What a crazy past few weeks!!! So there is kind of a lot that has
happened! So on a funnier start... We had the opportunity to go down
to conference on Saturday with a recent convert and it was so freakin
cool and good. So on to the funny part, after the priesthood session,
we took Trax down there so we start walking down to the Trax station
and I see Brittney Erbe. A girl I used to hang with in California at
stake dances! That was crazy cool but anyway, we get on to Trax and we
go to the next stop after temple square Which is just a few blocks
down from temple square and there is this Group of girls that are
standing there at the stop and then one of them comes up to our window
and strikes a pose to take a picture with us and so obviously I had to
pose for it too and then all her friends started laughing and then the
train left. Hahaha.
On a more spiritual note... on Sunday of last week, we had one of the
guys we take to lessons with us ask us for a blessing just because he
was feeling super discouraged and so out of place in the church and
feeling inadequate and he just said he was really struggling with
direction in his life. So me and him have had this connection since I
met him. Like he is from California and he used to go to super cross
and he loves sports too so we connected instantly. The spirit was
basically yellin at me that I needed to give him the blessing So I
told him I would do the blessing and it was seriously the strongest
blessing I've ever given. The words were so clear as to what to say
and I don't remember all that was said, but it was one of the coolest
spiritual experiences I've ever had.
Oh and transfer news, I'm staying in my area and getting a new
phillipino companion!! (:
Another thing that has really been on my mind this week that stuck out
to me in a conference talk and it came up in a lesson as well and I
know it just really ties in to some of you guys that might read this
email back home. "It is not requisite that a man run faster than he
has speed" what does this mean... Basically we're not going to be able
to be perfect and we all have things that we struggle with and
sometimes we just throw ourselves in the middle of things without even
being fully prepared with what we're getting In to. Heavenly Father
doesn't expect us to all of a sudden go be perfect in one day when we
wake up. All he cares about is that we are trying to improve. We all
run at a different pace. Just do what you can and Heavenly Father will
bless you. We taught a guy this last week who was having issues with
feeling too guilty to go to church because he smoked and hadn't been
to church in several years . Now is guilt a feeling from God? No.
Absolutely not. And I've struggled with feelings of guilt in the past
and I know how it is and we just explained to him that Satan is doing
all he can to make him feel guilty about his past so that he won't
come to church. He will do whatever it takes to work on you to keep
you away from the good things. Heavenly Father and Christ are and
always will be calling out to us with open arms trying to get us to
come back to them with feelings of peace, joy, happiness, and love
(Galatians 5:22-23). So for those of you back home who might be
feeling this way and struggling with this, I urge you to read elder
Holland's talk from this last conference. WE GET CREDIT FOR TRYING.
Forget the past and look forward to the future. The longer you wait to
forgive yourself and continue to not move forward, the harder it will
be. Christ suffered and died for us and HE WILL ALWAYS forgive us of
our mistakes because he loves us so much. He will never hold back what
he did for us. Don't let Satan hold you back. Get back on the path
that leads to eternal happiness and joy that is the gospel of Jesus
Christ and just focus on running at the speed you can do and you will
never regret it.
Elder Bowler
