Week 6 - Off to the Philippines

Kumusta po kayo!

Hey how are you all doing?? I miss and love you all so much! You guys are all such good examples to me and I couldn't have asked for better family and friends :) Oh and mom thank you sooo much for your package and letter! It totally made my day! Plus you know how much I love Oh cereal haha. 

I love my Oh's

So this week has been another super crazy busy one! So, last Saturday my companion sister Aruwititi all of the sudden had blurred vision and felt like the room was spinning and then passed out randomly and the ambulance came and I had to take her to the hospital! We were there for almost 5 hours and they still couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. I had to be in the room with her the whole time because her english isn't very good and I'm the only one who can really understand her. I asked her if this has ever happened before and apparently these episodes have been happening to her for a couple years now, but the doctors in Kirabati couldn't do anything for her so she just kept going on with life. Now I have to hook up all these wires to her everyday that go to a heart monitor because they are afraid she is having mini strokes! :( It's been really hard on on because now she doesn't get to leave with us to the Philippines tomorrow and we have gotten so so close, but I know everything happens for a reason and that the Lord will take care of her. 

Taking care of Sister Aruwititi in the hospital

Another hard thing for me this week was hearing that Grandpa passed away :( But It was amazing because as soon as I found out I started to tear up, but then this overwhelming sense of peace came over me and the thought that he was reunited with Grandma and that I know I will be able to see him again someday kept repeating over and over in my head. I know my Heavenly Father was letting me know that Grandpa is ok and happy in heaven with Grandma :) I love the gospel and the knowledge it gives me- to know that I will se my grandpa again someday!

But besides all that this week has been AWESOME!! The Tagalog is coming along, but I know once I get to the Philippines I'm going to wonder what language they taught me at the MTC haha but i accept the challenge and will just work that much harder to study and help the Filippinos in every way I can. This past Sunday I was called on the spot to give a talk in sacrament... IN ALL TAGALOG. But it was so amazing I just started speaking and the tagalog words just came out of my mouth. I know the Lord has really blessed me and that there is no way I could have done that without his help. But it was still pretty cool haha. This week our district got to host new missionaries and I saw so many friends come in! I saw Erica from my ward this past year, Kiersten from my hall freshman year at BYU and my friend Carlos from BYU freshman year! It was super fun and I loved being able to talk and help out all the new missionaries. Also, we received over 950 missionaries which broke the record for the amount of missionaries to ever come into the MTC in one day! How crazy cool is that?? We're making history! The Lord really is hastening his work and I feel so so blessed to be a part of it.  Another cool thing that happened this week was that because we have so many missionaries now, we have to have our devotionals in the Marriott Center at BYU! We all walked over from the MTC and it was pretty weird/exciting to be at BYU which has been my home for the past 2 years as a missionary, but it was such an amazing experience and the spirit was so strong there!

Another really cool thing that happened this week was that another one of our investigators wants to be baptized!! After our lesson last week about the Book of Mormon, he's been reading the Book of Mormon every day and he says he feel such peace when he reads it and prayed and felt in his heart that it was true. I was so happy to see him accept the gospel and begin the path back to our Heavenly Father as well as strengthen his relationship with God. It is amazing how much the Book of Mormon blesses our lives and touches our hearts. Through it I know that we can receive answers to our questions. I've heard it said that when you want to talk to God, Pray and when you want God to talk back to you, Read the scriptures. That has been so so true in my life and I am so grateful for both the Bible and the Book of Mormon in my life. I know they are God's words to us and that they can help us receive direction in our lives. Guys, the gospel is just so good!! It just makes me so happy and I can't imagine my life without it. I am so grateful for the opportunity to go the the Philippines TOMORROW and start serving my brothers and sisters there and work as hard as I can to help them in every way I can. I know this church is true. God loves us and he is in the details of our lives. He cares about us individually and knows us by name. He is with us every step of they way willing to guide us and give us direction if we just let him in. We are never ever alone. All of these truths found in the Book of Mormon have brought me such comfort and I know I can do whatever I need to do with the help of my Heavenly Father :)

Tomorrow morning I head off to Seattle, Tokyo and finally the PHILIPPINES! I am SO excited! Slightly nervous but that's ok too haha. I love you all SOOOOO much and feel so blessed to have you in my life. Keep being the amazing people you are and know you are all in my prayers!

Mahal Kita!!!

Sister Lowe

Ps if ANYBODY wants to get in touch with me for the next 17 months my email is jessica.lowe@mylds.net and I would LOVE to hear from you or help you in any way I can :) Mahal ko kayo!

Week 5

Magandang umaga Pamilya ko!

Hey everyone!! I hear this has been a big week for you all! Devon's graduated high school, Marissa's going to YW camp and Robert has try-outs for club soccer?? Wow. Life here at the MTC has been pretty busy too! This week we found out that we were getting another district added on to our zone so I've been spending a lot of time helping them and giving them orientation to the MTC and cool stuff like that. One of my favorite parts of the day here at the MTC is gym time! We get to go up on the field across from the temple and play soccer or baseball or beach volleyball! It's SO fun and it's nice to just play around and not be inside for a little bit. I'm getting pretty good at the stuff we do except for baseball... oh baseball...ya lets just say whenever I step up to bat everyone starts laughing and scoots up haha. The language is going really well! I got to talk to my teacher yesterday one on one and he told me that he's never had a student who's caught on to Tagalog so fast! Not to brag or anything haha, but it was just really nice to hear that my hard work is paying off.  

Yesterday when it was my turn it took me literally 10 tries before I hit the ball. 

Embarrassing! haha All well. Something I'm really starting to miss are those home cooked meals mom! The food is fine but I eat granola and a wrap like everyday haha. This week we also found out that Thomas S. Monson is coming to the MTC!!! OH wait... the week after I leave for the Philippines haha. At first I was pretty bummed that I was gonna miss it, but I know that there are people out there in the Philippines that are just waiting to hear the gospel so I have that to look forward to instead :) Which brings me to my next subject... I GOT MY TRAVEL PLANS!! We have in-field orientation this Friday where we learn more about what the Philippines will be like! We leave June 16th from the Salt Lake City airport at 11:15am and arrive in Seattle at 12:30pm. Then we have a 2 1/2 hour layover and board our plane to TOKYO JAPAN at 3:05pm!! I'm so excited!!! We arrive in Tokyo at 4:45pm the 17th of June, fly to Manila Philippines at 6:25pm, and hopefully arrive in the Philippines by 10:00pm. Someone from my mission will be there to pick me up and from there I have no idea haha! It's gonna be an adventure for sure!! AHHHHHH you guys i'm so excited!!! It just got so real! 

Yesterday after we got our travel plans, we went to go teach one of our investigators about the Book of Mormon and as we were teaching I started thinking about how I get to do this everyday for the next 17 months of my life and I couldn't imagine doing anything more worthwhile or that could make me happier. Yes, there are most definitely days where things just don't go your way, or the language is hard, or you just feel down, BUT those moments when you can feel the impact you have had on the lives of those you teach just make all of those disappear. When we were teaching Rizolito, I started bearing my testimony about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and all of the sudden I just started saying things that were in my heart, but I didn't even know I could say the in Tagalog. I told him that this Book is the word of God just like the Bible is and it contains the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is evidence of Gods love for us and it bring peace and joy to our lives. I told him that this book has changed my life and made me a better person. I know it is true and that if he reads it and prays about it he can know of its truth as well. The spirit was so strong and everyone in the room was crying (including me how embarrassing haha). But It was such a cool experience and I know that God helped me to say the things that were in my heart so that Rizolito could be touched. He said he would read and pray about it tonight and I can't tell you how excited I am to see what he says on Monday! This gospel truly has blessed me and makes me so happy! I just want to share it with everyone so they can feel as happy as I do :) Which I guess explain why I'm giving up 18 months of my life to do just that haha! Being a missionary is just the greatest :) Mahal ko po nagiging ang misyonaro para sa simbahan ni Jesuchristo!

I love you all SOOOOOO much and I think about and pray for you all the time! You are all such good examples to me and I couldn't ask for better family or friends :) Keep being awesome and know that you all are loved :)

Mahal kita!

Sister Lowe

Week 4

Kumusta Pamilya ko!

Mahal kita! I love you all soooo much and you all are such good examples to me. It sounds like life is wonderful in the great state of Kentucky, as per usual, and summer has begun! I can't believe that Devon has graduated from High School and will be going to BYU in the fall!!! It seriously feels not that long ago that I was right there... crazy how much the time flies. Speaking of- Robert goes to High School next year??? Ya I don't think so.  He's my baby bro! He can't go to High School! Uhh I feel so old now haha. I heard Marissa totally rocked the State track meet as well as her AP tests/ finals which doesn't surprise me one bit. She's pretty much perfect in every way haha. Shout out to my sibs- You guys are so amazing and I love you all so much!! Seriously so proud of you! Oh and try not to have too much fun or grow while i'm gone haha :)

So this week at the MTC has been awesome!! I really feel settled in here and feel like I know what's going on and can help out my new girls that have just come into the MTC. Being a sister training leader is hard work, but SO much fun! Every night I get to go around to each girls room and just sit down and talk to them about their lives and be their friend. We have a couple girls who have come a long way from home and are in culture shock, struggle with learning Tagalog, or are homesick, or miss their boyfriends or dog or whatever the case and it feel so great to be able to help them and comfort them and talk them through it because I know they can do it and I know that the Lord knows they can do it. He has helped me SO much since I've been here it's honestly just incredible. I don't think I've ever prayed so hard in my life or for so many times a day, but I can truly feel the love of my heavenly father for me when I pray and the blessings of being a missionary in my life. Guys the gospel is just so good! It brings so much joy and happiness into people's lives including mine and I just want to share it with everyone I know! I just want everyone to feel as happy as I do :) 

Earlier this week when we were teaching our investigator I bore my testimony to him of the truthfulness of the gospel and that If he prayed sincerely and with faith to his father in heaven, he would know with assurety that the gospel is true and that once he knew that, he would want to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized and feel of God's love for him. At that moment I felt so much love for this person and knew that God loves him and each and every one of us. He really is in the details of our lives and cares about our individual wants and needs. It was super cool because I didn't even know I could say all that in 100% Tagalog until I said it, but the Lord helped me and made it possible. You could just feel the spirit so strong in the room and when the Rizolito looked back at me he said that he knew it was true because he could feel it in his heart and he wants to be baptized and have the Gospel in his life.  We were all so happy and I can't wait to go to the Philippines in 2 1/2 weeks and be able to teach the people there and make them feel of God's love for them.

I love you all so much!!!!!! I seriously have the BEST family in the whole wide world and I'm glad I'm stuck with you all forever :) Mahal kita friends and family, you all have made me a better person and I wouldn't be who I am today without you. Your examples and friendship mean so much to me and I LOVE hearing from you while i'm here because I miss you and love you! Keep being wonderful and be happy- because there is just so much to be happy about :) Mom, I love how you end all of your dear elders with "every day is a new day :)" It's so true. We can all start over everyday and try to be better than the day before and choose to be happy :)

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Mahal kita!

Sister Lowe

Week 3

Kumusta ka pamilya ko!

Hey guys!! How are you?? Week three has been craazzzyyy! So this past week all the older districts left for the Philippines and it was super exciting, but really sad too because I had gotten really close with a few of them. Sister Talfa was one of the 2 sister training leaders for our zone (which is pretty much a sister zone leader- they are over all the girls in our zone) and she would come in my room every night and talk and we got super close so it was sad to see her leave. But now that they are gone our district and the other 2 districts that came in on the 8th are the oldest! Another cool thing that happened this week was that I got called to be a sister training leader!  It was so crazy on my first day- a girl tore her ACL and probably has to go home and then another girl that same night got super homesick and almost decided to go home. I was really stressed out and was so concerned about these two girls, but the Lord really stepped in and helped me and now everything is ok and they are both still here and loving being missionaries. Also this week we got 2 new districts added to our zone and branch so I got to give them orientation to the MTC and give them a tour of the MTC. I LOVE our new missionaries and I can tell they are all going to be such a great assets to our zone.

So not gonna lie this week started out a little rough because we were all really tired and two people from our district got sick and had to go back to the residence halls. My kasama from Kirabati was one of them. At first I was really bummed that I couldn't be in class, but it turned out to be a really good experience for me. So just to back up a little, this week I started to notice my mood was a little down and I wasn't quite myself and at first I thought it was just because I was stressed with my new calling, but then that all got sorted out and I was still feeling weird. I realized it was because I was so focused on trying to master the language that I was letting my personal study and scripture study take a backseat to learning Tagalog. I feel like sometimes in our lives, we busy ourselves with some really good things, but we forget some of the most important things. Learning Tagalog is important, but gaining spiritual knowledge and getting that peace and happiness that only comes through scripture study and forming a closer relationship with God is SO much more important. I've started to really focus on the spiritual things and really study and ponder what I read in the Book of Mormon every day and I have noticed an immediate difference in my mood and feet so much happier. In  fact, I love the feeling that I get from my personal scripture study so much that I've been getting up at 5:30 every morning to get an extra hour of personal study time in. I know I know, it sounds crazy but it just starts my day off so good and I can really feel the difference in my day. I just never want to waste any time here that I could be using to get closer to my Heavenly Father or helping others to come unto Christ... because for the next 18 months it's not my time to waste, it's the Lord's time.

Yesterday was probably one of the best days I've had so far being at the MTC. I started it off with a wonderful personal scripture study in the Book of Mormon (Alma 32) about how to increase my faith and I got some super great insights from it. So... as many of you are quite aware I'm kind of a perfectionist and I kind of like to be really good at things and just practice or study them until I know i'm good at it or can get an A on the test or whatever it is. So naturally I get super frustrated with myself when i'm not perfect at something haha. Tagalog is one of those things and sometimes I just want to be fluent and have a perfect knowledge of everything, but i'm not so I get frustrated with myself. But as I read in Alma 32 it talked about how faith is not a perfect knowledge of things, but a hope for things which are not seen, but true. I do not have a perfect knowledge in Tagalog, but I know that if I have faith in my savior Jesus Christ and pray to my Heavenly Father for help, that he will help be and I can master this language and be a good missionary. No one said that it would be easy, but with faith in God we can do all things :) Later in the day we taught a 30 minute lesson to our investigator Rizolito in complete Tagalog with NO notes. I was a little nervous at first because I was used to having some notes with me, but it ended up being the best lesson we've ever taught!! The spirit was so strong and things would just come to me in Tagalog that I didn't even know I knew! He said that he would pray about the gospel and the church and that if he got an answer that it was right he would be baptized! It was so exciting and we were so happy for him! He said for the first time in a while he felt true peace in his heart and was excited to pray. I seriously love being a missionary SO much and I love the Joy that it brings into my life as well as the lives of others. 

I love you all so much and I think about and pray for you all the time. Keep up the good work and don't worry about me because life is good and there is so much to be happy about!

Mahal Kita!!

-Sister Lowe

Jessica with her companion

Jessica with her District

Week 2

Hey guys!!!

Sorry I don't have much time to write today but can I just say I love you so much and you are the best! Those letters and DearElders you sent me just made my day and I'm so happy to hear you all are doing well! This week has been so awesome and it is so cool to see the progress our district is making. We really have become a little family and we are always looking out for each other and making sure no one gets left behind. Tagalog is super sweet, but super hard! But I love learning new things and getting better everyday! Earlier this week I was feeling kind of stressed and was feeling frustrated because I want to be fluent in Tagalog as fast as I can, but there is just so much to learn! But over the past few days I have just really trusted in the Lord and prayed that he would help me and it is incredible what I have been able to accomplish. My faith has already increased so much since first getting here and my testimony is getting stronger and stronger everyday :) I used to think the gospel was complicated and there was so much to know and understand, but since being here I have come to realize that it is so simple! Our Heavenly Father just loves us so much and wants us to return to him. Our purpose here on this earth is to become closer to Christ and to do everything we can to be able to return to our Heavenly Father and live with our families forever :) What could be better than that?? The gospel just bring so me so much joy its kind of ridiculous haha. Everything I am is because of this beautiful gospel of Jesus Christ and I owe everything that is good to my Father in Heaven. Sorry to be super spiritual haha but it's just how I feel. 

Ok now for the fun stuff haha. So this week we found out that the person we have been teaching is actually our new Tagalog teacher! Too bad I already knew it the whole time because a lot of my friends at BYU are MTC teachers and they told me about that haha. But it was still really funny to see everyone in my district super surprised. Oh! This week Elder Russell M Nelson came and spoke to us!!! It was so awesome!! Such a great speaker and said everything I needed to hear. I've seen a lot of people I know here in the MTC which has been really nice since I came here knowing pretty much no one. Just to name a few i've seen Josiah Aponte a couple times, Travis Cavanah, and a lot of BYU friends like Abby Stewart, Ashley Parker, and Brett Thorpe! 

Ok now for my district. They. Are. The. Bomb. Like seriously, they are so awesome and we are a little family now. The elders in my district are soooo great and are always looking out for us. We are always joking around and laughing. Everyone here always tells us that they are jealous of our district because we are so close. The sisters are wonderful and we always have such a hard time getting to bed on time because we just want to keep talking/ laughing. You find that when you're in the MTC and it's late after a long day, EVERYTHING seems funny. The only thing I worry about with them is that one of the sisters in my district (the one from Samoa) is having a really hard time adjusting to missionary life and doesn't like following the rules and seems to be really missing her family. I'm trying to do everything I can to help her and put her faith in God because with his help we can do ALL things. She has been getting better throughout the week which has been really good to see because I always worry about everyone in the district and want to make sure they are happy and ok. In fact i've kind of gotten the role as honorary mom in the district... why does that always happen haha. 

Alright well, I gotta get going, but I LOVE YOU ALL SO much and you all are such great example to me :) 

Alam ko po na totoo po an simbahan ni Jesucristo ng mga banal sa mga huling araw. Alam ko po na totoo po ang ebanghelyo at aklat ni mormon. Alam ko po na buhay po ang Diyos at mahal po tayo ng Diyos.  Tagapaglitas si Jesucristo.  Sa pangalan ni jesuchristo amen. :) Just a little Tagalog for you all to see! It's awesome!

Have a wonderful week friends and family!! I love you all so much and pray for you every night :) 

Mahal kita! 

Love, 

Sister Lowe

Week 1

Pamilya ako!

Hey guys! How are you all doing?? Life is so crazy and busy here in the MTC, but I love it! When I first got here, Sam and Mal dropped me off and then I was wisked away to get my books, name tag and then drop off my stuff in the room. Right away they took me to my classroom where I met my district and my teacher. My teacher's name is brother Poole and he is so great! He is so patcient with us and loves to joke around. He is going to BYU to be an Elementary School teacher just like me- in fact he actually has a class with my lovely roommate Sam! Small world. Anyways, there are 9 of us in my district- Elder Stephenson, Elder Tiejon, Elder Smith, Elder Solomon, Sister Mack, Sister Ah Hong, Sister Leakehe, Sister Aruwititi and of course me! :) They are all SO amazing and we are so close as a district already. In fact our zone leaders keep telling us how we are the closest and most unified district they have seen here at the MTC which is pretty cool. So guess what? I'm in a trio companionship! My companion never came to the MTC or decided not to go or something so now my mga kasama (companions) are sister Leakehe and sister Aruwititi! They are both so great and I love them so much! Sister Leakehe is Tongan, but speaks perfect english because she's been living here in Utah for a while. We get along SO GREAT! We always seem to be on the same page and finishing each other's sentences. We both love a lot of the same stuff and love to be outside and play sports- we dominate in volleyball at gym time haha. We both like to work hard and we really encourage each other to be the best we can be. We have gotten so close in just the 3 days i've been here and I feel so blessed to have her as a companion. Sister Aruwititi is from Kiribati (which is a super small island in the middle of the ocean somewhere under Hawaii) and this is her very first time leaving the island! She speaks a little english, but I can tell sometimes she doesn't know what we are saying, but I try my best to talk with her and always let her know i'm here for her and love her. Yesterday, Sister Aruwititi and I got to take a little field trip outside of the MTC because where she is from they don't really wear shoes, so we got to go shopping in Provo to get her some good shoes. It was pretty weird walking around places I have been so many times when I went to BYU, but now as a missionary. Sister Mack is Hawaiianand sister Ah Hong in from Saamoa so I'm the only American in our room haha- it's awesome! The elders in our district are amazing and always looking out for us. We all are always joking around and laughing together... we've really all become best friends. But no worries we can be serious too and we definitely get down to business when it comes to learning Tagalog. Holy moly learning Tagalog is hard!! Trying to learn a new language is a very humbling experience let me tell you. We taught our first investigator yesterday in all Tagalog and it just showed me how much I still have to learn. But it also has helped me to become closer to my heavenly father and I know that he will help me. I got to say my first prayer in Tagalog yesterday  (I was the first one in our district to try it) and even though I stumbled over my words and had super awkward long pauses, I could feel the spirit and I knew God was listening to me and I felt his love for me. I know that God loves us and is in the details of our lives and if we pray to him he will help us in everything we do. Alam ko po na totoo po ang simbahan ni jesucristo ng mga Banal sa mga Huling Araw at mahal po tayo ng Diyos.

I love you all soooooooo much and I can't wait to hear about how you are all doing!

Mahal kita!!!!

Love,

Sister Lowe

Till we meet again!

Alright everyone, this is it! Tomorrow I am getting set apart to be a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I couldn't be more excited!!! This journey to get here has been full of ups and downs, but if there is one thing I do know for sure, it is that this church is true and God lives and loves us. I have had so many personal confirmations throughout this last month of me preparing to leave that what I am doing is right and is exactly what God wants for me at this time in my life. It will be very hard for me to leave behind so many good friends and of course my amazing family, but I know that God will watch over all of you while I am gone. Yes, there is so much I am losing and leaving behind, BUT there is SO much more I am gaining in return and I truly feel blessed to have this amazing opportunity to go and serve the Lord and the wonderful people of the Philippines. I know this is going to be the best thing I have ever done in my life thus far and am so excited to begin this new chapter where I get to dedicate the next 18 months to the Lord and serve him and his children in Olongapo. Being able to do so much service and share the gospel- the thing that gives me so much joy and truly makes me who I am today, with others who are missing the truth in their lives means so much to me and I just feel so grateful and blessed to be able to be a part of it. I have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and know that he is our savior and that he loves us perfectly. Knowing that I get to share that message with others everyday just makes me so happy and I honestly can't stop smiling when I think about it :) You all are in my prayers and I can't wait to hear from you guys in your emails and letters! I love you all and can't wait to tell you all about my grand adventures that are about to begin! Wish me luck and God be with you till we meet again!

Mahal Kita,
Jessica