Hard to believe it's been over a month now! It's been great so far in Kearns, Utah and I've met some really cool and...interesting people. But ya, it's been awesome out here and I can't believe it's P Day again! Can't wait to read all of y'all’s emails! My Companion, Elder Dunham, is also just simply an awesome dude! Or elder... Last Tuesday he felt promoted in our planning to go by the park and when we went the following evening and we met so many great people. This guy Cameron who we just meet planned to met with us the following day at 6:30 at the park. He doesn't have a solid understanding of what God is or his role in his life so it was great to talk to him. Also everyone is playing Pokemon Go around here. It's really weird. Like their will be just random people at the church because it's a gym in their game. It's cool though and we already got a few people talking to us because of it. Who knew that video game could help preach the gospel. Because now they come to us. ha ha!
Also, we had Zone Conference last Thursday! Our STL, Sister training leaders, Sister Wendt and Heywood talked to us about the Atonement and it was awesome. Elder Dunham was asked to do the push up atonement thing. Where you did five push-ups per person so that they could have some candy. It's was really a humbling experience and it really put the sacrifice that Christ made more personal to me. Unless your applying the Atonement daily when challenges come you will be stuck there till you develop that virtue and faith. We are fishers of men and are to gather his sheep and draw nearer to Him. The atonement is how we draw back to Him! So ya, it was amazing to see him do what ended up being over 300 push-ups.
On Friday we taught Barbara, a African American from Western Sahara. She has three kids with the oldest being four. She was prepared by the Lord for sure! She came to church last week and said she felt uplifted and free! She has felt God hands in her life so much, and used to be in a homeless shelter and He gave her a job and a family. She is so grateful for her children and her family. She never felt the Spirit at her old church and wanted to feel that Love that God has for us. Not saying that they don't but without that Spirit they can't have a fullness of joy and love. She felt that here at the church and said that she felt it now even while we were teaching her! She was an angel. I recited JSH 1:15-17 without ANY problems and it reads, "I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other--This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" I have been working on that the past two weeks and it was the first time I was gonna use it in a lesson. The Lord helped me so much. I've been having so much trouble trying to memorize that. And I was able to with out a second thought. We both also felt like we should invite her to be baptized. I invited her to do so on August 13th and she said YES! I was so happy for her and my eyes were so watery. I didn't cry though, just inside... But it was awesome! I am so thankful and grateful for the Lord to provide her a way to come closer to Him, and I can't wait to see how she goes. I love this gospel and the church is true. I know that Joseph Smith did see God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. You can find out through reading and praying about the Book of Mormon and finding out for yourself if it true.
Also besides meeting with Barbara we had a baptism! Jared and Etti our two brothers from the Samoan Ward were baptized at 3pm on Saturday! It was so awesome. I got to say the closing prayer which was cool. He whole service was in Samoan and it was a ton of fun to be at. The spirit was so strong there as I saw these two awesome children of God be baptized! Our Mission President, President and Sister Palmer, were there as well as the Zone Leaders, Elder Whitehead and Leavitt, and they were a huge support! They're awesome, and on the program they misspelled my name so it said Boonie not Bowie, because the Samoans are too good at English. lol It was so funny and the ZL were cracking up about it so now it's my new nickname, and I'll accept my fate for now. I'm just really so proud of Jared and Etti and they came to Church yesterday!! The Gospel is so true!
The rest of our week went well and we went to the family we had been teaching and taught the commandments on Sunday. It went well and the kids took it well even though we weren't very focus. But it was pretty good over all. Rob, a local member, was there and it was great to have him in the lessons. We also taught got to teach Barbara again and taught her the Plan of Salvation. We had the 16th WML, Ward Mission Leader, to come and help teach and he was awesome! It was great to have him bear testimony of the things we were teaching to her. She is still going strong and it's awesome to see her come out to church and to want to be baptized! It's only been two weeks but it is just simply awesome out here! I hope all is well back home! I love you guys! ♥️♥️♥️
Love,
Elder Bowie
Kearns East Stake
Salt Lake City West Mission
