Preparing for Parties is way too much work

I'm insane.  I have no idea why, but I got this great idea to put in the rock in the mulch beds instead of mulch and to get all of it switched over before Robert's party.  Of course, I'm working crazy hours at Holiday Inn Express and Jessica is coming in for Robert's graduation, but I wanted the house to look nice for his party, so I ordered rock. 

I only had Thursday, Friday and Saturday to remove the mulch and get the rock down.  I removed all the mulch and hired the Heagy boys' to help shovel the rock and place it in the beds while Jessica and I smoothed it out and spread the rocks around to make a even surface.  I didn't order enough rock so I had to order more for Saturday delivery. 

In the end we got it all done before the party and everything looked great.

Week 52 - Got to drive a Truck

Can I just start with saying how much I love Nibley! Holy molly this week was just another great week filled with miracles. It's a great time to be a missionary!

So highlights of this week:

We had MLC (mission leadership council) this week and it was so good. We got to do role plays with people and they brought some of the cache central missionaries up to be our investigators. So I got to see Sister Brunt and I got to role play with her which I haven't done in like 10 months, so it was so much fun!

We had ADTM (all district meeting) and Sister Davis and I had to give a training on our purpose as missionaries. I always hate giving Trainings because you have to prepare for them and you have to get in front of everyone but I'm starting to feel better each time I do them. The mission sure does stretch you.

Okay super MIRACLE! So on Wednesday we were walking in 9th Ward and trying to contact people. All of the sudden it started pouring down rain and we are just in short sleeve shirts. So we run up to this door which we had knocked before about a month ago. It was actually April 11th when we knocked this door and the lady was super nice but told us she wasn't interested. Well we knocked on the door to see how she was doing and we had heard she came to a family history activity in the Ward a few weeks back. So when she opened the door she said “I've actually been thinking of you girls lately, I think I'm ready to take the lessons now." We were in shock!!! All I could say was “awesome!" She then invited us in and said "I'm really really close to baptism.” Like I about jumped I was so excited. She then said she wants to do lessons Tuesday and Thursday at 1pm and we asked her to come to church and she said "yep I'll even pick you up!" She came and loved the speakers and was so happy to be there. It was so amazing. The Lord is truly preparing people here in his vineyard in Nibley. Another miracle. On Monday after our recent convert lesson with Matthew we got a phone call from his guy named hector. We had actually met him about two weeks ago and gave him our number. Well he called us and set up a time to come and teach him and his two teenagers. We are so excited. The Lord is blessing us so much I just can't thank him enough.

Marissa was recorded for the District videos

We had two lessons with Ida this week. She told us she put her coffee maker in the cupboard and is going to give it to her friend. Ida’s faith is so strong! She's been drinking it for like 80 years and simply just puts it away like no big deal! She's so great. We taught the law of tithing and she was just like oh yeah I'll definitely do that. She is so amazing! I love her so much and she's already picked a time (10am) to be baptized on June 17th.

Service activity

Okay last miracle...well I would say it's a miracle. So the APs called us on Friday and asked for a huge favor. So apparently some sisters are getting ET (emergency transferred) in the mission and the APs need someone to drive them to their new locations. They told us we get to drive the truck on Saturday!!!! We were like YES YES YES! We will do it! 

So you ready for this...

We drove from Nibley to Tremonton picked up Sister Vincent and Segura. 

Drove from Tremonton to Brigham city dropped off Sister Vincent and picked up Sister Andrews. 

Drove from Brigham city to Hyrum and dropped off Sister Segura and picked up Sister Schell. 

Drove from Hyrum to Tremonton dropped off both Sister Andrews and Schell. 

And then drove back to Nibley! We were on the road from 4-9 it was so amazing! I miss driving so much so it was a treat!

This week has been a blast. I can't describe in words the joy you feel helping others come unto Christ. I felt so much joy this week just seeing all the miracles the Lord has blessed us with. I know this church is true. I know the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. I’m so happy to be one of the Lord missionaries, the work is so great!

Sister Lowe

Robert's Senior Breakfast

Senior Breakfast is such a special occasion for parents and their graduating seniors.  It's a morning set aside to have a breakfast with your senior and give them a letter expressing your love and admiration for them.  This is especially the case with Robert:  we are so very proud of him and all of his accomplishments both at school, on the field and court and within the community.  Robert gives of himself at church and at scouts as well as being an athlete in soccer, basketball and tennis.  Above all, he is an amazing student scholar!  He will graduate Summa Cum Laude!  He has had great teachers, leaders and friends to inspire and push him along this journey.  We are grateful to all of them, but most especially for Robert and his desire and drive to succeed.  

The Padget crew:  Max, Michael, Mr. Padgett, Zack and Robert

Mr. Padgett and Robert!

Ben O'Brien, Robert and Ryan Geoghegan

Robert, Max Sander and Ryan (soccer buddies)

Ben, Robert, Megan, Max and Ryan

The Mormon crew:  Ben, Megan and Robert

The Championship Basketball team:  Mason, Ben, Robert and Ryan

Amazing friends:  Mason, Ben, Robert, Ryan, Max and Ike

... and Alex

Mark Lowe - Robert looked away

Fist pump with Mr. Padgett and the proud look below

Michael Raybine, Robert and Drew Bailey

Robert and Drew Bailey

Soccer pals:  Michael, Robert, Matthew, Ryan and Drew

Robert and Jack Stewart!

 Jack, Wilton, Mo, Robert and Nathan

Mo Mandoza, Wilton Stone, Nathan Clark, Michael Schultz and Robert - all soccer guys, and Prateek Katta from Tennis

Soccer moms:  Senior Moms:  Sad Moms:
Karen Clark, Carla Wilton, Jean Mendoza and Betsy

Robert and Andrew Matts - Andrew also is a member of our church

Bros:  Robert and Ryan

Week 51

WOWOWOWOWOWOW! What an amazing week.

First transfers were today and.... We are staying in Nibley together for another transfer! We are so happy!!!!

Also....Both MATTHEW AND KODIE WERE BAPTIZED AND CONFIRMED! So Kodie got interviewed for her baptism and when she finished with our district leader she came running out screaming "I PASSED!" I’ve never seen someone so happy to pass the baptismal interview! So Kodie's baptism was a little stressful. The day before the baptism the bishop said no to waterside confirmation because he wanted the mom (who is inactive) to come to church. The mom wanted waterside confirmation because Kodie's real dad can only stay for Saturday. Kodie's mom said if they can't have waterside they'll have to push her baptism till fall so that her dad can get off work and be at her confirmation. We were stressing like crazy! We called President Allred and he talked to the stake president who talked to bishop and then told us that we will have waterside confirmation for Kodie's sake so both parents can be there. When In doubt call president Allred! He saved the day and Kodie got baptized:) also miracle, Kodie's mom, Cheryln, came to church on Sunday with Kodie which made bishop really happy! So it all worked out:)

Okay and now Matthew! Wow. Let me just say that was such a spiritual baptism. His parents who live in Canada flew in that morning and came to his baptism! They were so nice and even though they are Catholic they were respectful of everything. Matthews wife, Kelli, gave the talk on the Holy Ghost and she talked about how because of Matt’s decision today they will get to be a forever family and be sealed one day. I felt the spirit so strongly and my eyes even began to tear up from it. We asked Matthew how he felt after being baptized and he said "I felt that same feeling I felt when we were in that lesson in the temple waiting room. I just felt peace and happiness like I had never felt before." Wow, he was truly feeling the spirit. They invited us to dinner with there whole family afterward and we all sat and talked and we got to talk a little more to his parents which was cool! It was such an amazing day and I love the Izsak family! He was confirmed on Sunday and the spirit was so strong there!! 

Matthew told us that before when missionaries came over he would ask Kelli "do they have to come back?" And shed be like "you said they could." Well now Matthew told us that when we leave he asks "when can they come back?!" He's made a big change and he is truly converted to this gospel:)

Another highlight was that It snowed this week.... Like its may now, Utah is so bipolar!

Okay Ida. Man do I love Ida. We asked where she is in the Book of Mormon and she said "chapter 10," we asked what book and she was like " Ummm I'm in Mosiah." Like WHAT! She's already in Mosiah! We asked if she feels that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and she said, “I feel like I know it a lot better than I did 3 weeks ago. I'm starting To believe." We also talked about the word of wisdom with her and we started it off saying, "no alcohol, no tobacco, ...." Before we could finish our sentence she puts the pamphlet up to her face where you can only see her eyes and says "There goes my coffee!" It was so funny! We talked about the blessings of living the word of wisdom and her grandson, Jake, who came to the lesson with us told her about pero which is substitute of coffee. She said she'll try it! I love Ida’s faith she is so amazing! Her only  son converted to the church when he was like 25 and so his wife and 4 kids are Mormon but Ida is not. But she has an amazing family and Jake is a return missionary and is awesome in the lessons testifying to Ida of this gospel. We also had to push her date to June 17th because it's youth conference weekend the 10th and her grand kids will be there, so we asked Ida if the 17th would work for her and she said "well I'm pretty much always free so yep that'll work!" It was so funny.

We had a lesson with Jorge. He read the Book of Mormon in prison and prayed about it. We went over the BIQS (baptismal interview questions) and there's only a few we still need to work on. Jorge is really coming along. I can see the atonement start to work in his life and because of that his countenance is changing. It's amazing to see after working with him for 3 months.

It's been an amazing week! All of the hard times, all of the slammed doors, or rude comments are all worth it for moments like this week. The joy I feel teaching Ida and seeing her act on her faith, the happiness I feel at Matthew's and Kodie's baptism, and the peace this wonderful gospel brings me is worth any hard time. I love being a missionary....ahhhh it's truly the best.

Sister Lowe

Week 50

Hello!!!

Happy late Mother's Day! 

Skyping my fam was so great! 

Man I miss those guys.

So the highlights of this week:

Well first Matthew is super excited to be baptized this Saturday at 4:30pm!! He told us he's met with missionaries for the past 4 years off and on and something just clicked when we were teaching him. Also we went to pick him up for church but he wasn't there so we were super sad. Turns out he beat us to church and was there with his daughter Annabelle waiting for us and saved us a seat! We are so excited for him!

Kodie who is 11 is also stoked to get baptized this Saturday at 11am! She was sick on Sunday but still came to church, proud of her! We found two new investigators this week and they seem super interested. It was a day of knocking and a lot of rejections so we were pretty discouraged. We walked up to this door around 8:30pm and I said a little prayer in my heart that they would at least be nice. They opened the door and were so nice and open and said they want us to come back!!! We are excited!

So update on Jorge... He went to jail for 3 days this week on Friday to Sunday, so he missed chruch:/ he got a DUI a few weeks ago so now he's paying for the consequences. He now has stopped drinking, smoking, and vaping!! We are so proud of him. He still wants to be baptized on the 20th but because of legal complexities he can't, so we have to push his date back. First time I have to tell someone they can't be baptized on the day they want, weird. We had exchanges this week. I went with Sister Schell! It was a fun day...and a very hot one! I got pretty sun burnt. She's an awesome sister!

Last Monday, Katie, who I taught back up on usu came and saw me and took us to cafe rio! She drove all the way from Ogden to see me, she is the sweetest! Man I miss that girl! She's doing really well and even has met with more missionaries up on campus. She truly has a testimony of Jesus Christ.

So funny story: we were talking to this man on his door step because we had just knocked his door. Well as we were talking to him we heard someone yell "SISTA SISTA!" And we turn around and its this guy walking down the road. He then comes toward us and then starts talking to us as we are still on the door step of this man we just were contacting. It was so weird. So the man said "looks like you have someone else to talk to" and said goodbye and shut the door. I was a little bit mad because this guy who came up to us just ruined our door contact. So we left that house and kept walking and the guy kept talking to us and trying to flirt with us. It was pretty ridiculous. We kept trying to get away but he just wouldn't budge. We Finally got away, it was an interesting night.

Well a lot happened this week but not too much to update on. I just want to say how much I love my mom! So on Sunday we go to three different sacrament meetings and all of the talks were on moms and it got me thinking about how much my mom has done for me. She has prepared me for my mission and brought the gospel into my life. She is a convert to the church and I am so thankful for her decision because the gospel has brought me so much joy and happiness into my life, I wouldn't be the same without it. Happy Mother's Day!

Sister Lowe

Sister Davis and Sister Lowe

At a member's house Marissa and her companion stood with a life size cutout of their missionary serving in NC