Monday, November 4, 2013

Letter 11/04/2013

Family, 

Wow! I can't believe I've already been out for almost four months. We'll see what transfer day brings on November 20. I may get transferred, I may stay but whatever happens I'll let ya know. Most likely I will be transferred though which kind of sucks because I won't be able to be here for all our prospective baptisms but such is missionary work I guess. Sometimes we plant, sometimes we harvest and part of white washing an area is planting. No matter what happens I am excited for the future missionaries in this area whether it be me or not. I am also excited to experience new areas and new companions. So much work, such little time. Adapting to a new country as well as a different lifestyle made two years seem like forever for the first few months but it hit me yesterday during church how fast time is moving. I love it here and I want to take advantage of every moment. The other night I didn't want to stop and eat dinner and Elder S. informed me that we weren't robots. I got a good laugh out of that and let him eat a snack while we walked to our next appointment. He's a really hard worker but sometimes I think he wonders how I go all day without food. I mean I like food and I get hungry it's just eating isn't a priority. I'll eat when it's convenient that's all. We're supposed to take an hour for dinner but I prefer just eating at 9:30 after daily planning. I'm not here to eat food. I'm hear to harvest souls. And the vain part of me really doesn't want to get fat. And we have dinner appointments often anyways with members. 
As for my week. Now that I am better, I will tell you that I got really sick at the beginning of the week. Mostly just Monday and Tuesday. I had some pretty nasty diarrhea and a wicked fever and head ache. I went to the doctor on Tuesday and found out I had an Amaeba. Don't drink the water, yes, yes, I know. I have learned my lesson. I just forgot to ask if the juice at a less actives house was purified. But they gave me some medicine and I am all better now. We were able to recover and meet most of our goals for the week.  
Our progressing investigators are doing well. The L's are doing well but we are having a hard time getting them to come to church. We are having to be patient but it is all worth it. We have a Baptismal interview set for Sister A. on Saturday. Stake conference is next week so the baptism should be the week after. We had a great follow up lesson about the Word of Wisdom. She loves coffee like most of the world and so we talked about the blessings and she is now keeping the word of wisdom. We had FHE at her house on Saturday night for Elder S's birthday and it went so well.  
Elder S.and I have gone on splits twice this week with the ward. It is a great way to teach more lessons than we can just the two of us. I love it but is nerve wracking completely leading. It forces me to have confidence in speaking the language. I am starting to be able to understand which is good but I have to focus really hard and so I get really tired just from using brain power to focus on understanding all day. Everyday it gets a little easier. I am starting to pick up Tagolog as well. I was called Bisdak for the first time today! Which means Visayan Dako which just means you know the language and can speak. 
We didn't have any investigators at church on Sunday but we had a lot of Less actives. The L. family came as well as the C. family for the second time.  I was so excited when I saw them walk in late! I almost fell off the piano bench (I am the unofficial ward pianist... Sometimes I just play the right hand and it's all good. I am also accompanying them for a song they are singing for stake conference) because I was so excited! 
I am so grateful to be here. I love the work with all of its challenges! We should never try to find excuses to get out of church meetings or opportunities to serve. I imagine that many of us, members and gentiles alike will stand before God at judgement day and wish we weren't so busy. There are times when we are honestly and truly busy with life and can't make it to everything and God understands that but above all we must remember who we are fighting for and with that who is fighting against us. In 1 Nephi 14 we read that there are only two churches. If we aren't following God then we are following the Devil. There is no in between. I don't mean to guilt trip anyone but this is just something I will think about when I find myself trying to get out of an assignment.

I love you all. Keep the faith and may peace be the journey. 

Love Elder Lowe 

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