Week 45 - More Miracles

Magandang umaga sa inyo lahat! 

Oh my goodness... this week has just been another week of miracles! But before that, sister Diosan got emergency transferred to Sta Cruz so now its just the 2 americans here in Calapacuan! Holla! haha oh my gosh its so fun i love Sister Burt! She’s from Utah and so funny! There is never a dull moment in our day, plus we get 2 X the stares and comments now that there is no Filipino with us. Its hilarious. Go America!  Anyways, So for starters our investigator Saricris is probably the most amazing investigator I have ever had in my entire mission. Her desire to learn and seek truth is unmatched and her faith is incredible!!! She has had a horrible life growing up- her dad abused her and her 27 siblings (yes 27 because as she says... her dad is a very lovable guy when it comes to the ladies haha)  and he would tell them all the time that at anytime he could just kill them. He gave them life and could just as easily take it away. Then he tried to arrange her marriage to a 60 year old man!! (she was 16 at the time!) But even after all that she never doubted that God loved her and found peace and comfort in reading the bible. When we first taught her she was was a little skeptical about the Book of Mormon, but we promised her if she would just read it, pray about it, just give it a try, Heavenly Father would show her that it is true. That she would feel the spirit and peace enter into her life. So she did. And she said her life was forever  changed! She said as she read about Christ and the Gospel she felt like a hole in her heart was filled that she didn't even know was there before. She prayed to heavenly father asking him to help her truly know for herself if this is truly the right path for her. She said that if her mom got home the next day before 9 o'clock and had sold all of their fish (She usually comes home around 3 and sometimes still hasn't sold it all so if this happened it would be a literal miracle) then she would know that this is the true church. What happened? 

Yup thats right. Her mom was there before Saricris even got up and had sold EVERYTHING. God truly does love us. He is mindful of us and wants us to understand his gospel. He has given us the Bible , the Book of Mormon, Prophets, and Prayer to help us learn his plan for us. This experience made me realize that I as a missionary am not the real teacher here. Saricris told me when we first taught she didn't believe at all. But when she read the Book of Mormon and felt the spirit, she knew it was true. I LOVE the Book of Mormon and have made a goal to read it EVERYDAY for the rest of my life. Even if its just one chapter a day or just 1 verse, I have realized the importance of its guidance in our everyday life. We are not perfect but there are things in our lives that we can perfect. I can be perfect in my Bible and Book of Mormon reading, I can be perfect at saying my prayers everyday. And thats why i choose today to be perfect in my Book of Mormon reading for the rest of my life. I'm not saying everyone should, but everyone should try haha because I know you will see a change in your life. I have. I know this church is true! Im so excited for Saricris who is getting baptized April 12th! 

Sister Burt, the Mission President's wife and me

We are at the mission home

LOVE YOU ALL!!! MAHAL KO KAYO! INGAT PALAGI!

Love always,

Sister Lowe :)

Week 44

MOM!!

Ok mom so I don’t have time to write a big email about the week today because my hour of time is running out ... because I had to report to president but there is no way I’m not writing you for your birthday!!!! What are you, 26 now?? dang and still looking good after 4 kids! haha :) aw mom I just love you so much and I can’t tell you how excited I am to come home and see you and give you a big hug and kiss! Of course i absolutely LOVE my mission but it has made me realize how much I truly do love and appreciate my family. Especially you. You have been my role model and example all my life. You were the one who was always there for me even when my friends or boyfriend wasn't. I cannot put into words who much I love you and want you to have the best birthday ever! know that i will be thinking and praying for you. You are one of the BEST gifts god has given to me in my life, maybe thats one reason why I am here on my mission, to repay heavenly father for the beautiful mom dad and family I have, to help other families enjoy the happiness that the Lowe family does. I LOVE YOU MOM!!! when I get home lets go get a full body massage and a pedicure and manicure bc man I am gonna need it haha! LOVE YOU!

love,

your daughter, Jessica

Hi Jessica - your mom loved getting this letter!  Sweetest thing ever!  I love you too!!!!!

Week 43 - Adela's baptism

Magandang umaga po sa inyo lahat!

Wow we had a killer week this week! We got 28 new investigators and had 13 of them go to church this past week which was awesome! And of course we had Adela's baptism on Saturday which is actually a long story... Ok so the day before her baptism we were going to all our appointment's just doing our missionary thing and all of the sudden we all felt like we needed to go visit Adela right away! 

So we walk all the way up the mountain to where her house is and when we get there she opens the door and just starts bawling! We were all so worried and we didn't know what was going on so we sat her down and listened as she told us that is she gets baptized the next day... she will lose EVERYTHING. Her husband is very opposed to it, her kids (who are all older and married now) have bluntly told her they will never talk to her again if she joins the church, her old pastor shouted at her and told her she was going to hell and then on top of all of that none of her "friends" (I put quotations because they are not good friends at all :p) have disowned her and mock her in front of everyone and her boss fired her because she's joining the church. Not gonna lie we were pretty speechless at first, but then we felt the spirit work through us and with God's help our mouths were filled with the words Adela needed to hear. We told her how much God loves her and he will help her through this what seems impossible trial of faith. We reminded her of all her spiritual experiences and how she came to know the church is true through prayer. We read in the Bible and the Book of Mormon with her and testified to her that this is the way to true happiness. Our lives here on earth are but just a small moment, but if we endure it well, we will be exalted in heaven and will receive blessings we can not even comprehend in this earthy state. After that she told us she knows the church is true with her whole heart and that she is not going to let others lead her off the path back to Heavenly Father. Her baptism on Saturday was BEAUTIFUL and we were all crying as she shared her feelings and testimony. She is such an amazing example to me of strength and now whenever we think we have it bad... lets think of Adela who has given up everything for the gospel. I love the gospel and I know Adela will be blessed for her decision, as we all will be if we follow the example of Jesus Christ. Love you all and hope you have a great week!!!! 

Love Sister Lowe

PS HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARISSA AND DEVON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE YOUUUUU <3

Week 42 - moved to Calapacuan

Hey everyone! 

So I got transferred last week! Ya it was really sad because I had to leave behind sister Paciano and all my investigators from Lubao  (Nina, Paulyn, Tatay Carlito, Gina, Emil and Jade are all getting baptized next Saturday in Lubao!!!), but now here I am in Olongapo City in the Calapacuan Branch which is awesome, too! 

I am now companions with Sister Diosan- a Filipino and Sister Burt -an American! yup, I’m in a group of 3 again, haha. I live in an apartment with sister Adol (Filipino) and Sister Barlow( an American who went to BYU, too!) They are all so nice and I'm happy to be living with them. I live really close to the mission home and I get to see President Querido all the time which is so great! He is seriously just the best, most nicest Christ-like man know besides my dad. We've been working really hard here in Olongapo and I'm realizing every area is SO different! 

Sister Leader trainers

Calapacuan Zone

Reunited:  Sister Calahaun, Sister Mack and Sister Isla

A wedding in my new branch

a baptism as soon as I come to the new branch

My new companions:
Sister Diosan- a Filipino
and Sister Burt -an American

Are we really going to ride in the back of a pick up truck

I guess so - what the heck?

I love being a missionary

Jessica with two elders and Sister Hess and Sister Calahuan 

 My last 2 areas were both what they call "bukid" which means rice fields aka COUNTRY.  Here it is all city and then a little bit of mountains and mountain people. But we have been so blessed so far in this are because we had 2 baptisms last week and another one on Saturday with I think 2 more on the 29th of march. That's right go big or go home, haha. No seriously, it’s so great being on a mission - you learn so much about people, the Savior, and yourself! I am doing things I never ever thought I could do and now I just do them without thinking about it. Like, I am in the middle of a county and city I have never been to before, teaching people the gospel in Tagalog everyday, and moving around from place to place to live with people I’ve never met and... I'm doing it! ... and its wonderful! Guys I know the savior loves us perfectly and knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows what we need, he knows how we will best learn and grow. I love this gospel and I honestly don't know who I would be without it. I know I have changed here on my mission- not my sparkling personality :) haha but I have refined and enhanced the person I am so that I feel closer and more like my savior. I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!! You are all my inspiration and help me to do hard things! Take care!

Love, 

Sister Lowe