Week 40

Hello Everyone!

I am pretty excited to write you all this week! I got my new companion for the next six weeks of my life and his name is Elder Balmeo. I'll admit was really wanting an AMerican companion this time around, but I am excited for this companion. He is a really nice guy and is a really good elder. We have had a good time together with the work so far and I can see this turning in to a great companionship for the both of us. He is a really bright guy and loves to study the scriptures. I will try to get a picture this next week and find an SD card reader to attach some pictures for you all. He is also really good at speaking in English. So it takes some pressure off of me to communicate with him. His first area was also in Banga so we also have some good stories to talk about when we are bored. The tough thing is, we are both still learning Ilonggo. But we have talked about some ways that we can both work together to get better at the language. (he has spent a long time of his mission in the Aklan.)

The area is doing really well and I am really excited for next month. We have a pretty sure baptismal candidate! Her name is Analyn Brillo and has expressed that she really wants to get baptized. So we told her to really pray about it again and this next meeting we will set a date for her. It will most likely be in the middle of July. Analyn is 15 years old and is a "School girl" for a member family (look to the next paragraph as to what a school girl is). We have about 4 others who could really get baptized this next month, but will really have to commit to the idea of it like this next week. So we are pretty nervous/excited for this next week. Included in that 4 are that couple that I told you about last week. The Malunes family. I don't know what happened last week, but they weren't able to make it to church this last week. They said they were going and everything, but something may have come up. The others all have Word of Wisdom problems that they can overcome, but I am questionable about if they really want to. SO we will have to solve those issues soon here.

So this is something new to me in this area. Lots of people here are too poor to send their daughters to school past elementary school. SO if you have some extra income and you want some help around the house you get what they call a school girl. A girl from a poor family to live with you and you pay for her way through school. They do simple chores and babysit kids for you in return. The families never really expect like a servant, but they really treat the girl as a daughter. It is a way sweet system, and the girl really has a future this way too. So this is how we met this girl Analyn. Her parents are supportive of her learning about the gospel and getting baptized. She really is a smart girl. She keeps all of her commitments to read and to pray. She picks her favorite verses that she read in her assignments and remembers the messages that she read as well. We committed her to baptism and will give her a date this week as long as her prayers go well. I am very excited!

I was baffled when people all reminded me that it was father's day this last week. Man, time sure does fly! Well, I think I made my dad proud... let me explain. I lead singing time in Primary every week and it is possibly my favorite part of my mission so far. These little Filipinos LOVE singing time and will belt out every song they know at the top of their lungs in the cutest Filipino accents (i seriously might have to get a video for you all). Well, I got volunteered to prepare them for a presentation for sacrament. So we sang the classic "I'm so glad when Daddy comes home" Well it is "Papa" in the Filipino version. We got the song all memorized and man did they put on a show in front of the ward singing their hearts out. They sang very clearly and all blew kisses to their Dads at the end of the song. The bishopric had to make some announcements afterwords and had to choke back tears to speak. The Dads all came and thanked me after the meeting. I remember singing that song back when I was a kid for my dad. Even though it is sung every year it seems like and it probably never was even that great my dad always had a similar reaction as well. I have always been impressed with my dad for his appreciation of his kids. No matter how small our achievements may have been, he always appreciated what we did and made us feel like we had won the Nobel Prize or something. Whether I was acting on stage, playing football, running cross country, or working through school, he took time to appreciate and enjoy with me everything that I wanted to accomplish. Thanks Dad... You are the best.

I love you all so much! Thank you all for your continued support to me and my mission. I pray for you all everyday that you will be successful in your work as well. Remember the Lord in everything you do and always allow him to be your guide. We can only do that if we are following his commandments... all of them. So test his power and see what he can make of you. He has an awesome plan for everyone of us and all we have to do is follow his commandments and give him our hearts and he will take care of us.

Halong Kamo!

Elder Lowry.