Falling in LOVE with the great people in Chuy!

¡HOLA FAMILIA!
I feel like I just barely emailed you guys yesterday, but the time has flown and I am here in the cyber again. This week was really good we had lots of good moments and received many tender mercies. Our two investigators came to church, with one other and many recent converts! It was definitely a really good day and I always feel so blessed to be able to partake of the sacrament. I sent a photo of them (Daniel y Shirley) after we had gone with them to the juzgado. They have officially received a date to be married (12 of Oct) and then they will be getting baptized on the 15th. I am super excited to help their family become eternal. Their son is already a member and he is the reason why they even listened to the missionaries and then they have a little girl who is only 7. I hope that they can continue to progress and make it to the temple! They are really excited and are anxiously waiting for the ´´best days of their lives.´´ I know that as I keep working hard and striving to follow Heavenly Father´s will my area, my comp, and I will be blessed. I know that we will be able to find and recognize the souls that He is preparing for us. I am so pumped for Conference! I can't possibly describe how EXCITED I am! I will miss spending the time with the fam and priesthood with dad and brothers but I am looking forward to receiving inspiration and being edified. Of course we still get to listen in english and it's super weird, but priesthood session is at 9 at night (one of the 3 days a year we get to be out of the house past 9:30). I have gone to Brazil quite a few times in the last two weeks, it's really cool and I love hearing and trying to learn Portuguese. I also sent a picture of the street that divides Guay and Brazil. I also went to a part of our area and saw the ocean again! It was really cool and for some reason had a statue of the virgin Mary...oh well! I love my area, my comp, and all of the great people who are here. As the days in my mission continue to increase, they just keep getting better and better. I love being here in the mission and I am growing so close to the Lord. I know that He is our Savior and older brother. I know that through his grace and mercy all demands of justice can be filled and that we can live with our Father in Heaven again. I am so grateful for Him and His willingness to be my mediator. I know that the only way to be happy is through His gospel and His church and have never felt His love and happiness more in my life than now. I know that families can be together forever and that our family relations we have here on earth are eternal. I know that God has called living prophets and apostles today, just as He did in ancient times. I know that He has restored His true church on the earth today because He loves us and wants us to follow His plan of happiness. I love you all so much and I am so grateful for ALL you do. I will forever be in debt to my family, earthly parents, and Heavenly Parents. LOVE YOU TONS! Until next week.
CON AMOR
Elder Bowden

Still going STRONG!!!

¡Hola Familia!
Wow! This week was pretty good and I was a always super excited to hear from you all! Thanks for all the sweet pics of the new vehicle, the B-day party, and the beautiful temple! It is super exciting to see is going up so fast and to be able to go when I get back. We heard the next change we will be going to the temple here! I am so excited to go and to finally be in the House of the Lord! Tell Tal I am sorry that I said happy 6th b-day....I cant believe that he is 7 now! I cant think of anything else that I need for now, but I will definitely let you know if I do. You are already helping me so much! So don't feel like you need to do more. Thanks for all the sports updates and tell Michael he needs to work harder...JK. Go UTAH! I am glad that the my brothers and sisters are learning the value of hard work and seeing some of the benefits also! It is definitely something that is going to help them later on in their lives just as it has mine! I love the mission and can see that my family and I are receiving SO MANY blessings! I learned a lot this week about staying focused in the work and loving all the people! It is so easy to talk about worldly things with my new comp, not that he is a bad missionary or anything, but we are both Americans and have the same interests. This last week talked a lot about sports and school while in the streets and I wasn't focused in having the spirit and finding the people that Heavenly Father is preparing for us. I hope that I can to better and always strive to improve the things I do as a representative of Jesus Christ. Thanks for all your love and support and especially your testimonies. You definitely help to strengthen my desire to work and serve. I always have a great day on Sunday and then I get to have an awesome PDAY and hear from the fam! I had to speak....well present myself in church yesterday. I was kind of nervous but it went pretty well! I am super excited to work in my new area, baptize, and make it better than when I found it! I love you all and hope the best for everyone. I know the Heavenly Father is blessing everyone of you, just as He is me. I know that this church is true and the gospel is the only way to true happiness!
LOVE
Elder Bowden

Loving Chuy! Elder Bowden's New Area...

¡HOLA FAMILIA AMOROSA!
This week was extremely amazing! I was kind of sad that I had to leave my last area and all the people there, but have already grown close to all the members and investigators in my new area of Chuy! I love it here and my time is going to be amazing! As far as the address it is exactly the same. That address is the one of the mission home and everything goes there. After the offices send us our stuff through the mail. So you can just keep sending everything to the same place and in the same way! Guess what, guess what? I went to Brazil like 4 times last week and we ate lunch there too! It is pretty sweet that half of our area is in Guay and the other in Brazil! I will have to take some new pics of my area and send them too you! The ones I am sending now are of Punta del Este which was on the way to our area and I took some from the bus! My new comp is pretty cool, I wish I knew a little more about baseball cause he played in college, but it's all good. I think we are going to work really well together in this next change! We don't have a lot of investigators but we are working to find more and to strengthen the branch! Yesterday was a really good day, we had district conference! It was in a place called Trienta y tres (33) and the church there is 3 stories tall (well it has three floors)! We had the opportunity to listen to Pres Da Silva and his wife, the temple Pres and his wife, the district president, and an area seventy! It was super good and I was definitely edified! We had 5 investigators in church despite the fact we had to be at the church at 5:45 in the morning and it was a 3 hour bus ride there and back! It was kind of long, but totally worth it! The two investigators we have are getting the date for their marriage today and after that they can get baptized! I am super excited! We also have a senior couple (missionaries) that are in our area/zone and they visit frequently to help us. You wouldn't believe where they are from.....Texas! Elder Davidson anyways, but his wife is from Brigham and she is the sister of David Yates (my teacher at the high school) and Leland Yates that use to teach school at Perry! They are super nice and a great help in the missionary work! They are helping a lot to make Chuy a ward also and to form a stake. They even said they would take us out to dinner one day! I love my new comp, area, and the people here! I know that I am going to have more success as long as I keep working diligently and have faith. I know the Heavenly Father is preparing His children for us and that there are people ready to receive the gospel. I know that this church is true and I have no doubts in my mind or heart! I am away from my family, friends, and home for two years because I love my Father in Heaven and Savior and want to serve them. I know we are all blessed for our sacrifices and willingness to serve them. I love you all and thank you SO MUCH for all your love and support! Until next week!
LOVE
Elder Bowden

¡HOLA FAMILIA MARVILLOSA!
WOW! Another week bites the dust! I cant believe it...time ceases to amaze me! Well the most exciting news I have this week is that I am changing areas. To where? I am going to a place called Chuy in a department called Rocha. It is on the border of Brazil so I am pretty sure I am going to start learning some Portuguese. That's what they speak in Brazil and in my new area there is a street that divides Brazil and Urguay! I am super excited to learn so much more and continue to progress. My new comp is Elder Denny from Minnesota. He was in the CCM at the same time as me, but entered 6 weeks earlier. He has one more change in the mission than I do. Thanks for the pictures! It looks like everyone did well and had tons of fun! Good work on the first week back to school and I hope everyone is excited to keep learning! I am so grateful for the 2 hours I have everyday to study and learn, not things of the world but the scriptures and spiritual knowledge. I am really loving the mission and am amazed at everything I am learning and with greater understanding. I am so grateful that I have the wonderful opportunity to serve my Father in Heaven and Savior. Thanks for all the football updates, sounds like everyone is doing very well. I definitely miss it but I am willing to sacrifice it for two years of dedicated service to the Lord. I will be in my new area next week and will let you know how everything is. I am sending pics of my new comp but when we were in the CCM. Also of our P-Day activity last week! It was super fun, we played a game called paddle ball, which is a mix of tennis and racquetball. We played with the two returned missionaries in our ward. Matias who was in Pocatello and Carolina who was in Mendoza, Argentina but she knows lots of English. It was super fun and I had the opportunity to speak English and help my comp learn. I am kind of sad I wont be able to see some of our investigators get baptized but I know I will find more in my other area and the ones here will get baptized anyways. The most important thing is that they receive the proper ordinances to one day enter in the Kingdom of God. (John 3:5) I cant believe Aaron is coming home and even more that you guys bought a new suburban! You will have to send me pictures next week! I sent Shane a letter about 3 weeks ago and I hope he gets it, if you here from him tell him congrats and keep working hard. Tell Aaron he will have to remember his ´´vos´´ so that we can talk when I get back. I love you all and am super grateful for amazing parents and an amazing family! I had so much to tell you but don't have much more time so I will have to update you with the rest next week and if not them I´ll send a letter! I know that there is power in obedience. Obedience to the commandments and to all church standards. I know that we can be lead by our Father in Heaven through the Holy Ghost. I know that there is no greater privilege than to be worthy of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. I know that we grow, learn, and are strengthened everyday. Whether it is by other people, personal experiences, or trials the Lord has many ways of teaching us and molding us to become what He wants us to become. I know that we can one day return to His presence to live with Him forever if we stay true to all the principles taught in His restored gospel. Love you all! Thanks so much for your love, support, stories, testimonies, and even photos!
Love
Elder Bowden