Well it's transfer season. And I'm staying in Bloomington in the Clear Creek Ward!! But Sister Howard is leaving, so in 2 days I'll get a new best friend. But I'll really miss Sister Howard. And I'm training somebody. Which is weird 'cause I have no idea what I'm doing. Usually we don't find out anything about our new companion, but President Cleveland told me she's a visa waiter headed to Australia. And she spent five years in China, so she speaks fluent Mandarin. Kinda crazy that my failings could spread to the people in Australia, eh? So that's kinda daunting, but I'm excited to see Heavenly Father support me in new ways. Pray for me.
And the Mormon world is tiny. Yesterday after sacrament meeting, I stood up, turned around and saw Hayden (Jensen) Hamner. What?! Yeah, that's what I said too. Her husband is starting at IU, so they just moved into the ward. What are the chances somebody from my home stake would move into the ward I'm serving in?! O_o
This past week was excellent, yet a bit discouraging, but that's missionary work, I s'pose. Sometimes it's really hard to keep going, especially when I think about how long I'm going to be doing this without weekends off or vacations, so sometimes I secretly pray to get sick just to have a break from going out to talk to people. However, those feelings usually don't last very long in the morning, and when I start talking to people it gets better. They need the gospel, and I have it. And I realize the great blessings that are promised for bringing people to Christ, and helping them realize their full potential. And that's exciting.
We had some experiences to remember on Saturday. We were tracting for a little while, when we can across an old man working on a house that he was renting out. The door was open, and he saw us through the screen door. He came out and asked me if I was ready to go to Heaven. I said, "I sure hope so," which probably wasn't quite the right thing to say, considering the tremendous confidence I have in our message. He commenced to preach to us very loudly about Christ, and how we (people in general) need to come unto him to be saved. It lasted for about 20+ minutes and he was so passionate there were tears in his eyes. He didn't let us teach him at all, but it was really great to be with somebody who had such great passion for the reality of God, and a passion for following Christ. At the end he held our hands (very tightly, which I felt was kind of unexpected for a 94 year old man) and prayed for us. It was really sweet.
Right after that, we had an appointment fall through, so we brought a member (Sister W) to try a few potential investigators with us. We ran into a "woman" who was 71 years old and had a lot to say. She talked to us for about a 1/2 hour, and near the end he looked at Sister W's arms and said it looks like she works out. We saw her eyes go to my arms and Sister Howard's arms, and she didn't say anything. She was purdy muscular, but she had kind of cheated. Because she used to be a man. She didn't tell us that, but we knew from another source (and other observational reasons) which makes the whole situation that much more...memorable.
But old people are frustrating. Because they like to talk a lot. And they think they have a lot to offer us. And they do, but it never seems to cross their minds that what we have might be something of greater importance. But that's purdy natural. I'd be the same way if I were old, I'd imagine. But they are really sweet.
That's all I have for today. Thanks Dallin for the letter it made me ridiculously happy! I will write back, but it does take me forever to write letters.
Hope life is wonderful! Well, life is always wonderful, so I hope everybody is seeing it that way...
Live long and prosper,
and look both ways before you cross the street.
Love,
Sister Bowen
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