Busiest week of my mission

Mom and Dad, 

A lot of missionaries have described their missions to me as an emotional, spiritual, and sometimes (it feels like) physical roller coaster. This past week not only proved that statement but surpassed the "busiest week of my mission" which I wrote about a couple of weeks ago. 

This week was miracle after miracle and there where so many divinely designed opportunities.
Monday after our Preparation Day ended at 6, we went to teach one of our investigators who we had set up a lesson with for that day. After knocking and knocking we left feeling disappointed that our lesson had fallen through but decided to make the most of it and visit a lady named Roxina we had seen attend church the week before with a friend who lives next door. After persistently knocking (you tend to have to knock a long time here before people anwser) a man answered the door and after we introduced ourselves ("Ran Allim! Itei Sister Bowen me Sister E, Ifa Usumw?") He excitedly opened the door wide ("Pëchëcun! Pëchëcun! Come!") and invited us in to see his wife. We entered the one room, carpetless apartment with nothing but a single twin size mattress in the corner and a single modest shoe rack and closet. They repetitively apologize for not having a coach we could sit on and mom, dad, and their 6 year old son respectfully sat across from us on the floor and eagerly awaited our message, mind you this is a message we didn't know we would be giving. We thanked them for allowing us in and began to express Heavenly Fathers love for their family. We taught some of the restoration and asked Roxina how she had felt at church. After she expressed how much she had liked it and hoped to keep going back, she mentioned that some of her cousins attended that same Micronesian Branch, and they had told her we were teaching them and they were going to be baptized in a little over a month. The husband turned to his us and asked "can she be baptized with them?" She nodded excitedly in agreement and we were so shocked but we said of course! We talked about how they need to keep attending church and having us teach lessons so they are prepared for baptism, then we closed our miracle lesson with a prayer, said goodbye ("Kinisou chapur! Sipwap Chu!") and left, still stunned at how amazing their family was. I love their family and I love the humble circumstances that bring the spirit so strongly when we teach in their home. Monday night we also found out over the Zone Leader and Sister Training Leader conference call with our mission President that all the missionaries on the island of Oahu would be getting tickets to go to BYU Hawaii to see President Nelson! We were so excited and Sunday finally came around, we drove to Laie, and not only got to sit close and see the prophet speak but listen to Elder Holland and both their wife's. I also saw so many of my missionary friends that I haven't seen in so long because I have been off island, it was all so exhausting but one of the best days I've had in a while. I still cannot believe how blessed I was to be moved back on Island just in time for President Nelson devotional and, in a few weeks, Elder Holland's mission address. 

Wednesday we found a new investigating family by accidentally knocking on the wrong door and when we went back to have Family Home Evening with them, they had 2 members, an inactive member and 2 friends who became new investigators over to have FHE with them and loved our lesson and activity. We hope to continue teaching all of them! 

We went on exchanges with the sisters in the Pearl City area and I got to go spend the day in Pearl City with Sister Ngatuvai, one of Sister Fifitas best friends! He had the best day, knocked so many doors, got fresh avocados, and made a video to send to Sister Fifita. I love being an STL to learn from so many other sisters. Exchanges always inspire me. This particular exchange was especially inspiring because of one of the doors we felt we needed to visit so we PERSISTENTLY knocked and knocked and knocked some more. An older auntie finally heard us, answered and surprised us by telling us she was actually a member. We stood at the door at talked for 2 hours, and she told us all about her conversion story and the missionaries that had taught her. She has an incredible story but to put it short, she had gone to an LDS church one Sunday as a teenager with her friends and one of them asked if she would ever become a Mormon. She laughed and said, "yeah in 13 years." (She said 13 was a superstitious number to her and her friends or something so it basically meant never.) Then years later after she had begun taking the lessons from the missionaries she called and asked if they had written down the exact day they had first knocked on her door. They told her the date and it was exactly, to the day, 13 years after she had very first attended the church. Her story strengthened my testimony and made me laugh a little, the Lord most definitely has a sense of humor. 

There where so many more little miracles all week I cannot write them all down, but I feel so grateful that I am in this area at this time to experience them. 

Lastly I read a talk this week that encouraged me when I needed it and changed the way I look at trials, "2 principles for any economy" by Elder Uchtdorf. He talks about the importance of hard work and the service that hard work is, "Those who are unafraid to roll up their sleeves and lose themselves in the pursuit of worthwhile goals are a blessing to their families, communities, nations, and to the Church." He also talked about how trials are what build us. "It is often in the trial of adversity that we learn those most critical lessons that form our character and shape our destiny." This week was one of the hardest weeks of my mission and there were days my wagon felt more stuck in the mud then ever before in my life but I know my heavenly father is there and I am never alone, "our Savior walked that path alone so you don't have to." I know that is true, I know my Savior knows how we feel and loves us because of it, he will never leave us and he is so proud of who we are becoming as we face our trials trusting in him. Thank you Mom and Dad for teaching me that principle my whole life, I didn't completely understand it until I had to experience it, but for the experience and your example of trusting in him, I will forever be grateful. 

Thank you both so much and I cannot wait to see you on Mothers Day, keep trekking along, I love you ❤ 

Ofa atu,
Sister Bowen 

PS: MY BEAUTIFUL BIRTHDAY PACKAGE THAT U LOVE SO MUCH❤❤❤