Hello Family!
Another great week here in Miag-ao. We had an interesting church service though. I think we had 4 people there when the meeting started and about 12 people were there total. I think with it being New Year's day alot of people either forgot or didn't feel like going to church. We did, however, have 3 investigators there.
I feel like this is an awesome area and it has so much potential. I also feel like there are just two or three things that are preventing that from happening. I haven't quite figured it out and it is really bugging me. Elder Workman has been feeling a bit under the weather and I wasn't feeling on the top of my game so I let him sleep off his sickness and I started a big study. I figured that I need to find out how to help others become consistent church attenders. I think this study will extend over the next two weeks. I am actually kind of excited for it. I feel like it isn't only this area that suffers from this problem and that it will benefit me for the rest of my mission. Last night I spent about four hours just thinking and reading and thinking more about what makes a person want and actually go to church every week. I tell you all this because I really want so feedback from you all. I want you all to be completely honest and answer some questions for me. You all have a full week to answer so feel free to take time and really think about it.
1. What makes a person a consistent church attender?
2. What kind of attitude needs to be attained in order to become one?
3. What sort of habits help a person become one?
4. What can a person do in order to obtain said attitudes and habits?
5. What can I do to help others obtain said attitude and habits?
6. What would prevent a person from being a consistent church attender?
7. What factors determine whether or not I enjoy my church experience?
8. What can I do to enjoy my church experience more?
9. What more can I contribute to my church experience every week?
10. How can I get more out of my church experience?
I think ten is good enough for now. I am going for as many opinions as possible so if you could pass this around whether or not they are members... in fact I do want a lot that aren't members. Your help is very much appreciated. I will also have my members taking this survey... if that's what this is called. Thank You... I love you all. I willkeep you updated on how things go.
New Year's was fun here in Miag-ao. I had some people say that they hoped I wasn't too homesick or anything. I definitely miss all of you a whole lot... but I am not suffering from homesickness or anything. I have a whole lot of fun here and it is only sometimes that I even get to think about home. I think it is a blessing that I have been so busy over the holidays so that I can stay clear of missing home too much. I am definitely excited for next year's Christmas' and New Year's celebration. We are going to be partying HARD CORE!
This morning Elder Workman and I went to the next city over and played basketball with the Elders in the district... I just want yall to know I dominated. I couldn't miss and no one could stop me. I'm done bragging... I just wanna make record of this happening because I don't think it will or could ever happen again. haha.
So I am really excited for this new year... I can't believe it is 2012 already... I GO HOME IN 2012. I can't believe that. I have just under nine months left here in the Philippines. I have set some good goals to get done before I go home to America though. I will be a busy boy. I haven't finished my goals though for when I get home. I just don't know what I want to do yet... it still seems so far away.
Well I love you all and I miss you all so much. Happy 2012 everyone... I will see you all later this year. Don't get used to Elder Lowry being gone... I will be back before you know it.
Halong,
Elder Lowry
Monday, January 2, 2012
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Week 66
Hello Family!
Another great week here in Miag-ao. Elder Workman and I are pretty used to each other now and getting into a good work routine. We are also figuring out how to teach lessons together. It feels so good to be past those couple weeks/days where you aren't quite used to each other and it is just an adjustment from your last companion. Now I feel like we are doing really well as a companionship and this should be a way sweet week of work for the two of us. Yes, We are still working our butts off in the heat while you are all in Hilton Head being lazy. It's ok though... I don't hold grudges for too long. Just until I get my packages I guess. haha. Plus... I don't need Hilton Head. I LIVE ON THE BEACH. I'm done.
ELder Workman and I are working hard to find some more investigators to teach. The ones we found this last week are actually doing remarkably well. We have had two of them really pray and say they believe that the message is true. Now just time for the toughest part.... getting them to church. People want to believe the message and never really act on it. They really like to listen... let's just leave it at that. Going to church, for me, is a big deal for these people and it shows how willing they really are to be baptized. So I think we will have some good attendances over the next couple weeks.
There is also a family that we are working hard with right now. They have been coming to church off and on for some time now. The Leongson Family is a really cool family that I have been visiting since I've gotten home. They all want to become members but the parents aren't married due to some complications with paperwork. But all the kids are eligible for baptism and they seem like they all want to e baptized. Just getting them to church 4 weeks in a row is a bit of a trick. SO we should get 4- 5 baptisms from that family if we can get everything worked out in the next couple weeks.
The main focus of the church in the Philippines has shifted a bit lately. Right now the church is trying to focus on retention and reactivation. The church has about 20% attendance for the whole Philippines. It is about the same for Panay as well. Now missionaries have a lot more responsibility in helping members come back to church. We have about 4 new forms we have to always be filling out and alot more of our finding time has been redirected to reactivation and finding members that have been lost through the cracks. One big problem here is that people will just up and leave. They will move across the country and their records never get moved and they are either shy to go to church or the church isn't in that part of the country yet... whatever happens though they usually go inactive and no one will ever know that they were ever members of the church. We have about 20 members like that here in Miag-ao. It is really tough to get them to come back to church. Pres Pagaduan really wants us to work more with them and "complete" their families. So we are going to our less actives to reactivate them and to try to find more baptisms as well. Seems like a good plan to me... it is just hard to execute it.
This morning was alot of fun. We had a missionary night last night in a place called La Paz. So our whole zone had to sleep in the city (iloilo city). This morning everyone played basketball. We had half court tournaments of 4 on 4. Even President Pagaduan joined in and schooled our zone leader. He was surprisingly really good at basketball and knew how to work the base line. My team actually did really well. It was a really fun morning of basketball with all my mission buddies. I think all my companions that haven't gone home yet are in my zone right now. It is awesome to be able to see them on a regular basis.
This upcoming week seems pretty normal. I kinda don't believe it will actually be Christmas on Sunday. It really has snuck up on me this year. Pres and Sis Pagaduan are both coming to Miag-ao this Sunday for church. I am psyched to let all of our members and investigators to have a chance to meet and talk to him. I also love Sister Pagaduan a whole lot. She is such a nice woman... like completely my mission mom. She said she is bringing me food as well... my mouth is watering already.
Well I love you all and I can't wait to talk to you all next week. It will be the highlight of the past couple months. It is hard to believe that I haven't talked to any of you for like 7 months now. After this one I talk to you all on Mother's Day and then I just come home in Sept... CRAZY!
I love you and miss you all so much.
Halong,
Elder Lowry
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Week 65
Hello Family!
This week was quite a busy one for me here on the islands. We had tons of traveling and tons of fun as well. It has really hit me this week just how close Christmas is now. I think with it being so hot and stuff... it has tried to just sneak by me this year. I think one thing that helped me realize that it was indeed Christmas was the Christmas themed zone conference we had and then, of course, the First Presidency Christmas Devotional I got to attend last night. It is weird to think of where I was this time of year last year. I was still with my trainer up in Banga, Aklan and worrying about never being able to speak this language. I was only three months out on my mission and, compared to now, knew absolutely nothing about the Filipino culture. I think this Christmas will be alot more enjoyable for me just because I know how to interact with these people more and learn how to enjoy Christmas the Filipino way.
So lets break this week down a bit. I will start with the Christmas Zone Conference. We had an awesome conference in Iloilo this last Friday. Sister Pagaduan went all out for a way nice lunch. I mean it was some of the most delicious Filipino food I've had on my mission. Then we had a sweet talent show. All the districts had to come up with a presentation to show off. I think my favorite was this skit where the Elders made the Luke 2 story into Ilongo. I was laughing the entire time. Maybe even funnier than the skit, however, was the fact that all the couple missionaries attended and I don't think they understood a word of what was going on. Everyone in the room was crying laughing and then the couples were just confused. I felt bad for them. They did have a good time though. OH I almost forgot. I met a couple from Lethbridge. The Boehme family I think it was. He was a doctor in Lethbridge... They worked with Grandma and Grandpa in the temple! He actually went to University of Alberta as well... so we had a nice hockey talk and just left thinking of how small the world is. We also had a gift exchange! The gift had to be between 100- 200 pesos. I found this big native Filipino hat made of strips of bamboo. This thing was big... like probably 2 1/2 ft in diameter. Then we drew names and I got none other than Sister Pagaduan. SHe LOVED it. Originally the gift was meant to be a joke, but she really liked it. I have a picture of us two while she is wearing the hat. Sister Pagaduan is just the best ever. She is literally just my mission Mom. She even says that she wants to visit my area on Christmas day and go to church in our little group. All that and I got to see Elder Balmeo again... he was my companion back in Manoling. I think he will probably end up being my favorite companion. I think he is just the Filipino version of me... or I am the White version of him... I'm not entirely sure. It was way good to see him and get to talk to him for a bit. I hope I get to be companions with him again... ah that won't happen. I did tell him, however, that if he ever migrate to America he was welcome to live at our house. I think you all would just love this guy. He is hilarious.
We also had a way good Sunday yesterday. We had a Branch conference in San Jaoquin, the town next to ours, and even though it was far away we had great attendance. We had 6 investigators at church! We also had alot of our priesthood attend and all wearing white shirts and ties. I was way pleased with how everything went. Then that evening we went to Iloilo again to go see the Devotional. I thought it was awesome. I thought Pres Uchtdorf's story was great. I also really enjoyed the new movies they are releasing online. These videos are all done by the church as like their Christmas present to everyone. I thought it was way good.
This week was kinda rough for me health wise though. I have had a bit of a fever all week and just been feeling sore and always had a headache. It seems like it is about passed right now. I am feeling alot better that I was a couple days ago. Despite being sick, Elder Workman and I got alot of work done and I am really satisfied with what has happened here this past week. I am ready for another one!
So we for sure have a place to use video Skype to call home on the 26th (here... 25th for you all). I could get up early here and even get to call you around evening time in Georgia. It will be sweet to see you all this time around! I will just need the skype name or address or whatever it is called so I can contact you all. I am way excited to see everyone.
I am doing well over here in the Philippines. I miss you all so much, but I am soaking up my time in the Philippines while I can. It really will be weird to leave here one day and know that it ill be hard for me to ever come back. This just kinda feels normal and homeish to me now. (I don't think homeish is a word... it has that red squiggly line under it.) I hope everyone is doing well over on your side of the world. Have a very Merry Christmas!
Halong,
Elder Lowry
This week was quite a busy one for me here on the islands. We had tons of traveling and tons of fun as well. It has really hit me this week just how close Christmas is now. I think with it being so hot and stuff... it has tried to just sneak by me this year. I think one thing that helped me realize that it was indeed Christmas was the Christmas themed zone conference we had and then, of course, the First Presidency Christmas Devotional I got to attend last night. It is weird to think of where I was this time of year last year. I was still with my trainer up in Banga, Aklan and worrying about never being able to speak this language. I was only three months out on my mission and, compared to now, knew absolutely nothing about the Filipino culture. I think this Christmas will be alot more enjoyable for me just because I know how to interact with these people more and learn how to enjoy Christmas the Filipino way.
So lets break this week down a bit. I will start with the Christmas Zone Conference. We had an awesome conference in Iloilo this last Friday. Sister Pagaduan went all out for a way nice lunch. I mean it was some of the most delicious Filipino food I've had on my mission. Then we had a sweet talent show. All the districts had to come up with a presentation to show off. I think my favorite was this skit where the Elders made the Luke 2 story into Ilongo. I was laughing the entire time. Maybe even funnier than the skit, however, was the fact that all the couple missionaries attended and I don't think they understood a word of what was going on. Everyone in the room was crying laughing and then the couples were just confused. I felt bad for them. They did have a good time though. OH I almost forgot. I met a couple from Lethbridge. The Boehme family I think it was. He was a doctor in Lethbridge... They worked with Grandma and Grandpa in the temple! He actually went to University of Alberta as well... so we had a nice hockey talk and just left thinking of how small the world is. We also had a gift exchange! The gift had to be between 100- 200 pesos. I found this big native Filipino hat made of strips of bamboo. This thing was big... like probably 2 1/2 ft in diameter. Then we drew names and I got none other than Sister Pagaduan. SHe LOVED it. Originally the gift was meant to be a joke, but she really liked it. I have a picture of us two while she is wearing the hat. Sister Pagaduan is just the best ever. She is literally just my mission Mom. She even says that she wants to visit my area on Christmas day and go to church in our little group. All that and I got to see Elder Balmeo again... he was my companion back in Manoling. I think he will probably end up being my favorite companion. I think he is just the Filipino version of me... or I am the White version of him... I'm not entirely sure. It was way good to see him and get to talk to him for a bit. I hope I get to be companions with him again... ah that won't happen. I did tell him, however, that if he ever migrate to America he was welcome to live at our house. I think you all would just love this guy. He is hilarious.
We also had a way good Sunday yesterday. We had a Branch conference in San Jaoquin, the town next to ours, and even though it was far away we had great attendance. We had 6 investigators at church! We also had alot of our priesthood attend and all wearing white shirts and ties. I was way pleased with how everything went. Then that evening we went to Iloilo again to go see the Devotional. I thought it was awesome. I thought Pres Uchtdorf's story was great. I also really enjoyed the new movies they are releasing online. These videos are all done by the church as like their Christmas present to everyone. I thought it was way good.
This week was kinda rough for me health wise though. I have had a bit of a fever all week and just been feeling sore and always had a headache. It seems like it is about passed right now. I am feeling alot better that I was a couple days ago. Despite being sick, Elder Workman and I got alot of work done and I am really satisfied with what has happened here this past week. I am ready for another one!
So we for sure have a place to use video Skype to call home on the 26th (here... 25th for you all). I could get up early here and even get to call you around evening time in Georgia. It will be sweet to see you all this time around! I will just need the skype name or address or whatever it is called so I can contact you all. I am way excited to see everyone.
I am doing well over here in the Philippines. I miss you all so much, but I am soaking up my time in the Philippines while I can. It really will be weird to leave here one day and know that it ill be hard for me to ever come back. This just kinda feels normal and homeish to me now. (I don't think homeish is a word... it has that red squiggly line under it.) I hope everyone is doing well over on your side of the world. Have a very Merry Christmas!
Halong,
Elder Lowry
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Week 64
Hello Family!
SO this week was quite a busy one. The biggest news I suppose is that I got my new companion on Friday. He is another American! His name is Elder Workman from Sandy Utah! We have had a good couple days working together and I think he likes where he is now. He came from Guimaras Island from a little place called Cibunag. They were a little group too but they struggled alot more than we are struggling here. They would have like 9 people consistently at church. He was happy to see a group that is actually on track to become a branch sooner or later.
I also got some cool news from President Pagaduan in our transfer meeting. The mission department has now approved using the video for skype to call home. That would be awesome to use this year if you all have a web cam. Just let me know what you all wanna do for this call. It would be awesome to see you all for a bit though. I'm sure you could find someone to let you use their computer... or even my laptop has skype and a web cam! That is only like three or so weeks away! I am way excited!
This last weekend was just trying to get Elder Workman used to the members and the area. I think he is already getting into the flow of things and has already helped me figure out some more ways to help them progress more here. I think he will really be a key to getting the members prepared for moving up to branch status. This week we will be focusing a bit more on tracting and finding new investigators. One thing I think this area needs right now is the excitement of having new people being thrown in the mix. I think if we get more investigators to church every week more members will realize just how important it is to come to church every week and to be more involved. Elder and I have talked a bit about how to find these new people and how much it will help the Saints here.
This next week is also looking like its gonna be a rather busy one. We have a zone conference in Iloilo on Friday which is looking like an all day affair. It is going to be Christmas themed (GO Sis Pagaduan for getting that by Pres) and we are going to have a "special" lunch. Then on Sunday we have our Branch Conference in San Joaquin and then we go back to Iloilo to see the First Presidency Christmas devotional. I am going to be tired from all the traveling by the end of this week!
Sorry if my letter seems a bit unorganized. I have a bit of a head cold that has really slowed me down yesterday and today. I woke up yesterday with a sore throat and a head ache. I took some medicine last night and it only seems to have intensified my problem. I think I will go to sleep early tonight and hopefully sleep off my sickness.
I love you all out there in Georgia and can't wait for next holiday season when I will be back with everyone! It will be MAJOR PARTY TIME! Especially because the Dawgs are gonna tear it up next year. We aren't just going for the SEC championship... it's time my boys brought back the national title to Georgia!
I love you all and pray for you all often. Let me know what you all wanna do for the phone call/skype this year. It will be easy enough for me because when it is P-day here it will be the 25th over there. SO I could just chat with you all in the morning here and it would be Christmas evening for you all.
Halong,
Elder Lowry
ALSO- CLICK HERE TO SEE A PIC OF SCOTTY TAKEN BY HIS MISSION BUDDY, ELDER WAGGONER {there's several more if you browse through all of them} http://www.flickr.com/photos/natewaggoner/6458409195/
SO this week was quite a busy one. The biggest news I suppose is that I got my new companion on Friday. He is another American! His name is Elder Workman from Sandy Utah! We have had a good couple days working together and I think he likes where he is now. He came from Guimaras Island from a little place called Cibunag. They were a little group too but they struggled alot more than we are struggling here. They would have like 9 people consistently at church. He was happy to see a group that is actually on track to become a branch sooner or later.
I also got some cool news from President Pagaduan in our transfer meeting. The mission department has now approved using the video for skype to call home. That would be awesome to use this year if you all have a web cam. Just let me know what you all wanna do for this call. It would be awesome to see you all for a bit though. I'm sure you could find someone to let you use their computer... or even my laptop has skype and a web cam! That is only like three or so weeks away! I am way excited!
This last weekend was just trying to get Elder Workman used to the members and the area. I think he is already getting into the flow of things and has already helped me figure out some more ways to help them progress more here. I think he will really be a key to getting the members prepared for moving up to branch status. This week we will be focusing a bit more on tracting and finding new investigators. One thing I think this area needs right now is the excitement of having new people being thrown in the mix. I think if we get more investigators to church every week more members will realize just how important it is to come to church every week and to be more involved. Elder and I have talked a bit about how to find these new people and how much it will help the Saints here.
This next week is also looking like its gonna be a rather busy one. We have a zone conference in Iloilo on Friday which is looking like an all day affair. It is going to be Christmas themed (GO Sis Pagaduan for getting that by Pres) and we are going to have a "special" lunch. Then on Sunday we have our Branch Conference in San Joaquin and then we go back to Iloilo to see the First Presidency Christmas devotional. I am going to be tired from all the traveling by the end of this week!
Sorry if my letter seems a bit unorganized. I have a bit of a head cold that has really slowed me down yesterday and today. I woke up yesterday with a sore throat and a head ache. I took some medicine last night and it only seems to have intensified my problem. I think I will go to sleep early tonight and hopefully sleep off my sickness.
I love you all out there in Georgia and can't wait for next holiday season when I will be back with everyone! It will be MAJOR PARTY TIME! Especially because the Dawgs are gonna tear it up next year. We aren't just going for the SEC championship... it's time my boys brought back the national title to Georgia!
I love you all and pray for you all often. Let me know what you all wanna do for the phone call/skype this year. It will be easy enough for me because when it is P-day here it will be the 25th over there. SO I could just chat with you all in the morning here and it would be Christmas evening for you all.
Halong,
Elder Lowry
ALSO- CLICK HERE TO SEE A PIC OF SCOTTY TAKEN BY HIS MISSION BUDDY, ELDER WAGGONER {there's several more if you browse through all of them} http://www.flickr.com/photos/natewaggoner/6458409195/
Monday, November 28, 2011
Week 63
Hello Family!
Another great week here in Miag-ao. This last week was Elder Gowey’s last week on the mission. In act, this morning I took him to the city and on Wednesday he will be back in Arizona. Crazy, eh? It was fun talking to him and seeing how he was feeling about going back after being gone for so long. I am interested to see who my next companion will be. I will know who he is on Friday at the transfer meeting. So this week I will be with the Tiolas Elders (Elder Eror and Elder Waggoner) and we will officially become the coolest companionship to ever exist in missionary work. Get ready.
Lots of people have asked about Thanksgiving in the Philippines. Well, it doesn’t exist. However, we had four American Elders within fifteen minutes of each other so we did the best we could to have our own little Thanksgiving… Then things snowballed a bit. We ended up buying a live turkey that was about 6 kilos. We kept it for about 3 days and then I brought it to a guy we know who makes “Litson Pabo” (a turkey that has been skewered with bamboo and slow cooked over charcoal… like a luau). Then we cooked potatoes and gravy, had watermelon, caned peaches, rice, rolls, juice, and root beer. Pictures, again, are on Elder Waggoner’s flickr. It was a night of fine dining if I do say so myself.
The work was pretty slow this week, but Sunday was a very pleasant one. We had our Stake President visit along with the branch president and put them to work with interviews. From what I could tell the plans to become a branch are moving along just great. We had all of our priesthood holders/ potentials attend. Our future group leader and branch president was interviewed and has set some goals to get married in the temple on May next year. I am really excited or them. He seems to be doing really really well. We are still focusing on a couple families to really get them consistent in their church attendance and helping them live the commandments. The big struggle is to get them to make real commitments. They will always just say they will do things and never get around to it. So, my focus lately has been how to get real commitments… the ones where they promise God and themselves to do something… not just a promise to Elder Lowry. That is always a tough one to get.
I am really excited this week to get my new companion. He is definitely in for a tough area that really needs someone that is dedicated to help and serve. This is definitely a very unique area with really different problems. It was a tough one for me to adjust to so I plan to help the next comp to adjust quickly so we can get our hands dirty here in Miag-ao. And he had also be ready to have some fun… because when you work hard you have to play hard.
The internet connection is way weak today so I will have to attach a picture next week. But this morning at the office I got to take some pictures with my trainer and my trainee (they are both office elders right now). It was so good to see them. I love both of those guys.
Anyways… I sure missed you all this last week for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving 2012 will sure be a blast! I am doing really well here though and am having a blast. I am ready for a new week of good hard work and I will fill you all in next week on my new companion. Thanks or all the letters and the emails and support. I love to read about what is going on with everyone and how well you all are doing.
Halong,
Elder Lowry
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Week 61
Hello Family!
This was a way sweet week for me! I am mostly excited because I just got done with a sweet hike that Elder Gowey and I and the Tiolas Elders (ELder Waggoner and Elder Eror). We went to the very furthest barangay in my area called Ungyod and went to a place called Tinagong Dagat (hidden sea). It was a gnarly climb up to the place with no switchbacks or anything. It was a trail that as way small and just went straight up the mountains. We trucked up the whole 2 hours with only like 2 breaks. My legs felt numb afterwards. It was well worth the effort though. It is this little lake just hidden away in the back of this mountain. Then you climb this mountain right beside it and you can see all around for miles. I have a way cool video of it... but I can't send video a) it would take a year and a half b) I don't think the email would be able to hold the file. We took some way cool pictures and had a good morning of hiking.
This week was pretty slow. We are struggling getting new investigators and to get our older investigators to go to church. This last Sunday was low in attendance as Pacquiao had his third fight against Marcquez that morning. (He won by the way) This upcoming week should be alot of fun. We are working way hard to get these two investigators married ad I think this week will be the week we really work to get to the Municipality and get the license processing. But they also didn't go to church so it will be like Christmas eve that they can get baptized. Their names are Noynoy and Nene. Keep them in your prayers that they will work for their marriage and go to church. Thanks!
This is Elder Gowey's last two weeks in the mission. Like in 14 days from now he will be in Iloilo for his departing interview and in 16 days from now he will be in Arizona. Isn't that nuts! I also hit a big milestone this week of being on this island for one full year. That also mans I only have ten more months on my mission. When you all call next month I will have just less than nine months to go. Talk about time flying, eh? This will also be the last Christmas I miss. I will be ready to party hard core next year.
Well I love you alland miss you all so much. I am so proud of my family. My Dad is fifty and is officially well over the hill. My older brother has gotten a sweet job. Man... Lowrys are just cool. I am excited to write to you all next week. I also forgot one more thing that is cool. GEORGIA BULLDAWGS! Oh my... I can't even contain myself with how well they are doing. National Champs next year!
Love You All.
Elder Lowry
This was a way sweet week for me! I am mostly excited because I just got done with a sweet hike that Elder Gowey and I and the Tiolas Elders (ELder Waggoner and Elder Eror). We went to the very furthest barangay in my area called Ungyod and went to a place called Tinagong Dagat (hidden sea). It was a gnarly climb up to the place with no switchbacks or anything. It was a trail that as way small and just went straight up the mountains. We trucked up the whole 2 hours with only like 2 breaks. My legs felt numb afterwards. It was well worth the effort though. It is this little lake just hidden away in the back of this mountain. Then you climb this mountain right beside it and you can see all around for miles. I have a way cool video of it... but I can't send video a) it would take a year and a half b) I don't think the email would be able to hold the file. We took some way cool pictures and had a good morning of hiking.
This week was pretty slow. We are struggling getting new investigators and to get our older investigators to go to church. This last Sunday was low in attendance as Pacquiao had his third fight against Marcquez that morning. (He won by the way) This upcoming week should be alot of fun. We are working way hard to get these two investigators married ad I think this week will be the week we really work to get to the Municipality and get the license processing. But they also didn't go to church so it will be like Christmas eve that they can get baptized. Their names are Noynoy and Nene. Keep them in your prayers that they will work for their marriage and go to church. Thanks!
This is Elder Gowey's last two weeks in the mission. Like in 14 days from now he will be in Iloilo for his departing interview and in 16 days from now he will be in Arizona. Isn't that nuts! I also hit a big milestone this week of being on this island for one full year. That also mans I only have ten more months on my mission. When you all call next month I will have just less than nine months to go. Talk about time flying, eh? This will also be the last Christmas I miss. I will be ready to party hard core next year.
Well I love you alland miss you all so much. I am so proud of my family. My Dad is fifty and is officially well over the hill. My older brother has gotten a sweet job. Man... Lowrys are just cool. I am excited to write to you all next week. I also forgot one more thing that is cool. GEORGIA BULLDAWGS! Oh my... I can't even contain myself with how well they are doing. National Champs next year!
Love You All.
Elder Lowry
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Week 60
Well... This week was definitely a busy and a full one. We are still working way hard core with the less active members on getting serious about this becoming a branch idea. We seem to have some real support coming from them as well. This last weekend we had 4 couples (not including our Group Leader who doesn't live in our area) that we all members and married that attended! We also had 5 Melchizedek Priesthood aged men there with three of them already having the said Priesthood. The other two are, in fact, the two we are focusing on to be given the Priesthood in January. Needless to say, I am way happy with the way things are going. We didn't have some key families that had some solid commitments to go to church, but we still turned out 33 people in attendance. We are feeling really good that we can keep up those numbers to the end of the year and report two months of 30+ attendance!
Elder and I are really excited as well because we got our snake skin belts from that huge snake we found last week. The guy who made the belts was way cool and made them for relatively cheap. We also had some extra skin and got some wallets made as well. We are excited to wear them back to visit the family that we got the snake from and show them off. I have some pictures but, again, the computer isn't liking the idea of uploading anything. I really do try for pictures but sometimes the computers here are emphatically opposed.
Well this P-day I am going to the city again to go get some stuff from the big mall over there. There isn't much for stores here (there are stores but they all sell crappy stuff from Taiwan or something). We are also gonna get some pizza while we are at it as well. then tonight will be a laundry party for Elder Lowry. As much as I despise hand washing my clothes it really is a nice chance to relax and just think about the last week for a bit. I enjoy that aspect of it. Then try to stand up straight after three hours of being bent over a washing board and I remember really fast how much I don't like laundry. It is a bittersweet relationship.
Well... I am definitely reenergized and refreshed after reading all of your letters! Krista really sent me some fun blogs and news! Sure sounds like those boys are just getting so big! Thanks so much to everyone for all the letters and support! I love you all and am excited to report back next week. Same time same place!
Elder Lowry
Elder and I are really excited as well because we got our snake skin belts from that huge snake we found last week. The guy who made the belts was way cool and made them for relatively cheap. We also had some extra skin and got some wallets made as well. We are excited to wear them back to visit the family that we got the snake from and show them off. I have some pictures but, again, the computer isn't liking the idea of uploading anything. I really do try for pictures but sometimes the computers here are emphatically opposed.
Well this P-day I am going to the city again to go get some stuff from the big mall over there. There isn't much for stores here (there are stores but they all sell crappy stuff from Taiwan or something). We are also gonna get some pizza while we are at it as well. then tonight will be a laundry party for Elder Lowry. As much as I despise hand washing my clothes it really is a nice chance to relax and just think about the last week for a bit. I enjoy that aspect of it. Then try to stand up straight after three hours of being bent over a washing board and I remember really fast how much I don't like laundry. It is a bittersweet relationship.
Well... I am definitely reenergized and refreshed after reading all of your letters! Krista really sent me some fun blogs and news! Sure sounds like those boys are just getting so big! Thanks so much to everyone for all the letters and support! I love you all and am excited to report back next week. Same time same place!
Elder Lowry
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