Week 83

Hello Family!

It has been another great week here in Hamtic for Elder Lowry.  The work sure seems to be progressing wonderfully and we are seeing the Lord's hand in all things.  This last week turned out to be way busy with another Zone Leader's council and then the Antique zone had interviews with President on Friday.  SO we were busy trying to coordinate everything and still get some good quality time in our own area.  AS always the Lord provided a way and we were able to get everything done.  We are excited for this next week when we should have no problems at all working in the area.  The schedule is clear and we are excited for the time we will have to find new people and help the older investigators continue to progress. 

Elder Domincel and I are having a blast working together and spending time together.  He is a way cool guy and we have just had a blast being companions.  I definitely have a lot I can learn from him.  He is such a fun loving person who can have a good time with anyone.  He really lives the principle that you can have fun no matter what happens around you.  He really takes charge of the situation and always chooses to be happy about it.  That is something I can definitely get better at... sometimes I depend on others too much on if I have fun.  I am super thankful for this awesome companion that the Lord has given me.  

The area here in Hamtic is doing well.  We are still having the same crowd come to church and progress in the gospel.  One thing that Leder Domincel and I have been trying to work out is find a family that has been prepared for us.  It turns out that this is really hard and we are still on the search.  I am confident they are out there somewhere and we will find them.  This week looks promising for time that we can look high and low for that family.  One thing that was awesome this last week was our work with less active families.  A person that is deemed "inactive" means that they haven't gone to church in a quarter... at all.  To "reactivate" them they have to go to church 4 consecutive Sundays... If they miss even one Sunday the count has to technically start over.  Well we have had a FULL family come to church together for three consecutive Sundays now.  I am so happy for them and they seem to just be getting stronger nd stronger. We had a good lesson about temple marriage/ sealing and even got to use Krista's picture of there family in front of the Atlanta temple and the Mom LOVED the "My Forever Family" that she had written on the back.  Something Elder and I are doing well right now is reactivating.  We have two other inactive families that went to church as well.  I had one of those awesome moments while teaching an inactive family... Elder Domincel was teaching a little portion of the lesson just after I had given my little spill. I looked around... the sun was setting (sunsets here in Antique are the absolute prettiest things) and this family had gone out of their way together everyone together to listen to a gospel message and the Spirit was so strong.  I just had a feeling that I was EXACTLY where the Lord wanted me to be at that time.  I felt like I was called to help this family and that the Lord was pleased with where I was and what I was doing.  It was such a feeling of peace and serenity and I was so thankful that I had the chance to be a missionary in Hamtic and to be on the Lord's errand.  It was just one of those moments/ revelations where you are reassured by the Lord that everything I have gone through and will go through will be worth it and be for my own benefit.  It was a time that I renewed my desire to go out and work harder.  Overall, it was an answered prayer that has helped me keep up the zeal for the work.  I am happy to be where I am.

I have thought lately about how long I've been out on a mission and it truly has been a long time now.  I still have quite a bit left, too.  It blows my mind that I haven't seen Mom and Dad for a whole year and 7 months now... just being accurate... not trunky.  It makes me think of how much of a bond that families have and how they are so important to us.  Elder Domincel and I have been studying alot lately about families and how we can help these families be stronger.  The mission is really trying to be more family oriented.  And it really has helped alot.  The message we share is really aimed for families and how they can be stronger.  The church is, of course, the answer and all of its programs are aimed to strengthen the most basic unit which is the family.  I can see how the church has helped my family grow stronger and closer to one another and being on a mission has magnified just how much I depend on my support system from my family. I really can't imagine what life would be like without that support I receive from every member of my family.  So basically I just wanted to brag a bit here and let everyone know that I have the best family.  And I know it isn't a race or anything but if it was the Lowry's would be in 1st.  

Well, I am doing great here, as always.  I love my time here and I look forward to the time when I will be back in Georgia with my family.  I am excited to see how everyone has changed and grown up in the past couple years.  

I love you all!

Scott