Week 63: Leaving Don Muang

Hey yall! It's been another fantastic week here in Thailand and once again we have seen so many miracles. I'm so grateful for the time I got to serve in don Muang. I have learned so much and gained so much more experience. Also I have seen so many people follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized. I'm so grateful for the wonderful people here, however I am being transferred to the East side of Thailand. I will be serving in Roi Et as a zone leader. So I have never been to the east side (Isaan) of Thailand, but I have heard that they speak like a different language and that the food is extremely spicy so I'm way pumped!! I might be able to eat spicier food than my dad now haha. 

This week we continued to visit recent converts and teach new people. I stopped by an old investigator who we had dropped about 2 months ago, and he said he was ready to learn now. Sometimes, actually a lot of times, people reject us because they have not opened their hearts. However, the Lord will eventually open and prepare the hearts of his people just as he did for our friend วินัย. 

pictures:

Last week we had our RC baptize one of the people we taught and he forgot to unplug the baptismal font. 

I got to play this rock game with an LA here called หมากเก็บ. She was a pro at it haha

Chair pictures with 11 missionaries!

Saying goodbye to all the amazing members and RCs here. 

I love you all so much! Have a good week everyone!

Love, 

Elder Lowe

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Week 40: Whitewash, training, and DL in Don Muang

So this week was a bit of a shorter week, but basically I picked up my grand new missionary and took him to Don Muang. At the transfer meeting I was told that I will be a District Leader as well. Anyways, his name is Elder Gant and he is straight out of the MTC. We both were assigned to Don Muang and because neither of us have been there, we are whitewashing the area, (we didn't know the area at all). This week we started with 0 investigators, so we had the opportunity to go out and find. Another difference is that I'm used to having a bike to ride around, but now it is just my comp and I walking up and down streets talking to anyone we see. 

I live in the zone leaders house which is way fun. This is the first time I get to see other missionaries in my area because I was in Chiang Rai and then Phuket. Chaing Rai is the farthest and most remote area in the North, and Phuket is the farthest and most remote area in the South.  

Overall, I love the change and I love being a trainer. It's been great week being a DL as well. I had the opportunity to interview someone to be baptized and they were awesome. It is so cool the changes the gospel had made on this man's life. He used to smoke, drink, and drink coffee all the time, but through the gospel he has been able to quit for over a month and be baptized yesterday. 

I love this mission and the opportunity to learn so much every day. As we look to the Lord our burdens will be light. 

Alma 38:5

"As much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day."

We truly all have trials, little or small, but though our faith and trust in God we can overcome any trial that is placed in our path. I love this gospel and the opportunity to be a missionary! 

Elder Lowe 

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1. Me and my ลูก (trainee)

2. Finally in Bangkok...the city!!

Week 29 - Lots of Snow

Hello friends and family!
6 days till Christmas!!!  Whoooo! I'm so excited! It's weird not being with family, but everyone tells me that Christmas on the mission is the best. This week we did a ton of finding! Tracking all day every day since we don't have any investigators besides Ashely. This is a super hard area but this week I've really gotten to see the potential it has.
Let's see this week:

- It snowed a lot this week. We were outside all day on Wednesday and the snow just never seemed to stop. It's pretty, but my hair was soaked from all the snow flakes and froze! It's like 12 degrees here...burrrr! We had a member come out with us and she tracked with us for 3 hours... She was awesome!

- I had my STL (sister training leader) come out with me on Wednesday. My STL is Sister Brunt, my first companion/best trainer in the world! It was such a fun day. We did tracking all day, but we got to catch up on each other and re-experience what it would be like if we were companions again...it would be amazing. It's crazy how on the mission you build friendships like the snap of a finger. We had a lot of success that day and had many door contact lessons. She helped me have more faith in this area and the potential these people have to come unto Christ. She's an awesome STL!

- Miracle this week! So our ward mission leader talked to Brother Call at church who recently became active again. He told us that he has a son who is 9 who hasn't been baptized yet. He asked us to teach him and he wants to get baptized January 7th!!! Whoop! So since he is 9, he is a convert baptism. I'm so happy and I know that this is the Lord blessing us for working hard and being diligent. God truly is a God of miracles! Ben Lomond hasn't had a baptism in a very long time and finally we are seeing success in this area!

- We had ward Christmas parties this weekend which was a blast. We bore our testimonies at them after they showed the light the world video and we helped serve all the food. We cover 7 wards but focus on 4th, 5th, and 10th ward here in Ben Lomond.

 

- We had to speak in sacrament this week which went really well. Since being on the mission I haven't been called to speak in sacrament yet so this was my first time on the mission! Our topic was the joy of the gospel...so pretty much I could talk about anything because anything in the gospel brings me joy. I spoke on how much joy it brings me to share the gospel. I talked about member missionary work and how they too can feel this same joy if they share the gospel with their neighbors.

- Last thing... Every night when we come home there are two gift sitting at our door. Ever since the 13th we get a present each night and it doesn't say who it's from. Someone's doing the 12 days of Christmas to us, but we have no idea who it is. I love the members here they are so sweet and brighten my night each day.

It was a much better week than last week. We had a lot more lessons this week and more members to come out with us which was great! We are still trying to find more people to teach but I have faith we will find those prepared people the Lord has placed before us. Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a great week! Love y'all

Sister Lowe

Devon - Week 87 - New Area - Bad Papers

Hey everyone,

  My area in Meridian North.  It has two wards named Vienna Woods & Edinburgh. This area is similar to my second area.  This place is a richer place than all the rest of my areas.  Last transfer 3 people were baptized in this area.  Now Elder Marostica and I need to go find people that are seeking the gospel.  This stake has been know as a hard place to find people to teach the gospel because the people are rich but we know that we can find.  

This last week, as a District, we  decided to pray that we can find New Investigators.  This last week the District found 5 new investigators which is outstanding for the district.  Elder Marostica and I found a Vietnamese Investigator named Adren.  He super open, maybe to open to things.  He is Buddhist and Christian and decided that he wanted to learn more about our church.  He recognizes that he feels good talking to us but does not recognize it as the spirit or God.  So we are going to work on that.  It's time to get super spiritual with him.

On a sad note I got my papers for traveling home :(.  I love you guys but I love my mission and I love being a missionary.  When I was growing up I didn't want to go on a mission but now I am grateful that I am and all the blessings that come from it.

Week 74 - District Leader

Transfers just happened.  Elder Ray just got transferred to Boise East.  President Winder must either really Trust me or have a great scene of humor because I am now a District Leader, Trainer, and opening a new area.  

The holidays are coming up :)

Last transfer I was stressed because of all the unknown that I faced being a trainer and opening a new area.  This transfer I am doing a little bit more but I survived the last two transfers and had a great time with Elder Ray and really did great work. With that under my belt I am confident that I can face the challenges ahead of my with Heavenly Father's help.  I can’t tell you how much I really felt like Heavenly Father helping and strengthening Elder Ray and I.  We did our part and God did his part.

Devon - Week 50 - Transferred to Boise Central

Transfers were this week and I got transferred :(. They consolidated my area which means that the other Elder now cover Star 1st and Star 3rd wards.  The Reason they consolidated my area is because the mission is going from 200 missionaries to 170.  Less missionaries less areas.  I am sad that I was only in Star for one Transfer but I understand the circumstances.  I got to say goodbye to almost everyone.  Even though I was there for only a Transfer I got to meet and teach some really special people.  I will be back up there soon because Bree is going to get baptized on June 27.  All the people that we were teaching were bummed that we were leaving.  We spent time showing the other Elders the Area and the people we were teaching.  

It is starting to get Hot up here.  Last summer I was used to the Hot Kentucky Summer so it didn't feel that hot to me.  Now that I am used to Boise weather the summer seems like It will be a scorcher. 

We taught Bree about the Obedience and the 10 Commandments.  It went really well and taught in simplicity.  We taught her how important the commandments are and following them blesses our lives.  Matt her Dad bared his testimony about how important it is to follow the Commandments and how in his life he was happiest when he was following the Commandments.  

The Star Stake had a stake missionary event that included over 20 missionaries.  For 3 hours my companion and I went on splits with newly ordained Elders that are planning on going on a mission. It was great to work with them and to show them a view of what a mission is like.  I worked with Corner who had been less active but is now active and wants to go on a mission.  He was excited.  He watch and observed intensely as we went to go teach people.  It was a great activity for both the Elders and the prospective missionaries.

I am now in the Boise Central with Elder Schulzke.  I am actually close to my greeny area in Boise South.  Gtg  Hope you guys have a great week