Sister Kayla Bowen: Matching ties for seeing Elder Holland and Elder Bednar

Dad,

Sorry about my lame email last week, We were going crazy trying to finish our matching ties for seeing Elder Holland and Elder Bednar 😄

I LOVED talking to you all on Mothers Day, I can't wait to be home and sitting with you all in person 😊 Only 5 more months, but I'm not counting down...missionary work is too good ;)

I probably looked chubby hahaha i'm trying to be better at managing my weight but I'm in Hawaii I'm suppose to go home full of Kalua Pork and Pineapple 😉

Elder Holland and Elder Bednars visit was so incredible!! Even they said that having 2 of the apostles (not to mention 2 of the greatest teachers on earth) together teaching us and doing Q and A with us is a rare once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I did my best to soak it in.

We all met in front of the Laie temple and stood ready for a picture until Elder Holland and Elder Bednar and Sister Bednar came and then we filed over to the stake center to have our devotional. On our way to the stake center we all got to shake Elder Holland and Elder Bednar hands!! When it was my turn to shake Elder Holland's hand I grabbed his hand and couldn't help but laugh a little as I said Elder Holland! It's so good to meet you! Thank you for coming today! His eyes were so light blue and he looked so happy to see me. I know he was probably scanning my soul but I was just so happy to be looking at him and see him looking at me one on one it didnt even phase me. Next I walked up to elder bednar and said, "You gave advice to my Dad for me 6 months ago here on my mission, thank you for That it helped me so much!" He said you're welcome and I went on to thank sister Bednar for being there. I k ow Elder Bednar probably gives advice to Dads for their daughter on missions everyday but I am so lucky because I actually got to personally thank him for that advice. How cool is that. 😊😊

Elder Holland started off talking to us by telling us about an old movie with Audrey Hepburn where she says to the man she's in love with, "Do you know what's wrong with you? Absolutely nothing." He said our mission was perfect and President Bekker was the best mission President he knew. I knew it meant a lot to hear that from Elder Holland because The Bekkers have built this mission from the ground up, and last time Elder Holland visited he didn't have quite as friendly words for the mission. I'm so proud to be apart of the Hawaii Honolulu Mission, we are such an obedient hardworking mission for how easy it would be to just cruise all day. He talked about how important a mission is and that the most important convert from a mission is yourself. He also said, "this has to be forever! You can never ever be what you use to be. You either become better or worst, I hope you choose to become something much better than you you use to be." We are the Lord's Sheppards right now as members and leaders in the church, me as a missionary and you as a parent, calling holder, priesthood holder, member missionary etc. and the Lord cannot afford to lose his Sheppards!! Elder Holland was as passionate in real life as he is in general conference. 😉

Elder Bednars talk was so impressive to me, but why am I surprised, he's the best ;) I recently have been feeling overwhelmed as a missionary because there seems to be so many people to help and so few people keeping commitments and so many less active members etc. etc. I thought I would be a better missionary and feel like a had a handle on the work but I don't. Elder Bednars words were an answer to a question I didn't even realize I had until that day. He said, "The longer you are out on your mission the more you should realize you know nothing. If you are not blown away by how many responsibilities you need to step back and realize how important your role is." I went on to tall about how that doesn't mean we have to be stressed or sad but we do need to realize that we can't do this without the Lord. This is HIS work. I loved that because I realized that my feelings of being overwhelmed were not because I'm failing as a missionary but because I am going throughThat sometimes painful stage of changing and realizing that it's not up to me, the Lord is just allowing me to be apart of his work as long as I am worthy and willing. I think trusting that the Lord is going to accomplish what seems like the impossible right now is apart of my conversion, just as much as it is apart of my investigators conversion. Someday I'll have perfect faith and be perfectly humble and be perfectly patient but until then I'll rely on the experiences the Lord keeps giving me to increase my love and trust in him.

One story Elder Bednar told us that actually had to do with Elder Holland was, "in one of my first general conferences right before it was my turn to get up to share my testimony to the world, Elder Holland, who I sit next to, leans over to me and says, "the fate of the church and the world all depends on you for the next 16 minutes." Elder Bednar replys, "you know all these people watching probably think your telling me words of encouragement." The Elder Holland just laughs and sits back in his chair was Elder Bednar walks up to speak to the world Hahahaha. He said that righteous playfulness is very important 😉😊

This week we had so many miracles, we ended up having 7 new investigators in our area! I love serving with these people and am learning how to be a real city girl 😉

One experience I had this week that I will never her forget was when we went to visit the Anser Family who is a part member family that we are trying really hard to get active again so we can baptize their 11 year old daughter Jayann, and 9 year old boy Justino. They also have a 7 year old girl named Jayzareen. Jayann and Justino don't like reading the Children's BOM stories and don't like coming to church but adorable little Jayzareen is so excited about the gospel and tries so hard. On Friday we were sitting on the floor visiting with their Auntie and Sister Eberhard was doing most of the talking because auntie speaks half English half Chuukese and Sister Eberhard knows more than me. So I asked Jayzareen if she had read any of the stories and she opened up the book really excited and showed me the page she had been reading before. I said we should read it together and so she started reading in her cute little 7 year old voice from the BOM stories and would ask me what different words were and sat right up next to me. It hit me while she was reading that this was probably one of the few, if not the only, time in her life an adult had taken time to patiently sit right next to her and read the Book of Mormon with her and give her a high five when she finished a story. It's just not apart of their culture to have the parents take care of their kids, It made me want to cry. I have been so blessed, not only physically with a wonderful home and not having to worry about when I would be fed next but also with parents that spent time with me and taught me the gospel. If anything has come from my mission it is an appreciation for and resolve to be a mom that follows the example of my parents. Thank you for all you did for me I love you so so much. I hope I can give Jayzareen in the time that I'm here some of what you gave me.

Last but not least this week was transfers and me and Sister Eberhard are staying in Honolulu so I'll be killing her and continue to be an STL. I'm glad to be here and glad to be overwhelmed 😉 Sister Fifita is going to Waianae with Sister Chappel and I'm SO EXCITED 😊

I love you so much and hope you enjoy the pictures 😙❤

Ofa atu,

Sister Boullion