Week 22

Hello Everyone!

So this week has been a pretty slow one due to all the excitement, being out of town, and getting my new companion oriented. It has been good though and I am having to apply myself more and more as the mission goes on. I think I am working my hardest and then the Lord throws something new at me every week it seems. It really has forced my to rely on Him so much more and spend more time on my knees. A part of Dad's letter came to my mind when I was struggling with the new challenges this week. He said that too often as prideful men we can let our pride get in the way of asking for divine help. That even though we believe that the calling came from the Lord we hesitate to ask for help. I thought of how foolish I had been for trying to carry out the Lord's work without his very assistance. So after spending more time on my knees and asking for forgiveness I asked for help as well in the work.

So here is the part you all want to know. My new companion is a Pinoy. His name is Elder Quinantoto (Ya... try saying that 5 times fast.) He is from Luzon Island in a city that is under the Baguio Mission. He is way nice and a very diligent worker. He is very good at Tagalog (Elder Ordeniza was Cebuano so it is weird hearing PURE tagalog) and I am trying my best to teach him the Aklanon I know. We are both excited because we are practically starting over this week with the work. All of our investigators either dropped us or had to be dropped. So now we are back to the dreaded tracting and finding. The transfer meeting was wonderful and it was great to see some of my batch mates and hear how wonderful their missions were going. I got to see one of my favorite Elders from my batch Elder Dueker. He is an awesome missionary and the only member in his family. He is now being follow up trained by Elder Stokes! Elder Stokes will be going home in March. We got a chance to talk and reminisce. He is actually follow up training and training the third member of their companionship all in his last transfer.

We had to go tracting all day yesterday and had zero luck. I think that part of town was called Sodom and Gomorrah or something like that. (There wasn't a sign) But we are keeping our chins up. I was just happy enough because I had to do most of the talking and the people at least understood me. Even if they told us to go away I did get some compliments on my language abilities.

We are excited about one investigator of ours. We met her when we stopped by the church to eat at one of the activities. Some members brought their friend from university and so we introduced ourselves. Then I got the members to invite her to Church on Sunday (They said she had been attending institute the past week). She went to church and stayed all three hours! We had our stake president there and in Sunday school we had a great discussion on Revelation through Church Attendance and Revelation through Prayer (2 principles from the new missionary curriculum). We watched some of the PMG videos and just discussed it. So we basically had the stake president and the members give her an introduction to the missionary discussions. So then I got a member to invite her to listen to the missionary discussions. We will be teaching her on Wed. just a 1/2 hour before institute starts at the church with her friends present. I am thinking this will be a good investigator.

I really am enjoying the work here and it is progressing. Slowly as of right now, but still progressing. Sheila Mae is just awesome as a member. The members have done a fantastic job of making her one of them. She remembers all the lessons and the review of the lessons is just flying by. In like two weeks she will be all done. It will be strange not going to her house all the time. But, I am not worried about her and she will make a fine Young Women's president someday.

It's funny that Mom mentioned Bishop Hinsdale. I finally wrote him a letter last night when I was thinking of our ward. It will be sent in the next couple days. How is my Martinez ward doing? I miss you all! I also got Nadia Franz's letter today. I will get a response all ready to go here in the next couple days! And Maddy Rupard for that fact... It was great getting all these letters. You guys are awesome! Michael I sent your letter like a couple weeks ago so you should get it pretty soon. And that book is a good idea. We will discuss the title in our letters!

I love you all and pray for you all a whole lot! Keep working hard and I know the Lord will take care of us.

Elder Lowry