Week 32

Hello Family!

So this week has been a ton of fun and I am way excited for this oncoming week. I am also kinda sad as I am pretty sure it will be my last week in the area. Yes, transfer announcement is next Monday and I have been here for six months. I would put a bet on the fact that I am transferring. I think I might even start packing... NOT. I hate that word/verb with all my heart. So the next email will have the fatal decision of whether or not I will be in banga for any longer. They are going to have to drag me on to that bus though. It will be so hard to leave here and to start new in another ward and another language. Everywhere else in the mission speaks ilonggo. So it will be a big adjustment even though I have been in the Philippines for six months. It will be like being a green missionary all over again. No fun. The members have begun to be some of my best friends and it will be hard to come to terms that some of them I will never see again. If I ever get to come back here Banga ward will be a must see.

However, I can leave. My converts that I have been with the past several months are so good. Probably having nothing to do with their missionary, but they are just awesome. Both Sheila and Angelyn are just like veterans now. Angelyn works with us all the time now and loves to meet all of our investigators. She has a rock for a testimony and has become one of our biggest supports in the ward. She has started this awesome trend that it is fun to work with the missionaries even though we walk all over town. So now we have people working with us all week this week. I am totally convinced it is because of Angelyn's example to our members. Like I said... this girl is awesome. Oh, and something else to brag on her about. She is, as I am typing, at lunch with her grandpa and helping him set up a time for us to make a special trip to his house and to meet him. He lives in no man's land (there are no missionaries there yet) but yet he has been talking to Angelyn alot lately and even though he is a Catholic leader he said he wants us to share our message with him. Angelyn even said that he might be interested in becoming a member. (He is the old man that went to Angelyn's baptism). Need I say more?

We have been working really hard with this one family named Arrieta. Sister is the member that has been inactive since before I was born and brother is the shiest person I have ever met. Brother is still shy but we hope he won't run from us and we will have more opportunities to meet with him. However, Sister is active in the church again and really is enjoying the fellowshipping there. She is very concerned about her husband and really wants him to get baptized but so far he is holding out. Angelyn came with us to visit her and said they would be partners at church. They sat together the whole time and Angelyn just spent all three hours talking with and helping Sister Rutchie. I was so proud. I was told in the MTC that these people we help get baptized are our gospel children. And just being a gospel parent it is awesome to feel proud of your figurative child. It must be awesome to be an authentic proud dad. They just grow up so fast! (hahaha... spoken with a thick southern accent)

So I am way excited to get back to work and to go out of this area with a bang. You usually only get five areas in this mission and it is weird to think that my time in one of those five is winding up. It definitely puts a bigger sense of urgency on my work. I am very satisfied though with the work I have accomplished here. I feel like I have been able to repair some relationships with the local leadership and the missionaries here. I have helped baptize and confirm some really strong members and reactivate some others. I hope I can continue to learn and grow in order to help the Lord in this His great and marvelous work.

Devyn- congrats! have fun in Europe. Take tons of pics and don't forget to attach them this time.

Evan- This is the joke right now between me and the members. To say Im getting angry we say "Gumagalit" It is really supposed to be "Nagagalit." I just had a brain fart one day and said gumagalit a bunch to try to describe something and they have just thought it was the funniest thing ever. Gumagalit just makes no sense here (even though google probably could make sense of it). So now they always say it in front of me just so I will never forget making that mistake. There are about 50 other jokes like that my ward always uses around me. I guess I just suck at Tagalog. I will explain what we always do as Elders at restaurants when you all get to call me because it is pretty funny but would take forever to explain in typing.

Also with calling... I can't believe I almost forgot. I have a landline that I know I can use here in Banga that would make talking so much easier than with unreliable cell phones. But I might not be in Banga on Mother's Day. So we could talk next week on like Wednesday (Tuesday evening for you all) and I would for sure have a landline to use or we could actually wait until Sunday and probably just have a cell phone. So just tell me what you all want to do as it is fine for me anyway. I will plan to wake up early so we can talk in the evening time your time if we talk on Wednesday). So just let me know and I will give you all the landline number next Monday if you decide to call a couple days early.

I love you all family and miss you all so much.

Elder Lowry

Week 31

Hello Everyone!

So this week was SO much better than last week. Even though I was out of commission for a while the Lord blessed us and I'm happy to say that the work even progressed this week. A lot actually. I was very happy with the work Elder Quinantoto and I were able to accomplish and even made a sweet memory that was one of those ones when I got home I just said, "I need to write this one down." Unfortunately for you all it took about five pages to completely write it down and I will be unable to send it to you all via email. On the upside I wrote it down in letter form to my Mother and she should receive it in a week or two (special delivery for a very special lady). It sufficeth me to say (yes, I am a Book of Mormon prophet) that a prayer was answered and we gained an investigator that will most likely be baptized. I will expound more later on in my letter.

I want to discuss now a question that Dad sent me in his e-mail. He mentioned the close proximity of Easter and asked "How do they celebrate Easter in the Philippines?" I kinda laughed when I read that and wondered how I could write this appropriately, but decided I could include the answer it in my big email because it is COMPLETELY different than America. I will just tell you all right now that they are holding a crucifixion in my town on Friday. Not like fake nails or anything but really they will put metal stakes through someones hands and feet to remember the Easter season. They will put a board under his feet so that he doesn't die, but that is it. People literally volunteer to do this. People who repeatedly do it will put stakes in their hands so that the wounds don't close up and it won't be as bad the next year. In other parts of the Philippines other people who aren't crucified will spend all day whipping themselves with thorny ropes (I'm not sure if they do that here). I saw a video of it though from my MTC teacher. Like they had to wash their mission car because they drove by and the people's blood got all over it. The men for these bands that walk through all of the streets and people crowd and watch. They are usually lead by a person who is literally bearing a cross. So there is no such thing as Easter Bunnies here. It is sad to see people think that to remember the sacrifice of our Savior they need to do things like this. I don't think that is what the Savior intended by going through all of that for us. Nevertheless it is what they do and it s how they "celebrate" Easter. My job isn't to judge them, but to try to understand.

Our progress this week was really good and definitely gained some good stories! It will be fun when I come home to try to remember all of these things. It kept coming to mind this week that someday I won't be in the Philippines anymore. I won't see all the things I see everyday. I won't be able to speak Tagalog and Aklanon to everyone I see. The people will be different than here. There were alot of those moments where I just took mental note of everything. How the sun sets here. What the food tastes and smells like. I love it love it love it. It will be a sad and weird day when they aren't there for me anymore. One story was the one mentioned before. We met this woman who has been inactive for about 22 years. She seemed only luke warm to our messages. But we kept trying to work with her especially since her husband is a non member. She finally confessed that she really wants her husband to join the church mostly because they are having a really rough time with the marriage and they were thinking of splitting. So we told her that the gospel would definitely help her and especially her husband. She then said that her husband gets really mad whenever she talks to him about letting the missionaries teach him. He is also really shy because he doesn't know how to read or write. And because I am American. So we said, "Sister we have a plan for you that will fix ALL of your problems. You will pray with your husband as a couple. You will go to church as a couple. You will help Brother get baptized. You will be married in the temple. If you follow this fool proof plan you will fix your marriage and not separate. But it is up to you." She agreed. So we left her with step one... came back and nothing. SO we left a short message of- you are going to have to do this. There is only so much we as missionaries can do. Then we recommitted. Came back. She had prayed. She had only prayed the night before and said she "felt alright" about it. Brother was still shy and angry about listening. We got really excited and begged her to just continue and that she was on the right path. We come back with a message just for Sister to help her come back to church. Elder Quinantoto prays to open the lesson and asks that the Lord will soften the heart of brother and that he will allow us to meet with him. After the prayer Sister just looks up and says, "Puwede ko siyang tawag kung gusto nyo." Or I can call him if you like. We were just like "excuse me?" She repeated herself and once we realized what she meant (that is how far the idea was out of our mind... we had kinda given up on teaching him) said Ya! We would love to meet him. And brother walked in the room about five minutes early. We found out that they HAD continued their prayers. We asked, "Do you feel that God answered that prayer Sister?" She was just like of course... my husband is here and listening to you. Brother had even seen how much their prayers together had practically erased their problems already. SO we taught Brother a bit of lesson one and set up a return appointment. Then when we came back they were working together with Sister's work (which is preparing coconut hairs to be used in making fabric) because Brother has no work. The great thing about that is though, he usually just went next door all day because they couldn't get along. But now he was there right by his wife's side and helping her. They just looked so happy. Man... it was just a miracle. We still have a long way to go with him especially because he can't read or write. Then, on top of than, he is the SHIEST person I've ever met. I just hope I get to stay here another transfer so I can keep working with him. I have a feeling that I will get transferred. I will have been here for six months. It is a sad though. But I am just trying to help them as much as I can right now.

I love you all and apologize for spending all my time on only one story but I think it was worth it. It sure was one of the stories that makes your mission completely worth it. I give permission to Mom to publish the story when she gets it because the FULL story is just awesome. Like how we got to know her and stuff. So get excited for that. I sure hope I get to add on that story more in the near future.

Thanks for all of your support. I think and pray for you all often.

Happy Easter!

Elder Lowry

Week 30

Hello everyone!

I am doing well... now. I have been sick as a dog ALL week long. I'm talking the whole week through. We finally got to work yesterday afternoon. So this week has been dismal practically and I felt like a big piece of poo. I got like a flu type thing. Friday was the worst when I got a super high fever of 39.2 Celsius. I thought I was going to burst in to flames. Man, I was just tired and sick all week. I really don't know what from. I am just glad it is over.

General Conference was awesome! They uh... really pounded the marriage subject, eh? All of us missionaries were debating what it would be like to be in any of the BYU campuses. Must be like a marriage fest. The talks were way good though and I really enjoyed watching them even though I was sick... it offered a chance to recover and just relax. I liked the talks about the importance of service as well. I really think that the service of our church is one of the greatest ways to share our message. Even as missionaries. The only way to get people here to trust you here is to serve them first. Other than that you are just this white guy trying to speak their language and teaching them about God. So that is something I am focusing more on in my area. I also loved loved loved the talk about "to be" and "to do" that was an awesome analysis of what those two verbs entail and their inseparableness in the Lord's gospel. To be and to not do is self deception and fake. To do and to not be is what Jesus called Hypocrisy and deception to others. I really liked his talk. I am just overly excited to get the written versions next month. I love conference edition of the Ensign. I also thought it interesting how Pres. Monson brought up using the Lord's name in vain. For such an offense it used to cost your life and now it is way common. For me it would be better to curse something a thousand times then to use the Lord's name in vain. I guess as I study the Lord's life and works it really makes me cringe to hear it used without purpose or as "just an expression."

Im sorry this is short but I just don't have that much to write. I didn't get to work very much and I'm really excited to go back to work right now. Thank you all so much for all your support to me. Thank you all for your kind emails of love and support. It really does help me to hear from you all and to grow from your strong testimonies. Just earlier I learned from my nephew Thatcher's small but strong testimony of missionary work. I pray for you all often and hope you are all doing well.

Devyn- you said something about pictures in you email but there were none. So Im not sure if that was a mean joke or a blond moment.

Love you all

Elder Lowry

Week 29

Hello Everyone!

I am doing really well here! I am loving my mission still and excited for another week to get things done! It was awesome hearing how wonderful General Conference was! I am still so jealous and borderline covetous of you all (I just chuckled because of the time Evan and I were forced to go furniture shopping with Krista and Mom. Then seeing a nice lamp Evan just said "I covet that"... I thought it was pretty funny). Elder Quinantoto and I got to move in to our new apartment this last week and it has just been great. It is so nice to only walk 1 minute to go to market instead of a half hour. Our travel all together is just great now. It is so easy to go anywhere in our area now! The house is pretty big and will easily be able to fit a couple more Elders. I really think I will be here for at least one more transfer. It will be nice to be in my first area for 7- 8 months. My companion and I are getting along really well and it just makes everything so much nicer. We are pretty similar and I feel like we are becoming really good friends. Speaking of companions, my MTC companion got transferred into our zone but not my district. It is sweet being able to see him again and telling stories. Telling stories- the only form of entertainment available to missionaries. I have gotten pretty good at it.... in English or Tagalog.

I had the coolest thing happen to me yesterday. Like a life dream just got fulfilled. I made friends with a monkey! Like me and this little guy are tight. He spent a good half hour grooming my hair while chilling on my shoulders! He also groomed my hair on my arm. The are really just cleaning the skin and getting any dirt. So he would see like the two freckles on my arm and think they were dirt. So that kinda hurt when he was trying to pick off my freckles for me. He is a native monkey from a forest pretty close to our area (but not part of our area). He was literally like a little kid. He just loved to get into my bag. He always tried to steal my name badge. They are way smarter than dogs and to me would just be the awesomest pet. They are like little humans and very curious. I will go back and get some pictures so you can see. But after like ten minutes of being nervous of each other, a beautiful friendship eventually formed.

As for the work we are doing well and excited because Angelyn's cousin Vegrace who came to her baptism is really investigating the church. We hope to extend a baptismal date to her this week. She will make a great member as well. Angelyn is just absolutely flourishing and it makes me just so excited for her. To see this gospel really stick in their life is an awesome miracle. Sheila is another great example of it. Angelyn is helping us teach her cousin and really involved with just everything right now. She might even have a chance to go to the Cebu temple next month to do baptisms. She is going to conference this next week as well (the broadcast here is postponed a week).

So we got our Liahona's this week (church magazine that is the international version of the Ensign) and man, it was awesome. There is one talk that you ALL have to read. It is the gospel classics talk in the magazine and it is the talk by Elder Bruce R McConkie. He gave this talk 13 days before his death. In the very beginning he just says "I feel impressed to bear testimony of the most important thing I can bear testimony of... the Atonement." He then goes in to a beautiful discussion of the Atonement. It is literally the most beautiful talk I have ever read about our Savior's atonement. We cannot understand what the Savior went through because only a God could possibly bear that sort of pain. We cannot be grateful enough to the Savior. The only man who did not deserve to be punished because he committed no sin... this same man was the one who somehow satisfied the demands of God's justice by enduring the punishment for every soul's sin except himself. "No mortal mind can conceive the full import of what Christ did in Gethsemane" He suffered himself to endure the pain of Gethsemane, to be betrayed by one he loved, to be spat upon by the vilest of men, he allowed himself to be mocked and scorned and tortured, he allowed himself to hang on a cross for hours, and then he uttered probably the three most triumphant words in history and said, "It is finished" He did it! He overcame the world and accomplished his mission. In those few short hours our Savior transcended everything in human history and then was able to overcome it all. I know that this is true and if we will just give our whole heart and souls to him his suffering will not have been in vain. Isn't that amazing?

I love you all and miss you all this Easter season. Let's all take some time to be more familiar with what the Savior did for us all as a race and for each one individually. The atonement was, is, and will forever be the single most important event/accomplishment in the history of this world. It deserves our full attention and will never cease to teach us more about the plan of our God for us. The more we study on the Atonement the more sacred and important it will become.

I also like what Elder McConkie said in that talk. I know you have all heard what I just said a million times. Even though you have heard them from different sources before, they are my words. Because I know, through the witness of the Holy Ghost, that it is true. Therefore, they have become mine... from my own heart and soul.

Have a great week!

Elder Lowry!

These pictures were from his camera card that he sent home. Unfortunately, something happened in the mail and all the files were corrupted by the time we plugged it in... here's a few that we were able to recover though!