Monday, March 31, 2014

Letter 03/31/2014

My dearest Family,

I love hearing from you all. It has been a crazy week here in the mission. These past six weeks have been some of the best six weeks of the mission. We got some good things started and witnessed many miracles in this area. This week started out quite normal. P-day on Monday, District meeting on TuesdayOn Wednesday, while we were doing language study, we got a call from our zone leader. I answered the phone and he informed me that he was calling about transfer announcements. Due to the recent reopening of the mission, we didn't expect that there would be many transfers. He proceeded to tell me that my companion would be transferring and that I would be training a new missionary. As he told me these things my face just went blank as I replied, "okay... ah. okay. okay. I'll let him know. Thanks. bye." After I hung up I couldn't say anything. My companion came over and put his arm around me and then when I finally came to, I told him the news. He took it a lot better than I did. He told me he was super excited that I would be training. Because of the way I reacted he thought something had happened to my family or something. I was so nervous and scared and well, not ready to train. I have only been in a Cebuano area for six weeks and now I will be on my own with the language. Now with all that said, I know that my mission president is called of God and that this will be a good experience for me. God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies those who are called and I know he will do the same thing for me. 

In that same day my companion packed up his things, we went and said good bye to a family and then we went to Sogod to spend the night so that we could get a van early in the morning with the other missionaries in the zone that were transferring. We left at about 3:30 AM Thursday morning and traveled up to the transfer point in Tacloban. There is still a lot of damage but things are moving in Tacloban. The people continue to press on through life. 

Whenever a new batch of missionaries come into the mission they are taken to McAurthor park to meet their trainer. It was weird being back, the scenery is a lot different now. As part of the program, the mission presidents wife read an article about MacAurthor and how he returned. Then she talks about how Jesus Christ will return. This time it was cool being there though because... We returned as well. The work of the Lord continues to move forward in this part of the Lord's vineyard in preparation for the Second coming or Return of Jesus Christ. A miracle happened as each of us stepped of the plane, back into this mission. 

My new Companion is from the Philippines. He speaks Tagolog and Ilocano. 0 Cebuano. I can understand tagolog a little still but It's really hard to speak it now because I have switched to Cebuano. He doesn't speak much English either. I am going to learn and grow so much from training him. I am striving to love and serve him and help him become an obedient missionary. He doesn't like me very much yet but he'll come around.

On Saturday, our investigator who has been waiting to be baptized since before the Typhoon was baptized at last along with two others in the other Elders' area. It was really neat. I had the opportunity to confirm her as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints the next day. It was incredible. Hopefully her mother and her grandparents will enter the waters of baptism soon as well. Her grandpa is progressing super well and attributed his success fishing to his listening to the Elders. He told another brother that the reason he caught so many fish was because he listened to us. I am excited to see them progress. They have a date to be baptized on the 19 of April

I love you all so much. I am so grateful for your love and support. Keep moving forward. Keep the Faith and may peace be the journey. Never pass up an opportunity to preach the Gospel. We are Disciples of Jesus Christ.

Love Elder Lowe

3 Nephi 5:13

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