Week 21

Hey everyone! Kumusta po kayo?? 

Wow its been quite an exciting week here in Hermosa! Last P-day after I left the computer shop to email, our Zone Leaders called us and told us we had to stay inside for the rest of the day because the flooding was so high! In some places in my area the water went up past my waist! It was awesome!! haha. I mean, of course, I was sad we couldn't go out and work that day but, the experience was really fun. So, this week was super successful and I have some pretty sweet stories for you :) 

It's up to my calves
PS:  This is the first photo I have of her in her pink skirt (I made)

So cute!

So the first one is from Tuesday.. We had been walking all day and it was POURING rain so we had gotten punted (missionary term for rejected haha) all day. 

Jessica with a bunch of missionaries

 We walked past one of our members homes and I suddenly felt like we should go back and drop by. So we visited with the Jaring Family and they had company over. We introduced ourselves to them and found out that they had seen us earlier in the week and wanted to talk to us but were too shy. So we talked with them for a while about the church and our beliefs and they told us they want us to come to their house and teach them! I have such a good feeling about them and they are so so nice. I am so grateful for the guidance of the spirit and that I was listening and acted upon it. Ok so next story!! So we have been teaching a less active member family for a while now and we have been praying for them so much to come back to church. Then this past Sunday they all came to church and Kim brought her fiancé’ who is not a member and we got to teach him yesterday! He said he loved church and we asked him to pray to know if the Book of Mormon is true and if this is the true church and after the lesson he prayed and said he felt peace and happiness in his heart and knows that it is true!! Yayy! Then another one of our investigators- Chona, said she has been reading the book of Mormon everyday and loves it! She said she stays up at night with a flashlight reading it haha, how cute is she? I invited her to be baptized on Saturday and she said yes! She is so nice and has such a cute family... I’m so happy and excited to see them grow stronger in their faith and for their happiness to increase :) Ok I saved the BEST story for last!! So we were teaching one of our new investigators, Joseline, on Friday and I asked her if she prayed if the Book of Mormon is true and if our message is true. She said she did and that she knows it is the word of god for us just like the bible is. After that she told us a story of why she was interested in our message in the first place and why she let us in to her home to teach her. So apparently, when we first met her she saw us coming up the hill to her home and she was going to go inside to hide haha BUT, then she said she saw a person or a light behind me so she stopped and watched us walk up the hill. She told me that when I approached her there was a light or aura around me that made her want to talk to me and find out why. I asked her are you sure its not just because I’m the only white person for miles? haha. she laughed but then got serious again and said that she felt peace when she saw me and when I spoke to her and she knows that God was trying to tell her that we had something she needed. HOW COOL IS THAT? Man these people are so prepared to hear the gospel and I feel so blessed to be apart of this great work! I love the Philippines, I love the people, I love my companion sister Lariosa- we get along so well and have so much fun together, and of course I love this gospel and all of you :) Thank you for all your support and prayers- I truly feel them. I love you all!! 

Mahal ko kayo at ingat po kayo palagi!

Sister Lowe

Week 20 - Super Typhoon came

Hello everyone!

Wow what a crazy week it has been here in Hermosa! So on Wednesday Sister Calaunan my trainer had an emergency transfer to Lubaw and Sister Ila is now in our apartment and is sister Smith's companion. We all get along really well in the apartment and it is super fun to have sister Ila back in my apartment again because she is one of my besties out here on the mission :) All four of us love to work hard, but we love to have fun too so life is good and happy here in Hermosa :) 

I LOVE being a trainer especially to sister Lariosa! She is such a hard worker, never complains (even when we walk for hours in the rain) and is just the sweetest thing ever. We get along SO well and are always smiling and laughing while we work. 

Us with the Capoquian Family

This week there was a TON of rain and flooding but man did we have a good time in it haha (I put some pics of our adventures below!).  

Singing in the rain ...
Ako at si Sister Lariosa sa baha!
(Me and sister Lariosa in the flood!)

Being a trainer definitely is a lot of hard work and responsibility because everything is on you now, but I've really been able to feel the lords hand in my life this week and we were able to have one of the best and most successful weeks I’ve had so far on my mission! Plus I've really been able to see how much my Tagalog has improved from when I first got here because now I lead all the lessons haha. 

So, guess what?? We had another baptism this week!! Whooo! Johnmar was so excited it was just the cutest thing ever haha! I just love him and his family, we've really become so close in the past 3 months I've been here and I feel so blessed to be apart of their lives and part of their journey in coming closer to their savior Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. 

At Johnmar's baptism

As Johnmar got up after his baptism and bore his testimony, I felt the sweetest feeling in my heart and know that this is exactly where I am supposed to be. I can't imagine my life now without serving a mission and even though, of course, I love and miss you all, I am so happy here and truly have never felt more at peace with myself. I know this is what the Lord wants for me and that he wants all his children to be happy and return to him after this life. I love this gospel and I LOVE all of you! Never forget that the lord loves you and I love you too :) Mahal ko kayo at Ingat po kayo palagi!

Love always,

Sister Lowe

Week 19 - Became a Trainer

Jessica with her Mission President and his wife- called as a Trainer

Hey everyone!!

Wow time sure is flying here! It feels like just yesterday I got here and now here I am finished with my 12 weeks training program! So as I said last week this week was a big week! I found out last tuesday night that I would need to come to the mission home on wednesday because... da da da daaaa I'm now a trainer!! Ahhhhh! and I just finished my training! Talk about feeling inadequate haha. 

So wednesday we went to the mission home (me sister Calaunan, sister Ila, and Sister Mack because surprise! we are all training the next 2 transfers!) where we had training to be trainers and then found out who our new missionary trainee is! So they lined us up and one by one President Querido assigned a trainer to a trainee. It was so funny because there was one sister trainee who i kept making eye contact with and we just got along really well from the start and I totally thought she was gonna be my new companion, guess what? She was! Her name is sister Lariosa from Bacola Philippines. Tagalog is not her first language (she speaks a different dialect) so we are in for quite the adventure here haha! An american and a Filipino who both struggle in Tagalog haha but hey we make it work! We get along SO well and she is literally the sweetest cutest thing ever! She's willing to work hard and do her best so I already know we will have a great time these next 12 weeks. 

Their new apartment

So we live here in Hermosa in our new apartment with Sister Calaunan and her new companion Sister Smith. She's an american too and super super shy! But she's really nice and she's really starting to open up to me now :) Its so funny because I've been teaching them how to cook, wash their cloths (Filipino style) and how to be a missionary when i still feel so new myself! But hey this is going to be such an adventure and growing experience for me and I know that through our challenges we come closer to the Lord so I am happy :) President Querido talked to me and sister Mack after the meeting and told us that he knows this will be a challenge for us but he knows we can do it and he knows that God will help us. He said there is a reason we were chosen to be trainers even though we just finished the training program ourselves the day before. I know that God is with us all through our trials. He loves us and his only desire is for us to be happy and to return to live with him after this life. That is his plan and our whole purpose in life- to be challenged and learn and grow and prepare ourselves to be worthy to live in his presence once more. I know that He has provided a way for us to accomplish this almost impossible feat and that is through our lord and savior Jesus Christ. Through his mercy, grace, and infinite sacrifice we are able to be cleansed from sin - because hey lets be real no one is perfect. But its ok because He loved us enough to die for us and take upon himself our sins. There was a moment in the Garden of Gathsemene when he suffered specifically for each and every one of us. Not only our sins, but our trials, pains, and afflictions too. When we feel alone or that no one understands- there is ALWAYS someone who does. I love my savior and my Heavenly father and am doing my best to be deserving of their love and un-repayable gift to all mankind. I Love you all so much and hope you all are happy and safe :) Thank you for your support and love!! I LOVE YOU!!!

Love always, 

Sister Lowe 

Week 18

Hey everyone!!!

So I'm going to start off saying sorry this will be so short, but we are just swamped today! We had to wake up early because we are moving to a new apartment and we had to set up the new appliances and move all our stuff there. Tomorrow is transfer day and president Querido told us that there will be 2 more sisters being added to our area here in Hermosa and we will all be living in this new apartment together (that is if I don't get transfered haha) So we had to say goodbye to sister Ila and Sister Mack earlier which was kinda sad, but they are getting 2 more sisters in their area too so its all good! The more missionaries the merrier right? haha. Tomorrow Sister Calaunan and I will find out if we are staying together or getting transferred or training new missionaries! Ahhh suspense! haha I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store for us! This week has been another great one! Earlier this week I extended a baptismal invitation to one of our investigators (Johnmar) and he said yes! He has really come such a long way from when we first met him and I feel so blessed to have been apart of helping him come closer to god and having a happier life :) We are working hard to be the most effective missionaries we can be here and not waste the precious time we have been given to serve the Lord with all our might mind and strength.. The time is really going by so fast and every second here is precious to me. Even though of course there are challenges in missionary work I can honestly say I have never felt so at peace with my life and I know that the things which I am teaching about everyday are true. I feel so blessed to have the gospel in my life and for the happiness and knowledge it gives me. It makes me who I am and I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for the many blessings he has given to me- this beautiful gospel that fills my mind with truth and light, the gift of prayer that allows me to talk to my Heavenly Father, my Savior Jesus Christ, my incredible family, my amazing friends, my past teachers and leaders, and my blessed life in a free country with luxuries that are unheard of here. I know life can seem hard at times, but if we truly look for the things in our lives that God has given us, you will be surprised by how much you have been blessed with. I love you all so much and feel so blessed to have you in my life and to have the opportunity to be here in the Philippines as a missionary. Once again sorry this is so short but we have to go to Balanga (the city) and buy stuff for the new apartment as ell as go to the market and hand wash our clothes! fun fun FUN! :)  

Mahal Ko Kayo!!

Week 17 - Back to Business

Hey everyone!!

Thank you all again for your love and support while I was in the hospital! You all are SO sweet! Mom, dad, Devon, Marissa, and Robert thank you so much for the beautiful flowers you sent me in the hospital!  And Shout out to my amazing parents- HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! You guys are absolutely incredible and I know for a fact I wouldn't be the person I am today without you. As Buzz would say, I love you both to infinity and beyond :) PS you both have to come to the Philippines someday because they are OBSESSED with 80's music and I think you two would fit right in haha. 

Also- Devon is at BYU!!! Ahhh! I'm so excited for him!!! BYU was the best and I'm so excited to hear how he's doing! can you give me his address?? And tell him to email me back haha. 

Ok, so wow it feels so great to be back to work! But, man oh man, it was pretty crazy here in Hermosa while I was away in the hospital. The Typhoon here was pretty intense and where little houses/shacks used to be is just a big puddle of water. There was so much flooding here apparently that Sister Calaunan and my housemates Sister Mack and Sister Ila were flooded in and couldn't leave the apartment because the water was so high. In some places the floods would go past your waist! Kids will be out swimming in the streets and one guy even was using his jet ski to get around!  The members in my ward keep telling me I missed all the fun haha. But right now we are working really hard to make sure everyone is ok and have food and medicine for their families. 

This week we also had interviews with our mission president which was great because I love my mission president and have gotten really close with him and his family in the past two weeks as they would visit me in the hospital. He's kind of got me a little bit nervous though because next week is transfers and I will have officially completed my 12 weeks training program... I will be a regular missionary with all the expectations and responsibilities that come with that- including possibly training a new missionary. Ahhhhh! Haha. President said he is really impressed with me and thinks I'm ready to train a new missionary. Slightly terrifying? yup. Am I fluent in Tagalog? Nope. But hey, if the Lord thinks I can I can and if he wants me to train a new missionary I will. He told me there will be lots of changes coming up in the next couple weeks so fasten your seat-belts everyone because we are about to embark on quite the journey haha. So who knows, maybe next week I will be transferred, have a new companion, or training... Let's wait and see what the Lord has in store for me :) 

Change is hard- especially for me. I have a really bad problem with getting really attached to things places and people and then either they leave or I have to leave and it's hard for me. BUT when those times of trial and change come I know there is always one thing I can fall back on that will forever be constant and never change. That is my Heavenly Father and lord and savior Jesus Christ. Whenever we feel burdened down or feel like the world is spinning out of control around us, we can take comfort in the fact that God lives and he is unchangeable. He is there for us and listens to our prayers. He loves us unconditionally and will help us with any trial or challenge we encounter. In Psalms 18:2 it says "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength in whom I will trust." The Lord can be that constant that we desperately need in a world full of so much uncertainty. He will never turn his back on you or abandon you. I don't know, this verse just brought a lot of comfort to me because here I am thousands of miles away from home, family friends, English, and I know things back there are changing and going on without me and things here are also about to change, BUT I can take comfort in knowing that there is one thing that never changes. We have the gospel of Jesus Christ and we need to cling to it. And I know that as we do that we will find peace and happiness in our lives. I love you all and pray for you all the time. You are incredible examples to me and the love and support I feel from you is overwhelming.

Keep up being the awesome people I know you are and remember I love you and our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ love you too :) 

mahal ko kayo palagi, 

Sister Lowe

me on the way to an appointment with my cow friends :)