Week 69 - Gracie got Baptized

Miracles. Miracles. Miracles.

So as you can tell this week has been a week of miracles! It's just been so amazing and a great way to end the transfer.

So today is Pday and transfers.... And I will be white wash training and going to be in North Ogden in the Pleasant View South Stake!! I’m sad to leave my beautiful Nibley. It's truly such a blessed area. So many miracles that have happened here. Nibley has my heart but I know that this is where I need to go and that the Lord will bless us as I stay diligent and be obedient. I'm also super nervous to white wash train because I know nothing about this area I'm going to, but I know the Lord will be with me and help me do what he needs me to do.

Okay so now for the miracles!!! So remember the James (CJ, AJ, TJ), well we haven't been able to meet with them for like 2 weeks and then we finally met with them this week. We got the mom to open up about what holds her back from coming to church. We resolved her concern and the whole family came to church Sunday!!! It was the best thing ever. We then had a meeting with the family and the bishop and they set the date of baptism for October 14th and it is solid now and they asked the bishop to baptize them since the dad is not worthy to. I can't believe this miracle. I’ve been working with the James since I got to Nibley (7 months ago) and now they are gonna get baptized! Holla! Sad I'm leaving, but I they asked me to speak at the baptism, so I'll be back:)

Okay also, Jean, who I taught when I was on usu and got baptized September 10th last year. Wellthis week I got to go through the temple with her!!! It was such an amazing experience and I just am so proudof her. #MissionDreamsComeTrue

Also GRACIE GOT BAPTIZED!!! Whoot! It was such an amazing baptism. Her whole inactive family came to support her and everyone was crying as we shared the restoration with them. It was so special!

Hmmm what else there are so many! We found some new investigators this week and are still working and helping our other investigators progress. It's been an Amazinnggggg week!

I'm so sadddd to leave this beautiful place. Im sad to leave Sister Vea but she'll do great here in Nibley. I know change is good and that this is where my mission president needs me. And maybe I can see some of my Ben Lomond peeps:))

I love being a missionary. Can't believe I only have two transfers left:((((( fingers crossed at conference they announce sisters can be out for two years. I love it here. I'm so so so grateful to be called to this wonderful mission and I'm just filled with so much joy being a missionary because the spirit is with me so strong. I love you all!!!

Sister Lowe

LOTS OF PICS SORRY!

1-2. Gracie's baptism

3. Jean went through the temple

4. Saying goodbye to Ida

5. Saying good bye to some of my fav members

6-7. Saying goodbye to the James kids

8-9. district meeting

10. I'll miss my Vea!!

 

Week 56 - 97 degrees

I think I could of melted away this week...it was so hot. But I guess not as hot as Arizona or South America so I got to give those people some credit.

97 DEGREES!!!!

This week was a little slower because for some reason not many people are home in the summer time, but still lots of things happened. So the Highlights of the week were:

Freddy's getting baptized this Saturday, July 1st!!! We are so excited! He is so prepared and ready to make this covenant with his Father in heaven. Yay for baptism!

Sister Davis, Jackie and Marissa

We had some lessons with Jackie and so far she has been 5 days sober of not drinking coffee. She is doing so great! She get headaches and stuff because of the withdrawal but she always says: "it's for the eternities!" I love her eternal perspective and the faith she has. She came to all 3 hours of church which was a shock! When we first met her, she told us she would never go to relief society because it was too domestic for her, haha, but look at her now! She actually liked relief society, woot! Jackie's baptism date has been pushed back…. She wants her family to fly in and they are flying in July 29th, so she wants to be baptized that day. It is a month away so it's pretty far but I feel good about her date and am happy Jackie feels good about it:) 

I went on exchanges this week in Hyrum with Sister Segura. She is from Guatemala and is learning English right now. This week her companion who has been struggling with health problems was released from our mission and went home. So Sister Segura has been a solo missionary the past week and will be until transfers. So we were in a trio all day Saturday with her and helped her out in her area, it was a fun day! Her English is really coming along!

Visiting with previous converts

We had some lessons with our recent converts Ida and Matthew. They are both doing so great! Matthews families going through some really rough trials right now with his father in law getting cancer but they are still so faithful and using the strength of the Lord to keep going. Ida is still so amazing. She loves church and I love lessons with her:)

It's been a good week. I sure do love Nibley. I love being a missionary here. I've now been out in the mission field for a year now, and it's truly been the best year of my life. So many amazing memories, fun adventures, spiritual experiences, and awesome converts!

I just want to soak it all up and keep going:)

Sister Lowe

Below is the area of Nibley:  the red dot is our new house.  We are way far away from everything!

Week 55 - Father's Day

So to start....

HAPPY LATE FATHERS DAY! All of the talks on Sunday were on fathers and I go to three different sacrament meetings so it really got me thinking. So I just want to say how amazing my dad is and how much I miss and love him! You're the best dad! 

Okay so I thought last week went by fast, but this week was like a second long. I feel like yesterday was last Pday, but I guess this means I'm losing myself in the work since time goes by so fast, We've been so busy this week, that the last time I got to do personal or companion study was last Tuesday! I love being busy though it keeps me going, but I miss my study time, haha. Okay so this week lots happened, but here are some few highlights:

I went on exchanges with Sister Chesley this week which was so awesome! We came out together in the MTC, so it was cool to see how much we have progressed since the MTC. We had so many miracles happen and it was just a fun day all together. Every door we knocked let us in and we got to share our message with them. It was crazy and we found a new investigator from it and a couple potentials also. Exchanges always bring miracles, for real! Also Sister Chesely is an amazing missionary and I'm pretty sure I learned more from the exchange than her even though I'm her STL, haha. 

Sewing project

The next day we got to go to USU campus for a service project. We had to learn how to sew and we sewed a bunch of felt together for like 4 hours (My mom would be so proud)! I got the hang of it after a while. It was so awesome to be on campus again. It was my first area and I haven't been there since. There were students who would stop me and be like "no way are you back on campus" I'd have to tell them no but it was cool that they remembered me!

We've had a couple lessons with Jackie this week. And she's been really struggling with giving up coffee. Well we told her to put a picture of Jesus in her coffee maker to help her not drink. So then the next lesson she said "look at my counter" so we looked and her coffee maker was gone! She told us that the Jesus picture really got to her and eventually she just put the coffee maker away to not be tempted. She also poured out all of her coffee beans in the trash can.... So. Much. Faith. She's now down to one cup of coffee a day, and is trying her hardest to give it up. She's having withdrawal symptoms with headaches and stuff but she is determined to give it up.

We had some lessons with Freddy and he is doing so awesome! He is so prepared and wants to be baptized on July 1st, so he is pretty solid!  YAY!

This week we had a Mission Tour and Elder Nattess from the seventy came and spoke to us. It was an amazing conference and I learned so much. At the end he had the missionaries that are going home this transfer bear their testimonies and man are those powerful. These missionaries just poured out their soul of how much they've love the mission and how they wish they could stay. I just love being on the mission so much, it'll be so hard when I have to leave (but I still got lots of time, so no worries!)

Okay so now for the best part of my week... IDA GOT BAPTIZED!!! Also today is her birthday and she's turning 87! Man her baptism was so spiritual. Her two grandsons spoke and both of their talks made my eyes water. They talked about how they've waited a long time for this day and that this is the happiest day of their life. Her son who is a convert got to baptize her and he said in a year from now we can be sealed as a family. How special!! Ida had to be dunked twice because her feet came up on the first dunk, but it all went good. Rachel (Ida's daughter in law) told us we are now officially apart of their family and told us how much we mean to them. It was such a special moment and I got to bear my testimony (yes I did cry) of how much I've loved teaching Ida. She was the first person we met in Nibley on February 29th and we just knocked her door and now she is baptized!! Miracles do happen.

Marissa so happy for Ida!
Marissa, Ida's baptism day and Sister Davis

The whole group with Ida on her baptism day

Such an amazing week. Something that's really been on my mind lately is the importance of a missionaries calling. This is the only time we get to serve our Heavenly Father for 24 hours each day non stop with no worldly distractions. This will be the only time that I can be most like the Savior. He was a missionary his whole life, and I've got 18 months to be just like him and serve with everything I've got. This will be the only time in my life so I've got to really make it count. I don't want to have any regrets, I just want to give it my all here. I will give everything and anything I have on this mission because the gospel has given me everything. I am just going to live it up and be happy:)

Sister Lowe

Lots of pics this week, sorry!

Marissa and Sister Schultz together again!  

Sister Brunt and Marissa together again!  

MTC Companions reunited:

Overlooking Logan with the temple in the back ground

Logan Heritage Days!

Beautiful Marissa

Sisters!

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