MERRY CHRISTMASS

It was awesome to be able to skype with you guys. I love you all. Have a happy new year!! We`ll be in the mission presidents house for new years eve so I`ll be sure to take a lot of pictures. And here are some of the anticipated photos I haven`t sent in FOREVER. Actually just kidding I think there`s something wrong with my camera. Uhh... We`ll see what happens.

This week we sang a ton of Christmas carols, I rolled my ankle but it was literally miraculously healed the next day, and I ate so much that I never want to eat again. I gave away some of the berts bees stuff to the hermanas in the house and have already almost eaten the whole package of cadburry eggs.

I love you all so much! Especially you guys mom and dad!

Sister Ashlee Bowling

♥ from Chile!

Punch satan in the face

We´ve had quite a number of mini miracles happen to us. One being that we have found una familia de ORO!! They´re from Peru and they have been reading the pamphlets we´ve left with them and understanding to the point where the husband, looking straight at us without the pamphlet for a reference told us the steps of prayer. We, after sharing the restorationwhich is the first lesson we generally share with people we´re beinging to teach, invited him to pray and know if what we had taught is true. AND HE DID IT!! I love the Chilenos, don´t get me wrong, but every single time we invite them to pray they put up a fight and say "nooo, mejor que no. Ustedes lo hacen mejor." -_- But this guy was so humble and he just kneeled down and opened up his heart to the lord and asked for the well being of his family who aren´t so well off right now (trying to get on your feet in a new country seems like an arduous process), and it was just an awesome prayer. At the end he looked at us and said, "That was my first kneeling prayer. And my first without reciting (that one prayer that catolics always say)." We asked how he felt and he said the spirit was so strong and so special and different. We´ve got it tentativly planned for them to be baptzied in January. They really are so amazing, and so we´ve started putting all our effort into studying and helping them understand why what we share is important.


Last week while knocking on doors we ran into a little old lady who was sitting outside. We started chatting and asked if we could sing a christmas carol with her, so she let us in and had us sit down on her couch. After a few songs we starting getting to know her, and it turns out this woman is loca. She starts telling us about all of the crazy experiences she´s had with seeing devils and weird lights and just all kinds of crap. So we get out of that house looking at each other like "What the heck." We went again and tried to teach her a little big of the restoration, and the same thing happened where she talked so much about random horrible experiences she´s had. Finally at the end, we were both like, theres got to be something we can do here. We´re not going to give up so easily. So we asked her, Ema, do you want to feel peace in your life and in your home? Do you want these things to stop happening to you? She answered yes, and we promised her that if she prayed correctly, and came to chruch on sunday that these experiences would stop. And guess what. SHE CAME TO CHRUCH! She was sick but she still came because she knew what we taught was true. And she had an awesome experience. Afterwords she told my companion that the things she learned in chruch were better than in any other, that they were things you can actually apply toyour life and live and not just think "oh. that´s nice." We´re going to go visit her this week and see how she feels and if she can tell a difference in her life. We´re also planning on her being baptized in January.
 So we´re going good in the work of the lord. I love you all so much!! I´ve never had such a trial of faith in my life as I have had in the mission, and now through all the trials, and even more, because of them, I am able to say that I KNOW God exists. I KNOW he loves me. He loves you. He had restored his gospel to lead and guide us, and that there is a promise that those who abide by the precepts and laws of the gospel will know for themselves is true and that I speak not for myself. I love the opportunity to teach this wonderful truth to the world.

Also I´ve learned a couple of spanish saying. For example Tengo Ángel (I have angel) {I´m charming}. Peinar la muñeca (brush the doll) {they´re going crazy}.

Que tengan una buena semana llena de milagros y tiernas misericordias. Les amooo!!!


Sister Ashlee Bowling
♥ from Chile!

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!

Merp Herp Derp

One miracle I`d love to tell ya about real quick. Yesterday my companion and I were walking (and we had been a little mad over something small, I don`t remember what, but we weren`t talking. Stupid, I know) when we passed by the gate of a little old man who was working in his lawn. We both, independently of each other, felt impressed to talk to him. We offered to help him mow his lawn, and he accepted! First miracle, somebody let us help them!! So I started mowing his lawn with one of those REALLY heavy ancient metal lawn mowers that doesn`t have a moter, and hermana Silva was chatting with the guy, getting to know him and telling him who we are. We finished doing all the trimming and everything, and it was then time to go, becuase we had a meeting in the church. We asked if we could say a prayer, and he, seemingly suprised that we wanted to pray with him, kept saying "right here? Now?" We explained prayer, hermana Silva said it, and then when we finished we looked at him, who stayed silent for a minute until he said "Now, I`ve been catolic my whole life, and I´ve always said (that repeated prayer that catholics say) every night, and I´ve never felt anything like this before. I don`t know if it`s just becuase it`s cold out, or if I`m shaking, but I`ve just never ever felt anything like this." What a privilage to be an emassary of the lord for a lonely son of Heavenly Father who is in such desperate need of help and love. He afterward told us all about his schedule so that we could visit him when he was sure to be there. He lives alone except for his grandson, who studies and has a girlfriend and is never home. He has children who live near but never come to visit him. It really was a cool experience for me, and my companion and I both left with tears in our eyes, blurting out apologies to each other for being so stupid hahaha.  We had an awesome week of miracles and have been able to find some more people searching for Gods love.

We also had a really good lesson with Manuel. He came to church again! We were talking about the second coming of Christ for the gospel principals class when he asked some really profound questions. There was a member in the class who has been an institute teacher for years and years that day (Capo) who taught ME something new. One of the differences between the Mormon church and the catholics, or with any other religion, is that we are preparing people not only for the milenium, which is the mission of other churches, but for the life that will come after, the Celestial Glory. The focus and teachings of other churches will get there people to the milenium, but they wont be prepared to make and keep temple covenants that will take them to the highest glory. The teacher and this member explained priesthood authority and how the real priesthood has been restored and that, straight up, the catholic church has no priesthood, and Manuel took it super well! He said it made sense, and is enthusiasticly looking to learn more. He`s reading the book of Mormon and is easily understanding every teaching we`ve brought to him so far. He even invited his son to church Saturday night, but then the son left to a carrete and stayed there til 6 in the morning haha, so that didn`t come to pass. But really, some days the mission just beats you up and some days it makes you float.

This week the father of a part member family passed away, and the funeral was held in the church building. Chilenos do viewings a little bit differently: Instead of a scheduled time, the church was open for two days so that people could come by when they had time. The viewing was ended by the official funeral, which took place on thanksgiving (which is not a holiday down here, btw.) Our bishop asked us if we could sing in the funeral, but the problem was that it would start at 2:30, and our lunch started at 1:40 and was about a 15 minute drive from the church. We called the member to tell her we probably weren`t going to have time, but she, hahah being chilena I guess was like "NO! How could I let you go without lunch! We`ll make time!" So we were all just like, uhh, okay, lets just pray it works out. We also felt kind of bad because we had called her earlier in the week to ask if she could make a cool thanksgiving lunch for us two gringas who are here haha, so we were obligated to go and eat the freaking thing. So she comes by, picks us up, we head up and help her get the table set, eat the ENTIRE almuerzo (soup, casserol, salad, crambrule, mashed potatos, HUGE helpings of everything) in about 15 minutes, then scramble back into the car to head to the church. The member lives on top of a gigantic hill that has steep twisty roads, and by the time we all got to the church we were ready to hurl. The musical number turned out okay but afterwards we all headed home to recuperate from gigantic stomach aches and headaches. It was definatly the worst thanksgiving I`ve ever had haha.

I LOVE the campaign that the church is doing this year for Christmas. Twentyfive days of service, each with a different challenge and opportunity to be the light on the hill that members of the church are to the rest of the world. Please go watch the video and then print out the calendar and start finding ways to serve your fellow man. I know this church is true. Everyday I know it more. I know just how aware of us Heavenly Father is and how much he`s cheering us on. He loves all of you and wants you to succeed. Trust him.

https://www.mormon.org/christmas/light-the-world?play=hero


Sister Ashlee Bowling
♥ from Chile!

This week has been really good. Me and Hermana Silva are starting to get closer beyond the superficial, and I´m realizing that she really has absolutly no self confidence. It makes me really sad to hear some of the things she says about herself, and it also is helping me realize how being confident is such an important and attractive quality in a person. So i´m also learning how to be a self esteem booster, which is an interesting and fulfilling job. Hermana Silva is an amazing, driven, and spiritual missionary, and the only thing she really needs right now is to realize it. I´ve also noticed how much a person can hold themselves back just through their thoughts. Its been a really neat experience for me to notice these things and apply them to myself. How can I change my thoughts so that my work is more effective? What am I thinking about myself or about others that´s holding me back from my true potential. If we think other people don´t value us, we behave like it, which causes other people to reaction in such a way that makes us think our initial self evaluation, they don´t value us, is correct! When in the reality, our thoughts are what caused the whole process in the first place! It´s been an eye opener for me, and has helped me apply myself better to the work.

Last week we had a few mini miracles. Well, duh, every day in the mission has a bucketfull of miracles but sometimes we`re too porfiada to see them. But a kid who we contacted in the park last week called us and said "uhh, hey, could we meet in the park again?" One day he was visiting a friend in Concepcion and the missionarys showed up and started teaching them haha, so he said he`d like to meet with us. It was funny, other missionarys had a baptism that day, and so when Javier showed up and asked "where do we go now" we were like, "uhh, to the church!!" And he really liked it! The spirit was super strong, and we had to leave early, but Javier said he wanted to stay to hear the other talks! So we`re hoping to keep in contact with him and see how he progresses.

Happy turkeyday yall! Today was our zone activity and we had turkey sandwiches!!!! WHA?? So that was bakan. Made me trunky, but all is well in Concep-zion. I´ve started to LOVE studying and using my time better, and I´m starting to feel like a real missionary who like knows the scriptures and stuff. The mission keeps getting better. BOWLING OUT!

Sister Dru Bowling
♥ from Chile!

Miracles!

A quick rundown of the happenings here with Hermana Silva!

Last week while we were walking down the street, a giant guy in a dirty teeshirt was on the patch walking towards us, and before we could open our mouths to talk to him he introduced himself to us as a member of the church. He`s from Antofagasta, which is like twenty hours from here in bus, and he had just gotten out of jail the night before. He only had enough money to pay for the bus that was going to take him home and was asking if we could find somebody to give him something to eat. We told him we`d meet him over in a park close by in thirty minutes and that he should wait there. So as we walked away, we were thinking, gosh, who can we ask to donate food? I still am new to the sector, and the members aren`t super understanding, neither the bishop, and so in the end we were like, well, why don`t we just go to the supermarket and buy him something with our own money? So we did just that. And when we came back, there he was sure enough waiting for us. So we sat down with him while he carefully opened the styrafome packaging and started to tell us all about his life, until he even told us that while he was in jail the night before, he found out his mother had died. He began to weep, and Hermana Silva and I couldn`t help but start crying too. We read in the book of Mormon with him and testified of the atonement, that saves all of us from phisical and spiritual death. He recognized he had done some pretty terrible things in his life and was feeling a lot of remorse. It was a really special experience to be able to testify of the atonement like that to someone who was so lost and in need of support. He took the book of mormon to read on the bus and we took off.

gosh I`m out of time again haha, but we`ve been having amazing miracles and opportunities to share the gospel happen to us every single day like this. It was a testimony strengthening moment for sure.

I want to ask all of you guys for a few ideas, you returned missionarys and everybody. What were some different things you did to encounter more people to teach, apart from talking to everybody, knocking on doors and doing english classes and asking for references. What were some of the things you did differently to contact better or just find more people to teach?

I also need some ideas for activities that we could do. The ward does hardly anything and hermana Silva is super energetic about doing activities of every kind. What`s some cool activies your wards have done in the past that you liked a lot?

One more question! You missionarys, returned or other wise. What are some object lessons or verbal examples that you gave to teach, just in general. Like, for example, whenever we teach about prophets and authority, we explain how it´s like borrowing car keys and making copys of them, with permission. Just little verbal examples to teach. I love hearing about the different parables people use to explain doctrine simpler.

Have a great week all of you! Keep being member missionarys. Remember what an example and impact you have in the lives of people who aren`t Mormon. You can easily change the course of somebodys life when you share even a small part of what you know to be true. Love all of you and wish you the best!

Sister Ashlee Bowling
♥ from Chile!

♥ de Chile

¡Buenos días a todos! 

On Wednesday, Hermana Galiza and I went to a sisters conference, where Hermana May, the mission presidents wife came, and then she took us in her car to their home where we had dinner with her and president. After, we headed off to the airport, where we got just in time for Hermana Galiza to catch her flight. She was going from Concepcion to Santiago, then Santiago to Sao Paulo(?) Brazil, then to Qatar(?!!!?!!?!!), and then to the capital of the Philippines where she would take a smaller flight to her home on the northern most island. We all cried a bit, but then President May shared a cool experience about when he was praying to know where each missionary should go. He was forced to do it in the car while driving to pick up a group of newbies because of a lack of time. Without even remembering that Hermana Asis, who is also from the Philippines, was going to live in the house with us, he placed me and Hermana Galiza together. After choosing he felt an incredibly powerful force tell him "you did it right". Hermana Galiza having Hermana Asis here with her made such the difference. I know from personal experience haha. It`s hard to not be able to express yourself. Being able to talk in Tagolag was a big help. So that was cool to know. Our mission and everything that happens inside of it is being guided by a heavenly being. 

And now, A few AWESOME bits of news:

We had cambios, and I`m staying in San Pedro!! My companion is going to be...... HERMANA SILVA!!!! I lived in the same house as her while I was in Victoria in July! She`s from the capital of Brazil, which I think is Brasilia or something like that. She is a beautiful soul and we are going to be on fire! She comes here tomorrow and right away we`re going to go visit some of our progressing people. 

I`ve been in a trio with Herman Norton and Hermana Asis since Wednesday, and we`ve been getting along really well. It`s fun to be contacting out and about with them, and teaching is haha interesting trying to balance out the spiritual impressions that three people get at the same time. I`ve realized that I like to talk a lot. When Hermana and President May drove me back home to meet up with them, the feeling and prospect, that we were going to go out and WORK! Actually work! Overwhelmed me with feelings of gratutude, and I ended up crying on and off all day. After a lesson, after a contact, I`d just bust into tears again. I felt the spirit was so strong throughout the whole day. What a blessing to be a missionary, and to love what I do. 

We have an awesome week planned! We`re going to have a family home evening today with our neighbor and his family who are great friends with some members who live in the same building as us. So wish me luck that it all goes well! We`re going to teach about the Family, A Proclamation to the World. 

We also, while walking in Walmart looking for ingredients to make brownies for a baptism the elders had, ran into a guy from Washington state with his 7 year old son! They moved to Chile about 8 months ago and don`t have plans to ever return. Ronald Craig Clayton felt the country was moving away from traditional family values that he holds dear and decided to move to Chile after seeing how important the family is to the culture. His wife will be joining him in January. He lived with an adopted Mormon family growing up and knows a ton about the church! He`s suppper friendly and I think a little starved for English conversation, and his son is smarter than I am. Ron is a bee keeper and his wife is a heart surgeon, and Sam is there only son, and so he just grew up around incredibly inteligent people, and so he`s got the vocabulary of a scientist, which is super cute! Sam actually came up to us in the store and timidly asked "¿Ha-hablan Ingles?" To which we replied yes! His face lights up in a huge smile and shouts "OH! Hi!! My name`s Sam!!!" They`re super cool and we`re going to go stop by to get to know them better during the week. 

So that`s the news thus far! Hope you all have a great week! Can`t wait to hear about the temple

dedication! Love you!

Sister Ashlee Bowling

♥ from Chile!

La Vida Eterna ♥

So I have some... interesting news. My companion, Hermana Galiza for a number of various reasons, is going to go home on Wednesday. It´s been something I knew would happen for a long time, and we haven´t been able to work very much in our sector because of it. So that´s been pretty hard. But this whole cambio has been such a testament to me that we were meant to be here.

Our first day in San Pedro five weeks ago, we did a fast, and again and again through out the day I was filled with the spirit saying over and over that we were there because it´s where God needs us and wants us to be. And as the cambio has gone by, I have repeatedly recieved the same confirmation.

Something really cool that happened this week was something called an Intercambio, where one of our Sister training leaders came into our sector to work with me and Hermana Galiza went to the sector of the other stl. I was with hermana Ollerton from Utah, and it was honestly just the best day I´ve had thus far in the mission. I re-remembered so many things that I had been neglecting just because of the situation that´s been going on with my comp. And I realized that although I was liking the mission, I wasn´t joyful, like in Elder Nelsons talk. I realized that my testimony here in the mission has really been struggling. Doubts I´ve never had before began to be a common thinking pattern, and I realized that I didn´t really know if the church was true or not. And I realized I´ve felt this way since I started 9 months ago. And so I started asking, and I began to read "our search for happiness" by Elder Packer.

And now looking back on this cambio, I can say that my testimony has grown so much. To be able to put a finger on the doubts I had helped me to overcome them and begin to experience an actual joy that a person can recieve ONLY though knowledge of the Gospel. More than anything I realized how incredible it is to know that we existed before this life. God offered us an opportunity to come to this earth to learn and progress, and that if we support it well, we will receive a glory unimaginable.

I realized the importance of an eternal perspective. The things we do in this life matters, but the suffering we go through isn´t without a purpose. People look at the world and the horrible things that happen and shake their fist at God, saying "if he really existed these things wouldn´t exist. But we need to realize that before this life we literally "shouted for joy" at the prospect of living here, because of the marvelous and perfect plan to live with God again and be like him. We trusted that Christ could save us, and help us learn.

The book "our search for happiness" gives this example: Imagine a rope that streaches out into the cosmos on both sides, forever. And then take a thread and wrap it around the middle. The thread represents our time on the earth, with the rope before the thread representing our lives before Earth and the rope after the thread representing the infinity of our Eternal Life with God. The things we do in this life matter so much, but the suffering we and others experience is but for a small moment.

This wasn´t a new thing that I learned, but to be able to remember, and realign my perspective has changed my attitude about the mission. I love so much and am so greatful for the opportunity to be a missionary. I know the Plan of Salvation is made possible by the Atonement of Christ. I love you all so much. Please keep Hermana Maria Emaliee Galiza in your prayers =) Have a great week!

Sister Ashlee Bowling
♥ from Chile!

Amazing news!

Another quick email, but I have some amazing news! I´m not sure if I ever wrote about the people we found in Temuco, but two of the people I found and taught, Camila y Pía were baptized the Saturday of general conference! There is honestly no greater joy than hearing something like that. It was awesome, and Matias is also preparing for his baptism, which either already happened, or will be for this Saturday, depending.

We here in San Pedro are doing really good. I had an absolutly incredible experience yesterday, while reading a conference talk from November 2014. So far this transfer has been pretty difficult honestly. I never thought training would be easy, but this has kind of exceeded some of my expectations. I´ve been feeling a bit lost as far as what to do to help my companion, and a phrase from Quineten L Cook´s talk jumpd out at me, which said something along the lines of "don´t let justifications for your actions get in the way of righteous decision making, especially when serving Jesus Christ." I realized that we don´t need to be lost in our lives. We have an unfailing map at our disposal, obediance. When we don´t know what to do, we can look at the choices we have to make and say, which one will lead me closer to Christ? Which action will serve him more? The answer will become clear when made with Christ in mind. Thank you all so much for your prayers and love. Have an awesome week!

Sister Ashlee Bowling
♥ from Chile!

I seem to have very bad time management skills

Heyy!! So conference was amazing! We`ve been working with a couple who are just about the coolest people ever! The girlfriend is a member and is living with her boyfriend, Leo, who is our investigator. He`s got a baptismal date for the 15th, and they have been taking huge steps in their lives to better live Gods laws. conference was amazing like always, I loved the Japanese guys talk about trusting the lords plan. It hit me and my companion pretty hard, because Hermana Galiza is experiencing some pretty extreme health problems. She`s amazing though and no matter what happens we know it`s a part of Gods plan. San Pedro is the best zone in the whole mission, but really. I`m loving the mission and we`re working our hardest to bring the world His truth! Have a great week and I love you all! Last Friday I compleated 9 months in the mission! Half way there! Thanks so much for all the love. =)

Sister Ashlee Bowling
♥ from Chile!

Photos

Taken from Hermana Kleinman's Blog

San Pedro de la Pazzzzzz

Quick rundown:

• San Pedro is the biggest sector in the mission.
• WE´re 20 minutes from the ocean
• There are 3 lagoons in our sector.
• I´m living with Hermana Norton who was in my group but not my district in the CCM in Mexico, and her hija who is also from the phillippines, hermana Asis. 
• We share the ward with the elders who work in the office of the mission. They are amaaaaazzzing. 
• We have no investigators, but I love this place so much. 
• I am training Hermana Galiza who is from the northern most island of the phillippines. She is amaaaaaaaazzxing también. 

I am out of time.
Love you guys!

Sister Ashlee Bowling
♥ from Chile!

It's a GIRL!!!

Oh my gosh. What a week. SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED these past 7 days that I don´t even know where to begin. So on Tuesday, I packed up my life into my 2.5 suitcases and got on the bus to San Pedro. The bus ride is about 5 hours long, and when we got there, the Elders in the office gave us a ride with all of our suitcases to the mission home. We ate pizza, and I got a really plesant suprise, 3 of the other missionarys I was with in the CCM are also training! I don`t have the cord to my camera, and so the pictures we took I don`t have, but Elder Gray, Elder Christensen, Hermana Curtis (my ccm companion!) and I were all there to pick up our noobies! AND, drum roll please, my new companion is HERMANA GALIZA FROM THE PHILIPPINES!!!! HAHAHA she is one of 3 sisters from the philippines in the mission right now! Something new I learned, English is the second official language of the Philipines, and so she`s going to know 3 languages!! She`s flipping incredible! She`s from the northern most island, Laoag. I don`t remember where you served Holland, but wasn`t in the more southern part? She is incredible and really wants to work hard. She`s 25, and all of her family are members but she`s the only active member. One thing I want to ask you guys, if you could, to maybe write her an email or two. She writes and understands English and everything, but her family doesn´t write her, so she doesn`t have a ton of emails. maria.galiza@myldsmail.net  If you could write her something about how amazing she is, I`m sure she`d appreciate it. She`s absolutly amazing!

So this week we got to know the sector a little bit. We have practically no investigators, one, because San Pedro is kind of a hard sector (everybody says), and two, because the sisters who were here before we`re only in the sector for two weeks. It`s not opening a sector, compleatly, but it might as well be because we have practically nothing. But to me its exciting! It means we have to find everybody on our own! It means how strong or weak the sector is compleatly relys on how we treat it. So it`s a ton of responsability, but it`s just the kick in the butt I needed to really get down and get to work, or at least want to.....

This weekend was 18th of September, a HUGE holiday in Chile, their independance day. And what do people do on important dates? Leave and/or drink. So we recieved special instructions the 17th, 18th, and 19th of september to NOT WORK!!! It was awful!!!! Hahaha it was so boring and awful to not be able to teach people. I`m really starting to love the mission to the point where if I`m not working, I`m suffering. So while we spent the free time well, getting to know Concepcion and San Pedro and visiting festivals and going to partys, I was internally dying. I can`t wait to be able to start hitting the pavement again. And the sector needs it to. If we want success in this situation we`ve got to get working, now.

The ward threw a huge party on the 16th for the holiday, and I got called into the center of the cultural center where everybody sang me Feliz Cumpliaños, which was cool hahaha. We ate a TON of traditional chilean food and watched the members dance the national dance of Chile, la cueca. It`s SUPER flirtatious, and I felt very emberassed watching. But at the same time it`s really cool. Just about everybody knows how to dance it, and theres all kinds of different forms. Mom and dad, your package arrived exactly on the 16th! Thank you so much for all the goldfish and treats and stuff. I love you guys to bits =)

Being in this uniquely difficult situation, I have already had SO many experiences testify to me that this work is the pure work of the lord. That I was called to be in this situation by the lord, and that I with my companion are going to have an amazing time in this sector, but only if we put all of our heart and pride and will on the alter of sacrifice. I know this church is the restored church of Christ. I know with every fiber of my being that it`s true. That the Book of Mormon was written by ancient prophets with our days in mind. I know Joseph Smith found, translated, and published that book, and that he was CALLED, but did not choose to be the prophet of the restoration. I know that Thomas S Monson has carried that line of authority and calling to our present day. I know that a deep and abiding testimony of these things is the only way we can survive the trials we all are facing. I love all of you and I`m so greatful for your help and support =) Have a great week! Chao!

Sister Ashlee Bowling
♥ from Chile!

I`m getting fat =(

I`m so sorry about last week! We went to a internet cafe super sketchy but it was the only one we could find. We kind of got lost in downtown Temuco last Monday looking for a medical office where I had an appointment, and so part way through the keyboard stopped working. I read all the emails, but I couldn`t reply, so sorry =(

But oh my gosh what a week what a week!! We have been teaching THE COOLEST GUY EVER. I think I`ve already explained a little bit about Matias, but I`ll do a replay super rápido. Matias is 21, is studding to be a doctor, and his mom and grandma are members. Matias grew up going to church but never got baptized, I think because his mom is a little bit of a hippy and thinks that her children should wait to be baptized so they can "take it seriously" (????) But right now Matias is trying to prepare himself to be a member of the church, it`s only that he`s a little scared with the importance of it. He really doesn`t want to be baptized and in a year or two stop coming to church or forget the important covenant he`s made. We`ve been working with him a lot, explaining what role the holy ghost has and how the atonement always helps us become better people, and that we can always start over. He`s a really cool guy.... 

But I also have some... interesting news? I am getting transfered, AGAIN!! I`m leaving my beloved Fundo el Carmen, Temuco, for San Pedro, the largest city in our mission! The mission office is there, the assistants to the presidente will be in my ward, and what`s more, I am going to be training!!!! AGAIN!!! And so it`s another white wash, which basically means I`m not going to know anything about my new sector, and neither will my companion, obviously, because she`s just starting the mission. I don`t know who she is but I`ll be sure to send lots of pictures and info in the next email. Wish my luck. I need all the prayers you can possibly send me haha. 

Hermana Lopez está super bien. Ella es tan maquina y ella va quedarse aquí en Temuco con Hermana Naranjo de Ecuador. Fue un gusto para estar con ella pero yo sé que va estar muy bien en Fundo. En serio, Fundo es un sector de puro milagros cada día. Nunca voy olvidar mi primer hija ♥ 

Mom and dad, I got your letter that you sent to Hermana Kleinman and Hermana Ricagno. It was so CUTE!! Hahaha I started crying out of nowhere before I even read it. I don`t know why, but I`ve been missing home a lot this past cambio. I was fine when I started the mission, but I think I`m starting to get lazy with my thoughts haha. Maybe that`s why I`ve been transfered, to get my mind on the work! Haha, but really, I`m still in love with the mission, and I know I always will be. But I`m going to miss Temuco a lot. I was so happy to be here, I really did love it a lot, but that`s the way life goes. Gotta learn to love every moment (lol)

Love you all bunches! But really, please pray a lot for me. Hahah I`m going to die. 

(The bald kid is Matias with his grandma)

(We went bowing on P-day. Bowling jokes were abundante) 

Sister Ashlee Bowling

♥ from Chile!

Bonus post

From Hermana Kleinman's blog... click link to read post.

En el Fundo

So I have no time again! But really quick, this week.....

Part of my tooth fell out! So I`m going to the dentist today to make sure it`s all okay. I was eatting goldfish crackers when I bit down on something hard. Turns out one of the pointy bits of one of my back molars fell off. Hmmmm... 

One of the things I`d love to hear about from all of you returned missionarys is, what are some of your ideas to work well with the members? We have goals to have a certain number of lessons with members, but it`s a little hard because they don`t seem to be that enthused. What are some of the things you guys did in your missions to work together and help your investigators feel comfortable enought to come to church?

Dad, one thing I`ve started doing is singing " I love yooou! What more can I say? Believe me, there`s no other waaay." Haha my companion one day told me " I loove you" and it made me think of you and all the silly songs you sing. 

One of the things the mission has changed about me is that I am starting to LIKE talking to compleate strangers. It`s pretty crazy. But you never know who the lord is prepairing to find us. Gotta baptize them all! 

Love you guys! Have a great week! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOLLAND I HAVE A LETTER I`M GOING TO SEND YOU =DDD

-- 

Sister Ashlee Bowling

♥ from Chile!

¡¡Fundo El Carmen!!

Good morning family and friends! First off, I LOVE TEMUCO!! I am honestly so happy to be here! Big cities have always caught my attention, and now I live in one!

Our sector is gigantic. It`s probably about 3 Gorbeas and 2 Tolhuacas. But we have so many amazing people to teach. One is named Camilla, and she has been listening to the missionarys for 6 months. She understands everything, loves reading the book of Mormon, comes to church and everything but... she`s not married. Haha the story of the mission it seems. But we have big plans to help her and her boyfriend realize how important keeping the law of chastity is. Neither of them don`t really have a big objection to getting married. They mostly just want a big party and don`t have the money to pay for it right now. But we`ve got some big plans to help them out. I`ve known a lot of missionarys here who have thrown a big wedding in the church for their investigators, and I`m hoping we'll get to do the same thing.

Hermana Lopez is doing awesome! She is incredible! Has all the desires in the world to work hard and bring people to Christ. She is SUPER obedient, which is very different from my last companion, and is a huge example to me. I feel like I`m the one getting trained. We`re doing a lot of good here and seeing the blessings. There`s also a recent convert here who is the best person ever and always comes out with us to visit people. His name is Nicolas. One day a few months ago a few hermanas were sitting in a bus when they over heard a conversation going on behind them. A guy was talking to his friend about how he would love to find the true church of Christ. The hermanas started searching franticly for something to give him, a book or mormon or a pamphlet or anything but It was Pday and they had left it all home. FInally they turned around and yelled "are you joking???" Hahah it was a pure miracle, and now him and almost his entire family are super awesome members. Love this work and I love Christ and his example and sacrifice for us! Have a good week! Love you all bunches and bunches!

Sister Ashlee Bowling
♥ from Chile!

New companion! We`re super models la verdad

♥¡¡TEMUCO!!♥

So I`ve got quite a bit of news: I am getting transfered! I was only in Tolhuaca for 6 weeks! Our district leader called us Saturday night and told us he had a suprise for us. We were going to know our transfers 3 days early!!! With presidente Wilhelm, we got told the tranfers Monday and had to leave for our new areas Tuesday Morning, but with Presidente May we get to know Saturday night! Its a lot better in a lot of ways because we get the chance to tell all the members and wish them well, but it`s also a little hard because it`s the only thing I`ve thought about since. My new sector is called Fundo de Carmen in the zone Temuco Ñielol. I`ll be working right outside the big city! Not only am I leaving after only one transfer, but I`m going to train a new missionary! My new companion is Hermana Lopez from Peru. It`s crazy how fast time moves. Two days ago I compleated 7 months in the mission!

So Sunday in the morning I was feeling pretty down. We hadn`t had that much success with our investigators. Nobody had really progressed or accepted the gospel like we hoped for. I was feeling pretty down and wondering why I had even come to Victoria if we hadn`t had very much progress. So we got all ready to get to church, called all the people we had invited to come and headed off to the chapel. We got in, got started, and right as presidente gave the opening remarks, ALL 4 OF THE FAMILY WE INVITED WALKED IN!!!!! We`ve been teaching a guy named Fidel, right? He almost got baptized but didn`t pass his interview. But he lives with his grandson, Jhonny, and his girlfriend Nelly, who have a boy Juaquinn together. Nelly recently started reading the book of mormon and loves it! They`re super super special, especially because when Hermana Lobos with her trainer found them, Jhonny wanted nothing to do with us. But in these past 6 weeks he`s started to listen to us a little more and stick around and talk with us. We had invited them to come to church twice in a row but both times something happened that kept them from coming. We invited them one last time, knowing that if they didn`t come we`d have to stop teaching them. In the house next to Fidel lives his daughter Alejandra with her son, Diego. Diego also came to church! This kid is a freaking genius. And he wants to get baptized! We`ve been trying our best to help him come to church, but last week he and his mom moved from their house in the country to live next to Fidel. MIRACLES!!!! We visted Jhonny and Nelly in the evening after church, and Jhonny LOVED the church! He is very anti religion, but he straight up told us that he wants to be baptized in our church and is planning on always coming. It is a pure miracle. They`re not married (freaking Chile) but unlike other unmarried people I`ve taught, they want to get married, only that they`re waiting for a free house that Chile will give them because Nelly is a single mom. The end of September they were planning on getting married anyways. And so Hermana Lobos is going to work her best to keep them on track so that when they`re living the law of chastity everything else is ready for them. I`m sooo sad to leave such wonderful people, but at the same time so greatful that Heavenly Father gave me the chance to see his work progress. This transfer was the hardest of my mission so far, but Hermana Lobos and I have grown to be best friends and work our butts off to see people accept the wonderful changes the Gospel brings.

Thank you so much for you love and support! ¡Exito!

Sister Ashlee Bowling
♥ from Chile!

Testimony

I (Ashlee's sister) was asked to speak in church this past Sunday on the subject of testimony and so in my initial preparation I wrote to Ashlee and asked if she would share with me her testimony and a little bit about how she came to have it. This is her reply:

I`ve never had my testimony put through so much until I came here in the mission. Never in my life have I questioned so profoundly the truthfulness of the church. Every day we are surrounded by people who tell us we`re wrong. Every day I feel Satan trying to tear down the work that we`re doing. But every day, with all of the opposition that we receive, it helps me to realize even more that what we`re sharing has to be true. It could never be easy to be a part of this work if in the end it didn`t matter. I know the Church of Jesus Christ is the Lords kingdom and that the things we do here are eternally significant. Serving a mission is the hardest thing I`ve ever done. But its the most fulfilling, most wonderful work I`ve been a part of. I know the church is true, because it is the same everywhere. Here in Chile, where there`s less than 50 members in our branch, the church works the same. We partake of the sacrament every week and we teach the same things and the organization is the same and it means so much to me to see the perfect form of the church blessing the lives of people so far away. I know Christ is aware of every one of us and that Heavenly Father has a perfect plan for us. 

Semana Celestial

So this week was a HUGE week of learning for me. We had two intercambios which means that I stayed in my sector, and a missionary in a different sector came to my area for the day. It`s such an unexplainable phenomenon, but you learn SO much when you`re with other missionaries. 

It`s been raining like crazy here, but I honestly love it so much because the rain brings so many miracles. We found a ton of new people to teach this week and Hermana Lobos and I have really started to be on the same page. She`s an amazing companion and I love her to death. She`s loca, always cracking a joke, always messing around in some way and it keeps things fresh.

Next week is cambios, so I`ll let you all know if I`m staying in Victoria or not and who will be my companion. The last time we had a new mission presidente, the first cambio was absolutely crazy, so with our new president May, nobody has any idea what to expect. Wish me luck! Love you all bunches! 


Sister Ashlee Bowling
♥ from Chile!