Cambios!!!

HHEYY! So we had cambios!! And guess what!! FOR THE FIRST TIME I`M NOT GETTING A NEW COMPANION HAHAH!! That`s so crazy. Every single six weeks from the time I first got into the mission I have had a different companion. For the very first time I am staying where I`m at and my companion too! Actually, we`re all staying together! The four of us in the house, Hermana Silva, Hermnana Norton, Hermana Asis and me, and the two elders who are also in the ward with us, Elder King from Utah and Elder Zuñiga from Chile. IM SO HAPPY TO STILL BE IN SAN PEDRO. It`s funny how at the beginning of the mission, at least for me, I was very much wanting to get transfered to a new area, a new companion every single cambio. But the more time I had in the mission, the more and more I started to love the people and want to stay where I`m at, to keep loving them and helping them and building the deep relationships we have together. The two cambios in a row that I had where I got transfered twice in a row were really hard for me because I realized that, yes, while the cambios are always inspired and revelation from the lord, I also realized that it is HARD to leave a sector! You start to love the people so much, and I have really started to put in active practice the idea of just loving with all your heart the chilenos. They are NOT perfect, but I would say that I am even less perfect and have learned so many important life lessons from the memebers, the investigators, the contacts and the missionarys from this beautiful country that I`m serving. I love San Pedro and although it`s not an "easy" sector, it is definatly not "fome". It is amazing and I love the people here, and everytime I meet someone new it`s another incredible opportunity to have a lifelong friend. Every contact has the potential to become a baptism and a temple sealing and another one for the reino celestial.

On Wednesday I was in an intercambio with Hermana Hopkins!! I lived with her in Mexico while I was in the MTC!!! She`s still so awesome and is a great hard working missionary. The mission keeps getting better and I`m glad to keep moving forward. I got the picture mom and dad sent me. Everybody laughed their heads off when they saw our demon cat.

I hope you all have a great week and are able to keep lighting the world with the small christ-like things you do. Something I studied this week was the love of God, and I loved elder Christoffersons talk from October, about how Gods love IS ALWAYS waiting for us. But we need to be the people worthy to recieve that love. Lets see if I can explain it wel....

God loves the person that everyone of us is capable of becoming, and every time we make a correct choice, and do something good, no matter how small it might be, God is SO happy for us, and is cheering us on at every step. Sin is such a bad thing because it literally keeps us from recieving blessings and heavenly help. The only person who can discualify you for a blessing from God is yourself. Go read elder christoffersons talk, and do all the cross referencing that real study needs. Go look up the scriptures he uses and study. Reflect on how you can better qualify yourself for the love that God has for you already. How could we ever pay him back for the love he has for us. I don`t think it`s possible. Love you and have a great life. Peace out.


Sister Ashlee Bowling
♥ from Chile!

Here is the picture referenced in the letter. Her mission pres. asked for the family to print this sign and send a picture holding it for an activity the mission was preparing. This picture with Ashlee's cat Bucky was hilarious so we had to send it!