Week 49 - Holy Week

Happy Easter Everyone!!!!

Wow, we really all do have so much to be grateful for in our lives especially the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Over the coarse of my mission I have come to a greater understanding of his great sacrifice for us and how we can apply that enabling power to our everyday lives. So we've had another amazing week! I got to have exchanges with the other sisters in my zone because I'm the STL which means I'm kind of like the mom over all the sisters in my area. Exchanges is when I go to another area with one of the other sisters and her companion goes to my area for a day. It was really good to work with sister Adol (who is a newer missionary) and help her improve her teaching skills and see success in her area. They has been really struggling getting investigators to church for the past couple months, but yesterday they had 7 so we were so excited for them! 

Holy Week:  So this week is Holy Week and it is a pretty big deal here in the Philippines. But they "celebrate" it a little bit different than we do. So we were walking down the street to go to our first lesson on friday, and what do we see? a huge group of men coming our way with masks/ or black sacks over their head so you cant see their face. If thats not creepy enough, to add on to that they were flogging/ whipping themselves with chains and wood! Blood was everywhere and when you looked at their backs it was just covered in wounds or just red from blood. ya. happy easter haha. So I had one of my investigators explain it to me and they said the Catholics here every year do this to show Jesus their... faith or commitment to him. It was just really sad to me because they were causing themselves so much pain I just wanted to say, don't you know, the atonement already happened! Jesus already suffered for you! Some people here even drag huge crosses through the streets up to the mountain and get crucified! Yes they tell their friends to crucify them and then hang there until they can't do it anymore or some even die! most only do it for 3 hours but iv'e met some who did it for 5! I am so glad I know Jesus already sacrificed for us and that through him we can be free from our sins and live again :) 

Baptism:  So guess what yall??? Hajie and Mhae got BAPTIZED!!! ahhhhhhhh! oh my gosh, seriously one of the BEST days of my mission for sure. These 2 are so strong in the gospel and probably the most converted investigators that i've ever had besides Saricris. At the baptism they both bore BEAUTIFUL testimonies about how they both used to be SUCH different people, but how the gospel and the Book of Mormon changed their lives. I love them so so so much! Mom and Dad I cannot wait for you to meet them when you come out next oct or nov!!!! they are excited to meet you :) Yesterday at church Hajie gave the closing prayer and everyone was just amazed by him. President Querido attended our church service yesterday and personally came and congratulated Hajie and told him that in one year he would serve a mission. Oh that just made my day/year/mission/life! haha Just think, Me and sister Burt helped Hajie and Mhae and Saricris receive the gospel in their life, and now all 3 of them want to serve missions too! Just think of how many they will bring to the gospel, and how many of their converts will bring to the gospel and so on and so on. God really does love his children and is hastening his work. I love this work, I love Hajie and Mhae, I love my mission, I love my savior and my Heavenly Father, AND I love all of you :) 

INGAT!

Sister Lowe

PICTURES

The guys whipping their backs. This would stop traffic there would be so many of them. It is like a parade. Expect there were probably a total of 30 parades throughout the week.

They would also dress like the guards and Jesus. 

 The last one is one of the MANY guys that would carry crosses. he is the one in the white kneeling with it on his shoulder taking a minor break.