Hello!

Ah, there is so much to tell and so little time. It's almost easier to write individual notes to individual people because I forget a lot of what I want to tell as I write this one big letter but I am glad that so many people get to read this one! I want Heidi and Jeremy and Bryson and Payson to know how happy I was to get a letter from them! It meant a lot to me.

So, transfers are this Wednesday and I will be getting a new trainer! I love my current trainer but I do know that this change is an answer to prayer and that it will bless the lives of a great many people. I absolutely know that I learned what I needed to from my current companion, even if it wasn't a lesson that I wanted to learn but I overcame an obstacle I had been facing for my whole life. I feel a lot of relief to have overcome that. It is amazing how Heavenly Father loves us so much that He gives us opportunities and lends us strength to grow and learn and that we can exert the will-power to choose to endure a hardship in order to receive a blessing. I am better now, not coughing anymore. Incredibly, my cough subsided very quickly after I received a letter from my dad. I am a firm believer in miracles; they happen every day and exist for all who choose to see them:)

I received letters from Judy and Sid Paulson and Sister Mackenzie Maynard this last week, so happy I was to hear from them! I'll try to be better at sharing pictures, I know those are so fun to see.

Again, I really love letters. I won't die if I don't get them but they help me a lot. I do know that so many of you have been doing so much for me already, though, I see the effects of your prayers and other offerings. If all you can do for me is remember me, I feel that in my heart, too, and know that whatever you can offer to me and to anyone you find who stands in need, that is enough.

Love always,

Sister Elizabeth Bowen

3/11/13

Hello everyone!

This week has been about one of the asolute worst weeks of my entire life! The "cold" that developed the Wednesday before last turned into a horrible cough. I was coughing so hard and so much that my ribs were aching and every night I didn't sleep much because I was coughing so much. I had one of the elders who is in my area (who actually came to the field with me) give me a blessing and it was so comforting. In it he said that Heavenly Father is aware of the struggle I have been having and that it is for my good, that He knows I can handle it. That was humbling. I still had the cough and it was still terrible but I felt better in my mind.

I had an incredible transformation this week. After Zone Training, where I got to see Sister Richardson, my MTC companion, and and other missionaries I came with as well as meet with President Wirthlin. I showed him the famiy picture that Grandma and Grandpa Bowen sent to me and he looked at it for a while and said what a good looking family we have. It was reassuring to talk with him briefly, I am so glad that he gets to be my mission president for my whole misison:) After Zone Training we went on an exchange. Sister Resare, who came to the field with me, was my companion for the 24 hours and that was so overwhelming but helpful. That evening while trying to plan and study with her, she could see that I had been discouraged and asked me what's wrong. Haha, she asked me this a lot and finally I just started to cry. She asked me lots of questions and let me express what I have been feeling and responded with kindness and understanding; she allowed me to fall apart like I needed to and in turn this allowed me find out how to solve my trouble. She supported me in my following of the promptings of the Spirit and that was exactly what I needed. My dad's letter came that day after exchanges and it could not have come at a more perfect time. After reading his letter I wasn't afraid of Sister Howick (my companion) any more and I knew how to be absolutely patient and forgiving. I felt the greatest joy and strength come to me, such as I have never felt before.

I want to testify of the neccessity of trials and sorrow and anguish of the soul in the proccess of becoming perfected. Just like Jesus Christ, I didn't want to suffer like I did, in fact I prayed to Him and expressed how absolutely I didn't want to do any of this. But because in the end I submitted my self to His will for me, He was able to guide me a way that I was able to overcome a great weakness. In our lives, sometimes we have tremendous obstacles to face and we have the choice to either face them with faith or go another way. It may seem easier to go another way but in my life every time I do this, as I strive to go the path that leads to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, I still end up with that treacherous mountain to climb. This week I finally climbed over the top of that mountain and I nearly hated every minute of it, but since I bucked up and did what was required, I had the opportunity to feel and experience the most exquisite joy and growth. God does not ever forget us but rather we forget Him, especially when He requires hard things of us and we refuse to do them. We HAVE to have faith in Him. We have to do the hard things He requires in order for us to experience the real, true growth and joy that He has in store. In the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, who I have trusted, I bear this witness, Amen.

Always,

Sister Elizabeth Bowen

P.S. I am not coughing hardly at all anymore and am sleeping better. Also, I am allowed to email friends now. Please don't overwhelm me with emails, I want more letters than anything, but I will do my best to respond.

Dear family and others who I love so much,

I am so excited about Isaac's misson call! I was thinking about it all week and had dreams about being with Isaac when he received his call! I think about him all the time. Thank you to all of you who wrote me emails and letters. They give me a sense of peace and calm somehow; I get anxious when I don't hear from anyone because I want to know how you're doing and I feel a bit lonely, too. Haha, at the same time it's a lot to take in because there is so much a missionary has to remember! But I think of how the Spirit brings to our rememberance the things we need in the very moments that we need them. (I am working on remembering scripture references and not just the message of what I read in the scriptures so that I can be supported in what I say.)

The work is moving slow here in the Fayetteville, NY area (which covers Manlius, -where I live, haha, I technically live in a village- Cazenovia, Chittenango -which some nick name "Chitt" but I don't haha- and Fayetteville of course.) It's hard not to get discouraged when I look at our numbers, but I know that anything worth finding takes a lot of time and effort to find so I'm being patient. My companion and I talked about how we know that there is at least one person here who we need to find and there is a reason that we are companions even though we anoy eachother often but we both understand that the Lord knows who we are here for and how we will find them. The Lord "descended below all things" so that He could rise above them and because of that I know that harder things get, the more glorious the reward will be in the end and the mercies we receive throughout our trials are more cherished.

I love the families in my ward! I am excited to get to know them better. The ward mission leader's children are going to give me a nickname because they give one to all the missionaries (Sister Howick is "Sister Hoho" because they met her at Christmas time.) So far they've thrown out Bobo (which means "dummy" in Spanish so their dad said they couldn't call me that, haha) and Bowtie. I'm trying to convince my companion to go teach the families we know so that we can get to know them better and receive referrals from them!

I haven't been my healthiest self this week, sadly I have caught something! It started with a sore throat and now I have a cough and I don't quite sleep past 3 without waking up. The worst part of it is not wanting to get anyone else sick so part of me doesn't want to go visit people! But I am praying to get better and that I won't get anyone sick and praying that dad will get better quick as well! It could be worse though, at least I don't have bed bugs which are common here, and I pray all the time that I won't!

I am glad to hear about all the good things happening in everyone's lives. It makes me feel good about being here.

There is a scripture that has been coming to my mind a lot, Psalms 46:10 (Though I like all of D&C 101:16 better) "Be still and know that I am God.." Mom made a magnet a long time ago with this scripture on it and now I know what it means. I have a hard time sometimes having the faith to stop and ponder when I feel like I need to keep going, especially when others are waiting on me. But this scripture says that I need to "be still" and listen calmly, because the Spirit will not be able to tell me anything unless I stop to hear what He is trying to tell me. I know the principle of the thing but applying it under pressing situations is the hard part. There are many hard lessons I am finding that I have to learn here.

I hope that this is a good amount of information, the rest I want to tell is specific to each of you who have written to me so I will be doing my best to write to each of you! Until then just know, each of you individually, that I love you and am mindful of you often and I will always feel a need to know that you are happy and well. Please share what you know with all who surround you. You each have a light and you must share it because light was not made to be hidden (3 Nephi 12:14-16.) We all have something to give to every person we know. I know that Christ's complete gospel is on the earth; that he has a prophet, Thomas S. Monson, who he reveals truth and knowledge to for the bennefit and saving of all of us; that families, through the Priesthood power of God, can be sealed together forever and that the Book of Mormon testifies of all of these things and that by reading and praying and pondering on it, you can know these things of a surety as I do. I know that my Redeemer lives and that is why I have given a year and a half of my life to Him, so that others may know it, too.

All my love,

Heaped up, pressed down and running over,

Sister Elizabeth Bowen

P.S. It is alright for me to receive emails from anyone but I can only email my family. If anyone wants me to write to them, send me a letter or at least your address, and I'll do my best to keep in touch!

P.P.S. I can't wait to hear about Issac's call so send word as soon as can be! I love you!

On Mon, Feb 25, 2013 at 11:31 AM, Elizabeth Bowen <elizabeth.bowen@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Hello everyone!

I am so glad to say that this week was better in many ways, though still a struggle in others. I have finally gotten to a point where I am okay being here because every day I am learning little things that help me do good. On Wednesday we had district meeting where our district (4 companionships, my companion and I are the only sisters) gets together to talk about the work and have a lesson to help us do better. For some reason, before that meeting, I hadn't realized part of the reason why I don't feel like I did much good whenever I have left a person's house and it is because I didn't focus on teaching a lesson or in some way emphasizing my purpose! Sometimes it's hard learning to work with someone who is so different from you but so long as you love them and see them as Heavenly Father's child it's easier to learn to handle them:)

I have had some interesting experiences, though not a lot of success. We knocked on a door the other day and about 15 little dogs (mostly little poodles) came barking! I have never seen so many dogs in one house! We also knocked on a guy's door and he said he was "too smart" to believe in God. All I could do was shake my head and think: Incredible. People here are very closed off and hard. I feel like the curiosity doesn't exist anymore and openness is a rarity. These things are rare in most of the world anymore, but I am determined to find the people who possess these qualities. I am learning to be more tolerant of people who are so different from me and to fully love and appreciate the few who I share an understanding with. These people are the ones who have brought me the most comfort, and the more of them I have met, the more I have been able to tolerate this place.

We drove out to a place called Fabius and I was filled with joy as the houses became few and far apart and I saw actual fields and animals (besides cats and dogs, which EVERYONE has.) I never knew how much I love the West. Amazingly, I miss the openness and brightness and freshness of the land where I have grown up. I haven't seen a single horse or cow either and that is strange to me. I can't wait for the spring!

Yesterday (Sunday) I cried a lot at church. I felt the Spirit more strongly than I have in a while and I am glad to have clearly felt Heavenly Father's love fill me up and surround me. I was glad to be reminded that the weak things of the world are made strong and able to do the Lord's work; I truly have been humbled and feel like the Nephites in Mosiah 4 (verse 2.) I am amazed by how much Elder Butterfield (an Elder who came to the field when I did and is in my district as well as my ward) and I know about teaching and how anxious to teach and be missionaries we are; even though he is one of the 18 year olds, he is incredible. All of the missionaries who came out with me are just as amazing and I miss them every day. My companion told me that Sister Richardson, my MTC companion, is in my zone and I will get to see her at zone training next week! I'll probably cry when I see her because I miss her so much every day and night, in fact she is always my companion in my dreams. Oh and about dreams, I have vivid dreams every night and my family is in all of them. It's hard to wake up know that the adventures I just had weren't real, but I strive to focus on having a good day. I don't sleep so well (I wake up at about 4:50 every morning and don't go back into a full sleep again) but I am grateful that I don't fall asleep when I do my morning study anymore. Personal study time is precious to me and I am striving to use my time more effectively.

Missionary work is hard, but the thing that makes it the absolute hardest is when you don't follow the rules and commandments exactly. I like the quote by Lucy Mack Smith, Joseph Smith's mom, that says "Obedience brings blessings. Exact obedience brings miracles." If you want the Spirit to be with and to guide you and if you want success, you have to be obedient. Even if the rules don't make sense to us or we have to give up don't something that we have done for a long time, the Lord has given them to us for a reason and we can be sure that if we follow them, He will bless us with blessings that we never knew we could receive.

I love all of you and I think of you every day. I always pray for blessings to be poured out upon you and for you to feel the love I have for you.

Always,

Sister Elizabeth Bowen

Dear Mom (and family and anyone who gets to read this')

I love the MTC! I have met so many amazing people and had such marvelous experiences; I was born to be a missionary and yet that doesn't mean that it isn't hard! My first day here was wonderful and every day after I have had awesome experiences. I have met a lot of people I know, I already mentioned a few, Sister Patton, Elder Bodily, Sister Carpenter and Sister Hamson. I found Sister Carpenter by "chance" right after deciding that she had probably already left. We were so excited to see eachother! I had a marvelous experience with my companion, Sister Richardson (who I love a WHOLE lot, she is wonderful) when we taugh a lest active member. His wife was there, too, and she helped some. I felt as though I was talking a lot, sharing a lot of experiences but the words just flowed from my mouth and somehow (by the Spirit) he responded in a way I never expected and after asking what he needed to do to get back on track and after my companion and I talked to him some more, he told me that he felt he and I had similar backgrounds and that he could relate to me and that because I have been able to overcome hard things despite wanting to give up, he felt he could do it to. We left after a prayer and hug from his wife and a handshake with him (I told him that I wanted so much to hug him!) and walking into the hall, I fell apart, and cried and it was actually more like a quiet wailing and Sister Richardson and I huged and cried for a minute before we went on to our class. I felt incredible love for Brother L. and his wife and I couldn't beleive that I could affect a person's life like that in such a brief period of time. I love all of you and thank you, Mom and Hannah and Dad for sending me your love through your words and Grandma Rene, too. Letters help me a lot, especially funny ones like Hannah's; it made me and my district all laugh. We loved it, so thank you Hannah;) I hope that all of you know how I love you and that I am doing well. I have ups and downs but mostly I smile a lot because the Spirit is so overwhelming. I love my teachers, Brother Belliston and Brother Roberts (who is from South Africa though he is white, haha, he's a funny chap.) There's so much to say but so little time. Keep in touch.

All my love,

Sister Bowen

Dear Family and friends,

I am so excited to get to email again, hopefully I can tell all I want to in less than 30 minutes! There have been a lot of things on my mind, I am learning amazing things every day! I love my companion, Sister Richardson. We understand each other very well and we feel the same about a lot of things; she is the best companion ever in her own way! And yes grandma, she and all the elders in my district as well as 4 other sisters and all the elders in another district in my zone are going to Utica. We all will leave together this Tuesday which should be fun. I have been frustrated with the elders in my district because they don't focus very well and they talk and joke about things that aren't horrible but aren't appropriate considering what our purpose is here. They laugh and talk and joke when we have study time and sometimes I wish that our teachers could hang out in our class all the time so that they wouldn't get so out of hand. I do love them though, they have good testimonies and I like that they can be light-hearted; I just hope that more young men will understand the importance of acting and speaking always in a way that invites the Spirit. The more we talk, the less the Spirit can speak to us.
Find out what Dear Elder is and figure out how it works.
I want to know how we are related to Glen and Jared Brooksby, I've talked to grandma Rene about them but I can't remember. There is a sister going to Utica with us whose sister-in-law is a Brooksby and she is related to them. She said that they are from Saratoga Springs, New York which is in our mission. We were so excited to make that connection; I will write about how we figured it out; the veil is very thin:)
I love all the missionaries here and all the teachers and the people I meet. Elder Bodily, Andrew Bodily's brother who I know from a class I took at BYU-Idaho, who is going to Utica, too, I have gotten to know and he is so funny! I love how he makes me laugh every day, he reminds me of Isaac sometimes. Yesterday I complimented a sister on her skirt and a teacher who was behind me said "You're going to be a great missionary." I have so many experiences I want to write here and next time I'll focus more on them but for now just know that I love all of you and want to hear more from you! I love the few letters I have received, they lift me up. Isaac's and Hannah's have been two of the best letters I have gotten in all my life, they made me laugh and cry. (By the way, I can't tell who Isaac was talking about in his P.S. in the letter he sent and I am so curious to know!)
I love you all.

Dear mom and family and friends,

It has been hard not being able to write or email for a whole week because I have so many things I want to tell you about. I cried a lot on Tuesday, or at least more than I usually do, all because I was happy, especially after talking to you and the rest of the family. I had a humbling experience at the airport. I was talking to a lady on my second flight and really liked her. I wanted to give her a pass along card (one that says Mormon.org on it) but I forgot, until I saw her again at the baggage claim. She said goodbye and as I watched her walk away I was fretting because I wanted to give her the card with my name on it so that she could look up my profile. I grabbed it out of my bag as fast as I could and I told my companion, Sister Richardson to come with me and we ran to her. I told her quick that I was a missionary, asked her if she knew about the Mormon church and then gave her the card. She was kind and was smiling at me and we hugged and said goodbye. As we walked away, I couldn't hold back tears because I had almost let that opportunity pass by, just because I was anxious. I'm just glad that I did it.

I love President and Sister Wirthlin. They are both very kind and I respect them very much. It was nice to stay in the mission home for the first night. I remember going to the window and looking out to see many tall, skinny trees and I felt peaceful.

I had a very special experience meeting my companion. The last night I slept in the MTC I had a dream about her, and when I walked into the chapel she was the first sister I noticed and I suspected that she was the one because she looked like the girl in my dream. When President Wirthlin said her name and her area and was about to announce her companion, he slowly looked down the row of new sisters and when he looked at me and said my name he was overcome by the Spirit and so was I because I already knew. This is the only reason that I feel alright with being in the area I am in, Fayetteville, because we are very opposite and even though we get along I am struggling a lot. Every day I feel a bit of despair but I know that I need to be here for someone. My area, which covers Fayetteville, Cazenovia and Manlius (where I live) is very poor and run down. There are a lot of old houses which are neat to see but it's sad to see them falling apart.

The first night I was in my area I met a tiny (maybe 5') old lady, Jean, from Scotland who I love dearly. She is a member but doesn't make it to church because of her health. She is very kind and even though I have only visited her twice I feel as though I have known her for ages. It's fun to be able to talk about Scotland and England with her (funny but I was wearing my red kilt skirt the first night I met her) and she loves music. She had me sing for her when she found out that I sing. I wish that everyone could meet her.

I have met a few other families and some less-actives, too. I feel discouraged because we aren't teaching any progressing investigators at the moment but I want badly to find some. Tracting is not my favorite thing to do, I am overwhelmed by all the records and things that I have to keep track of and I feel absolutely uncomfortable here but I know that I need to hang on, even if I'm stumbling all the way. I have never wanted so badly to be someplace happier but I know that joy and success never come until after trials and the more difficult the trial, the greater the reward. I love all of you and more than ever I need letters! I need prayers, too. I will try to send some pictures.

Love always,

Sister Elizabeth Bowen

D&C 121