Plenty Kine Pigs..Big Island Thats Why

This week was very busy (when isnt it in Honolulu😉) but we started the week with District meeting on Monday and we talked about personal revelation with our phenomenal district leader, Elder Lidang, who I also found out is going home with me in November! Then had a day full of lessons and ended it with our flooded washer haha. Tuesday was P-day with the temple and stopping along the way home for pictures, lunch, and dessert. The Bendixens spoil us rotten 😊.

Wednesday we started the day with volleyball for morning excersize with the Elders, had lots of morning appointments (we didnt even have time to stop for lunch haha) and then at about 2 Sister Eberhard said she felt like she was going to pass out and she had a heat rash all over her legs. Pretty sure she got heat stroke... so we went home and while she slept I used the mission office carper cleaner and cleaned the carpets in our apartment. The church just needs to buy me my own, I think I'm the only missionary that uses it haha😂 We visited more people after dinner and planned our training for Zone Conference with the Zone Leaders for Friday. 

Thursday we had meetings all day. We had the Honolulu West zones interviews where we check their planning and device audit their phones, then we had personal studies,

Branch Corrilation meeting, Branch Counsel, training prep with the zone leaders, and a Relief Society Activity. We played Book of Mormon Jeopardy with the youth and Relief Society because they arent big enough groups to do it separately, and me and Sister Eberhard couldnt believe how little the active members knew. It reminded me of a couple of weeks ago when AP Elder Dushku was tellings us how surprising it was to teach active members the message of the Restoration. When you ask what happened in the first vision a lot of the time they will say things like, "Yeah so Joseph Smith was praying and 2 angels came down with the golden tablets, right?" It just makes us appreciate how well we were taught and for the Book of Mormon childrens videos. I still picture those when I read or describe Book of Mormon stories. I never understood how well you taught our family about the gospel, what we have is very unique and I plan on raising my children the way we were raised. The gospel isnt just a Sunday religion, its everything and we need to talk about it and live like its everything to us. Thank you for your examples of that. 😊❤ 

Friday was zone conference, we had such a great time and I learned so much. It was Sister Chappels last zone conference and I spent as much time as I could being with her and laughing with her. I am going to miss her more than I can describe. 😔 We gave our training on having the spirit at all times and I always remember trainings better when we do role plays and activities, rather than when the ZLs and STLs would just talk, so we made sure to do lots of that and our zone responded really well to it. We did one role play to learn how to re-direct a "Portagee" investigator, which means they talk A LOT. We had Elder Lidang be the investigator and his Pidgin was AMAZING hahahahaha, hence the subject title. If you didnt understand that last sentence I'll explain better when i get home.😂😉🤙I had the idea to play the game "Signs" for a few minutes to demonstrate the need for us missionaries to always be paying attention to the spirit so we dont "miss" when the spirit "throws us a sign". I couldnt help but think back to trek and how your family would always play that. I look back with fondness at summers because of camps and youth conferences like those. I am so blessed to have been raised the way I was 😁❤ 

Friday night one of the members from Sister Eberhards old ward picked us up and took us to dinner. Now, Waikiki is a "Red Zone" which means you cannot even drive through it as missionaries, BUT if a member takes you in for  dinner or a lesson we are allowed to go. So Sister Hill picked us up and took us to Cheesecake Factory for dinner!!! It was great but honestly one of the strangest experineces of my mission. Waikiki is like a city within a city. I felt like we were in a completely different  place from the Honolulu I know. Its like disneyland and I half expected a parade to start down the middle of the road at any second. Dinner was delicious and I'm glad I got to see Waikiki at least once before going home. 

Saturday was a regular day for proselyting but Sarurday night we were ushers for a concert in our tabernacle and it WAS PHENOMENAL. They had Member professional broadway soloists sing songs from Mama Mia, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and a full blown orchestra! The orchestra was amazing, they come from The University of Hawaii and the conductor is a member but the perfemors are not and they volunteer to put on this free show at the Tabernacle. My favorite part was when the orchastra played The Pirates of the Caribbean and the intro song to all the disney movies:  Goes like, "Dun dun dun dun dun du dun a dududududuuuuu... bom bom bom bommmm." Hahaha I dont know what that is called😂😂. Anyway it was superb 😊

Sunday we taught the lesson for the third week in a row spontaneously. Its always fun to turn to my companion and say "Plan of Salvation?" Or "Restoration?" And he say "Yup lets do it" and just drand up and teach a 45 minute lesson. Being a missionary keep you on your toes and I love that.😁
I love being a missionary and I feel your prayers everyday, thank you for all you taught me! I love you and Miss you❤❤

Aloha,
Sister Bowen 

Photos: Church, Some of the girls Im an STL over, Our zone :), Cheesecake Factory in Disneyla..I mean Waikiki