Mormon Holiday?

 Me with my daughters at mission conference!

(Mission language is trainer=mom, trainee=daughter, etc)

Buenos dias!

This week we had mission conference and stake conference with Elder Russell M. Nelson, and it was so great! He is so cute. One of my favorite things that he told us missionaries was that "We call people on the other side of the veil dead, but I don't think they like that very much! They are still living, just in another sphere. They are monitoring us and praying for us!" That gave me great comfort! It's hard not hearing from my mom, but I know that she is still my biggest fan and she is cheering me on out here just like all of you are! And she is cheering you on too! I know you are all super busy and probably stressed too, just like me, but remember that you are never alone and "...in the gospel of Jesus Christ we have help from both sides on the veil." (Elder Holland)

We had a pretty good week! Still super busy. We went on exchanges with the sister training leaders, and I just love them so much! Sister Conant is like my role model missionary, and I learn so much from her every time we go together! And she always makes me feel so good and boosts my self-confidence ha! All of our investigators are doing pretty well! The Thomas family is getting baptized on the 8th, so we are very excited for that! Lill is also supposed to get baptized on the 8th, but she is having some struggles! The adversary is working very hard on her, and he knows how exactly! She is bipolar and schizophrenic so this weekend we just had kind of a mess with all of that. So just keep her in your prayers please! Alex too. He is doing good with not drinking coffee, but is having a hard time giving up smoking. Who knows why, psh, that's like the easiest one! ;) hahahaha. And we are still working with the Amone family. But no one came to church this week. Probably partly because it was stake conference. You think people in Utah call it a Mormon holiday, here is wayy worse! But the people who don't go just miss out on all those spiritual blessings and nourishment! :)

Matching skirts with the Medina girls

We got to celebrate my halfway mark on the 24th a little bit! We got home and were planning at like 9ish and we were kinda bummed we didn't really get time to go get ice cream or anything, when someone knocked on our door. Well, missionaries never get visitors, so you can imagine we were a little frightened! I looked through the peep hole and saw two men in matching sweaters, so I assumed it was the elders! Well, it wasn't. Turns out it was Sister Jacklin's uncle and his co-worker who were here on business and wanted to bring us frozen yogurt!! So that was very exciting! And totally illegal, but it's okay ha!

It has been cold the past couple weeks. And we've been on bikes for most of it. But we finally got the car back. I was not prepared for how cold it gets here! But I won't wear tights because I already have too many waistbands and it's so uncomfortable. I also weighed myself this week. BAD IDEA! We heard it should warm up soon though. Everything is going good. We are getting facials today from a member, so that is exciting. Facebook usage is coming along. I still don't know what I am doing, but practice makes perfect I guess! We are getting our iPads this week. Yikes! Haha it just amazes me how smart Heavenly Father is and everyone working for the church! His work is truly hastening and it is such a blessing that we all get to be a part of it! Have a great week! :)

Love, Sister Lowry

HALFWAY!!!!

Hello! :) How is everyone??

Oh my goodness, I am at my halfway mark. Can you believe it? I can't. I just got here. :( It goes way too fast. Today is my companion's 2 month mark, so I read her my 2 month mark day from my journal. We laughed pretty hard. Of course it was something about Steve from Cocoa! This week was crazy so I'm going to jump into it, but I wanted to share a quote I found that I love.

"Happiness never decreases by being shared."

I have found this to be so true! It is so simple. When you share your happiness, does it ever lessen? No, it increases! :) Life is so much about your attitude. And life is way too short to have a bad attitude! Even when things are hard, just keep swimming! I love you all and pray for your happiness and success everyday! Also, watch this video, it is amazing. I cry everytime. And they showed it in Relief Society yesterday and our investigators cried! 

https://www.lds.org/youth/video/come-unto-christ-2014-theme-song?lang=eng

So, this week was crazy for a couple reasons. First, it was transfers. No, we didn't get transferred or anything, but the ward next to us got another set of missionaries (their 4th set) and they are Spanish sisters! So one of them is Hermana Monson, who I just love to death. Anyway, they called us and said we are going to share the car with them now instead of the elders. Which is great! :) But they needed to go get food because it was a brand new apartment and they had nothing. So we went and picked them up and took them to the store. While they were there we decided to just contact in some apartments nearby. Well, we found Lill. She is so amazing and prepared! She is going to be baptized February 8th. I love her so much! We just knocked on her door and she invited us in and accepted to learn about the gospel. We didn't have much time because the sisters were waiting for us, but we introduced the Book of Mormon and set up a return appointment. She told us about how she had seen Mormon missionaries everywhere and had always told them she wasn't interested, but she said she is done saying no to God, because it is obviously what He wants for her! So after teaching her the lesson about the restoration of the gospel, she said she is so excited to learn more and for the first time in her life she wasn't confused. Her and Yvette have so much in common. They are both single, about the same age, no job, no car, had cancer, and have been searching for the truth for years. And they live in the same apartment complex! :) Lill came to church and sat with Yvette and they just answered all the questions and loved it. I was so happy. 

Other reason it was crazy was because it was cold. We ended up giving the Spanish sisters the car because I know how it feels to open a new area and have no idea where you are going, what you are doing, or who anyone is. And be on bikes. So we ended up on bikes and kinda froze. Heavenly Father sure knew that I wouldn't survive somewhere cold, because when it was cold this week my motivation went right down the toilet! But, we survived! And I know I can't really complain because you guys are much colder, but, let's be honest, most of you aren't on bikes. 

K, Wednesday night was amazing because we went on a temple tour with the Thomas family! :) They loved it! The pictures we took are now Dora's screensaver on her phone! When I saw that I was so happy. It was cold at the tour but they loved it and totally felt the spirit! And we showed them pictures of temples on LDS.org and explained to them more about sealing and eternal families. Kevin, the dad, is always pretty quiet. We think he is just trying to take it all in! But when we were talking about the sealing he was like, "So it's kinda like renewing your vows?" And we were like yeah! And he was like, "Oh yeah, we are definitely doing that!" Alyssa (10) says the most beautiful prayers and just loves the gospel. And KJ, the 5 year old, is reading the BofM so good! He just gets his little tablet out and goes! Speaking of tablets, we are getting iPads soon and I am freaking out. It's gonna be so crazy. All this technology just stresses me out! Yikes. Oh, and I am terrible at Facebook proselyting... :( 

 Alex and Esther

Ok, now for Alex. The punk bailed on our lesson this week because he got in a motorcycle accident! Yeah. Ask me. But we stopped by the next day just to see if he was there, and he was! So he invited us in and we taught him then. His little daughter Esther (5) is so cute. I just love her. Anyway, we taught the Word of Wisdom and Law of Chastity, because Yvette told us she saw him making out with some girl. Actually, she didn't just tell us that, she reenacted what it looked like and Sis. Jacklin and I almost died laughing. He totally understood and agreed to both! But Word of Wisdom is going to be hard for him :( He drinks alcohol and coffee, and smokes! But he is ready to work on it and up for the challenge! And he was totally excited for church Sunday too. He asked us to bring him a tie and everything! Well, he didn't show up. I knew that his girlfriend was going to talk him into going to her church instead. So we stopped by after church and he knew exactly what was coming! He felt so bad. And he didn't even like her church! He said he didn't feel the spirit and he wanted to leave and come to ours, but he was already late so he didn't. But I just told him that maybe that experience had to happen so that he could learn that that church wasn't for him, and now he knows! So he promised to come next week. And he has already cut down on coffee and cigarettes! :) So we need you all to pray for him so he can be done with all his addictions by February 8th so he can be baptized on the 15th. That is the goal! 

Oh! In Florida they have some holiday called Teacher Development day? They don't have school the last Friday of the term so the teachers can get all their grades and stuff in! So they had a 4 day weekend this week! How lame is that?! Utah needs to get with the program! Unless we have something like that and I just forgot? Well, we are getting ready to go shopping with the Medina's so I can spend some of my birthday money! Have a great week! :) Oh, PS, Elder Nielsen of the 70 is coming for mission conference and stake conference this weekend! So we are super excited for that! 

Love, Sister Lowry 

Check out our mission blog floridaorlandomission.com to see a cute picture of Sister Jacklina and I! :) 

Plugging Along!

"Thank you Jesus" in the sky

 The Feast!  Happy Thanksgiving!

 Fire at the Vaidoga's!  Yes, it was cold enough for a fire.  It reminded me of home!

 First time seeing a real blimp!

Sister Jacklin, my new companion 

 Most amazingly decorated house!  Tons of different Christmas trees!

Decorated palm tree and our favorite Anzli Medina

     

 Ward Christmas party!   Yes, we actually partied!  Not like Utah at all!

 

 Toni wanted a selfie--I don't do selfies!

 No need for a caption here!

 Mission conference! My MTC comp Sister Bowman!

My daughters!  Sister Rogers and Sister Jacklin!  I love them!  

I feel so blessed to be their trainer (or mom in mission language)! 

 Sister Jacklin!

 Sister Rogers!

 The Waterford Lakes family!  I miss those guys!  

Yes,l we were laughing at one of the good times!

 Sister Salveson and her cane!  :)  She's the one who got hit 

by the car then went home & now she's back!

    

 Temple tour with Yvette & the Medinas!

  

 Yvette's baptism!  :)

Alex and his daughter Esther! :) They are so cute! Don't mind how I look though, it was super windy that day! I felt like I was in Cedar or something! So biking was just a disaster! Gotta love it! :) 

Hey all!

So this week was busy, again. It is so weird using Facebook. And it's kind of hard trying to plan that in time wise! If only there were more hours in a day! But, what do you do?! Just keep having faith! The good thing is that biking to the church every morning for Facebook time is an extra 7 miles, so more exercise! :) I am deciding to stop eating sweets as soon as all the treats in our apartment are gone! Sister Jacklin, my trainee, is doing awesome. Once again, I don't really even feel like I'm training because she is like a natural. This week is transfers, but we are both staying here. It got kinda cold this week. I had to wear a couple jackets and buy some gloves! Yeah, ask me! But it's like back in the 70's so it's fine now. To be honest I am totally not prepared to write this email, so I'm just gonna wing it!

This morning we taught seminary because the teacher was sick. It starts at 5:45am. Ok I honestly have no idea how I did that every morning in high school for cheer practice. I thought I was going to die this morning. But, we survived! We are trying to get the youth in on missionary work and stuff, but they are like all punks. But, Luis Medina, the one who is going into the Marines with Vince (my brother) blessed the sacrament yesterday! He like never does so I talked to him about it and he finally did! So I was super excited about that. It just makes me mad when people hold the priesthood, literally the power of God, and don't use it like they are supposed to. It is such a great privilege! Also yesterday one of the elders we share the ward with got sick and had to go to the ER during church, so pray for him. He should be okay, but might have appendicitis I guess.

 My District

Okay so the Thomas family is just doing amazing! We set a date with them this week to be baptized on Feb. 1! :) And we had an awesome lesson with them last night at the Erbiti's house. It was kinda hard because there was like 15 people there, but it was so cool hearing the members and non-members testify! I got teary-eyed a couple times! We also set up a temple tour this Wednesday that they are super excited about! Alex is also doing pretty good! We set a date with him too, and he has been reading the Book of Mormon! He loves everything we teach and really feels the spirit. It is so cool when you can feel/see the spirit working through you to help others. It was also pouring rain when we left his house the other night so they let us borrow ponchos. I can only imagine what we looked like biking down the main street at 9pm in skirts and ponchos. #sistermissionaryprobs.   We didn't get to meet with the Amone family this week :( They did come to church though, so that was good. We are still trying to set a date with them. So we have still been pretty busy!

Something cool from this week was a less active family that we were able to meet. I have a strong belief in back up plans because that is how we met them! Our appointment with the Brazilian family fell through so our back up was to try to visit and meet some people on our ward list that we have never met in that area. Most of them weren't home, but the last one before our dinner appointment was the Santana family. We were able to get to know them and share a message with them. The spirit was there and they invited us back to help with a family home evening! Then yesterday at church Bro. Santana was the only one who came. He told us that it was totally inspired that we came that night and that the message was perfect for his wife, who is more less active than the rest of the family. He was very thankful and it made us feel really good! I know that was Heavenly Father answering our prayers to help us in our planning and teaching.

Well, sorry I don't have much exciting news! Everything is just the same here! I still love it and know this is the true church! Oh, I already memorized the Articles of Faith again! So that was super exciting! :) Now I just have to keep practicing so I don't forget! They are just so cool! :) I love you and hope you have a great week! xoxox

Love, Sister Lowry