Week 37

Hello Everyone!

Phew! I got 20 emails today! Some of them were pretty lengthy as well. Thank you all SO SO SO much. It is honestly just so refreshing to read what is going on in all of your lives! The advice was all accepted and I will print out a bunch of emails so that I can read them over the week. Thank you thank you thank you! You all gave great advice and I will try things out.

This week has been a relief. I have not been so worried about doing things my way and just laying back, I guess, to see how they do things here. I'm still not convinced that it is BEST way and that I can't improve it, but I got to see more of what I am working with. I just mainly focused on letting go of all stress. Just completely doing everything to dispose of it. It has worked pretty well and it no longer ranks on my to do list... it is done. I've just got to find a way to get the work moving now. We taught two lessons to investigators this past week. That is painful! I told Elder to lead the work. SO something still needs to happen there. I'm still clueless as to what... but I have faith I will find something out.

I did get to bond alot with my ward this week and I was much more in the mood to play with kids and be more myself. And, way more than my last area, I have my group of best kid friends. All are younger than ten... and mostly girls. They all love to steal my camera and have photo shoots. I felt like I was at a family reunion with all my little cousins again. Good memories. Filipino kids are very sweet and I really enjoy every opportunity I get to interact with them. They are all very patient with the language, they love to laugh, and they just LOVE to give big bear hugs. I have kids jumping on my back and attaching themselves to my leg at most of the houses we go to. Maybe that has been my therapy to make me happier this last week. It was much needed.

The language is coming along ok. I have come up with some ways to learn it faster and without the help of my companion (he doesn't speak it, he just understands). It is funny, because my companion only speaks Tagalog, some conversations are completely dual language. Elder will speak Tagalog and the person will speak only Ilonggo. Everything is still understood so I guess it is fine. It is an interesting language and I think I will learn to love it as much as Tagalog. I did an attitude check this last week with the language. I was kinda hating on the new language and just wanted to stick with the language that was easier for me. SO now I am trying harder to speak their language and become fluent for them.

Thank you all so much for all your help and support. I pray I will continue to rise and overcome this trial and become better for it. I will definitely be much more patient.

Love you all!

Elder Lowry

Week 36

Hello Family!

So things are about the same right now with me. If things are improving it is going at a very slow rate as to be imperceptible. I am trying harder and harder to be more understanding, but it seems every time I get over one issue another one is right on its tail. I am really trying to keep my stress manageable though. I had a tough time controlling it this last week and have been doing some hard self searching to find ways to relieve it. I had a couple nights of short sleep and a couple days of no appetite that were tough on me. The biggest thing for me is that this area is well developed and the ward is huge, but they still don't have a strong structure in the work and retaining process. In Banga we had a very good structure that I helped set up for new converts and for member's support. I think about 70% of my stress is coming from trying to establish that again. I think it is more than possible to get things well organized here, but my companion doesn't support it and our bishop doesn't really support it either. I have tried to goal with the Bishop and report to him frequently (like I am supposed to) and he really won't give me the time of day. Every time I try to fix something in our schedule or the way things are done, so that it can be more like what is in the handbooks, I get greeted with resistance and a reminder that I don't know how things are done in Manoling. So it is a very big load of poop on my chest.

These past few evenings I have been doing an evaluation of why I feel so stressed. I found out that not so much of it was from my companion as it was from my circumstance. So that really helped with my relationship with him. I have not been so bitter towards him lately. But there is still stress that comes from him. I have resolved to write down more of my experiences with him because they can be pretty funny sometimes.... when you aren't the one going through it. So I will start a story book about his weird quirks. Warning: I suspect this guy to literally be from Neptune. I don't think it is possible for any earthlings to be this different. Like his obsession with wearing pajama pants everywhere. To play basketball or to do service projects. What makes it better is they are like light purple or baby blue with angels or moons on them.

I have determined to just let more things slide. My resolution this new area was to be more obedient to the handbook and Preach My Gospel. That goal came at the exact wrong time in my mission. Like one thing yesterday, we had a baptism this week and while the bishopric was confirming him they never ONCE touched the top of the boy's head. And just many more things like that, that our bishopric should know and to me they just come off as clueless sometimes. So I will just shut my eyes the next time and move on. My companion is something that I am just going to have to move on from. He really needs to go back to the MTC and pay more attention to how to teach a lesson. I try to fix things but just get no response from him. It is just going to be a weird transfer. I am not quite sure how I will fix things, but for now I'm not too worried about it and will just wait it out.

So these are kinda my thoughts on the area. Most of you expressed you all wanted to know what was really going on. I didn't edit this much at all so you've got some raw thinking right here. So let me know what you all think. Right now I am open for suggestions.... please. Im begging you. Someone also asked what language I'm learning... Ilonggo. (ee-long-go) It is not nearly as hard as Aklanon. But they are not very good at Tagalog at all so it is tough still to communicate.

I also had a NIGHTMARE the last week. I had the dreaded dream of getting home. It is the WORST thing ever to a missionary. Everyone was crying and I was giving everyone hugs... it was in our house. Like it was so real. Then I wake up. Im in the middle of nowhere Philippines and the power is still out. it is no fun. As much as I look forward to that day, it is too much of a tease to dream it.

I love you all so much and I pray for you all often. Be safe over there and keep me in your prayers as well. I'll get through this trial and somehow be a better person afterwards. Who can really say until after it is done, eh?

Halong kamo,

Elder Lowry

Week 35 - Rough Week

Hello Family!

So this week was a very trying long week. But I am more than happy to announce that I have been able to work through it all and I am starting to see the light side of it all. It is a super long story and sort of stupid. But my companion and I had a very rough start to our time together. It mostly had to do with a misunderstanding he had from President. He thought that he was the senior companion and made that very clear when I arrived. SO I believed it and was very content to just follow. It became strikingly clear though that he had zero clue how to. He doesn't understand the white handbook or preach my gospel. I did the dumb thing and let my frustration get pent up for a while and then we quarreled. It took an interview with the ZL to work things out and for him to accept that I was going to lead the area. So things were pretty intense this week and we weren't able to get a whole lot done. I don't want to blame him for this because he had some pretty lazy trainers and other senior companions so he has had some misinterpretations of how things should be on a mission. He has been on his mission longer than me and he has still yet to be a senior.

So I have felt pretty bad this week, but it has been "for my good and experience." I have had to analyze what I really want to get out of my mission and how I can put up with companions that aren't just "matches made in heaven" (my trainer and my trainee were just so awesome). I have had to try to find ways to have fun and have the spirit without always having the cooperation of my companion. But I have survived. Now things seem to be on the mend. We have had to put alot aside for each other but I think that is the ONLY way to get through the next 5 or so weeks or longer. Now that we have made those sacrifices things are bearable and could even improve to fun.

The exciting news is that even though we were not able to visit him this week one of the drunks that went to church last week came back. He came all by himself and got there half an hour early. We are teaching him and his whole family tomorrow. He is way excited and we have already talked to him about baptism. His name is Jeldy and seems to be promising... if we can get him to quit smoking and drinking. I think it is very possible and his family seemed way nice when we met them.

So this week is my first week leading the area and I am excited for it. The people seem receptive here and I think I really help them. The last barrier is the language which will just have to take some time because I don't have anyone except the family kids to teach me. The family I live with is awesome and I love them so much. They have been a big reason I got through this last week. They have three kids I think... Im not sure because they have some aunts uncles and cousins that live with them. They are all super nice and love to interact with the missionaries. The kids are Ton-ton (i forgot his real name) 15 maybe, Chloebelle Kate 12 maybe, And Marz Cholo 2. Then there is Mary Grace 25 maybe (the sister of the mom) and Noynoy ~11 I think he is a cousin.

I love you all and pray for you all often

Elder Lowry

I am excited for another week and I pray it will be so much better than this last one. It can't get much worse is all I can say.

Week 34 - His new area

Hello family!

SO I am gonna have to keep this pretty short because I am short on time. But I got transferred this week to an area called Manoling. It is the most primitive area in the mission. So I am getting the full experience here. Like people in Banga live in very simple houses, but it just can't even compare to here. Like I would say a third to one half of the people have electricity. So this area is a very eye opening place for me. It is also very mountainous. Like huge mountians on every side... so we live in this small little valley in literally the middle of nowhere Philippines. The cool thing is that we live with a member family and they are way cool. I really love having other people in the house. The kids are way fun to talk to and they will be my lifeline in learning the language.

This week has been pretty testing of my patience. I am with a very interesting elder. He is pretty bad at English and just doesn't talk in general. He also doesnt know how to speak the local language here so that makes it difficult to adjust to the new area. I am working with it as well. Even though he is much my senior I will have to really step up and take the reins just because he refuses to. We also have not had electricity in the whole town for a good couple of days now. It can be very frustrating when everything is candle lit and there are no fans to keep me cool. We have had a very stormy past couple days and every day so far we have had to cross rivers where you just have to take your socks off. Roll up your slacks to your thighs and wade across. Yesterday we didnt only have to go across the usual river that had risen a good two feet, but the streets were flooded that we had to walk on (like up to my knee). But enough of my whining... it will be good stories for when I get home, eh? That's what I try to keep thinking.

I have also been bombarded with coconuts. I have eaten more coconut in the past week then I had my whole life prior. They are so good though. If you get them right when they are perfectly ripe the juice tastes like a weird kind of sprite and the meat is sweet and just a perfect refreshment. They dont like to give me their water (its river water) so they always just get a coconut for me. It is fine with me because coconut trees here are the most abundant things here. Like all you see here are just pure coconut trees.

I laughed when I read Dad's letter. Just like everyone else he told me of your crazy mother's day present (they sang and danced to weird songs that have to do with mothers... and for the record I laughed out loud when I read that Graham sang Mother by Pink Floyd.... HAHAHAHA.... best one!) But Dad made it sound like it was just everyone else was involved when I know for a fact that he participated. I wouldn't be surprised if he even contributed to the idea of this present.

I love you all so much and sorry this one is short but I will make sure I have more time next week.

Elder Lowry

Week 33

Hello Family!

So... I am getting transferred. Man. It put me in sort of a sour mood this morning. But I am optimistic about it right now and will continue to find the up side of things. I know which zone I am going to as well. I will be in the Roxas zone which takes up the province of Capiz. So I will be the next zone neighbor of my former zone (if that makes any sort of sense). It also means that I will be learning the great language of Ilonggo. So I am not excited to go back from the beginning and get used to another language. I guess I am not technically going 'back to the drawing board' per say. I understand the language for the most part, but it will be tough to substitute the words. It seems like Ilonggo is a lot of shortcuts as well so it will be different to get used to it. It also sounds like they are singing while they talk. Their intonation is very soft and it sounds like a lullaby.

So after being in the Aklan for six months I will have to leave and make my home somewhere else. The most 'bukid' area in the mission is in Roxas zone and I could possibly go there. Bukid- all farms and mountains and no city whatsoever. So it would be interesting if I go there. Banga had some areas that were very primitive but we also had a 'rich' city part as well. My trainer is in Roxas right now so I will get to see him again as well. I could also go to a beach area. That would be very very sweet for pictures to send home.

We had our area conference this last weekend. We got to hear from our area president Elder Teh (Korean), Elder Quentin L. Cook, The RS pres., and President Packer. So that was quite a treat. It has been 50 years of missionary work here in this country. I learned so much about the Philippine history there. It is the ONLY christian country in this region of the world. In fifty years we have over 600,000 members (the fastest growing country in the history of the church). Elder Teh said something really interesting that I want to share with you all. He said, "The Lord is hastening his work. We need to get on the same level as him because if you think that the church has grown alot in the past fifty years... you haven't seen anything yet." From for missionaries coming here fifty years ago until now the country has 16 missions, and three temples. The next fifty years are going to be quite amazing. And as far as I'm concerned the next 16 months are gonna be amazing.

So basically I am excited for the future... even though it will not be in Banga Aklan. It is tough to be transferred. Really tough. I have been expecting it but when I heard it I just wanted to cry. I have worked my butt off here and it will be tough to leave and maybe never see some of these people again in this life. But now it is Roxas' turn to have Elder Lowry. I hope I will be enough for them.

I am so excited to talk to you all. I wrote Mom all the options and so it is her job to email me back the final word. So ask Mom and then clear your schedules for Elder Lowry time. haha But really, I think I am that important. You all are so awesome and I can't wait to hear your voices and to tell you Philippines stories!

Elder Lowry