#53: Meeting the New Mission President

This week has been really good.  We met our new mission president, President and Sister Montoya on Tuesday and they are really sweet.  I like them a lot actually! :) I'm sure I will learn a lot from them during this last year that I have here!!!  Wow, that's crazy to think about!
Sister Montoya said that we can eat pancakes now, but only twice a week!  But hey, that's better than nothing.  But only if they are the kind made with integral wheat or something!! hahaha (We had no idea this was ever something he couldn't have)

I did get my ONE YEAR package but I won't open it until Friday when it's my actual one year mark! Elder Merlo is doing pretty good!  He's still a bit shy like how I was, speaking in lessons and all that but it's all good.  It will come with practice.  My district is pretty dope.  It's me, my companion and another companionship.  They like to play b-ball on Mondays  so that's the district activity that we do in the mornings so it's fun!  I actually am able to use my b-ball shoes that I brought from home-finally!  There's a gym here in town to play!

The weather here has been super bipolar!!  It's sunny in the mornings and then mid afternoon it rains....HARD!! On Saturday, there were RIVERS in the streets....they don't have gutters here and it's a bit humid here...more than I've felt in Reno.

Hope you have a great 4th of July!!!
Love your son,
Elder Fowler

This week's scripture is:

1 Nephi 17:3

And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.

New Mission President-President Montoya and his wife
with my zone. June 28, 2016
(Love how most of the Elders are wearing blue ties)

Last picture of my zone with President and Sister Chavez
before they leave the mission.
June 2016

#52: Baptismal Interviews

This week was good and fun!  We went to a city called Rubio where my district is and I had my first two baptismal interviews this week and they went really well. It was nerve racking at first but the spirit took over and it was easier.  I learned a lot of things by doing it as well. :)  

President Montoya comes today and President Chavez leaves tomorrow!  We will meet Pres. Montoya then.  I'm pretty excited to meet him!  Should be a good time and a good change.  We already said our goodbyes to Pres. Chavez last week.

The branch here is good... They feed us each day and I'm full afterwards. My companion, (Elder Merlo) has been making me breakfast everyday :)  He's really cool!!!!  It is hard to get the members though to come on visits with us.

I'm loving the pictures you sent me this week!  I think Krew reminds me a bit like Brecken when he was little! :)  haha  I don't know why, but he does :)

Love your son,
Elder Fowler

This week's scripture to "Ponderize" is:
1 Nephi 8:30
.....behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree.

 "Unless we are “continually holding fast” to the word of God and living it, we will become spiritually blinded rather than spiritually minded."

Kevin W. Pearson

I loved the dragon!

haha-We had lots of weird weather every day!

Saying Good-bye to President and Sister Chavez

#51: Father's Day Love

Want to start off and wish dad a Happy Father's Day!!  Hope you had a great day and that you know I was thinking about you :)  You and Brecken should have a great time on High Adventure!! I always loved that week during the summer to get away from life for a bit and just enjoy time without any worries...haha  I haven't had a worry-free day in a long time!  I'm always thinking and praying and focusing on others and how to help them.

This morning, we had a training meeting with President Chavez and Sister Chavez, which in fact, was their last one to give....kinda sad, but the new President comes next Monday and then on Tuesday we will meet with him.  I'm pretty excited for the new change and the different teaching techniques.

Because of some changes in the zone, my district right now is me and my companion, and the Zone leaders. Because of my leadership assignment, I get a bit more money each month, which will help for sure.  We have been tracting more of the new members and less active members and then asking them to give us referrals.  It is a different way of doing missionary work, but we are adjusting.  It's a bit more difficult, but the nice thing is that when we work with referrals from members, there is automatically a support system because they already know a face at church.

I did get the package that had the Ensign and all that as well :)  3 weeks and I reach my one year mark!!!  That's crazy stuff!!!  Also, I will be home one year from tomorrow; how crazy is that!!

Love you,
Elder Fowler

This week's scripture is:
Alma 42:15
 And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also.

Elder Arnold with Elder Fowler
Elder Arnold is leaving Cuauhtemoc tomorrow!
He was my first Zone Leader when I got to the mission field.
(Elder Fowler is wearing a tie that we just sent him)

#50: First Week With Elder Merlo

Hola!
This week was really good!  On Monday we settled into our house and it's still missing some stuff and we still are as of today! haha  But, the house is nice.  I don't know why, but my companion, Elder Merlo, reminds me a lot of Landon!!  (Landon is his cousin and is actually serving a mission in Cancun, Mexico) It's kinda weird, but I like it....we get along great!  He acts so much like him too, I love it! :D    I've told him that it is my job to train him to always be obedient in all things throughout his mission and then afterwards too.  Church here was really good!  I forgot to tell you that I've served my whole mission in the same stake this whole time!! hahaha How funny is that!

I love you!
Your missionary,
Elder Fowler

We are outside the church building grilling as a zone today.

(Some huge slide)

Add Check out the name of this street!!!  

(Must be hard to pronounce)

#49: New Area, New Companion, New Responsibilities

How's things going?  I've got some crazy news for you, to say the least :)  I had "changes" today and I left Guerrero and now I'm in Cuahutemoc AGAIN!!! Elder Herrera stayed in Guerrero.   I'm in a different part of the zone though.  Also, my new companion is straight out of the CCM, meaning that I'm going to be training him!!!  His name is Elder Merlo!  He's from Honduras! haha Pretty sweet, huh?  And, to make things even more crazy, I was made a District Leader here as well!!!!  You're talking to the most freaked out, nervous District Leader and trainer there is right now in all of Chihuahua!!! hahahaha  We are going to be super obedient and work our butts off! :)  I think there are 8 missionaries in my district and I believe 16 in the zone.  I don't know any of the other elders in my district.  There is a ward here with a church building! :)  We are in the Barrio Reforma (Barrio means-Ward)  I'm a bit overwhelmed and nervous for the new changes, but I know that it will be good.  The house we are in isn't too big, it's decent to say the least.

I wasn't able to view the video of Brecken opening the package because the internet cafe here sucks! haha but the pictures were good too!  I'm glad that he liked what I sent him.

Love your son,
Elder Fowler

This week's scripture is:
Alma 26:8


Blessed be the name of our God; let us sing to his praise, yea, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever.

Elder Merlo, Elder Nicoll and his new companion
(The two new Elders are known as "Greenie's and "son"
to the Elder that is there trainer.  So, Elder Merlo would be
Elder Fowler's "son"-mission lingo)
Outside the mission offices in Chihuahua

Bring in Tamosachic

These are cockroaches-We killed like 30 of them in my
house in Guerrero!

(I had to send this to Elder Fowler, since he will be training
his first "greenie" in the mission.)

#48: Many Miracles in the Month of May

How are things going there in the 775? :)
I wasn't able to email yesterday because we were in La Junta playing baseball all day long for a zone activity.  It was super fun, but we all got really burned....like low on the neck where the sun don't shine very often. hahaha

Changes (transfers) are coming up this next weekend, and it sounds like I might be leaving the area, but nothing is official until Sunday night when we get the phone call. I've heard that the zone I've been in, is the best in the mission.  I really love my area and my house....it's going to be hard for sure!  In the month of May, my zone's goal was to baptize 40 people. We've ended the month with 48!!  9 of those were from my area! We baptized two more people last week, and I have photos of it all :) And, as a mission, we baptized 360!!!!  That is a new mission record!  We played baseball to celebrate the success!!

The woman we baptized on May 25th is Hermana Bertha.  I've been working with her ever since I got to Guerrera with Elder Castro, seven months ago, and she was finally baptized this last part of May. The other baptism is of Hermano Luis Mendoza.  We found him a while ago when we were going to La Junta one day and have been with him since then.  He was baptized on May 28th.  Pepe is progressing, but slowly.  He has come to church 5 times now and is committed to keep the word of wisdom, so that's great!

Love you,
Elder Fowler

This week's scripture is:

Omni 1:26
And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should comeunto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.

May 25, 2016- Baptism of Hermana Bertha
with Elders: Fowler, Sullivan, Ashworth and Hansen

May 29, 2016 Baptism of Hermano Luis Mendoza
With Elders: Herrera and Fowler

#47: Beautiful View From Las Barrancas del Cobre (Copper Canyon)

I really enjoyed the great email you sent me this week about the fun times in Vegas!  How exciting for everyone that was able to make it to Stephanie's wedding! :)  Looks like everybody had lots of fun! (This past week-when Elder's Fowler's family was in Las Vegas, we met up with Sister Linda Ashworth, who is the mother of Elder Fowler's zone leader, Elder Ashworth.  It was fun to meet someone who has a son in the same mission)

I have quite a few pictures from this week because I went with my district leader, Elder Sullivan to a pueblo called, San Rafael.  On the way, we stopped at a place called Las Barrancas del Cobre, or in English, "Copper Canyon"!   I loved it there!  I guess that it is the deepest canyon in the world! I took some sweet pictures that I think everyone will want to see!  In San Rafael, we confirmed 4 kids from earlier that week.  It was such a great time, except the bus ride was almost 4 hours long!! haha  But the pictures and the view made it all worth it! :) You need to change my profile on FB to one of these photos. I like the one with my back to the camera with arms open.

Pepe wasn't baptized this week but while I was gone from my area, Elder Herrera baptized a young girl, so for the month of may, to reach our zone goal of 40...I think we have 30 thus far! :)

Love Always,
Elder Fowler

This week's scripture to "Ponderize" is:
D&C 18:15-16

15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

 16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many soulsunto me!

Las Barrancas del Cobre (Copper Canyon)-Mexico

I bought this hat for 150 pesos in Guerrero!! What a steal :)

(If you look close, Elder Fowler is the small white speck
to the left of the middle of the picture)

Elders-Fowler and Sullivan

(Elder Fowler's Dad and Mom were able to meet Linda Ashworth,
who's son, Elder Ashworth is one of the zone leaders in his mission.