August 26, 2013...Alec's 19th birthday

i love you guys so much. haha man its crazy. its been a really slow week. my comp and i both got sick and weve had to scrounge for meals. weve had three dinners in two weeks and thats pretty rare. so its tough. still trying to learn the budget and what not. the members here are very few but good. Sister Duty is awesome her son Jeremy is 27 and has been through alot. been through the army, on a mission that almost killed him. and just recently his wife left out of nowhere with his kids. so we gave him a few blessings and it was amazing. i was shaking the whole time. i gave a talk yesterday. just on the BOM. lasted like 20 minutes. i think. i was shaking the whole time haha. crazy. not much else to write, but i love you guys a ton

TTYL 

ELDER BOWLER

Delta, CO

This is a picture of him eating at the Wells' home in Delta, CO.  Sister Wells sent this to us!

that frog i found coming home one night and i put it in dallen and ashtons room and they put it in the kitchen sink and by morning it was gone soo idk how it got there haha.that was only like a week or two before i left tho.. go read the email i sent it has all the info. my comp is from alabama tho. were not teaching very many lessons but itll pick up. im so glad calvin got a job. i was praying for him a ton. congrats to dad. and sketch to ashton. good luck with him.. and yay for the horse haha. i forgot to build that thing you asked me to build but oh well haha. its definitely hard work tho. ive thought about coming home but i have no reason to. its just easier but im not gonna give up any time soon. its just hard not talking to or seeing anyone as much as id like. just gets kinda lonely sometimes. but ill be alright

my comp is pretty chill. hes Elder Lee. im serving in Delta/Olatha/montrose so i got quite and area so we have a car but hardly any miles to use. so it kinda sucks. its alot like taylor out here but on steroids. super spread out farm town. corn fields for miles and lots of hay. we baled hay all this morning. they have sweet corn festivals here also. and theres tons of people that know where snowflake is and have some sort of connection there. i met some penrods the otherday and his mom is in out ward so that was pretty cool. the work is hard tho. there havent been elders here for a while just a senior couple. they onely did less actives tho. so we got our work cut out for us. the last elders were handing out promise rings to young women in the ward. haha awesome. our ward is so small but the bishop and ward mission leader are great. our first day out we called them and they said they already asked like three different families to be baptised. so its pretty awesome. lots of people hate the mormons tho. lots of doors slamed in our face. but its good. we gave them their chance. alot of people are pretty open to us tho. the work will pick up soon i hope. im alive still so i guess that counts for something haha

GIVE EM HEAVEN..

Love Elder Bowler

oh and i made some Parmesan chicken this week.. friggin bomb. best i ever made. my comp loved it and who ever else had some. on pdays theres free bowling for elders so thats awesome and sonic gives us free food too.. dont mind if i do. ill let you know if i need a bike tho. ill go as long as i can with out one tho.

August 5th (MTC)

Hey Guys-

Things have been getting better. I had a rought start with home sickness, but I'm doing great now.  The adjustment to missionary life is getting easier.  I still miss you guys, tho!  I'm outta here next Monday.  Crazy.  The MTC is amazing.  I've met so many great guys here.  I've seen a ton of people from St. George that I know and a couple from Mesa.  There's gonna be 28 of us heading to Denver South just this Monday.  And more last week and more next week.  It's crazy.  On my flight from Phoenix there was 17 elders and 7 sisters heading to all over the world.  I see them around and they are great guys.  The Spirit is so strong here and the guys in my zone and district are awesome.  We do role playing a ton and its hard for me because instead of teaching a lesson we need to teach the person.  Help them with their needs.  There is an elder in my district, Elder Rafferty.  He is a convert of a year and a haldf and he is one of the most amazing guys I've met.  His Spirit is so strong. He is the most kind hearted guy Iv'e ever met.  And he's from Kentucky and where he's from is all Baptist, so from that background, he is still serving a mission.  He still has questions but last night he gave a blessing to Elder Kreider and it was his first time.  But the Spirit was so strong flowing through him and his words were not his and standing in that blessing I was like crying the whole time.  I loved it!  My testimony of the Priesthood and the Spirit has grown so much.  I love the Priesthood Power.

1st day at the MTC - August 1, 2013

He sent a hand-written letter, so I am typing it out :)

"Hey Fam!
         Imma go ahead and apologize now for my crappy hand writing.  I'm so used to typing stuff.  My P-day here is Tuesday.  So I can email then.  So far it's been kinda crazy.  Yesterday was just a blurr.  Today was a little better.  Every once and a while I'll feel overwhelmed, but I keep on goin.  Every thing is like dead serious most of the time, especially with the guys in my district, so when I can I try to have fun.  Laugh a little with other missionaries.  I'm afraid if it gets too serious I'll lose it.  I miss home.  I miss my friends.  My companion to me feels like he's everything to challenge me.  Kinda like a young, W.... except he talks way more and knows "everything" and feels like he needs to teach me.  But I just brush it off.  It kinda sucks because I feel sometimes that I left family and friends to be connected at the hip to W... and it feels sometimes that I left just when it was good and I was happy.  HAHA!  I don't mean to sound depressed.  It's just challenging.  It's nice here.  The Spirit is soo strong.  My testimony is growing a ton and it's nice to be around so many people here for the same reason as I am.  I love you guys a ton and again sorry for the hand writing.  This was kinda rushed.

Love Elder Bowler"

**sorry, took out the name.  Didn't want the person to get his feelings hurt if he read this :)

The day has come - July 31, 2013

Alec was set apart as a missionary on Monday, July 29th by our Stake President, President Farr.  We had some of Alec's friends, people in our ward, and family there.

The next day, he packed everything up.  It was a different experience with Alec than with Derrek.  Alec was just giving everything away!  The only thing he cared about was his computer, and even then, if he really thought about it, he'd probably give that away, too.  It was hard for him to pack.  That is when it starts to become real.  We made sure he had everything he would need for at least the next 3 weeks, until he was settled in his first area in Colorado.  He filled up 1/2 a tote, which pretty much explains Alec and his personality...he just doesn't care about "stuff" and doesn't get attached to material things.  The rest went in his suitcases and then we headed to Phoenix.  We stayed at Heidi and Steve's house and Heidi and kids went with us to the airport.  We had to get him there by 6:00 am and we had about 1/2 hour to say goodbye and take pictures.  I am still getting the ones from Heidi with our family, but here are a couple I liked of her family.

Two peas in a pod!  They won't see each other for 3 years!  Friends for life, cousins for eternity :)

Heidi, Emily, Charity, Alec, Jeremy, & Zac

He was begging us to just let him go.  He was so wound up (to be expected) that he just wanted to get it over with and get on the plane!  There were at least 15 other Elders/Sisters going on the same flight, heading to the MTC.  They were there with their families, too.  It was exciting to see.  He was making friends with them as he was going through security.  I am glad he wasn't alone on his flight.

Alec's Aunt, Jenette, and her family came and picked him up from the Salt Lake City airport to take him down to Provo, to the M. T. C.

Alec and Net

Craig and Alec (yum!  Cafe Rio!!!)

Alec and cousin, Hannah

After eating some lunch, he was ready to head to the MTC.  Jenette said that when they got there, and he saw the masses of people being dropped off and the luggage and everything he said "What have I gotten myself into?!?".  It is quite a production and they have got things figured out at the MTC.  It is literally a "drop and go" situation and so Jenette and Craig "dropped" him and said a quick "goodbye" and left.  She called me right after and was in tears.  She just really loves him and was so happy that she was able to do that with her family.  I was so grateful that she and Craig took the time and money to do that for Alec.  I know it helped ease him into what he was getting ready to do.  

We haven't heard from Alec, yet, but hope to be able to hear from him soon.  He has been in 1/2 a week and I hope he is doing well and absorbing all he can.  It's a bit overwhelming, but it's not forever, and I know he'll do great.  We'll post more from him as his mission continues.  We are grateful for all the love and support from family and friends that have gotten him to this point.  He is a great kid and super fun to be around.  We hope those in Colorado will grow to love him as we do.