#31: Staying In Guerrero

It's good to hear that you (mom) had a good birthday.  I thought of you all day Saturday!  I'm glad you've had a good time with Grammy! :)

The attendance this week at church wasn't exactly 50 because there were a lot of people who were sick... so we had only 35 people there.

Today is the start of a new transfer cycle and my comp and I don't have changes (transfers) which will probably mean that I'll end up "killing off" Elder Castro since he only 6 weeks left of his mission.  (To "kill" someone off means that their last companion in the mission will be the one that
will be sending that missionary home-it's missionary lingo)  We have a meta (goal) of having 5 baptisms in the month of February-Wow!  It's already FEBRUARY! haha  I just passed my 200th day in the mission about a week ago!  Oh, and I teach an English class and my companion and I teach seminary once a week!

I heard that the US is getting a lot of snow and weather lately, and that the eastern states are getting hammered!! Thanks for the scripture for the week.  I try and memorize it in Spanish!
Le amo,
Elder Fowler

This week's scripture to "Ponderize":
1 Nephi 7:12

12 Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him.

Flower arrangements made by someone who we are teaching. 

(Mom's countdown-Purple is the time he  spent
at the CCM, Blue is with his first companion,
and red is with his currant companion.
One full side completed)

(After getting an email from our missionary-later that day when
the mail was checked, there was a handwritten letter to each family
member-I recognized Elder Fowler's handwriting just by the capital
"E" in the upper left hand corner! This is PRICELESS!! We will be sure
and let him know that after almost 2 months, we received his letters!)

#30: Increased Attendance

Hola!  This week in sacrament meeting, we had the best number in attendance for a long time-37!  And that was with many regulars  who weren't able to make it, like the Branch President! haha
I am able to watch videos!!  Send them! Send the ALL!!! haha
I only have one picture this week, but no weekly letter.  I know, I get the bad missionary badge! haha
But hey, I love you.
Oh, I don't know if I told you guys, but the Spanish people have a hard time saying, Fowler!!!  It's always more like "Fō-ler", there's no "ow" sound!!!
Oh, I wanted to let you know that two weeks ago, I cleaned out our shower drain!!!  I give you major props Mom!!  That's one Nasty job!!!  BLAHH!!! haha  I never wanna do that again!  (I told him that this just makes him good husband material!)

I want to say Feliz Cumplaño Madre!!!  I hope this Saturday is a great day and that you will be surrounded by those who love you!  You can bet that I will be sending you love from Mexico!!!  I couldn't forget the birthday of the most important woman in my life!!  The woman who is my biggest cheerleader!!  I love you mom!!

Le Amo,
Elder Fowler

This week's scripture to "Ponderize" is:
Alma 17:10-11

10 And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted.

 11 And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls.

This is Brother (Hermano) Trini- He is Awesome!
I'm wearing "normal" clothes because we were on our way to do
some service.  And yes, I'm riding in the back! haha

#29: 40 Days of Fasting

Well, the work here is going.  We are hoping to have baptism either this weekend or the following.  Hopefully they will be prepared by this weekend to make this great covenant! :)

I'm really sorry, but I don't have any pictures or a journal entry from this past week.  By the time we come home and plan for the next day, I'm exhausted and beat and just lay in bed...haha   Next week I'll try to have both pictures and a journal entry!

Later today I will begin fasting because our branch here in Guerrero is doing a 40 day fast, where for 40 days, one person fasts for one day.  We are doing this to hopefully get 50 souls in church on Sunday this month.  This past Sunday, we had 34 people, where at the beginning of the month there were only 20!!!  So, the fasting is showing improvement in the Branch!

I love and pray each day for you,

Your Elder Fowler

(This week's scripture to "Ponderize")

2 Nephi 2:11

For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

#28: 6 Months In the Mission

I can't believe that it's been 6 months! haha I'll be home before you know it!! Time is going by surprisingly fast!  Usually, missionaries tell me the first year is slow, then the second is faster!...Well, it the first is fast, does that mean the second is even faster!?!  haha    My companion and I have a lot more in common than I thought, which really helps.  His dad is a bishop as well, we like a lot of the same type of music, etc.  Each day is better than the last...usually.  haha  He has 9 more weeks left before he goes home.
I decorated my new planner for this transfer time with the IN-N-OUT hat you sent me in one of the packages.  I've also included a picture of the Star Wars bottle caps that all of us American missionaries like to collect. I'm going to buy more today :)

This week's scripture is:
 3 Nephi 11:3
And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn.

Love you,
Elder Fowler

The front of his planner
You can take the boy out of IN-N-OUT,
But you can't take IN-N-OUT out of the boy!!!

The back of his planner.

The Star Wars bottle caps that he started collecting.
Which one is your favorite?

The whole JUMEX bottle is decorated so cool.
These aren't found in America.

#27: Reasonable Goal for the New Year

I didn't get a chance to email yesterday because we had a Zone Conference all day in La Junta, so that is why I'm emailing this morning.  Once a month the zone leaders are trained by the President and then they come teach us what President Chavez wants us to learn.  Afterwards, we played fútbol!!  We have two new investigators who are really awesome!  I can already picture them in the waters of baptism!  One goal for myself in the new year is to be more fluent in Spanish by December. haha!  Seems reasonable! haha

I always love the pictures you send. They always brighten my day!  I'm almost in all the pictures of the Christmas card!! haha  Thanks for updating me on the family too.

Dad, I was wondering how tithing settlement went this year.  How did you do it?  On Saturdays? All after Church?? I wanna know. haha

And....have you seen the new Star Wars movie?  Is it good?  Here in Mexico, they have these drinks called Jumex and they have bottle caps with awesome battle scenes and other cool pictures from Star Wars!!  There's 150 different caps and all the gringos want to collect them all!!!  I already have 10  but I think and I want more!!!   They're pretty sweet! I will take a picture of them send them next week.

Thank you for the advice and example you always set for me.
Le amo,
Elder Fowler

This week's scripture to "Ponderize":

1 Corinthians 10:13

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

The Casa de oración (prayer house-meaning their church building)

I like clouds....haha

#26: Christmas In Mexico

(From his journal) This is one week that I don't think I'll forget for a long time. The reason being is that Christmas was this week and I felt love and gratitude for my Savior Jesus Christ.  I'm so grateful for this time of year, when I can think and ponder about Him and all that He did for me.

The week was filled of fun festivities with the branch here and the spirit of Christmas. On Monday there was a Christmas party with the Branch.  There was tamales, tamales, and more tamales! They are one of my favorite Mexican foods here!  We had a piñata, which was fun to break open and get candy!  Monday evening was really fun.

On Tuesday, we had an awesome capacitation with President Chavez.  He spoke about how obedience is the key to having success in the mission.  There were things he mentioned that I didn't know were mission rules.  So, it was good to be able to ask questions and resolve any confusion.  I think he spoke about obedience so if there was any disobedience, we can make a New Year's resolution to try better.

Christmas day was interesting to say the least!  We planned to talk to our families using Skype at around 5:00pm.  We had the morning and early afternoon to talk to people.  The problem was, that nobody was outside; they were in their homes with their families!  (We found out that in Preston's mission, they never go tracking-meaning door to door, they meet people on the streets mostly) When 5:00pm came, we were so excited to see and hear from our families!  But, we were having technical difficulties and couldn't figure out how to do it.  So, we ended up not being able to Skype on Christmas.  But, we tried again on Saturday morning after borrowing a web cam and ear phones from the local internet cafe and using them down at the church, so we were able to actually Skype with our families!  Hands down, this was the best gift this Christmas!  I'm so thankful for my family and all they do for me.  They are my biggest support.  I can't wait until Mother's day to see and talk with them again!  But until then, I have work to do!

The weather on Saturday was really sour and difficult.  It was really windy and cold all morning.  I know that the wind was bringing more weather our way.  We got SNOW!!  This was the second time this year and I was just as excited as the first time.  We got about a "name tag's" worth of snow....the long way, with is about 2 inches!

I wasn't able to take a shower for the past two days because the pipes that lead from the boiler to the house were FROZEN!!! haha  But this morning I was able to somewhat shower by using a bucket and hot water...wasn't the best but it got the job done! haha
That's my week here in Guerrero.  One week I really enjoyed and will never forget!

Beautiful Christmas tree in Mexico

So excited for snow!!!

Thank you for the Christmas gifts for both my companion and I.
I am using the electric blanket now and it works miracles!
(In his broken English, Elder Castro thanked us for the stocking and
other presents we sent him too, when we were Skyping with Preston)

These are the scripture covers and hymn book cover that I paid to have
made.  It only costs 440 pesos which is like around $25 for all three.
(A member there makes them-pretty cool!!)

(We thought it would be fun to all be wearing these mustaches
when our Skype session started)

(Even Krew got into it- This would be the first time
that Krew, his nephew, and Preston would see each other)

The Best part of Christmas this year-by far, was talking
to each other.

(Preston wanted us to do a crazy photo too)

(Love this missionary of ours)

#25: Christmas Dinner in the Mission

This week has been good overall.  No baptisms though to report, but we have a good amount of investigators who are understanding what we teach and are keeping commitments.

This last Thursday was really cool because we had our Christmas party with our mission president and his wife.  The party was in Cuahtemoc which is about an hour and a half drive by bus.  When we got there, the gym of the chapel was all decorated with tables, lights and a lot more.  It was catered and everything. The food was really good!  (As part of the program, the focus was on the importance of having clean hands and a pure heart. At the end, the focus was on hands that have had great importance in their  lives, namely, the hands of their parents and those of the Savior-The mission president asked us parents to send him a picture of our hands together and another one showing our faces)  Then, pictures came across the large projector screen that had pictures of our parent's hands.  Yours was the first to come up, although I didn't recognize your hands because dad is wearing a different watch! I wasn't really prepared to see the next picture, it was of you- mom and dad together!  It caught me so off guard.  I felt immediate love and gratitude for you both, so thank you!  After we ate, we had 3 piñatas to break open.  There's a song that we sung when each person was swinging at the piñata.  There was so much candy from them, so we were all pretty satisfied!  The party ended around 5:30pm, but the next bus to Guerrero didn't leave until 8:00pm!  So, we helped clean up the church and mingled with the other missionaries who were waiting for their ride as well.

We will be able to borrow a laptop from a member and Skype in the church building here.  We are thinking around 5:00, how does that sound?  I did get Brooke and Dylan's package, and I did open it, I hope that's okay! haha  I can't have two boxes staring me in the face for another 5 days!

Because of Christmas this week, they moved the transfers up one week to last week.  So, this means I will still be with my companion, Elder Castro.  So, another transfer completed and in the books!  I must say that the mission is going by quite fast.  I'm really enjoying the people I meet, and the areas I have the privilege to serve in.

Overall, I had a really good, productive week here in Mexico.  I really enjoy the people who live here and love to serve them each day I have been given.  I am looking forward to the blessings and miracles the Lord will place in my path.  I know this church is true, and have a testimony that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer and leads and guides this church today.  I'm grateful for this time of year when the whole world turns their hearts to the Savior.  I love Him and all of you back home.  May we all remember our Savior, Jesus Christ a little more this time of year.

Elder Fowler

This week's scripture to Ponderize is: D&C 90:24

Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another.

Wearing the sweater that Brooke and Dylan sent him for Christmas

Elder Fowler with President and Sister Chavez

Elder Fowler (second from Left) at Christmas Dinner 

Christmas Dinner Party  2015

Catching candy from the Piñata

The Sister missionaries received make up and the Elders received a tie.
All were given a stocking of candy