Everyone deserves the chance to become who God knows we can be!

Oh Mom I am gonna try and use some money in like 2 weeks for my comp who will be going home in one month!  It's nuts!  We are gonna be working hard to finish strong and it is his birthday tomorrow so I might give him my package. Oh it came in last week, but I need to pay like 90 reis (30dollars) to pick it up tomorrow when we go to the mission office.

Oh and this week was awesome!  We are working with an 18 year old who is just rocking the gospel!  He is way focused on doing things right and he will be baptized this Saturday! It's gonna be awesome! sorry mom, I didn't take a lot of pics this week.  I left the camera at home but next week I'll send more pictures!! Speaking of pictures, that picture of gramps is awe inspiring! Just makes my day! 

This week was a little different.  We didn't have as many lessons with investigators but with recent converts and less actives. It's surprising to me to see how often people are so focused on the new that they forget about what they already had. There are a lot of members who are less active or inactive entirely and are often times forgotten or deemed less important. But if anything, I am learning that everyone is a child of God, that EVERYONE is a priority. How great shall be your joy if you bring save one soul unto me. The feeling is awesome of helping the one like Jesus so often did. Always looking for that next friend to find and help. We have an investigator that is longing to go to church with her child but wont go without her neighbor who became inactive. The opportunities we receive here to grow in faith seem to be endless, always another person to help, to reactivate, to teach, but what is more important is to befriend and love everyone. I have found a way to help me desire to help everyone. I try and think of the person who first shared the gospel with my family and how grateful I am for that person, and how much I want to give everyone else that chance. Everyone deserves the chance to become who God knows we can be! 

Keep trying to help others! Its freaking awesome what your doing!!!

Love you more then E-mails can express! Thanks for all you do for me!!

Com tudo meu coração!

Elder Bowden 

It doesn't matter who we have been or what we have done, all that matters is where We are going!

A legal!!!  We baptized a man named Sergio este semana!  It was really awesome to see him and God change his life around.  At the start we found him super drunk, sleeping outside his house, almost in the street. It was pretty awesome to see him as he changed and started living the Palavra de Sabedoria and other commitments to help him change his life and become a member of Gods Church this week! It's pretty great! He doesn't like to smile for photos, so he only looks a bit like a mobster, but he's a great guy! :)

This is the picture Jordan sent... he does look a little mobsterish! :)

We had some sweet days this week, constantly learning, growing and becoming better. It doesn't matter who we have been or what we have done, all that matters is where We are going! Its been very interesting to me to see how as missionaries, we always need to be focused on helping others.  Many of us look only for the next baptism, but as a representative of Christ we need to remember all people are priceless. Baptisms bring joy, but so does charity, and unconditional love for everyone we see. Definitely a thing I am going to work on. I Learned this week as you focus on yourself you loose, but when you focus on others you find more blessings and more love in your life. A great hard week of learning :)  

 It is awesome to hear about how the Lord is blessing you guys! Keep it up because I need As Much Help as I can get!  The Lord has to work with me, a stubborn boy who needs more humility... But I have faith the Lord can make this boy a man one day... a man like Paul said in Corinthians 13.

I wish you the best!   Boa Sorte!  

Elder Bowden 

Brazil is nuts as always but lots of fun!

This week was good but our baptism fell through.  Hopefully it will be this week!  He is an awesome guy who is changing his life and becoming a different person! 

Brazil is nuts as always but lots of fun!   My comp and I say tons of quotes all the time, its great!  We are always looking for more people to help and teach! We love to give each other words to use when we do a contact with someone on the street.  It definitely makes things interesting! We are working a lot, trying new things, learning and becoming better each day! I am gonna stay in this area with Elder Benitez for one more transfer, then he is going home!  He is gonna get so trunky! haha The Lord is preparing me to fight trunkyness because this will be the second missionary I "kill" in the mission! He is really cool.  We weren't really good friends at first, but now we joke a lot and have fun after working! We have made a goal to work hard everyday this transfer, and for my comp not to get trunky!! Its Great!  I am learning a lot! 

Oh my card didn't work.  I don't know whats wrong but can you call Wells Fargo and find out please? Thanks! 

I have some good pics for you this week, but I'll try and get more of Brazil :)

Love you guys lots, have a great semana!

Elder Bowden

PS sorry for the short emails mom! ;)

This week was good... I had fun continually learning.

Na, it's way different here, almost everyone will let you in to hear a message about Christ but not many are willing to act, even when they receive answers to prayers.  That is true, its not very fun to have an investigator who knows its true but wont go to church... we have plenty of people to teach but not a lot of people who want to change.  It's not finding investigators thats hard, its finding those who are ready to act. We have a good ivestigator who is acting and will hopefully be baptized this week. We will see.  Our mission pres has different views on baptisms, but I will follow what he says. 

This week was good... I had fun continually learning.  Just staying busy, working hard, trying to learn how to be a better man everyday! Good luck with everything going on this week! 

Te amo!

Elder Bowden

Oh and can you find out how much the box weighs and how much it costs for shipping? A member here wants to know, thanks! 

These are some mini pizza things... without cheese and sauce, but they have meat... they are pretty good!

Missions sure teach you to plead for help from God!

Querido Familia,

I have found that the mission is so much harder for me over here. I am getting really homesick and I miss you guys a lot!!! The good part about it is it helps my desire to work and stay busy, always trying to work, to learn, to focus on everything but myself so I can focus on my mission. Out of country missions sure teach you to plead for help from God because you need it to do His work.

We have lessons everyday and those are usually normal... we only seldom teach people who are really crazy! We are working with a man who is a drunk and hes been clean for a week now and are working with him to keep it up! Bus rides are nuts because sometimes you pack in like sardines and almost get separated from your comp!  Its crazy, they fit like almost 70 people on one bus here, everyone is like sardines, its nuts!

 I am gonna pull a mom. "I want pictures!!!!!" So what's new about everyone? I only get bits and pieces! Ok maybe alittle more then bits but eu preciso mais (I need more)!!! :) So I figured out I still got a long time on my mission so don't be afraid to send me goodies when you can! :)

 I love you guys keep being awesome for me!

Com tudo meu amor,

Elder Bowden

This week the camera didnt leave the house but I took a few selfies for ya mom!

some delish soup and pizza and a member gave my comp home made truffles

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I had to sing a few hymns, but all is good!

This week was nuts well really just Domingo. It started off a good day.  We had a random person off the street have a "feeling in his heart to go into our church".  Then Maria Rita a RC (Rencent convert) was asked to give the closing prayer in Gospel Principles and she gets up and gives her testimony and what she's grateful for then sits down.  It was so awesome, everyone was just smiling because she didnt understand.  We had almoço (lunch) at a investigators house and my comp and I were being stuffed full of food so we started playing games while eating. Later that day we went to go teach Maria Rita and everything went awesome but as she was saying the closing prayer her ?nephew? walked in and she informed him he was interupting her prayer.  He left and came back after the prayer and started to chew her out.  I tried to tell him it was "all ok" because I didnt want him yelling at her and he just got mad at me.... and lets just say he left with plenty of threats. My comp was a tad concerned because he thought I was about to fight the guy for yelling at her. Twas crazy de mais!  I had to sing a few hymns, but all is good!  We gave a ward missionary training that night that went really well and hopefully it continues to go well!

I cant find skittles anywhere here or anything chewy... or Reeses! :) Oh I am thinking of buying a basketball so can you include a pump? Oh yeah question for ya, how much cash is available in my debit? I think I might try and remove some because we have to use a lot of busses in my area so I dont get much money for food. Oh cereal would be awesome! (have Ry approve before sending ;) haha

Missions are harder then everyone says but they help us become who the Lord needs us to be. Miracles are what we all want but not very many people see that God gives us more miracles and blessing then we need, we just have to look for them!

Love you guys tons! Have a wonderful week full of Charity!

Elder Bowden

It was a rough teaching week...

It was a rough teaching week... no one was in their homes!  We have a big area now so lots of walking!  It wasnt very great missionary wise, our baptism fell through, but we are gonna work hard this next week to try and get everything back on track! 

Aww man I miss everyone... but there are people here the Lord misses more so I will try and focus on finding and helping them! 

Ahhh high adventure good times... you need to have the boys try spear fishing next time! And keep me posted on Austy let me know if their is anything I can do, I keep him in my prayers!   And sorry mom, no new pics this week. We were spending some time in the crazy part of my area so I wasnt able to take any.   I'll try and get some good pics this week!

Love ya tons!!!!!

Elder Bowden
Last weeks pics were from the secretarias house, they live in the city!