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

February 3, 2014

Hey Momma!!

I got transfered to the Belleview YSA ward haha we cover like 14 wards. its crazy. which reminds me. Im trying to buy myself a GPS but I need help. So whatever you can do to help would be greatly appreciated. 

my address is 

The Hampden Appartments 

8567 W Hampden Ave

Apartment 107

Lakewood CO 80227

Its soo good to hear from you guys tho. I emailed Nana and Grandpa. It was so good to hear from them. And I've been thinking a lot lately. I never knew that Grandpa was a convert. and I realized that I don't know much about them so I asked them to tell me about it. And I also realized that I hardly know anything about you and Dad. And I've always wanted to know more but i just never asked. but yeah i would really love to hear about it. Its crazy that Dan is out now. I'm glad that things are going good back home its good to hear. I'm soooo glad that Calvin got another job so quickly. The counselor dude went well I'm seeing him again on Wednesday. I really hope I'm not too crazy and have to be sent home. that would be horrible. Idk if the Mouthpiece thing is working or not. my companion tells me it helps to not snore but i still snore. haha. i still feel like im not getting any rest. i want my tonsils out so bad haha. Idk just talking to the counselor was pretty crazy. I told him things that I've never told anyone ever.. it was cool to get it all out. the first session was just to get to know me but the next few will be to help me out

i gotta go tho but know that i friggin love you guys . 

Love Elder Bowler

January 27, 2014

Probably the best letter I've read in a really long time. Kinda sounds like a conference talk. Scott Bowler you are called to serve in the quorum of the seventy and you'll be giving a talk this April. haha. I can see it. Thanks Dad :) I definitely needed that. More than you'll ever know. This has been a crazy week so I'll try to see if I can remember it all.

 

So I'm being transferred tomorrow. I don't know where yet but I'll let you know as soon as I can. There's a long story that goes with that. So the past couple of weeks I've been kinda struggling and I realized that I really needed help. So I went and talked to our mission president and we had a little talk and I told him that I was struggling with staying motivated and a couple of other things and he said he's gonna put me with someone who is really motivated. And I told him about trouble sleeping, or that I sleep plenty but I'm not rested at all. ( BTW the mouth piece thing you sent me IDK if it is working or not. I still feel pretty tired sometimes, the very first night I used it I woke up like two hours later fully rested, which is kinda scary to show how much rest my body was used to getting. I really just need to get my tonsils out or something. The mouthpiece is like screwing up my teeth and my bite and every morning I have to chomp down to fix it haha.) Any ways, so President Murdock had me take a test thing to see how I was doing in certain areas like anger, depression, anxiety, relationships, and one other thing I forgot. So I took the test and they said that I should do some counseling. (The counselor's name is Kevin Beecher) I wonder if he's related to Josh. I'll ask. But yeah so far on my mission I've probably learned more about myself than anything. And I learn a lot. Constantly trying to fix my character flaws. So opening myself up more to people and realizing if I get hurt or whatever then I'll be fine. And one that I realized is a big one for me is that in relationships I am so deathly afraid to mess things up and ruin the relationship so I do whatever seems logical in my brain to help not ruin it and I then freak out and ruin it anyway.. confusing I know. I'll use an example, so basically like if I said or did something or sent a text to someone that may be a little sketchy or pushy or something IDK. I have no idea how the other person will take it. So sometimes I think I offended them and I freak out and try to fix it as quick as I can so I don't ruin the relationship but me freaking out just makes it worse and it falls apart... So yeah that's one that I'm currently working and I'm really getting a lot better. Trial and error I guess. And there's a lot of error for me to learn from haha. But it's alright I've realized that there is gonna be plenty of people in my life to meet so it's all good haha. My first counseling shin-dig is tomorrow. Hopefully it goes well.

 

Umm I guess that's pretty much it. Seems a lot more complicated in my head haha. I think the hardest part for me was realizing I need help and actually asking for it. I'm usually a pretty solitary guy. Not only asking for help from people around me but also from Heavenly Father. Realizing I can not do this on my own and I really need his help. Even tho I still have trouble asking for His help. I don't really do so good in the praying department. I never have been good at it tho. Another thing I still need to work on I guess.

 

I love you guys more than you'll ever know. I think about you daily and I've grown to appreciate you so much in my life. And I can't wait to see you again and give you the biggest hugs ever. probably wont even let go haha.

 

Thanks again for your letter. It made my week. Love ya tons

 

Love
Elder Bowler #2 

Our back yard

At the Holloway's house...they have a "Shep", too.

Beautiful Colorado Sunset

Alec didn't say what this was...interesting!

Not sure why his comp was in the hospital...I'll have to ask him.

January 21, 2014

Hey Mom and Pop.

 

Umm My week has actually been quite uneventful. but I'll tell you all that's happened the past few weeks. so last Sunday i dropped a glass plate at dinner and it shattered and went everywhere. then i went on exchanges with the most annoying elder ever. this kid actually pooped his pants during a lesson with his comp so i was pretty scared. then this Sunday i hit a pothole and wrecked two tires. and yesterday we heard of a place that is owned by members. so we went there and they pounded out our rims and fixed our tires so that was pretty awesome. every day just seems the same now. um Tracy was on date but it fell through and we were pretty sad. president murdock was gonna come to a lesson with us but he never did. we went to her house yesterday for dinner and me and stewart were talking in one room and Elder Ortiz had a real heart to heart with Tracy. not about the gospel or anything but she really opened up and told him a lot about some of the things that she struggles with. i always brag about how awesome my family is to everyone haha. they hear a lot about you guys. i've told the story about me putting calvin in the hospital like a million times and watching kids get struck by lightning. our family has some pretty awesome stories. i went through your blog and saw all the oldest entries and saw shep and how young he was and all the stuff we did and how young we were i loved it i got a really good laugh out if it.

 

i don't have much time to write today so i have to keep it short. the libraries were closed yesterday so we emailed today.

 

gotta go tho. love you tons. miss you too

 

bye

 

Love

Elder Bowler

January 13, 2014

its soo good to hear from you. it is seriously the best part of my week i look forward to it all week long! i miss you guys a ton! everything is going good out here. Tracy is doing good. we realized its gonna take some time and i'm so impatient haha. i know it'll bring her happiness but i just gotta cool my jets. and we've been trying to back out of their life a little more.. it kinda felt like these last two weeks were super slow and it was a huge struggle just to fill our days. and it seemed like we were over there a lot and i felt really bad when i realized that and apologized. but its going better sorta. were trying to get the members involved in missionary work because we really need help. i'm reading a book called The Power Of Everyday Missionaries. it is seriously one of the best books i've ever read. i strongly recommend it. also could you possibly send me those books that you wanted me to read before i came out but i never read because i'm an idiot.. i think they're in my closet. and we're still reading the book of mormon. i seem to read way ahead of schedule haha i cant put it down. i'm in helaman right now. i am loving this book. and i cant believe how much i'm getting out of it. all the times we read it before i guess were just a waste of time to me because i got nothing out of it. but this time reading through it is so amazing. and ill probably read it many times over again. i love the book of mormon. not much to report from out here tho. everyday just doing the lords work. what more could i ask for haha. its not easy tho. i'm definitely struggling sometimes with the courage to talk to people and to be able to share the gospel. but the book i'm reading is helping me a ton. again strongly recommended. not just to read it but to do what it says to do.

 

love you guys a ton!!! miss you OOOODLES

January 6, 2014

I don't know if I have much to say this week but I'll try to write as much as I can. This week has been pretty slow and we aren't teaching as much as id like. and its hard to keep the days filled and busy. i feel bad being a trainer because were supposed to be busy a lot and we haven't had much to do and it kinda sucks. but were trying. it snowed 14 inches. it was crazy. we were only supposed to get 3. and i looked at the weather in Derrek's mission. -39!! holy poopsicles. thats cold. right now its like 10 here. not too bad i like the cold I'm in shorts and a t-shirt. haha I get a lot of weird looks anyway as a missionary but i get more because here's this kid from Arizona in shorts and a t-shirt in 10 degree weather. haha i love it tho. we've been spending a lot of time with the a part member family. we kinda put the Mom on date. sorta. but i don't know if it'll work out. she just needs more time. we asked her to read the book of mormon and pray everyday. and i texted her asking how it was going and she kinda got after me. saying that there's a lot about her life that we don't know about and that her progression is gonna be gradual and she doesn't want to be pressured. i don't think we were pressuring her but i know that if she reads and prays it'll help her out and i want her to be happy more than anything. but when i got that text this morning from her my heart kinda broke a little. and i rolled over in my bed and this thought came into my head and this is what i texted her:

I'm sorry that we've been pushy. i feel bad. i know there's a lot that we don't know about but this is something that i know will help. just like being sick, drinking water and getting plenty of rest are the basics of getting better. while they may not be the best or fastest ways of getting better, and its not the cure for everything, it does help immensely. and with spiritual matters, with any struggle the basics are reading scriptures and praying. while it may not be the cure for everything it helps immensely,everyone that goes to the bishop for help the common advice is to read and pray daily. i've personally seen it change lives, and all were asking was in the next two weeks just to try it. everyday. it will help and you'll feel the difference in your life. i promise you this is true. i hope you know that we love you so much and were here for you whenever you need help.

I don't know why that thought popped into my head, and i don't know what affect it had on her but i felt like the spirit told me to say that. it was so clear what i needed to say at that time. i was so afraid that we were gonna lose her and afraid that by being a little too pushy we messed it up. but it is the greatest thing ever to feel this extreme love for these people. i cant describe it . i love it tho.

we've been spending a lot of time with a family in the ward.  they are probably the greatest family in the ward by far. i love them so much they remind me a lot of home and i love that. they are such a great family. and i love being there. Cori (the mom) has become a great fellowshipper to Tracy. i love it . Tracy needs a good friend. I love Cori. she's like a second mom. i have lots of moms out here now. ill make a list haha. but Cori is the greatest. She has a son in Brazil. so she takes good care of the missionaries here too. and she is probably the funniest person ever. i love her haha. Mom you should look her up on facebook and be her friend. shes great. she has lots of pictures of us haha.

all my Moms

Momma Butler.(Michelle)

Tracy

Cori

and you mom of course

and a crazy grandma.

Sister Engel haha i love her.. shes friggin' bonkers tho haha.

i love this ward its so great. my comp is about to get his visa so ill have a new one next transfer. so ill most likely be staying here for another one. transfers end on the 26 so i still have some time. i've had a different comp for every transfer. its crazy. oh well. i just go with it. i realize that there is nothing i can do to stop change. change is the most constant thing ever. especially when it comes with what the lord knows is best for me. i hate change. so what better to do than move me around a lot and give me a bunch of different companions. its for the best tho because i know i can come pretty attached to people and places. but now that i realize that change is coming i'm fine. ill be back to visit. I don't know about the end of my mission but were gonna go on one heck of a tour to see all these people i love. a lot of people even members act different around us. not the holloways. i even got her to cuss at me a couple times haha i love it. we are both super sarcastic and we dish it out to each other all the time its a blast. the whole family is like that.

anyways ill put some more pics and videos on the gmail account. right now

not much else to say. haha

Love you Guys!!! love you Momma!!! miss you tons!!

Love Elder Bowler

oh and we've been reading the Book of Mormon everyday to finish it in 6 weeks. its been the greatest thing ever. we highlight every reference to Christ and its crazy to see how much is in there.. you guys should try it.  and now weed is officialy officail.. we saw on the news the huge lines waiting for the weed. it sucks. its sad to see things go that way especialy being a missionary. its hard

December 30, 2013

im starting to think of home more along the lines of what it would be like to serve there and its cool to think that way. 

 

Yeah Ive actually noticed that weve been spending a little too much time at their house so were gonna start Backing out. Its hard tho because we dont really have anyone to teach and Ive been kinda losing motivation. i was sick the other day and spent the whole day in bed. it was nice tho. Theres alot of good people out here but no one wants anything to do with the mormons. it sucks knowing that it can only help them..

 

ive been struggling with homesickness and staying happy. normal missionaries dont really tell their family how they feel and if theyre struggling. but im gonna tell it like it is because i know you can only help. sorry i dont have much to say this week. ill do better next week.

 

love you tons. miss you tons too.

 

Love Elder Bowler