October 15, 2012

Hey guys! So I’m feeling way good, but at the same time a little bummed out because my companion is headed out. It’s hard because he’s become one of my best friends that I would do anything for. He’s a great guy and a great missionary and it’s going to be hard to let our companionship go but it’s time to do so. I’m excited to train and teach this new missionary what the mission is. I’m excited to be able to help him become who he can become. I’m nervous but I know I can do it. So yesterday my companion and I went to go eat. We got there and they told us were gonna eat enchiladas! I love enchiladas they’re my favorite! So he asked me how many I wanted and thinking that they were the ones I loved said, give me 8. ha. So we start eating and they bring me my plate of enchiladas, then I saw what kind they were. They were enchiladas made with mole. I was like crap, you have got to be kidding me! So I looked at my companion and he started laughing. Then they brought him his plate and he was like, these are bad. I was like great. So we ate and ate almost dying in the process. When we walked out I felt terrible! I felt so sick it was ridiculous. So we went walking to the church because I wanted to sit on the toilet. Right when I walked into the gate of the church I was like noooo! And it came out! I started throwing up but it wasn’t normal. It was like one shot of about 2 seconds and then I kept walking to the bathroom and when I got there I started cleaning everything and boooooom again into the toilet. Now all this time my companion is dying with laughter. I walked out of the bathroom and started to talk to him and he was like, oh no! and he took of running and I followed him and he started throwing up, which made me throw up again. We both were throwing up, but dying with laughter doing it. It was awesome, hahahahaha. But yeah, it killed us. So we baptized again this week. I am praying that the same success my companion and I have had, my new companion and I can have. Well I miss you guys and love you guys. Elder Lowder

October 8, 2012

Hey Guys! So this week was great! We baptized for the 12th week in a row! I’m so happy with what’s going on! Sadly, in a week my companion will be leaving and I’m going to train a new guy! so I’m excited for that but its gonna be tough to not have Elder Tapia as my companion. I know that the Lord only has more waiting for me. So iIsent you guys some pictures that some people sent me, hope you guys enjoy them. So I need a new memory card because I’m out of memory a year later, haha. So last week we baptized America. She is way awesome and received her answer in way that was awesome to be able to see! At church! We were talking about the revelation and the importance of it and I asked her, “America if God were next to us right now and he gave you some time to ask him the desires of your heart, what would you ask him?” She just sat there thinking and my companion and I could feel the spirit so strong working with us and teaching her. When she just started to cry out of no where. We gave her a little more time and then I asked how she felt and she said I know that this church is true and I know the book of Mormon is true. I want to be baptized on Saturday, so we baptized her, haha. It makes me feel emotional to know how much the Lord prepares the people and to see how much he loves them and just how capable we are as his children! I absolutely loved conference! I’m sure you guys know that my favorite talk was Elder Hollands. I felt the spirit so strongly in his testimony and it made me feel that much stronger about what I need to do in my life. As easy as Be Loyal to the Lord and work and do what he needs of me. I also loved President Monsons’ talk about how we should see people how they can become. That it doesn’t matter who it is in this world, they can become something amazing! We just have to open our mouth and share with them what we know to be true. I loved how he talked about the fact we should take an inventory on our lives to see the blessings we have received and what we need to change. Wow, great talks. So I just want to tell you guys I love you and miss you and hope that everything is ok because you’re putting your trust in the Lord! Elder Lowder

October 1, 2012

Hey guys, So this week was good! We baptized the Family that received their answer in the tour of the church building. It was an amazing experience to see the husband and wife who had so many problems with their relationship just put everything in the hands of the Savior and enter into the waters of baptism with the firm testimony that everything was going to be extremely better than ever. So I’m glad to hear everything is going good back home and that you guys are happy. I have been very full of the spirit lately, more then I ever have been in my life. I feel in these moments the desire to not only do everything I can for the Lord but to give him all that I have and ever will have. The opportunity that we all have to share this gospel is a blessing greater than anyone could ever imagine. When we share the Gospel with everyone, this world changes. Through the eyes of our brothers and sisters and through our eyes. I love thinking about how the Savior in his prayer to our Father in Heaven expressed his love for him and all of us. He said "And he said, Abba, Father, All things are possible unto thee ,Take away this cup from me. Nevertheless, not what I will but what thou wilt." The love in this prayer the Lord expresses through the word Abba, his closeness and love that he has for his Father is such a great example to me. I feel in every moment of our lives we should think about and follow this example. My favorite song is Savior, Redeemer of my Soul. Every time I listen to that song I think of the Savior and our Father. The way this song expresses how I feel and how I want to be in every moment, is perfect. I think that we should always reflect this in our lives and think of what we can do better. The Lord loves us all. Every time I teach, I love telling the people of the love that our Father has for them and how possible it is to do what we should in this life. I think the strongest testimony I have is of that thing. Our Father is all mighty! He is who gave us all we have! What a message we all have to share! That He Loves us and He lives and has given his only begotten Son so that we have the opportunities we have. I was thinking the other day of how you Mom and Dad feel about how I’m in the mission. About how you guys have given me to the Lord for 2 years and have trusted in him with your greatest possession and that you know that what ever happens to me will be what he wants not what you want. I can’t express the gratitude I have for this. That you guys have taught me and have never given up on me. That I know before my mission I was’nt a very expressive person or someone that talked a lot about my life. But still you guys had the trust and love to know that I was ok and that I was doing what I needed to do. I can’t thank you guys enough. I love you guys and will always be in your debt for what you have given me. Not only will I be in your debt but I will ALWAYS be in debted to my Father in Heaven for giving me you two and letting me learn from you both. Love you guys and miss you! Love Elder Lowder

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