Week 81

Hello Family!

This has been another great week here in good ol' Hamtic.  We are seeing lots of progress in the work here and I am excited for this month of April to see what happens.  The Antique zone is really working hard and we are improving all around.  I love being the zone leader and being able to see progression as a whole zone as the individual missionaries really work on achieving the goals they have set.  I was really happy with how this last week went and felt proud sending in the numbers to the AP's.  I am really seeing a lift in morale here and the missionaries are working their butts off!  This week is transfer week!  I am pretty sure my companion will transfer and we will have a new zone leader here in Antique.   Elder Sellers also went off to Iloilo this morning... he will be in America on Wednesday.  Isn't that just crazy?!!  I have a hard time believing that I will ever leave the Philippines.   It has just become the norm to be a missionary and to be here in the Philippines.  ELder said that he didn't feel like he was even going home.  Even packing he said just felt like he was being transferred to a new area, not going home.  I guess I'll see how it feels in a couple months, no?  

Elder Arrieta and I have been working way hard despite being busy zone leaders.  We had to go to the city again this last week to go on splits with the AP's in their areas.  I got to work with Elder Andersen who is from my batch.  It was the first time I have ever worked with him.  He is a way cool guy.  The area in Hamtic is doing really well, too... We have been working hard to help Sister Marjorie be prepared for her baptism on April 14.  I am way excited for her because she has been taught by the missionaries for like 6 months now and she has just recently began to seriously prepare for a baptismal date.  She has been to church every week for the past month and a half and is reading the BOok of Mormon consistently.  She is in Alma... chapter 30 something.  We are also working really closely with another sister named Chrispina Abella.  he is like 60 years old and LOVES the church.  She is deadly afraid of commitment and is really skeptical about being baptized.  I like her alot cause she really understands that once she is baptized she has to keep going and she is a "fully pledged member" as she like to say.  We gave her a goal date for her baptism for April 28 and asked her to pray to know if she should be baptized on that day.  I think it will go through just because she is a sincere person and she has great fellowshippers in the church!  I think those are the only two baptisms we can count on for April.  Should be a good month!

I love being here in the Philippines and just soaking up everything that I have experienced.  It has been such a ride to get me to this point and I trust it will be an even crazier ride to get me through the next six months and go home.  One thing that is way nice about being in Antique are the sunsets here.  We are on the west side of the island and the sun sets on the ocean.  I cannot even describe how beautiful the sky looks EVERY night.  About 6:30 every night I am just mesmerized by the sky and the awesome colors that colors the clouds.  I think it is just the prettiest thing in the world and every evening I am so thankful to be where I am right now.  I have just never seen anything quite like it and I don't think I could ever do justice to it.

This next week looks to be exciting and busy.  I am excited for all the new adventures and experiences I will gain over the next 7 days.  I will get some good pictures to send home and I will try to remember a specific experience that will be cool to share.  I love you all and I miss you all so much!  I hope every has an awesome week and don't forget to write me!  I love letters!

Elder Lowry