September 9, 2013

Hey guys!, Wow! haha. You guys have it all planned out! Sounds great! What's an ob-gyn or what ever you guys said that the Stake President is going to be doing? So I'm a little nervous about the transition but I'm sure that's normal, but I'm also excited. I still can't believe the fact that it's basically over. I still feel as though I had just walked into those MTC doors crying about the fact that I had just said goodbye to my family for 2 years to become part of the Lords army and see the lives of many change and be able to change myself. I haven't been the greatest missionary ever but I know the Lord is happy with the work I've done. I know with all my heart that this gospel is true and that this is what I need and everyone needs to be happy and to be able to get back to our Father in Heavens presence. I know that Christ died for us and has given us a chance to get back to His presence. He knows what we're going through and He knows that we need Him to get back to His presence. I have been studying a lot lately in Alma 5 and trying to answer the questions that are there and trying to find every single little problem there is with me and fix it and make myself better in all I do. I hope I can get home and know that I will be an instrument in the Lords hands. I feel that everyone will be watching me and my every move to see if I've changed or whatever, but I know it's not important what everyone thinks. I know I've done my best to change and that's what matters and I know that the Lord is happy with me and what I've done. I will write you guys on Monday, haha. I'm excited and nervous! WOOO! Elder Lowder

September 2, 2013

Hey Guys, So, just to answer your question real fast, I'm not at all trunky, hahaha. I'm very happy and I'm working just as hard as ever and looking in every moment to get better. I am excited to get home though to see you guys and all that. Kellen is back? haha. He just couldn't stay away could he. It's gonna be hard to get up in front of the ward again and speak and teach in English! That freaks me out, haha. Has any one mentioned anything about that? So it's been raining a lot here which is frustrating but other than that everyone always says that i look like I'm glowing with happiness hahahaha. That's wierd. But anyways, this week my comp and I are gonna baptise 2 people and then next week we're gonna baptise 5 on my last week here, so I'm pretty excited that. I'm going to go home baptising and helping the people. So I don't know why but it feels harder to write now that I'm almost home, haha. Oh yeah, so this Saturday we're gonna have an activity with the Ward. We're gonna do the Olympics. We made a video like for an opening ceremony and we're gonna have a fog machine and some lights to get everyone super psyched and then we're gonna go play. But yeah, that about it. Love you guys and miss you Elder Lowder

August 26th, 2013

Hey guys, We did baptize that family! So everything is going good! I feel good and I’m happy. It feels really weird for me that I’m already going to be home in 3 weeks. It feels like I still have a long long long ways to go. I sure hope I can fulfill whatever the Lord calls me to do when I get home. I don’t know what I should do about work. I’ve been thinking about working with Bro Cook. I guess I can figure it out when I get home. Honestly its been pretty hard for my comp and I to help the zone. This zone is definitely a lot harder than the other ones I’ve been in. We’ve been working very hard to help the zone but it’s not working. I feel like the goals and things we changed yesterday are gonna change a lot this week. I still am getting tired, haha. It’s the hardest zone I’ve had and some times I just don’t know what to do to help. My comp and I have been praying and looking for revelation a lot lately. So I feel like everything is going to get better. So this week we have 3 people to baptize. 2 are family members of the people we baptized last week and the other one is a lady that we have also been teaching. I’m pretty excited about that. Well 3 weeks and I’ll be back. Love you guys and miss you guys. Elder Lowder

August 19, 2013

Hey guys! So my birthday was good! I honestly forgot about it until like the day after when I got a phone call from my Pres, haha. It didn’t matter cause I didn’t know any one here yet, so they were’nt gonna do anything for me anyway. Other than that, it was good. I did get the package! I thought I put that in last weeks letter but I did get it and the money! Thank you guys so much, it was awesome! Honestly! So this week was good but weird because I saw a lot of people from my first, second and third areas, so I got to say hi to a lot of them and hear how they have been which filled me with a bunch of joy. They all reminded me of my time which was a wake up call for me, hahaha. So in 4 weeks, I will be home. Wow! So this week we have the baptism of that family I told you guys about, so I’m pretty excited about it. I don’t know what else to talk about, hahaha. Ummmmm. So today we got the zone together and talked about the Atonement with them. It was an awesome experience because the spirit is always so strong when we talk about the atonement. I know that we are going to see a lot of changes now that we understand more about our purpose. So sorry it’s going to be short cause I don’t know what to put. Love you guys! and Miss you guys! Elder Lowder

August 12, 2013

Hey guys!, So this week was good. It’s cool having a white comp again! It’s so weird to have only 5 weeks left on my mission! But don’t worry, I have the goal of 15 baptisms before I get home so I’m going to do it! So do what the mission president asked you guys to do! That’s what we’ve been doing all my mission, so it helps to have more success! Also, it helps you guys have more spiritual experiences and more conversion! When I get home, I’m going to do my best to do it. So to answer your questions, I’m down with what ever. I’m down to having everyone there that wants to be there or just family. It would be good to have a bunch of people there just to be able to see everyone fast and than not have to worry about having to receive visits or stuff like that. It’s up to you guys. So this week we went and taught a family that was having problems because the kids drink a lot. My comp and I got there and we could feel that there were problems with them. So we started to talk to them and help them see that the Lord doesn’t want that stuff to happen in their lives and other things like that. We could tell that they liked it and they accepted to get baptized! It’s a family of 7, so we’re pretty excited about that! So also I’m in Palmar. It’s nice. It’s like 15-20 minutes away from my area that I had for about 10 months so I already know a lot about it. My comps name is Elder Robinson. He’s from Wyoming, hahaha. He’s pretty cowboy! Ummm, The ward is very good. They look like they need a little help, but we’re gonna help them. The Zone is a lot smaller than my other one but they seem to have the same problems, hahaha. We have a meeting in about 20 minutes and we’re gonna talk to them and give them some new goals so that they can get better. My president sent me here and called me and told me I have to train my comp to be the next assistant but I’ve never been assistant, so I don’t know how to do that but we’re gonna see how it goes. I’m super excited about these last few weeks and I’m ready to explode as best as I can to do everything in my power to finish my mission well! Love you guys and miss you guys! Elder Lowder

August 5, 2013

Hey guys! So I have changes for my last six weeks! Let’s see what I can do in my new area in 6 weeks, hahaha. So this week was good! To answer your questions, I have been focusing on helping the missionaries more than looking for investigators but I will be focusing on helping people to baptize and all that on my last 6 weeks. So I’m honestly excited about these last 6 weeks of my mission because I’m going to do my best to dedicate my time and attention to everything I have’nt been able to change on my mission. My president already told me to relax and just learn everything I can in these last 6 weeks cause, I did it!, haha. So I will finish my mission with Elder Robinson. So I will have another American companion who it looks like will be Elder Willis! So I’m pretty excited about it because I feel like we are going to get along very well together. I’m so thankful for it because I honestly wasn’t happy with my comp that I have now but I know that I will get along with the new one, so I’m very happy about these changes. My 2 best friends that I have here on my mission are staying here in the zone. So that’s gonna be hard cause Elder Holley and Elder Pittman and I have gone through a lot together and so I’m pretty sad to leave them. I know that the Lord has something amazing prepared for me on these last 6 weeks of my mission. If you guys have any talks or any scriptures or anything I can study in these last 6 weeks of my mission please send it to me because I really want to learn more and more and dedicate my time to preparing myself more and more to the Lord. Any advice? Love you guys and thank you for everything you have done to help me out and support me in these last 2 years. I’m ready for whatever comes next! Elder Lowder

July 30, 2013

Hey guys! So this week was good! I’m happy to be a missionary and help the Lord! I am super scared about getting home! I’m not even kidding! Just thinking about life after the mission makes me scared haha, but I know I’m prepared and that the Lord has something huge prepared for me! I want to work for him in our ward! So this week was good! On Friday I went and did an interview for the assistants. I don’t know why but they called me and said, “Elder Lowder, we need your help because we have a couple that wants to get baptized but they always tell us no. Come to our church on Friday and interview them please.” On Friday I got on the bus and we went on an hour long drive to interview these people. I went into the interview and we started talking. I asked him how he felt about everything he had been learning and he told me he felt great and he felt different. As we talked the spirit was present and we both knew it. To make it fast, he decided to get baptized. Then his wife came in with me and expressed to me that she had never found anything to believe in in her whole entire life. That the message that the missionaries had been sharing with her had changed her life. We talked and read a little bit of scriptures. She asked me if she was ready to be baptized. I told her and promised her as a representative of Christ that she is ready to get baptized and that it would be what she needed in her life. As I told her that, she and I started crying as we felt the spirit of the Lord testify to her that He loves her and that she was ready. She told me thank you because we helped her find something to believe in and something to love. They were baptized on Saturday. After they were baptized my x companion who is an assistant called me and told me that it had been the best baptismal service he has ever had. After both of them were baptized they stayed in the font hugging and crying knowing that the Lord was there and that he excepted that baptism of water. I know that the Lord lives and that we are his servants. Without us this work would not be completed. We need everyone so that we can bless the lives of our brothers and sisters and help them know the plan of salvation. I know this is true. I love you all and miss you all. In the name of Jesus Christ amen. Elder Lowder