The investigator looks to her side and sees a panther...Ahhhh!

Its been a crazy week!  Lets just start off with my comp, he is Elder Affonso and is from São Paulo. He is cool and he teaches well, but likes to talk a lot!  So we are gonna work on that so I can talk also! :D  Oh I live with a Elder from Scotland! "Ond we oll tolk like this." He has the same time as I do in the mission and doesnt like speaking Portuguese in the house, so I am gonna try and pick up a Scotish accent! Its gonna be awesome! 

 

I also did an comp exchange and went to the edge of the city and it was crazy! I was with Elder Soper, an American from Indiana, who arrived in Fortaleza 6 weeks ago. I got to spend a little time helping him with the work, which was awesome! At church we were sitting there in a house chapel, and the investigator looks to her side and sees a panther...Ahhhh!!!... not really, but almost... it was a Great Dane that is a pet there! It was awesome,  I almost wanted to get a saddle and give kids rides to church on the dog! (I will accept a Great Dane when I get home:).  We also listened to lots of conference talks because Elder Soper got sick and started throwing up a lot. 

 

It was just a really crazy but good, strange week on the mission!  We are teaching a preacher and he went to church with his wife. She loved it, so were gonna keep working with them and a few others who are progressing! :) Oh I also found a member who has an ice cream machine in his house..... he's got all the things I want! :P 

 

Sorry I forgot to take lots of photos.... but I'll try to this week :)

Love ya tons!

Elder Bowden

Oh happy Birf-days para vocês Parabems para você!!! Oh if you can start looking for some waffle cereal for the next package that would be splendid!!!

This is a family that has helped us a lot!

Part of my new area!

I got transferred to the city Caucaia

So I got transferred to the city Caucaia. It is pretty close to my 1st area! It's gonna be awesome. I am way excited! I am no longer training so I should have more time to work. It will be great!

It was an awesome week!  We had a baptism Wednesday and Sunday. Vando (brother to our Ward Mission Leader) was baptized Wednesday and the font wasn't totally full and lets just say I am grateful I am doing exercícios because well... I'll just send a picture. And Victor was baptized Domingo with Wellington (a boy who is in the other ward but he wanted me to baptize him). It was awesome. We have a goal of 300 baptisms in the month but its not working very well.  Just a small group of missionaries are doing they're part and Presidente is trying a new method to help everyone stay focused.   He is giving the mission a secret present if we reach the goal. I am gonna need to work really hard so that we can reach this goal! The only problem is I am always hungry and they have lots of good food that is really unhealthy.... but everything is working out and I am really excited to work in my new area.  I am just gonna miss my "roommates" that are really crazy and always doing crazy dances... :D

Oh we ate some good açai..... I hate when I am trying to speak English and I have to write a word in Portuguese, because my brain starts writing in Portuguese, then I gotta go and translate everything again... Can you just pray for the gift of tongues? It would make my life a little easier! :)

I am glad everything went well there! Hope everyone is well and with health! Hey what's DJ's email?? please!

Te amo muito!!! Bom Semana! Não faz coisas doidos!

Elder Bowden

We ate some good açai

Me and my son baptizing!!! (Victor and Wellington)

I know this is where the Lord needs me for now!

Ish, Ryan's wedding,  I am feeling left out....... but I know this is where the Lord needs me for now!  I'll get plenty of time to see the other 2 get married, but if Brit gets married before I get home, I will know this was some kind of trap! :P

It was a good week. We more or less had lots of problems, but I was really happy this week, so the problems don't really matter! We had people yelling at a baptism and lots of people looking to me to fix their problems... I know  the Lord was by my side because everything worked out with effort and lots...LOTS of patience. I had some of my leaders talking trash about me because I didn't let him be disobedient... it was crazy! We have planned the baptism of Vando this week, who is one of the last in his family who is not a member yet! Its gonna be awesome! I am way excited! If we can prepare him, Victor will be baptized as well, who is a friend of Cicera a RC (recent convert).

Oh we also had "almost tacos" today. It was good, but way strange! I'll send you a picture! We also had french bread pizza, like how mom makes it.  It was awesome!!

 

Love ya tons!!! Miss ya!  Oh, have a great week!

Elder Bowden

 

 

In the attempt to save our lives I said, "Ooooouuuoooooooooh ooouhh!"

The president is doing what he thinks is best. He didn't get a chance to serve a mission but he wants everyone to be effective. Last week our p-day was just 3 hours, to clean, email for 15mins maximum, and buy food. It wasn't the funest, but if Pres thinks it will be best, it should be the best to teach us and help us grow.... But anyways 2 weeks ago our baptism fell through because the mother didn't want her son to be baptized again. Her son was showing her the bible explaining exactly why we should be baptized like Christ and our need to follow his example.... It was very sad but what can you do when peoples hearts are hard and they put their own knowledge in front of Gods... But this week we have some young men to work with and I hope that they and their families will be more open to following God.

It was another week really crazy. We had Daniel's baptism planed for Sunday and when we arrived in church he wasn't there. So we found our Ward Mission Leader to give us a ride and as we were at an intersection, the driver was looking in the other direction(to the right side) and let his foot off the brake.... I looked to the left and saw a truck coming that he didn't see... and in the attempt to save our lives I said, "Ooooouuuoooooooooh ooouhh!" Luckily he used the gift of tongues and understood it meant to stop.... It was very close!  I am just grateful that something left my mouth because we didn't get in the car accident and we were able to pick up Daniel. His parents couldn't take him to church because of the people who showed up last minute.... but it ended well and he was baptized. He will be confirmed with his sister next week! :) It was a week with a crazy beginning and end but it ended up working out :P

I still think Ry should have just got sealed in Brazil so I could go, but I am sure that I'll have an Eternity to pester him and his wife... so I'll let it slide :) 

 

Love ya lots, have an awesome week!!!

Elder Bowden