It's great to be serving the Lord

This week was great as usual because as usual, it's great to be serving the Lord😊🤙

We went to haleakala today and just got back. We're going to lunch with the zone leaders and Pukalani elders in a bit which is always fun because we hardly get to see the other missionaries because we live so far away. I love our zone leaders they are phenominal and do so much for us, I strive to be a leader that can keep up with them 😉 

We went to a softball game this week with 5 part member families and really impressed the coach who also happens to be the first counselor in our ward. We are making such good progress with the softball team and their families, blessings definitely come from working closely with the ward members and we become more and more grateful every week for the help the Lord provided us with in gaining the ward counsels trust. 

We also went on exchanges this week and I got to stay in Lahaina with a brand new sister: Sister Choi who is from Korea and only 3 weeks out. She is doing well, we visited so many people and went to the Tongan ward relief society party which included the usual taro (potato like root that they make poi from), shrimp, faikakai (dessert made of dough and... caramel? Super good) mussles, and so much other food I can't even remember. Our ward mission Leader, Brother Hifo who is my favorite person ever, was the DJ and as overwhelmed as I think Sister Choi was we both enjoyed it. 

Last night we were prompted to visit a part member/active/less active family, The Haias, and the more we visit them the more I love them. The Haias are someone we pray for so much because they are amazing and all of them deserve the blessings of the temple. We talked for an hour or two about anything and everything and I forgot to take a picture of Brother Haia with his sick VW bug. Next week 👍😊 

I love my companion sister Fifita and wish I could stay with her my whole mission, she honestly makes being a missionary my favorite thing in the whole world ❤😄

I love you and pray for our family every night. Mahalo nui loa for all you do ❤

Sister Bowen 

Haleakala 

Finally in my high elevation element #utahislife

Me and Sister Fifita, my favorite comp. 

Easter love from Sister Murray 😊

Haleakala

Haleakala 10,000+ ft elevation

Last week has been the craziest week of my mission!

Malo e lelei 😊 

I am so sorry I didn't email last week, this last week has been the craziest week of my mission! I'll break it down:

Monday: Woke up at 4:00, drove to the other side of Maui to the airport, and flew to Oahu with our Zone Leaders to our Missionary Leaders Counsel. Had an amazing MLC which focused on remembering not to let the Church take over the gospel, how "a grateful heart leads to greatness", and remembering our purpose. My notebook is full as well as my heart, I am so grateful to have such an inspired mission President and to be working with some of the finest missionaries I have ever met. After MLC we stayed at the mission office, helped some of the senior couples, then went to dinner with the Honolulu Sisters. Stayed over night in Honolulu at their apartment and enjoyed the beauty of the city of Honolulu.

Tuesday: SISTER FIFITAS 6 MONTH MARK 😄 Woke up the next day and spent time walking around the city. Honolulu is just so different from all the other places I have served so far it was great to see that side of Hawaii. Went too our first districit meeting of the week, then some members Sister Fifita knew took us to Lunch. After a lot of craziness, eventually we got on our flight home. We didn't arrive until about 8 at night so we drove to the Makawoa Sisters home and stayed with them overnight so we didn't have to make the hour drive back to Lahaina and drive back Wednesday morning for District Meeting.

Wednesday: Went to our 2nd District Meeting with our new district leader Elder Blackmore who is a fireball and really gets me pumped for missionary work. Drove back to lahaina and had a service project weeding an investigators yard, our ward Corrilation meeting right after, and a Young Women's activity about missionary work right after. We helped them make cupcakes to deliver to our investigators.

Thursday: Drove BACK to the other side of Maui again for all day interviews with our mission President and reviewing the zones area books on their phones. Drive back to Lahaina. Planned our Zone Conference Training.

Friday: Drove back AGAIN to the other side of Maui for zone conference and had great training from the mission President, his wife, and our Zone leaders. Shout out to them they did amazing as usual. We gave a training on being creative with technology and working with members which went well, I could feel the spirit working with us as we trained. Drove back to Lahaina.

Saturday: Chapel Clean up, eagle scout project, a baptism on the other side and finally finding time to go deliver the Young Women's cupcakes.

Sunday: Splits with me going to the 1st ward and Sister Fifita going to the 2nd ward, visiting all day and finally ending the day with a lesson involving the YSA and deep fried Oreos.

We are so blessed to have so much going on, I feel the spirit so strongly everyday as we diligently fill our time with the Lord's work. We are his hands and as we do our best to sacrifice what little we have he will use us.

I always though that a mission would be like a line on a graph. 📈 As I worked and continued to grow and progress, I would become better and better everyday until I was the best version of myself. The longer I am out on my mission, the more a mission feels like a circle.⏺ Some days are up and some days are down and at times it feels like I am the same person I left on the mission as. But as Dad always reminds me, right now it may feel like a circle but from a heavenly perspective it's more of a spiral. I know if I am worthy and willing the Lord can use me and even if I return the same, at least I will return knowing others have changed.

I love this gospel, I love the Book of Mormon and I believe in change. As Sister Bekker said, "If the gospel doesn't change you then what good is the gospel?"

Read the Book of Mormon, forgive yourself, teach change, and remember how much our Savior loves you. 😊❤ Have a great week, I love you so much!!

Sister Bowen 🤙 

MLC 

Beautiful Honolulu 

ELDER CABRITO 😄👏

Sister Walker: "I can see a couple of you are getting a little nervous don't worry it's just in case." 

District leader Elder Blackmore 

I'm FREEZING.