Week 80: Back to Bangkok

Wow what a week! This week was full of surprises. 

On a p-day we met this one guy named Alex who had lived in Texas for 19 years and he knew that we were "Mormon" missionaries. He is a Thai person and was super kind to us, so he asked us to have lunch with him. So, we thought it would be with him and maybe 3 other people, but it turned out to be some sort of reunion. Overall, there was about 35 people there! It was insane!! 

I can really feel the spirit of Christmas here in Thailand. It's such an amazing opportunity to share the true meaning of Christmas with everyone! I have also had the opportunity to serve others and light the world. I got to cut a bunch of bamboo down this week which was way fun!! 

Our ward has also practiced singing for our Christmas program and for Christmas caroling on Christmas Eve!

My comp and I have continued to work on our member board and we made a ton of progress this week! We know it will be such a blessing to this mission and to the Thai people!

Brother Ping passed his interview and is totally ready to be baptized this Sunday!! Yayyyy!!

However, I will not be there :( I will be moving to Bangkok again to be President Hammond's Assistant. It's weird cause I've been to that area a billion times for transfers and switch offs, but now I'm the AP and it's my area. I'm excited for this opportunity to serve the Lord in a different way. New experiences and lessons await me!!

Love you all so much!!

Love, 

Elder Lowe 

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Robert is so happy that Ping can be baptized

Sad to see Elder Tu go

Member Board

The goodbye for Elder Tu

Cutting Down Bamboo

Week 79: It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Christmas

It's really beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! Believe it or not...Thailand is sooo cold right now. I've been freezing the last several days, no joke. It is usually around 90-100 degrees every day, but this week the weather dropped to the 60s-70s and let's just say I was not ready. My parents told me that Thailand would never get cold so I have no jackets, sweatshirts, coats, etc. Thank you mom and dad, haha, jk!

Right now as I am writing this email I feel completely exhausted. This week has felt so long and has overall been very tiring on me. Needless to say, it was an amazing week full of miracles and cool experiences.

I officially hit my 18 month mark on Friday!!

To start the week we went around to some different members and worked on our member board! We were able to share the wonderful Christmas message with some members in Roi Et before leaving to the other areas this week. As a Zone Leader I get the privilege to travel around the area often and visit other missionaries in different areas. This week I got to go all over the Isaan and I even got to go to Bangkok. I switched off in Ubon on Wednesday, Korat on Thursday, Sisaket on Friday, and Asoke on Saturday. These different areas are pretty far from each other, so yeah it was a week of traveling.

Traveling this week was brutal for 2 reasons. 1) we traveled at night so I probably got about 10 hours of sleep total this week and 2) I was so so cold. However, I am done complaining about this past week and I want to talk about all the cool experiences that happened. 

On Wednesday I switched off with Elder Fushee, who is on his first transfer. We did a lot of service, as we are trying to light the world, and we visited some members in Ubon. I want to talk about 1 member in particular that has been a blessing to me. Her name is Sister Tip (ทิพย์) and she is a recent convert to the church. I had visited her about 2 months ago with another missionary, before she was baptized, and at that time she had no desire to be baptized. She was drinking with her friends and family, and not really paying attention to us. Me and the other missionary decided to love her enough to help her, not JUDGE her. We read the Book of Mormon with her that day and applied every verse into her own life and she was amazed. She couldn't believe how this one book was "written for her." Anyway, fast forward to about a month ago where I got to interview her for baptism. She had changed a lot from that first moment to the day of her baptism and I was so proud of her. Okay fast forward to Wednesday this week when I went with Elder Fushee. We came to teach her follow up lessons about the restoration and she started crying. She had goosebumps and had another witness by the Holy Ghost at that moment that what we were telling her was true. She told us she has quit alcohol for almost 2 months now and that she wanted to help her family to do the same. She also told us that she has a desire to share the gospel with her family and she wants the missionaries to teach and baptize her family as well. Miracles really do exist!

On Thursday I was in Korat on a switch off with Elder Blood, who I first met in the MTC. He came to country about a month after I did, so it was really cool to spend a day with him and see how he is doing. This Elder is solid and is a very social man; he loves talking to people, so we used that skill and decided to talk with everyone we could. We visited a bunch of members and shared the message of Christmas with them. I love asking people what is the meaning of Christmas? Or what is the best gift you could ever receive? And after that asking them how is Jesus Christ a gift in your life? Or what role does He play in your life? I'm truly grateful for my Heavenly Father who gave his Son to us to be our Savior and Redeemer. I'm grateful for Jesus Christ that he did everything for me and allows me to return back to my Heavenly Father again.

On Friday, I was in Sisaket and I switched off with Elder Cruz. I got to interview another lady for baptism who just got baptized yesterday! We basically did the same thing in Sisaket and visited some Less Active members and got them excited for this Christmas season.

Lastly, on Saturday I was in Bangkok and I switched off with the Assistants. I switched off with Elder Sumsion who goes home in less than 2 months. He is a very talented guy and way humble about it too. He is by far the best Thai speaker on the mission, it is literally insane. But, what I learned from him is the importance of getting less active more involved in missionary work. We had an appointment with this one less active named เจดน์ (jade), and we got to show him a Christmas video. He felt uplifted and bore his testimony of the Savior. We were so impressed that we asked him to come with us to our next appointment and share his testimony again. He agreed and brought such a strong spirit with him into the next lesson!

We got back to Roi Et on Sunday morning, showered, and then immediately went to church! I have had absolutely 0 breaks this weeks haha. But, we had a miracle at church this week with one of the people we are teaching. We have been teaching this guy named Ping (ปิง) for a long time (he has been am investigator for about 2 years). He has been to church a billion times, received the missionary lessons all the way through 4 times, and has wanted to be baptized for such a long time. However, he is 17 and he told us that his mom didn't give him permission to be baptized. That changed today when she walked into the church and my companion and I got to meet her for the first time. We gave her a church tour with another member at our side and she immediately gave permission for her son to be baptized. I'm honestly so excited for him and his eternal progression. He is set to be baptized on Sunday, December 22nd, which is in 2 weeks! Yayyy!

Again so sorry this was so long, but I just have felt so blessed this week. I love you all so much and I hope everyone is doing good. I invite you all to remember the true meaning of Christmas this Christmas season. Take some time to think of all the things that your Savior has done does you!! Trust me there's a lot.

Love,
Elder Lowe
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PUPPIES!

On the Road again!

Christmas Tree in Thailand!

Week 52: The 1 year mark is here

So yeah I've been on my mission for a year and I don't even know what to say. I have seen the Lord change, strengthen, and use me to do wonderful things. This past year I have learned so much and I feel so much closer to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The mission is seriously such a blessing; I get to share the gospel and bless people's lives and in turn the Lord blesses me with joy and happiness each day. Serving a mission has been one of the greatest decisions of my life and I want to thank everyone who has pushed me to get where I am today. I love the Thailand Bangkok Mission!!

I have also gotten a new companion this week and his name is Elder Burgess or Elder เจ็ด (which means 7). He is really cool and is actually from Gilbert, Arizona - the same place as one of my friends from college serving a mission right now, Elder Chase Peterson. Anyways, Elder Burgess is very chill and has a strong testimony so I think we will get a long great. 

We continue to see people that we teach come closer and closer to baptism each week. So many of them are close to being baptized, but are just not ready yet. I will keep you updated on all of them and their progression!

Love you all SOOO much! So grateful for all of you and your prayers and emails!

Love,

Elder Lowe

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Photos this week:

Love teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ

Most of these pictures are on p-day or after English class on Tuesday with all the members! 

- It turns out they have sick shoes in Thailand

- Also giant hats

- And sick furniture and mirrors and pianos

Week 46: Transfers and Songkron

So like I said last week, Thailand has this crazy festival called Songkran which is basically a giant water fight! On Monday we got to go to Asoke and I saw a bunch of other missionaries including my trainer...who is now the AP!! Can’t wait till the next Songkran. 

This week was a little strange with Songkran and transfers. We had our switch off on Wednesday, the last day of the transfer. I switched off with Elder English who is soooooooo fire!!!!!! We live with the zone leaders so it was cool to see how they work outside the house. I learned a lot from him. He has a lot of fun while doing the Lord's work, but works very hard and talks with so many people! 

This week we also got 2 more people on a baptismal date for this transfer. One of the people we were teaching saw that we would teach from this book(the Book of Mormon) and wanted it so bad but was too scared to ask for it. We felt that we needed to give it to her and once we did she thanked us so much! She loves reading it and I can already see a change in her appearance and perspective in life. 

Lastly we began teaching this new lady this week named Ratchani and she is a lady with all the questions. Our lessons last for over 1 hour and she asks about 30 or so questions. She has such a desire to know everything before she is baptized! I love it!!!

Lastly I want to say how grateful I am for the Easter holiday and for the special time to think of our Savior's Atonement and Resurrection. I know that Jesus Christ lives! He atoned for each of our sins in his mortal life and rose 3 days after his physical death. Jesus Christ is with us. พระเยซูคริสต์ทรงอยู่กับเรา - Jesus Christ is with us. He is our Savior and Redeemer and fulfilled the will of His father. I love Jesus Christ and I'm so grateful that through him I can be with my family forever! If anyone has any questions about anything I just said please ask me or missionaries in the US! 

I love you all so much and feel so loved my you all and by my savior each day!!

Things that happened this week:

-I ate straight wasabi

- a crazy member taught with us

- One member invited us over for Easter dinner and we got some pasta!!

Love

Elder Lowe 

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More Photos

Delicious Dinner

Robert teaching

Robert and Elder Gantt working hard

Robert with an investigator and his Companion Elder Gantt

Robert and his companion had Easter Dinner with Wisan & Sister Wisanbannawit and the Zone Leaders

Service Project

 Songkran FUN!!!!! below

Many of the elders gathered at the Asoke Chapel - huge water fight :)

Lovin' Songkran - especially on a hot day