Only 5 more months to GO!!!

HOLA FAMILIA Hey! I cant believe that another week has already passed by and we are almost to August! It feels like July just barely started! We had a really good week and are looking to place some baptismal dates in the near future! We didn't have any investigators in church on Sunday but we did have quite a few less actives that haven't been in years show up. We have visited many of them and tried to help them come....and they never came. It was kind of discouraging but yesterday they showed up! It was kind of unexpected but it made our day a lot better! I am glad to hear that the reunion went well and you had a good time. I bet it was nice to finally get a small break from all the chores and jobs at home. Oh yes I did get the letter with my ballet and I will send it back tomorrow! It was kind of funny and really cool cause today I went to the mission home to talk to Pres Armstong and their was a missionary that said he thought I was from Texas. He is from the south (Louisiana) so I guess he has a good knowledge of accents. Then after we went to the supermarket to buy our food and we meet a guy from Alabama! He had a really hard accent and had a great love from American food. He showed us where all the imported food was and we even bought Mac and Cheese! After he asked us if we were going to vote for Romney and I said ya. He said he was going to also! I hope its a good sign for him and that he can help our country. Who knows? Maybe its a sign of the time to have a Mormon president? I am enjoying the mission and I am honestly afraid to see it all come to and end. We have an elder in our district who is from North Ogden and he is going home in a week! He is excited about the BC temple as well and is hoping to attend. I love the mission and can't even begin to describe the feelings you have when helping others come into the gospel. Even though its not easy....the joy surpasses all of the trials and challenges. At time its hard to see the fruits of your labors and to really know all the you have done but I hope that I can touch many lives and continue to help everyone I can. I know that the atonement is real. That as we strive to repent and make changes in our life we feel His love and receive His grace. It is daily striving to become like Him that we can be prepared to enter in the Celestial Kingdom. I know that we are not perfect and we never will be but we can receive added assurance and hope for the future and we live gospel principles. I know that being completely honest with ourselves, others, and the Lord is essential for our personal happiness. To know that we are worthy of the spirit and to feel His presence is GREAT blessing that we should always strive to have. I know that we can always have the guidance of the spirit as long as we are obedient and follow the promptings given. I love you all and seem to miss you more and more everyday. I don't know how you feel but it feels to me as if I have been away for so long it doesn't really matter anymore, but to know that the time to return is coming closer it makes me want to see you more. Thanks to Heavenly Father and the restoration of the priesthood we can and are sealed for time and all eternity. If we are faithful as well as all those we make these covenants can live forever with their families. I know that God loves us and watches over us daily. He wants the best for us and will always help us to know what we need to do to follow Him. LOVE YOU TONS! Until next week! UN ABRAZO FUERTE Elder Bowden