Hello family!
This was another awesome wee in Miag-ao! I am way happy right now with how the progress is going. Again, we were just short of our attendance goal with 35. We had a family that has been way consistent lately that didn't make it to church. They have 5 people that always come... SO CLOSE! We would've hit the goal! I'm not too worried about it though... it will happen. It is way good though that we stayed really high. If you remember, the last week we had 36, so we are really showing consistency. Also, we haven't dipped below 25 since I have been here. 8 months ago that goal would have been laughed at.
What made this week so awesome was definitely our correlation with the Branch yesterday. Correlation is something these people struggle with. But yesterday we had our Stake President, Pres. Torres, to lead the correlation. This guy is the man and just gets things done. We were able to report how well the branch is doing. He said that in January we need to have 2 more men worthy to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and he would send the request to Salt Lake City to make a new branch! We definitely have two guys we are working with!!! That process in SLC will probably take 3 months so we are planning to make the group into a branch in April 2012! You have no idea how excited I was. I almost just lost it. President himself admitted that a couple months ago he thought Miag-ao would be branch material in like 2014... but now we are setting plans for April! We are now working on just getting the members so excited! They have been waiting so long for this. Once they are a branch they will have their own budget and we can rent a place that is bigger and right in the middle of town.
We also had a way cool experience... with a snake! Don't worry I never saw it while it was alive. But we got to a members house last Saturday like two minutes after they had killed an 8+ foot snake. It was humongous. They had completely severed the head with a big machete, but it would still move and react if you touched it! I was trippin way hard! Then the brilliant idea came to Elder and I to ask for the skin. So they skinned the snake right there or us! (They were about to clean it to eat it anyway) Then we luckily heard about this guy who works with snake skins alot that lived clear across town. We washed the skin in ocean water (to preserve it) and found this guy. We luckily found him and for 500 P each we are getting each a snake skin belt and a wallet or two made! All from the same snake! We are gonna be the rockingest companions in the zone conference later this month. Like I have had comp ties and comp pants... but this tops all the best comp items I've heard of! Elder Gowey and I are pretty darn proud of ourselves right about now!
Anyways! I think I am about done... nothing else big happened this week! We are doing really well here and I am excited or another week o work and experiences. It seems like the crazy things always sneak up on you... then you sit down that night and just say.. Dang Elder, that was sweet. I am gonna cut this letter off here, though, because we have a Halloween party tonight that we have to get ready for. They don't do anything crazy for Halloween. It is called All Saints Day and it is November. They just make some food and leave it up for their deceased friends and Saints. I haven't asked too much about it. That is just what I have heard.
I love you all and miss you all so much! It is so nice to hear from you all... keep 'em coming!
Halong
Elder Lowry
p.s.- Marie! I thought that name was hilarious. Good find. I wrote you a letter either last week or the week before. Get Excited.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Week 58
Hello Family!
How is everyone out there? I am doing
really well here in Miag-ao! This has been a bit of a longer week as we
have been really busy with a lot of things. One thing that I am really
excited is one of my really good mission buddies just got transferred
into the area right next to mine! I don't know if I have ever written
home about Elder Waggoner, but we met each other in the MTC and have
been good buddies ever since. He was in the batch that came in while I
was ZL. He is from Kentucky and the way we found out that we would be
best friends was when we discovered that we both loved the Avett
Brothers. Ever since then we have just become good ol' friends. SO he
is in the next area over in San Joaquin. We are actually a part of his
branch (we are just a group).
I got my package this last weekend and I was able to
withdraw some money so thanks Pa! (I think the card activates if you
put in the pin code at an ATM). Thanks so much for the potatoes and
candy! The pancakes were awesome as well. We are saving those because
we have a hiking trip to the mountains on Nov. 12 and everyone from our
district is coming. So I figured I would be Mr. Generous and just cook
the pancakes that morning for breakfast. I am way excited for this
hiking trip because the mountains of my area are supposed to be way
cool. We will be going to a place called "Tinagong Dagat" (hidden
sea). It is this random lake on top of the biggest mountain here. It
will be an all day hike, but they say you can see like 8 towns from the
top of the mountains and it is way worth the hike. Get excited for some
pictures!
The work this week was tough again because we had
Stake Conference in Iloilo again. We were only able to get like 3
members there. The members here are all pretty poor and it is tough for
them to go anywhere outside of Miag-ao. We are getting way excited for
our young couple investigators though. Noynoy and Nene are getting
closer and closer to getting married and should be baptized next month
on November 12th. We are really pushing for them to just get the
marriage papers done. They are always apprehensive to start and I think
they are confused on how to get everything done. So we are trying to
help them get it done and trying to be patient. They both really want
to be baptized... the marriage is the thing they are nervous about. We
are actually going by to meet Nene's parents to help them feel more
comfortable with the wedding and to tell them what they need to do for
the paperwork.
Other than that we are really trying to just get all
of our members that are in our area to church on Sundays. And we are
really trying to help one guy get everything in order so he can
eventually be our Group Leader/ future Branch President. So that is a
big job. We are sometimes not quite sure what to do and how to do it,
but we feel like the Lord is directing us and teaching us step by step.
We really feel like the work is progressing fast in this are and I am
just way excited for it.
Well I figured out my picture problem... my card
reader was crap. SO now I have it all worked out and I have like 20
pictures I really wanna send. SO I will let them do the rest of the
talking! (They woke up at 5am to get the sunrise pictures)
I love you all and miss you all so much! Happy Late
2nd Birthday to little Levi and Dad's big 50 party is coming up!
Everyone is getting so old while I am gone. I'm excited to hear from
you all this next week!
Halong,
Elder Lowry
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Week 57
Hello Family!
So this week was way sweet and a ton of fun. Time is just absolutely flying by. I was o surprised when I was planning one night and I though it was Wednesday the next day... but nope. We were definitely planning for Saturday. So yes... it does seem like the days are just passing me by here. I am definitely enjoying every single one of them. This last week was really exciting as we had a baptism! The little boy whose family is all member was baptized this last Saturday and I had the honor of performing it... in the ocean. So yes... In the year 2011 I have baptized people in a font, river, and now an ocean. I got some cool pictures and I hope I can figure out my problem with my card reader soon so that I can get some pictures to you all.
As for our goal of 40 at church... WE WERE SO CLOSE. We set the record though at 36 people. I figured it all out though. I blessed the sacrament and noticed that it was good that we didn't have forty. We only have one sacrament tray and the number of cups that can fit on one sacrament tray... 36. We didn't have any water out for the blessing either o it would've been bad that we had more people than sacrament. I figured that was God's way of warning us that if we want 40 people to go to church we had better be ready for that many. This next week we have Stake Conference in Iloilo. So we will have to wait til Oct. 30 to try again for the attendance goal. We till even had three families that we were counting on to be there but were no shows. With all of them there it should have been getting close to 50 people. So ya... we will be ready for them on the 30th and I think we will really get it. With the 36 we had 4 investigators again. We are definitely witnessing first hand how the Lord "hastens his work."
So Krista sent me a Primary story so I feel inspired to share mine this week. I have been "training" this newly reactivated sister how to teach Primary. Her name is Crestine and she is only 18 and way nervous for the calling. I didn't blame her because this group of kids is ROWDY. Like I was pretty overwhelmed at first. Then on Crestine's first week the kids were not very nice and made her cry... it was a dramatic Sunday. So we regrouped and Crestine and I got ready for another week. We taught about Samuel the Lamanite. It was good but they were still rowdy and all over the place. But then we let them draw pictures of it and they were happy. Yesterday we asked the kids what we taught the last Sunday... They told us EVERYTHING. It was perfect. We were both blown away with how much these kids had retained. It was nothing short of a miracle. I love teaching primary.
So I have got to get going soon because I have to get to the city and get some lunch. I'm starving. I am getting pizza today! Remember I love you all and miss you all so much! I love haring from everyone on Monday and when I get letters. It lifts my spirits a ton and makes me excited to get my work done and go home. I pray for you all often and hope everything is going well.
Halong,
Elder Lowry
So this week was way sweet and a ton of fun. Time is just absolutely flying by. I was o surprised when I was planning one night and I though it was Wednesday the next day... but nope. We were definitely planning for Saturday. So yes... it does seem like the days are just passing me by here. I am definitely enjoying every single one of them. This last week was really exciting as we had a baptism! The little boy whose family is all member was baptized this last Saturday and I had the honor of performing it... in the ocean. So yes... In the year 2011 I have baptized people in a font, river, and now an ocean. I got some cool pictures and I hope I can figure out my problem with my card reader soon so that I can get some pictures to you all.
As for our goal of 40 at church... WE WERE SO CLOSE. We set the record though at 36 people. I figured it all out though. I blessed the sacrament and noticed that it was good that we didn't have forty. We only have one sacrament tray and the number of cups that can fit on one sacrament tray... 36. We didn't have any water out for the blessing either o it would've been bad that we had more people than sacrament. I figured that was God's way of warning us that if we want 40 people to go to church we had better be ready for that many. This next week we have Stake Conference in Iloilo. So we will have to wait til Oct. 30 to try again for the attendance goal. We till even had three families that we were counting on to be there but were no shows. With all of them there it should have been getting close to 50 people. So ya... we will be ready for them on the 30th and I think we will really get it. With the 36 we had 4 investigators again. We are definitely witnessing first hand how the Lord "hastens his work."
So Krista sent me a Primary story so I feel inspired to share mine this week. I have been "training" this newly reactivated sister how to teach Primary. Her name is Crestine and she is only 18 and way nervous for the calling. I didn't blame her because this group of kids is ROWDY. Like I was pretty overwhelmed at first. Then on Crestine's first week the kids were not very nice and made her cry... it was a dramatic Sunday. So we regrouped and Crestine and I got ready for another week. We taught about Samuel the Lamanite. It was good but they were still rowdy and all over the place. But then we let them draw pictures of it and they were happy. Yesterday we asked the kids what we taught the last Sunday... They told us EVERYTHING. It was perfect. We were both blown away with how much these kids had retained. It was nothing short of a miracle. I love teaching primary.
So I have got to get going soon because I have to get to the city and get some lunch. I'm starving. I am getting pizza today! Remember I love you all and miss you all so much! I love haring from everyone on Monday and when I get letters. It lifts my spirits a ton and makes me excited to get my work done and go home. I pray for you all often and hope everything is going well.
Halong,
Elder Lowry
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Week 56
Hello Family!
This week has been really good for Elder Gowey and I. We finally got to go see General Conference on Saturday and Sunday! I was so excited to see all of the Apostles and Prophet and to hear all of their messages. It really is an amazing thing to hear them speak and relay messages that they have been given from God. I can always feel that their messages are true and important. I went to this conference with a couple goals in mind. I really had some investigators who requested that I bring them a talk that could help them with the challenges they are facing right now. I really felt during three talks that those are the ones meant for each of those people who made requests. I was very thankful or the inspiration given to those people who delivered perfect messages that seemed just custom made for my investigators. I can't wait to give out those talks and let them receive that revelation that God wishes them to have. I also wanted to remember some specific counsel from the prophet that I could use in helping people understand the need of a prophet in our time. I don't think that simply stating the fact that there is a living prophet is enough to let people know just how important having a prophet is to all of us, but if you have some examples of what the prophet teaches your witness can be more powerful. It really stuck out in my mind about how President Monson was talking about how, in a world of change and shifting values, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is something firm and consistent and something from where we can draw support. I think the talk I took that from was his address in the Sunday Morning Session if you would like to review. As you can probably tell... I really enjoyed Conference.
We are also really excited because we have a baptism this weekend. His name is Francis Drilon and is a part member little boy. He is 10 years old and all of his family are members. He has been going to church for a long time now and we feel that he is prepared to become a member as well. We are really pleased with how well he remembers everything we teach him and how solid his testimony is. So that will happen this Saturday October 15. We are also really busy with three more people who are on track to be baptized on November 12. Two of them still need to be married. Their names are Noynoy and Nene. Noynoy's mom and dad were baptized in July and he has been coming to church for a month now. His soon to be wife went for her first time on Oct 2 to the church. We are way buy right now and we are way happy with how the work is progressing. We also have a big goal this weekend of getting 40 people to church and 10 of them to be investigators. I really think this is a possible goal and one that will really get the Stake's attention in our plea to become a branch. So I will have a lot to report to you all next week!
We also had a big surprise this week that seems to be really promising. We were on our way to an appointment riding on the back of a tricycle. We had to stop as one of the other passengers was going to buy food or his chickens or something like that. So while we were waiting we saw this black guy walking up to us (I have never seen a black person in the Philippines). He came right up and starting talking to us... in English! This is maybe the third time I have talked to a native English speaker here that wasn't another missionary. He is a Liberian citizen who moved to Maryland when he was two and then moved back when he was 15. He also went to college in Nigeria and is now starting a job at the University of the Philippines which has a big campus in our area. We asked where he lived and he invitedus over anytime to talk. So last night after we got home from conference we went to go visit our new friend. He is a way nice guy and was blown away that we knew how to speak the language here. He also let us share a short message and we were able to give him a pamphlet and a return appointment for Tuesday. He has been to church before in Liberia and has even read a bit o the Book o Mormon before. So Elder and I are way excited to see him again and find out more about how he has found himself here in the Philippines. So crazy, eh?
Well... that is all I can really think of! I am loving my time here in the Philippines and I am just blown away right now that this is the last week of this transfer. It felt like nothing... like just last weekend I was unpacking my stuff here. I've been here for over a month now. I am understanding their language.... I forgot! We have been talking to all the big shots here in Miag-ao this last week. We gave a Book of Mormon to the Chief judge here and we are starting an English class for the municipality workers this week. We have met with the Mayor a couple times and discussed the class. We will be doing everything in the municipality and we hoped to really be able to branch out more soon. So now everyone in the municipality office will be taking English classes from the Mormon Missionaries. So Elder and I are way excited for this new opportunity.
I love you all!
Elder Lowry
This week has been really good for Elder Gowey and I. We finally got to go see General Conference on Saturday and Sunday! I was so excited to see all of the Apostles and Prophet and to hear all of their messages. It really is an amazing thing to hear them speak and relay messages that they have been given from God. I can always feel that their messages are true and important. I went to this conference with a couple goals in mind. I really had some investigators who requested that I bring them a talk that could help them with the challenges they are facing right now. I really felt during three talks that those are the ones meant for each of those people who made requests. I was very thankful or the inspiration given to those people who delivered perfect messages that seemed just custom made for my investigators. I can't wait to give out those talks and let them receive that revelation that God wishes them to have. I also wanted to remember some specific counsel from the prophet that I could use in helping people understand the need of a prophet in our time. I don't think that simply stating the fact that there is a living prophet is enough to let people know just how important having a prophet is to all of us, but if you have some examples of what the prophet teaches your witness can be more powerful. It really stuck out in my mind about how President Monson was talking about how, in a world of change and shifting values, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is something firm and consistent and something from where we can draw support. I think the talk I took that from was his address in the Sunday Morning Session if you would like to review. As you can probably tell... I really enjoyed Conference.
We are also really excited because we have a baptism this weekend. His name is Francis Drilon and is a part member little boy. He is 10 years old and all of his family are members. He has been going to church for a long time now and we feel that he is prepared to become a member as well. We are really pleased with how well he remembers everything we teach him and how solid his testimony is. So that will happen this Saturday October 15. We are also really busy with three more people who are on track to be baptized on November 12. Two of them still need to be married. Their names are Noynoy and Nene. Noynoy's mom and dad were baptized in July and he has been coming to church for a month now. His soon to be wife went for her first time on Oct 2 to the church. We are way buy right now and we are way happy with how the work is progressing. We also have a big goal this weekend of getting 40 people to church and 10 of them to be investigators. I really think this is a possible goal and one that will really get the Stake's attention in our plea to become a branch. So I will have a lot to report to you all next week!
We also had a big surprise this week that seems to be really promising. We were on our way to an appointment riding on the back of a tricycle. We had to stop as one of the other passengers was going to buy food or his chickens or something like that. So while we were waiting we saw this black guy walking up to us (I have never seen a black person in the Philippines). He came right up and starting talking to us... in English! This is maybe the third time I have talked to a native English speaker here that wasn't another missionary. He is a Liberian citizen who moved to Maryland when he was two and then moved back when he was 15. He also went to college in Nigeria and is now starting a job at the University of the Philippines which has a big campus in our area. We asked where he lived and he invitedus over anytime to talk. So last night after we got home from conference we went to go visit our new friend. He is a way nice guy and was blown away that we knew how to speak the language here. He also let us share a short message and we were able to give him a pamphlet and a return appointment for Tuesday. He has been to church before in Liberia and has even read a bit o the Book o Mormon before. So Elder and I are way excited to see him again and find out more about how he has found himself here in the Philippines. So crazy, eh?
Well... that is all I can really think of! I am loving my time here in the Philippines and I am just blown away right now that this is the last week of this transfer. It felt like nothing... like just last weekend I was unpacking my stuff here. I've been here for over a month now. I am understanding their language.... I forgot! We have been talking to all the big shots here in Miag-ao this last week. We gave a Book of Mormon to the Chief judge here and we are starting an English class for the municipality workers this week. We have met with the Mayor a couple times and discussed the class. We will be doing everything in the municipality and we hoped to really be able to branch out more soon. So now everyone in the municipality office will be taking English classes from the Mormon Missionaries. So Elder and I are way excited for this new opportunity.
I love you all!
Elder Lowry
Week 55
Hello Family!
So this week was really good! Nothing horrible or anything happened. And my foot is doing just great. I am just waiting for the gash to heal up all the way. It doesn't hurt or anything anymore. Anyways, I am way jealous of all of you that got to enjoy your conference weekend a whole week before me. But I am way excited for this weekend coming up. I'm sure it will be just awesome. I really liked getting all of your updates on what you all liked though, it gives me a heads up as to what to look out for.
This week was pretty slow as far as lessons are concerned, but the turn out on Sunday was great. Like the first week I was here we set a goal that by October 2 we wanted 40 people to go to church (the record is 34 people at church). We were all ready to go and meet our goal on Saturday night and had firm commitments from alot of people that they would be at church. Then we wake up on Sunday morning to rain just absolutely pouring from the sky. Just walking to the little tricycle terminal with an umbrella I was SOAKED. Filipinos hate to go outside in the rain if they don't have to and therefore, only 29 went to church. So I was a bit let down yesterday morning why there had to be rain on the day that we goaled for having forty at church and had worked so tirelessly for. Later on in the day I looked back on exactly what happened though. In the past if it was even just sprinkling they would only get like 12 people out. This time it was raining WAY hard and there were 29. Also, we had 4 investigators at church and they are the 4 people that have baptismal dates. So the more I thought about it I wasn't as let down about not reaching the goal and really focused on how much actually did get accomplished. Maybe the most surprising to me was how many Melchizedek priesthood age men were at church. Only 4 of them actually had it, but we had 4 more guys that were either investigators or recent converts that could all potentially get the priesthood in the next year. That has never happened before here either. It used to be ALL girls that went to church, so this was a big step for the Miag-ao group becoming a branch. It will probably happen after I am gone, but it will still be sweet to hear about. Needless to say, the work is moving along just fine here and it is looking bright for the future.
This upcoming week is a week full of travel. We are going to Iloilo four days out of the next 6. So I will be a bit sleep deprived and way tired of travel, but it makes for a very exciting schedule. I am so excited for General Conference. I read an interesting article in an old Liahona I found in our apartment. It was this guy who told a story about how he was doing some member missionary work and told his friend about how we have General Conference in our church. How great it was that God calls living prophets and Apostles in our time and how grateful he was for it. Hwe thought he was doing a pretty good job talking it up until his friend asked, "If you all have prophets in your church what does he say?" Then the guy admits that for the life of him he couldn't remember a single thing of what the prophet said in the last conference. So his opportunity to really teach and testify was quickly brought to an end. I thought of how true that could be sometimes for me. Luckily no one really asks me that, but when I read that I thought of how important it was to really remember and study what our prophet today has to say for us. So that is definitely something I am going to focus on more this week. What are the unique messages our prophet has for us today.
I am really excited now for a new week of adventure and teaching. The language is coming along alot better and I can understand and hear it alot more. It has a really different sound so it is sometimes hard for me to pick out the words they say and then try to translate them. When learning these new languages it is really best to talk to the kids. They are forgiving if you make a mistake and usually they talk slower so you can pick out what they are saying easier. So that is what I use my primary opportunities for... learning the language better. I also am getting way good at their little games. I learned some more games that we will all have to play when I get home. This new one is called Coca Cola... Masarap... Inumin! I will have to just show you when I get home.
I love you all and think of you all so often. Sorry I'm not able to send any pictures. I think something has gone wrong with my card reader. So I am still trying to get those along, but I don't know how right now. I will try to find a computer shop here that has card readers this next week. Anyways thank you all for all the support and love!
Halong kamo
Elder Lowry
So this week was really good! Nothing horrible or anything happened. And my foot is doing just great. I am just waiting for the gash to heal up all the way. It doesn't hurt or anything anymore. Anyways, I am way jealous of all of you that got to enjoy your conference weekend a whole week before me. But I am way excited for this weekend coming up. I'm sure it will be just awesome. I really liked getting all of your updates on what you all liked though, it gives me a heads up as to what to look out for.
This week was pretty slow as far as lessons are concerned, but the turn out on Sunday was great. Like the first week I was here we set a goal that by October 2 we wanted 40 people to go to church (the record is 34 people at church). We were all ready to go and meet our goal on Saturday night and had firm commitments from alot of people that they would be at church. Then we wake up on Sunday morning to rain just absolutely pouring from the sky. Just walking to the little tricycle terminal with an umbrella I was SOAKED. Filipinos hate to go outside in the rain if they don't have to and therefore, only 29 went to church. So I was a bit let down yesterday morning why there had to be rain on the day that we goaled for having forty at church and had worked so tirelessly for. Later on in the day I looked back on exactly what happened though. In the past if it was even just sprinkling they would only get like 12 people out. This time it was raining WAY hard and there were 29. Also, we had 4 investigators at church and they are the 4 people that have baptismal dates. So the more I thought about it I wasn't as let down about not reaching the goal and really focused on how much actually did get accomplished. Maybe the most surprising to me was how many Melchizedek priesthood age men were at church. Only 4 of them actually had it, but we had 4 more guys that were either investigators or recent converts that could all potentially get the priesthood in the next year. That has never happened before here either. It used to be ALL girls that went to church, so this was a big step for the Miag-ao group becoming a branch. It will probably happen after I am gone, but it will still be sweet to hear about. Needless to say, the work is moving along just fine here and it is looking bright for the future.
This upcoming week is a week full of travel. We are going to Iloilo four days out of the next 6. So I will be a bit sleep deprived and way tired of travel, but it makes for a very exciting schedule. I am so excited for General Conference. I read an interesting article in an old Liahona I found in our apartment. It was this guy who told a story about how he was doing some member missionary work and told his friend about how we have General Conference in our church. How great it was that God calls living prophets and Apostles in our time and how grateful he was for it. Hwe thought he was doing a pretty good job talking it up until his friend asked, "If you all have prophets in your church what does he say?" Then the guy admits that for the life of him he couldn't remember a single thing of what the prophet said in the last conference. So his opportunity to really teach and testify was quickly brought to an end. I thought of how true that could be sometimes for me. Luckily no one really asks me that, but when I read that I thought of how important it was to really remember and study what our prophet today has to say for us. So that is definitely something I am going to focus on more this week. What are the unique messages our prophet has for us today.
I am really excited now for a new week of adventure and teaching. The language is coming along alot better and I can understand and hear it alot more. It has a really different sound so it is sometimes hard for me to pick out the words they say and then try to translate them. When learning these new languages it is really best to talk to the kids. They are forgiving if you make a mistake and usually they talk slower so you can pick out what they are saying easier. So that is what I use my primary opportunities for... learning the language better. I also am getting way good at their little games. I learned some more games that we will all have to play when I get home. This new one is called Coca Cola... Masarap... Inumin! I will have to just show you when I get home.
I love you all and think of you all so often. Sorry I'm not able to send any pictures. I think something has gone wrong with my card reader. So I am still trying to get those along, but I don't know how right now. I will try to find a computer shop here that has card readers this next week. Anyways thank you all for all the support and love!
Halong kamo
Elder Lowry
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