HAPPY BIRD-DAY!!!!!!! MOMMA

<Happy Birthday Picture>

That is almost what I wanted to say...they didn´t have any cards that sad happy bird-day...so Dad sent me the next best thing. The big 47...I remember the big 46...and it feels like it was yesterday. I remember jess sent me an email with a pic of momma all glammed up to go out to dinner or something. Weird how I can remember that so easily. Time passes by quick, for number 48 I´ll be home and married...maybe I´ll just be home.

I´m glad that everyone is doing well. I forgot about the Olympics until we went to a member´s house and he was watching them...it was figure skating so I didn´t get to hyped up, but it was still pretty cool.

Well let´s just say that this week went by pretty fast. I think that this meeting made things go a lot faster for me. But twas a really good week. We were going to have a baptism this sunday of a little girl who we were teaching and taking to church, but her step mom told her that she was going to be catholic...so that sucked. It is kind of sad...you work to help a little kid grow up in the church and then that happens. But, I know that one day she is going to accept it, when she isn´t so influenced by people.

We also started our english course this saturday...it was a little interesting. So we had it all planned out, and me and elder sabin were going to sing the Scientist. So  our plans were ruined by the fact that everything went wrong (We didn´t have copies of the test for the people to take and our slide show didn´t work out and there were like 100 people there waiting). So to make the long story short, we sang our song, then, I messed around on the piano for 10 minutes, and then I tried to play Halleilujah, for another elder to sing...let´s just say,that I gotta practice a little bit more on the Halleilujah song. We crashed and burned. But it was alright, the people said that they liked it. Hahahaha wow, I must say that I´m learning to be a little bit more chill when it comes to winging it in the front of a 100 people.

But we also are having a lot of success with our investigators. We had this girl named Eloiza, who lives in a town about 5 or 6 miles away. So we invited her to come to church after the english course and she said that she would be there. So we get to church yesterday and there she was waiting for us. She said that she got up at 6 and had to hitchhike to town just to get here. Then she told us that she wouldn´t be able to go back until 8:40 at night, and she came here just to come to church. Man it was pretty awesome to see someone so dedicated. We taught her after church and she loved it. We are going to talk to her after school and invite her to be baptized. She is awesome. Also Jean is quitting smoking, which is cool, they didn´t go to church so that was kind of a bummer. Carla, also went to church, this girl that we are teaching. She already has an answer about the book of mormon and she is praying about being baptized this sunday...so pray that she gets an answer for me, because I´m praying like crazy. All in all, I´m doing great, I´m loving the mission and I´m happy to be here. Love and miss you all and hope that you have a great week. I hope that you enjoyed the email...I tried to put a little more time into it to keep you up to date on my life...hahahah.

Dear Diary….

This week was a little bit on the tough side. We went and did some splits with another district to try and help them out a little bit. We were there for two days in Cajazeiras, and lets just say that it is hot there too. It went well there and we helped the elders get a little bit more excited about the work. They are pretty happy now and had two baptisms this Sunday.

This week was a blur and that about sums it up. We worked really hard to have a baptism and nothing seemed to work out. But I´m learning that you can´t let it get you down. you gotta keep on working and keep on smiling. Life isn´t always going to be easy, but it sure is worth living. I´m loving Sousa and I´ll do better with writing...man I got to talk to a lot of people on P-day. Sorry, but I love you all and hope that you have a great week.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Justin's Apartment in Souza - Pic of Elder Sabin

So this week went by really fast, I´m talking like I don´t even know where it went. We are working really hard to help the zone get pumped up and excited to work. Sousa, is a sweet city. Hot, but man, we are finding people to teach like no other. We have some baptisms lined up for this week. We were working like none other to have one this week, but everyone was traveilng or wasn´t ready. Oh well, this week is going to be stellar. 

I really like it here, I´m excited to see what happens this month with the zone, I´m feeling like we are going to baptize the whole city, so that should be pretty cool.  I´m going to send some pics of the  apartment to you all. Love you all and hope that you have a great week!!!

The Land of the Dinosaurs

Well these four days went pretty fast. I pretty much spent them trying to figure out where everything is my area, but it was a pretty good week. We have a really good area with some awesome leaders, I´m pretty stoked to see what goes down here. But yeah, this week is going to be a good week. We are working with a family that is pretty awesome. There names are Paula and Jean (Jean is the man...don´t ask me, it is a man´s name down here) But, Paula wants to be baptized, but Jean is feeling a little scared. It will all work out in the end, they´re great. Our Branch President is pretty crazy, he´s an awesome guy who loves the missionaries. He is helping us out quite a bit and giving us a lot of things to do. So we´re going to do it.

Other than that things are going pretty smoothly. Elder Sabin and I are getting along well. We spend a lot of time laughing, which is a good thing, not during the lessons of course. 

I´m glad to here that everything is going well at home and that everyone is happy and dancing!!!!! Maybe I´ll throw a little dance party today...seeing as it is p-day hahahhaha. I love you all and I just want that somebody eats a hamburger for me...I´m missing BK a little. Have a great week!!!!!!!!!

Welcome to Souza!

Well I don´t know if you were knowing, but I was transfered to the city of Souza. I must say that it is a pretty cool city and I ´ve heard that there is like dinosaur stuff here....that should be cool to see one day. But yesterday I didn´t email because I traveled all day. I got here in Souza at 9 o´clock at night...yep it was a long day. But my new companion is Elder Sabin. He is from Washington and  he is a stud. I´ll send the pics of the apartment that I´m living in...I must say that it is sweet.

But I was a little sad to leave Assú, we had some awesome people that we were going to baptize this week and now I won´t be there to see. It is tough to leave an area that you love, you feel like you are leaving home all over again. But they are going to send me the pics, so I can´t cry about it too much. But I´m doing a lot better...I lost some weight because I was sick, but I´m going to get it back. Elder sabin is ripped and a giant, so he will help me get ripped too. But I hope that everything is good, and that everyone is happy!!!!!! I love you all and I will tell you about what went down next week. I don´t have a lot of time. LUVS

Well Here We Go Again.

 Well this morning during the weekly planning session I recieved the notice that I was going to be called to be Zone Leader. I had the same feeling that I had when I was being called to train. I thought "Oh flip...I´m not ready for this at all." But I´m learning that throught the Lord that we can do whatever he calls us to do. It may be hard, but we can do it with Him. I must say that is an important lesson that I have learned in the mission, to trust in the Lord. 

This week we had a baptism. His name is Marciano, and he is pretty much a stud. We talked to him this week about his baptism and he said "I´m so excited for Sunday, I just want to go to church again." It is awesome to see that really there are people who are waiting for us to find them and help them come to know the truth. I´m a little sad that I´m going to leave Assú, it is getting a lot better now. But, the Lord needs me where he needs me. 

I´m missing you all and hope that you all know that I´m better now and that I´m happy. I Love you and have a steller week!!!!!!

Well Here We Go Again.

 Well this morning during the weekly planning session I recieved the notice that I was going to be called to be Zone Leader. I had the same feeling that I had when I was being called to train. I thought "Oh flip...I´m not ready for this at all." But I´m learning that throught the Lord that we can do whatever he calls us to do. It may be hard, but we can do it with Him. I must say that is an important lesson that I have learned in the mission, to trust in the Lord. 

This week we had a baptism. His name is Marciano, and he is pretty much a stud. We talked to him this week about his baptism and he said "I´m so excited for Sunday, I just want to go to church again." It is awesome to see that really there are people who are waiting for us to find them and help them come to know the truth. I´m a little sad that I´m going to leave Assú, it is getting a lot better now. But, the Lord needs me where he needs me. 

I´m missing you all and hope that you all know that I´m better now and that I´m happy. I Love you and have a steller week!!!!!!

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.

Back to Natal we go....

 Well this week I went back to Natal to renew my visa and stuff....I was there a week ago. But, it is all good because now I get to stay in the mission. But, I don´t like busses that much.

In other news, my ward has about 45 people that are going. It is a little on the low side for a ward, but we are going to change that. It is hotter than hades here, but the people are really open and like us a lot. Our apartment is almost in the center of the city and we work the north part of town. It is a good area and there are a lot of people who are willing to listen to us.

 I´m hoping that we get this area rolling and that we can help in every possible way. Keep praying for me...because I´m going to be needing it. Love you and and happy THANKSgiving. Take some pictures for me!!!!

SUPRISE!!!! You just got transfered

Well yesterday at 9:20 I was there planning. And then all of the sudden the DL called and said that I was going to be transfered. Not being the first time that they have tried to pull something on me like this I was like "Yeah, you guys are fat." Then the assitent called me and told me that I was being transfered...I didn´t call him fat, I went and packed.

So now I´m in Assú...which is part of the zone Mossoró. Man I forgot how hot it is here. But, I´m here because the Lord needs me to be here. I´m a little whooped with all the traveling, but we have some good work to do here, so I´m stoked.

We did baptize Kátia this week, it was pretty rad. I´m going to send the pictures here in  a bit so that you can all enjoy them. I´m a little sad that I didn´t get to stay in my other area, I was starting to really get into the swing of thing. But as I say, "it is what it is."

It is crazy that Thanksgiving is aleady upon us...I remember the last one you went to Black Thursday and didn´t like it...weird how I remember that. But I´m sure that this Thanksgiving is going to be awesome, next one I´ll be there, wow.

But as I was transfered I didn´t have today to go get my package...so I´m going to wait until december...I can do it hahahaha. I love you all and know that I´m doing great...a little tired, but I´m good. Have a stellerific week.

Don't Give Up!!!!!

 Well we finally baptized Lana! YEAH BABY!!!!! We have been trying to baptize here for about two and a half weeks and finally everything worked out. I must say that it is pretty awesome to see someone gain a testimony and be baptized. It is awesome, nothing is better.

This week we are going to baptize Kátia, so that is going to be awesome. The work is starting to move forward and the ward is growing. It is flippin´awesome to see. I didn´t really plan my time that well today so this email is going to be short. Know that I looooooove you all and miss you. Have a great week.

Aqui e todas as moças da ala! Lana está na macacão

Here are all the young women of the ward lana is in white of course!!!!!

Real Men Cry!

So this week was the week that I cried like a baby in Sacrament meeting. But, I´m going to tell you why.

So this lady, her name is Eliane, had surgery on her back and she is having a lot of difficulties and a lot of pain. She is like a mom for the missionaries and is super sweet. So we went to visit her and she was laying down and said that she is having a lot of pain and is trying to re-learn how to walk. So this Sunday, lo and behold she was there for testimony meeting. She had to have two people help her walk up to the front and when she got up there I don´t really know what happened but I started bawling like Ashley when she watches Pride and Prejudice. She just made me remember the sacrifice of Chris how she didn´t have to be there but she did it. Just like how He didn´t have to suffer, but he did it because He knew it was right. I was going to try to bear my testimony too about the Savior, but I like to keep my image as a strong tough missionary. I can´t have all the Young women and Young men messing with me. But yeah, It was a flippin´awesome sacrament meeting.

Also, we are working with these two girls who want to get baptized. One is lana, (the girl who prayed and is going to get baptized on the 9th). She is super awesome and ready to be baptized, the only problem is that her grandma doesn´t like the church. The grandma even asked the members of the church to pray that Lana wouldn´t get baptized...yeah. But, Lana is going to talk to her and tell her why she wants to get baptized and bear her testimony about the BOM. She knows that it is true.

But the other girl´s name is Katia (Cot-chee-a not cat-ee-a, just to help dad say the names in portuguese) But she was a reference from a member and we went there and were teaching the first lesson and I was talking about Joseph Smith and I was like " So have you ever prayed to God to know which church to join"? and usually people are like "Nope, but that is a great idea." But Katia was like, "Yeah, I have." I was like, "Oh no...here we go." So I asked "Did you get an answer"? and she was like yeah. I think that is when I began to sweat and pray at the same time. I then asked "Well...what was your answer"? and she was like, "I want to be a member of this church." Needless to say I about flipped out because it was so awesome. She is reading and praying and going to church, just proves that there are people out there waiting to hear the message and accept.

But, next week I´ll be sending the pics of the baptisms, and some pics with all the goodies that you sent me! Hope all is well in the winter wonderland. Drink some coco for me!

Justin

Switch It Up A Little

Well this week was a little on the crazy side, the other Elders left a little bit of work for us to do and I kind of got burned with not planning very well. So that left our baptisms a little on the weak side and they said they wanted to wait a little bit more. I learned that planning is important, but we´re going to do a lot better this week with planning, so that they feel more comfortable. But yeah that about sums up my learning experience this week. Also I forgot to tell you last week that I was called to be a DL, so that flipped me out a little bit, but it is all good for now.

But this week is Halloween, it will be weird to not have all little kids in costumes here asking for candy, but I think that I´ll live. Hope that all is going well with you guys, and sorry that I didn´t write much this week, I´ll do better next week.

Love you all!!!!!!!

Elder Bowman 

From 6 to 2

Well this week was transfers and our house was reduced from six missionaries to two. It´s weird how quite it is at home now, and I´m thinking that it is going to be a lot cleaner too. But, I miss my buds, but you know it is life and you have to move on sometimes. I stayed with the same companion, my kid Elder Olivera, we are pretty pumped to go to work and baptize like none other down here.

But we had two baptisms this week. Maria and Marilia are their names. Maria was a catholic girl who we taught a little bit but then we cut her because she didn´t want to pray about the book of Mormon, but her boyfriend didn´t get discouraged and he helped her with her doubts and she was baptized this Sunday (By him of course). But the other lady is the mom of one of our baptisms. It was one of the coolest things for me to see because she smoked and drank, but after we baptized her son, she slowly just stopped doing those things and went to church. And we hardly did anything to help her stop, the Lord just changed her and she was baptized this Sunday too. Really the Lord can change the hearts of the people. This gospel has the power to change our desires and turn us into who God wants us to be. It was a great experience to have and to see.

Yeah, this week we have a girl who is going to get baptized. We have been teaching her with one of the converts and man, it is awesome to see the testimonies of converts. It makes you feel so good to be a part of the Lord´s work, there is nothing greater than seeing people change for the better. Hope that all is well and that everyone is happy!!!! Have a great week y´all (That was for Whisker).

Love you all to pieces
Elder Bowman

Miracles Really Happen

Man this week was awesome, we baptized Baltazár. He gave us a few more details on the story that he told. He said that he didn´t go to any church for like 6 years and that he didn´t accept visits from anyone, not even his friends from the chuch. But, he was missing something, he said. So he prayed that God would show the way for him, show him were he should go. Three days later we showed up at the door looking for someone else. We talked to him a little and invited him to come to church and he promissed that he would be there, (Let me just say that no one ever says that down here). He got baptized yesterday...man it is crazy how things work. Just goes to show that really the Lord is behind His work and that there are people who are looking and praying that we show up at there door. I learned a lot this week. from that.

We´ve also taught this one lady, who is really catholic, but her boyfriend is part of the church, and this Sunday she told us that she´s thinking about being baptized. So really, it was just a test of patience for us. We´ve had a few tough weeks, but the Lord is blessing us now.

I hope that all of you are happy and that school is going well for all. Love you to death and miss you to death too! Have a sweet week and I´ll talk to you next Wednesday (Transfer is coming up).

The school that we use for church on Sunday

Baptism Baltizar

Conference​, I must say that it was a good one.

Well, conference was probably just as good for you all as it was for me. I was watching as a missionary and was stoked that there is a big focus on missionary work. I can see that really things are going to start changing here shortly and that we are going to see the work of the Lord accelerate like a Ferrari on the freeway.

It was a little bit stressful this week running around talking to everyone and seeing if they could go, but there is nothing better than having it pay off in the end. We took this guy there and he was pretty impressed with what he saw. We are going to pass there today to talk a little bit more about conference and the prophet.

But, everything is going well here. I´m kind of stunned that I´ve been out a year...it seems like yesterday I was flying to São Paulo and trying to sleep on the flight that would never end. And here I am one year later...time passes too fast. But I´m glad that you are all doing well and that everyone is happy. I love and miss you all and hope that you have a great week. Know that I´m eating well and that I´m happy (I could use a little bit more sleep...but 8 hours is good hahaha).

Elder Bowman

Wow, that was totally inappropri​ate.

Well this week went okay. We had a bunch of people lined up to go to church, but the majority didn´t go. I got a little frustrated, and was a little bummed the rest of the day. But, I´m good now, ready to go to work. The thing that we should remember is that we are helping people change their lives, and change is never an easy thing. But we have the Lord on our side, and that is where we can find our strength. The other companionship in the ward baptized yesterday, and I was pumped for them. They are a great example to me of how to work. I´ve been trying to follow in their footsteps a little and I´m seeing the changes happen.

But yeah so I´m sure you are all wondering about the title of the email. So Elder Oliver and I were sitting outside of our house waiting for the other companionship to get home (We don´t have keys to our house....it´s complicated). But this lady walks up to us and asks us about the church...and to put it nicely she is a little crazy, but to put it truthfully she talks to herself in the street. We are talking she has conversations with no one. So anyway, I tell her she should go to church and she said no. She then goes to the other part of the road and asks if we can break the law of chastity...but she doesn´t say it exactly like that. I just sat there dumbfounded and Elder Oliver just starts laughing. I must say I must say I almost died of embarrassment, there were a lot of people in the street...but we told her we don´t roll like that so I think it is all cleared up now.

But, I was digging the pictures of you all, I showed them to the other Elders and they said that I have a crazy family...and I agree, my family is crazy good. This week is going to be a good one, I´m feeling it. I hope that you all enjoy conference weekend. Love you all more than Honey Bunches of Oats (and that is saying a lot if I do say so). I´m praying for you all.

Elder Bowman