#4: Answered Prayers and a Flight Home

(Monday, December 17, 2017-Written to his mom)
    Well, I want to start off by saying I'm sorry for letting you down and coming home early.  I've been beating myself up that I've let the family down, the Savior down, and myself down.  But, at the end of the day, I know that the spirit told me that it was my choice if I come home early and with my back pain being through the roof, I can't tough it out anymore.  I love you mom and look forward to seeing you on Wednesday.  I will be leaving around 9:00pm here (which is 1:00pm your time) on Tuesday, and will be arriving home on Wednesday around 4:30pm.

After 37 hours of traveling from Sierra, Freetown to

Reno, Nevada, Elder Fowler made it safely home.

Now, to begin healing his back issues.

December 19. 2018

(Thursday, December 20, 2019)

  Just to give everyone an update since it's been awhile.  I had to make the hard decision to come back to the states to receive the medical aid I am needing.  I came home yesterday (Wednesday) and left behind the greatest mission in the world.  Since there are no medical facilities in Sierra Leone, I couldn't receive the medical attention I needed.  Sierra Leone will always have a special place in my heart.  The everlasting impact that "Salone" (Sierra Leone) taught me is a blessing.  I've learned many important life lessons that I don't think I would've been able to learn anywhere else.  Salone thought me you don't need fancy, expensive things to be happy.  Also, I've never heard or seen a place where Christians and Muslims love one another and get along so beautifully.  When I had to finally make the decision on whether to come home or stick it out, I was very frustrated that I would fail myself, but also my Savior.  After hours of prayer asking why did I have to come all the way on the other side of the earth, to just go home a month later, my prayers were answered the next day while I was taking my bucket shower, with four simple words: STRENGTHEN: by getting called to Sierra Leone, my testimony was strengthened because I knew that Heavenly Father knows me and my desires to serve in Africa. LOVE: while being in Sierra Leone, I learned the love you instantly have for the people.  The country is so amazing.  HUMILITY/HUMBLE:  when you first arrive in Freetown, you are just hit with the magnitude of how poor it really is.  I learned real quick that there are several things in the states that I took for granted. Things like A/C, power, fresh, clean water, laws, cleanliness, diapers, trash collection, modern medicine, and much more.  But never once when I was eating dinner with a member in their little Conex box with no A/C or power, did they complain about anything.  Many times, during their prayers, they would always say, "Tanki daddy God me Heaven for my life", meaning, "Thank you Heavenly Father for my life." because they understand completely how valuable life is. Salone will always have a special place in my heart for teaching me many great life lessons and being thankful for everything we have.  I'm hoping after I'm one hundred percent again I'll get called back to Sierra Leone to finish what I've started, but I know this is all part of God's plan for me.  I'm truly blessed to even have the short period of time I did have to serve there.  I'm thankful for a loving and supportive family.  The challenge I give each of you is to take time this next week and look back on all the blessing you've been given and also see the Lord's hand in all things.  I know that as you do you'll see how blessed we each are and how much our Father in Heaven actually cares about each of us.

-Elder Fowler

(He is home now and has started physical therapy, where we discovered that one of his ribs was out of place and making it hard to take deep breaths. He will most likely need an injection which is scheduled for January.  The time he spent on his mission was not wasted time.  He has learned so much and grown so much.  The chances of him being able to return to Sierra Leone is slim to none, but we hope that he will return to serve wherever the Lord needs him.  Below are some of the other pictures he took that we were finally able to see)

Plain Corn Flakes and powdered milk-just add water.

Leaving the Ghana MTC for Freetown, Sierra Leone.

From their trip going from the Ghana MTC to catch the ferry that would take them to Sierra Leone.

Elders: Morgan, Killpack and Fowler

These kids kept saying, "Picture, Picture" but what they

were hoping for afterwards was money.

 American Embassy

 Man holding watches to sell.

Trash in the streets

Can you see the two soccer nets?

Church building in Freetown that was  being repainted. If
you look closely, you'll notice the scaffolding is just sticks.

The tree in the background was nicknamed "The Tree of Life".

Human feces along the dirt roads.

#3: Safe Arrival to Sierra Leone

(We received this email from Elder Fowler on Monday, December 10, 2018)

   You're probably sleeping right now since it is like 3:00am in the morning, but today the MTC has given us time to email home before we leave for the mission field in the morning.  My flight leaves either at 4:00am or 7:00am and I'm hoping it's not 4:00am!  Earlier this week, President Allen and I were talking with the doctor about my back issues. (due to his sky diving accident back in March he has 4 inflamed disks that cause him pain and he had it under control before leaving but sitting on a plane for his 18+ hour flight, and sitting in classes 10-12 hrs a day has caused him to be in a good amount of pain) They gave me a choice of whether to stay or return home for care, which was harder than the choice to serve a mission or not. After conversing with he Lord on if I should go home and get my back fixed and then come back out, or fight through the pain and keep serving, the only response I got was, "I love you." I was upset because it wasn't the answer I wanted.  When I was talking with President Allen, he gave the the best advice I could've gotten right there and then.  He said, "That is the answer; He'll love you  no matter what you choose."  And so, I decided to move forward with faith and put my trust in Him.  There's a reason why the Lord called me here and I'm not willing to give up yet on Him, for he has saved my life.  We then talked with President Baggett on the phone and he was able to find something the doctor and I felt would  help with my back (T.E.N.S Unit).  It was another answer to prayer because I had worried so much about what I would be able to do.  Thank you so much for your prayers and fasting on my behalf. (We sent the unit to him today and he should get it on Monday)

    Tomorrow is the day I leave for Sierra Leon and I'm praying the food isn't like what we had last night for dinner-leather!  Yes, I said leather, like cow's skin and man was that nasty!  It was chewy and still had fur on it and everything!  Elder Morgan and I were like so grossed out, we wanted to throw up when we tasted it. 

 I love you guys and pray for you daily.  I know the Lord is watching over you and is blessing our lives so much.  This week I won't be doing a mass email so you will need to add something to the blog.  Next time we talk, it'll be from Sierra Leone and boy am I excited!

Love you today, tomorrow and forever.

-Elder Fowler

(Letter that the mission President's wife sent):

11 December 2018

Dear Family of Elder Fowler,

We are delighted to have received your son today from the Ghana MTC.  He has received further orientation and training here in Freetown at the Mission Home and will receive more in the morning.  After lunch tomorrow, he will travel to his area of service and meet his trainer.

We have enjoyed our initial meeting with him and feel he is a great addition to our mission.

Thank you for helping him prepare to be a great missionary!  The missionary work here is very productive and it will be a life-changing experience for him, as well as the people whose lives he will touch.

Your fellow servants,

Sister Toi Clawson and President Kevin Clawson

Sierra Leone Freetown Mission

Sister Clawson, Elder Fowler and President Clawson

All those who entered the mission field in 

Sierra Leone-Freetown

#2: Devotional with Elder Holland

Africa.  I've grown to  love this place more and more each and every day that I'm here.  Thank you to everyone that prayed for me this past week.  Earlier this week we had a devotional and Elder Holland spoke to us missionaries (during a live video) and let's just say, there was not a dry eye of any of the 152 missionaries.  He spoke with such power that every concern I had during the week was answered.  At the end of the meeting, he blessed each missionary.  What an uplifting day it was her if Africa.

This past Sunday, I was able to fast for the ability to eat the food and so far, so good, but hot dogs that are cold for breakfast, chicken gizzard, cow heart, pig feet and the smell that is best described as peed-on fish, takes some getting use to.  The natives her are crazy; they eat everything with their hands, even soup, but when it's American night and we have fries, they eat that with a fork, so I don't know what's going on there.  They also don't cut their nails at all.  Elder Morgan and I are trying to get them to, but they won't.  The one thing I will never understand is why did my call letter say English when I can't understand anything?  One lesson I've learned from President Allen (MTC President) is- learn to speak stupid.  One thing I wish I brought more of is American food like pizza rolls, peanut butter, cereal, pudding, cow milk-not goat milk like they have here, any and all American candy.

I truly believe that there is no other place on earth where you can grow your testimony like here at the MTC.  I love every bit of it and enjoy going to the temple more than anything because it's gets us out of our 12 hour classes that we have daily.  Before I left home, I never read much of the Book of Mormon or studied it; it's one of my biggest regrets, but I'm happy that I have this time to study and gain a testimony of this book.  

When we first arrived in Ghana and were driving to the MTC, it' was the craziest driving I've ever seen.  From going double the speed limit and cutting people off to driving on the sidewalk to pass a police officer.  One thing that I'm wishing for is the weather here to go below 80 degrees and maybe 70 percent humidity! But, I'll tell you, my skin has never felt so soft!  The challenge I offer each of  you to do during this week is to smile and laugh more.  Her at the MTC, things can become stressful and the one cure for it is to be happy.  When I was in one of my classes this past week, we were talking about how the Savior turns outward when the natural man turns inward.  One example of this is when the Savior was being crucified, and the guards came to take him away.  One of the guards ears got cut off and the Savior turned outward when we would have turned inward; he healed that guards ear.  What a beautiful reminder it was for me.  I love you all and can't wait to be in Sierra Leone on Tuesday morning.  If you get a chance this week, please give my family a hug for me.

-Elder Fowler

(I had a few questions for him)

• (Were you able to watch the Church's Christmas Devotional?) No, but I believe we are going to this Sunday. I'm excited!
• (Do you often wash your clothes in the sink instead of the washing machines?) I go through at least 2 pairs of socks, shirts and underwear daily. That's why we wash things by hand during the week. You guys got snow?  I wish it was snowing here, or at least 70 degrees!  I've never sweat so  much in my life!
• (Tell me something that was hard this week:) Something hard this past week has to be the trial of my back.  I have been in a lot of pain with it and I'm doing my exercises for it, but it doesn't seem to help.  
• (Tell me something that made you laugh:) Something that made me laughs Elder Georgewill, who's Elder Morgan's companion.   I can't understand him to save my life.  I'll be sending a video.
• (Tell me something you are working on:) I'm working on being able to understand the natives here.
• T(ell me something you really enjoy:) I really enjoy the devotionals here. They are really empowering and lift everyone up.  

 Elder Georgewill, Elder Fowler and his companion, Elder Hagan

 Looking out over the city of Accra, Ghana

Accra, Ghana Temple

#1: What a First Week!

What a week to start my journey here in Africa!  Where do I even start, it's been a long week.  When we first landed in Ghana, Elder Killpack and I went to go grab our bags and we find out that my bags were lost somewhere in the world!  I'm just glad I had enough to get through the next day.  But when the third day came around, I had to wear the dirty clothes I flew in.  But by putting my faith in the Lord, I knew it would only be a couple days without them.  I'm very thankful for the staff at the MTC to look very hard for my bags. I guess the only hard thing about loosing the bags is, I was in a new country without anything that I brought, but luckily it was only 3 days without them. Thank you so much for all the prayers in helping me find my bags.  When we first got here, they fed us some kind of food that wasn't good at all and smelt  horrible.  It was any eye opener to what I'll have to learn to love.  The only thing I'm living on is the food dad bought for me before I left home.  Thanks dad.  I pray every night that I will be able to start eating the food, but I can't. I've had stomach aches since I've been here because of the smell of the food. The number one thing I've learned the most from only being here a week is all the things we take for granted in the States; such s running water, showers, hot water, washing machines and food that smells and tastes great.  

I thought that jet lag wasn't bad but let tell you, it's horrible.  The last couple hours of class I fall asleep every time. My companion is no doubt the best- Elder (Hagan).  He's from Accra, only about 10 minutes from the MTC.  Elder Georgewill is the funniest person I know.  The Lord has blessed me with the best companion in the whole MTC and also the best group of guys in my room.  If it weren't for these guys, I would have really been stressing about my bags. (Elders Hagan, Georgewill and Morgan)

One thing I think the church should change, is saying that this is an ENGLISH speaking mission because I can't understand a word these natives are saying!  Elder Morgan (from CA) and I are legit so confused for more than half the time.  

I'm so thankful for the gospel in my life and all the blessings the Lord has offered me.  The classes here are so wonderful and are so uplifting, and I actually look forward to going to class.  The weather here is so crazy hot.  I take back saying I love humidity, because you just walk outside and are already dripping with sweat.  It's another kind of hot.  I challenge each of you to tell your loved ones "I love you" more often because I sure wish I did more. My testimony has grown so much in just a week. I've memorized the First Vision and the Missionary Purpose and D&C 20:37.  Today we are going to go to the temple and I'm so excited to be going.

Love, Elder Fowler

Elder Fowler, and Elder Hagan (his companion) 

(Elder Fowler is having a hard time figuring out how to send pictures so we didn't get any.

So thankful for Elder Morgan's parents for sending us a picture to post here.  

(Finally received a few more pictures from his first week)

 New Missionaries arriving at the MTC in Ghana

 Elder Fowler with his MTC companion-Elder Hagan

(Probably a bit cramped for a guy who's 6'4")

 Courtyard at the MTC

 Elder Morgan from CA and Elder Fowler

(They met each other in the States the weekend before they entered the MTC)

Looking out the bedroom window you can see the church steeple 

and the Angel Moroni on the temple.

(Must be the American food night-I see fries)