week 59 Good bye to President Querido

Hey hey hey!!!

So this week has been just one of those amazing awesome weeks you just wish you could relive over and over again. Seriously... I love being a missionary haha. Ok so 1. My companion Sister Pizon is great and super hilarious, she always keeps me laughing and is super positive which i LOVE. My housemates are CrAzY but so so funny!!! Oh my gosh I love the Polynesian culture Sister Selelesi and Sister Hausia are crack- ups but such amazing had-working missionaries too. We have a good balance of hard work, spiritual growth stuff and having fun and being happy :) I remember before I left on my mission my Mission Prep teacher at BYU told me "If you don't have fun on your mission, you are doing it wrong." 

I know that to be true because If you love the people and enjoy everyday and give your best in all you do, the mission is the happiest best thing that's ever happened to you. So last week we had 5 baptisms!!!! They are all so awesome and have super strong solid testimonies. Then me and Sister Pizon are now preparing 7 more people to be baptized in July! I love it here in Olongapo and am learning a lot here! That's one thing about the mission, no matter how long you've been on the mission you never stop learning. 

So something else big happened this week... President Querido and Sister went home    :( President had his last interview with me and I promised myself I wasn't gonna cry because I hate crying, but he just started talking then HE started crying and that just destroyed my no crying thing. We both just cried and shared memories, We are just so close I will miss him so so much.. :( BUT we have a new President now! His name is President Dahle, I haven't met him yet but rom what I hear he's super nice and is gonna be a great mission president. Other than that everything is just great! It's rainy season now so it rains EVERYDAY ALL THE TIME and it floods really bad here. But its fun :) I love you all and I hope you all know that I have a strong testimony of this gospel! Jesus lives and truly is our best friend :) LOVE YOU ALL! Mahal ko kayo :)

Sister Lowe  

Week 58 - Hello Santa Rita!!!

Hey guys!

So yup, I got transferred!! Last Tuesday night was spent packing and crying as my recent converts kept calling and texting me telling me how much they loved me and how much of an impact I have made on them... pheeewww makes me tear up just thinking of it haha. 

I really did love Calapacuan and gave my all there, BUT now I am prepared to give it all again here in Santa Rita. Im super close to Olongapo City maybe 5 minute jeepnie ride and maybe 20 minutes from Calapacuan so this transfer was not a far one haha. My new companion is Sister Pizon, she is a Filipino from Manila and she is super nice and hard-working so we make a good team :) We've already sat down and made a lot of plans for this transfer and we have already found people this week who will be baptized in July!! whoooooooooooo! I just need to learn the area now because it's pretty big and confusing... and anyone who knows me knows that directions is not exactly a strength of mine haha. I live with 2 other sisters, sister Hausia (Tongan) at sister Selelesi (Samoan-think I spelled that wrong haha) But we all get along and its fun because we are all from different countries but are all here for the same purpose. So my apartment now has a sick view! outside my bedroom window I can see a jungle and a waterfall... yup be jealous haha. We have 4 baptisms this week and they are all super awesome!!! I love being a missionary!!!! Love you guys! Take care always! Read your scriptures and go to church! hehe :)

Jessica and her new house mates

Love,

Sister Lowe

WEEK 57 Getting Transfered

Ok guys!

Transfer week is this Wednesday and I’ve heard some rumors that I'm getting transferred!! I’ve got split emotions because I am excited to go to a new area and meet new people but I am going to miss Calapacuan so so SO much!! I have the best memories here and the best recent converts here! I am going to bawl my eyes out when I have to say goodbye to Saricris, Mhae and Hajie… it's gonna be ugly haha. 

Seeing Sister Burt again - awesome!

Hajie worked with the elders yesterday and is stronger than ever now! Saricris and Mhae are both attending institute now every week and are loving it! Adela started crying yesterday when I told her I might be leaving it was so hard! 

So it is officially rainy season. WET WET WET. it rained everyday this week...  like buckets haha. and it flooded up to my mid calf... talk about adventure haha. Its great though and Its so weird to thing I got here this time last year!!! On this day last year I was leaving the MTC and called you guys and got on the plane to get here! Now look where we are! I am in my 3rd area almost 4th, speaking Tagaolg, on my 10th companion, Devon is leaving on his mission in 2 days and a lot of my friends are now coming home from their missions! It's crazy!! I am so thankful I decided to serve my mission- best choice I’ve ever made hands down. 

So in other events We had a sweet mission activity last week!! We all separated into our zones and played games and did relay races and jeopardy! Calapacuan zone won no surprises there haha. It was so fun!! I got to see all my friends from the mission and hear all their cool experiences!  What else what else... Oh! 

Ok so you know how Hajies brothers hate on us all the time and don’t support their mom or brother? well, I talked to them about it and taught them about charity and now they are super nice to us!! We are also now teaching Paul Anthony, Hajies 20 year old brother!!!!!!! It’s amazing how the Lord changes hearts. Well next week ill let you know what happens!  Either I will be here at Kryslyn's baptism or in another area! Love you bye!!!!!! Sorry my emails are crazy and probably nonsense haha

Love Sister Lowe  

Week 56 - MET BAPTISMAL GOAL

hey we have an activity on Monday so I won’t be able to email :( but President gave us this time to just let you know were safe and ok! LOVE YOU BYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She doesn't know it but we do - they met their mission baptismal goal by having 187 baptisms last month.  They are doing a WHOLE MISSION activity on Monday.


These are photos sent over from her Mission President, President Querido or her friend that she baptized and that has brought so many people to the Gospel, Mhae.

Jessica with Sister McNaught (from Australia)

Sister Leader Trainers

such cute sisters

Sister Talent, Jessica, Sister Enguito, and Sister Lariosa

The Sister missionaries in Calapacuan with Mhae

Jessica and Sister Enguito

It's rainy season again

They met their missionary goal - celebration!!!!

Week 55 - June 1 - SPIDERS

Hey guys!!! 

So today it's already been an adventure! haha. We woke up cleaned the apartment from top to bottom, cooked, hand-washed our clothes, killed a spider the size of my palm, studied the scriptures and then went to the mission home where on the jeepnie I killed another spider the size of my hand! (I felt like Ron and Harry in Harry Potter 2 when they are killing massive spiders with huge clubs, but my club was our cell phone hahaha) 

We went to the mission home because they are having a missionary reunion there and because we live so close we were invited because my trainer is there!! Sister Calaunan has been home for 11 days now and it was so good to see her again!!!! She was super freaked out by all the changes back home and wanted to come back to the mission hahaha. Guys don't change too muck ok? I don’t want to be freaked out with a bunch of new babies and stuff k? All you friends from BYU you're not allowed to get married yet! haha just kidding... kind of :) 

Sister Equito, Princess Ann Calaunan (no longer a missionary) and Jessica

But it just made me realize how lucky I have been to be able to serve the Lord for 13 months and be away from all the problems of the world. So this week we had 4 baptisms!!! Yayyyyyyyyy! 

Also Brother Mercurio (our long time less active) is going to church again and reading the Book of Mormon everyday!!! Every week is a miracle :)   Me and Sister Enguito are working really hard here in Calapacuan and we are really excited for the month of June! I love it here and I love my recent converts!! They are THE best :) I'm a little short on time today since we went to the mission home but I love you all and hope you are doing great!!!!! Take care of Devon! I hear he just got his wisdom teeth out! We all remember how that went for me 2 years ago haha :)

Love,

 Sister Lowe

extra note from Jessica

Awww mom I’m so proud of you!! you're such a missionary!! you Jacob Wecker emailed you? what did he say? aww all of those missionaries are very missed here in the field! I got the dress!! Thanks!!! :)) And all i want is like chocolate, american food/ candy and fun stuff. And cute shirts or skirts would be great because a lot of our clothes got ruined when we hung them up and then a big storm came... but ill survive without them so no worries if its expensive :) And I would LOVE for us to send something to pres. Querido!!!! he is the man!! haha i like your Idea! but maybe you could do a kentucky shirt because cities don’t mean much to people here, only states. I LOVE YOU MOM!!!!!!!!

On Thu, May 29, 2014 at 1:11 PM, Betsy Lowe <betsy4kids@aol.com> wrote:

Hi

It's been so fun having princess ann and elder Jacob Wrecker and Newel Cobb home from the same mission as you... They all knew you and keep telling me how wonderful you are !!!!

Kim Mitchell at NOHS says hi - she says you are a very special person.  I agree!

So I did it.  I gave nancy Martin a Book of Mormon along with a personal letter.  I hope she realizes the love that is sent with it.  I think I sent you a copy of what I wrote.  If not let me know and I will email it to you.

So have you made any plans for when we get there?  Maybe it's too soon to be asking.  I know I want to go to my Samat, 1000 place, hermosa, Lubao and Calapacuan.  I wonder where you will be when we come?

You only have 6-8 weeks or so with your mission president before the new mission president comes.  Do you want me to send him something from you - I was thinking of a Louisville tee shirt and one for his wife.  What do you think?

Is there anything you need?  I haven't sent anything in a while.  Did you get the blue dress?

Well, I'm pulling a late night.  Devon gets his wisdom teeth out tomorrow.  I don't know if I can lift him... Hummm - what to do?

I love you!!!!  I love you!!!!! I love you!!!!!

Love always,

Mom, aka mommy and mummy (from a long time ago) :)