NO GREATER JOY

Hola!! :)

Wow! So much to say in so little time! First of all I want to thank all of you for your prayers! I can definitely feel them and really really appreciate it!! :) I am also supposed to remind my family and friends to send Christmas packages addressed to the mission office by December 10th. But I don't want or need anything, so it doesn't really apply ha! :) Man, I can't believe the holidays are here already!! Insane!! Also, remember to check out our mission website for updates on what is happening here! :) www.floridaorlandomission.com

Today our email from President Berry had a quote from President Hinckley that I love. "Reach out and bless others in all that you do, that, because of your efforts, someone many live a little closer to the Lord and have a little greater happiness in his or her life." I promise that there is NO GREATER JOY that comes than from that of serving others. I have been way too selfish lately and am working on it! I never knew I was selfish or prideful! A mission teaches you lots about yourself that is for sure ha!

This week we had exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders. They are so great. I learned so much and it was just what I needed! My relationship with my companion is improving and I see lots of miracles ahead of us! :) A couple super cool miracles that happened this week are that a less active family that we had never met called us and asked what time church was, then they came yesterday! We also were able to teach Hector's family on Saturday night and they came to church on Sunday! It was kinda crazy with their 3 and 4 year old boys... But after time it will get better! Their 11 year old daughter really liked it though! :) So if you want to pray for our investigators their names are: The Rivera family, and Ivet and Iliana (two sisters). :) Gracias!

 

On Friday and Saturday we got the amazing opportunity to volunteer at the Prader Willi Syndrome Conference here in Orlando. Prader Willi Syndrome is similar to Down Syndrome in that they have a defect on a chromosome that causes intellectual disability. They also don't have the thing that tells your brain you are full, so they just keep eating because they never feel full! We had 60 missionaries there and made up most of the volunteer force! :) They were very appreciative because they said they couldn't have done conference without our service. I got to work with the little kids from like 2-6. We basically got paired with a kid for the two days. My buddy was Cade, and he was the best!! He reminded me so much of Daxton Decker, and it made me feel like I was at home babysitting Erin's kids again ha! :) We just played games, read books, did puzzles, ate snacks, and had naps for two days! We also got to meet Mickey! :) We were on Disney property at a hotel! Crazy! It was super cool, but I am happy to be back to regular missionary work ha! Another cool thing was that a volunteer dad is from Aurora, Utah, right by Richfield! His family was so cute. Their last name is Bagley. He is cousins with the Lovell family from Enoch! So we talked a lot about them! He told me Cole Lovell passed away last week and I was so sad to hear that :( He wrestled for my dad and I did gymnastics with his sister!) They are an amazing family and are in my prayers!

Today we went to Aofia Mauigoa's work! She is like my favorite person in this ward. She is from Samoa and is a fitness coach and sells Herbalife and has 6 kids! Basically we are like twins haha. So we had lunch with her and she evaluated me and basically told me yes I am overweight hahaha! Oh my gosh she is crazy, and I love her. This ward is great, but has a ways to go with their missionary work! We are having a hard time getting members to fellowship investigators and less actives :( But they will come around! Things like this just take time, patience, and of course faith and charity!

Well, God bless you all! You are in my thoughts and prayers always!

xoxo
Love, Sister Lowry

Oh, PS: We get to be an internet proselyting mission pretty soon! How cool!! :)