This week was another fabulous week in paradise.

Im happy all the general conferemce talks have come out and Ive been able to experience it all again! 2 other Elders in my zone, My District Leader Elder Lidang, and one of the assisstants to the president Elder Fanene, die with me at the end of this transfer and everytime we see each other they always says things like, Sister Bowen youre dying soon huh? And Sister Bowen have you started the dating section on My Plan yet? Haha those two think they are so funny 😂 I am glad Im spending time with great Elders like them my last few days here on the mission, hard to believe I wont be spending time with them anymore. 

On Saturday we had a really neat experince with the assistants! We had a college student call the mission office and ask if she could interview 2 sets of missionaries for a report she is doing for her behavior science major. The assistance and us were asked and so we drove to the school and had a great interview with Aggie! She asked us questions for her project she was doing on The Church of Jesus Christ religion but afterwards asked us her own questions and said she was interested in learning more. I loved sharing my love for the work and doing missionary work in a way Ive never done before on my mission. 😊

I have gained such a powerful testimony of prayer over my mission, and particularly over the past few weeks. As we were watching the Restoration movie with one of the people we are teaching a few weeks ago, I noticed as young Joseph Smith prays and for a long time ponders in his heart his question about which church is Jesus Christs church, we simultaneously watch Joseph Smiths father slowly but consistently carve a toy for Josephs  little brother. It takes time, but just like the toy is worked on and given to Josephs younger brother, Heavenly Father answers Jospeh Smiths prayer, and many others' prayers at that time who were asking the same question, "which church is Jesus Christs church?"

In the book "Saints" it starts by describing the eruption of a volcano, something that may have seemed insignificant, almost accidental, for the majority of world at the time. But as we read, "The eruption of Tambora affected weather in North America through the following year. Spring gave way to snowfall and killing frosts, and 1816 passed into memory as the year without a summer. In Vermont, in the northeast corner of the United States, rocky hills had frustrated a farmer named Joseph Smith Sr. for years. But that season, as he and his wife, Lucy Mack Smith, watched their crops shrivel under the relentless frosts, they knew they faced financial ruin and an uncertain future if they stayed where they were." It was because of that eruption Jospeh Smith Sr. was forced to move to Palmyra, closer to where Moroni had buried the gold plates hundreds of years previous. This was the beginning of our Heavenly Fathers plan to restore Jesus Christs church. As I heard it once said, "If you're praying for it, Heavenly Fathers working on it."

I have prayed for things my whole mission, and recieved answers, but it always seemed like some of the most important things I prayed about never got answered. My faith continued to grow and my testimony became unshakeable over the course of my mission but I still felt like perhaps my prayers were on the back burner of Heavenly Fathers to do list. Ive come to realize that more important prayers usually take more time to answer due to the nature of an important question needing a more important answer.

I needed help forgiving past friends and didnt know how or if I even needed to, I felt like they had been in the wrong. Imagine my surprise when an entire talk, in general conference, by thee Elder Holland, addressed my concern with exactness, down to reminding me that we need to forgive for our own sake not others and included my name in the very talk he gave. It was more than surprised, I cried. A lot. Others may call it a coincidence, but I have never felt my Heavenly Fathers love stronger in all my life. That talk was for me and it brought me to tears to think that my Heavenly Father loves me so much to address my "unimportant" concern in that way. He really does answer prayers and he cares about the one, not just the majority. 

I was also concerned about a family member (not reading this email) who I love more than I can put into words. I didnt know how Heavenly Father could possibly bring her back from where she has gone and I felt hopeless despite my many, many prayers in her behalf. I felt prompted to go out of my way and email her about her life and church, something I thought might push her further away. Ive been doing that for weeks now and this past week, I had one of the most joyful experiences Ive ever had, I honestly thought I would burst like a bubble (So did my companion haha). I recieved an email from her which said that friends had invited her to watch general conference with them and she described the peace and joy she felt in that setting, something that hadnt happened for over 5 years. She described other experiences that are bringing her back to the gospel and I was so overcome with joy for her and the evidence that Heavenly Father has been working on answering my prayers. 

Other events of the week:

Had Pho for the first time this week with the girls from our branch and loved it and spending time with the girls. Sister Satame, on the other hand, wasnt having as great of a night. (See picture)
Yesterday I wore a Traditional Chuukese dress to church and everybody was very impressed (See picture).

Somebody accidentally took Sister Satame slippers at one of the houses we were teaching at haha. Buggas stole dem da kine. 😂😂

Last exchange Ill ever go on was this past week with Sis Niualiku in the Pearl Harbor military ward. It was great actually going out and talking with people who were honest about whether or not they were interested haha. 

Sister Satame LOVED her birthday box from the Bowen family😁 Thanks for sensing that to her, it made her whole year 😊❤

Heres a couple of my favorite lines from sister Satame this week:
B - "Sister Satame, you need to eat real food before you eat cake."
S - "Cake is not food?"
B - "No."
S - "Oh my gosh."

*While playing pictionary to learn new English words*
B - " Ill give you a hint, You put it in the toaster."

S - "Chicken."
B - "No."

*A very obviously homeless person talking to themself and writing frantically on something.*
S - "Student?"
B - "I dont think so..."

S - "Joseph Smith"
B - "what"
S - *points to Mr. Quaker on Quaker Oatmeal Box* "Joseph Smith."