Week 81 - 18 months & 18 days & 18 hours - Marissa comes home

Well I think my time is up now... the hourglass has run out... and I’m heading home today. I've been out serving Jesus Christ on the mission for 18 months and 18 day. It truly has been the best time of my life and I wish I could set the clocks back and do it again. It was hard coming on my mission. It was hard being on a mission. But the hardest thing will be leaving my mission.

It has been an amazing last week. We had 6 convert baptisms this Saturday. The Richey's (our senior couple) taught two and the other 4 were taught by us. They were amazing baptisms, the spirit was so strong, and there were many tears shed. I can't think of any better way to end my mission. I got to see them all get confirmed on Sunday which just made my sabbath day.

On the plane ride home I sat next to a women and got to teach her the whole restoration and gave her a Book of Mormon and I wrote my testimony in it. It was such a tender mercy from Heavenly Father, that I got to teach one last lesson:)

It's really gonna be hard for me to adjust to not doing this everyday all day. I just have felt the spirit so strongly on the mission. I never want this feeling to go away. I just don't want to lose this. I don't want to lose how pure I feel here. I don't want to lose the magnitude of the spirit I feel. I especially don't want to lose my focus on Christ. I want to dedicate my life to him. I want to serve him with everything I have in me. I want to please him and become who he wants me to be. I just have to put my trust and faith in him at this point because it is inevitable that my full time mission is ending and I guess that's apart of life and I will have to just act in faith and press forward. I am eternally grateful for the suffering Jesus Christ went through for me.

Where I am is just a fraction of where I am going. The plan that Heavenly Father has for me is so much greater than the plan I have for myself. In my last interview with my mission president he said to me that he knows it's going to be real hard for me to take off this name tag. I told him "it's okay President, I plan on super glueing it to me" haha just kidding but for real Jesus Christ's name is forever written on my heart. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ yesterday, today, and forever will be.

In Luke 19:30 it says "he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the Ghost"

Now as I am on my plane ride home I say "it is finished." My mission is complete and like how Jesus Christ still had a mission after his ministry, I still have a mission for the rest of my life. To be a disciple of Jesus Christ and follow him always.

"We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become." - Elder Scott.

God never promised life would be easy but he did promise that it would be worth it.

My mission has been so worth it.

It's been the best thing for me.

Christ has changed me for the better.

Sister Lowe.

1-3. Kameron's baptism

4-6 Alejandro and Rico's baptism

7-8. Gary's baptism

9. Saying goodbye to brother Caron

10. Saying goodbye to the Alberchsons. We lived in their basement

11-13. Saying goodbye to my comp Sister Coakley and the Richey's (our

senior couple)

14-15. Temple trip

16-? Goodbyes

20. Home

At the Louisville airport with my mom and dad

Home after 566 (oops not 568) days

Week 80 - Snow Basin

Oh man another week gone. So much to tell and not enough time to write.

So this week I went on back to back exchanges with Sister white on Tuesday and then Sister Hunt on Wednesday. I didn't see my real comp for like 3 nights!! But it was good time!

We had 9 people at church this week! Another great sabbath. We had a cool miracle this week. We had just gotten dropped off in this neighborhood we've never knocked before and knocked on our first door...no answer. But we saw the houses neighbor outside about to get in his truck. So we walked over and introduced ourselves. Turns out the guy is not a member, his wife is a member, and his goal is to be sealed to her in the temple. We asked if he was baptized and he said not "yet" (his own words). So we set up a lesson to meet with him next week, he seems so prepared! Heavenly Father just keeps putting us in the places we need to be at the right time. If we had been dropped off any later we would have missed him. I just love these little moments.

Okay so now for the best part of the week... zone conference. This zone conference was honestly the best one I've been to my whole mission. I had to give my departing testimony along with a bunch of other missionaries going home this transfer.

President Allred taught us about the atonement and it was so powerful and moving. Jesus Christ truly suffered everything for us. President also showed us this video with the song savior redeemer of my soul. It was a video of Jesus being whipped, mocked, crowned with thorns nailed to the cross, and dying on the cross. I felt the spirit incredibly during the video. I had goosebumps all over as I saw my saviors soul be received into heaven. It brought tears to my eyes. I just was hit with feelings of so much love. I love Jesus Christ with my whole soul and will give him everything, even my whole self. He suffered so much for me, a sinner, a weak, insecure, mistaken 20 year old girl. It pains me to know how much pain I have caused Jesus Christ to feel and for the amount of blood he poured out for me and my sins. His love is infinite and his sacrifice covers all. I stand all amazed by the love Jesus offers me. He is incredible. He is my everything. I was touch this week in away I haven't been before. I was overwhelmed with the spirit and cannot deny it. I just want to sacrifice everything, all of my sins for Christ. I am eternally grateful for the suffering Jesus Christ went through for me. I love you all!

This isn't my last email, I'll send you one more on my last day:(

Sister Lowe

Lots of pics we went to Snow Basin for my last Pday

1. MTC crew

 2.-8.  Snow Basin!!!  Amazing P-day!

2. Kyla from my last area got baptized this week and I got to come back and speak at it.

Marissa with Kayla

3. Jackie and Bryan!! I love them!!

4. Met a reindeer!

Week 79

18 months....

I hit 18 months on the mission this week...

18 months whole months I've been serving as a full time missionary. And luckily I get to stay a few more weeks!! These seriously have been the best 18 months of my life. And I sure am not ready for them to end. It breaks my heart to think about so I'm just not gonna talk about it okay:)

So this has been such an amazing week! Like seriously best week ever. Amazeballs week.

We had 12 investigators come to church Sunday! 12! That's the best I've ever had on my mission. It was a hectic Sunday. We were hopping from one church to the next. Going on splits. And sitting with all of our investigators. It was so fun but so exhausting.

We had an amazing lesson with Kameron this week. All he wants for Christmas is to be baptized and he just has the strongest testimony of a 17 year old boy I've ever seen.

We gave Alejandro and Rico the children's Book of Mormon on Friday and on Sunday they told us they finished the whole book! WOW! These kids are amazing.

Gary, well what can I say, Gary is amazing and has such a strong testimony. He had his baptismal interview and is all set! He will be the first member in his family so he is going through some hard stuff, but he has never been so strong.

I had MLC this week and we set a goal for December to have 120 baptisms this month for our mission, which means each stake has to have two baptisms. It's gonna be a WHITE CHRISTMAS for sure! We have 6 convert baptisms scheduled for December 16th in our stake, two at 10:30, one at 11:30, two at 3:33, and one at 5pm. It's gonna be the best Saturday ever! I'm so pumped!

The mission put on a musical fireside this week at the Brigham city tabernacle and it was a full house with lots of investigators there. I was asked to speak at it on my testimony of reflecting Christ's light. It was so nerve wracking having everyone watching but I think it turned out well and a lot of people came up to me and thanked me for my testimony.

As for my spiritual thought today I just want to share my favorite quote:

"Today is the day that we represent him

Today is the day we exercise our faith

That we cast our own selfish selves aside and say

What would he say if he were here today

What would he do if he were here today

And what would he think If he were here today

Those are the things I will do

Those are the things that I will say

And that is the way that I will think

Today is the day that eternity changes 

Today is the day that I will walk with God."

I strive to do those things everyday and to become more like Christ as I live the gospel of Jesus Christ and have his doctrine embedded in my heart. Love you all!

Sister Lowe

1. Leaving for MLC

2. Our senior couple took us to this Chinese restaurant

 3. My fortune:(((((((

4. Woke up to SNOW this morning!!!!

Week 78 - Thanksgiving

Guys it's finally Christmas celebrating time!!! I'm so excited! I love the Christmas season on the mission, it is truly the best because we get to celebrate Christmas with an emphasis on CHRIST. Which is the real reason we celebrate Christmas! Also I think people are just a little nicer during Christmas time:)

Okay so great things happening this week:

We met this guy, he's 17 named Cameron and he has been going to seminary for a semester now and has some great LDS friends and so he told his parents that all he wants for Christmas this year is to be baptized...that's all he wants. And so his parents who aren't members and are pretty anti-Mormon actually agreed to let him finally. So already this week we are starting to have Christmas miracles!! Gary! Gary is so awesome like literally he is so prepared! He is still on date for the 16th and he said if they schedule him to work that day he will just quit his job. Wow the faith! I'm so excited for him! Alejandro came to church again all by himself, literally the best 9 year old I know! He is now on date for the 16th because his catholic mom wants to make sure he understands everything.

I went on two exchanges this week which was pretty fun. I've learned a lot this transfer as I've gone out with these sisters. A lot of them are struggling in the mission and so it's been cool to help them keep going and seeing their purpose here.

It was thanksgiving this week and that was just a blast. We went to the Bischoff’s family for thanksgiving and I just love that family! I have never eaten so much pie in my life. My fav was the pecan pie…so good!

We passed out a ton of Light the World cards this week. It's the Christmas initiative this year and it's about serving others and becoming more like Christ. To serve others in 25 ways over 25 days leading up to Christmas, pretty cool! I am just so grateful for my savior Jesus Christ who has literally given me everything, and everyday I have the chance to give him something back by serving the people here. It's the most joyful feeling.

Sister Lowe

1-3. Thanksgiving

4. Christmas lights for our door!!!

5. #LightTheWorld

Week 72 - AJ, CJ and TJ get Baptized - Tyler gets Baptized

Exciting things this week!

First and for most... TYLER WAS BAPTIZED!! Whoot whoot! It was such an amazing baptism. We found Tyler only two weeks ago but he has been prepared by the Holy Ghost and is now the newest member of Jesus Christ's church:)

Also.... AJ, CJ, and TJ were baptized!!! Hallelujah! I've been teaching them for 7 months straight when I was in Nibley and they finally were baptized this week!! I got to go back and speak at their baptism and it was just so great. My heart is full.

Okay so other awesome miracles. We met with Jospeh this week (new investigator) and taught him and he is now on date for baptism for November 4th! Yeet! His daughter passed away last week and we helped serve at the funeral and that's when we first met Joseph and he asked us to teach him more about what we believe about the after life. He seems super interested!

We also met this guy named Gary who came to church with his return missionary best friend and he wants to learn and take the lessons from us. We also tracted into a girl named Hailey who is 17 and she was interested in the missionary lessons and is open to baptism! MIRACLES PEOPLE! The Lord is just blessing us so much! Ahhh it's just so wonderful.

I'm starting to really like the area. Still trying to learn it all… it's HUGE! The thing is about down here is the people are really nice but they talk your ear off. People just love to talk. We will be walking and then stop someone on the street and they will just talk forever... like we talked to this non-member this week who literally talked to us for an hour on the street about stories in his life. He would not get to the point. My feet were dying and My legs were real tired after that conversation... and he wasn't interested...sadly:(

Okay so over the course of my mission I meet a lot of people who ask "has your mission changed you. Are you a changed person because of the mission?" And the answer is no. My mission hasn't changed me. I'm not a changed person because of my mission. On my mission I have come to know how to draw unto Christ. Am I changed? Yes. But it is Christ who has changed me. Christ has changed my life not my mission. Christ has made me want to become more like him and change for the better. In the scriptures it says "Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word" Alma 5:7

Mighty change comes from living the gospel of Jesus Christ - Simple obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Change is about becoming. It is what we have become not who we were. We need to become one with Christ, have his doctrine embedded in our hearts, and live the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ changes us for the better:)

Love you all!!

Sister Lowe

Lots of pics!

1-3. Tyler's baptism

 4-5. AJ, CJ, TJs baptism

 6. Got to see Jackie and Bryan!!! Oh how I miss them!!!

7-8. Zone service project

Holy Cow - look at the size of that fallen tree

9-11. On our way back from the baptism we got to see the Brigham city temple!

 12. District meeting pic with Sister Coakley