Sister Kayla Bowen: This week I had so many wonderful experiences with the spirit!

I have come to understand so much better how the Holy Ghost feels and how it works in our lives. It takes sacrifice to always have the spirit but based off of my experiences this week, I know I cannot go without, on my mission or after.

The experience that stands out to me the most happened Saturday night, we were going to visit one last family before going in for the night. As we were waiting for the elevator, Sister Satame said something to me in chuukese and I responded in Chuukese. A girl stansing nearby turned to me and said surprised, "You speak Chuukese?" (What dont I look like I speak Chuukese?) "A little bit! We are missionaries over a Chuukese congregation so I've learned some to teach the Chuukese people." "Wait what church are you from?" "The Church of Jesus Christ." "Oh." She turned away, uninterested but I wanted to keep talking to her. "A lot of people call us Mormons." She turned quickly to look at me again. "Oh...Mormons..." We rode up the elevator quietly with a group of other people. When we reached our floor, we started to move off when she threw her arm against the doors and said, "Can you tell me about your church? Like, right now?" I answered of course and asked what floor she lived on and said we could visit her after the family we were going to see. She responded and asked instead if she could go with us. I was a little surprised but said absolutely. When we got to our floor and began walking down the hallway, I asked her if she had ever met missionaries from our church before. She looked at me, smirked and said she hadn't but that SHE was a Christian. I immediately knew that she was not interested in learning more about our church but rather letting us know why our church was wrong. I've been on my mission long enough to spot a Bible basher from a mile away. We showed up to the home of Anres and I looked through the ajar door. I saw a ring of about 20 people with Anres in the middle with an open Bible on his lap. They were having Bible study. He turned, noticed me, and excitedly said "Bowen come on in and join us!" Anres is one of my favorite people to teach. He is a pastor over 2 different churches, but has so much real intent to follow the Bible and Christ. When we first shared the message of the restoration and the Book of Mormon he was so intrigued. "I didn't know Christ visited the Americas..." He also watched The Testaments video and really liked it. But he and his group are still very opinionated about the Bible so... I had a choice to make. Get Bible bashes inside or Bible bashes outside. I felt prompted to respect Anres and allow him to do his bible study without any disturbances. I told him we just wanted to stop by and let him know we would be stopping by next Thursday. "Same time?" He asked. "Same time."
I closed the door and turned to face Faith, a 20 year old Chuukese girl who spoke perfect English. She was short but had an attitude taller than the building. Now for my dilemma. Ive been blessed with a rock solid testimony of this gospel. I know Joseph Smith is a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is true. I also know how to show the evidence of that from the Bible, Bible bashing is not difficult, but I also know Bible Bashing of any kind completely removes the spirit from any situation and nobody can become converted without it. Not to mention it is very unChristlike, which is why I always find it incredibly interesting when individuals of other faiths want to argue with us about why their church is Christ church and why they are Christs people. Very ironic. So I said a prayer and asked that by the time Faith left we would have shown her that we live the name we bear and next time she saw Missionaries she could say, "Oh! Mormons!"

"Okay, go. Tell me your thing." she said. At that moment one of the sweetest things I have ever experienced occurred. I felt overwhelming love for Faith. I saw her as Christ saw her, a valiant, faithful girl who was doing what she thought was defending the Bible and Christ. I loved her so much and all I wanted was for her to see that. I also felt absolute peace, I wasn't shaky and my voice didn't sound nervous, I knew that the spirit was with me and I didn't have to worry about what to say because the Holy Ghost knew exactly what Faith needed to hear. Simply and gently I responded, "We believe in a living prophet and apostles and that God has not left us alone." She then went on to talk for an hour as we stood there in the hallway. She talked about everything from how Catholics were wrong to how she use to smoke weed but stopped because of her church to the gift of tongues. She would pause every once in a while and ask a typical question "What was the Book of Mormon written on?" "Gold Plates" "And where exactly are those plates now?" "An angel took them back after they were translated" "Mmhhhmm...right...." and "Does your church believe in the gift of tongues like it talks about in the bible?" "Sure do" "Have you ever experienced it" "I cant say I have" (Actually I have watching thousands of missionaries get called to language speaking missions and learn it in 9 weeks buuuut I knew trying to explain that would not go where this conversation needed to go.) "Well let me tell you this story...." She continued on and on talking about how she Bible Bashed other religions and how they were all wrong and she could prove it using the bible. "Throw the best scriptures you got at me because I know my bible and I know my rights, Imma say what Ill say." I genuinely smiled and continued happily listening. She quotes scriptures from the bible and really impressed me with how well she understood Christs Church. She was trying her best to get us to say something contrary to the Bible (A very difficult feat when talking with missionaries from Christs Church). She talked about things in our church like not having crosses and not paying for the pastor. Sister Satame and I just stood and listened. For an hour. And after a while she realized how much she was talking. She turned to Sister Satame and in Chuukese asked, "Whats your testimony?" Sister Satame bore one of the most beautiful testimonies about how her family had been completely changed by the church and how her father had stopped drinking and went out with the missionaries to teach the people in their village. It brought the spirit so strongly and Faith had nothing to say. She turned to me, "Give me a scripture in the bible that tells me about your church," and pulled out her personal paper copy of the bible and looked at me. I thought for a minute then said "I think its amazing how well you understand the bible. Not many people here read the bible and know it like you do!" She tried to hide it, but I could tell she was beaming with pride. I asked her more questions and came to find out she had joined her church about 1 year ago and had never actually experienced the gift of tongues but wanted to someday. Her heart was softening as we talked and she even eventually asked, "Wait so what actually is the Book of Mormon?" She had so much real intent and I explained that it wasn't rules for our church or Joseph Smiths opinions about God, but ancient accounts from prophets that lived in the Americas, just like the Bible. She thought about it then asked, "Where in the Bible does it talk about that?" I told her, "Flip to John 10:16..." We also briefly talked about Amos 8:7 and Ephesians 2:20, which talk about Prophets and Apostles. She had nothing to say and changed the subject, but I was grateful we read them because after that she realized we really do read the Bible and that we are Christ like and "Mormons" aren't weird. We talked some more and laughed and by the end of the night, she walked with us to our car, we exchanged numbers and left best friends.

I am so grateful for this experience and to have had the spirit with me so strongly. We planted solid seeds that night of missionaries, the church, and The Book of Mormon. There were many times I wanted to bring up a scriptures or talk about something but the spirit knew what Faith needed to hear and I was prompted to set aside what I thought was right and just listen and love her. I am grateful for my testimony, the opportunity I have had to become a missionary, the Holy Ghost, and the sacrament, which promises us Christ spirit to be with us always. I believe having Christ spirit with us means having the spirit of being a loving person, it takes meekness and patience, but its always worth it in the end.

I love you and cannot wait to see you in a little over a month. Sister Satame and I received transfer news Saturday night and we will both be staying! That means shes my last companion, Honolulu will have been my area for almost half my mission, and I have 6 weeks left. "Its the final countdown" du du du duuu, du du dun dun dun....

Aloha and Sipwap Chu,
Sistah Bowen 🌺