Week 69

Hello Family!

So first of all I just have to thank you all SO much for all your help with my survey.  I really liked all the answers and it has really given me alot more things to look into over the next week.  I have done alot of thinking and studying this last week and came up with lots of different ideas and it seemed to all dead end into one thing.  So I was confused on what to do next.  The emails were so different from how I was thinking about it... so now I will see where all these ideas take me.  There was, however, one person who summed up my whole week of research in one little comment on FB... I don't think I know this person but I like how she thinks!  It was Natalie Kilgore Giddens.  Good two cents Sister.  I have been asking people the past year and few months if they believe the church is true.  They all have a strong testimony that Joseph Smith is a prophet and that The Church of Jesus Christ was restored through him.  They believe that The Book of Mormon is Another Testament of Jesus Christ, etc.  But somehow they do not attend church or act according to this knowledge/testimony.  This week I have divided the different classes of "knowing" the Church is true.  First step: obtain Knowledge.  We obtain the knowledge through others sharing their knowledge with us.  We can also read to gain knowledge.  But knowledge is just in the brain/mind.  Useful... but this is only level one.  The next step would be to confirm the truthfulness of this spiritual knowledge.  Or receive a testimony.  A person can pray and feel the Spirit and know the truthfulness of the knowledge they gained.  This extends the knowledge to the heart.  This is how people come to feel the gospel is true.  The person is definitely progressing by this point but much more is needed to obtain a true conversion.  Look up Conversion in the Bible Dictionary... the last part is what really hit me.  Recall Peter's experience the night before the Savior.  Even he... who traveled with the Savior for three years was not yet fully converted to Jesus Christ's gospel.  Complete conversion requires that we have endured many things and will yet endure.  It means that we accept the challenge of the Savior to "be perfect" even as our Father in Heaven is perfect.  I think if this is truly our goal we will be at church every week ready to be uplifted.  

So I just shared most of what I have come up with this week.  I am really going to print out every answer I just received and look at them all individually and see what I can find.  I really REALLY appreciate the time everyone took to help me out.  I hope that the questions were though provoking enough to help you all as well.  I will have more this next week for everyone.  Just to let you all know I made a survey for the members as well with most of the same questions.  Everyone that filled it out was at church this weekend.  I think what could help me the most is trying to find a way to help others understand what I have already found out.  I feel like I have gained alot from this study, but now my struggle is how to communicate this to the members effectively.  What are some things that have helped you all receive the testimonies or strengthen your testimonies to the point that you feel the need to go to church?  How have other people helped you feel that need/desire?  Just help me get some ideas to get the active members involves as well.  I feel like this group is a bit too segregated right now.  I liked what Linda said about being a community.  I need to get that going right now.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH... You don't know how much those answers meant to me.  You are all beautiful people.  

This week was alot of fun for me.  We had some investigators come to church... three in fact.  Two still need to get married, but I am really feeling like they are inching closer to it.  The other one has been three weeks in a row.  Her name is Lea Noquera and is doing really well.  She still has a couple things we need to help her with but I think she could be baptized this month.  I don't know if I will still be here though.  I think there is a 70% chance I will leave this week.  Transfer week is upon us once again.  I will know Wednesday night whether I have another 6 weeks here or not.  I really do not wanna leave, but with how things are working out this transfer it just makes sense for me to leave.  I'll let you all know this next Monday.

We are also really excited for a family that we have been teaching... The Lucero Family.  They are doing a great job progressing and gave us firm commitments to come to church this next Sunday.  Another guy Elmer Faelman is a new investigator that we have only seen twice so far, but he has really shown some progress.  We are setting a goal to have him at church this weekend as well.  

We are working lots with Less Active families as well.  It is really really tough to help them come back to church.  There is only so much you can do for them... I guess that is why I am focusing so much on studying out how to help them understand so much.  I feel like I am becoming more effective already.  

I also have done something else to help my study and myself as well.  One of my New Year's Resolutions is to read the Book of Mormon every month for the rest of my mission (at least).  I have read it 8 times in my life already... so this goal will double the amount of times I've read it cover to cover.  It is pretty lofty... but luckily being a missionary I have lots of time to read the Book of Mormon.  So right now I am in Mosiah 25.  I am on track to finish before February.  I feel like this goal will really help me be a more effective missionary.  I have already experienced it actually.  What do you think?  good goal?  I have really enjoyed so far... I feel like I will really KNOW what is in the Book of Mormon by the end of my mission.  

Well, I don't think too much else has happened this week that I need to report.  This week has just been very contemplative for me... thinking studying, more thinking, and lots of reading.  I am doing really well here in Miag-ao.  I love my mission, I love this place, and I love the people.  So all in all I am happy and I can't believe that I only have like 8 months left to enjoy it.  

I love you all and miss you all so much.  Keep up the great emails and the awesome support.  I am glad I have such awesome people to fall back on... it makes the mission so nice and easier to have an awesome support group like you all.  

Halong,

Elder Lowry