September 8, 2014

Hey Everyone! 

Thanks for the Birthday wishes! It's weird I'm 21 but I'm legal now so there ain't nothin stoppin me now! haha SO this past week was kinda a drag. Little bit in a funk but nothing too bad. I went on exchanges to Fairborn and I think that's maybe what caused it. That place was a drag and the missionaries don't have a whole lot of motivation there. They just help an investigator move a bunch of his stuff so he can get out of the house his ex-wife is living in so he can get baptized. His name is Mac and is quite the character! Remind me about him in a couple weeks cause I got some stories about that :) He gave me a microphone which was cool. But I interviewed him for baptism so hopefully that all works out! The member we ate dinner with E. Peterson and Simkins do P90X3 with him. And like 6 weeks ago and I out did him in Pushups and Pull ups. Total of 200 plus and like 80 something pull ups. So he challenged me to that again so he can beat me and his goal is 200+ pushups and 100+ pullups and it's like a 8 different ones of each... So this is one of those times where the competitive side kicks in a little this week haha So after the exchange everything was kinda a drag and E. Baldwin has hit his 4 and a half month mark wall that most missionaries hit haha so that made things fun.. Nothing bad just slow. But we're gonna do better this week and get back in the swing of things! Nothing really happened this week honestly. The birthday was good. The morning was slow. I woke up with a Migraine but got lots of Birthday wishes from people and the Cross' did stuff for me and yeah Mike came down to see me. That was pretty cool. It's always good to see him. :) We went over to the Badders' home this week. A part member family. They're super cool and we love going over there. We went over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and had really good talks and stuff. All casual which is what the family needs. So it's cool. That's funny to me that Calvin claims "Agnostic" I've just met too many people of all sorts of faith so it's interesting to see people's beliefs. Even in your own family. Like I said I'll try and figure out. Saturday was Richard and Tina's anniversary so we told them a while ago that we would cook for them so we just decided to make it a twofer. :) We did Homemade BBQ roast and cornbread and all salsa and everything home fashioned! It was pretty good stuff not gonna after Saturday we learned a new trick from AJ that I'll teach everyone here soon :P it'll be sweet! And yeah... Nothing too special really. I can't really think of anything to say haha it's bad but oh well. Not much I can do! Thanks again for all those who have loved and supported me throughout these past two years. It's carried me through it all and I am grateful for the examples everyone sets for me and the things I learn from everyone. These past two years have been an amazing blessing to me and I have learned a lot. I'm excited to see where they take me in life and how far I will go. I love the quote "Don't tell me the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the Moon." and literally the only things that really stop ourselves from achieving our dreams and ambitions is ourselves. And when we really enlist God's help in it we go so much further and life and that's one thing I've really taken from my mission is that I really need God's help in a lot of things. I just gotta do my best to remember him. Now will I always be perfect at it? No... Haha I haven't been perfect on my mission with it. But it's the direction we're facing on the climb and if we're willing to start walking. "The further we travel along the path of true discipleship, the steeper it becomes." -Brad Wilcox- I know that to be true. I have experienced/ am experiencing that climb every day of my life. It won't be easy but it's all worth it. The things I've learned and gone through are some things I may never want to go through again but I'm grateful I did because I'm a stronger person out there. I love the help I've received from the Lord's Grace in my life that helps me to keep going. I've learned how to manage my perfectionism. I've learned how much Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ truly love us. That was something that I would always hear, but never feel or really understand or believe. Now I've experienced it and the only times in life when we feel God is distant it's usually because of something that we're doing. And it's our job to figure it out and to fix it. I love my savior. I love each of you. Alec. Keep pressing forward bro. You can do this. It'll take time. But just trust that God is aware and is proud of you. Christ sacrificed himself so that we never have to feel the feeling that weigh us down in life. Charity. You're a boss. Keep strong too. You'll get the hang of it all and after a while it all just becomes routine. I hope you all have a great week! See you in 10 Days ;) 

Love,
Elder Derrek Bowler

September 2, 2014

So this last week was purty goood! I can't complain too much! I went on Exchanges with E. Peterson last week on Tuesday and we went and got stuff for Alec's Birthday and we went and did more service for AJ. I just sanded and finished his desk. It looked pretty nice! Oh and yeah My nail finally fell off. So that was exciting! haha Nothing too eventful happened this past week. We were able to find get in touch with a couple cool part member families.. Had a couple bonfires and got caught in a couple rain storms!! So all the same stuff!! I'm working hard to try and not get in any kind of funk. But it's been good. I have done a lot of reflecting on the past two years and it all just feels like a weird dream! I can't believe it's been two years! But it's something I'm eternally grateful for. I did get a weird cold and pulled something in my back that made it hard to breathe. So just one thing after the other but it's all good. I'm taken care of here. I got some boxes to try and send stuff home so I gotta try packing that up soon. How did you ship my bike home? I got a box for it but how'd you get it sent for 65 bucks? Anyways. Yesterday was Labor day so the libraries were all closed so we went to Young's dairy and got unlimited Mini Golf, Driving Range, And Batting Cages. We had the whole district there so that was fun. It got a little humid. And two clubs slipped out of my hands cause they got a little sweaty... 0__o Whoops... haha it was fun though being around everyone. We have a great district here and it makes the mission fun. I don't have much to say but thanks for the birthday wishes. If I remember something cool I'll write it next week. haha But here are some pics!! Love you guys! Oh and we saw Richard and Tina. Richard blessed the Sacrament this past week! it was awesome!! They are doing really well and their two granddaughters light up whenever we show up haha they're fun. Life is good in the hood!! 

K I gotta jet!! Love you all!!

Love

Elder Derrek Bowler

August 25, 2014 - Baptism!!!

Hey thurr! 

SO! This week was quite interesting but finished off very well! I swear for some reason this past week was just rough. Nothing went quite as planned and it just felt off. I think Satan was just having a little fun with us cause Richard and Tina were very protected this past week. They had their son move in with them and usually there is a lot of arguing and anger but this past week there was nothing. It was crazy. So Satan prolly just took it out on me by throwing me off. But it's ok. I'm used to it! haha So The past week was pretty long, and as I look back it seems last weeks events happened like 3 weeks ago... I dunno this whole mission time thing is just whacked out. anyways. So Tuesday I went on exchanges with Elder Spaulding and that was pretty fun. We talked a lot and it's good to be serving near him again. Wednesday was fun.. Had district meeting then spent the rest of the time in the hospital... My finger wasn't hurting but it just started to look reeeeally bad.. So I was like "better safe than sorry!" So they just said it was a hematoma. (Blood Clot under the nail) No infections, and no fractures. So they just said soak it in Epsom salt water and just watch it and the nail should push out on it's own. They also said drilling the hole was a good thing. I was just dumb and didn't keep it open so that's why it kept getting bigger. So I soaked it and noticed that a little drop of blood was coming out of the hole I drilled. So I was like "Hey sweet, the hole is open!" so I wiped it with a paper towel and that little bit of pressure kinda pushed a little extra blood out from the sides and so I wondered if the whole clot itself was loose so I tested it and lo and behold it was. So I got pics. But I pretty much got the clot out and my nail is looking fairly normal again... But now just waiting for the nail to fall off... It's just been a weird experience and it's annoying how a dumb little nail can cause such a huge problem... Oh well! So Pretty much nothing happened too much but we saw Richard and Tina daily to make sure nothing happened to them. So We worked on that and it was exhausting but paid off. The smile on their faces was priceless. We had lessons at Bishops house and everywhere it seemed. But the Baptism went super well. I ended up baptizing Tina and E. Baldwin baptized Richard. It went great and the next day we had them confirmed and Richard got the Priesthood as well and also stood in to help another person be ordained to a Priest! Bishop Worthington is on the ball and is prolly my favorite Bishop I've served with. I'm very grateful to finish my mission here and also very grateful for the events that have gone on. With two baptisms and Mike going through the temple. He already put a skidmark in his garments which just made me laugh! haha I love the guy to death. But That's pretty much the highlights of this past week! Love you all!! Thanks for your help, love and Support! 

Love,

Elder Derrek Bowler

August 18, 2014

Derrek going through the temple with Mike Wihl, whom he baptized a little over a year ago (August 16, 2014)

Hey!!

So this past week was pretty dang decent. It started slow but ended great. haha I'll get to that in a sec. But first off. We need to figure out how to get my bike home. I can pack it up and stuff but how did you send it? And I'll need help for that. I plan on just having a big bonfire my last night and burn the stuff I don't need anymore. I just figured I'd get new clothes and such at home. Anyways. The mission asked what I plan on doing and I'm not leaving my baby here. haha So I guess to narrate the kind of week we've had. I'll just say by Wednesday I had absolutely no gas left in the tank and I crashed hard. But I'll get there in a sec. :P

So Tuesday we helped AJ Jackson do some work on his house. I cut out a little thing in the frame so we can put a door in. Then after that we went and taught a lesson to Braden (The Boyfriend of a member, Maddie Sullivan) that went pretty well and he said he felt the spirit. But there's a part of me that is pretty sure he's just investigating to learn more about Mormons cause he's dating one, but hey. The seed is planted. After we mowed a lawn for a widow in the ward. Who is Maddie's aunt. That whole family is really cool and we're pretty tight with them. Other than that not a whole lot happened that day.

Now Wednesday. We had a Zone meeting that went on for a lot longer now cause that's how President wants is to be done. It was just long and almost painful. E. Baldwin and I spent most of the morning trying to figure out what the name of this concert was haha but we figured it out in the middle of the meeting. :P but after the meeting we got back to the apartment and my body literally shut down on me... It was bad. haha I think everything caught up to me cause I've been pushing super hard to finish strong but it wasn't working too well I guess. A little reminder that I still need to take care of myself. But I was out of gas and for the previous month was just running on fumes from just pure physical and mental exhaustion. I couldn't even think straight anymore and my body was just getting weak so I think it had enough and forced itself to get rest. I passed out for an hour and half which I've never napped that long but when I woke I was still so tired and brain dead. So I asked E. Baldwin for a blessing and since then I've been great and will be able to finish strong. I also gave him one cause He's been struggling lately. (Girl problems) BUT like I said. It's like crazy deja vu being with him cause it's similar to the beginning of my mish.

Thursday we had a Zone Conference that took all day. That was a long meeting and dragged on but oh well. I got to see some buddies. But that night we did a Stake Ministry Night where it's kinda like a massive splits with the Stake President and mission president and Bishop and such. It was cool. I went with Bishop to go see one of the Sisters Recent converts and also Richard Wampler. Taught about the importance of going to Church. Praying, and Reading the scriptures. and how those three things will always keep us grounded. It's pretty cool

Friday is the day I smashed my finger with a framing hammer doing service for AJ Jackson. That was prolly one of the most painful things I've experienced.... Haha I temporarily had turrets for a day or so hahaha it sucked. But it's like super swollen and purple and nasty. So I definitely will be coming home one nail less of a man than I was before I left! haha So after we did service we ate with the Jacksons then after went to talk to the Youngs about Richard and Tina cause they are their main source of fellowship but I forgot to add that after the ministry night Richard and Tina made the decision to be baptized on the 23rd! So that's gonna happen this Saturday and we have everything lined up for that! But at the Youngs house my nail was hurting so bad that I decided to drill a hole in it to try and relieve some pressure from all the blood cause I definitely broke vessels. So that sucked but helped a little.

Saturday was prolly one of the best days of my mission by far I got to spend it all with Mike and no one else. And that was cool hopefully I explained a little bit about the sacredness of it all but it's Mike so hopefully that'll work out! haha There were a couple funny things that happened though and it was just a good day. We went to Young's Dairy which is like this farm family fun place. It was good. We had dinner there and then that night we taught Richard and Tina and got everything worked out for the Baptism and such.

Sunday went well. We got to dump a bucket of Ice Water on Bro Ellsworth to help him with a dare haha It's not everyday you get asked to assist with that! So we took advantage of it and enjoyed it thoroughly! It should be on facebook I think. And we went and got the baptism worked out with Richard and Tina! We're seeing them everyday to make sure nothing bad happens so we came up with a game plan for that! But it's kinda nice to see this area pick up. And since the blessing I've been able to focus and concentrate and luckily good things are happening my last transfer. So that's really nice. Well that's pretty much my week! Love ya!!

Elder Derrek Bowler 

Service with a smile :)

he got a "nail"...just not the one he was aiming for! 

tried fixing it himself and ended up at the hospital to remove his nail!

August 11, 2014

Hey!

So I don't have much to write but these past couple days have been interesting. We've been doing a crap load of service. We were asked to help some lady move out of a rental house she just got cause there was a heroine addict. That was a ridiculous move. There didn't have a ramp for the truck and so we lifted everything like four feet up into the truck and it was pretty much E. Baldwin and I lifting it all. It was ridiculous. She even took the fridge... haha I'll have to go into detail when I get home but yeah that was just frustrating. But other than that not a whole lot is happening here. It was a rough week. But things are lined up pretty well for this week so hopefully it goes well. I am pretty much just looking forward to this Saturday. It'll just be Mike and I all day long. E. Baldwin will stay here to work the area. I'm so stoked. Mike is pretty much a legend around the mission haha. So that's cool. I really don't have too much to say. So I think I'll just send pictures. Do you have things all lined up for a home coming talk in STG and all that jazz? Just Curious. Luckily there have been some people that I've met that I might be able to start net working to get a job hopefully. I'm just trying to get some things worked out so I can hit the ground running. Richard and Tina are doing good. Tina now has a testimony and it's really cool. She's pretty much just waiting for Richard to get one now haha. So that's good. Richard and Tiffany are doing good as well. We met with them yesterday. They're pretty cool. I dunno this last week I feel like my brain has been shutting down but it's coming with age! Dang Alzheimers! Welp.. I'll just send some pics! Love ya!

Love, Elder Derrek Bowler   

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August 6, 2014

Hey! 

So first off thank you for the package!! It really meant a lot. And yeah The Ellsworth's family is sweet. Their daughter Mckinnley is the Cutest friggin thing haha. We didn't get a chance to meet with his friend Brent this past week so hopefully we will this week!

So we got transfer calls. We're both staying. Which I figured would happen. It kinda starting to sink in that I only have six weeks left. It's almost unreal. I'm excited to see everyone and it's starting to feel like that time. I feel like when I'm done here I'll be like the football player who gave it his all and just lies exhausted on the field. I'm gonna give it my best these last few weeks. And then I'll collapse hahaha. It's been a cool experience though.. This past week wasn't too shabby. We didn't have any crazy sweet finding stories or anything. A lot of it was just trying to see a list of people that bishop gave us and work with that while trying to find and such. One of the guys we stopped by seeing was reeaally weird. Like we just wanted to come by and say hi and we offered service and such and he was just so thrown off. His name was Greg C. I'll let you know more about him. But after he was just so taken back I told him "I don't know what to say to you, we just wanted to introduce ourselves. I don't know what you want me to say really." hah it was weird cause I couldn't tell if he was gonna like shoot us or something... It was just weird...

Elder Bowler and "Grandpa Bristow"

Wednesday I went on exchanges with Petey we biked around fairborn cause they ran out of miles haha. It was pretty fun. Knocked on a guy's door and he's like "We're Catholic, All the sinners are on the other side of the street ok? Bye!" and shuts the door. haha it was pretty good but we were able to talk to a few people. One of them almost got baptized so they're gonna try to work with her. It's just really cool the bonds you build out on a mission. Like some of my closest friends that I'm going to chill with came from my mission. It's sweet. Just such a blessing and it's a bittersweet feeling it's gonna come to an end but I'm also ready to take on the world! hah

Other than that Richard and Tina are doing good. They were able to meet with the bishop and things are starting to get better. Their lives are gonna get a little crazier here shortly and they're so close to baptism. They are such good people! It's been cool to get to know them. The Sisters in our ward had a baptism and that went really well. Richard and Tina came to that. Then right after Grandpa Bristow was awesome enough to take E. Baldwin and I on a two hour drive to a baptism in Newark. and that was a long day. But he's amazing and I'm very grateful I got to see him again and talk with him. I figured out how to solve a Rubiks cube now so I feel pretty dang accomplished if I don't say so myself! Then we got back and shared a little lesson with the Hansen family cause Jackson Hansen's GF isn't a member but we showed the new Mormon Message "The Hope Of God's Light" It's crazy powerful. So that's a good one. Check it out!

 This past monday they had a special meeting for District Leaders in the mission. So I drove up with E. Jones to the mission home. It was pretty good. But it went all day. Left here at 7am and didn't get back till like 5:30pm. I was really exhausted about that part. Mike also asked me to be his escort through the temple and President told him I could. So that's a really cool feeling. And way better than baptism let me tell ya. It'll be a good experience. I'm excited for him. Welp. Other than that not too much is going on. Just livin it up here in the Creek!
Crazy rainstorm on wednesday Flooded the parking lot!

district fun

Crazy rainstorm...flooding the parking lot

From a friend in Ohio...

Just wanted to send you a picture of your missionary this Sunday evening. He is serving in our ward and was at our home this evening. Elder Bowler is helping our family teach the discussions to one of my co workers. He has a very strong spirit and is well loved by everyone in the ward. Thank you for raising such a fine young man and a strong example of the savior. He has been a great influence to our family and my daughter adores him. -Matthew Ellsworth