Week 6

Kumusta ang pamilya ko?!

Well another week has gone by at the MTC. This one went by a little slower than preceding weeks, but it was still great. Elder Christensen and I had our first opportunity to teach a lesson lahat sa Tagalog. It was quite the experience. And very nerve wracking. I thought we actually did really well. The language is progressing so fast now that we have a foundation to build on. We are learning so much. Although I am pretty sure I made a couple big mistakes with my pronouns (they are rather tricky at times). I think I said "Pinatay ni Jesukristo para sa mga kasalanan ng mundo" Not "Pinatay si Jesukristo para sa mga kasalanan ng mundo" Essentially I told the investigator Jesus Christ killed (I at least didn't say what exactly he killed) for our sins instead of Jesus Christ WAS killed for the sins of the world. The investigator smirked when I said it... I'm pretty sure I said it wrong. Oh well. Other than that though, we did fantastic. Those pronouns just get super confusing at times.

Today the oldest district leaves, leaving our district as the oldest and we have 21 days and counting until we hop on a plane for the Philippines (or pirate ship for Thatcher's sake). And yes, I'm a very mean pirate. I make people walk the plank. I am glad SOMEONE recognizes me for what I truly am. (From the editor: Thatcher is 100% convinced that Scott is going to sail across the ocean on a pirate ship to the Philippines. He gets the whole missionary deal, but remains convinced that Scotty's also becoming a pirate.) But, this pirate was also just released as District leader and called to Zone leader. SO this could be interesting and fun. I am really excited about my new responsibilities. We get 3 new districts on Tuesday with 29 new missionaries. One Elder is from Canada and we have a Sister from Pakistan joining us as well. My main job as ZL is to orient and help them through their first three weeks at the MTC. Side note: Elder Pilling is also leaving today, Dad. He is going to the Bacolod mission, the mission Iloilo split from. So when we see each other after the mission we will both be speaking the same dialect of Tagalog. End Side Note. So we will only have 15 old missionaries here compared to 29 new missionaries arriving on Wednesday. So we are really relying on everyone to take some new missionaries under their wing and leading by example.

So this is the game plan for the next couple weeks. I have this week to welcome and orient the new missionaries, which will keep me plenty busy I feel. I get my flight plans like next Thursday. Then only one more week after that until I am out of here. Boy, am I excited for that! I will be halfway around the world for goodness sake. I have a whole lot more meetings too now, so I will have those to help pass the time.

I am doing really well. I love the language. It is a beautifully simple and very patterned language. I love how everything mirrors itself within the language. Once you can grasp the basic concept, the language just opens up and you can speak so much more. I really hope I will be able to impress you all with my skills when I have the opportunity to call in just a few weeks. It is just so awesome. I have lost like ALL of my Spanish though. I will try to talk to Spanish Elders sometimes and halfway through the sentence I can only think of Tagalog words. It is embarrassing. And because the sentence structure is way different I find myself saying things weird in English too. I am just so confused... haha.

I have gotten both the packages Mom. No worries. They were really great. I don't really need anything in particular right now. No need to send anything. I think I just want to wait until I get to the Philipines before I collect anything more. Man, I am so excited. We learned how to buy things (haggling) this week. It really made me learn to speak fast because if you didn't then they will just jip you out of your money. The culture is just so interesting and different. I can't believe I am actually going to live there soon. It puts a whole new perspective on how you learn when you KNOW that every little thing you learn will directly apply to you in the next few weeks. I find myself never tiring of the work and I am always hungry to learn more.

Mahal ko kayo! Nagiisap po ako tungkol sa inyo palagi. Manalangin ko po para sa inyo araw araw. Ang ebanghelyo ay totoo at pinakamahalagang ang pamilya sa Diyos.

Alam ko na puwede ang pamilya makasama walang hanggang!

Stay strong!

Elder Lowry

Week 5

Kumusta pamilya ko!?

Magandang hapon, di ba?

How is everyone one doing in the deep south? Thanks for all the letters this week! It has been so nice to read about what all is going on in the random happenings in people's lives. I got a letter from Nana and Poppy (I think mostly Poppy) and he was still oblivious to the fact that UGA was about to STOMP ON TENNESSEE'S FACES WITH A HOBNAIL BOOT! But, I am ready to forgive. And don't worry Poppy, I only wear one watch at a time... They would just clash with my outfit.

So I am just clueless as to how fast this MTC experience is going by. I mean we are talking all Tagalog in class and I have already practiced teaching most of the first lesson sa Tagalog, too. We have to really do it on Thursday night for our TRC. So that is exciting, no? (That is the english equivalent to "di ba") I find myself saying those too alot lately. This week has been alot of fun, the English fast was quite the activity. I definitely had a huge headache at the end of the day. But it really made me realize how much I am able to speak. My writing is still much better though. I hope you all enjoyed the talk I included in the last letter. I was rather proud of myself. I prepared a talk on prayer this last week, but didn't have to give it. I noticed on Dad's last couple letter that he is trying to say "much love" at the end? I'm not quite sure if that is what he is trying to say. It makes me chuckle every time because it makes absolutely no sense... at all. To say "Much (or lots of) love" it is "Maraming mahal." It is the thought that counts though right? Mahal Kita, Pa. Alam ko na kung ano gusto mo kong sabihin!

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE ONE YEAR OLD! Oh my goodness. I can't believe that boy is so old. Is he walking yet? What are the newest Thatcher/Levi antics? I love hearing about them.

So the district above us leaves a week from today and I will most likely be called to Zone Leader (ZL) on Tuesday. I will be released from DL on Sunday and then start my duties on Sunday as ZL. Then I get to greet a new-coming district next Wednesday. This should be interesting. It feels like I am still the newbie. How did the game against Vandy go? Let's hope AJ and Aaron can keep connecting!

I am doing well. I love you all!

Alam ko na pinakamahalagang simbahan ni JesuKristo ng mga banal sa mga huling araw.

The coolest word in the language... pinakamakapangyarihan = almighty.

Mahal ko kayo. Nagiisip ako tunkol lahat sa inyo araw araw.

Elder Lowry

(**So you'll notice that Google Translate is not perfect... but it helps you get the gist, I hope!)

Alaska Man!

So I got a letter from Scott on Friday and I just finished following up on a story he told me. He writes,

"I have been hearing that the Philippines use really REALLY dry humor. And they LOVE puns. So I doubt I will be very funny when I get home (shocker, right?). I am already laughing at super cheesy things (really? Does he think this is news to us?). One thing that will make 'em laugh (I hear) is to say "Walong tanong, Walang Sagot?" if they don't ask any questions. It just means "Without Questions, without answers." We always say that now and laugh. Ok, one more... Look up this commercial for powdered milk (they don't have cows milk there) and the brand is "Alaska Brand." It is supposed to be super cheesy, but when kids see Americans (because the commercial tries to use american accents... they LOVE Americans) they will always say, "ALASKA MAN!" and if you answer "MASARAP?!" they will just die laughing. "Masarap" = Delicious?!"

So for your viewing pleasure, I bring you... Alaska Man.



And he closes with "Well now you know how lame I am."

I saw this one while I was watching the Alaska Man one, and it's good too. Check it out.

Week 4

Kumusta ang pamilya ko

How is everyone doing? I am doing well here at the MTC, no worries. This week just flew right by and I feel like I just wrote about my third week yesterday. I'm really excited because this week is our halfway point here at the MTC and the time only seems to be speeding up. I have my last lesson in English this week and after Thursday our teachers will no longer speak to us in English at all. I have learned as much Tagalog as it took me like two to three years in school to learn Spanish. It truly is remarkable. Wednesday (as part of our weekly district goals) we are all going on an English fast. That means from 9 AM - 9 PM on Wednesday we will not speak a single word of English. So this should be rather interesting. We know how to say what we want to say, for the most part, but thinking about it and actually doing it are completely different.

So yesterday I gave my first talk lahat sa tagalog (all in Tagalog). It was 5 minutes long and I thought I actually did really well. I wrote the talk all by myself and when I got my teacher to proofread it he only changed little things like pronouns. So I felt super accomplished and even my teacher said he was impressed with what I was able to write. I will send my rough draft home so you all can look at it. I will just bear my testimony at the end of the email (because I didn't write it in my talk).

This week should be really interesting also because we start to teach (as a district) an investigator (one of Bro Nordstrom's past investigator) in Tagalog too. So the language is becoming more and more enforced and stressed. I feel pretty comfortable though. This Thursday night we have to teach a volunteer how to pray. So giving instructions has been our main focus this weekend. This last week we had to take our investigator to church on a "jeepney." It wasn't really one, but they are really in the Philippines. They look so cool! They are the public transportation in the Philippines and it is basically a school bus without a back door and people just jump off the back when they are done. Look them up, they really look cool and it will be awesome to ride on them everyday. They remind me of that bus they have at Cali-n-titos (an AMAZING restaurant in Athens).

The new district came in this last week. They are all really cool and they will fit in with the zone really well. Tonight we are having a "zone splits" activity where we all go on splits for a night and teach the first lesson. I am paired up with an elder from one of the older districts. We did it the first week I was here too and I learned a lot from the Elder I was paired up with, so I am excited for these new elders to have the opportunity to work with someone older. And it will be nice to teach the first lesson again since we have been focusing on lesson 2 & 3 for the past two weeks.

I heard about UGA and UT! GO DAWGS! It's about time they get a conference win, eh? I have a really good friend from the other Tagalog zone named Elder Barrett and he is from around Knoxville. His family emailed him and told him. He told me yesterday though that he received revelation and had the impression that Georgia won. You guys would love him. He would fit in with the Crunks. We play basketball together everyday.

Also, I NEED UPDATES ON THE BRAVES, HELLO!?! They are only in the playoffs... GEEZ. I have had to rely on my teachers for these kinda things. But, my teachers cannot tell me what is happening on the blog. So that is a must.

Question answering time:
1. Everyone in my zone is Tagalog speaking so they are going somewhere in the Philippines
2. My district and the distric older are the districts they are using to fill Iloilo and Baccolod mission so practically everyone is going to either of those missions with Naga and Baggio being the exceptions
3. The new temople is nowhere near my mission, it is on the main island of Luzon and just North of Manila. It is in the Baggio mission and the mission will be renamed urdineta? Also everyone in my room is going to Iloilo. So atleast I have three other elders that I have become really close with for our 30+ hours of travel.

I love you all and I will just write my testimony with my talk and you can put it on the blog because I have like 30 seconds left. Sorry

Alam ko na totoo ang simbahan ni JesuKristo ng mga banal sa mga huling araw!

Scott

Elder Lowry

Week 3

HEY EVERYONE! So here we go, embarking on week number four! I only have six weeks left. The older districts all left this morning. So last night was a special night. We sang "God be with You til We Meet again" and "Nearer my God to Thee" two really beautiful hymns. We took alot of pictures and signed each other's journals. It was sad, but very exciting at the same time. I can't wait to meet the new district that comes in on Wednesday. I am also really hoping that we get an apostle for the Devotional tomorrow night because they should all still be in town from conference. Keep your fingers crossed!

So I wrote Dad back regarding Elder Pilling and I really hope you have gotten it by now because I don't want to ruin the surprise over a email because the letter was much more in depth. But YES! Elder Pillin is Mark Pilling's son and Gaelynd Pilling's grandson. (**From the editor: Mark Pilling was/is my Dad's best friend growing up in Magrath, Alberta Canada. Sounds like he's in the MTC with Scott! Can you say Small World?!!) We both just flipped out when I asked him and we both felt stupid for not connecting the dots. We had both heard stories about our Dad's doing crazy things together. I included Mark's contact info with the letter. I smell a reunion vacation in two years! They have a ranch right outside of Waterton we could visit them during the summer at. Crazy, eh?

How about my MTC choir repping it at the Priesthood session?! Awesome? I think so. They did such a good job and I knew like 15- 20 of them really well. I was so happy that their families were able to see their faces while singing some beautiful hymns to the prophet. I know that ALL of their families burst into tears as soon as they saw them... I know I was about to. It really stinks that I couldn't do it (i got here just a week too late), but all is well. Maybe I will get a chance to sing in general conference a different time. Watching conference here truly was a treat. It was a relaxing weekend of watching all the sessions, taking notes, and having conference reviews after each session. We would just sit in the classroom and talk about what we learned and how it can be applied to making us better missionaries and servants of the Lord.

the most spiritual experience I've had all week has been in a workshop that my district attended. It was just us nine with this guy who served in Rome, Italy. He gave us a lesson how to plan for someone's conversion and then we got to practice on his character Nicolas (who was a real person he taught and all his stories were true). We started teaching him and got him to open up to us. He has honestly had the hardest life I've ever heard. His Dad died when he was little and he told us about all the hard things he has gone through since. We had been focusing on listening all this week so we just let him talk. We were all in tears as he told us about his life over the past decade and how he had given up on God. NO ONE had any idea how to teach this guy. We were all clueless. So after some silence and tears I taught him that God does love him. He knows him personally and wants him to be happy. We can never know why He wants us to go through the trials we go through, but we just need to focus on how we endure them. I told him that he could live with his earthly and heavenly father again one day. I told him that it was possible for him to hug his Dad that he loved so much again. After some more silence I spoke again and felt like he needed to hear about the atonement. So I explained that to him and told him that it was through the atonemnet that he could see his Dad and be with his whole family again. Then I just had the thought to ask him to take advantage of the atonement and to be baptized. So I just did it. He accepted and really seemed to perk up when I told him he could be washed clean of his sins. Afterward the teacher told us to NEVER be afraid to be bold and extend an invitation to be baptized. Baptism is for everyone! It is the gateway to heaven. I know this was just a class, but it was the most real thing I've ever felt in my life. That poor guy was so lost and wanted to do the right thing, but he just didn't know where to find it. If I can have just ONE experience like this in the field my mission will be completely worth it. It really reminded me of the scripture D&C 121: 7- 9 "...and if thou shalt endure it well, behold I will exalt thee on high." Our trials are but for a short time... let's make sure we show God we can endure them well.

Elder Holland's talk really spoke to me this weekend. I cried when he thanked his parents for his mission experience. Everyone did. I cannot even begin to express how I feel to you all for allowing me to experience this. I am so deeply thankful for the sacrifices you all make to allow me to be here. I love you all so very much. The Lord loves you all so very much. I know this to be true. He WILL make this experience worthwhile to all of us. I just hope one day I can really show my gratitude to you for all your support and love. I think and pray for you all everyday and I love every minute I spend thinking about or reading letters from you all. Keep 'em coming! You are the best family a missionary could ask for!

Can't wait to hear back from all of you!

Hugs and Kisses all around.

Can you give a copy to the bishop or something? I got letters from Tim tippett and the Smith family. Please give them a HUGE thanks and hug from me! You all are great!

Love,

Elder Lowry