There is a tiny monkey in the pic, you just gotta find it!

The cool part about the week is that David (who was confirmed this week) was helping us teach his brother and sister-in-law, and he was teaching and telling them what they need to do to come to Christ!!! He is gonna go teach with us this week and its gonna be sweet! And no Bruno has problems now and cant get married till he gets divorced... but we had a baptism of a lady named Geralda.  Our zone is becoming better and more effective and we are teaching a lot!!! We have a lady(Andrea) that has been going through some hard times. We have been teaching her and she has a date for this Sunday!  Hopefully it works out!  

There are 18 people in my zone and I was thinking about giving them rewards. We tried it but like what reward is bigger than the love for Christ? Our president tried it as well, but he just did it with the minimum that everyone did their part every week for a month, and it still didnt work. But I think I can give it a shot.  I just have to work it right with a group small enough that I can control. Its worth a shot.  Ill try and give my missionaries more desire to work harder! Oh and if you can send a cheep pair of basketball shorts that would be great... there is an Elder that needs a pair.

Oh and I am having the same problem as dad with his mouth.
I got the photos of Melquisedeque this week but I need the others. I'll try and send them to you!!

Love ya lots and thanks for everything!!
Elder Bowden

There is a tiny monkey in the pic, you just gotta find it! I was slow with my camera and didn't get a good pic.... :( but ill try and send a video.

One family offered me a little monkey for the maple and I was very tempted!

I am good just having some challenges with my area and just getting a little trunky.... its been a while since I have had time to just think about how I am doing. But I am not worried, I am working on focusing and resolving all the problems that I get to fix and all the people I have to take care of. I have alot on my plate, but I know that its what I need to grow, so it doesn't help complaining, just gotta keep going and do the best I can. 

This past week was good. I got my package and everyone is asking me to ask for you guys to send them stuff for example: E. Affonso wants skittles and E. Perna wants lots of stuff especially peanut butter and I have lots of members who heard I have maple and are bribing me for maple! Dont tell Gramps but one family offered me a little monkey for the maple and I was very tempted! :P I have been noticing that with more and more time on the mission, all my clothes have stains and its mostly from forgetting to cap my pen..... 

 

Oh also our chapel had lots of success! We had lots of baptisms! My comp and I helped a teenager named David to be baptized. He is learning English and speaks pretty well, so we gave him some pamphlets in English and I gave him one of my favorite ties. We are teaching a man who is legit, who is preparing to be baptized this week! Hopefully it works out. His name is Bruno!

Don't break anymore bones its not very fun!!!!! I don't have experience, but I'll just guess!

Te amo voces muito Bom semana!!

Elder Bowden

 Oh and thanks a lot for the package it was very much appreciated!!!!!

David is the one in white sitting furthest from me! and had some others being baptized that day!

It was really good to be able to hear the prophet and apóstolos!

This week ended good with conference and we helped Melquesidec be baptized this week. It was awesome! He's got a name that's legit!!! ...and an Afro too!!! It was really good to be able to hear the prophet and apóstolos de novo (again). I have been needing a good spiritual experience! There were tons of good talks that I need to read again! We had lots of trouble this week getting people to hear or see the apostles and prophet, which I thought was really strange.... This area has been hard to find those people ready to come to God and investigate. Lots of people are fine with where they are at and don't want to come closer to God. That just means we are gonna work harder and find a way to soften their hearts and help them find the answer that God wants to give to all the families here!

> Te Amo!!!
> Elder Bowden

 ​ One of the trees I thought Gramps would like!...minus the graffiti!