Monday February 6th, 2012

This week marks the last week of the transfer and once again those stressful and changing times roll in. We just found out that my companion Elder Neilson will be getting released and transferred to Slippery Rock (a college town just north of Pittsburgh). Not only that, but he will be doubling into a white washed area and training. He’s really nervous but I know he’ll do great. Elder Neilson and I have had some great times this transfer. He’s definitely been my most entertaining companion and has helped me see the fun in missionary work. However hard Altoona was this transfer, I think that Elder Neilson was specifically assigned by the Lord to be my companion during this stressful time. Elder Neilson has been everything that I’ve needed to console myself and keep me smiling when skies were grey. It’ll be hard to see him go, but I do have hope for the future. My new companion will be Elder Kovacs, a big loveable guy from Provo, Utah who just finished serving as a Zone Leader in Pittsburgh with one of my previous companions, Elder Brutinel. I’m very excited for him to come to Toon Town and add his unique flavor to the work. I hope that we’ll see a lot more success this next transfer.

I think that I could probably do well to never drive again for a while. This past week has been nothing but driving. Last Wednesday we attended the District Meeting of the Brookville District in Philipsburg and then right after driving even more north to the boonie area of Ridgway where we undertook a blitz of the Elders’ area. It’s amazing how big our Zone is; far greater in size than any of the other Zones, the Altoona Zone stretches from the Maryland border on the South to almost the New York border on the North. After our exchange in Ridgway, we drove straight back down to Altoona and then due east to our own District Meeting in Huntingdon. Then that evening we traveled to Pittsburgh for Zone Leader Council. I’ll be pleased if I never see the inside of our truck ever again.

Anyways, that’s really been my week. I’m excited to hear back from you all! It sounds like everyone’s doing well back in the motherland.

Love,

Elder Low

P.S. Here are some random pictures that I've taken with Elder Neilson the past transfer.

Tuesday January 17th, 2012

 
Seems like it’s been a hectically cold week back home. I suppose it
has been that way here as well. It’s probably reached its coldest this
past week. However the snow has still been only a minimum. But
yesterday the freezing rain was an interesting change. I’m so excited
about the temple being built in Calgary! From the pictures, it looks
like it’s going up really fast. I keep being reminded that it will be
done before I go home; once that hits, I’m sure it’ll be a weird
experience for me on the downhill run.
 
My weeks in Altoona are never boring with Elder Neilson, but the work
that is actually progressing here is at an all time low. We’ve been
working our tails off to find new investigators and at the height of
all of our appointments falling through on Sunday (even ones with
ACTIVE members), some rays of sunshine have ebbed through as we’ve
started to get some referrals. Today we’re planning on contacting a
media referral from the mormon.org website. And also out of the blue,
a less-active man called us up and asked us to teach his girlfriend
about the Church. I’m so grateful for those tender mercies the Lord
bestows upon us when we’ve been working so hard. I don’t think I’ve
ever experienced such a range of emotions as I have on my mission –
the trials have been harder, but the successes have been sweeter.
 
I’m sure a similar, but probably more intense, wave of confusion went
through the mind of Abraham as he was commanded to do the unthinkable
and put through a trial beyond all human comprehension. From
latter-day revelation, we have the blessing of realizing the
significance of his test, for Jacob passively informs us that “it was
accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient… in offering
up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten
Son.” Bearing in mind that Abraham himself nearly lost his life on an
idolatrous altar by his own father, he must have abhorred the thought
of human sacrifice (Abr. 1:12-20). Though Abraham was also delivered
by an angel of God, he faced an even more difficult test by what could
be described as a question of the integrity of God. Abraham knew that
the Law forbids human sacrifice or murder of any sort. On top of
which, this act of offering his young child of promise, destined to be
the father of empires, would mean the end of the very covenant line
that God had promised to establish. How could such a contradictory
command be from God? But Abraham’s undaunted faith and obedience
carried him through the test until an angelic intervention declared
that it was finished. It gives me a new meaning to the Lord’s
comforting advice in D&C 122:7-8, “Know thou, my son, that all these
things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son
of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?”
 
I love you all, you give me strength with your prayers.
Elder Low
 
P.S. I haven’t even given you my new address in Altoona (technically I
live in Hollidaysburg)
1201 N. Juniata St #9
Hollidaysburg PA
16642
 
P.P.S. I'm looking for a story for a talk that I have to give in my
ward soon. It's the one from the Sunday School lesson relating
Heavenly Father to a railroad worker and how he has to hold the lever
for the train to pass by but in so doing is unable to save his young
son who is innocently walking across the tracks. Does anybody know
what I'm talking about?
 
P.P.P.S. Finally, here are some photos from my time in Altoona. I
believe the first couple pictures are January Zone Leader council and
my District with President and Sister Topham and the last three are
pictures with my companion Elder Neilson.