Week 35 - 6 feet of snow

Hello from the Cold!

So this was a pretty good week. We did lots of service because of all the snow we have! We have also seen people just walking on their roofs with a snow rake. There is too much snow on the roofs so they are starting to cave in and leak, so people have to get on the roof and clear it off!

Okay so highlights of the week:

1. We had a worldwide missionary broadcast on Wednesday. The apostles changed the missionary schedule and the key indicators. Big things are changing which is kind of crazy, but it is all inspired and I know this will help us as missionaries. I'm liking the new mission schedule!

2. I had the privilege of going to the Ogden Tabernacle (out of our mission) with Sister Brunt and the Zone leaders to go watch Elder Christopherson, Peterson, and Curtis speak. We took a lot of notes because we have to do a training on it at MLC. It was such an amazing talk. Elder Christopherson is pretty funny and cracked some jokes, haha. Something I really liked that he said was, "Your ministry is outside of yourself. Sometimes we think we are doing this great work, when in reality HE is doing this great work and he lets us help him.” I want to become a more consecrated missionary and look outward always. Stop focusing on myself and just do the Lords work.

3. We did this amazing service project in Huntsville this week. The snow was like 10 ft tall and we had to shovel a path for these two widows so they could get out. I love doing service!

I've been studying a lot of talks on hope and this quote has really stuck with me, it says:

"Hope sweetens the memory of experiences well loved. It tempers our troubles to our growth and our strength. It befriends us in dark hours, excites us in bright ones. It lends promise to the future and purpose to the past. It turns discouragement to determination." - James E Faust

I know that through the hope of the gospel we can can get through anything that life throws at us. The gospel of Jesus Christ keeps us put together and keeps us holding on. Even in the hard times we can have joy because of Jesus Christ. It's great to be a missionary at this time and I hope you all have a good rest of your week!

Love y'all

Sister Lowe

Another Creasey FC win

After a full day of sports, Robert and Ryan Geoghegan had a soccer game at 6:30 against KCD players (I think).

They had a great game winning by 2 points.  Final score was 8-10.

I don't have any photos because Robert likes for these games to be just with his peers - no parents.

Week 34 - Blizzard Conditions and a Priesthood Miracle

Hello Everyone!

 So this week was a bit crazy... For one the weather has been insane!

 It has been a blizzard here in Ben Lomond every day this week!!! I can't tell you how many driveways I've shoveled or how many times I have slipped and fallen. One night Sister Andrews and I were just walking home at 9 and she slipped and then 2 seconds later I slipped. We just sat there on the ground laughing for a while, haha. Everyone is telling us that they haven't seen a winter this bad since 2005, and of course it's the year I'm on mission haha, but nah it's all good, I love the snow!

 

 

 So Sister Andrews is my new comp. She is from a military family, so has lived all over (Idaho, Utah, Louisiana, Nebraska) but she is currently from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She is 20 and has always been home schooled. She is really nice and I think we are gonna work well together.

 So this week I saw some miracles. So on transfer day, all the missionaries who are training or are becoming a leader (DL,ZL, or STL) had to go to Logan for some meetings. So we all met in a parking lot in North Ogden and we're waiting for everyone to get there when all the sudden Elder Sagmeister (he's from Germany) just collapses. At first we thought he was joking because he does that a lot, but thankfully Elder Woolwine caught him before he hit the ground. They then carried him into the van and laid him down. He still wasn't waking up and we were trying to see if he was breathing. So then Elder Jones and Elder Boyd gave him a priesthood blessing and no joke right after they finished the blessing, Elder Sagmeister's chest rose and his eyes opened in confusion. Like WOAH! Power of the priesthood right before my eyes! It was Amazing!

 So for some reason whenever a seventy comes to Ward conference something awesome always happens! So Elder Peterson of the seventy spoke in our sacrament and then afterwards he sought us out and gave us a referral which was sweet! And then said "what can I do for you

 sisters?" So I just thought Hmmm "you could pray for us" and so he then says "okay, let's go do that together." So we followed him into the bishop’s office and Sister Andrews said a prayer, then I said a prayer, and then he said a prayer. It was the most amazing prayer ever, I can definitely tell he is a man of God. In the prayer he blessed our families at home and our future families that we will have. He blessed us with miracles in the Ben Lomond Stake and blessed that we will have the Holy Ghost with us always. Afterwards he told us he sees the light of Christ in our eyes and to NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER get discouraged. He was crying in his prayer and so were Sister Andrews and I. I wish I could remember the whole prayer because it was amazing. This week the 3 kids we were teaching, mom called us and told us she doesn't want them to have lessons anymore and that they just want to go to activities. I have been really discouraged this week because I feel like everyone we meet just decides to drop us. When Elder Peterson said "never get discouraged for it drives the spirit away," I felt like that was what God was trying to tell me. So my new goal is to not get discouraged and to find joy in any circumstance.

 It's been a hard but good week. We are constantly tracting and knocking doors and for some reason not to many people are interested, but we don't let that get to us. We've done a lot of service this week and are teaching a lot of inactive people. 2 of the inactives we teach (Rainey and Bonnie) came to church for all 3 hours so we were super happy!

 Well that was this week! I've been reading the New Testament for the past month and I'm really coming to know how to become more like Jesus Christ. He himself was a missionary and as I look to him and his example I can become a master teacher like he was and still is. I love my savior Jesus Christ, he has blessed me in so many ways. I love this gospel and I know I can find joy in any circumstance!

 Love y'all!

 Sister Lowe

Creasey Mahan Soccer scores another Victory over Henry County

After a full day of sports, Robert and Ryan Geoghegan had a soccer game at 4:30 against Henry County.  A few friends from the OCS team are on the Henry County team - Trevor and David. 

They had a great game winning by at least 5 or 6 points.  They couldn't remember...

I don't have any photos because Robert likes for these games to be just with his peers - no parents. 

Boys Basketball - Harmony vs Crestwood 2nd - arch rivals

It's the BIG day, the first basketball game of the season and it's against one of the toughest teams in the league - Crestwood 2nd Ward.  Crestwood 2nd (C2) has Ryan Dodson, Josh McComber (6' 2") and other talented players.  They will be hard to beat. 

Ryan Geoghegan showed up at our house around 11:00.  We had pancakes for breakfast and then Robert and Ryan went to the stake center to warm up.  Mark and I came about 10 minutes before the game. 

The Harmony team consisted of:  Robert Lowe, Ryan Geoghegan, Nash Dewsnup, Noah McKinley, Andrew Tarbet, Jate Longhurst and Ben Dobson.  Many of the boys couldn't be there:  Mason Rice (swim meet) (Robert's soccer friend), Ben O'Brien (swim meet) and Sam O'Brien (broken finger).

Today's game started at 12:30 pm.  We are the home team.  Robert took the tip and won the toss.  Robert scores the first basket of the game - a nice drive and layup.  Then we score again, then Crestwood 2nd.  Robert and Ryan were a great team against C2.  At the end of the first quarter we were 9-11 - we have the lead.  During the second quarter, Robert had to be out for 4 minutes.  In those 4 minutes C2 took the lead and advanced it to 25-14.  OUCH!!!  Our team could not stop Ryan Dodson from scoring.  Robert started the third quarter.  He took charge and control.  He and Ryan Geoghegan did a fantastic job of distributing the ball.  With only 49 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, Harmony tied the score at 26-26.  Then they scored again with only 15.5 seconds left 28-26.  The crowd goes crazy (not really, but boy we were excited).  Someone had fouled Robert on a shot just a the buzzer so he got to take a free throw - swoosh - He scored one of the two. End of 3rd quarter 29-26.   They not only caught up but they took the lead!!!  Fourth quarter we just continued the scoring - we scored 2 more baskets (33-26) before they scored again.   With 2 minutes remaining in the game the score was 37-30 (a 7 point lead).  In the last 2 minutes everyone was hustling, C2 was desperate to score.  There also was a lot of turn over and fouls.  One of C2's players fouled out.  Harmony held onto the lead winning the game 37-33.

Robert bringing down the ball

Ryan bringing down the ball

Noah McKinley

Ryan Geoghegan

Robert and Ryan together

Nash Dewsnup

Robert - setting up for three pointer

And he scores

Jate Longhurst

Today's team:
Robert, Ryan, Jate, Andrew, Nash, Ben Dobson, Noah

Way to go - HARMONY!!!

After the game Robert and Ryan went to support Mason and Ben at the swim meet.  Mason and Ben both dive.  Mason took 1st place, and Ben took 2nd.  After the swim meet, Robert and Ryan had there own Creasey Mahan soccer game to get to... they won that game also - by a lot!!! 

Betsy invited Ryan and D-Roy (David Roy) to have steaks and ribs with us after their game.  It was a great night.  The boys played ping pong, chess and basketball outside.

Week 33 - Transfer week

Hello everyone!

 We had a super busy week this week! This was our last week of the transfer...I can't believe how fast it went by. So first transfer news: So Sister Sharp left me on Sunday and so my new companion is Sister Andrews. I've never met her and I will meet her on Tuesday. I also have been called as a Sister Training Leader (STL)! When I first was called I was a bit scared because I've never been an STL. STLs go on exchanges with other sisters to help them in their area and are there to help out in their area. I know the Lord has called me to this for a reason and as I rely on him I can fulfill this calling. Wish me luck!

 

So last week we were just knocking doors and we came across this family who let us in and talked to us. We asked the mom if she would like to learn more about Jesus Christ and like the missionary lessons. She told us no but said we can ask her kids. So we asked Paige (13), Aspen (11), and Chase (11) if they would like the lessons and they said yes. We had a lesson with all 3 of them and invited them to be baptized and they said yes. Aspen said she had a lot of friends get baptized when she was 8 and always wondered what it would be like. We invited them to church and Aspen was so excited and said yes I will definitely come... The other two said they will try. So Heavenly Father is really looking out for us in this area because we have 3 new investigators!

 We moved this week. So the lady we were living with has housed missionaries for 4 years, but now her grandson is coming to live with her so we had to move. We moved a little further up the mountain and now live with Sister Wilson who has a Down syndrome daughter who is the sweetest girl ever, I already love her. It's an amazing house and we live in her basement. We live super far away from our area now. It takes about an hour to walk to one of the wards we cover, so we now have to rely on members giving us rides a lot more.

Sister Sharp left the Logan Utah mission on Sunday. She is a two transfer missionary and got her new mission call to Modesto, California and will enter the MTC January 25th. I learned a lot being companions with her. She is a great missionary and super obedient. I learned a lot of patience and charity, but I'm glad to have been her companion.

 Well that's all for this week! I really hope I have a good next transfer in Ben Lomond. The members are amazing here, they are so nice and are always trying to help us out. I love being a missionary even in hard areas. I know as I trust in God, anything is possible.

Love you all,

 Sister Lowe