{west valley}

This week has been pretty cool out here in west valley! Definitely
much different than Taylorsville haha! We actually got to teach about
15 lessons this week which was awesome. And the people out here seem
to be a little more genuine because they don't have that much stuff
and they're truly looking to better their lives so that's definitely a
plus. My new comp elder Erdman is a pretty cool guy too. He's real
quiet but he just loves what he does out here. He truly loves being a
missionary and helping these people out which is so cool. When I'm
struggling to find motivation to work, he just says alright let's go
to another house hahaha. I got a lot of respect for him. So a few
things that happened this week... We went to visit someone this week
and we go up to the door and this older lady is like "the bishops are
here!!" And then our dinner on Tuesday.. Oh man I had to say a prayer
that I wouldn't get sick from it. So we're just sitting down getting
ready to eat and then I taste the soda and the salad dressing and they
taste a little funky but not like bad but just a little weird so I
look at the label on them and they were like years out of date. And
then I started to look around at the other stuff on the table and it
was ALL out of date by like 6 months - 2 years! Hahahaha so
sketchyyyyy. Afterwards, I told my comp and he didn't even notice. He
was just like oh my gosh... Haha! Then on Thursday, my comp and I went
on splits with a few guys from one of he wards and I was like what the
heck... Because I had just gotten into the area and I didn't know any
of these people and I didn't even know how to get around but we did it
anyways and it went awesome! I went to a couples house and we had to
guess which house it was because it was a fourplex and my comp didn't
tell me the number so we guessed and we got it right on the first try!
But anyways... I went into the lesson with a little bit of a lesson
plan but not really much to work off. So I got in there and just
started talking to them and it turns out that they are trying to get
back to church but the biggest reason for it is because of their 5
year old who pushes them to go to church every week and they go
because they said they will do anything for their daughter. And then
the lesson got a little more intense when she told me as to why she
stopped coming to church in the first place and I'm not gonna say the
reason but wow... This lady has been through so much. After she laid
it all out on the table, I was just kinda sitting there and I was
kinda tearing up and I told her just how much respect I had for her
and how I knew that the lord would bless her if she did her best to
come back to church and she was just in tears. Such a cool experience.
I truly learned that you always have to follow the spirit in what to
do and say because if you don't, you won't know what they truly need
to hear and you won't figure out what they need. On a different note,
I lost my freakin wallet this week... It sucks. So as of now, I'm
trying to figure out how to get a new drivers license and I've got to
get all me cards and stuff. Well, that's all for this week! Keep it
real.

Elder Bowler