#83-(Package From Elder Fowler)

Feliz Cumpleaños Mamá!!!  How's your Birthday?  What have you done?
Hello Adoptive Mom, I'm Elder Sanchez. I hope you have a happy birthday :D 
That was sent from my old companion, Elder Sanchez from Guatemala.  He's here with me right now! :)
I'm so glad you got my package!!!  I really liked the nativity set with the indians.  They are called Tarahumaras. They are indigenous people from Mexico. :)

( I told him that he needs to be sure and bring home a Mexican nativity and/or Christmas ornament. This past Tuesday, we received a package in the mail that had a Nativity set, an SD card, his first name tag, and two bracelets. It was so fun to get)

(Last week I asked Preston if he could help me with my talk that I had to give in sacrament meeting this past Sunday. I asked him if he could share his thoughts about being a missionary and able to put aside the world for these now nearly 19 months that he has been serving and live such a Christ-centered life.  Here is his response:)

I love studying the scriptures each morning.  I love that it is a way to put on the armor of God, to be prepared for whatever temptation comes my way.  My testimony of the Book of Mormon has been strengthened tremendously because I am anxiously engaged in my studies.  The Book of Mormon truly was written for our day.  I am grateful for the opportunity I have to Read, Ponder, and Pray on the Words of Christ.

Love you tons,
Elder Fowler

This week's scripture to Ponderize is:
2 Nephi 32:3
Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.

Elder Sanchez (his previous companion) and Elder Fowler
emailing home.

(The Nativity, bracelets and his first mission tag was
what he sent home to us)

(Love that he sent these to us)

#82: Zone Hike to the Mountain Top

Hey!  What's up?!
   Today, I went with my zone on a hike to climb to the top of this mountain.  In the pictures, you will see that I am wearing the Tabasco shirt you sent me.    Elder Johnson took some videos of us, I'm a goober in them!  You'll have to check them out if he sent them to his mom.  We are progressing in the work, bringing more people to church and teaching more lessons with members.

    (I asked him if he ever did play the game, PIE FACE, that we sent him at Christmas)
As a zone on New Year's Eve, we played that game!  It got a bit out of control, because everyone was throwing the whipped cream!!!  Sadly, I don't have pictures of it....sorry!!

  Tomorrow, we have a District meeting at 10:00, then on Wednesday we have a broadcast from Utah for all the missionaries!!! :)

Love your son,
Elder Fowler

This week's scripture to "Ponderize" is:
Doctrine & Covenants 112:11

I know thy heart, and have heard thy prayers concerning thy brethren. Be not partial towards them in love above many others, but let thy love be for them as for thyself; and let thy love abound unto all men, and unto all who love my name.

This is Raul and Gloria.  They were our investigators in Villa el Real,
when I was with Elder Johnson.  He is the one who had two of
his toes amputated when I was there.

The Zone Hike
January 23, 2017
(Makes me laugh because the one Elder is wearing Elder Fowler's
high school Lacrosse sweatshirt)

My companion

#81: 18 Months Serving/Goal for More Investigators at Church

How's things going?

Wow!  That's so nice of the Stabenow's to do that for me!  I will write them a quick email today. :) (His Uncle and Aunt sent me a check to deposit in Preston's checking account)

Yeah, the gas prices and all that went up, which caused riots and they blocks the freeways so none of the food, gas, water and other things couldn't get here.  But now everything is normal.  No biggie!

This cycle will/has been really hard.  My last two cycles with Johnson and Sanchez were sweet....no problems...no conflicts...just peace and smoothness!!  My comp and I have a hard time understanding each other and that is frustrating, but we are trying to help the zone meet their goals and all that, so we are focusing on them and what we can do as a companionship to help them.  As a zone, we brought 11 investigators to church yesterday.  As a zone with 9 companionships, that isn't good at all. So yesterday the assistance came by and trained us on how we can better ourselves in this area.  President raised all our goals for investigators at church to 12, and that's per companionship!!!!  Here in the zone, we seem to lack faith....a lot of it!!!   My companion and I brought one investigator to church yesterday.  He has a baptismal date for the 28th but we might have to push it back.  How do the missionaries in your ward get people to go to the stake center for church, isn't that far??

Dad, that's so sweet!  I can't believe you are having all these opportunities to know and greet general authorities and an apostle.  Do you have any pictures with them?  (This past weekend, the Apostle, D. Todd Christofferson, and Area of Seventy-Elder Larkin and Elder Pearson visited Reno.  D. Todd Christofferson and Elder Larkin sat and observed Preston's dad's ward council meeting which was a bit stressful beforehand for him, but it went really well.  It's not every day that an apostle of the Lord is in attendance in your ward meetings)

(I asked him if he received a letter in the mail from his Grammy Val that she sent to him.  She typed out the story of her conversion to us which is so sweet)
I did get Grammy's letter!! I was very happy to see it! :)
I also got a big poster thing from members in the ward-like even Matt (Herron) wrote on it. Haha!!
(That poster was one that several youth signed during youth conference several months ago.  Matt was recently home from his mission and was asked to help out with it. It's always fun to get snail mail)

Te amo,
Elder Fowler

This week's scripture to "Ponderize" is:
Doctrine & Covenants 59:5

Wherefore, I give unto them a commandment, saying thus: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him.

These picture are some I forgot to send earlier.  This is at the
house we Skyped from.  We played a game where you have
to try and open up a gift with oven mitts.  It was actually hard.

Our Zone Gift Exchange party.  I ended up with a scarf and a beanie.

These are the awesome Star Wars pajamas that
Elder Johnson's mom made me for Christmas!

#80: Monday, January 9, 2017

(Not much to report this week, other than the scripture)

Scripture to "Ponderize"

2 Peter, 3:9

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

#79: Week of Changes (Transfers)

Hey!  I'm finally able to talk to you guys!  Feels like forever, but that's alright! Well, as far as the changes for me....I'm still a zone leader in Centro!  But, I have a new companion because Elder Sanchez was made an AP (Assistant to the President).  His name is Elder Rojas; he's from Panama and has been out about 15 months!!  He has a different accent so I'm gonna have to learn to understand him better!haha  Today we had Leadership Council with President Montoya!  It was really good, and I think later this week, I'm gonna have to train my missionaries in my zone on it!  Wish me luck! :P  As a zone, we had 6 baptisms in the month of December.  That was the second highest for the mission.

(I had asked him if he had to pay to use the computer at the internet cafe)

When I write you guys each week, I pay like 20 pesos, which is like a dollar for an hour and a half.

I love the pictures I'm sending you with President and Sister Montoya! :)  I really love them!! Like my belt and shoes?  The other kid is just 15 years old.  His name is Diego and reminds me so much of Brecken because he has Brecken's type of hair cut.  I had the opportunity to interview him to be baptized, and so I got to know him really well!  Love the kid!  And, here is the picture I showed you during our Skype time with Elder Fardos. I think it will make you happy mom :)

(Elder Fardos mom and I have met through a missionary FB page for our son's mission and hoped that they would one day get to meet since us mom's like each other so much.  I told Preston if he ever gets to meet him, to be sure and take a picture and that I'm sure he won't think it's weird because I'm pretty sure his mom had told him about Preston too. So, I'm so happy that he followed through and took a picture together.  Makes a missionary momma's heart happy)

Love your missionary,
Elder Fowler

This week's scripture to "Ponderize" is:
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Elder Fowler with President and Sister Montoya
(His mission president)

(He's been wanting to get a picture with them for
a while now.)

Diego who I interviewed for baptism

Look Mom, It's Elder Fardos!!

# 78: Christmas Skype

(I'm just now able to update Elder Fowler's blog.  We had a great time seeing him and hearing his voice by Skyping with him on Christmas Day.  He's doing really well.  In fact, he said he wasn't really wanting to Skype because he wants to stay focused on what he is doing there as a missionary and doesn't want anything to distract from that. Which kinda hurts as a mom to hear, but if I take myself out of the equation, then I see where he is coming from.  I wouldn't want him to be anywhere else right now and I admire him for what he is doing.  I know he is a good missionary and I am so grateful that he wants these two years to be the best he can make of them.)

(His e-mail that was sent on December 26, 2016)

Sooooooo today we had a zone activity where we did a gift exchange.  Then afterwards, we went and played paintball.  It was fun but because we finished really late, we don't have time to write today..... but all is well and I will send pics and all that jazz next week.  But I really enjoyed seeing you guys yesterday!!!  It was fun!!!  Also, I am very sorry if I offended you that I wasn't looking forward to skyping you.  I do love you! and I love what I'm doing here.  I just want to be the best missionary that I can be and don't want anything to get in the way!  I hope you know that I do love you so much momma!!!!

Hope you all have a happy new year!

Your missionary,

Elder Fowler

This week's scripture to "Ponderize":

3 Nephi 18:24

Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do. Behold ye see that I have prayed unto the Father, and ye all have witnessed.

 (Thank you Brenda Johnson (Elder Johnson's mom) for sending me the pictures from their paintball activity)

Merry Christmas 2016

(His companion, Elder Sanchez was super nervous to be
in front of the screen to talk to us.  He doesn't know much English)

(Paintball activity with the zone)

(December 26, 2016)

#77: Solo

How's things going?!
I was super busy all day and finally have time to write!  We were practicing our songs for our dinner that we will be having on Thursday with President and Sister Montoya!  It's gonna be great!  We are singing "Holy Night" in Spanish, then "The Drummer Boy" in English.  I even have a SOLO! Yikes!!!! It's in "The Little Drummer Boy" where it says, "Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum; The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum."  We all sound really good!!  We will get it recorded for sure!  My companion (Elder Sanchez) speaks English  poquito-A little bit!  I'm teaching him Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!

I'm attaching a picture of Mauricio.  He's going to be baptized on Thursday after our dinner with President!

Truth is, we aren't even sure where we will eat yet for Christmas, so we need to figure that out.  We have church at 11:00a, which is 10:00am your time.  So we will talk with all the members and see what's up with that.  It'll all be good!  No worries!

I love ya!
Elder Fowler
P.S.   I got a sweet nativity!! :)

This week's scripture to "Ponderize" is:
Proverbs 29:25

 25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

Elder Sanchez and Elder Fowler just being weird.

Hermano Mauricio-He will be baptized on December 22, 2016

Mauricio and Elder Fowler

Riding bikes for the first time in the mission!
With Elder Hernandez in Billa Juarez!

Elder Fowler and Elder Sanchez received their packages
and are waiting patiently for Christmas before opening them.

(It has to be hard to wait until Christmas day)