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