August 27th 2012

Hey!

So Mom here are answers to your "questions and instructions email" (haha) starting with questions:

1. My "Church Building" is a Meeting House.... not recognizable as a church beside the rusty sign in the front. It's in the basement of a building but the Church has already bought land for a chapel... until then we will continue to gather there. IT"S SMALL AND NO A.C.-obviously.

2.Do I walk everywhere I go? Ans- We walk, and take padyaks, and take Jeepnies everywhere. Not TONS of walking... sometimes we're literally hiking though... like really steep hills hahaha it's crazy when it's raining.

3."How did I get to Elder Cook?" Ans- Good question. Haha it's about 4 hours of driving. We started by walking to the jeepnies (I'll seen pictures next week) we took it all the way to Naga... then we got super lucky and got a ride with the AP's to Legaspi where the meeting was held. No boats or Donkeys mom haha BUT TRAFFIC IS NUTS HERE. THERE ARE NO RULES... NONE.

4. Cooking.... We cook pretty often, we hardy ever eat with members and on occasion we go to the one  restaurant here, it's kinda sketchy though. "Davis Rice Cakes" (as they are starting to get called) are becoming popular her in the mission haha. 

5. "Where do I shop?" Ans- Anywhere I want haha there are little Tendahans as they are called everywhere! Fresh fruit at my finger tips and I don't care what Tom says- Pineapples from the Philippines are better than Hawaiian ones. People pretty much just set stands up and sell stuff. There are also like "real" grocery stores but we don't have big ones in Pasacao. Naga has a Huge Mall that you can go to IF YOUR LUCKY- it's like being in America. Cool stuff.

6. "Can I buy American Things?" Ans- Yes... but they're expensive, which reminds me- when you send packages send good tooth paste and MOUTH WASH. Please hahaha the good american kind is rare and expensive. ALSO american candy is SOOO GOOOD. hahahaha

- SO that ends "the questions" Now for the "Instructions" you gave me mom hahaha

1."Wash your Bathroom" Ans- "That's as clean as it get here hahaha. We have to walk through a alley way to get to the door our our apartment and the alley way is only about two maybe three feet wide and there is ALWAYS HUMAN POOP AND URINE in there.... this is not a sanitary county hahaha but OKAY mom I'll clean my bathroom. haha 

2. "Wash your hands" Ans- OKAY WILL DO! haha

3."Send pictures home weekly" Ans- Okay. hahahaha I'll try every week! Hopefully i get a good Spider Picture soon.

So hopefully that clears up your questions and concerns hahahah

     NOW! Elder Cook and Elder Callister were incredible! We got to shake there hands and then they just speke to us for a couple of hours. It was incredible- he's a living  apostle of Jesus Christ- REALLY. haha His testimony is incredible. He open up his talk to a Q and A session and someone asked what it meant to be a "special witness of Christ". He didn't straight answer the question but he did say, "I know His Voice" It was an amazing meeting! Elder Callister was incredible as well. Just such an amazing man.  Elder Ardern was also there... ask Grandpa and Grandma Davis if he was their Mission President in Suva.... that would be cool. But it was an awesome day!

     So my sisters... you need to talk some sense into me- I WANT A MOTORCYCLE! hahaha they are everywhere here and I want an "old school Steve McQueen in The Great Escape Bike" hahaha so sisters you talk some sense into me and Race you tell me why it IS A GOOD IDEA. 

     Two AWESOME things happened this week. ONE- I invited someone to "follow the example of the Savior and be baptised by someone who holds the proper priesthood authority of God" and She said YES! It was incredible! It was in our very first visit with her and she told us she felt "something enter her" she has a cute family and I want so badly for that family to be raised in the gospel. We will teach her husband soon- I CAN"T WAIT! Tagalog is stinkin hard BTW, good thing we have the Gift of Tongues-really. SECOND thing, I LED my first lesson this week, which means two things: 1 IT WAS TERRIBLE (just kidding) and 2 I was the one that basically talked the most in the lesson... for result see number one. hahahaha Just Kidding- It was awesome... a little choppy, actually A LOT choppy but Elder Vogelsberg helped me OBVIOUSLY! And the man we were teaching was very understanding and also very interested in the Gospel.. he's a boss.

     So life is good here, I LOVE IT! It's EASILY the hardest thing I have ever done. ALSO it's the coolest thing. I can see how much it will bless my life. I don't care how hard it gets because 1 Jesus Christ has had it much worse 2 This Church is True and 3 It will be made possible for me to do it because God commanded me to do it. Dang it is awesome to be a missionary. 

    I pray fr you all. I hope all is well. I hope I send some rain from here to there hahaha sounds like you need it. FOOTBALL IS ALREADY STARTING? Crazy! So I will need some details about BYU  football!  

     I will send more pictures next week... tell me what you want to see. It's good to here the kiddos like the pictures- I remember listening to stories from dad when I was their age. I also remember Race and I taking COLD showers to practice for our missions hahahaha what I didn't know was not only would my shower be cold it would also just be a bucket and ladle! hahahaha But it's great. Well I have to go... I love you all thanks for the emails. I'M DOING GREAT, Keep me in your prayers.

Elder Chantz Davis

 This picture is for MOM!

 Look at the houses! I would say we are blessed!

This picture is for Mary-Kate

FROGS, MONKEYS AND RATS!

Hey Family,
So first off Mom, I have now officially sited the rat I told you about last week... not only sited but FELT! haha We had just finished our day and we were headed up our stairs to our apartment when KING KONG comes shooting right through my companion and I. It was big.... black.... and it was ON MY SHOE as I jumped like a scared little girl and just almost let loose with some FAVORITE SHERWOOD CURSE WORDS haha. I can know testify to what my companion said.... that rat will not fit in our BIG trap hahaha. Other "wildlife" there are big frogs all over the rice fields they're pretty cool... and we saw like a 4 foot long dead snake on the road. I'm convinced I'll see a python/anaconda before I leave... I don't even know if they have those here. ALSO I saw a monkey, we had just left our apartment for the day and we got to the street and there was some guy with a BIG monkey on his shoulder/head. That was cool. Also just half hour ago we were eating in a restaurant and literally there was a 4 inch spider hanging like 5 feet above our food- so classic. I hope to get a picture of a spider soon... I'm just waiting for a big one.
So we got two new investigators this week, July, and Judith w/ fam, I have high hopes for both of them. They're so awesome.  Judith has the cutest kids ever and they love us! I do magic tricks to all the kids here and they think it's the coolest thing in the world. I think that's my favorite part about the Philippines, is the LITTLE KIDS! They are awesome and it's good to practice my Tagalog with them. We visit one family that, I kid you not, has a little girl that is PettyJill in a Philippino body. I want to take a picture with her and send it home to show you all. She looks just like her other than whole PJ has white skin and blond hair and this little girl DOES NOT haha. But yeah, I can't wait to teach July and Judith- HIGH HOPES!
What else happened this week? We got "punted" a lot. Which means we had appointments that we either got turned away or no one was home. BUT we've been working hard and we will be here in Pasacoa for a long time so I have a ton of hope in how much more the branch can grow here. EVERYONE needs the gospel- they just might not know they need it haha . . . YET!
So Elder Vogelsberg and I get along great... I'll describe his eight favorite worldly things (in no particular order) and you tell me who it sounds like 1. Fav Red Starburst 2. BYU  3. The Office 4. Sports  5. Milkshakes 6. Movies 7. Double Stuff'd Oreos 8. Steve Carell. We don't get along hahahaha
So everything is small here- the people, the cars, the chairs, the "showers", houses, doorways, FOOD! Just Everything! haha I feel like such a giant all the time.
Also, this Friday Elder Cook will be here! It is going to be awesome! An Apostle! And Elder Callister of the 70.... he's my favorite 70! Not that I know many hahaha but he really is. I'm so excited. Elder Vogelsberg and I will have to leave early in the morning and travel a long way to be there on time. I can't wait! It's going to be a spiritual FEAST.
So I hope I haven't forgotten anything.... just for your information if you ever decide to send anything here... not that I need anything. But if you do send a package it takes about 2 or 3 weeks and Elder Vogelsberg's Mom will sometimes put like a Picture of Christ on it haha but I think the mail is relatively safe. But again, I NEED NOTHING.
Well I love being a missionary. I'm terrible in Tagalog hahaha keep praying for me. I'm working hard and being obedient. I can't wait until I can speak this language and express myself the way I really want to. I want to help these people. I have a message that is invaluable and these people who have nothing... NEED IT! Like everyone does. Well you're blessed to live in a America- count your blessings everyday! But better than living with "things" is living with the Gospel.
I don't know what else to say... It's super hot here haha. So i'd love to hear from everyone family and friends. Don't be shy! haha Emails are like gold here. My BYU friends if you can see this- send me some emails and let me know how my school is doing without me haha.
Also RULON UDALL- why have I not heard from you yet? haha EMAIL me bud. And anyone else who wants to.
Mom tell Logan I am so proud of him... BEST ELDER IN THE CHURCH! Also tell him he can email if he wants rather than write.
Well I can't lie, it's not easy here. But it's not supposed to be easy. But I know this Church is true. I didn't come here to tell a lie- I came here to tell the world His truth. SO AWESOME!
I love you all, and I pray for you daily!

Elder Davis

A few pictures!

First pictures from the land of NAGA! Laundry, sleeping (philippinos must be short), food, views from apartment.

HE MADE IT!!!!

Holy Smokes! If you only knew what I've done this week. What I've seen...smelt...heard...tasted...and felt! You have no idea! haha I won't tell everything to spare you Mom. So the trip it's self was really good- i slept most of the way from LA to Hong Kong and it was just regular airport stuff- BUT when we got to the philippines and we were flying from Manilla to Naga we got dropped off at the wrong place and so like an hour later- a few sprints and a lot of sweat later-we made it a bus in the airport that would take us to the plane out on the runway like they do.. we got on and we flew away in the next five minutes. But we made it, and President was there waiting for us- CRAZY! So President is AWESOME! He's so great- we spent the morning there and then met our trainers and took off! My trainer or TATAY "dad" is ELDER RYAN VOGELSBERG and he is so awesome! He's from Texas and went to BYU. We're both just massive sports fans and especially BYU! He's great- and OBEDIENT! I got so blessed with a fantastic trainer. He's only been out a YEAR! and he's already training, he's super good in Tagalog. We get a long great.SO BLESSED TO GET HIM! So the first time I got to my apartment it was completely FLOODED! our sink was broke and there was water everywhere! It wasn't all that fun. hahaha Then the next morning we woke and had the same thing. It happened the next day too and now we finally have it fixed... yata. But our apartment is like 100 yards from the ocean! It's super cool. My town and AREA is called Pasacao . . . "pass a cow" I feel right at home! Half the people we teach are dirt floor and grass roofs... or maybe tin roofs. The really well off people have cement floors and walls! Pasacao is crazy cool and I feel like I'm in a dream! They speak Tagalog so fast and I"M LOST HALF THE TIME! And then when I do start to understand what they're saying they randomly will speak BICOL! Which I for sure don't understand. BUT my companion takes good care of me and we're working hard and praying hard for the Gift of Tongues. I am convinced I got Elder Vogelsberg due to my many prayers and YOUR MANY PRAYERS, thank you! The first lesson I was in was with Tatay Domingo- he has a baptismal date and is the most humble incredible person ever! In the lesson we asked how his reading in the Book of Mormon was and he was almost in 2nd Nephi! He asked us what people do that don't have the Book of Mormon in their lives? He said, "they need this book, all the prophesies are true" He told us he knew it was a true book. We told him(and by we I mean my companion 99% of the time hahahaha) that that's why we're serving a mission was to give this book to those who don't have it and let them know about Christ! Oh my goodness he's an awesome investigator! In a couple weeks he should be baptized- IN THE OCEAN! Pictures to come! So, as far as wild life... I've seen a dead bat, a BIG dead lizard. I haven't seen the Rat yet but apparently we have one in our apartment like the size of a high school football! CRAZY! He won't fit in the trap hahaha. Also we got off a Tricii and a banana spider was on my companion. He said, "Elder Davis Elder Davis what's on my back?" and I said... DON"T MOVE hahaha it was about 5 inches across so it wasn't too big but still massive. I tried to flick it off and it went under his armpit and started going all over him until it got to the ground it was hilarious! Indiana Jones style. NEXT BANANA STORY, I was taking a "shower" and when I was done and I looked up at the wall and saw him looking at me... with no clothes on... SCARY! There are always like 15 or 20 spiders in my shower but they're only like the size of a nickel and apparently they eat the misquitts so we're friends. But this guy freaked me out and I got out and we killed it with a shoe, talk about nasty.! SO the FOOD! It is delicious, most of it. It's really good so far, we don't eat a tone and I've already lost wait. There is some nasty lookin stuff- but it all tastes good as so far I haven't been sick haha So we're good in the food department.... MY GOODNESS THE FRUIT IS SO GOOD- MANGOS delicious. Also I cooked up some SHERWOOD RICE CAKES and they were so good, my companion like them too. Grandma would be proud. You'd all be proud. One down side of the food is.... what goes in must come out. hahaha One week and I haven't seen a smidge of TP! hahaha T.M.I? MAYBE. Important information? Well, I think so! And I knew you were all curious. So we're good in that department too. So we're in a small branch here in Pasacao and our Branch President lives so far away he has to come on Saturday and stay the night in the meeting house for church the next day! He's incredible, I respect these people so much. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is true EVERYWHERE! My Tagalog is struggling but I'm working hard and it will come. The little kids are sooooo cool and so cute! I hope All my pictures will get home to you! So we had mission tour yesterday with Elder Teh of the 70! And guess what? He's been to EAGAR! He came with President Uchtdorf when he was first made a 70. Small world! and small Philippinos- I'm a GIANT! A BIG WHITE GIANT! haha Also because of mission tour our P-day was today but it should have been yesterday so It will be on Monday from here on out. Everything is so poor and so dirty but I LOVE IT AND I LOVE THE PEOPLE! I can't wait until I'm good enough in Tagalog to be able to tell them about what God has waiting for them in the Next Life because they have absolutely nothing here.I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! So I always knew I grew up blessed... but I never knew how blessed. We have carpet in our home... food... cushions on ALL our chairs, a house, clothes.... shoes, toilets that flush, water that you can just drink without being filtered, AND ABOVE ALL THE GOSPEL! Holy smokes we're all so blessed! I have a dang good bed for Pasacao and its 3 inches of good foam directly on metal. I sleep like a champ though so don't worry! Really though THANK HEAVENLY FATHER FOR WHAT YOU HAVE... EVERYTHING! SO this is the point where I tell Mom... don't you dare worry! I'm doing great! And being OBEDIENT! Thanks for all your prayers on my behalf, I pray for you too, and It will be fun in 2 years when I can come home and step on carpet again in my bare toes with you all and tell you stories, but until then... THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO NEED ELDER DAVIS TO TELL THEM ABOUT THE RESTORED GOSPEL! So don't worry about me. MOM every time you picture me in your mind you can know 5 things for sure 1 I'm sweating 2 There is at least one bug on me 3 I'm being obedient 4 I'm happy 5 I love being a missionary Ye need not worry! Glad to hear the little ninyos are excited for school, hope all is well. I hope that Uncle Bob and Aunt Tona are good and the Grandparents and EVERYONE! Well I got to go... I LOVE YOU ALL. Elder Chantz Davis, Pasacao Philippines 2012