stress! Yikes, I don't know if I'm ready for all of this. I'm going to have to get used to a lot of different things. I have to learn how to direct, lead, and teach without slack.

The good news is that the area has a super huge supermarket and a burger king so if necesary I can stress eat hahaha!

The mission president came to visit us in the last week, saying that if we're not having success, or if we're not getting along as companions, we have to work more! Yikes, that message is pretty clear. It's all good, though! My previous companion and I were satisfied with the work we did, so I just have to work it out and everything will be good.

We recieved a lot of thanks from the members for our work in Barrio Lomas. Looks like they're all really motivated to get out there and do the good work. We left a few families prepared for more missionary work as well.

My companion also informed me that I have drank Mexican Tap water more than once and I haven't died yet so thank goodness, I'm going to make sure that I keep alive.

Well. not much else than that. The bags are moved and situated, everything is in it's place, it's a new start all over again.

Thank you for sending your e-mails.

Love you loads. Miss you.

-Elder Bowlby

Mom of a Missionary.....E-Mails from Mexico January 29,2018

Hey! The mission is about change!

Hello, family and friends.

This week has been a strange rollercoaster ride. Finally, I'm feeling more abundantly the Holy Ghost, learning how to listen to him. learning how to be my own missionary... and wow! It's been a weird week!

In terms of missionary work, well, we finally invited investigators to baptism this week! It's been the first invitation I've made in three months! And it doesn't look like they were too interested because they didn't join us at church yesterday \uD83D\uDE10.
Perhaps they need more time. We're scrambling to find people to teach but it appears that we're still in some sort of rut. Granted, we're doing much, much better than before! We're putting an emphasis on teaching The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ because it's the message that makes our church different! 
Lots of other churches share beliefs with us (because they liked what they saw and took parts of our doctrine and put it in their churches, example, the belief that The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Ghost are three, separate beings). 
This is why we preach The Restoration and revelation and prophets, that the people of Mexico be not tossed about to and fro with every wind of doctrine.

In the meantime, I've been working on change! Changing who I am, what I can do, what I can become! The mission is the best place to change, because not only are we separated from the rest of the world, but we're living the Gospel in a way that is much, much more closer to Christ! 
The mission is like a cocoon! It's a stage of metamorphosis where we become better and, well, more converted to the Gospel! We enter as mere caterpillars and leave as... uh, butterflies? Well, not exactly butterflies but you get the point.

I've been hearing a lot about the changes that take place on the mission. One Elder told me that when we get back, if we haven't changed or make no effort to change, we come back three times more what we were before. 

Three times more pre-mission Jacob?? Oh no, I certainly don't want that. I was a lazy man that did nothing but goof off and play videogames. I don't want to be three times more of that! 
I'm keeping progress and track of some of the changes I'm feeling. I'm not going to be the same person I was before when I get back. You can count on that. 

So, I am a bit spooked for what the future holds, but I'll be sure to make the best of what I've got left! Yeah!

Love you all! Miss you loads, and I hope you're all doing great out there!

-Elder Bowlby

Mom of a Missionary....E-Mails from Mexico January 22, 2018

Ay, no puede ser!
Hola mis queridos amigos y mi querida familia! It's another monday.

It's a slow going here in our area. We've been working with a few families that have been investigators for quite some time... One family has listened to four different companionships! They've been in and out of recieving the missionaries for more than a year, and I am one of the priveliged missionaries to have entered into their home.

Because knocking doors isn't too effective in our area, we decided to prop up a table in the local tianguis (It's similar to a flea market in english words, where people from the town place an assortment of items to sell on their own tables and at their own prices. The word is pronounced TEE-YANG-GWEES). It's located in a small plaza near our house. We set up our table, decked it with church magazines, pamphlets, Books of Mormon, pass-along cards... and everything was for free! We gave away about 8 Books, a lot of images of Christ and temples... buuuuut nobody was really interested in setting an appointment for us to come visit.

I'm chugging on along in my progress towards being a better, more consecrated missionary. I'm trying to not beat myself up.

I don't have much else to say, so I'm going to say this:

I love you all, I miss you a lot, and if you have the chance; attend the temple more frequently, read something, learn something new, do something good in the world today. Don't be idle, because looking back on my idleness, I have a lot of regrets. Had I listened to my Mom and gotten outside more, perhaps I wouldn't feel that way \uD83D\uDE05 hahaha.

Please focus on doing a lot of good this year. I don't care how you do the good deeds, but what I do care about is that you go out there and do them!

Love you dearly. Miss you loads,

-Elder Bowlby

Mom of a Missionary....E-Mails from Mexico January 15,2018

Psst... The Gospel is true!

I've had a lot of interesting experiences this week.

I've been working hard to apply the following principles in my life.

Consecration: Exact obedience to the Mission rules. Gotta get out there and do the good work!

Daily Repentance: Okay I'm not always exactly obedient. I have my flaws. When I pray at night, I reflect on the day, repent of my errors, and strive to not let them happen again.

More meaningful prayers and scripture study: Talking with God should be something that is valuable and means a lot to you and it should mean a lot more to me. For that reason I'm working hard to show respect before the divine maker. I hope that better communication between us can help me become more consecrated.

WORK: Um, yes. I am working. I'm learning how to do things by my self!! You know, like, have a schedule. Talk with different people. Spend my money wisely (and maaan am I doing much better with that). Learning how to force myself out of bed in the morning, step outside and do some excercise (putting those boxing gloves to work), and then eating right. 

I feel like a hugely different person than when I left and I've got plenty more time to progress.

I've been talking more in the contacts and the lessions with Investigators. I'm trying to learn how to grab a hold of all the diverse operations of lessions and how to take desicions for myself and not just rely on my missionary companion... 
That's something really hard for me! My brain can't get wrapped around all of the possible outcomes, needs, and lessions that could go down with a person, let alone know what message would help this specific person progress. 

If there's any need for divine help, it's that! I really need to figure out how to make and take desicions and INITIATIVE! Hoo! What a task.

Little by little I'm working on it. People are telling me that I'm a really good speaker. I'm not so sure about being "great", but I always say what comes from my heart. 

We've been working hard and talking to everyone possible. It's a new goal of ours. I'll admit I'm not perfect, because I still have fears and lack initiative... but I'm moving forward! Not every missionary or person is the same.

So, here's my funny story for you. 
Saturday we get done with a really cool lession. We wave our goodbyes to the family and we get on our way. Walking home, a brother from the church offers to give us a dinner to take home. He's prepared some charcoal grilled hamburgers in front of his house and they're awesome looking. We box them up and start heading back home. My companion and I have a long conversation on the way back about how much we love the gospel of Christ and how we've seen the blessings of the restored gospel in our lives... and it's a long walk back home. I've got this hamburger in my hands and I'm so happy because our day went well, we've had a nice lession, we're talking about the Gospel... and of course, because I'm going to eat a nice, hot, hamburger for my dinner.

We're walking for more than 10 minutes in the dark. We're less than 3 minutes away from the house, and everything seems just peachy...

Until I trip on a rock and my hamburger flies out of my hands and into the dirt path.

I wasn't ready for that. Nope! The perfect day I had just had until that point shattered into a million pieces. I was incredibly frustrated because I was incredibly excited to have that hamburger dinner.

My companion still has his hamburger and I ask him to split it half and half, but he says that he'll only give me a quarter at best. At this point I'm pleading with him to share, but he doesn't budge. He offers to buy me a hamburger at a little roadside cart that's close to our house, and I humbly accept because It's in between that or nothing.

Well, as they're putting the burger into the box, my companion reaches into his wallet and realizes that he didn't bring his money... so I end up paying for the hamburger. 

It wasn't too bad or too good... but it passed and I get a huge laugh out of it now. It's like a cartoon story plot or something. Heheheheh...

I'd like to share a brief scripture with you all today. Something from my personal studies. When Alma and his people flee into the wilderness and begin to construct a city, the Lord finds it fit to see how faithful his people are in this moment. The scriptures give us a fine promise in verse 22.

21 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.

22 Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people.

23 For behold, I will show unto you that they were brought into bondage, and none could deliver them but the Lord their God, yea, even the God of Abraham and Isaac and of Jacob.

When we sin, when we make mistakes, when we do not follow the commandments and stray from God... we are putting ourselves into bondage. Spiritual bondage. When we suffer from disasters and difficulties, illnesses and ill-fortune... we suffer a more temporal, physical bondage.

Whether we have strayed from the fold or are merely passing through a time of trouble and difficulty... we are to put our trust in the Lord our God! The God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob! A God of freedom and a God of peace!

Who are we to say that he cannot help us or know our pains? Our God can break any sort of physical or spiritual bondage we face, if we but put our trust in him and his will, repent and come unto him in humility, and follow his commandments. Our God broke even the bondage of death so that we may be free. His arms are forever outstretched, and he calls us unto his love in this day as he did in days past.

I love you all. I miss you loads. Please stay strong and know that you are loved from on high.

-Elder Bowlby

Mom of a Missionary....Emails from Mexico..January 8th,2018

Frosty the Bowlby
We've had some freezing chills this week, that's for sure.

A cold front (no doubt from the United States) blasted through Ciudad Victoria this week, resulting in freezing temperatures throughout the early week. 

It was horrible getting up and going to bed, because the minute you pull off the sheets and blankets, it goes from lovely-warm-bed temperature to an immediate 32 degrees farenheit (0 degrees celcius). The houses in Mexico are not made for cold. They are not insulated, there is room for the cold air to get in at every interval, and the windows are single-pane glass. Basically it's a frozen nightmare if you're not prepared. 
Thankfully, the members have loaned me a very thick and big jacket to keep my stick-body warm.

We as missionaries have been doing what we can to find and teach. Our recently made goal is to talk with anyone who enters our path (and I am more or less at this because I'm actually quite timid (and I'm working on that)) and we've only had mild success.

No matter! I keep improving with every new experience. The gospel is wonderful! A cherished experience, this mission is! I always remember that when I wake up and the air is bone-chilling.

I had the pleasure this week of experiencing a very cool Mexican Tradition!
The 6th of January is "Dia de Los Reyes Magos" or "Day of the Wise Men". Basically it's the celebration of when the three wise men from the east found the baby Jesus. Makes little sense to me, but I'm not complaining nor saying that the tradition is bad. In fact, it's a good family-gatherer!

There's a baked good called "La Rosca". It ranges from cake to a type of sweet-bread (whatever you'd like) and there are little baby-Jesus figures hidden inside. If you slice open the Rosca and find a baby Jesus... Wow! You're quite lucky!

You also have to pay for the party that is going to be held sometime early February hahahahaha.

We split the rosca a good four times with individual families, and I now have a new collectors item...

I don't think I'm all that lucky)

The blue one is my favorite because it can stand up, actually. Here is is compared to a (large) glue stick.
So, yeah. That's been fun.

I hope you all are forming the habit of reading the scriptures daily (maybe it would even be a good new years resolution). I myself have been doing the same, and I've learned a lot. 
I've been learning about the Saviors sacrifice for us. That Jesus was foreordained from the foundation of the world to be the world's Savior and Redeemer, and that he God, came in the flesh for all of us because he loves each and every one of us and each and every one of you individually. He was willing to take upon him the bands of death and break them so that you could have eternal life and forgiveness of sins.

I love you all. Remember that your worth before the Savior is unimaginable, and you are loved infinitely.

-Elder Bowlby

Mom Of Missionary....e-mails from Mexico...January 1,2018

FELIZ AÑO NUEVO!!

Hope you all out there are having a great new year and are on the way to new and happy beginnings! 2018! 

I myself have been enjoying the time out here in Mexico. Last night we did stay up until midnight (a big mistake because I woke up incredibly tired), and all the night long we heard fireworks and other things of the sort looooong into the night.

The past week has been incredibly interesting. The cold finally arrived in Victoria... and I wasn't prepared. Oops! I nearly froze there. Good thing I've aquired a few extra jackets. Now I'm not so cold. Whew!

One of the missionaries in our zone became incredibly sick and went to the hospital, and I was working in a different area for about three days! It was interesting to see the diferences in areas and how they worked.

I myself am doing alright. New years eve we had carne asada (basically very thin steaks) and today we had carnitas (glorious pork fat and piggy goodness).
I've also set a few goals for myself. I'm going to work hard to not die this year! (like I do every year, really). I'm also going to try and be more patient!

Thank you for your support and love these past 8 months! I'm working my way towards the half-way point, and I've got a full year to give to the Lord!

Love you and miss you loads!!

-Elder Bowlby