Week 54

So I think I blinked and its already next week! The weeks go by so

fast on your mission... it just needs to slow down.

So some awesome stuff happened this week so here are the highlights of the week:

Jackie is on date for baptism on July 1st. She is so ready. We asked her how she felt about the Book of Mormon and she said, "You know, I haven't said this out loud, but I know the Book of Mormon is true. Every time I read it I feel peace and I know that that is the Holy Spirit telling me it is true." WOWZERS! Ahhh I just love it when people gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon after prayer and reading it. Jackie prayed for the first time in front of her in active husband and they told us their goal is to be sealed in the temple one day. Bryan her husband is met with the bishop Sunday and the bishop told us is was a very spiritual meeting, tears were shed, and that Brian has made all the steps he needs to come back. So Brian is ready to baptize Jackie, woot woot! Miracle!

We asked our new investigator Freddie to be baptized on July 1st and he said yes! He is so prepared. The lessons are so easy with him. He has already read the whole Book of Mormon and told us it definitely feels different than any other book he reads. He told us when he was in France, he went to the Paris temple open house with some of his return missionary buddies. He told us it just felt right there and so peaceful. He's super ready for baptism and loves coming to church. We taught him the plan of salvation and he said "I want to be apart of this plan!" Miracle!

We also asked one of our other new investigators Laura to be baptized on July 1st and she said yes. She really has a desire to know if it’s true but just wants to feel it in her heart. We promised her that as she reads the Book of Mormon and prays about it she will get her answer. She also is trying to quit smoking, so that's a bonus! We helped Ida with service and cleaned her windows. She is the cutest lady ever. She had her old music playing in the back ground and she just loved that we were there. We had a lesson with her and asked her the baptismal interview questions and she passed! She truly has a testimony of this gospel. She also turns 87 two days after her baptism, so that's exciting!!

We had a lesson with Jorge.... I don't really know how to describe Jorge but he's a character. We had the zone leaders come to the lesson and the lesson went really well. Jorge was telling us about all the hard trials there going through and how he had to go back to jail last week and got his car taken away from him and they don't have enough money to get it back. We all kind of went silent and no one knew what to say. So I had the impression to pull out the Book of Mormon and we all read from Mosiah chapter 24 which is a chapter all about how God will lift our burdens as we look towards him through trials. We weren't planning to read that, but I know the Holy Ghost prompted me to share those scriptures.

Okay now funny story: so after dinner on Saturday we were walking home because they gave us left overs and as I was opening the door, Sister Davis was like "what is this" and I look behind me and she's holding up a couch arm chair cover. I guess it had got caught on my bag and I accidentally stole the couch protector... so embarrassing. So we had to walk back and I had to return it... so awkward... literally things like this only happen to me, haha. They were all cool about it and just laughed it off. It was pretty funny.

So yep just another awesome week being a missionary. Lately, if I have any extra free time in the morning or at night I read the Book of Mormon. I just love it so much. 

I read Alma 26 this week and it is now one of my favorite chapters. I loved verses 35 and 36 which say: 35 Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name. 36 Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo...

There literally is no greater joy than doing the Lords work. I love how much Ammon just rejoices in missionary work. I feel the same way. I have so much reason to rejoice and I know it is not because of me it because of the mighty miracles Heavenly Father has blessed us with. The gospel is true. The Book of Mormon is amazing. Life is good.

Sister Lowe

Marissa, Ida and Sister Davis

Learning to sew - wow!!!

Sister Lowe is so pretty in this dress!

Mairssa with Sister Schult, Sister Brunt, Sister Davis and another sister

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 45: 10 months!!!! Allee Got Baptized

Hello!

I hit my 10 months this week!!! Crazy right... So this week was transfer week!... And Sister Davis and I are staying together!!! We are so happy to stay together here in Nibley:)

So highlights from the week:

ALLEE GOT BAPTIZED! It was such an amazing baptism! It was 6:10pm when they showed up and the baptism was supposed to be at 6pm! So we were stressing out but everything turned out great! Allee got us both presents and told us to come back after our missions to snowboard with them, haha! I totally will!

So miracle of the week! So this week we met with Jorge 3 times. In one of the lessons we were trying to get Jorge to stop smoking and to give us his cigars so he wouldn't be tempted but he wouldn't budge. So as we left the lesson we were walking to our next appointment and we saw this cat... So we had to pet it. So after a few minutes we heard someone running out and yelling our names. It was Kolby (Jorge's son) and he handed us all of his dad's cigars. He then ran back and we looked and the cat was gone. It was like the cat was there to stop us so Kolby could find us and then it disappeared. Miracle! 

We then had a lesson with Jorge on Sunday and were planning on dropping him because he wasn't keeping his commitments. But by our surprise he told us that he and wife wife were talking and he wants to be baptized on May 20th! This was a huge shock to us. We then asked him if he's ready to change and make the effort to get ready for baptism and he said yes. It was like he went a whole 180! He still has a lot to give up a lot but he has the desire now to change.

Matthew came to church this week for the first time!! We were so happy. We went to their house 30 minutes before church to remind them of church. And Kelly (his wife) told us that before we came over Matthew said he didn't feel like going to church and then we knocked and then after we left Mathew was like okay now we are definitely going, haha, I'm just so happy they came!

We had our third exchange this week. I was with Sister Williams for the day and we saw lots of miracles! We found 3 new investigators in one day! Exchanges always bring miracles. We now are working with 13 investigators! Nibley is booming!

So funny stories:

So we went to a dinner appointment and it was just a man in the house so because of mission rules we aren't aloud to go in. So he brought out all of the food he made and we ate on his front steps. Fun dinner haha.

It's been another great week! I love it here and I am truly feeling to joy of sharing the gospel with God's children. I have gained such a huge testimony of this gospel and would be nothing without it. Missions go by way to fast.... But I know it is because of the joy I feel here, it's like no other joy. I love you all! Remember to watch the new Easter video on lds.org, it's pretty rad!

Sister Lowe