JUST FIXIN' TO GO!

FAMILY!

Oh boy, you all made me miss Powel like crazy! It sounds like it was a blast. Great  memories!

SISTER MILL

Such a great story...she just moved into our ward so we were helping her unpack boxes and it was more of us just being there to listen to her instead of really unpack. But it was what she needed at the time. She shared with us how when she was younger she lived in two worlds basically. She would live with her mother during the week and had her school friends, and then on the weekends she would go to her Aunt and Uncle's house. Her father killed himself when she was four, so her mother stopped going to church at that time. She and her brothers went to her Aunt and Unlce's on the weekends because they would take her to church and to hang out with their mormon friends in that town. It is so cool to see the impact her Aunt and Uncle still ha on her today. She is now active in the church, but her husband is pretty much less active. Her brothers and mom live nearby, but are less-active as well. Just recently she bought church clothes for her brother's kids so she could take them to church. (I remind you, her husband does not go to church, so she is taking her daughter and 3 other kids to church by herself. And her mother is now asking if she can come back to church with her. What an impact she has been for so many. So many friends and family members around her have fallen away, but she has been able to see the light that comes from the gospel and is helping so many around her come back and come closer to Christ. WOW...so many other miracles inside this story. But to see the big picture, that Aunt and Uncle made so many sacrifices in their life to take 3 kids to church who were not their own, so that they could see and live with their Heavenly Father after this life! Wow. Oh, and, the Aunt and Uncle chose not to have kids, in order to take care of Sister Mill and her brothers! So amazing to hear the life stories of others if we just take time to listen to not only them, but our Heavenly Father to find out what they need!

THE REST OF THE WEEK

Well there were many great events that occurred this week and it was a wonderful week. Lots of good work, and lots of love in the air for this gospel.  My testimony is being refined like crazy every day. I learn new things as I study, but more importantly as I live it. That is the coolest part of all.

FUNNY FUNNY

We met with another less-active family this week...oh boy...best line of the week. We asked the mother a few questions of how she can improve her testimony and live the gospel more fully...she finishes her comments by saying...."I am shootin’ for the middle kingdom, so I think I am good where I am at with my tea occasionally and my jokes and all." What...?

Well I love you all so very much and I am glad to hear it was a wonderful week at Powel. Just know that Adri and I were there in spirit having tons more fun!

Always,

Sister Davis

THE LORD GIVES YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN HANDLE BECAUSE HE WANTS YOU TO COME TO HIM!

FAMILY!

Well since everyone is at Powell right now I feel like I am writing to the black hole! But I hope it has been fun getting sand in everything, and getting burned and getting smashed by the tubes and not being able to sleep at night cause it’s so hot. Oh such good memories at Lake Powell!

Well I met a member of the reformed Latter Day Saint church. Yeah that was just a bit awkward. She was kind, but I was blank at what to say. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to say anything.

BEST PART OF THE WHOLE WEEK

Well guess who it is about....Brother Baldea! We taught him about the temple this past week and being sealed in a year. He asked us a question...which he rarely does...so it was a big deal. He said "I know I am very impatient and I need to work on that a lot, but A YEAR IS A LONG TIME TO WAIT." In all honesty it caught me off guard for a bit and I had no idea what he was talking about, but when I got it. I just was in awww....like who are you? You just barely got baptized and you already want to be sealed. The gospel does crazy stuff to our minds. We were talking to Sister Baldea and she is like a mormon teenager dreaming of her mormon wedding of pictures in front of the temple, with the angle Moroni and the big family picture and everything. SO FUNNY! It is so fun to be at their house.

We have such amazing ward members here. We have been trying to get them to invite more and extend invitations to their friends, and it has been crazy how wonderful they are. This past week we had a missionary leave from our ward to Brazil. Golden opportunity for missionaries. Doesn't happen very often, but when it does...! We were able to talk with some of their friends and friends of friends. We learned a lot and know what we need to do better next time.

Sorry for a short email...it was a busy week, I promise, but I am stuck on what to share. Arrive back home safely. I love you all so much. Thank you for all your help with everything. Tell the Johnson family Hello from San Antonio!

Always,

Sister Davis

BROTHER BALDEA IS A MEMBER OF CHRIST'S CHURCH!

Family!

What a week! It was one of the best weeks of my life! I can honestly say that b/c of one main event and a few others.

Brother Baldea's baptism was this week! I didn't even know what to expect really. I knew it would be wonderful but I had no idea it was going to be THAT wonderful! Seeing Brother Baldea in white was outstanding, indescribable. Very similar to the first time I entered the temple. You couldn't wipe the smile off his face if you tried. My heart was pounding like crazy and I couldn't believe that Heavenly Father would allow me to experience something so wonderful. The whole time during the service I was shaking, and felt like crying (but I didn't). WOW, It was spectacular. As Brother Baldea walked into the font he was smiling like crazy, and as he walked out he shouted and screamed and laughed! He bore his testimony afterwards and it was the first time I had ever seen him in a white shirt, slacks and a tie. He was now a member of Christ's church! He described it as the best thing that had ever happened to him (in addition to being married to his wife, and having his son.) This is just a bit of the experience on Saturday. How come I never attended convert baptisms before? 

EXCHANGES

We got to go on exchanges this week with our new "Sister Training Leaders"! It was so nice to see different perspectives, to learn from others, and to share with others what you know to help build the kingdom of God! Teaching is a blessing, truly. Those opportunities come only if we plan and prepare ourselves. But when they do, my goodness they are so good.

 BISHOP

We have an amazing Bishop in this ward. I tend to blabber about the ward here a bit. But they truly are wonderful. It is interesting to see that our Bishop doesn't ever worry about his public success. He is consistently working on his private success and naturally the public success comes. There is lots service he and his wife do, but you never know about it, until you spend more and more time with him. I have been looking back wondering how much work was behind the scenes with all my leaders growing up. They never showed or told me all that they did, but I most definitely felt their love and service.

 MARISSA

She has been learning how to play some children's songs little by little! She is doing wonderful and has become a close friend. Oh boy, I wish we didn't get so close to people here. Thank goodness there are the eternities to live with these people. (But I hope to see them before then.)

BLIND SPOTS

We learned about the coolest thing from our President this week. Blind Spots, and the importance of teaching families and to never the leave their father out of a lesson. We learned about his key role, and having priesthood holders to build the kingdom. Perspective.  Every time we see a young man walking along the street, he is now a future priesthood holder, bishop, stake president, instead of just an investigator. So cool! Also, was thinking about how the perspective allows us to keep our chins a little higher during hard times.  Are you knocking doors? OR are you saving souls!!!?!!!

Lots of blabber, but also lots of love with this email. I hope you all had fun at Powell and don't come back too fried after 2 weeks. Let me know how everything went! I love you all so very much. Don't forget it. Multiple times in a day, I am caught in a pickle of what to do, and I always turn back to home and what would my family do at this time. Thank you so much for all the lessons you have taught me. Every  single one of you. I can't thank you enough. Have a fantastic week!

Love,

Kenz

Brother Baldeas' Baptism! So Cool!

AVOCADO BACTERIA!

Family!

 My goodness it was an eventful week. Full of ups and downs!

 MARISSA

Her baptism went very well! She is just like Delanee, so funny! I will send a picture b/c she even looks like her too. She was confirmed during church and has soon as the prayer ended, she stood up and ran to her mother in the pews. lol Didn't say thank you, didn't shake anybody's hand, just ran.

 BROTHER BALDEA

He is doing amazing! This past week, we had a lesson that was so powerful. Sister Baldea shared how this experience has strengthened her testimony and Brother Baldea was able to share his testimony afterwards. Wow, one of the strongest feelings of the spirit I have felt. Yes, his baptism is this week...and boy is he stoked. Every day, he tells us in some way how excited he is!

 The GARDEN RIDGE WARD

We were able to meet with some wonderful members this week and hear their testimonies about missionary work. One told us about sending videos and stories to a friend she had in HS over facebook. So cool, and she has been so receptive to listening and hearing about it. Another, told us how he just constantly talking about the gospel to his military training group...and some days he even comes home and has been talking about it so much that he wants to just talk about anything else but the gospel. He is one of those, that was born with the absence of fear to share the gospel. What a gift! Another shared about how you can never force someone to accept or change. As a member of the church (including us missionaries) all we can do is invite, let them use their agency to choose. He mentioned that since he has been home from his mission, he has prayed for opportunities, and when the opportunities arise it just feels right. He made a point that we have to open our mouths first, but the opportunities will come and we need to take advantage of them. Member missionaries are the best!

 FLIGHT for LIFE

YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT!!! I met my hero's this week. Yes, we were just knocking along, and these two older men open the door. Just before they were about to say goodbye, they said, sorry we are kind of busy, this is our one day off. I am a flight nurse and he is a flight medic.....what the??? So yes, of course I said don't shut the door I have a million questions for you. Surprisingly enough, the one that was a flight nurse was a southern baptist and had a few questions for us. We answered with our testimonies and what we know to be true. He was very polite and kind to us, even though he probably wanted to shoot us.

This week has been wonderful. The spirit is amazing even though I feel like I know very little about it. It works in incredible ways you never see coming! I realize now how wonderful and nice it was to come home to a place where the spirit always was present. Never really understood that the feeling missing in some of my friend’s homes was the spirit. After walking into so many different homes...member and non-member, you can most definitely feel where the spirit resides.

I wish you all the very best. Sounds like your vacations are treating you very well. And yet they still have not come to an end. Party on! And be safe this week at Powell! Love you all so very much.

Love Always,  

Sister Davis

PS. Oh and the subject line: Avocado Bacteria...this week I pulled an old avocado out of the fridge …. looked at, it and saw that the bacteria on it was the same bacteria we grew in my micro bio class that we had to identify. So cool. It was staph btw, I think.

Marissa!

Sister Sheets completes our threesome!