SECOND MONTH ANNIVERSARY!

Family!

ANNIVERSARY

As it is mom and dad's Anniversary this week it reminded me of my mission president. He and his wife have celebrated their anniversary every month. They have been married for 295 months now. lol Pretty funny. But Happy Anniversary this week mom and dad! California will be a dream!

TRANSFERS

Yes we had wonderful transfers this week! I made it to my second transfer! It's funny being a missionary and learning all the new lingo. No missionary will tell you how many months they have been out. It is always by transfer. “Two transfers ago this happened”....”in a few transfers I can do this”...  I feel like a real nerd when I start talking to members about transfers and zone conferences.

BALDEA'S

Update on Brother Baldea, he has already planned out his whole program for his baptism still 2 weeks away and he is doing wonderful! His testimony is on fire and he is learning like crazy. Something interesting that Sister Baldea taught me this week though. She mentioned how those who are milking the clock (on the clock but not working) are essentially stealing money. As missionaries, if we are “milking the clock” we are stealing the Lord's time if we are not putting forth our best effort every minute.

BOOK OF MORMON

I have always been curious about the fact that the Book of Mormon is emphasized so much and why it is important to emphasize it. I am starting to see a small piece of why we focus so much on it. It is so powerful. And I wish I had read it more while growing up. It is the glue in discussing the gospel and nothing comes together without it. A testimony cannot be built without reading it.

MARISSA

We are also teaching a 9 year old girl, Marissa. She was baptized a year ago but her records were lost so we have been teaching her and she will be baptized again this weekend! She is so excited. She reminds me of Delanee. I'll have to get a picture and send it over next week. She is so fun to teach, but it’s hard to make the doctrine simple for her to understand.

Powerful scripture: Alma 37:32-42

Have a wonderful week and I hope all goes well with everyone traveling! Party On!

Love, Sister Davis

This was at transfers this past week. We had to take another sister there, and look who I saw! Elder Logan Sant from home, (far left) The Elder in the middle, also Elder Sant, is in my district. they are related through their Grandparents (I think)

 Sister Elliott(far right), Sister Staker(middle) and I (S. Staker was the Sister we spent a few days with before transfers and took her to transfer meeting) Sister Stakers' companions had completed their missions.

What a beauty! We got to go to the distribution center after transfers and see this much of the temple! Beautiful though. I am hoping we can go at the beginning of September (if my comp still wants to go) We can only go twice throughout our whole mission so she is saving her times to go.

  

BLESS YOUR HEART!

Family!

Monday:

It poured rain...Sister Elliott were laughing b/c we know how to drive in the snow but we felt so embarrassed driving like a 15yr old in the rain here. We just played some phase 10 at the church with the Elders in our district here. And then saw a less active family that evening. (Those seem to be the hardest ones to help them come closer to Christ.)

Tuesday:

Packed with goodness. (1)  We knocked into a girl named Jennifer and taught her a lesson. She has a little boy and her husband is in the army. (you will be hearing lots about them). (2) We taught Brother Baldea! He is so strong and doing so great. At the beginning of the lesson they told us one of their best friends passed away and two of her kids are in ICU and work was one of the hardest days he has had since he moved here 6 months ago. My goodness Satan does not want him to get baptized. But at the end of the lesson he said "I KNOW SATAN IS TRYING, BUT HE IS NOT GOING TO WIN THIS BATTLE" (wish I could say that every time I hit rock bottom). (3) We met with another less active family, the Magness's. Everyone in the family has their own issues and only a few are willing to listen to the message we have, but there is so much potential for this family!

Wednesday:

We were in a Trio AGAIN! A sister from NY came on a medical release to Texas so we took her around with us for the day to stick to the missionary routine. Her story....INCREDIBLE....

We met with another less active, Sister Rios. She is a powerful woman, dedicated to learning, yet struggles in attending church. So we are working out those kinks. We taught Jennifer and her husband David AGAIN! It was an awkward lesson, not going to lie. But they invited us back, so the spirit must have whispered something to them.

Thursday:

(1) We had a couple lessons with some individuals we knocked into. Life situations came up with these families though, so we will not be teaching them anymore. (2) We taught Brother Baldea later than night! It was a powerful lesson and he is being showered daily with knowledge of the gospel. His dear wife has been helping him so much. Every time we go into a lesson, we plan for something he learned previously that day with his wife. But it never hurts to solidify it in his heart. Hence, why we missionaries have to study every morning. We still have hours and hours worth of things to learn. I see more of the reason for an “MTC home” now than I did before. (3) We taught another less active family, the Chase's. They are wonderful, but again it is difficult to help them gain a stronger testimony of Christ and recognize what things are keeping them from obtaining it.
Friday:

Stopped by a few less actives homes and talked with them for a bit and contacted around them. We had lots of lessons planned for the day, but many fell through, which was very rare. ;)

Saturday:

We taught Jennifer and David again! They have been reading the Book of Mormon and praying a lot about it. We also gave them a tour of the church building.  They committed to coming to church the next day. The lesson was amazing...well, we thought so.

Sunday:

Church! And Jennifer and David came and stayed all 3 hrs....but then afterwards we got a text....we don’t think this is the church for us....uh? uh? uh? Yes, we weren't sure what to say. But we do know without a doubt they felt the spirit and it was powerful. We know that they know what to do and what to pray about and what to read if they want to know if it’s true. So I believe for them it will be correct timing...and of course their agency. Later that night we had dinner had our Bishop's home. My goodness...after being in so many non-member and even members homes that past week...we walked into Bishop Hagey's home and....yes, indescribable! The spirit was like a huge wave that overcame us.

This was definitely not all that happened but it was just the gist of it. Wish I could write more. We are all doing wonderful here. Have fun at camp, mother! Thanks to all of you for your letters of love. I love them so much and it is so great to hear from you. There are many prayers being said for all you. I love you so very much.

Always,

Sister Davis

CONFIDENCE, ENTHUSIASM AND A WHOLE LOT OF OPTIMISM!

FAMILY!

 How was Cami's wedding?!?! How has the summer been going? How is the weather? Tell me more, tell me more!

MIRACLE

It was hard to wait a whole week to tell you this story. The Baldea family is our ward is a part-member family (the husband is not a member, but the wife is). Brother Baldea usually comes to church every other week, b/c he works on the opposite weeks. He has not been interested in joining the church at all, but just comes to help his wife out with the kids. Last week was actually his 2nd weekend off of work in a row (miracle #1) This was also the same Sunday that his wife would be called and set-apart as the secretary in the primary presidency (miracle #2). He stayed for the setting a part, which also caused him to stay for all 3 hrs for the first time. (Usually he just attends sacrament meeting). That night his wife was resting and recovering from a MS relapse and he took her phone and grabbed our # to text us and tell us that "he is interested and would like to receive more information on joining". (miracle infinity at this point). This isn't even the best point though....later that week before we were able to meet with him, he texts us again and says "I have fully decided to join the church, please let me know what I need to do next when we have dinner on Friday" Yes this brought tears to Sister Elliott and I. We couldn't believe it. In one week.

FUNNIEST PART OF THE STORY: His wife didn't know about any of this, until he TEXTED her one morning and was like, I have decided to join the church. lol oh boy....there was no hint or clues before that. And she collapsed to the ground when she read it. WOW so excited for them. She has been waiting for this moment since she was baptized 10 yrs ago. The Lord prepares his children in his time!

We have been seeing a lot of less active families still. It is sad to see how easy they fall away for one reason or another. Interesting, but scary too. These families are wonderful, and still have strong testimonies, but just one small splinter from that darn Satan dug into their skin and infected their whole soul. Shows how true Helaman 5:12 is and needs to be for us.

EXCHANGES

We got to go on exchanges with the new "Sister Training Leader" She is like a zone leader but for the sisters. She heads home this transfer so she is a little more seasoned missionary than Sister Elliott and I. She taught us so much though. Her excitement, enthusiasm. I have lots to work on. We also brought a young woman with us to a lesson, so all 4 of us showed up on a doorstep and we realized that was a little too overpowering for some people, so we split up. And yes, the greenie (me) went with the young woman. ahhhhh....yeah I was freaking out, but it was a great experience. And wonderful for the young woman to see that a mission is hard but rewarding. I think and hope she enjoyed it so we didn't scare her away too much. 

Well I wish the best to you all. The work is hard, but wonderful, and we have new ideas up our sleeves for the work. I will have to share them with ya if it all goes well.

ONE LAST THING

We talked with some girls last night about the reason why we go on missions. They were lost why we would go away from our family and leave everything. Family is important. It reminded me of some ladies we met in Jerusalem. They were home care givers for the elderly people in Jersusalem. Every penny and dime they earned they would send home to their kids and husbands in the Philipines. Yes they would leave them, but it showed their love and dedication to their kids. They also knew that they were doing something so great and that would benefit their families more than they could imagine. They had incredible faith.

I know this is where my Heavenly Father wants me at this time. I may not know why, but I know that it is. I love you all, and thank you for sending your love this way in your emails and letters.

Always,

Sister Davis

(Just thinking about how the name Sister Davis makes me sound so old) 

exchanges with Hermana Brunsdale!

NEW PRESIDENT AND MISSION CONFERENCE

Mission Conference with our new president, President Slaughter

East Stake District!

my companion, Sister Elliot

with president and Sister Slaughter

4th of July Ward Picnic!

I'VE BEEN OUT A MONTH!

Family,

 Thank you for all your emails. I love them so much. I wish they were spread out throughout the week and not just all packed into an hour or less. But thank you thank you.

The heat is pickin up a bit. Not too humid still. The people in this ward are spoiling us like crazy. Yeah, not sure why. I feel like I do not deserve it.

 MEMBERS

There are tons of recent converts and part-member families in this ward. It has been intersting and wonderful to hear their stories and we have been working with all these amazing part-member families.

The best thing a member did for us this week, was ask how he could help in the work. He had recently returned from his mission, and it opened my eyes up quite a bit. Man, if every member asked that question. He was so willing and open to help out, even with his busy military schedule.

 SAN ANTONIANS

Well don't plan on moving here to San Antonio, if you aren't either Catholic or in the military. You will not fit it and you will never understand what they are talking about. They all use these crazy acronyms and they are military ones…..you will never understand or remember what they mean. I am an LPN at the BAMSE, not the SAMSI. The TRLY decided to BIJ it because people were GOLK. No but seriously. They mention their position in the military and look at you like you should know what that means and if you don’t they spell it out for you, but it still makes no sense. All their wives don't even know what they are talking about still so I have given up on trying to learn them.

 MIRACLE

Last night we had a less-active and a non-member both answer their doors when we knocked. They are neighboors and great friends so we decided to have a lesson with all 6 of them. I thought it wouldn’t go well considering they were all young couples and planned to just party that night. But they actually were very kind and listened to the message of the restoration. The less-active was able to share his testimony of Joseph Smith with his friends and they all committed to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it.

 MISSION PRESIDENT

President Slaughter got here on Thursday and President Jones left on Friday. So this week we have interviews with President Slaughter and a Mission Conference with him. It is a busy week for him, but I am excited to meet him. I’ll tell him hello for ya Uncle Trevor ;)

 COMPANION

It was my companions 20th birthday on Saturday. Yes, she got the gift of knocking all day. We are making a cake for her today and celebrating with the Elders in our district.

Wish you all the best this week. Send me pictures of what you do on the fourth. I am excited to hear!

 Love always,

Sister Davis