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