Best Day Ever!

Dreams do come true!

I've always fantasized about what I called "complete breakfast pancakes" in which you'd put cooked sausage and scrambled eggs into your pancake batter...and then cook it. The bishop invited us over for breakfast on the 4th, and they had pancakes and other awesome things. Then he said he was going to make some pancakes with sausage in them, if we'd like any. BEST DAY EVER! I told him I'd imagined such a thing before. Later I mentioned how I'd imagine that butterscotch chips are probably awesome in pancakes too. He said that they had some and could do that if I'd like. I was kinda full so I said that we couldn't be making too many dreams come true at one time because then I wouldn't have anything to look forward to the rest of my life. What a great day!

Furthermore, I got to play the guitar at the Shalom Center, which is the equivalent of a soup kitchen that we help at once a week. There's a wonderful homeless man named Billy who comes in with his guitar. He asked if he could play us a song he wrote. Sister Howard told him that I play guitar, and so he asked if I would play a song for him. It was fantastic experience.

And of course, there's been awesome missionary stuff going on too! And I love people too. Even though thy scare the crud outta me. You'd think I'd run out of crud to scare out, but it would seem I've got quite an impressive supply.

We got to meet President and Sister Cleveland on Friday. They're purdy great. President Cleveland shared a couple of awesome stories. One was about how his dad was an awesome baseball player and had offers to play MLB right out of high school. But instead he decided to go to school. After school Branch Ricky offered him a spot on the Dodgers (where Jackie Robinson played) and he played for 3 months. He was a third baseman, but he played pitcher 'cause then he wouldn't have to play on Sundays. Apparently they want you there everyday if you're going to play third base. But then he quit 'cause he wasn't an awesome pitcher. Kinda crazy, eh? What a fantastic example.

He also talked a little about the technology changes in the mission, and how such technology (ipads, tablets, facebook, etc.) have been made for the purpose of spreading the gospel (according to the general authorities, although I don't think the inventors realize that ;) He said 50 missions will get the technology in the next 6 months, but we don't know which missions. Then the rest of the missions will get it in the next year. Purdy cool :D

But we're excited for them and all the great things they will do and inspire us to do :D

Furthermore, I continue to be so grateful for my life. We talk to sooo many people who have such crazy problems, and have had such crazy lives. We talked to four people in less that a day whose houses had burned down at one point. We talk to so many people who were abused as kids. We talk to so many people who have outlandish health problems. We talk to so many people who have significant family problems.

I know for a fact that the true restored gospel of Jesus Christ can help them with their lives, but I can't make them believe it. How can some one such as myself who's had a perfect privileged life (from their perspective) tell them that they have a Heavenly Father who loves them very much? But I do tell them. But they have to learn how to believe. I wish people were more open to this gospel, because it is so completely logical. It's like people have this weird idea that religion contradicts science and reason, and therefore cannot be logical itself.

Also, my testimony of church attendance and church leaders has grown. We run into so many people who are "spiritual", but not religious. They think that the spirit and you is all that matters. You don't need somebody telling you what to do. And for the most part, that's true. But I am beginning to realize how much personal revelation comes to me from simply attending church and listening to my leaders.

I hope all is well back in Nevada and Provo, and everywhere else, for that matter. May the peace of God rule in our hearts, and may we find hope for this life and after in the Atonement.

Love,

Sister Bowen