YAY! FOR CONFERENCE!

Family!

It was a week full of so much excitement. On P-days we have gotten to play sports almost every week. My companion is one who can't stay inside for longer than we need to!!!

The "new idea" is not so new just an old one that we enriched and built up and introduced to the members as a new idea so they will be stoked for the work. We are trying to set up family nights with all the members in the ward (active and inactive) and have them invite their friends to enjoy a fun, gospel-centered environment. We had a couple of FHE’s this week and they turned out to be AWESOME! One girl accepted a baptismal invite and the other family all went to church this past Sunday. We have lots more to come this week. It is a lot of extra work but we are accomplishing so many goals encompassed in one plan! I feel like I know the members really well, maybe better than some of their friends in the ward know them, but that is the way the work should be. It is so cool when you feel confident and know that this is what the Lord wants and needs you to do be doing at this time. Other areas where we have tested the waters of missionary work have not felt as right, but this is one area of the work that is leading us down an incredible path.

We also had interviews with President Slaughter this week. Well, they were actually more like Q&A sessions…. don’t know why they call them interviews. It is enlightening and enriching to hear from him. I am hesitant to ask the millions of questions I have because I feel I should study them out for myself  but I still happen to spit out a couple that are the fore-front of my mind.

We had another exchange this past Friday. Sister Burtenshaw from Alberta, Canada came to the Garden Ridge area and we had a tremendous day. She went to JERU! For-sure! She went Fall 2011 with Cassie Pelton and Melissa. She is such a delight and filled the day with so much joy. She has such a strong testimony and teaches to people's needs like crazy.

And last of all the amazing broadcast! Wow. I feel so much light when I hear from those leaders who are dedicated to the gospel and live it so fully in their lives. We can never get enough of Heavenly Father's love for us that comes through them. My companion and I made a new fun Conference Rule: ‘You can't watch conference unless there is a less-active or non-member sitting next to you’. A sweet little lady in our ward who made invites for everyone in the ward to hand out and invite their friends to watch conference with them. So aweesommmeee!

The work has been so amazing. Our faith is tested and tried and challenged every day and you can feel it. But it is so cool and outstanding to feel the strength our Heavenly Father gives us to defend.

Love you all so very much! Thank you for your love and your letters.

Sister Davis

QOF: (means Question of the week) How do you know _______________ (Book of Mormon, Plan of Salvation, etc) is true? A lot of people ask this, so just curious to hear from you guys, I know it’s different for everyone.

San Antonio Sunset!

FHE!

San Antonio Sunsets are the best!

COVENANTS ENFORCED!

FAMILY!

Quick explanation to the subject: My comp saw this on an exchange…it was on the entrance into an apt complex this week and thought it was pretty cool. Truly a missionary dork when things like this spark your interest.

One cool amazing experience this week that strengthened my testimony like crazy….. So we went on exchanges this past Friday and all day we had planned to visit member families in the ward and inform them of a new idea we had brainstormed with our Bishop and our Ward Mission Leaders. The first home we went to we invited them to participate in the new idea and they put up walls right and left …. Excuses, excuses and didn't show much enthusiasm. The mother of the home also expressed feelings that the spirit was not as strong in their home as it used to be and her testimony being a bit weak. Later that day we stopped by another members home and they showed complete excitement and enthusiasm to participate in this new idea. They were not sure how they would at first, but they got thinking and then names and ideas just came into their head. It was so interesting to see the different reactions of each of these members as we expressed the plan we wanted to implement in the ward. I turned to the Sister I was on exchanges with and asked why such different reactions? …..these are all active members? And she simply said the difference is their testimony of Jesus Christ and the Atonement. Those who had the greater understanding of Christ and His Atonement (as the scriptures say) truly have a greater desire to share the gospel. Wow! The scriptures are true? I thought the day would be very repetitive, going from home to home, but it was nice to have a consistent message, and see just the reactions from home to home. It strengthened so many aspects of my testimony that day.

Yesterday we had a lesson with a man who had lots of questions about the little details of our faith. And he wanted to just compare verses in the bible throughout the whole lesson. I felt very inadequate. However, as I sat there stressing over how to answer his questions, I just thought what a blessing it is that I know the Book of Mormon is true along with the bible, because every question could be answered with the Book of Mormon. It all comes down to the foundation of our testimonies which the apostles and prophets have mentioned multiple times before. If we know those few foundational concepts are true, we know all else is true as well.

We had the Primary Program yesterday! Wow...if every Sunday could be a "special program" how strong the spirit would be, how powerful the messages, how many people would come! It is cool to see how everything we do all week is to prepare for sacrament meeting!

I love you all so very much! I am grateful for your prayers and support. I can feel it every day. Have an amazing week.

Always,

Sister Davis

CLEAR EYES, FULL HEARTS, CAN'T LOSE!

FAMILY!

Good to hear mom and dad are still livin’ and not washed away in a flood! It is always interesting here when you tell people where you are from and the next thing they asked is if your family is doing ok? And then you ask why, and they rebuke you for not watching the crazy exaggerated news. What's even funnier is when members ask, even though they know the guidelines. lol

Oh and Adri and Tuck, another thing I got this week. I told someone I was from Colorado...”oh de Gran Canyunn”!.  Haha, yep laughed out loud from all those stories you told about the Argentines saying that.

We met a man named Floyd this week! So sweet. We sat down to share the gospel with him and as we raise our heads from saying the opening prayer he says "Just so you know, I am Catholic and I have been Catholic my whole life, and I will die Catholic." So we continued to share the gospel...and he offered the closing prayer for us, stating that, "this was different than anything he had been taught his whole life about the LDS faith, that he was excited to read the book of Mormon, and that this enlightened and opened his eyes to something brighter." Say what? That is the magic of the spirit and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

One thing that has been so cool to learn is the power of faith. We could have stopped talking to Floyd when he stated he was going to die a catholic, but we continued to share the true message. And his heart was opened! It has been interesting to see how little faith I’ve had in the past when I sharing the gospel with people. When they would say, oh I don't want to learn, or I don't care to know, or other comments. BUT faith is continuing to invite and consistant with sharing your deep love and concern for them to be with you after this life. People tend to put up walls, but if I have faith I can continue to invite. Now is the time I have to just take that agency and act upon it and invite and invite and invite some more. A whole new challenge!

We had a wonderful zone training this past week and we learned so very much. My companion, Hermana Hearne, did training on being yourself as a missionary. Many of us want to take on the role of missionary as something other than who we really are and not be ourselves. It has been interesting how much our leaders have emphasized not being stressed while in the field. We have gotten packets and training and more packets and more training and repeated statements about being ourselves. It helps to use our creativity. I was thinking a lot about the work environment at Apple and Google and how that relates and what the science is behind all of that. So cool and neat to think about!

Thank you all for your support and love! Love, love, love to hear from you. It makes the sun shine even brighter down here. I love you all so very much. Have a wonderful week and be safe in all that water!

Always,

Sister Davis

New Companion- Hermana Hearne

Add Bishops Home- Yes, he rides this "bad boy" to work!

KATTY KORNER!

FAMILY!

WOW...this week was like living on Cloud Nine! SO many great things!

VANESSA

She is a grand-daughter of a couple in our ward. Her parents don't speak very highly of the church so she isn’t able to attend church with her parents or grandparents. BUT we have been able to go over and see Vanessa a couple times. The first time we just got to know her and told her what we do as girls on missions...some things were odd to her of course, but the cool thing is you could relate the gospel to every question she asked and bear testimony of the gospel so easily. This past week we saw her and taught her the restoration...and she didn't want to show it...but you could see the light of Christ in her eyes when we shared the first vision....SO COOL. Her friend was there, so she hid the tears that came to her eyes a bit, BUT she knows the feeling of the spirit which is so cool to see in someone who has not heard anything good about the church her whole life!

TEMPLE

Oh yes...we GOT TO GO! Saw many new perspectives and meaning on EVERYTHING...what a difference it makes when you are reading and studying the scriptures in depth every day and learning what the Lord has to teach you! It is a beautiful temple though! They have amazing stained glass and I was just in awe walking in! It is very small, but so detailed in every way. You know without a doubt, that it is the House of the Lord!

TRANSFERS

I got a NEW COMPANION! Sister Hearne from Delaware! Yep, there are mormons in Delaware! She is incredible. She has been out for 16 months so she will go home in November :(  President must have thought I needed some help as a missionary b/c she is a Sister Training Leader...which means she is over all of the sisters in our zone and some more. I have already learned A TON from her though. She is so incredible. She plays lacrosse too! So that is now our fun time in the morning! But the east coast is much better at Lacrosse then the west so she is also teaching me a lot in that area as well as with missionary work. Oh and another bonus...she’s an Hermana so she is patiently teaching me some Spanish! Just so glad Tuck and Adri are not here b/c I would get quite a bit of grief for my pronunciation.

SANDY

We have been teaching Sandy for a few weeks now! So cool...she is hilarious...very open and gives me an ab workout every time we go to her home! First lesson we had with her, we invited her to church and she immediately responded, "Now will I be da only fly in the buttacream ova der?" And the last lesson we had with her...she and a Sister Ford were talking about putting make-up on in the morning. She says "I need like some spackle or som-din everyone." And the comments go on and on!

Well I could share so many other stories...but my time is running out. I love this gospel, I love you all so very much and I most all love being able to serve my Heavenly Father 24/7. What a blessing! Oh and also....check out the new scripture mastery verses...so cool...where this work is moving...they verse are so tied closely to Preach My Gospel it is crazy! The work is hitting the ground running...and we need to keep up with it! Ahhh, but check out these scriptures particularly....Genesis 2:24, Exodus 19:5-6, Psalm 119:105, and Isaiah 5:20

Love you all, enjoy your week!

Sister Davis

NOTHIN' BETTER THAN THIS!

FAMILY!

This will be a short one….. we’re at a members home so we have to keep it short. 

This past Tuesday we had an incredible, incredible training by President Slaughter. Dang, he says a lot of things that remind me of the kind of things Tuck's mission president would say. (i.e. It’s better to shoot for the stars and miss than to shoot for the mud and make it.) It was amazing how focused he is on working with members and what has been shared by the first presidency for missionary work. I LOVE IT! It is just in line with all that has been running through my mind. I feel like there are still alot out there I am missing, but we can't know everything all at once. The training was focused on faith. Having faith based questions, having faith in the members, faith in your investigators and believing in them when they don't believe in themselves, when they have fear. Your faith with rub off onto them and they will begin to have that confidence. Our bishop recently told Brother Baldea..."I expect great things from you." Wow if we said that to everyone, how much more would they believe in themselves. It is so true. Do we think of those we are teaching as just another member of the congregation or do we imagine them leading in the church and BUILDING THE KINGDOM OF GOD! President Slaughter also focused a lot on finding strong families that are strong together and are going to uplift everyone. It is easy and so simple to find those who are struggling and desperate for help, but how much greater will God's kingdom be if we can also find strong families. 

TRANSFERS

This Thursday Sister Elliott will be leaving this area. Not sure where she is headed yet, but I will get a new companion here in Garden Ridge. I am so stoked to be able to stay here though! Love this area and love the people and there is so much to be done here! 

TEMPLE

Aaaaaa-laaaay-loooo-yaaaa! We get to go! Yes this Wed! What a treat! I could not be more excited. I can't wait. 

It was a wonderful week and lots of teaching and visiting families. We have a busy week ahead of us! …..which will be so awesome. Just love this, can't soak enough of this work up, I feel like the weeks run away from me too fast. It really hits me every time I look back and see how long I have been here. (3 months and counting). Time is a tickin! 

I love you all so very much and appreciate all that you have supported me in. Everyday memories come back to me of lessons I learned from each one of you. Just wish I could shoot ya a text about them when it happens. lol Just know I love you and am thankful every day for all you have done! 

Always, 

Sister Davis