Hey Mom, And everyone else!

 

So thanks for the letter and all that and I will try and print it off later. and I'm glad everyone is doing well. Why did the missionaries come looking for me? That's strange but whatever. This week has been a little crazy.. ha and it feels like it's been such a looonngg week... I don't even know where to begin... Or even what exactly happened. I hardly even remember yesterday. It doesn't help that every day is basically the same so it's hard to pick out things that are different. I need to get into journal writing to get all that sorted out haha. Maybe one day. So in my planner I wrote down stuff that I wanted to talk about so let's start with those. First off Halloween out here is all sorts of whack. (And it feels like that was forever and a half ago...) But they call it "Beggars Night" out here and they do it weird. No one really went trick or treating in my area on Wednesday but it all happened on Tuesday. They do it on different days, during different hours, for every different area. or city. So ours was on Tuesday and It was cold and bitter and was raining in flurries. That dumb hurricane made the first part of the week miserable and we got some fun weather cause of it (speaking of the Hurricane, Tyson Ware (his dad is the ward mission leader and his family is so cool) the kid who just got home from his mission in St. George right when I started mine showed me a picture of New Jersey and the streets all flooded and a shark just swimming around... No big deal.. I miss the dry weather cause it's bone-chilling (now I know what you mean by nasty Grandpa, and it's not even winter yet...) to where it doesn't matter how many layers you have on you're still cold in some way. But I got through it with a positive attitude and made it fun. Yes I would still yell out "THIS SUCKS!!" but it'd be in a laughing way. That's just me and it still sucked. But Wednesday we had to take a "Bike day" and Elder Wheadon didn't have a tube in his tire so we walked, in the cold and it was sleet and bitter, and I found some coats and stuff in the closet left behind by some previous elders and who knows what is in all these things but they're old but I was cold so I used it. We're walking out and decide where we want to go and start heading out. Now the way I got through it was with "Wife points." The more you stick it out through crappy conditions or situations you get wife points that make your future wife hotter and more amazing haha so that was fun and actually helped a lot. You minus points when you drop your scriptures or PMG or stuff like that (like she gained 10 pounds) so it's just more fun haha. I was cold and it was bitter and I probably got frostbite on my hands and ears and nose, but elders who serve in Ohio where it's nasty cold and miserably hot and humid during the summers end up with the best wives :P :D haha so I'm set ;) as we were walking I had the impression to stop at a house.. Ha dumb idea. But wife points :) this guy has heard of us and he told us that we believe in a "fake" Jesus Christ and that Jesus was a book (Bible) and that the BofM is a load of crap etc. etc. Ha the things people say or think. Everyone is part of a religion basically in some way or another and so everyone is taught a bunch of weird crap. I never really get discouraged. I usually say something blunt and funny to laugh it off. Like this one lady who we stopped and talked to who smiled at us and said I already know I'm saved and as we're walking away I said "Ok crasy lady, see you in spirit prison" (in my awesome latino accent! :P)  and stuff like that haha I don't know why it just comes without thinking but it helps and it gets my companions to laugh too for a bit. We also went to the hospital to see a lady in our ward who recently had a stroke and is about to croak but she was asleep and I felt that I should go next door to this guy who I passed by. But I enjoyed talking to him. His name is Jerry Stevens? I think. But he's been through a lot and doesn't really have anyone but he has a ton of surgeries and stuff. But his doctor suggested he moved out to Phoenix cause it'll help him. So keep your eyes open for him my native relatives! We've tried to meet with Margaret and Raeyon but haven't had a chance to get in and see her. Her granddaugher, Ryan (Raeyon's mom) kept waving us off and she's also been super weak. It's sad but we're trying. I think I told you guys about Stina? The single mom with Camryn her stud of a son. (He's part black so he's already awesome) but we've had the chance to meet with her twice this week! She's freaking awesome and our second visit (first time we met this week) we went over any questions she had and made sure she was reading and followed up on all that. She's definitely been reading (she gets discouraged cause she has a hard time understanding it all [she never really read the bible and all] but that's Satan getting to her and she also said it's getting easier!) but we read 1 Ne ch. 2 with her and helped her understand. We answered quetions that she had from Ch. 1. (She totally highlights stuff and writes in the sides and writes quetions too!) So we did that and the Book heading through her off cause she was looking for things about a boat but that doesn't come till like 17 or 18. But she definitely feels the spirit and loves having us over. We went back again and solidified the Restoration and we brought Bro. Dotson (YM pres) with us and he helped out and it was great! We invited her to church but she backed out the day of. :/ oh well she said next week! we'll get her there and she does want to come so yeah. Friday we had to take another bike day cause some elders somewhere got in an accident and so everyone in the mission has to take a bike day... Not fun at all. suits are not meant for bike riding and neither is my bike meant for the flat land of Ohio. I should have just bought a Walmart Bike haha. The suspesion kills. and I swear no matter where you go it's uphill.. and I was low on air. So we biked around and I was peddaling harder than my comps but they were going faster cause their bikes are meant for this haha. My head is too big for that dumb helmet which doesn't protect crap but oh well. It's just funny looking with a dinky helmet, a suit, and a beefy full suspension mountain bike that's blue with purple handlebars and a monster sticker. Must be really entertaining for everyone haha! My butt hurts and I am so out of shape it's not even close to funny. But that bike day was the day we talked to the lady who is "saved" we were walking that area and dropped out bikes off at the Marker's house around the corner, It's a part-member family and Sis. Marker is the only active one. We're starting to teach her 9 year old son so we'll see how that goes. But she has 4 kids two in their 20's and an almost 8 and 9 year old. Her two older kids are lost, they used to go to church but didn't have the best time there and fell away. Alex who is 24 lives somewhere in Ohio for schooling. Lives w/ her BF (probably doing the cha cha) and drinks and crap. Cole who is 20 almost 21 lives at home smokes has a kid and his 24 year old GF lives with them. Their son Sylus is 7 months old and cute. They are an awesome family and I love being around them. Sure they're not doing the best but it's cool to be with them. I've only seen Alex once but I talk with Cole and Nikki (his GF) and Sis. Marker. They're awesome. And Cole just needs some help getting back and maybe he just needs a friend and stuff to help get him started and I found out how that might get started. Friday before we left I talked to him about music. He was wearing a shirt with a band I knew. Only one song and never really listened to it. But it got that rolling! We started talking about bands and concerts and he listens so some of the same stuff I do, And so does his GF (but I wasn't talking to her just Cole) but it was funny cause he didn't expect a missionary to know or listen to that stuff (probably thinks we all listen to Sesame Street and Mo-Tab haha) but he got excited about that so I will continue that convo when I see him next. I talked about how I loved playing to drums to some of the songs he was mentioning (BTW mom, I can't believe your selling my drums!! D:D: at least put some money in my acct. so I have something to come home to, Unless you really need the money then that's all good) but it was cool and broke the ice kinda more :) Ummm I'm trying to think of other things that happened. Sunday we went and made breakfast for a new investigator (heavy smoker, stains my clothes and hurts my head, If I'm going to get that much second hand smoke at least let me have some nicotine so I'm not just getting cancer with crap benefits! haha Just kidding. She doesn't smoke in front of us but it is so strong inside there.) but we made pancakes to try and get her to church, Totally didn't put two and two together. We knew that we were making breakfast, we also knew it was fast sunday, and we were totally fasting.. yeah ha not anymore. Oh well it was for a good cause. Another kid, John. showed up during the last half of preisthood! we met him on Thursday at out church for a Baptismal Interview. He was hanging by the opposite door looking suspicious, Elder Wheadon went and talked to him and he (like most people) thought we were the feds or something. He's 18 and lives in the apartments next to the church (super ghetto and a bad neighborhood, we lock up the doors as soon as church starts. and sisters aren't allowed to go in there haha) but he was all scared told him he didn't mean any harm or trouble he was just using the WiFi. Elder Wheadon told him we're missionaries and invited him to church and stuff, and he surprisingly came! and brought a 16 yr old friend who went to YW and loved that (she's only 16) nice kid and said he wants to learn more and find out God's path for him. We went looking for him the day after the interview and knocked on all the doors in that place and they probably all thought we were cops (they're all black and I don't mean that in a racist way just stating the facts) but they all stick out for each other and would point us to all these different houses and no John was to be found. We decide to leave and a cop pulls in as we're leaving. haha funny stuff. As for me personally I am hanging in there, and trying to get everything working to where I want to stay out and not struggle with all this personal crap going on. I stopped taking the Meds a couple days ago cause I feel they weren't doing crap and making my mind think more than it needs to. So I'm still in this unhappy slump. I'm talking to the President and his wife (she handles all the depression home sickness etc. the emotional medical stuff) but I haven't talked with her at all yet. Elder Snowden (another helper) came and talked with me so we'll see what happens. There are a lot of times when I just want to go home and forget about all this, to where I don't have to worry about this or have these problems in my life. But I'm not going to. I told myself to stay for at least 6 months, (usually when it kicks in for missionaries and things set fire) also because I know I have a ton of future missionaries behind me and I can't quit for them either (i'm not doing it just for them but it's helping me stay out here and fight a little longer) I've been given awesome talks and I'm trying my best and taking one step at a time. I gotta get going but I love you all and thank you all for the constant support and love. I am blessed to have that in my life. Keep on writing. Alec, Calvin, Write me. Tell me how life is going and how you're feeling about things. Ok?? Love you all!!

 

Elder Bowler

 

P.S. that night that brother Dotson came with us to Stina's afterwards we told him about companionship curls. (workout) which is you and your companion trade off a curling bar. Now how you do it is one starts, One. then passes it. One. Then back Two curls and so forth. all the way up to 15 or so curls, Then you count back down. and if you go to 15 it's like 200+ curls. and it hurts. going up at about 8. with 45 pounds. Now I did it in the morning with Elder Wheadon and Again with Bro. Dotson. so that day I did like 334 curls. Pretty awesome and it hurts. if you want a good workout. This will burn. haha but I'm not too sore, I just had to share it :P