And I remember you and your family very well. Your family was the only one in the ward to invite a non-member neighbor (I think she worked with your dad or something) to come over for dinner, a family home evening, and hear the 1st discussion, at least during the 4 months I was there and we were pushing that activity to the members.

She was a nice lady, but she wasn't interested in hearing more discussions. But I thought your family was great for making the effort in trying to do member missionary work.

As a greenie I didn't like Papillion. My first experience with significant opposition to the church, and it seemed like we (the missionaries) were very unliked there. Couldn't really go anywhere without cars trying to splash water on, people always shouting stuff on us as we trekked up and down Washington/84th st. One time some guy tried to fight us, like really fight us cause we asked him if we could share our message with him, and I got sprayed with water guns a lot.

I never had any real success in seeing anyone join the church while I was there, and left the mission always believing that was my hardest area. But the members there were well off, and nice people. We were fed very well, and like most of Nebraska, never had to worry about meals. I left my home to the MTC weighing 155 lbs, and came back weighing 210.

We did our weekly service at the public library, did our laundry at a members house (Andersons was their name I think, a cool family with lots of boys that liked sports), and I hated the days we didn't have cars and would bike it all the way out to Westmont and Gretna. So many hills. The bishop when I was there was a guy named Partridge or something like that. Once in Sacrament he made me say the sacrament blessing like 4 times in a row, kept thinking I was missing a word, even though I wasn't. Nice guy, but didn't seem all that interested in helping us with missionary work.

Anyway, I figured out you were same Gowens family I remembered when I read your book bio and it said you grew up in Papillion.