The work is Wonderful and progressing!

Oi meu pais,

Nos estamos muito bom, eu sinto muito feliz y o espirito santo todos os dias. ( Hello my parents, We are very good, I am very happy and feel the Holy Spirit every day.)    Ahhh that's weird, Jimmy married already!!!! OK I'll fast with you guys if my comp will let me, he worries about me fasting, but I love to see the blessings and the miracles that come when I fast!  Everyone complains about the MTC food but I have decided that its awesome!  Curses!! 4 other missionaries got their visas the other day... at least there is some progress.  

Dad- Megamind is a beautiful movie! And ahh nice that camp out sounds like so much fun... way jealous- have them work hard! 

The work is Wonderful and progressing!  We learn and grow everyday, it just depends if we are able to see how the Lord is shaping us!  Oh I had a lot of fun- I invite you to try and apply some scriptures to your life, it helped me realize what I need to work on and how it can help me with it!  I applied Alma 4 and I changed some of the wicked acts to problems I need to fix in my life.  The highlight of the week would be when I fasted and saw the miracles come and when I was at the temple... it was awesome- couldn't stop smiling the rest of the day!  Oh another cool thing was the parable we sort of made about the plan of salvation when compared to a school! It was WAY sweet!  Eu amo voces muito e espero que fique forca em o envangelo! ( I love you guys a lot and hope that you keep being strong in the gospel!) 

Com ama,

Elder Bowden!

Oh it's awesome out here!

Oi!

No Batman is gone but my voice is now a little deeper! I mean I was praying for my height (inside joke because I am the shortest elder in my district) and I got a deeper voice!  

Oh I love teaching lessons.  It is so much fun to talk in Portuguese especially with members who know all these crazy words and you just have to go by the spirit to tell them what they need to hear!  Had a sweet lesson with one of our investigators yesterday.  We planned to go teach about the plan of salvation, but when I got in there I just talked about the book of Mormon.  I was pretty confused at what I was saying, but it was sweet, almost got him to accept the invitation to be baptized. (I wasn't taking no for an answer!) So we are gonna teach about how he needs to prepare for baptism next lesson!  

I definitely call dibs on coaching bball when I get home, that sounds sweet!   I remember the good old days of bball!  Oh can I get another shirt and some shorts... that would be way nice.  Sweet dreams dad! Well you can take that either way.

Oh it's awesome out here!  I am learning all these things. My comp is still struggling with the lingua but I am praying for him and working with him so we will learn it!  Dad play safe!  I am the one who has the good insurance (angels everywhere)!

OK I am trying to send some pics.

Com amo,

Elder Bowden

The tall elder on the far right (Elder Gee) is not in my district but in my zone. From left to

right Elder Merkley, Elder Vanasdal, Elder Burr, Elder "Handsome", Elder Hammer (my comp),

Elder Burnham (district leader), Elder Vincent,  Then sisters form left to right Sister Bradley, 

Sister Adams (Fortaleza), and Sister Jewell.  My camera isn't working, I got these pics from 

Sister Bradley.

So glad I am here to serve!!!

Oi!   I cant send pictures this week, the computers that could send the pics were down so I'll try and get some next week. My comp is doing well, much better with the launguage.  I still give most of the lessons because he struggles with figuring out how to say things, but he's getting a lot better which is great.  I have been praying and seeing the Lord's hand throughout the day. Ohhh and that's sweet, baptisms are always cool to watch how it changes your life. 

Most of my district is going to Rio de Janero or Londrina Brazil, but me, my comp, and this super awesome sister are blessed with Fortaleza!  Ohh I got this SWEEEET virus that made me sound like batman in the morning.  It was narly, definitely didn't improve my singing, just made me think of batman stopping in one of his movies and start singing hymns in his deep voice... anyways I am practically done with my throat problems so its all good.

 I am starting to really enjoy talking to people in Portuguese. My comp and I will just go around and talk with teachers, its sweet!  Oh my comp got a black eye this week from basketball, it was crazy his eye was huge.  You learn to be grateful for a lot of blessing you used to take for granted before the MTC. So glad I am here to serve!!!   Keep rocking that Christmas tree till i get home :) 

Com amo,

Elder Bowden

First week out!

Oi!

My comp is Elder Hammer and he is from Utah- he's cool just like me but like 6 in. taller than me... ahh its all good, we mess around all the time.  District is full of smart people, they are catching on to the language except my comp has a hard time memorizing things but we are working on that.  My understanding of Portuguese is so much better now.   Mom can you look for my highlighters, you don't need to buy new ones or send me the old ones, I just need my key I had written on it for what each color represented. Ill keep you posted on the converter!

All that snow tho... it hasn't snowed since i got here but there is still snow everywhere!!! Snowball fights are against the rules which is really unfair to us that have only seen snow like 4 times in our lives.... but its all good.  I am too busy for snow! Constant learning and studying and teaching is what makes up my day. 

So anyway first day was sweet!  I was answering all these questions and translating what the teacher was saying, it was awesome! My comp was like "Can you translate everything he just said?" because he was a little lost! On my third day I taught the class for like 2 hours it was sweet! I might have to again for the first vision which I have got memorized in Portuguese!  We have taught 3 lessons so far and the first one was the best! We got him to come to church- still working on the baptism! We have been trying but he hasn't been very receptive but hopefully our next lesson will be a bomb and we will get him to commit!

 I saw 3 people I knew and they are all going to Brazil one of them is from Marcus's ward and I think her name is Rachel???? I saw Elder Slade who used to be in our stake, and the last person was from EFY! 

The spirit is way strong here all the time!  I get to go to the temple later today- I am way excited!  Quick Portuguese for you:  Meu companieros estamos servir em brazil 7 Elders and 3 Sisters. haha i don't know what else to say. Oh my teacher invited me to go into a lesson with just my scriptures and leave my lesson in the class and rely on my faith and the spirit to help the investigator.  It was crazy, I was able to answer every question! It was sweet! 

Tchau

Elder Bowden

Oh and I am gonna need a cord to send pics, I will figure out which one and let you know!  Oh and by the way I cant remember if I paid that last 3 dollars in tithing so if you could help a brother out that would be great!