Best week :)

Hey Mom,

So thanks for the package! and the letter. It's good to hear from you guys. haha I go onto your blog to find out what's going on with everyone. And thanks for answering my question about Lex by sending her emails out. She's tearing it up just like I thought.  Anywho. So this last week was long (just like I said it would be cause it's the first week of transfers.) So I think I'll just go through the days? I'll start off by saying that this was probably the best week (numbers wise) I've ever had in the mission. Our numbers were better than any other week I've had so far. For example. We've found 6 new investigators. Which hasn't happened in this area for a long time and the weird thing is is that everything we originally planned for fell through. I'll explain. So Monday was the usual p-day, but we had a lesson with a part-member family The De La Fuente's. The husband is not a member and Sis De La Fuente has been working with him for years and he's stopped drinking and is actually listening to the lessons and comes to church and has made great progress personally. Now we're just teaching the lessons disguised as F.H.E. but she wants us to extend to him tonight. So we'll see what he says! It'll be good either way. Tuesday everything just back flopped and fell through and got all twisted around. The only thing I remember is going to Bro Miller's house to do my Laundry (btw thanks Beecher for your help! and mom) but we invited the Spanish Elders to come cause their whole day was shot and Elder Barr (the one from Gilbert) got like food poisoning and so we made them come with us and had a good time. Bro Miller is the funniest gay person I've ever met. He makes anybody's day better. So Wed, We finally rode our bikes..(can I just say I miss Mtn Biking so bad??) haha I was finding everything possible to jump off of or over. But we went to try and contact these referrals that the ward gave us for another part member family (couldn't find the house, we did yesterday but no one was home) so we rode back and had another mile and a half left and my shifter cable just so happens to snap on me. calving I don't know how you took my bike apart but ha whoever put it back together messed everything up.. My brakes are even switched?? anyways so my bikes down again. that night we tried getting back in touch with Chealsea Wimer no answer so we tried a potential investigator that E. Peterson and I found a while back Angel. So we have a return appt with him this week. Thursday was a real good day, we found 3 new gators. we walked around trying to contact a former potential I found in January. Nothing. So I had to take a leak and so we went to the Dodge Dealership across the street. Ogled at some of the cars. (I really like the new Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, It's cool) anyways so we had planned to "Spirit find" down this one street. None of the houses felt good at all. So we were about to head back to the main road we came off of and this guy parked right on the corner and I thought his car broke down so I asked him about it and he just said that's where he usually parks. Then I realized I've seen the guy before. It was in a Marathon gas station we went into to get some things and he was just chillin there hanging out slapped my hand saying "Yeah man, Spreadin the word! Spreading the F***in' word!" I just laughed and so we talked with him and his buddy. I found out he's a drummer and his friend plays guitar (of course I related to them) talked music and shared a little about the restoration they said they were busy a lot and I forgot to ask for a number but we gave them both a copy of the BoM. and a restoration pamphlet and gave em our number. So hopefully we hear from them again. They had questions and It was an interesting lesson. It was more chill.. I don't know how else to put it. but they're both 19 going to college. so yeah then that night I we tried Chealsea again, not home. So I felt impressed to go try a former potential I found with E. Peterson Victoria and she we went and talked with her and taught her on her doorstep invited to read and pray and come to church (which she did) and she's pretty solid. Hopefully she'll get dunked. we found her tracting so maybe she'll be one I can claim in that category. Thursday I went and saw Dr. Sullivan. Elder Cornia and I love these drives cause it gives us a break. He's going through a ton of stuff (basically identical to what I did) and so is Elder Barr. (K E. Barr is like my twin.. haha he likes most of the same stuff I do. The three of us get a long great and will definitely hang out after the mission. Barr might fly home with me too) anyways so that was good. I realize a lot of my trials are there to not only stretch me but to also allow me to lift others up. If it wasn't for our friendship and support E.Cornia and I would have probably gone home. So he's a blessing. Friday the only good thing was that we had dinner and a lesson with Mike. He talked to us about more of his concers. And we are starting to work towards the 18th of May for baptism. Hopefully he can get over his concerns.. But he's awesome and such a great guy. funny too! Saturday was another one of those days where everything fell through and was long and not much happened that's up for reporting. Sunday was good. Had a good lesson in church that I enjoyed. We had 4 investigators at Church. Joe Hamilton, (the drummer) Ines De La Fuente, Victoria (had to leave after the sacrament was given but she said she enjoyed it) and Jennifer Davis.. (we picked her up as a gator at church! haha pretty cool) But yeah her friend who's in our ward has told her about the church and she came yesterday and said she wants to take the lessons! which is great! so we meet with her on Tuesday. So yeah our numbers were good and the Lord definitely delayed our original plans and knew the little things we'd do (like taking a piss) and placed people in our paths. Which was cool. The ward is gaining their trust in the missionaries. Which is so good. they've given a ton of referrals and everything. Ever since Peterson left the work has moved forward. It was a long and hard week but we've been blessed. Thank you to those who have written. I appreciate the letters. I swear this area is cursed cause everyone doesn't receive letters. So please send letters! Please write! K love you all.

Elder Derrek Bowler.

Oh and I forgot Sunday night we had dinner at the Billings. I absolutely love this family. We died eggs had dinner and laughed hard cause they brought their friends over from a different ward and it was just a good night. I painted the Columbus Temple on an egg and took a pic of it. and also Kaley wanted me to take a pic of her and her eggs. so that's what's included! K love ya.