Week 68: Consecration

Hey everybody! This week I almost had an entire week in my area. Last week p day was on a Tuesday and we went to a waterfall. It was way big, but we couldn't go in the water and swim. Regardless it was a ton of fun and we got a couple of really cool pics. 

Wednesday I got to do a "switch off" with elder Halversen again. We both had to renew our visas in Bangkok because we have been in Thailand for a while. I actually got to see my whole group from the MTC again which is always a good time! 

Our mission President came to our area and gave a training about the importance of using technology. He told us that Thailand is the country that uses social media/technology the most(85% of the population). Even all the old people are on social media, so we need to utilize technology to preach the gospel. As a result, me and my comp came up with a ton of ideas of videos we can make. You all are about to see a good amount of videos on my Facebook sometime soon. Hope you like them!!

Sunday was miracle day like usual! I continue to see the Lord bless us on his blessed Sabbath Day. We got more people back to church this week! When I first came to this area we had about 55 people going to church. I made a goal to try and get the church attendance to be 100 consistently.  Guess what? Yesterday there were 94 people so we are almost there already! On top of that we had 8 people we are teaching there as well!! What a miracle :) This family of 3 walked into the church and there are so cool! I'll let you know how their progression is in the coming weeks. 

As a missionary I serve for a period of 2 years. I am more than half way done and I took some time this week to reflect on how my time has been. I read a talk called "The fourth missionary", which talks about 4 different kind of missionaries. The 3rd missionary is the average missionary, but the difference between him and the 4th missionary is consecration. What I mean by that is to give yourself to the Lord. Align your will with His! I have made the decision this week to become a more consecrated missionary/servant of the Lord. I have about 8 months left and I want to give it all to the Lord! 

I love you all so much. The mission is the best thing ever!!

Love, 

Elder Lowe

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MTC reunion in Bangkok to update Visas

Great P-day at a Thai Waterfall

Standing for something

At the waterfall

Free lemonade at English Classes

Week 38: Birthday week the BIG 20

Well first I want to thank everyone for wishing me a happy birthday! I cant believe I am finally 20 but I guess it had to come eventually. I'm so grateful to be in Thailand surrounded by so many loving people. Also getting to call my family on my birthday was amazing! 

So a little recap of this week...

To start, it was a HOT WEEK! I'm not sure why but in Phuket I was legit just sweating all the time. I'm so tan now that people are going to think that I'm a คนไทย (thai person) soon. 

It was a week of a lot of teaching with many packed days. We have gotten a lot of referrals lately and are teaching so many people. It is so cool to see this place where it is now from where it started. We had very few people and the branch wasn't doing that great, but nowadays the branch is doing way good and we have soooooo many people to teach Miracles!! 

In terms of funny and cool stories this week, I will start with this Russian lady we are teaching. So at church this Russian lady, who is a member, begins talking to me and asks me if my companion and I could teach her friend who is not a member. We bike quite a long time to this lady's house and once we get there we realize that her friend doesn't speak English or thai. We would speak in English and the Russian member would translate everything over. It was so funny and one of the craziest Restoration lessons I have ever taught. I'm not sure how well she will progress but she did come to church yesterday which was way awesome. 

Last week we met this man named พร (pawn) and he is quite the character. So he has gone to church in Bangkok and has read the book of mormon before we met him. We tried to teach him the restoration this week and he said he already knew it all. I asked him if he believed the book of mormon to be true and he said yes. Then I asked if he believed that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and he did. Basically he knows this church is true but doesn't want to be baptized again (with proper authority)...so we are gonna have to work on that! 

Ok last thing for this week is that our mission president gave me and my companion a project. We are supposed to make an English ad that will be used all over Thailand. We don't have any proper equipment to make a good video so I'm just gonna hope and pray that it turns out good haha. 

I love you all!! This week I was able to memorize a 10 min and 30 sec video. It's a video with talks from President Eyring and Elder Holland who are so fire! I love what Elder Holland says about this work: "when we struggle, when we are rejected, when we are spit upon, and cast out, and made a hiss and a byword we are standing shoulder to shoulder with the best life this world has ever known. The only pure and perfect missionary that ever lived." I'm so grateful to be a part of the Lord's glorious work and I know as long as "we are faithful, He is with us."

I hope everyone has a great week. 

Love,

Elder Lowe เอ็ลเดอร์โลว์

1) when teaching brother อาณาจักร (anajag), my companion took a photo. Pretty cool right!

2,4) teaching and playing with the little kids on the streets!

3,5) Branch service project. Picking up trash is the best!!

Video Chat with my family (added by mom)

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 76

So it's only been 4 days since I wrote, so I'll just give a quick update on how our weeks been!

We had such a good week, like our lessons didn't cancel, we found lots of new, and put 5 people on date for baptism. Good week, am I right? The person that I want to talk about though is Alejandro! We were tracting in the trailer park and this dog came running towards us so we picked him up and then the owner came out and was so thankful we caught her dog. She told us she wasn't Mormon and wasn't too interested but she said her kids were really interested. So we came back another day and met Alejandro. He is 9 and really wanted to come to church and be baptized. His mom said she'll drop him off but he’d be going all alone. So Sunday rolled around and he came all by himself and sat with us. He is the cutest and I know I wasn't like that at 9. He's so great. I'm excited to teach him.

Yep so that's my update for the week, sorry it's so short. I really like this area. There is so much potential here. I wish I could be here another 6 months to see all the progress these people are making. Conversion takes time and I'm just sad I only get 6 weeks to see it now. I love being on a mission. It's the greatest thing in the world. And I'm just so happy being here.

Love you All!

Sister Lowe

1-2. Sorry had like no pics this week so we just took some with the Book of Mormon

3. Saw Sister Davis on Sunday at the my plan meeting:/

4. The MTC crew, the sisters I came out with.

5. A whole year ago yesterday, jasmine was baptized!!!