Christmas has come and gone...hello 2014!

Well this week was a very special week. It was the week that I got to talk to my family and see their smiling faces and hear that everything is good at home. I loved that.

This week we had a bit of a problem finding people who really wanted to hear the gospel and make the changes in their lives to be happy. It is a little tough sometimes, but you have to keep looking to the future with hope. I thought of Alma when he went and taught the people and they rejected him. He got sad, but he didn´t let that sadness stop him from continuing the work. We can´t let the things that happen deter us from trying in the future. Just because we had a bad week doesn´t mean that they are all going to be bad. I have faith that this week is going to be a lot better, we just need to believe.

I love you all and wish you all a happy new year, drink some egg nogg and eat some cake or something for me!!!!! Luvs, 

Elder Bowman

Christmas Time!!!!

Well this week was pretty nuts. We went to the Christmas conference and I must say that I learned a lot about how to be a better missionary. We talke about how we need to sacrifice, but in the right way. I liked it a lot because sometimes we think that we are doing a lot without doing anything, we need to really look deep down and see what we need to give. The food was also a nice little plus.

We had a baptism this week!!!! Which was quite the miracle seeing as how I got sick and stayed in the house for two days...yeah I didn´t like it that much. But, the Lord blessed us with His help and everything went smoothly. It is sooooo nice to baptize again...it has been a while. We are going to work hard now to baptize every week, our mission president is telling us to go and get em so yeah...we are going for it.

I´m really excited to talk to you all!!!!! Ash and Lyle are going to have to be there in spirit, but I know that they are all happy and stuff so that makes me happy. It has been a long 7 months without calling home....missing your smiling faces. I think that you are all going to have to help me with English because man it is getting pretty rough down here with only Portuguese every day...hahaha but it should be fun.

Funny Story this week: So Elder Fernandes and I were walking down the street I was in the zone where I was there, but my mind was totally wasted. So he decided to be a funny guy and pull a little joke. So he looks behind with a very serious face and starts to say something. In my mind I thought...we are going to be robbed. Never in my life have I reacted so quickly I began to run at the speed of sound down the street, to look back and see that he was dying of laughter...yeah I smacked him and told him he was dumb...but I laughed pretty hard too.

But Merry Christmas, I love and miss you all and hope that you are all stoked and excited because I sure am. Luvs

Well the Power Went Out....

Hey family sorry about just leaving in the middle of the email, but the power went out and that kind of ended email time. But, yeah as I was saying this week was a little on the rough side. We didn´t have anyone come to church, which is always kind of a let down. You work the whole week and then it means nothing in the end. Oh well what can you do? Just keep on doing your best and that is it. We´re going to work on helping people see why we are there, not just to be friends, but also to help them be baptized. I think that it is going to work.

I´m really excited for Christmas and I hope that you are all also. I was thinking about it for the first time the true meaning of Christmas. You think about these types of things when you don´t have your family close during the holidays. But it hit me that really christmas is about Christ, really without him we wouldn´t have anything to be happy for. But because of him and his life we are able to be happy and have our family forever. I´m grateful for all of you and love and miss you. Keep praying for me because I need it a lot.

Love you all,

Justin

There is Sunshine in My Face Today!!!!!!

Well family I hope that everyone had a great thanksgiving!!! It looked liked it was quite the party with pies and plenty of good times. I forgot that it was Thanksgiving on Thursday and I was walking in the street about five o´clock and I was like, "Oh...today is thanksgiving" I told Elder De Paula and he was like " What the flip is THanksgiving." I just want you to know that I´m thankful for all of you.

But this week went well. The area is starting to move a little. I´m getting used to the people and the heat...kind of. But we have a good teaching group and I´m excited to see how this month goes. I think that we are going to have a lot of success here.

Funny story this week: So sunday, we had to go to a meeting in the ward but I left my paper at home. So I head back home to grab the paper and the door is locked...so I think to myself..." I can get through the window." So I hop up there to slid on through and I realize that it is hard to slid through the windo when you have all your weight on your leg. So I started yelling for Elder Fernandes to help me and he just sat there and laughed. But, eventually he helped me out and I learned my lesson with a bruised leg.

I hope that everyone is happy and that all is well. Thanks for all the prayers that you are saying for me and for all your love. I´m glad that I have you for my family. Love you and have a good week.