September 24, 2012

Hey guys!, So this week was great! We baptized an investigator that had been investigating the church for over 30 years and his daughter. The Lord really prepares the people! We also had an experience with a new family that was amazing! So on Friday we invited a family of investigators to go to the church for a tour and see what we have and all that. We went with them and started the tour with a prayer and we promised them that whatever problem or question they had would be solved here and that they only needed faith and to ask and the answers would come. So during the tour, they were very quiet and it made my companion and I nervous. We just kept going and we asked if everything was ok and they said yes, we’re good. Well, we finished the tour and went into the room and started to teach one of the most powerful lessons we have and that all missionaries have, the Book of Mormon. When we started, we made a lot of promises and gave them moments to be able to meditate about what we were teaching and focus in on the feelings. We told them that they should take some time to close their eyes and focus in on what the Lord was trying to teach them. The Mom started crying and her husband just sat there. We asked the husband first how he felt. He said I feel very calm and I feel like everything will be alright and that this is true. Then we asked the mom and she said I feel safe and sure about everything I’ve heard you guys teach me. I feel like I’m ready for anything. So we took advantage of the moment and invited them to be baptized September 30th and they accepted with a big smile on their face. It was amazing to see them have that change so fast and to see them receive their answers. It was such a powerful experience to see the promises of the Lord being put into practice! I’m so glad to be able to see that you guys are happy and that you’re fulfilling your purpose here on earth and are trying to progress everyday and if you can do more, do it! I wish you all could feel how I feel to see these people make these changes and to see them really receive their answers. So just to let you know, everything has calmed down here and there hasn’t been any problems. Well, I love you and miss you guys very much and hope you guys can feel what I feel everyday! Elder Lowder

September, 17 2012

Hey guys, So this week was good, we baptized 3 people last week, 1 the week before, and 4 this week. This week coming up we have 2, so we’re doing really well thanks to the members of our ward because they’re giving us references and working really hard. So Mom, good thing that you feel that way because I’m always safe without problem here, don’t get worried. So, I’m glad to hear that everything is going good at home. It feels absolutely crazy to have one year in the mission. Just thinking about how fast the first one went makes me scared to think about how fast the second will go! I’m not gonna lie, I love you guys a lot and miss you all a lot but I don’t want to come home, I love it here. I think everyone feels that way. So, I was thinking the other day about the change that has happened with me here in one year. Its honestly mind blowing to think of the power that the Lord has to be able to take someone so prideful, stubborn, and crazy like me and change me into who I am now. I can’t explain how happy I feel to be where I’m at and where I will be in one year. So I hope this week is good and that it’s a success for you guys. That you guys can take the bad and make it good and really apply the atonement in your lives everyday and enjoy all that we have received from it. I can’t explain to you guys how it feels to make sure everything is good with Father in Heaven and to do everything we can possibly do so that it stays the way he wants. I love you guys and thank my Father in Heaven everyday for what you guys and he has done for me. Love you and Miss you. Elder Lowder

September 10, 2012

Hey guys! So the activity was a success! Although Satan worked his butt off all week to make sure we didn’t have success. Well, I want to let you know what’s going on here but don’t be afraid. I’m very very protected and I feel more than safe where I’m at. So, as you may know, a new President was called here in Mexico and his name is Peña Nieto. The people here don’t like him and they do not want him as President. Because its very corrupted here, he won by cheating and buying votes. So the people are very very mad about it. So, what happened all week was there were mobs and marches in the streets, burning houses and stores and killing people. So as you can probably tell, the people didn’t want to leave their houses for anything, including the members. We worked like normal because there wasn’t any concern but we started receiving calls from the members saying, cancel the activity because no one’s gonna come and we’re not going to come and things like that. So my companion and I went from house to house trying to explain to them that the if we trust in the Lord and know that the plan of salvation is true, that nothing would happen that isn’t part of the Lord’s plan and other things like that. But nothing! So, we went to the Stake Presidents’ house and I was like, look what do we do, the members don’t want to go and they’re all saying cancel the activity because of what’s going on out there. I was like look, I don’t want to cancel it because i don’t think anything bad is going to happen. He only told me don’t worry, it’s going to happen. So I was sure it was going to happen. We went to church the next day and when we got there we sat there for an hour waiting for the members to get there, but no one showed up. So we said a prayer and the members started showing up! The activity was amazing! We had more success then I expected and the rooms turned out awesome!! I was so happy with the work of the members and their faith, to be able to see it in practice was a great blessing. To come to church and have the activity and not be worried about what could happen. So we ended the activity with everyone happy and me exhausted! We started getting the things ready for the baptism the next day. We got to church the next day ready to baptize when we were told the President of the Young Women passed away the night before. So they told me that we were gonna baptize but it may not have that much support because all the members were helping the family out. I was like, great, but at the same time I felt bad for them. But in spite of the sadness and all that happened, she was baptized and we received a lot of support. It was a great week! We have a family of 3 ready for baptism this week and 2 more for the next and 4 more for the next! So I’m pretty happy! Dad, make a new email and email me like a new account! Love you and miss you all talk to you next week! Love, Elder Lowder

September 3, 2012

Como estan Familia, Well this week was pretty good and tiring. We confirmed someone a member of the church and we were told by someone on Sunday that they want to be baptized this week along with about 2 other people, so that’s way exciting! Well I’m way tired today because we played basketball for like 3 hours in the blazing heat! So I’m sun burned and tired. So, I’m glad to hear everything is going good, how’s Brandon in school? That’s good to hear he played, but hopefully they win next week. So I’m not to sure what to talk about. Oh, so this week I went to my church building to an appointment I had and when I got there, some guy started talking to me and he was like, yeah, I served my mission in Veracruz and I was like, oh that’s cool. Do you know Dallas Reynolds? He was like, Yeah! I trained him! and I was like no way, that’s awesome! So we talked for a while about that. I thought it was pretty funny that I found someone that Dallas knows. I thought that Uncle Michael was going to have his baby in November? So Dad, start a new email please. I need to talk to you about something. It’s not bad but its just something I want to do and so if you can please do that and let me know. Well, we’re still doing great. I thought I would have transfers but I didn’t and the ward started getting sad when they asked me and I told them I didn’t know. I dint have transfers so I’ll still be here for the activity this Saturday that we’ve been planning.. All the members have promised to bring like 4 or 5 people, every single one, so it should be great. Well, I just want to end with something that happened this week. So we were teaching a family of 5 this week the plan of salvation. When we taught, it we did our best to help them feel that it was true. They told us that they want to change everything they were doing to be better people. On Saturday, we went with them again and asked them if they were still planning on going with us Sunday and they had a bunch of reasons why no,t so they said no and we left. We got to church the next day and they came and we asked what happened and they said, well we woke up and felt like we needed to come. It was way awesome. I love this! Love you guys miss you and pray for the activity to be good on Saturday! Elder Lowder

August 27, 2012

Hey guys! This week went really good! We baptized and had the opportunity to meet new people and share our message. We actually have to change apartments because President called me and said that he doesn’t want us to live there anymore because there’s not a priesthood holder in the home. I completely understand, so we looking for a new apartment. So I got the money, thank you guys very very much. I actually went today and bought me some new shoes. My clothes are fine. My shirts are yellow but its the style here in the mission. haha So that’s pretty crazy to think that Brandon’s already had his first day of high school. So I just want to share some words with Brandon about that experience he’s going to have. High school is what you make of it. You can really study and do what you’re supposed to do or not do that and be like me and just barely pass because it bores you. Im gonna be honest, ever since I’ve left school, I’ve had a fire to learn, I want to learn, I want to study. I don’t know if its because of the gospel or I just want to be smart, idk but I want to learn. Brandon, don’t give away this opportunity that you have to do good in school. There is time to study and time to pray. It’s honestly a lot easier to be able to study right when you get home so that you can have the time to rest afterwards. Don’t be lazy, do your school work and ask the teachers, study! Its doesn’t mean that you’re a "nerd" to study because everyone does it, so please Brandon, take advantage of it. Also, I want you to read a few verses for me; 3rd Nephi chapter 18 verses 18 and 19. Brandon, you need to pray always because you are going to have ALOT of temptations because like it says, Satan wants you to fall and doesn’t want you to do the things that the Lord does.Your favorite word needs to be NO. I want you to be strong. I know you will be, I trust you and I want you to please!!, PLEASE!! put time in your week to write me and ask me for help in whatever you need life, friends, stress, SPANISH haha. Love you Brandon be strong. So I feel great to be here and I’m in the same area as when we talked on Mothers day. It’s way small, but thanks to the blessings that the Lord has given me, I’ve been able to be a tool in his hands to help strengthen this ward, to make it bigger, and happier. Ether 12: 4, If we have a firm hope for a better world we will have nothing to worry about because our faith will be like an anchor, always abiding in good works and always putting the Lord first above all things. I love you guys and I hope you guys will make the chain that holds the anchor of your faith stronger everyday so that you will never pass for anything that will make you fall. I hope I can give you something to make you wake everyday and feel like I do everyday. Today is going to be great no matter what happens, it will be great because the Lord lives! With Love, Elder Lowder