Joe's Baptism...

Alrighty then! 

Time for the weekly e-mail home I know everyone is just so anxious to hear each week! haha JK. So this last week looking back has taken forever but gone by fast just like every other week it seems. We didn't teach a lot this week, most everything we had planned and set up fell through.  So honestly I don't have a lot to report for this last week. Our appointment with Tiffiene fell through cause her BF freaked out and stopped that. So we're waiting around to see what happens there. They don't even like each other they're just living together cause they have a kid together. But she did come to Joe's baptism though and the Ward Picnic we had on Saturday. (that was pretty fun) anyways. So she has finals this week but our member who has been working with her will keep on her until we can get an appointment set up with her. She's still super nice and seems to be happy on the outside which is good she's just going through a lot right now. We still keep in touch almost daily with Mike and see him often. He came to church this last Sunday to see me confirm Joe (I'll talk about the baptism last). We're going over there tonight and hopefully can get him reading the BoM so he can see the change that comes with that (That's right Mike I said it. [he now knows about the blog and reads it fyi]). We'll see what happens. Wednesday we went on this "24-hour" exchange with the Zone Leaders up in their area. I was with Elder Kujanpaa (Quoy-ahn-pa) When their up doing their ZL stuff they are just robotic but alone they're not bad kids. It was good and I enjoyed it. He's a good missionary. So I don't have much else to write about. We had dinner with several members this last week. Like bishop for the first time since I've been here so that was good. Friday we had Joe's baptism. It went really well. We went to the church at about 3:30 to help fill the font up and get it all ready. It wasn't as big of a headache as Allen and Timmy's baptism which I'm glad. The service went well. He bore his testimony and the journey he's been on and how it's been a 7 year journey. 2 years with the missionaries. So it's been a crazy trip. He noticed the change in his life. Like being clean and all that. It's cool. Sunday I confirmed him a member and gave him the Holy Ghost. My first "Ordinance" he asked me to do it cause to represent the onslaught of missionaries who's had to "deal" with him (I never really did haha) but also he said I was the coolest the missionary he's met. Which was really cool he said that. Yesterday we rode our bikes to hilltop to try a LA/PM family, the Bakers. We caught them as we were leaving so we only talked for like 10 minutes. Then we rode to the Skousen's house for dinner. They're a cool couple. No kids cause of reasons. But it was a good dinner. The food wasn't done so we shared the mormon message "The Will of God" which was something they needed to hear and it helped them out which was cool. So after that we went over to Bro Miller's house and on the way there my back tire (which in reality is Elder Cornia's cause it's his bike) went flat fast. We weren't to far from his house so we walked it and when we get there I check the tire and find this stick in the tire. I took a picture of it and included it cause it's big and in all my years of biking I've never seen this before it's crazy. So Spanish came and go us from there. Elder Peters is doing alright as a DL. He doesn't know what he's doing and he's not meant to be a leader. It's apparent and it's hard cause I feel like his secretary sometimes keeping him together. But it's all good. He's a good kid and it's good for him. Maybe it'll help him mature and such. But that's really all for this week! Love you all. Please write!

Elder Derrek Bowler.

K and the Pics are of Joe's Baptism. (his parents came and his brother too. They're not members so that was cool) Elder K and I after a split with a member up in their area. and the stick I pulled out of the tire.

K so this is Joe's family. Charlie (2), Heidi (wife), John (dad), Gwen (mom), Alex (4), Joe, Joe's Brother (can't remember his name, might be josh) and His father in law on the far right. 

Baptisms...

Dear Family,

Hey guys! Calvin you look good! haha Cute hair too ;) Question. Can you do the Pec dance yet? haha I finally can now haha it's pretty tight. So this last week wasn't too bad. Like I said I got a lovely cold about Tuesday that I'm still trying to get over. I don't think biking in the rain helped too much but hey it's what I gotta do. I've been good at taking medicine and getting a little extra sleep. It's been annoying more than anything. Mike took us to Burnzies. That Bar/Restaurant and I couldn't even taste the food. I was pretty mad at that. haha. So it sucks but all those investigators that we found a few weeks back have all dropped off the grid. We lost contact with Victoria. Jennifer got kicked out of her friends apartment and was throwing threats and all that fun stuff at her. So we won't be meeting with her anymore, everyone else we lost contact with so yeah. We found one new investigator. Her mom was a member when she was younger and she's looking to get into church. The Rosenvalls (member family) have been working with her. She's been kept in the dark from us because no one wanted Elder Peterson to teach her and mess things up. So it makes sense and I see why. Poor kid though. He is struggling with Elder Wheadon though which I knew he will but Elder Wheadon dies in May so yeah crazy it's been that long already. Anyways back to our new gator. Her name is Tiffiene. (Tiffany weird right?) haha Anyways she's super cool, Early 20's and can definitely see god pointing her down this path. We meet with her again tomorrow for lunch with some members that she knows too. The Rosenvalls are moving to Alaska soon and so we're trying to get more fellowship with more members in the ward. So hopefully that all goes well. Mike is still in the same boat. He helped us with our dry cleaning this past week which was much needed and the took us to lunch. I'm still trying to figure out what to do to help him, but it's hard when he's sitting on the back burner. We'll figure it out. K so I swear everything points to Baltimore..  We tracted into a guy who was wearing an Orioles shirt that was Catholic. but He's moving to Delaware in three weeks. I mentioned I lived with a friend who was from there and he was nice. Took a BoM and a pamphlet and told him there are missionaries out there too. Who knows what will happen but all I know is I'm more of a planter of seeds than anything haha I don't know. So after all that I really don't have much to report on. We saw Brother Miller a few times this past week, We got him back to church after I kept buggin him about it. It was funny cause he was like a celebrity cause he was everyone's favorite and everyone asked him to do everything (I think it's cause he's gay) But also Joe Hamilton is finally getting baptized this Friday! He told us yesterday and we're getting everything worked out this week so it'll all work out on Friday! It's been a long journey for him. Ha I've only been over to his house like twice. I never taught him. (most of my baptisms are picked up from other missionaries except for Allen and Timmy) But I talked a lot with him at church and I'm still excited for him cause it's been a long journey for him. He also asked me to give him the Holy Ghost. First time. it'll be interesting and I'll let you know how it goes! other than that I don't have a lot for this past week. We got Pebbles to do the Cinnamon Challenge and also eat these two juicy peppers that are hotter than heck from the Spanish Elders and filmed it. It was funny. He did ok for his first week as DL. He struggled with numbers. Ha he's just all over the place with a lot of things. Riding Bikes is definitely an experience with him. Good kid though and he'll learn.  The Pictures are for this week me bored doing the classic "duck face" pose. And this little fetus we found walking. I think it's a dog but Pebbles thinks it's a rabbit. I'll let you guys decide for yourselves. I also want to thank all those who sent out letters and packages (for easter and all that) I really appreciate you guys and your service for me and all your prayers. They mean a lot. Love you all! And oh mom, My toe is the same. I can't tell if it is a hangnail or not. I dunno if it's doing what Alec's toe was doing so yeah I don't know. I'll ask Sister Nilsen about it. And when you get his call. Call Sister Nilsen and if she doesn't answer call Sister Niu. Thanks a ton!

Love,
Elder Derrek Bowler.

Rough, but good

Hey Mom and Everyone else!

So basically Charity you're right about my mission. haha lot of ups and downs like you're little line graph. So last week kinda bottomed out on finding, (0 new gators :/). And there were just a ton of other things that made it really really rough. I guess I'll go through the days but I think the biggest thing is that it was conference weekend and someone else was trying to make it harder than I needed to where I wasn't able to fully get everything I needed out of conference. But I did like conference and there were definitely a few talks that I really enjoyed. I'll get there though. So yeah this past week was longer than I thought it would be looking back on it but I made it. So last monday we really only were able to teach Brother Delafuente. We invited him to baptism and he had several concerns and how he went through a ton of different missionaries and he's worried if he gets baptized like what will happen to him if he decided he doesn't want to do this anymore and then go back to old habits. He's a good guy and they're a great family but he'll take a little more work. We can't fully treat him like an investigator which isn't the easiest thing but we're working on it. Tuesday wasn't too eventful, we tried to tract a couple places but not a whole lot came out of it. We did however tract into a Wicken. I did get a weird feeling when she opened the door and when she told us what she was it made sense. She took a Restoration Pamphlet for her 12 year old Wicken daughter who doesn't practice anything but reads anything. Then we went and saw Brother Miller. That was good like always. Had dinner with some members and then had a lesson with Jennifer Davis (the girl we picked up at church last week) That was good. She's only 20 (I swear everyone out here looks older than they really are... It's gotta be the hood haha) But she said she wanted a lifestyle change for her and her son which is good and she wants to be baptized! we haven't extended yet but we will hopefully tonight. Wednesday we rode bikes (I borrowed E. Cornia's.. I hated it cause it's not mine haha) but we rode out to try and contact Nicole Snededger's kids out in Hilltop and no one was there so we tried to contact several other less-active or part-member families, with no luck. So we rode back and it was nice and windy (no matter what direction we were riding we had a head wind. It's nothing I'm not used to right Brando?? PS Freakin Paraguay?? DUDE!!! That's so SICK! Don't drink the water ;) haha Congrats on that I'll write you about that too later on.) So on our way back it wasn't too bad. I tried teaching Pebbles how to bunny hop on a bike and it was funny but good (haha this kid cracks me up, He is the goofiest, clumsiest, kid. He kinda reminds me of a more awkward less pissy version of Calvin (no offense bro. It's a good thing.). More innocent too. Fun stuff and makes all of us (Barr, Cornia and myself) laugh and helps us make it through the rough patches like this last week. (I'll get to that later.) Ok so Thursday we had a surprise Specialized training and we get there a little late cause the GPS was being dumb, but we walk in and President is just going off, He was not a really happy camper so they slowly tried to bring it back but the reason for the conference (as I found out later on) was because Elders were being dumb and two got sent home and that's the worst thing in Presidents eyes. (Disobedience and sent home for it) But he offers for missionaries to go home if they're not gonna work and etc etc.. So he's really buckled down and then Sister Nilsen and the AP's tried to bring it back but we all left mostly feeling like crap haha not really but yeah. Then I find out that President wanted to talk to Elder Cornia and Elder Barr... I was just distraught cause I've been trying to help both of them to stay out, Especially Elder Cornia and I called Sister Nilsen a few days earlier asking her to send The Continuous Atonement for him and she asked why and I told him a little (not much) about his situation and I know he's really been debating going home or not. and we've been helping each other stay out here. and even though there are days where I'm just done I know I won't go home. But still doesn't change the fact that I thought he was going home cause he said he's kinda given up on God and everything and I wonder why he hasn't given him an answer yet. I don't really know of a time where I've "received" a big ol' answer, but I guess I can look back and see little things being put together, so I guess that's what keeps me going. But still it's hard especially looking back at the beginning of my mission and how ridiculously rough and dark that was (which was unexpected) but I try to look for the Lord's hand carrying me through all that and there are sometimes where I can't see it. But I guess I have to go through my own personal bit of Gethsemane to understand just a little bit of what Christ went through not only for me but everyone else too. So anyways, Finishing Thursday, We dinner with the Altman's (crazy family but good) We had pizza for dinner, (which reminds me that we had pizza every single day from Wednesday to Sunday. haha people always say we probably always get pizza and I haven't but this week it all came to bite me in the butt haha not sick of it but my body hates me) After dinner we had a lesson with Victoria. We watched the restoration video and we asked her if she believed is Joseph Smith was a prophet and she said she truly does. We invited her to baptism and then she said she'd think about it but then we talked about conference, she said she'd come (she didn't, we haven't been able to get a hold of her but we're trying). Friday was the hardest day of last week. I thought for sure Cornia was going home, but we find out later that Barr was the one that got reamed by President (he's only been out two weeks.. poor kid) and Cornia got pampered. Not what we expected. But President was going off on dumb little things. (apparently he just got back from the airport sending those two kids home and wasn't in the best mood) So they're both staying luckily but next transfer we'll probably all get switched around which sucks. I also got a letter from a good friend back home finding out she's now pregnant :/ it broke my heart and Friday was just an overwhelming day. So we'll see what happens in the future with a lot of stuff.. We had a lesson with Mike (earlier in the week he told us that he's "slowing down" with investigating cause he wants to check out the Methodist and Lutheran church. which sucks but he'll get there.) we're still gonna work with him and he'll still feed us and take us places and will still learn. He's a great guy. I told him to add me on FB cause if he's not dunked by the time I get off I'm coming back to get him. But he told me "holy cow your brothers are huge! I hope they play football!" haha it was funny. So we finished Lesson 4 with him and will continue to keep in contact. So writing all this out last week wasn't too bad on the outside. Then again there were a lot of empty hours with stuff falling through and a lot of different feelings going on but I guess that's a mission. Saturday we spent all day, (noon till ten at night) watching conference up at the church. I really liked President Uchtdorf's talks. Priesthood and Sunday. Elder Hollands was super good. I loved that one. Elder Cardon? on Saturday was a good one and President Monson's talks were good too. There were a ton that I knew mom was getting good things out of. Oh and it was cool to see Elder Porter give a talk. He came to our mission not too long ago. So yeah. We had Pizza with members both those days. I got some stuff to help me get better sleep. (I'm out cold through the night but wake up feeling like a train hit me and it's just rough getting up in the mornings again.) This Ohio air has done something to me. I have constant crap in my throat and it's annoying haha. anyways. So I'm trying to get used to this new stuff. Elder Bell (our DL) just got ET'd (emergency transferred) and we now have the craziest kid in the mission now in our zone (he was in my district when I was in Hebron and this kid is ridiculous) So Pebbles is now our new DL and haha It'll be good growth for him. He's not a leader and so I help him out. It's no biggie. It's good for him. But I've helped him remember most of his stuff so we'll see how this goes! We just found all this out yesterday. Yesterday we tried contacting all the Part-members near us nothing happened but sore legs haha we taught Tithing and WoW to the De La Fuente Family. Gave their oldest daughter a blessing. Today we went to the temple which was good. I read the part about receiving our endowments in the book Continuous Conversion (ps mom I love this book!) if you could send out another copy I would greatly appreciate it. I want Elder Cornia to read one too. Speaking of which. Elder Barr and I "went for a run" on friday morning. We rode our bikes to walmart (3 mile ride one way) to get Elder Cornia some stuff for his birthday. He got some stuff from his family but we went and got stuff to lift his spirits. Just dumb little stuff that 3 year olds use but stuff that he did at home (like a plastic baseball bat and ball and plastic golf set) and some other stuff but it took quite a while and he didn't know it but we said that Elder Barr blew out one of his knees and we had to limp back haha.. We played it off pretty well, but it was definitely worth it. It was good to see him laugh at our presents. haha. So that's my last week. Thanks to those who wrote! I'm working on writing people. I know I'm overdue on a lot of people! I'm trying!! Sorry! but thank you all for your love and support! oh and I forgot, Yesterday Elder Cornia and Barr got t-boned by some dumb white chick who hit them and drove away. They got her plates so she's screwed but the nice 2012 malibu kinda looks like the Stratus just with a smaller dent and with operating doors still. It's just been crazy. We've had a couple of good moments. Like I said Pebbles is here to make us all laugh. Just with dumb little things that only he can do to make people laugh where originally it would just annoy people but since it's Pebbles you kinda expect it (like today we were over at Spanish's apartment and Pebbles some how locked their bathroom door from the outside.. and the way he tells us was just funny. hahaha I want to keep him :P.) So Yeah Love you ALL!  the only pic I have worth sharing this week is me in my dumb bike get up.. I hate the helmet with a passion. But oh well. So that's the Week!

Love, 
Elder Derrek Bowler.
PS. That's awesome Alec put his papers in! and that someone paid for his mission! Call Sister Nilsen when you get his call. Cause She'll call me and let me know :D THANKS! LOVE YOU ALL

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.

Staying put...

Hey Mom,

 

So I'm still in Westland.. but Elder Peterson did go. And my new companion is Elder Peters. He is an interesting kid. And he like.. copies everything I do. It's weird. But He's from Idaho and a classic little farm-boy. I'm still junior companion.. But I act like Senior companion. He is beating himself up cause he hasn't been in leadership yet.. Two things. One. He wants it for the wrong reasons, and two. He's just not a leader haha. I'm sorry but it's true. So I tried helping him out yesterday so he wasn't so down. He came out with Elder Peterson. So yeah.

Well Ever since E. Peterson has left the ward has been way more positive... He basically burned every single bridge in this ward. He is out in Zanesville with guess who?... Elder Wheadon. Ha hopefully that'll snap some sense back into that kid. But even the members who I even thought liked him.. hated him. It's bad but He's been out 16 months and hasn't changed at all. Maybe the last stretch will change him. Who knows. I did also find out at transfers that Elder Robinson. (a kid who came out with me) went home in January :/ He just couldn't handle it. And I totally thought he would. But the original C4 in my district are all still surviving. I've seen Elder Coughlan and Foster a few times and I love those kids. They're freaking awesome.

So the work is always hard around transfer time, and still being in this area is a little rough. I feel I'm in another rut and I'm just getting tired of getting in these. But we were able to meet with Mike a couple times and he gave us dinner on Saturday. He's still contemplating everything and still has the same concerns but he said he'll start thinking of a date soon which is awesome! I don't know what else we could do but still just talk with him and all that. But we'll see how it goes. Joe is still in the same boat. We're waiting for him to pick a date, Since every date we give him he doesn't want to do. It's taken him 7 years to get to this point so I'm not going to complain. I honestly can't think of anything to write right now. haha It's been a pretty mellow week. Last week was just a ton of appointments falling through. We've tried getting in contact with a couple potential investigators. but nothing great. Although we did receive like 3 referrals yesterday at church and have 3 pretty solid potentials. So we're going to try and contact them this week. Elder Cornia stayed which I'm very grateful for. There's a lot of lonely days and a lot of feeling completely alone as a missionary and you can't ever do anything about your situation. He is training and Elder Barr is he greenie. He's a really cool kid and actually entered the MTC on my birthday. and served for like 3 months in Mexico and had to go back for double knee surgery and last Monday he got a call saying he's going to Columbus. So he's a cool kid from Gilbert, AZ and has a lot in common with me. The spanish Elders helped us move a family in the ward that went from 9-2. and we're going to be losing 11 families in the next couple months. :/ oh well. It's life. I'm still hanging in there trying to figure out everything. This next week will be long cause it's the first of the transfer but hopefully time continues to go fast cause I need it. Love you all! thanks for the support! Also mom, Could you put like 12 bucks in my account so I can get laundry tokens? (I bought the protein stuff like you said I could) and also could you send out my Volcom Hoodie (then one I got from Heidi) and also my brown mountain biking gloves. Thanks! And Nana. could you send more tea please?? :D Or at least tell me where I can get it? Thanks A TON! I truly appreciate it! Love ya!!

 

Elder Derrek Bowler

So the pictures are of me and my bowling ball. (cause I'm a Bowler ;)) I found it walking around and in one of these dump of an old house in ruins.  It snowed last night.. Spring isn't going to come anymore. but we got like 3-4 inches.. Stupid Ohio. It's been a very long winter. But yeah :D Enjoy!. PS.. How's Lexi doing? She's coming up on her one month mark. How was that month for her do you know? thanks. Love ya!

6-month Marker

Hey Everyone!

 

So the reason I'm writing today is cause tomorrow is transfers. President likes to mess with our P-Day's all the time and this is one of those things now that Wednesday before transfers is P-Day. Kinda dumb but whatever. So I'm glad I wrote down what I wanted to say cause I hardly remember the last week and a half. Well first I just want to say that I finally hit my 6 month mark yesterday! haha It's pretty huge cause I remember thinking this day would never come. I didn't even think I would make it 4 months. I almost didn't with how rough of a start it was. But yeah I burnt a tie yesterday. We had the Spanish elders over to "celebrate" I wanted to draw my name in cologne (the only flammable thing we had.. at first..:P) but It was pretty anti-climatic at first. I soaked it in alcohol and cologne and it was a pretty weak flame and then it hit something and the flame got bigger (hence the pictures) then I took it out on our porch and E. Peterson found waterproofer spray. so I torched it up :) the apartment smelt so bad though.. haha It was funny though. But yeah! So as usual. Life in Westland is still pretty much the same. Finding is hard. A lot of walking. and the weather continues to be bipolar. So things out of the usual. We had one of our neighbors all pissed off at us cause we constantly call him a "pot-head" every time we walk in.. We never see the guy. and when we do we're nice. Yeah it smells like pot in our complex. but it's the people below us that smoke it. But holy cow. this guy was relentless. We baked him cookies and he just slammed the door in our face (nothing we're not used to) but we left it there with an apology note and haven't heard from him since. But that took up like most of our evening, trying to fix that out. So last Monday we did find a new investigator knocking around. which we thought was sweet, but that was all we found last week. We haven't found so far this week. We have a couple part-member families who are close to investigating. one is Chealse Wimer (a less-active 19 yr old) and her boyfriend Jeremy. Who is also 19. They have a 6 month year old. (who was born the day I went into the MTC.. Ironic) they are living together and we've been working with them. They are sweet to be around and we're trying to get Jeremy to start investigating. We've extended and he said he'll think about it. So we're going over tonight and we'll show him the restoration DVD and hopefully that'll get him. Last Tuesday we met with Dwayne again. We watched that DVD with him and it touched his heart. Which was cool. I almost didn't grab the DVD but I felt I should and I'm glad I did. Cause he has a problem with other churches and how they run they're tithing and how he's looking for a church just like Joseph Smith was. We told him how he can get an answer and it's through the feelings of the spirit etc. He did feel the spirit there though which was cool to see and we pointed that out. Then later that evening we taught Mike. We were going to finish the Commandments but didn't talk about that at all. We went over the importance of the Book of Mormon and testimony of the Restoration is. He still has his concerns. Which are kinda silly but they're real to him and we're still trying to figure out how to help him. Yesterday I tried to fast for him but woke up just feeling like crap and We tried to go see that gator we found last Monday, no answer. Car was there but no one showed. Then as we're walking by she drives right past us... So dumb. So I just wasn't in the right state to be fasting and it wouldn't have done any good really to me either. Plus we had to walk clear out to the east side of our area which is close to a 2 hour walk. It was cold and windy and just bitter. But we made it and it all worked out. Talked with a less active guy who's been convicted over 20 times.. Yeah we got a ride from a felon haha. Oh well we would have been late to dinner if we didn't and we're safe. Umm We've tried tracting several areas with no success. A couple potentials but that's it. We tried one on sunday and they were leaving just as we knocked and they just finished praying as a family and this black chick said. "Families that pray together stay together.. Now let's go to the Casino and win some money!" haha we were laughing cause it was pretty funny. So we are going to try again this next sunday. That same complex we knocked in the a guy who claims to be a witch. We'll just leave it at that. He was weird. Nothing too crazy though. He was decently nice. Just said he "prays to the same god, just different rules."  Then the next door was this little kid opened up, we asked for his parents (something looked wrong and we just said he's probably abused.. not really serious) but then we hear his dad just yelling and cussin. Came to the door. Said he's not interested. And then we hear more yelling.. Nothing makes me more pissed than hearing crap like that. Whether to kids or girls. It's not right. We couldn't get involved, but I felt so bad for that kid. I'm grateful for how the church views families cause a lot of people come from broken homes. It's just sad. Last Thursday Elder Porter of the Seventy came and spoke to us. He expounded on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how those 5 things need to be the core of everyone's testimony. And he tied the Atonement and our purpose into that. There are a ton of weird kids out here... Lot of young and immature faces. It's ok cause the mission has a lot of those anyways. Most of our leadership is those kind of people. Just Immature but kissers. But they're good missionaries. They just do really dumb things sometimes.. Elder Tolman, one of the AP's (who worships president [go figure] and acts just like him...) played the violin with a piano accompanying him.. Brandon. You're so much better and made this kid look like a fool. haha. He messed up a bit and it just didn't flow off his fingers. And I only care cause I've been around that for a while and know how it should sound. But yeah. Not else is happening. I was thinking the past couple days of good things that have come from my mission. (just trying to see some blessings in all the crap that's gone on.) And the biggest one right now that I'm thankful for is the people I've been able to meet and have in my life. Like Elder Cornia (he's going through a rough time. His girlfriend is acting the same way Lexi did and he's freaking out. haha but I'm keeping my eye on him but he's just struggling.) I hope I get to stay in this Area at least one more transfer. E. Peterson thinks he's going. He's been here since August, you never know. Monday we got to have dinner at a less active members house the Pauls. Jordan got baptized a year ago and Kara has been a life long member with extreme parents. He's 22 and she's 19 and they have a kid. They are super sweet and He's in a local band and has met basically all my favorite bands. It was cool. He's like "you're unusually chill for a kid coming from Utah" when he asked where I'm from. Cause he's gotten some weird ones that he's nice to but doesn't like. We'll probably have dinner with them every monday to help them out. They're cool. Then Joe invited us to come watch his band during practice. I played his drums and don't like electric kits, but they have to stay quiet cause of neighbors so everything is run through headphones. but it was cool and it was cool being a part of a jam sesh. I miss those days. But his kit was weird and was a little difficult. But we talked with people and the guitarist was cool he was way chill and related on like all this bands I know. It's cool. I love being able to relate with music. I miss it so much and won't say no to talking about it or being apart of it. Just like the guy who dubstepped on his mission, this is one of my things. I'm glad to be slowly getting myself back and not worrying so much on being a strict rule keeping robot, but being me. Cause that's who I was called as. I've been talking to Calvin and eh things got a little heated there. But he asked me why did I even go on a mission (cause I told him basically everything in my life fell apart it seems) but the answer I gave him has also helped me realize more of what I'm doing out here. Which is something I've been trying to figure out. And I'm still figuring out. Sure days are still rough sometimes. And there will be days where I'd love to hate being a missionary, but I'm grateful for the growth I've been able to have in my life. 18 months seems daunting cause the first 6 were harder than anything else, but everyone says it's gets better from here. Not easier, just better. So we'll see. I wonder what my mission would have been like if I didn't take those dumb anti-depressants, cause those just made my situation harder and worse. (worse thoughts instead of better ones) cause I'm doing better without them. Oh well God had a plan for something right? K love you all!

-Elder Derrek Bowler

Alright so I'll email in a second. But the Pictures for this week are this old V8 car/chassis we found and me burning a tie cause I hit my 6 month mark yesterday!! haha CRAZY! I got a video of me torching it but it's too big to send so you just get picture :P

A Great Smile...

Hey Mom,

 

Thanks for the update. And thanks for sending the book. I think that'll help with me trying to keep on trucking. I also realized that you're right. I just need to stop trying to figure it out on my own and just have faith things will work out and stop fighting 120%, Cause it's exhausting and does put me into survival mode and I think that's why I haven't enjoyed my mission at all so far. Or make me feel like this is all worth it. But those things will change. I'm trying to let go of everything and better myself and try to feel good about what I'm doing. Cause yeah we're teaching people and some are close to baptism some have huge blocks (it's gonna take a while for Mike to get his testimony) and Joe Hamilton I never taught (just talk to at church) so I don't really count that as "mine" but for some reason all this just isn't getting me excited or "loving" missionary work. A lot of the week is spent tracting or walking around and just exhausting so I'm trying to get the vision back and get to the point of "I love my mission" and I will. I'm trying, I just don't know what to do for Mike. But it'll come. It always does. This last week wasn't too bad. We walked a ton... we walked clear out to the Hilltop area 3 days in a row. (3 hour walk round trip) and all the people we wanted to see out there didn't work out (our Bishop gave us 12 in-actives to contact) we contacted most but haven't gone in to talk for more than 2 minutes. Wednesday was random, We woke up and there was 5" of snow on the ground. and it stuck and yesterday was almost 70 degrees... Ha this weather sucks. but it's Ohio. We met with Mike on Tuesday and taught the "big 3" he has a problem with tithing the most. But he'll get there. We've done a lot with that and told him it's just one of those that you just gotta do to see it really works. He chews but said he can give that up and we don't have to worry about Chastity. I told him to look up the patterns of light videos and he did, hopefully that helped. He took us to Burnzie's on Saturday (a bar/resturant) and that was good food and also we talked a little about the videos and such. Transfers are on the 21st so I dunno if I'll stay or go. I probably will be staying while E. Peterson goes (he's been here forever) but we'll just have to wait and see. And he's just done with the ward and area. so yeah. We'll just have to wait and see what happens there. Oh we had dinner at the Billings again and they brought a non-member co-student for Bro. Billings, He was a funny guy. not an investigator yet but had questions (PS I made your chicken croissants and they loved them:)) but E. Peterson was telling everyone about how Nonstop (a mormon dancer [way good look him up on youtube] who served his mission in Brazil) played soccer with some Brazilians and said if he won they have to learn from them and if he lost they said he had to get a tattoo. Well the missionary lost, got a tattoo of Brazil and the guys were impressed and ended up getting baptized anyways, Well that somehow ended up with Dave and us and me getting a tattoo... haha It was actually pretty funny. anyways it was a good dinner and pretty fun. Oh also I gotta tell you, So there is this special needs guys (cerebral palsy I think) in his 40's and he is our "class president" in gospel principles and I love the guy. He totally understands everything that is being said (he can't speak just moans) but he is so cool and he picks who says the prayers and it's either us or him. And I love hearing him pray. I can't understand anything he says but I love the spirit they bring. Just like when I did special needs mutual back home. It's cool and I love seeing him smile. Not much has really happened missionary wise this past week except for these few things. The Hilltop area is still as sketchy as ever, even during the day. But I still think it's cool to walk through just cause you see really interesting people and you just gotta laugh and say what the heck. still haven't been robbed.. yet. But things are good out here. Time is starting to pick up and I'm doing better with morning schedule (100% this last week!) and studies. (trying to get my retention skills back, Spiritual learning is definitely different than what I was good at back home) Time is picking up. I'm still trying to do better on focusing on other people. It's hard though sometimes cause my problems are still there and I want them gone so I can focus better on others but that dumb paradox kicks in to play. Well I guess I'm trying to become more converted cause I think that's why I'm having a hard time figuring out what to do for our investigators. But I'll get there. Thanks for everyone and their prayers, love, and support. I'm getting better daily and can't wait to see how I'll be in a year and a half! Love ya tons! PS. tell Ashton and Dallen to Ignore Calvin and Alec (if Alec is still being a jerk but mostly Calvin [he wrote me so I kinda know] but they are both good kids still and the whole depressing thing and feelings do stop. I know they get picked on a ton and I hate it so I'm going to talk to Calvin cause I'm tired of them getting picked on) tell them I love them both (Alec and Calvin too) and they're all great kids. Thanks!

 

Love,

Elder Derrek Bowler.
The picture is of all the snow we woke up to on Wed.