The Return of the Bikes 8/8/11

This week we got our bikes back YAY! On Tuesday.  We forgot our helmets though and had to walk all the way back from the bike shop where we took the bus to.  So we took the bikes back to apartment, got our helmets and then left to go contacting.  As soon as we stopped to lock up our bikes, we heard a "PHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhh" sound.  We looked down and saw Elder B's back tire had gone flat.  He told me that is like the 10 time it has happened.  So we contacted for a bit, visited someone, then it was late by then so we were going to go see if we could get a ride to target to get a new tube.  As we were walking I thought why dont we just keep on walking.  Target is on the way home, we will just get back really late.  But that is what we decided to do instead.  So we were walking and we contacted this guy on the street who was just getting home from work.  He is interesting and he said he wants to go to church and took a Book of Mormon and said he was going to read it during laundry time.  So that was a cool contact we had on the way to Target.  Hopefully something comes of it.  The next day we had an appointment with this lady we had contacted at a bus stop that said she always loved the Mormons when she lived in Nigeria.  If it wasnt for their example she would not have let us come and teach her.  She was really excited to read the Book of Mormon and said she really wanted it if it could help her understand the bible and help her understand truth.  She seems like a great investigator.  We challenged her to be baptized and it starts out with " will you folllow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized..."  So she said of course I want to follow Jesus Christ and she went on for a bit, and said, "but I've already been baptized."  We tried to explain a little more why she would need to be baptized but thinks it is a sin to be baptized more than once and is really a waste.  She seems really receptive to everything else though.  We have been studying how to approach that question and we are going to go over priesthood power and try and build her faith.  When she gets an answer and understands why we need to be baptized by the priesthood, I'm sure she will be baptized and be a great member.  We are going out to teach her tomorrow.  But later that day as we were going to an appointment, Elder B's tire went flat again.  So we stopped by Walmart and he picked up two spares this time.  We went out and fixed it and were on our way.  The next day we had recieved a referal over the phone and went to go drop off a Book of Mormon with the referrall.  So we went out to meet him and stuff, he took it and said he cant wait to read and will ask his friend with any questions he had.  We could not set up a return appointment with him though.  But on the way back to the church, Elder B's tire went flat again.  He had 3 flat tires in 3 days.  Crazy.  Good thing he picked up the other one so we went off to the side and he fixed it up.  So we had some cool experiences that day with members.  But the next day, I think that brings us to Friday...  but anyways we decided to go to Walmart and pick up another spare just incase it happened again and we were right by it.  So we got in and as we found the bike isle.  This man walks up to us and says hey, your Mormon missionaries right?  and we say yeah.  Well he goes on to explain that he is a inactive member, but wants to return to the church, and also wants his girlfriend to be a member too.  So he gave us his information and we passed it on the Elders/Sisters that live in his area.  It is a good thing we were at Walmart haha.  So that was pretty cool, and hopefully we will get some referralls in return haha.  So Saturday we pretty normal, apparently there was supposed to be a tropical storm this week, but it got stopped in the Dominican Republic. So we got some rain, but it still has not been to bad here yet with rain.  Yesterday we wore panchos to go and eat, but the member picked us up before we got very far.  So rain has not been a huge problem yet.  The people here are all really nice.  On the street everyone is willing to atleast here what you have to say, and everyone wants a free card, and when we say its for a free book or dvd they look excited hahaha.  There are all types of latinos here.  Mostly Cubanos, Domincanos, Puerto Ricans, Venezualans, and Ecuadorians.  For some reason the Cubans dont get along with everyone as well, but thats the only thing.  You can definately tell when someone is from Cuba.  They speak so differently.  Hispanics love to talk too.  If you do not keep them on track they can get really far away from the original message haha, but it is good, and I think they like that I do a lot of listening right now.  I'm still learning Spanish, and I am gaining more and more confidence as I speak it.  After every Language Study we talk in as much Espanol after it.  Elder B keeps giving me more and more to do.  I do almost all the street contacting right now, but he does a lot more of the Door contacting, so he still does more than me.  But I am getting better.  Especially better at understanding.  I still miss some things from conversations, but I can get most of what is happening in it.  We had a baptism set up for last Saturday, but she needed to go to church.  I still havnt met her though.  She had mouth surgery, so the couple times she was there when she visited she wouldnt talk to us because she looked weird or something.  We were talking to her through her nephew.  She already knows that she has been moved back, but we really want to get in and teach her the importance of keeping her commitments.  If she isnt going to go to church now she probably wont go later.  So thats where we stand with her, it will be amazing if I still cannot meet her this next week.  But on Sunday we had a convert family come and tell us that their son wants to be baptized.  So we are going to go and teach him today and get him ready.  He knows a lot of it because his family just took the lessons a little while ago.  He said he knows the Book of Mormon was true and so is the restoration, so he should be a pretty solid person.  I think this Wednesday we are doing exchanges, so I'll be with our District Leader Elder M on Wendesday in his area, and Elder B will be with his companion.  Then it will go back to normal.  Elder M is a pretty nice guy.  We found out if we add up the amount of time each member of the district has had in the field, it is still less time than Elder M has been in the field.  We are a pretty young district besides him.  I think Elder B might be right behind him or the one after that, and he has only had 4 transfers I think.  I'm excited to go out with Elder M.  Also when the rain does come here, which it hasnt been to much of a burden to us, there is awesome Thunder.  The lightning is usually hard to see in bolts becuase of the clouds, but the Thunder is so loud.  Yesterday in a members home we heard a thunder that had to last like atleast 20 seconds.  So that was really cool.  Sorry this letter kind of all over the place, but I just keep thinking of what you all might want to know.  Time is flying by now, it honestly feels like I was here on the computer like 2 days ago.  Tell me if there is anything else you want to know, but I think that is a pretty good amount today.  I love you all.  Se que esta iglesia es verdadera y esta es la obra del Senor.  Nuestro proposito aqui es para traer la gente a Cristo por bautizmal.  Se que con Dios podemos hacer todas cosas y tener gozo en todos dias de nuestras vidas.  Amo este Evangelio y se que lo puede ayudar todas personas.  Thanks for your support and I love you all.
Elder Wes Bowen
Florida Fort Lauderdale Mission
7951 SW 6th St Suite 110
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33324