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Wednesday, January 30, 2008

GARTH 08, LA I was there...

Yes the big weekend came, and like all good things went way too fast!
Amanda did win, got all her pics up first! What a beauty of a belly you are getting girl! So fun to see her in her nesting get up! What a cute momma!
It was a really fun (tiring) time. But what is better than a girls weekend...sisters, neices and cousins...and Tommy?? I was excited to meet Jessie's Tommy...totally approving of course (as long as he is still paying :) I love my family so much! I never realize how much I miss my sister, until she is here, or I am there... and there is giggling...and memories of our lifetime friendship...what a weekend.
Prior to the family's arrival- Megan flew in for some fun! We took Megan (Emma and I) before everyone came Thursday, to see 'Wicked' in Hollywood at the Pantages Theater--which was amazing. --The theater and the musical. (belated birthday celebration) yes she is 22! I didn't think I would enjoy the play as much as I did. I think we all did--digging for quarters, trying to fit under 1 umbrella (thank you Emma!) and all!! With this amazing weekend planned, of course the black clouds creeps in, as they tend to do, but did not spoil the mood--goodness prevails! We took a day trip Saturday to Newport and Balboa Island to see the sights, walk on the pier, take the ferry...and the best watching Lauren busting some moves...too much fun for one weekend!
Garth was amazing, as we knew he would be! (Even better than our ice cream!) We did get to see Trisha and Huey Lewis perform a couple of tunes which was such a bonus to the absolutely packed center. Still lovin the triplet hoodies...we looked good!
I have this blurred memory of a bridal store?? What was that about? Thanks to all who helped --in the midst of turmoil surprising me once again, to make this a never to be forgotten weekend!

the road is long...1/29/08

Hey family, man did you guys miss an awesome week.(wish you were here haha) Well lets see, we had so many shows i can't believe it. We had one on Sat. which was awesome....there were so many people there. Mostly because it was set up right outside the skytrain station in downtown bangkok...so there were hundreds of people coming and going throughout our show.....anyways it was a great sucess....the elders and sisters in the area got a ton of new investigators and alot of potentials. Then we had a baptism on sunday and also had a fireside in asoke again, this fireside was about pa work in thailand and whats been taking place recently with regaurds to sys' part in helping missionary work in thailand... it was awesome. Then on mon. we had a show in the office elders area.....not so much as a sucess as the other shows but it was still pretty good. It is so exhausting to be hauling all that equipment around again...it reminds me of past work with corporate events and old days in the band....man its tiring ...loading then unloading then doing it again...then going teaching...it is a way tiring way to do missionary work. Then yesterday we had our zone conference which was way good...president dodge talked about changes that will be taking place within the church with regards to president hinkleys' passing away. Then today we went to ayuttaya and went around with the other elders there, which was a nice needed break:) It was good to see E.Witt , who I served with there for 3 months....who is a good friend. It was so good to talk about the investigators that I had left there and see their continual progression in the gospel...it is so awesome to see results from hard efforts. This saturday we actually will be going back to ayutthaya for a show so we are looking forward to that. Other news.....I got my suit that I had ordered , it is the coolest suit ever....thanks for the christmas gift mom. Well how is everyone doing at home? It sounded like your get together was fun.....one of those much needed breaks:) Hey how are things going back in the ward there? How is the new bishop and things going? How are the kids doing in school? How are the out of school activities going? Wow, I can't believe I'll be coming up on a year in country in a week or so ....crazy to think how the time is flying by. I've learned so much since i've been out here...so manythings that i don't think i could've learned anyother way besides coming here. It has been good to reflect on my personal growth since i've been here on a mission. It is an awesome thing to see how so many things i believed before are actually engraved in my thoughts and speech and actions. It's things that can only happen by living the principles and teachings of the gospel. It is so sweet to look back and see what my mission has done for others and of course myself. The gospel is the sweetest thing in the world, I love it. My new assignment here has taught me alot, its defiently been a growing experience for me .....well its been a good week, thanks for the love and support from all you guys......love elder lowrey

Friday, January 18, 2008

Beaches...everywhere you turn...well it is an island...


I asked for a pose and this is what I got...

My silly husband... He was the best tour guide! When his Dad retired from the gas company, they bought a sail boat and sailed to Hawaii the year before Dana's mission. He has a great 8mm film about the sail. Dana took 2 friends and his Mom and Pop. It took 3 weeks total to get to the big island. He spent about 3 months sailing around the islands.

Scenes from Hawaii











Snowmen carry surf boards.




So, Christmas on the island was alive and well! They had more decorations in Hawaii and more lights then anywhere I had ever been!





So back to my Hawaii tales...

Okay so I did not expect to see these guys in Hawaii...

We started yes with Alan's graduation...great!!! Stopped by the temple...gorgeous...

Setting the Scene...

Presidents...honored guests...anyone you know??
crowd of hats...eager hats!


the scene...


Big Al's Big Day!!!


here he comes just a walking down the street...singing do wa ditty ditty dum ditty do!

Yep had to sneak a little sees in there...sooo many leis! He had one of fried chicken!




With proud parents...



And proud aunty...
















a hug from the momma

1st Stop...North Shore


A bit fuzzy but you can make out the eager parent's in the crowd...as Ron and Jenny wait for the big moment...

Christmas in Hawaii...




I no longer wonder why Hawaii is the rainbow state...I started out trying to count all of the rainbows that I saw during the 10 days on the islands...but failed! :)

The beauty and uniqueness the Hawaiian Islands hold is incredible!






taken on Oahu






Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Reunited and it feels so great! 1/16/08 Happy B-Day to MEGAN!!

Hey...so the new and unique adventure has begun...what an interesting and mentaly draining past couple days I've had. So lets talk about it so far.....last Wed. I packed my bags and thur. i went to bangkok and had moves meeting...of course I got called into the band....nothing new....I actually am in a three-some.....interesting eh? now my second time. I am with Elder Pyper and an Elder named Howell....well you might have heard about E. pyper because he is in my group and I was with him for 3 1/2 months in surin,...in the same house..E. howell is 2 groups older than us and i met him in the mtc also so it s a big reunion...so those are the comps....we live with 2 other elders....E. mccleary and elder chaiotta....both of whom i was pretty good friends with before so we have the sweetest house in teh mission for sure...it is so fun....sometimes too fun. So in the group there are 7 of us....E. chaiotta is the sound man....and the rest of us do different things...: E. Mcconnel(utah) our music leader plays piano and sings; E. Wortham.(another guy i met in the mtc one group younger than me) plays bass....and sings...and some trumpet..;elder mccleary....sings and random things like cowbell, shakers, chimes, and bongos...an interesting mix...;e. pyper plays 2nd guitar part and sings lead on almost everything....;i play guitar.....and some thai instruments that i am learning and sing; and elder howell sings. thats the group....we practice 2 times a week for about 4 hours....(tue. and thur.)other than that we work like a normal missionary unless we have shows or special gigs.....like sat. we had a specail fireside in a place called thonburi...in bangkok...which we performed an "acoustic" set..so yeah...the new calling is really hard....alot harder than i expected....we have 30 min.a day to study our parts (singing and instruments) and then get together and practice as a band tue and thur. so not a lot of time to learn parts....beings that i am not a singer and have never learned how to sing parts but we are workin on it...and we have to memorize the songs in thai...and our instumental parts...which i have alot of.. so at first it feels kindof overwhelming ...but it will all happen...in due time. Man I love playing guitar....I missed it so much:)well i have never been so tired my whole mission ...there is alot of practicing late and getting up earlier to do special things and assignments....like today..we woke up at 4 30 to go to a place called asoke...and met with a guy named Bishop Keith B. Mcmullin...might have heard of him before eh?? he is in the presiding bishopric....so that was way sweet it was so good but i am sooooo tired..there is alot of pressure because its just like i come in and need to be ready to perform for shows so its an interesting thing we got going ...but it helps this mission alot, so I am learning..well we only used about 30 min today so i've got to go teach english class....love you guys hope all is well at home....i am good and enjoying burger king and subway:)i already feel better:)love you guyselder lowrey

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Our Missionary Rocks...literally!

Well....man what a crazy week.....it has been such a roller coaster here this week. This past week by far has been the craziest moves week of my mission. It all started because my companion is going home this week.....which leaves me in our area....because I know all our investigators and members and the area....so usually I would stay and train someone else in the area then I leave ...but ...that is not the case this moves.....President Dodge called me on Tuesday and sure enough asked me if I'd come play guitar for the mission band "SYS". Well ...wasn't expecting that haha...so tomorrow I'll be going to bangkok and getting situated down there.....and two new elders will be coming into my area. On top of that .....Elder witt's greenie (hunsaker) is moving and elder witt is training again.....so ayutthaya will have two greenies....so that will be fun for the area. Anyways as for me I have no idea what is going to happen haha next week I'll have more information.....but yeah we don't have a lot of time because I need to go pack my stuff and clean the house and do a number of other things before I leave...so we aren't using very much time on the comp....but I am in good health and still happy ....love you guys thanks for everything elder lowrey

Friday, January 4, 2008

Live from the Elder 1/1/08

Hey all, wow I can't believe that it's 2008! A part of that unbelief is that we don't celebrate it as missionaries.(meaning staying up till' midnight and eating all kinds of foods and what not) So a new year ....what do you do? I am glad I am on a mission, it's like I don't have to chose what I am going to do this year...it's all laid out for me. I just decide how I'm going to do it. Well I am way excited for this year and for the experiences that lay ahead. I honestly can't believe that more than a year has past since I was last at home and last saw everyone. Well as for my week, it was awesome. Even though almost everyone was completly drunk it was still good. So everyone is off work and school and most everyone wastes their time with alcohol and drugs....but....we found one guy in the mess of the crowd who is awesome......we hope. haha. We invited this guy and made and appt. for the following day which was yesterday...he was really good. We are going to see him on friday again so next week we'll know how he really is. Other than him all our other investigators went home....meaning went to diferent provinces to go visit family for the new year...so it's been a quiet week. On the other hand, it was way good to talk to those I talked to. So good to hear a familiar voice and to hear all is well. Thanks so much for the christmas gifts and for the new year wishes from everyone. I hope everyone has a fantastic year and we will see you in a couple months...haha...well not much too report...love you guyselder lowrey