Sorry!! Happy late Memorial Day!!

Hey yall! It's been a while. Sorry for no emails! It's hard to do this email in Anchorage cause I am limited on time at the library.

For memorial day I played 18 holes at Anchorage Golf Course. It was pretty fun! I'm hopin to get some pictures of that up for yall!

Anyways, I am still learning the Samoan language slowly but surely. I can understand a lot more than I can speak. I have a new companion now. His name is Elder Tebbs. Google him, he is gonna be famous!! Tommy Tebbs. He shot a movie before he came out on his mission. It's called Saint Street. It comes out in December. He is also very good at ball. Check him out! We haven't really been able to do much because he has been sick for the past 2 1/2 weeks. I've done a lot of studyin and stuff. I miss the Samoan people. I haven't seen them in so long! I think I will be gettin' transferred on Tuesday to a new area. I hope I stay in Anchorage. I've seen enough of the bush in Alaska and I like bein' around lots of people. We will see!! I only have 9 months left! Well 8 in a few days... time flies when you're doin His work!! Feels like I just left Whitehorse the other day and that's been 5 or 6 months ago! Anyways, I'm doin great! Hope yall are too!

Love,

-Elder Taylor Bowes

Sick Week

Hey yall.

 

Not much to tell yall about... reason being that I was sick the entire week!

 

On Tuesday I went to the doctor and they gave me some medicine to start taking for strep throat and that was supposed to get me better. I took it for a few days and rested up allllll day. I've actually never hated sleeping so much... As the days passed, my throat got worse and worse to the point where I didn't want to eat or drink because it hurt so bad.

 

Friday I woke up and my throat was almost swollen shut. I weighed myself because I am self concious about my weight.... and I lost 10 lbs. in 2 days and was pretty weak. It was awesome! (just in case you didn't catch it, that was sarcasm :))  It was to the point that I thought I might be catching Pnuemonia. We went to the ER and they said I didn't have Pnuemonia! :D I got an IV and some medicine that is actually strong enough to get rid of the strep. They gave me Augmentin and put me on Prednasone to get the swelling down. The next day the strep was almost already gone! Sunday morning it was gone!!! :D I feel a million times better now!

 

Other than that nothing has happened this week because I was either sick or recovering! I am definitely healthy again and ready to get back to work!! Hope yall remember to do the small things that bring great things to pass! :) Love yall! Have an awesome week!

 

Love,

 

-Elder Taylor Bowes

 

P.S. Sorry I haven't sent any pictures... My camera ain't workin!

Anchorage

Hey Yall!

 

I am so sorry I haven't emailed yall in so long! I guess the last time I emailed yall was right after transfers a few weeks back. I'll try to remember as much as I can, probably only the most important things will stick out in memory.

 

2 weeks ago we went to Anchorage for a few days. Monday we got there and had to email in the library there which you only get a hour to email. I didn't have time to answer everybody and write this email. After that we went and played basketball and it was the first time in a long time for me that I played with a bunch of other missionaries. Lets just say that livin' in a place with a gym has improved my game. :D Elder Merrill, MacPherson, Davis and I were on teams and we won 9 in a row before they kicked us off the court because nobody could beat us! :) That was pretty awesome! I got to see lots of missionaries and people I haven't seen in a long time! That night we went and saw the Wilcox!! family and ate supper with them and then went to the Hodgson's!! I miss those families soooo much!! We stayed at the mission home that night. It was lots of fun! We had Elder Anderson and Elder Bamlul with us. I don't think we went to sleep on time any of the 3 nights we were there. lol

 

That Tuesday we had Zone Conference. It was really good. It was on the upcoming Easter weekend and how we need to make sure we remember to work hard and stay busy. After Zone Conference we went and ate with Elder Merrill's cousin at Red Robin! It was soooo good. He gave us money too. He is super nice! That night we received our own personal training on how to work with the Ward leaders and get their help in finding people to hear the gospel.

 

Wednesday we ran around getting some things for ourselves and people back in Bethel. It was a pretty hectic day. We hopped on the plane and flew back to Bethel.

 

Friday was an eventful day.... Our transmission had been actin' up for the past couple of days and we were turning into the post office and she went out. Luckily reverse still worked so I backed up probably 200 yards to the shop down the street. I got a couple of strange looks with a truck goin' backwards down the road. Since then we have been without a vehicle and have been walking! What a joy....

 

Saturday was of course General Conference! I didn't get to see either of the first 2 sessions because I was sick. We watched the Priesthood session too and it was good, but the feed out here kept cuttin' in and out. I plan on rewatchin' all of it! We had pizza afterwards, reminded me of Roxboro when we always had pizza before Priesthood session.

 

Sunday was really good! Got to watch all of those sessions. Its awesome to be able to hear from the Prophet and the apostles. They truly are inspired of God.

 

This past week has been really good too. We've stayed very busy with walking everywhere and we have definitely learned to be better at time management. It has been warm here lately and everything is melting which has made it quite muddy.

 

We went to a Ducks Unlimited banquet this past Saturday and I almost won a Benelli Supernova 12 guage! lol They fed us prime rib! It was soooo good!

 

Right now at the moment I have strep throat.... It's really awesome and I wish I could have it all the time.... Sike! I am really drained and am on house arrest til tomorrow afternoon. I really dislike being sick. This email would be longer if it weren't for that. I love yall and hope yall are doing well!

 

Love,

 

-Elder Taylor Bowes

It's a party!!

I am so sorry for not emailin' yall last week. It was pretty crazy last week. I'll try to remember as much as I can from 2 weeks ago.

 

Well Saturday 2 weeks ago we got our transfer calls and Elder Shumway got transferred to Anchorage and I am staying in Bethel!! I was so happy! I am now serving with Elder Merrill who I begged to serve with. We have been havin' so much fun and gettin' a lot of work done here in Bethel. He is from Blackfoot, Idaho. He is a really good missionary. We get along really really well. I am very very excited for this transfer! I have a feelin' it's gonna go really fast though. :(

 

Monday Elder Shumway packed all day and then we had a lesson with Jesslyn and Millie. It was a good lesson about Keeping the Sabbath day holy. It's so important to keep it holy. It's a day meant for rest with your family and for you to reflect on what Christ has done for you and everybody else.

 

Tuesday mornin' I dropped Elder Shumway off at the airport and then went back to the church and cleaned out our room and bathroom and then went and hung out with Brother Helgesen the rest of the day until Elder Merrill came in that night. I had a really good time with Brother Helgesen, he is very funny. lol I went and picked up Elder Merrill and brought him back and then we caught each other up on whats been happenin' on our missions.

 

The rest of the week we have been goin' around and lettin' him meet everybody.

 

Thursday we played basketball with the kids around the church and on the very last play of the night, Elder Merrill gets a high ankle sprain.... Not fun for him. I've been the doctor for the past couple of days. His ankle is doing really good though now. Hopefully he will be back to normal soon.

 

Friday and Saturday we did a lot of service at Sammy's Market. We must've helped unload at least 15 pallets of stuff for the store. In return he lets us have free drinks and food too. He even told us to go to a restaurant and order "whatever excited us". He is a really nice guy and really appreciates our help. We end up doing a lot of service for others out here in Bethel. I love it though, there's nothin' like servin' others and puttin' a smile on their face! :) It even says in the scriptures, "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your god". Saturday we had to take the truck to the shop. It is still in the shop.... We have been walkin' around the past couple of days. We won't have it back til Tuesday.

 

Sunday was pretty good. Jesslyn came to church and is getting baptized tomorrow! We are so excited for her! Seeing others so happy when they accept the gospel makes all the bad memories of your mission go away.

 

Sorry for the not so long email. I love yall and hope yall are doin' well!

 

Love,

 

-Elder Taylor Bowes

Exhausted

Hey yall. This one is probably gonna be short this week. I'm exhausted and don't have much drive to write a long email. lol

This week was pretty good, full of service. 

On Monday we played basketball with the neighborhood kids because they didn't have school this week. We played 3 1/2 hours straight. It was great exercise. Afterwards we went and helped the Tavita's clean out a house for them to live in. The place was disgusting. A hoarder lived there and then moved out and the place sat for 6 months. If you were to see a before and after photo of the house, you would not believe it was the same place. Then we went and ate and then had to go pull someone out of a ditch and in the process got stuck ourselves. Someone else was there so they pulled us out and then we pulled the other person out and left. Then we went and taught Jesslyn and Millie at the church and had a really good lesson with them. 

Tuesday we went to the Helgesen's and helped out a little there and then we read with Edward and some of the Helgesen's kids. Later that night we went and helped clean out the house some more. 

Wednesday we went to the Library cleaned some shelves and put things back on the shelves. We read with Edward and then once again helped clean out that house. By then it was actually starting to look like a house. Then we went to the Chavez's and ate supper and then went and taught Paul and Stacy again. It was a great lesson that Elder Shumway prepared. He is gonna be a great missionary.

Thursday was a really good day. We went and played Bingo and Moses won this time! We read with Edward again and then we went and saw the Martins. Brother Martins just had surgery on his knee and is on bed rest basically. He is gettin tired of it though, understandably. They are a fun family. Always a fun time at their place. We went and ate at Brother Irvine's again and he made fried chicken. We played cards with him for just a little bit and then we went and stacked some wood for Sister McMillin. We played basketball for an hour and then everybody had to leave because someone had a meeting that we didn't know about and it was too loud for them to have a meeting and us play at the same time. So I just went to bed early. 

Friday we let the neighborhood kids come back and play basketball since they only got a short bit in. It was fun and they had a good time. Afterwards we went and helped Ben do the final cleanup on the house before they moved in. 

Saturday we went and helped Ben and his family move all their stuff into the house we cleaned all week. They were very appreciative of all the help we gave them. We went and read with the Atkinson's that night and had a good time with them. 

Sunday was a really good day. The Atkinson's came to church and so did the Tavita's! Ben got up during the meeting and thanked everyone for all the help they have received since being here. They are getting settled in now. They all loved church and it was really good. Edward got up and bore his testimony. Probably the best testimony I have ever heard. He compared the Lion King to the gospel. It was the bomb! I wish I could have recorded it! I'll have to let you know what it was exactly next week. 

I hope yall have a great week and that you stay safe! 

Love, 

-Elder Bowes

Opinions

Hey yall!

How's your week been? My week has been pretty good!

Monday we had a nice slow relaxing day of not actually doing anything. It was great! I needed it really badly. I took a 2 hour nap :) After P-day was done we had a lesson with Jesslyn again and she brought her 2 friends along so we taught them too! There first lesson was the Law of Chastity... Never taught someone the Law of Chastity as a first lesson, but they loved it and we are still teaching them and they are thinking about being baptized! :) I get so excited for others when they make decisions like that because I know how much they will be blessed for it!

Tuesday we got called into a surprise special training with our Zone. We had to call in over the phone. It's different having to call in and not be able to see anybody. I do miss seeing all the other missionaries. I don't know many of the missionaries in our mission anymore. While I was in Whitehorse and since I have been out here most of the missionaries I have known have finished their missions and have gone home. It's crazy how close you get to people that you barely meet and get to know for just a little bit. I know it's because of what we have been called to do and that we are serving the Lord. We taught Jesslyn, Casey, and Melony again Tuesday night with Tyler and they loved it and Melony and Casey are really considering baptism! :)

Wednesday we had quite a scare in the morning. We were on our way to the Library to do the usual service and we passed by Edward Jackson's home (recent convert) and there was crime scene tape up and cops everywhere taking pictures around his house and his neighbors. We immediately called some other people to find out what was going on and found out he was ok! We were told that there was a homicide and that it was his neighbor. The person that did it tried to set his house on fire too... Pretty scary. He was shaken up a little, but seems to be okay now and back to normal. Mom I promise i'm not trying to scare you! Don't worry we are safe! :) We went to supper at the Chavez's again and had a very very good meal! :) We had cheesecake for dessert :). We then taught Jesslyn, Casey and Melony with Tyler again! They really enjoy the lessons and are reading the Book of Mormon. They feel the spirit and know that it is good! It's awesome!

Thursday we went to Bingo again! We actually had it this week! :) After we did that we went and knocked a few doors trying to find people that we have run into. We went to supper twice Thursday night! We ate at Bro. Irvine's and he fed us taco soup.... It was sooo good. I almost forgot to leave room for the next meal! We then went to Sister McMillin's and had meatloaf and potatoes and broccoli. She is such a good cook! Haven't had a bad meal there yet! We then with overfilled stomachs played basketball with the neighborhood kids. We taught them before we played about where we came from. They seemed to enjoy the lesson and helped them understand things better. We told them we don't just wanna provide them a place to play basketball, we want to help them find the truth and follow the path that they were meant to walk on this earth. Afterwards I was suckin' wind the whole time!

Friday night we went and watched the boys play 1 of their last regular season games of the year. Both JV and Varsity won! The level of competition is very different from back home in NC. During the game they will sometimes have 2 guys run around and throw shirts into the stands and I got one! The boys really liked us coming and supporting them in their games.

Saturday morning we helped the Stockton's move to their new home. It was the fastest move I have ever been apart of. They were very prepared and had everything ready! It took us all of an hour or 2. Then that afternoon we went and watched the last game of the season and they liked that we were there again. I think they are realizing that we don't just have them come play basketball with us so we can play, but that it is because we actually care what they do and we are trying to be good examples to them and support them in making good decisions. I think I have made a decision in what I wanna do for a profession based off experiences here in Bethel. I'll probably end up following moms footsteps and be a high school teacher and hopefully coach too! That would be fun! We also had Stake Conference Saturday night. That was really good though I was making phone calls the whole time.

Sunday was of course again Stake Conference and Jade and Jesslyn came! The session was awesome! The theme was pioneers. Not only the pioneers who crossed the plains to Salt Lake City, but the pioneers of the church today, the members who are the first members in their families and how much of an impact that can have on generations to come. Correct me if i'm wrong dad, but I believe I am a 6^th generation member of the church. Growing up in the church I never had any doubts it was true, but did not have the testimony I have today until I actually read and studied the Book of Mormon and received a witness that it was true. I absolutely loved the talk the Elder Tad R. Callister gave in the last General Conference about the Book of Mormon. (http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/the-book-of-mormon-a-book-from-god?lang=eng&media=video) That's a link to the talk he gave. Watch it please!

Probably the biggest thing I have learned here in Bethel is to never judge a book by it's cover and to always form your own opinion about places or things. Before I came to Bethel, I heard all these stories about it, some good, some bad and talked to many people who didn't have anything nice to say about it. Since being here I have formed my own opinion. Bethel is a great place and I love it. I have grown to love the people and the town. If I were to go back and ask the people that told me how bad Bethel was and asked if they had actually been here, probably 50 – 70% have never been here and have no backing for their comments, just hearsay.


For those of you who have never read the Book of Mormon or investigated The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and it's teachings, I encourage you to do what I have done, to form your own opinion. Read the Book of Mormon with an open heart and mind. Watch that talk, click the link above! I know the Book of Mormon is true and is from God. I have read every page. I wouldn't be 5,000 miles away from my home and family sharing it with others if I didn't know it was true. I love yall and hope you will take the opportunity to read the Book of Mormon and learn of the church. Have a great week! :)

Love,

-Elder Taylor Bowes

Hi!

Well yall heard a little about my week last week! Monday was spent digging that grave and Tuesday at the funeral and trying to finish things we didn't finish on Monday.

 

The rest of the past week was really good! It seemed like everything fell into our laps and we didn't have to really do much.

 

Wednesday we did the usual service at the Library and then we went to the Turner's and read with them and talked. We ate supper at the Chavez's and had fun at their house and then we went and taught Paul and Stacy Rogers and had a great discussion about Faith. they are gonna get sealed in the temple in Anchorage in the summer! I'm excited for them!

 

Thursday we went to do Bingo again and more elders in the community passed away so we played cards again and I played crazy 8's with Moses again. He is funny, he gets really excited when we play! We had supper at Brother Irvine's again and then we taught Jesslyn. She is gonna get baptized! We had to move basketball to Friday because of an activity at the church.

 

Friday we played basketball right when they got out of school and then ate supper with the Atkinson's and had a short lesson with them.

 

Saturday was a super busy day. We went to lunch with Sister Gable at a restaurant. Then for the next 3 hours we had back to back lessons! It was awesome! lol We had Tyler come with us. Tyler is gonna be a great missionary! He already knows so much about the gospel. We got a call from a guy named Ben. He is Samoan and they needed help moving out of their place so we helped him and his wife and his sister move things to their new place. They are super nice and very humble. The whole time we were helping we talked with him about the church and how we believe that families can be together forever. His wife is a member and wants her kids to grow up in the church. We are gonna start teaching him and his sister! I am so excited for that! He told us that in Samoa, the church is law. He said if on Sunday you're not at home with your family reading the Bible then you can get in trouble. Pretty crazy but that's really cool!

 

Sunday church was really good and we were able to do a lot. I taught the youth Sunday School class because Sister Sorg is pregnant and was not feeling well. Elder Shumway taught Gospel Principles class. It was a lot of fun teaching them. We talked about the atonement and what Christ has done for all of us. We were studying out of 2 Nephi for the lesson. It was a really good lesson! Without the Atonement we would be lost forever. :( Thank goodness for the Atonement!! :D We went to the Stockton's for Tyler's birthday and supper! We had an absolute blast over there and so did they! They said we are climbing up the list of favorite missionaries! haha He turned 20 and had a very great birthday from the looks of how much he was smiling! It was a really good week! Hope yalls was just as good!

 

Love yall and hope yall have a great week this week!

 

-Elder Bowes