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 23: Choose Ye This Day

11/12/18

Hey everyone! I have hit my 5 month mark on my mission and my 3 month mark in Thailand!! This was another great week in the land and I feel like I grew so much this week. The language growth comes super slow but I am talking more about growing more spiritually and developing more Christ-like attributes. I can truly see the Lord's hand in this work when I open my eyes and allow him to help me. 

I saw so many miracles this week! At English class more people came this week and as a result we got 3 new people that we are now teaching. This week I got to do some solid inviting and just walking around and finding people who are prepared. I love being a missionary and every time I get rejected or laughed at I look at it as an opportunity not to get laughed at the next time I talk to someone! 

This week I decided to go play soccer with the little kids and they loved me for some reason. I was all dressed up in my missionary attire and doing these fast little drills with about 8 or so little boys. Afterwards I told their coach I taught English every Tuesday night and all the kids were so interested. I ended up passing out all my English cards and the little kids all said they were coming next week!! Being a missionary is the greatest calling for real. 

Funny story: 

While we were inviting this week we saw this man doing some house work and I asked him if he needed any help. He just kept saying มาแล้ว like 5 times in a row, which means you've already come to my house before. He was referring to some other missionaries before I came to this area who gave him a picture of Jesus Christ. Anyways he invited me and my companion in and had told us that he believes in Jesus Christ but also worships Buddhism and some other Chinese Gods. At the end of our visit and thanked us for stopping by by smelling my nose and kissing under my ear! Little strange haha. 

So zone conference was this week and I felt like everything was directed at me and my companion. As a whole mission we are focusing on becoming consecrated missionaries. I learned so much about choosing this day, not tomorrow or the day after, to serve the Lord. We all, many times in life, simply procrastinate. We put off simple tasks or maybe even difficult ones for a later day. I learned how crucial it is that we remember to serve the Lord and serve for the Lord. We all have difficult days where maybe we don't want to work but I challenge everyone "to choose that this day will be the best day of my life!" There's no need to delay or procrastinate. 

Also a great takeaway from zone conference was LOVE! A big focus was on inviting others and sharing the gospel with everyone we encounter. But inviting really comes down to this basic question, "do I love this person enough to talk to them." The most important commandment is truly to love the Lord with all thy heart and love thy neighbor as thyself. Everything I do as a missionary is centered on love! 

Speaking of love, I went on a switch off with my district leader this week and he showed me what it means to love the people! He focused and listened intently to what the people said to him. He would go up to them and smile and shake their hand and show that Christ like love. He told me that you just got to remember to love everyone because we are all God's children, and he wants us all to return back to Him. 

Take-away this week: 

-Love God and each and every one of his children with perfect love

-Choose today what type of person you want to be in the world

-Be an example to those around you 

-My parents are the best for sending me 3 packages 

-My stake is also the best for sending me a bunch of candy with super sweet notes

-Phuket deserves consecrated missionaries 

Love,

Elder Lowe

เอ็ลเดอร์โลว์

1. Playing some soccer...by the way I am so bad now it's not even funny haha 

2. The practice squad

3. Last time at the beach for p days! 

4. Zone conference and our Thanksgiving feast!!

5. Packages from my parents and my stake back home...thank you so much :)

Louisville City Football Game

Coach Josh was able to get group tickets to see a Louisville City Soccer game. 

Robert and Kaleb Patterson came with Mark and I. 

The band going round the stadium

I also invited Becca Robison and her family.  She came with her husband, David, their son, Jonathan and he brought a friend!  The boys went and sat with the team.  Mark and I sat with the Robison's for the first half - what a great game.  Then we moved to seats closer to the goal for the second half. 

Becca and Betsy

Jonathan photo bombing David and Becca

Best friends - Becca and Betsy

Mark and I had a wonderful night

During the game, Mark and my picture flashed on the jumbo-tron and Lucy Gibson saw it.  She messaged me and we got to see each other.  She is one of Jessica's best friends from high school girls basketball days.  Lucy is dating a very nice guy, Justin.  We got to meet him.

Betsy and Lucy Gibson

It was a great game!

Game vs Ryle County

What a perfect day for a soccer game, except for the heat.  It was over 90 degrees today, and the field is lined by metal bleachers that reflect the heat.  During each half the teams will take a water break.  It's Saturday - unfortunately Mark is out of town with Devon.  I am going to have to manage filming, photos and stats all at the same time.  Luckily, some of the JV boys said they would help me with stats.

Robert started on the wing as usual.  The team had some great plays but were not able to convert them into goals.  Several times Mason, Robert and Dylan had the ball in goal position, but the cross, pass or shot was intercepted or blocked.

It was such a great game.  Everyone played so hard.

The game ended 0-0.

Robert's had a busy summer

Robert has worked most every day of the summer at Tinseltown movie theaters.  He really does a fantastic job for them and likes the work he does.

Since Devon came home, both Devon and Robert have been asked to help Sister Straub move heavy furniture at their warehouse.  Devon and Robert had been helping them when Robert isn't working at Tinseltown.  It's hard work, but good money.

Robert has also been leading Captain's practices and recently his soccer team started conditioning try-outs.  Try outs are only two days next Monday and Tuesday.  Robert has worked hard all summer!

game against KFJ

Terrible game.    So today Robert had to play against his old team, KFJ.  Robert did a great job.  I was so proud of him.  He won the ball in tackles and drove for shots on goal.  Their goalie, Aaron did a great job.

There was one play were Ben Leveck kneed Robert right in the thigh even though Robert didn't have the ball.  What a bad play.  Robert was hurt but kept playing.  

Our defenders didn't play close enough to their players and got burned.  We lost 5-0.