Mollie #47 - La Marina, Chile - French Toast, Lightening our Loads
September 18
Hey all,
Sorry its late. We have Wednesday off this week and not Monday. I forgot to write about the Independence Day change.
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Me and Hermana Martinez
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This week has been great. I would be good with an Argentine accent, but they talk with a lot of 'sh' sounds. It is not 'como se llama.' It's 'como se shama.'
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| Hermana Ramos has a problem with a ligament in her foot, so I carried her to the event this morning. |
It is still fun to have an Argentine companion.
I will try and get some recipes for you. She is from Buenos Aires.
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Chilean empanadas that I helped make
slice of egg
one olive
meat and onion
aji
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Yes, I got my box! Over two months!
The sleeping bag and boots are great.
Thanks Cousin Shirley for the recording Christmas book. Even though it's not Christmas, I already have put it to a lot of use reading the scriptures in Spanish and listening to the play back.
There is not really anything I need. You can always pray that I have the gift of discernment, because that is really what we need to know how to work better with the ward and our investigators.
We only have a little time to use the computer today, since we are in a member's house.
Spiritual Thought
When you don't know how to do something, remember to delegate, or ask for help from someone who does. This is a goal of mine to ask for help more often. I made 210 pieces of French toast this morning for the zone. They bought all of the ingredients but didn't know how to cook it.
{{hand smack to forehead (elders) shake head back and forth}}
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| French Toast Crew |
I don't mind cooking, but I'd rather do it ahead of time, not during the activity.
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| After Cooking All of the French Toast |
It made me think of the trade offs that we do in Alpine in the ward. Daddy will help with the computers. Then Landen will come help with cutting up the trees. I will give people flowers. The Hardings will shovel the snow...and it goes on. Everyone pitches in.
A burdened shared is a a burden lighter.
The bible says in Corinthians about the ear and the eye being very different but necessary parts of the body of the people of God, which is all of us. We don't have all the talents we need, but when we share we have more than enough!
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| Some of us from the zone. My old companion, Hermana Ferrel, in the middle - love her! |
Love you all lots!
Hermana Bowman
Riley #35 - Lomita, CA - A Quick Note
September 16
Hi Everyone,
Sorry, I only have a little time this week.
Thanks for the information on family. I look forward to hearing more stories.
I am a little confused at some points. Orvil went to church when he had children? But when their mom died they stopped going to church? and did Orvil's dad still go to church but his children didn't?
Yeah, send me some more stories.
I really have to go, but I am doing great! Really great. The week went well and a lot of exciting things happened. Sorry, I don't have time to tell you what, but they really were exciting.
Hope everything is fine there and keep sending stories.
< Sunrider is a company.
Love,
Elder Bowman
Mollie #46 - La Marina, Chile - New Companion, My Map
September 9
Hi Family,
Wow! What a crazy flood! It's always so dry there, it's kind of hard to imagine where that water is coming from.
Tell hi to everyone for me. I love seeing them in the photos you send.
Way to go Donnie with his first talk. Jake, don´t underutilize the chem lab! I love you lots.
Reading about your life Sis, I feel like there should be a Mich poem
...She was working in a cafeteria at BYU
Till she married Matt and moved to Princeton with a baby too
Where was she to go, What´s she to do
not sit on her fanny
but be a nanny ...
Love you, Mich! Hope you´re enjoying nannying.
So my companion is leaving. The thing I learned most from her is about asking good questions and never leaving anyone behind.
We contact everyone in the streets but often I don´t think it prudent to visit all of them. Some of them I just don´t think want to listen. But she gives everyone a chance, and we have found some good investigators that way.
She is also very good at asking questions.
Like when we were contacting a man the other day, and he was babbling on about how he didn´t believe in the devil . "People are devils!" he said. My companion asked him, "Do you want to be a devil?" very cool and calmly. It made him stop and think, at least. She was looking into his eyes. Questioning to get people to stop and think is something I need to improve a lot with.
We met a different type of investigator the other day. When we met him, he had a Preach my Gospel in his hand marked up!
He approached us and asked, "What is the name of our Heavenly Mother? President Hinckley in the year 2000 and something ish said that there is a Heavenly Mother. What is her name?"
Then he went on to say he prays, but doesn´t feel anything. I will be seeing him tomorrow. We will see if he read and prayed what we asked him to.
So I will be getting a new companion tomorrow. My companion is going south to Lebu or the most southern section. Right now we are in pretty much in the most northern section.
My new companion will be Hermana Martinez. She is from Argentina, and I´ve heard she speaks with a very strong Argentine ' shh' accent. That's all I know about her for now.
Click to Enlarge
Other things that happened this week - lots! I did get my box, sort of. It's here, but I have to go pick it up in the office.
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| Helping with the Church's Flag |
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There is a law in Chile that for the 18 of September everyone must have a flag out. If you don´t have a flag, you can get fined. Hence flags are popping up all over the place... everywhere!
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| Flag prep for Independence week here in Chile |
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| Decorations for Ivonne's Birthday Party -The leader of JAS or YSA (Young Single Adults) here. | | |
This is the map I drew of the sector all the part north is water and swamp I would take a picture there but its not safe. I might try anyways in the morning one day It´s beautiful. The gold triangles are the active members silver are some of the less actives or inactives. It's a work in progress.
Love you all lots!
Hermana Bowman
Riley #34 - Lomita, CA - Chinese Museum, Gaining Weight, Family History
Hi Everyone,
We went to the Chinese museum at Sunrider last week and took some pictures there so I am sending those as well. The branch President is the non-missionary in the photo, and the sisters are temporarily Chinese missionaries. I think I told you about them. The other Chinese elder in the photo is Elder Yang, who was in the photo I sent last week as well.
Thanks for the box of goodies from Bowman and Poppop. I shall enjoy them even though I have been gaining weight - around 160 now. The members and nonmembers have been feeding us well. We have an English class student who always brings food for us, because he worries we don't eat enough.
Another person we met recently keeps on giving us food. She is amazingly hospitable and has stuffed us with food every time we go over. This presents a small problem. We went over to teach her last week, but instead ended up being fed instead. In the end, we went back to the apartment with enough food for lunch and dinner the next two days and 5 pounds heavier than we were when we went in. It amazes me that she is willing to do so much for people she has hardly met.
Things have been going well here. Chinese school started up again, and we went to help out on Saturday morning. From what they told us, we aren't going to be assigned to a certain classroom, but go wherever they need help that day. Hopefully, this will give me the chance to work on my Chinese, as well as give us the opportunity to meet more Chinese people in the community.
The Family History fireside got pushed to next month. Could you send me some family stories? I am not sure how much we are going to do, but it would be good to have something to share if it comes to it. Particularly those dealing with the church. I remember you telling me once about an ancestor who didn't take his children to church because he had to work when his wife died, but don't remember the details.
Thanks.
Love,
Elder Bowman
Mollie #45 - La Marina, Chile - Moving a Roof, Independence Day, The Cueca
September 2
Hey all,
So I have pictures this week! They are from my companion's camera, because I am afraid to carry mine around. We will see what I can do about taking them with mine.
This first picture is of me and my companion in the house of a recent convert, Alejandro. He is wonderful. He often accompanies us on visits. He has a big family - three sons and their girlfriends all of which came to Family Home Evening. Only one of his sons is a member, and he is inactive. This is one family that we are working with.
They are fun and were telling us stories about how once when they were playing Truth or Dare, someone dared someone to move the roof - and they moved the entire roof of the house. Yep! Never leave three boys alone in a new empty house.
We made chocolate krispie treats for some members of the ward and because my companion studied art history, I posed as Dionysus with the grapes - but with chocolate krispies balls. She thought it was hilarious and pulled out her camera on me.
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| Being Dionysus with chocolate krispies balls |
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Everyone is prepping for Independence Day here in Chile, which I think is the 18th of September. I am not sure to be honest, because it is a celebration for an entire week. Everyone is talking about different celebrations on the different days.
The church is doing something, too. One part that I love is that they dance the Cueca. I am not sure how to spell it but you say it - "Quick-a." It is the national dance, and it is very entertaining. I have seen it once in the talent show they had here my first week. They say you gain 4 kilos from celebrating, so we will see how this turns out.
These photos are of us with costumes at the Bishop's house. His wife came downstairs, so the family could pick out different costumes, and they decided we needed to look a little more Chilean :)
As for your other questions:
1. No, I haven´t got the box yet. I will try and take a foto of my map.
2. Choir went okay we had like 3 people which isn´t bad - But I would rather it be ward run, so I am trying to pass it on to someone else.
3. It's always good to pray for my language and understanding skills. Sometimes my companion and I just don´t catch onto things very well.
Say Hi to Nathan.
Jake you need a planner si or si. I know you can do this if you plan it well, but you must plan. My friends and I always say that organization is what determines good grades more than if your smart or not. These people are here to help you. Make sure that you really know your TA and go to their office hours or the TA lab once a week minimum to check your work... And that you get enough sleep!
Have fun at PF Changs. How cool - a finders fee.
Say 'Hi' to everyone for me!
Thanks for Donnie's photo. I miss Donnie, too. There just aren´t others like him. We don´t have a single deacon or teacher here in the ward. I really miss them. They are really important. I am really looking at finding them, whether they are inactive or investigators.
Here is a game I've played down here - 'Two Lies and a Truth' is played with a glass of water. Which is a lie? Which is a truth? Those who guess the lies get a spoonful of water to the face.
There is one truth. Everything else is lies, and it is important to find the truth whenever you can.
Mich - Love your blog. Your are great with that camera of yours. Hope work is going well. Keep posting. Very cute Mich. 8 months and all I have are pictures! I definitely have to visit when I get home.
Love you all lots!
Your Sis
PS - btw, I would like a ruler - hole punch. They don´t have hole punches here. It drives me mad.
Love you all lots!
Hermana Bowman
Riley #33 - Lomita, CA - LA Temple, Bridge View, A Baptism
Dear Family,
Thanks for the pictures. We went to the temple today, so our Pday is today rather than Monday. It is always great to be able to enter the temple, and I can feel the difference it makes in our work after going there.
I forgot to take pictures again, so I took a few in the computer lab with the other Chinese Elders.
Also, I found the other picture of our Branch when looking through Elder Casey's camera. That is at a hike the Branch went on together with a couple of our English class students.
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| Click to Enlarge |
This week went great. We did service Labor Day helping out with a race. It was a race which went over the bridge by the port of Los Angeles. We got to go on the bridge and lay down mats for the runners to run over. It was an awesome view up there as you can see the cranes and containers from the ships.
I don't have much time, because it took a while to get the pictures. Sunday went great. One of our Branch member's daughter was baptized. They had a huge dinner afterward, which we got to take some leftovers from. We usually have too much food at our apartment ever since Elder Bergeson started his diet, so it is a race to eat all the leftovers before they go bad.
English class is going well. We don't have too many students at our English class right now, but the ones we do have are pretty solid. We still get a few new people each week. We had an English class activity with the Branch Saturday. We had a BBQ at our branch mission leader's house. Most of our English students came and enjoyed it. They also were able to meet some of our branch members for the first time.
We have been trying to finish the format for our English lessons this week. We have been constantly building and altering our English class.
Love,
Elder Bowman
Mollie #44 - La Marina, Chile - Missing Youth, Newish Bag, Better Questions
August 26
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| Hermana Van de Merwe and Me |
Hey all,
Very little time this week - a lot to print. I am starting a choir here. I made posters for the church and invitations last week.
The second week here, I gave a talk and talked about missionary work and set up a table in the lobby where we are putting announcements, invitations, pass along cards, and things like that. I think I might start a weekly missionary challenge.
I am trying to find the answer to ¨the case of the missing youth.¨ The ward has a group of sixteen year olds - four of them - but there are no other youth. They exist, but they don´t go to church. I am trying to figure out why. Some of them are recent converts, so it is really sad.
Cleaning the house had a nice surprise. Michele isn´t the only one that got a new purse. I found this cool shoulder bag, sorting out all the old missionary clothes in the house. I think I could use it instead of a backpack. It needs to be cleaned up, but it is a good cargo bag with lots of pockets. I am working on downsizing the things I carry with me and this is really going to help me.
My map is almost done. I am really excited. When I first got to the sector, we had a map, but it is tiny, beat up, and hard to read. The new one I drew out has all the passageways and everything that, for some reason, isn't on the city map.
I was sick all week and am just getting better. I spent a day at the bishop's house watching Rio, because I was coughing so much and I didn´t want to do so in front of investigators. I am not a pretty sick. I just get red, coughy, and terrible.
My companion was also sick. At one point, we both had lost our voices - making for some very interesting lessons and contacts - Shouting at doors with our voice cracking halfway through the word, etc. Our Spanish is hard enough to understand without the nasal I have a cold sound. One of our investigators thought when we said 'prophet' that we said we were like slaves of God - Until the member clarified what we said. Evidently, it is close to another word.
I have been working on asking better questions this week. My companion and I have very different styles of teaching, but we both decided to work on this.
One question we have been asking is -Why do you think God gave you your family?
Love you all lots,
Hermana Bowman
Riley #32 - Lomita, CA - International Zone, New Chinese Elder
August 26, 2013
Hi,
I am sorry to hear about Sister Chamberlain, but I am glad her family got to be with her before she passed. Is Brother Chamberlain going to move in with one of his children? Thank you for letting me know.
I received the DearElder for Nick (Missionary in Germany) and Statler (Missionary in Ghana). Thanks for passing on Michele and Mollie's blog and email. What classes is Jake taking? I attached pictures of the apartment since you have been asking.
I don't think I have much time, so I will have to make it brief. We had our first zone meeting last Friday in the newly created International Zone. Elder Kuo is going to be the solo zone leader, at least for now. He also is the district leader for the Chinese program, training, and in charge of all the English classes in the mission as well as trying to set up the group. He must be ridiculously busy.
The International zone contains the ASL, Chinese, Korean, Samoan and Tongan missionaries. The Samoan missionaries are a new companionship as our mission received our first native Samoan this past Wednesday.
We also got to meet the new Chinese elder. His name is Elder Yang and is being trained by Elder Casey and Kuo. He is from Taiwan, but has lived in Utah the last year and a half. His father does translation for the church and sounds like one of the best. He does the translation for President Monson in Conference. He actually wanted to learn how to teach English in college and had it as his major.
I didn't get any pictures with him yet, but will try to get some for next week. Our districts are each specific to our language so all the Chinese are in one district. It makes it pretty small, but we also are able to do district meeting in Chinese, which probably won't happen for now.
Love,
Elder Bowman
Mollie #43 - La Marina, Chile - Drawing in Primary, Being an Example of Christ
August 19
Hey all,
Don´t worry so much. I am figuring things out bit by bit. Anyway, I gave a talk yesterday. People said they like it and that it was spontaneous. Not sure if that is a good or a bad thing.
'Obra Misional' was the theme of sacrament. All of the ward missionaries sang together. It was pretty good especially since half of us are sick with a head cold. The people here are a little bit better off and a little bit more educated, aka they sing better. The sister that directs music has one of those giant opera singing voices and well she doesn't really know timing. It makes playing the piano especially entertaining. This week we are starting a choir and then Sunday I am playing for Primary.
Primary here is crazy. I spent last Sunday in Primary. As a general rule, I always carry around colored pencils and a sketch pad for lessons with kids that just don't know how to not bother their parents. I then take requests for things to draw their favorite animal, etc. It really helps.
Anyway, there was an inactive mom with her two younger kids in church for the first week Sunday. She spent the whole time in Primary because her son was shy, and it took some time to help him interact with the other kids.
After Sacrament the first hour is class time which is coloring and reading from The Friend which works fairly well. The last hour is what we call 'let them run,' where the kids run around the gym. I also practiced the Primary music number with them.
Spiritual Thought - "By your fruits you will know them" -
One thing we have been working on is the PR of the church in our sector. Things like making sure the outside of the church is clean and things like that. There is a lot of antimormon stuff going around. You never know who is watching or what signs we are projecting as a people. So as church members we should try and be an example of Christ in all of our actions.
We have a new mission office for sending packages. Don't worry the other ones will be forwarded.
It is:
Mission Concepcion Sur
Castellon 1063
Casilla 3560
Concepcion, Bio Bio
Chile
We are receiving packages and can send packages but letters seem to have problems.
Out of time. I will try and figure out a way of taking pictures.
Love you lots,
Mollie
(To Riley) - Hey Ri - Things are crazy here in Chile as always. I am debating starting up an English class again in this new sector, but I am not to sure about it. I am still getting to know the sector and just started a choir.
The youth here don't do any activities. They only have seminary together, and there are only about 4 of them that regularly attend church. If you could throw me some ideas I can present to the leaders to activate the youth that would be helpful. What are some easy Young Mens activities? We have two that are active, but I think if we got some good activities going they would invite people.
How great that you are doing so well on your mission. Funny that you got a talk I spoke last week.
Love you lots,
Your Sis
(To Michele) - Love the pictures keep sending them. Tiny looks a lot like you Mich. I miss the beach and I am right next to it. GO figure.
Love you lots,
Your Sis
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| Mollie heard her friend, Hannah, is pregnant |
(To Hannah S.) - Da felicidades por ella y saludos por todos. That is fantastic hope the summer is going well.
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