Transfers

September 29, 2014

Well it has been another 6 weeks in Plano meaning that the transfer ended and calls were made. We got a call Sunday night letting me know that I'm going to be transferred to Frisco and will be serving in the 4th ward and YSA as a Zone leader there. I'm really excited to be able to serve there once again! It's going to be great! I'm going to miss Plano though! It's been fantastic! I have loved the members here and the missionaries and investigators! I'll be close enough to come back for N.'s baptism when that comes up!

We had a Miracle find these past weeks! M. and M.  M. is a member of the church who joined 2 years ago in Washington DC. It's M.'s cousin that invited us in and we are now teaching them. They are from Africa and just starting a life here in the US. They came to church and it was wonderful to have them there and here M. singing! We had to find them a ride but the Lord provided for that!

We had a lot of meetings this week with our mission president and it was great to see previous companions and be able to learn more about how we can better work in our areas. I just love being a missionary! It's the best ever! I have been so blessed from being here and teaching others of the gospel. My understanding of the gospel has deepened and my love and testimony of the Savior and His church have grown as well! 

A Great Day at Church

September 22, 2014

This past week was great! Best and Greatest news of the week is that N. came to church! He loved it! He came with his quad, in his suit coat and suit vest and Khaki's. He looked really sharp. We had multiple people say after church were y'all in a tri companion ship today? or was that an investigator? He loved how friendly people were at church. He said that he met more people coming to our church than he ever has at any other church he has been to. That's a great compliment to the Plano 9th ward members! We have one of the best wards. People are always introducing themselves to our investigators! Makes a world of a difference! 

I am amazed with how involved he is in everything! It's great to be able to teach him. We met with him on Saturday and we talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We answered some questions he had about it. I think he just wanted to make sure he fully understood the principle of repentance because so many people think of it as only asking for forgiveness. He asked if we repented right on the spot or only on a set day or when we pray. We told him about how it's a process. We start right at the moment when we do something wrong by recognizing that we did wrong and then we  stop doing wrong, make restitution, ask for forgivness  and forsake it. He told us that when he grew up in the Jewish beliefs they only repented once a year. He said that he now repents everyday. And that he liked that we need to forsake our sins. I'm excited to meet with him again this upcoming Saturday!

We went on exchanges with our distict leader of the Plano East district. It just so happened to be Elder Koenen! (Former companion in Lufkin). It was great to be able to serve with him in the same area for a day again. It's great that such a great friend of mine keeps serving in close by areas! We had a great day catching up on everything and talking about missionary work! We even taught a lesson. It was a nice lady named D. and her friend, L. who have done geneology work at the library in Salt Lake City with the church. They have both caught the spirit of Elijah as they have found their kindred dead and learned of them. One of them is a convert from Christianity to Judahism and her friend is a good Christian. We are going to be going back this week to talk more about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith because L. doesn't know how they fit into everything. We are looking forward to it!

We also saw H. this week. We read with him again and his friend Bro.  H. commended us on how much we have helped him out. So he is making slow progress but he is moving along.

We will be meeting with T. this week and hopefully they will all be able to come to church again. 

Those were the greatest highlights for us this week. 

I feel extremely blessed to be able to serve with Elder Briggs who is always fun to be around and to be able to touch the lives of so many others here as they touch mine! I hope y'all have a great week!

I love y'all!

Your missionary,

Elder Drew Bowen

Another Fantastic Week in Plano!

September 15, 2014

This past week has been great! We went on exchanges with the Plano first ward on Tuesday. I worked with Elder Evans in his area. We did service during the afternoon. It had come up the day before. We had dinner with one of their investigator families. H. and C. and we shared a Family Proclamation to the World with them. They loved it and hung up the framed copy Elder Evans gave them before we left. They fed us Indian food and my mouth was on fire! It was good but spicy.

Elder Briggs and Elder Evans both were a little sick durring the week but still worked hard - to the best of their abilities. They are over the worst part of a sore throats and feeling awful. I'm probably going to be next but hopefully not!

On Wednesday, Elder Briggs and I visited H. We read in the Book of Mormon with him in 1 Nephi chapters 10-11. He asked really good questions and loves reading in it. We invited him to stake conference but he didn't come.

We taught T. and her daughters the restoration! It went great! They all commited to read from the Book of Mormon as a family! They didn't make it to stake conference this week. They all enjoyed church when they did come. They will probably be at church this up coming Sunday.

We also meet with N. and scheduled a baptismal date for the 11th of October! He is really prepared for the gospel! It's incredible! He loves the Book of Mormon and shared his written testimony with us. We taught him the Gospel of Jesus Christ and he understood all of it. Some truly are kept from the truth only because they know not where to find it.

The Lord's work is moving forward in the 9th ward and it is a blessing to be able to be a part of it!

Love y'all and hope y'all have a great week!

Love ya!

Elder Drew Bowen

A Miracle Find in Plano!

September 8, 2014

This week was great! This week we found a miracle! We were knocking doors in an apartment complex and a 16 year old boy came walking down the hall way with scriptures in his hand. He asked if we were missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He said he moved to the complex just recently and had been meeting with the Plano 4th ward elders. (They were trying to schedule a time for us to have a hand off lesson and introduce us to each other) We then asked "Are you N.?" and he said yes and we introduced ourselves. He said, "I just finished the book of 2 Nephi and I'm going to start the next one." He said that he is working towards baptism and would like to meet with us on Saturday and come to church! He told us that he was praying that he would be able to get in contact with the missionaries again and then he saw us walking through his apartment complex! So we are going to be teaching him! And most likely we will set a baptismal date in our next lesson!

We went on exchange with the 4th ward elders. I worked with Elder Myers in the 4th ward. It was a good exchange! I was really hoping we would be able to find a new investigator in their area and the Lord saw fit to bless us with someone to teach. Tuesday evening we went to an apartment complex and began going door to door. A man answered and invited us in. He and a friend of his were reading in the bible and we had a great first lesson! I hope and pray that he will keep his return appointment.

T. and her daughters came to the last 2 hours of church on Sunday! They really enjoyed being there. We were unable to meet with their family last week but we will be meeting with them sometime this week! 

Also Bishop H. held a pot luck and asked us to invite our investigator H. to come. He really enjoyed being able to be there and many members of the ward reached out and introduced themselves and got to know him better. It sounded like H. was really enjoying it! We will be meeting with H. again this week and are excited to be able to teach him more. 

We also meet with J. again! He is really funny. And always making jokes but he is understanding what we teach and we finished the Plan of Salvation! 

The Lord keeps His work moving on. It will continue to go forward and bless the lives of all of His children!

I love y'all! Have a great week!

Love your missionary,

Elder Drew Bowen

Here are some pictures from our temple trip a couple of weeks ago.

The Work Goes On!

September 1, 2014

This past week the work has continued to move forward. We met with T. on short notice. Thankfully the B. family has an open schedule to help us out. We had a great lesson with her about keeping the Sabbath day holy. The B.'s help was tremendous as they made it so that it was possible for us to be there and their testimonies invited the spirit into her little apartment. She, as most do, had a general understanding of things that are and are not appropiate for Sunday. We helped her understand it in full though and invited her to live it. We also talked about her 4 girls taking part in the lessons also. She said that she would like them to be here for it and we are going to be teaching her whole family on Tuesday! 

We helped H. out this week and read with him in the Book of Mormon! We picked up some furniture with him and laid some decorative rocks around his drive way. I love helping him out! Service is such a good thing! It always lifts one's heart and makes one feel as though they have done good in the world for others. As we read in the Book of Mormon peace came into his home. Unfortunatly he wasn't able to be at church because he had spinkler problems. 

Elder Briggs and I are still looking for those that are ready and are trying to find them. This past week we didn't see to much fruit come from our efforts yet but we will this next week! Although we did find a potental investigator! :) 

We had mission leadership council with President Taylor! I love that meeting! We always have the best discussions there! We also went on exchanges with the assistants! I love our assistants to the President! They are the best missionaries around!  

I hope y'all have a great week and a happy labor day! 

Love y'all!

Love your missionary,

Elder Drew Bowen   

Week 1 with Elder Briggs

August 25, 2014

This past week has been great! 

On Tuesday we taught H. and then went over to East Plano to give a baptism interview to an investigator in the 7th ward. It was a fantastic interview! I love being able to take part in baptism interviews. I didn't realize how spiritual and uplifting they are. In the interview I asked A. (the investigator) what his story was of finding the church. He spoke of the misisonaries knocking on his door and always ignoring it until the time when he had broken his leg. It was a hard time for him because he lost friends and his life started to slide down hill. He talked about the sister missionaries he met when he opened the door that day and how they gave him a card with the Elder's phone number on it. They told him to call them. He remembered when he lived in Mexico as a kid finding a Book of Mormon but not being able to read it and wanting to know what was in it.  He called them that Sunday when they were in church and asked for them to come by and left his number and info. They got in contact with him, he read the Book of Mormon and overcame addictions he had. The motivation to overcome past addictions were simple and yet powerful. 1. To be happy 2. To be able to give his future wife and children what he didn't have. The gospel does just that! It makes us happy and blesses our families. What we do effects everyone around us especially our families! 

We attended A.'s baptism on Saturday! It was wonderful to be able to see him make covenants with the Lord and be baptized for the remission of sins. 

We met with J. this week. We had dinner and taught the Plan of Salvation. It was great! He has a weird work schedule so he will come to church in 3 or 4 weeks when he gets moved to a new schedule. 

We taught T. this week! We taught her about how studying the scriptures is a commandment along with prayer. We invited her to have nightly family prayer and scripture study. She didn't make it to church due to getting her 4 girls ready for school on Monday.

Elder Briggs is great! He is fun and has a great personality. I feel like we have really similar personalities. We get along great! 

I love y'all and hope y'all have a great week!

Love your missionary,

Elder Drew Bowen

A. & Elder Fackrell

Elders Briggs & Bowen!

Crazy Week

August 18, 2014

Well this has been a crazy week but a good one.

We went to the temple last week so our prep. day is shortened and I have no time. But we have transfer news. Elder Reid is getting transfered to South Dallas and I'm staying. My new comp is going to be Elder Briggs. I'v never meet him before, but I'm excited! 

Love y'all!