Week 90: Baptisms of Arm (อาร์ม) and Arthur (อาเธอร์)

This has been probably the weirdest week of my mission, but then again I still have next week. 

So for those who haven't heard, all the missionaries in Southeast Asia, or at least most of them, are on house lockdown. We are quarantined, meaning that we are restricted to only our houses/apartments until further notice. That is, unless we need to buy food or supplies. So yeah, we don't get to go out and do our usual missionary work, which is a big bummer. 

However, the Lord has blessed us with technology so that we can continue to do our missionary work through technological efforts. We can text and call members, less actives, and interested persons. So we are still able to teach, but we aren't able to teach or talk with anyone face to face. Needless to say, it has been a very interesting week. 

So this week started off great as usual. On Monday night we visited Arthur (อาเธอร์) and gave him a practice baptismal interview and he did awesome. Then we got to meet with our man Jim (จิม) that same night and we had the opportunity to teach him the word of wisdom! He had a problem with drinking tea and coffee, but by the end of this week he has given them both up!! He immediately quit drinking tea, and then a couple days later he quit coffee as well! He has so much faith and I'm grateful for his decision to keep these commandments.

The decision to have us stay strictly in our houses came on Thursday night and it said that Friday would be our last working day. We had scheduled a switch off on Friday with the Chiang Mai Elders and scheduled a ton of appointments! I switched off with Elder Taylor, and he is such a solid missionary! We were able to prepare อาเธอร์ and อาร์ม for baptism on Friday as well! 

On Saturday we were locked in our apartments and just did a deep clean day. Our apartment looks so so good now! It's awesome!! 

Lastly, on Sunday I gave a talk in church about the Atonement for about 10 minutes and it went really well! For church, we are only allowed to have sacrament meeting (1 hour) for like the next 2 months. However, we had a scheduled baptism for this Sunday, and luckily that was able to happen. It actually ended up being 4 people's baptisms - two people from us, one from the office elders, and one from the STLs. The pictures are attached below.  It was such a great day for everyone.  Look at all the people in white!!!

I love you all so much! Thank you so much for your prayers and your concern!

Love,

Elder Lowe

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Everyone in White:  Robert baptized 

What a great group of missionaries
Robert is in one of his new Thai suits

Robert teaching at zone conference

Elders and Sisters in front of the Asoke building

Time for some tennis 

Up in Chaing Mai

Robert in his new suit and Elder Robinson
and an investigator

Robert and Elder Taylor

Robert and Elder Robison with other members

Robert with Elder Robison loving that they are missionaries

Tomorrow is Robert's birthday!  Happy 21 to Robert Lowe!!!

Week 89: Happy Valentine's Day

So first things first...HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! I hope everyone had an awesome week and felt a little bit of extra love this week. 

As for me, I had a crazy busy week and I didn't get a p-day haha. On Monday I had the Bangkok East Zone Conference. Then on Wednesday we left to Roi Et and we were there for 2 days for their Zone Conference. Then Friday I got to go to the Bangkok North zone conference. Zone Conferences are the best because you just feel the spirit so strong, and you get pumped up for the transfer. 

I got to visit 5 families in Roi Et like old times, and we just shared the message of the Atonement and how much God loves them. Missionary work is the best! Being able to lift someone else up and helping them to draw closer to their Savior is the greatest feeling in the world! 

On the days that we didn't have Zone Conference, we got to teach a ton of lessons. Right now we have อาร์ม (Arm) and อาเธอร์ (Arthur) who have been progressing so much. Both of them are kids who just love the gospel and understand it so well. Arm is 13 and Arthur is 9 and they have baptismal dates for next week. How exciting!!

We are also teaching this guy named จิม who is just following all of our commitments. He has a baptismal goal for March 15th and is beginning to really understand the immense love the God has for him. He has read to chapter 10 in the Book of Mormon in just 1 week, so we are very excited for him. 

Lastly, I want to talk about our man สุวัฒน์ (Suwat), who is the dad of one of our RCs, พัช (Pat). He is not a member yet, but he has such a desire to learn and change his life. He has prayed for God to open his eyes to know for himself if these things are true. We have taught him about the Plan of Salvation, The gospel, and the Restoration, and he just couldn't believe it. He was like, "we got to tell the whole world." hahah 

The Lord is so good! Rely on him and he will truly direct your paths. 

P.S. I have less than 4 months left on my mission. How crazy is that?!?

Love, 

Elder Lowe 

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Robert and Elder Robinson on the flight - 

look at that awesome new tie

Week 88: Work Work Work

This was such a busy week!! We had our mission leadership conference on Wednesday, and I honestly feel really good with where our mission is right now. I feel like the diligence and obedience has increased throughout the mission - at least I hope. 

On Thursday we met with a couple people, but for the most part we had to plan for our trainings that we would be giving in all of the zone conferences! 

The next day was Zone Conference for the Bangkok West Zone, which is my zone. My companion and I gave a training on the importance of members in finding and teaching. We have set a goal to find some soul everyday as a mission, and to teach with a member every single day. Honestly we should be teaching with a member every single lesson, because as President Hinckley said, it is the most effective way! 

In that Zone Conference I also had the opportunity to give like a 10 minute special musical number. Basically my companion played the piano, and I just gave like a 10 minute memorized talk from President Eyring and Elder Holland. 

We also had a special English meeting for all the English leaders in our mission on Saturday! 

It was a solid week. Our best days are definitely Saturdays and Sundays because we get about 8 appointments for both days. We have so many people progressing and coming to church. I feel like the Lord is really blessing us in our area because of our diligence. Just like PMG states, the key to missionary work is work!!

Love you all so much

Love, 

Elder Lowe

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Teaching Arm

Blessings of Attending the Temple

Mark and I had planned to attend the temple last Saturday but when we called to make a reservation, the temple let us know they were full.  WOW!!!!

Today Mark and I were able to attend the San Antonio Temple for the 12:00 PM Endowment session - proxy for Trossie J. Saygers, and then the sealings of Trossie J. Saygers and Lydia  ___.  Trossie is the daughter of Dora Isabelle Lingel.  I was so touched when I was proxy as the daughter.  It moved me to tears. 

After our time at the temple we had a delicious and delightful dinner at Outback in North San Antonio before returning home to Austin.

Mark and I at the San Antonio Temple

Week 87: เดี๋ยวจะบอก "Wait a sec and I'll tell you"

Such a crazy week I almost don't even know where to start. The subject title means like "wait a sec and I'll tell you," because there are so many crazy stories, miracles, and experiences this week.

To start, Monday and Tuesday were literally all day meetings with President Hammond. On Monday we talked with President for like 8 hours about the new English Program implemented throughout Southeast Asia. But surprisingly, Tuesday was even a crazier day than that. We had our Transfer Board meeting from 8am-8:45pm which was so long, you have no idea!! But, it is one day where we can really feel the spirit and receive revelation!
That night Elder Sumsion and I picked up the brand new missionaries at the Airport and brought them back to the office. It brought me back to my first day in Thailand when I got off the plane and saw the Assistants hahah.

The next day we trained the new missionaries and we took them out to invite with us. Again, it brought me back to my first couple of days when I didn't understand anything, couldn't speak the language, and was just so stressed. It's cool to see my progression over this last year and a half. Trusting in the Lord was the key for my whole mission and it still is.

On Thursday, I got my new companion, Elder Robinson, and we had a couple of meetings. It's weird to be the leading companion as the Assistant because there is a little more responsibility. I'm excited for this transfer as I will surely be humbled many times! Friday morning at around 5am I got to drive the dying missionaries to the airport. What's crazy about this group is that 3 of them were my companion!! I love those Elders so much and I'm grateful for their dedicated service!!

But Friday, Saturday, and Sunday me and Elder Robinson got to work. In three days we found 19 new people and we have taught probably an average of 8 lessons a day!! I'm so excited to just give it my all this transfer. Me and Elder Robinson have already been companions, so we already have some chemistry and we know how to work with each other.

Funny Story:
This is more of a miracle than a funny story, but here it goes. We were walking back home one day and we see this one guy watering plants. I start talking to this one guy, so Elder Robinson starts talking to the guy watering the plants. He got an appointment with him for Sunday and so on Sunday we visited him. It just so happens that he lives with a ton of people. I mean like 13 other people!!! They all came into the front room and sat down and waited for us to teach them about Jesus Christ! It was insane!!! I truly believe that the Lord blesses his servants with people to teach when they are diligent and have a desire to do the Lord's work! I love being a missionary!

These last 4 months I am promising to the Lord that I will not slow down, but be more diligent than ever!

Love,
Elder Lowe
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This group of Elders was special to Robert:  He served with many of them.
Good bye and thanks for being great missionaries

Back together:  Elder Lowe and Elder Robison (from Phuket)

Hahaha