March 13, 2014

Hey Momma-

So I guess I won't be able to email much for the next little while.  So, if you don't hear from me too often, don't worry too much.  I just don't like writing too much.  But, I guess I'll try and fill you in as best as I can.  Sooo...long talks with President.  I made him pretty mad.  I don't blame him, though.  There has been so much pain, trials, and growth in the past week, it's been crazy.  I've been transferred to the Barnum Park North Branch.  It's pretty fun serving with Elder Gonzonlas and Elder Selfaison.  Great guys and lots of fun.  They're both Zone Leaders, so I'm kinda being baby sat by them for a transfer.  My address is:

4545 Morrison Road, #206
Denver, CO  80219

I've been doing a ton of thinking lately.  Mostly about my mission also.  Up until this time, I always wanted to draw the line of obedience so that I could get close to it and still be a good kid/missionary.  So, it was easy for me to fall and when I did, I fell pretty hard and I'm understanding how far from that line/cliff that I want to be.  My companions are great.  They're really helping me to be really obedient and a better missionary.  It's a long process and I have a long way to go, but I'm determined.  All that disobedience and stuff I shouldn't be doing has only brought me misery and pain.  Happiness comes from obedience, hard work, and love.  I really want to be happy and I'm working on it.  We do a lot of work here and I love it.  I'm all gung-ho about missionary work again.

Much love,
Elder Bowler

PS - send money :) Thanks!  Also, I could use a few more shirt stays.

March 10, 2014

Yeah its been a pretty crazy week. so much has happened. lots of long talks with president. traveling around a ton. talking with a ton of different elders that ive grown to love. a lot has happened. transfers are tomorrow. ill let you know where im at as soon as i can. but im gonna be staying.. ive been doing a ton of thinking and this past week has been the hardest week ive had probably ever. but the main thing is that all my life when ever a hard thing would come i would usually tend to run from it and go watch a movie or stare at the stars or go fishing or something. but on a mission i cant really do those things. and now when this hard thing came i had no where to run to and actually having to face it has been so hard. but i need to. so that when life gets hard again later on when im married i already know how to get through it. and out here on a mission with nothing else to turn to to run away from it ive been learning to turn to the lord and its helped out a ton. i havent been the most obedient elder in the mission. and i was upset because i couldnt do two years of what i have been doing. i almost feel like the first six months have been wasted. but talking with president. ive decided that i need to change and be better. the rest of my mission needs to be better if im gonna do this for another year and a half something needs to change. so i went and destroyed all of my disobedient stuff and decided that from now on im going to give it my all and try to be the best that i can be and not waste any more of my time. i know that its going to be hard. but i have the lord on my side now. and hes there when ever i need him. which will be pretty much always haha. being a missionary has easily been the hardest thing ive ever done. but im tired of running from all my problems. its time for me to buck up and face everything and quit worrying about myself. this isnt for me anymore. although i have alot to learn and alot more to grow. my mission is for the lord and those who dont have this wonderful gospel in my life. i want to be the best i can. to live with god again and be able to face him with confidence knowing i did my best and didnt waste the two years i have to give back to him. it wont be easy but its so worth it.

i love you soo much. thank you for all your support and love. and the good talks. now that i am away from home i love talking to you guys. you have helped me so much. i truly have the best parents in the world. love ya!!

March 3, 2014...snailing...

We've all heard of "planking", but have you heard of "snailing"?

March 3, 2014

dad convinced me to stay. its nice to be able to talk to you guys like this. i guess i took it for granted and didnt appreciate it as much until now. youll probably be getting alot of calls from me just to talk. talking to you really helps. im doing better now. good talk with president. good nights rest. really helps. i really hope that i can come out on top at the end of all this. i know that i need to fix all my problems while im here. if i go home all messed up i wouldnt be doing much good for myself at all. and even if by staying i only progress a little by the end of my mission at least i progressed. but i hope with a good president and constantly slowly getting through this and many more talks with you guys, that ill be much farther along than i am now. maybe even like derrek is now. its really cool to see where he is now from where he was. it does give me alot of hope. dont have much to write today. im being transfered. so dont send anything until after the 11th. love ya tons. thanks for the talk and the email. really helped a ton

lova ya

 elder bowler

February 24, 2014

Yeah i was so excited to see Tracy's baptism. President let me go see it. It was amazing. I can't believe that Dallen is 14 that is friggin nuts. ugg. awesome to hear about Cody. congrats to him. hes gonna love it. being over the YSA ward we cover two stakes. but each ward has their own normal set of missionaries. but we only deal with the singles 18-30 in all the wards. so there really isn't that much. but we have a ton of fun. we have FHE every monday with fun and games. i think tonight were doing Zumba and volleyball. or something. and we get to go to Institute every Tuesday and learn from the bible. YSA wards are notorious for not getting fed all that much but our ward does pretty good. and people give us food for other meals too so our ward is great. there are  a lot of awesome people here i love it. 

things are going a lot better for me. talking about things really helps me out a lot and i can see my self becoming a better teacher and i love it. this past week has been pretty great and I've been a lot happier with where I'm and and what I'm doing. cleaning up my life has been hard but so worth it. I'm so much happier. keeping everything inside was destroying me and i don't know how i did it for so long. but I'm better now and hopefully i can start the changing process so by the end of the mission ill be who i need to be and learn all that i can from my mission and I'm gonna stick it out to the end. missions are hard and the idea of giving up and going home is really inviting. but that's not for me. i know i can do hard things and this is one thing that i really need to finish.

February 17, 2014

ive been taking the pills anyway. i think it has alot to do with how i was back home with keeping everything to myself and it all boils up inside. and now finally talking about everything is getting the release ive needed. which is nice. after talking about everything and being honest its really helped. idk if its the pills or just talking but i do feel happier. im still tired as ever tho haha. so stewart amspacher is taking me out to lunch today. with the kids.. and tracy decided to get baptised. which is awesome. and wendy just called and wants to take us out to lunch too.. so now we have two lunches.. awesome haha. should be fun. 

thats really sad to hear about Monte. thats really hard.

and now to hear that our cats are sleeping around. getting pregnant. satan is doing a great job destroying the family unit. pregnant cats not even married. its a shame. and the chickens are too sad to talk about ever since mine died.. ugh its so hard losing someone you love!

and yes we got to play with fire haha. it was fun. we get fed pretty great out here haha. usually the singles ward is famous for not getting dinners. but we do pretty good. we had bacon wrapped steak twice this week haha. and lobster. good stuff haha. we also wake up early and play basket ball a couple times a week haha its pretty fun. im loving the singles ward. its crazy. 

i havent seen the new temple movie yet. i dont know why they even changed it.. seems dumb.. oh well ill see it in the beginning of march. so well see haha

im doing pretty well tho its been a pretty good week and my companion is great were having lots of fun haha

love you guys a ton 

love elder bowler

February 10, 2014

this has been a pretty good week. things are looking up. I've been in a lot better mood lately. the counselor guy doesn't really help all that much. oh well I'm happy for now.. the president and his wife want me to see a doc and take some meds to help me have more energy and be in a better mood all the time. i guess we'll see how it goes. The singles ward is pretty crazy were all over the place all the time and i should have brought my journal so i could tell you some stuff but i forgot. so ill try and remember the stuff that happens. so we were in a lesson with this guy trying to get off drugs in a super sketchy part of town and his drug dealer showed up mid lesson and it got super sketchy so we had to leave. and were always in places where people smoke tons of weed and cigs so we come home most days stinking like smoke. its nuts. Please don't beat yourself up not feeling like you weren't a good enough mother.. you are the best mom in the world. its not your fault I'm messed up. haha but seriously you are the best. you are so loving and kind and you'll do anything to make me happy even if its super inconvenient for you or pisses you off or something. all the thousands of times when i asked you to bring food to class at school and no matter what you always came through and i never really appreciated it. all my life you have always been there for me no matter what and i could always count on you. sorry that i haven't been so open emotionally but i love you soooooooooooo much you have no idea. you are the best mother anyone could ever ask for and you raised us amazingly. no one is perfect but you got me on a mission and that's amazing. now that its my time to grow i realize how much i appreciate you and dad in my life.

i love you mom

i love you dad

i love you Calvin

i love you Ashton

 

i love you Dallen

i love you Shep

i love you Shauna

i love you angel.. sometimes

i love you whoever else cares

but yeah ill keep it short and simple 

love you guys

   miss you tons

Love 

Elder Bowler 

oh and i finally tried sushi for the first time.. its pretty good. my burps taste like fish now haha