THANKSGIVING: Let's be thankful.
Howdy Howdy
Where
do I even begin? It has been an awesome week. Yesterday I gave a talk
in sacrament meeting and it went really well. I was extremely blessed.
However, I am still struggling with the language BIG TIME! But I feel
God's help all the time. It amazes me how often I am able to say words
that just into my mind. I am so blessed despite being far from fluent. I
am ALWAYS able to teach and testify even though I am still struggling.
It is hard to remember sometimes just how blessed I am. I get
discouraged at times and wonder why I am not fluent yet. But I had an
experience yesterday I hope to never forget. . .
Yesterday we heard a less active of ours was at the hospital
with her four year old son. We decided to go and visit and see what we
could do. I am still not sure what was wrong with the little boy, but it
was nothing too bad. I can still remember how he kicked in the bed in
sheer discomfort. I felt so bad for him. We had to walk through most of
the hospital to get to that room. As we went through I saw what true
suffering was like. I felt like I was in a war there were so many people
lying in pain everywhere. I don't know if you have ever been to a third
world hospital but it is a humbling experience. VERY QUICKLY I forgot
about my "suffering" in learning this language. I looked around a
Hospital that was full of pain, sickness, uncleanliness, and it was HOT
with no Air Conditioning. I don't know if I will ever forget how that
boy was kicking in discomfort as we gathered around his bed and I said a
prayer for him in Tagalog. It was a humbling experience for me, and yet
my companion wasn't phased, this was something regular and common for
him. I thought I knew before my mission what it meant to be thankful. I
had no idea, I am just beginning to know. I can't begin to tell you how
blessed we are. If there is anyone in this world more blessed than I am,
I don't know them.
So my companion, ELDER DATU is awesome. He is the only member
in his whole family. He converted to the church two years ago or so.
His friend was a member and invited him to church one week. He said when
he walked into the doors he felt something like never before. He went
through the church services and felt the spirit. After the meetings were
over he went and talked to the missionaries and said, "Could you come
teach me at my house... and WHEN CAN I BE BAPTIZED?" He's incredible. So
the missionaries did come OBVIOUSLY. And they taught him and he liked
it. Then one day he was thinking and praying (like
the missionaries said) to make sure that the church was true. He was on
his was to college on a jeepney and was just thinking "is this really
true? Is the Book of Mormon true? Is Joseph Smith a true prophet?" And
all the sudden the jeepney stopped and he looked out- there was a church
there and he said "I imagined seeing a light at the church, and then I
imagined I saw Joseph Smith holding a Book of Mormon." The jeepney
stopped randomly and he didn't even know their was a church there. He
felt the Holy Ghost and he knew for sure it was true. When he was
baptized him and his family were on the way to the church and they got a
call that there was no water for the baptismal font. He said he prayed
and so did the missionaries and somehow when they got there, there was
water in the font. The branch president and missionaries told him it was
a miracle. If you ask him he will tell you the same, "it was a
miracle."
His family has not yet joined. His mother said, "time will
come." I asked him if it is hard to be the only member and what not and
he said it was. But he loves his mission, he works extremely hard he
knows it is true. We serve missions because we know it is true and FOR
NO OTHER REASON! I hope and pray his family will come to know of the
truth as well- "Time will come I guess." He is a great missionary and an
awesome companion. I love teaching with him. When we testify of Joseph
Smith it is always powerful. I love teaching all the lessons we teach
but there is always a strong spirit when we teach of the First Vision.
When the words, "noon 1820 nabuhay ang isang bata nagngangalang Joseph
Smith" come from my mouth I can feel the spirit strongly. And YES THAT
IS REALLY HOW YOU SAY IT. As my father has said before, "It all depends
on that one experience, did God and Jesus Christ appear to him that
spring morning or did they not." Those words from my beloved father ring
in my ears. I testify as a missionary of Jesus Christ that that really
did happen and that this is his church. I KNOW IT, like my companion
Elder Datu knows it. This is Jesus Christ's Church not Joseph Smith's.
Joseph Smith did not write the Book of Mormon- he translated it. I know
it with my whole heart, mind, and body.
The great thing is this, we ask no one to believe that we
know it. But we ask them to ask God and see what he says to you. This
church believes in revelation from God. We believe in Prophets and
MIRACLES and Gifts of the Spirit like the GIFT OF TONGUES. We teach "All
Nations" like Jesus himself commissioned his Apostles to do. This
really is the truth. I promise. I can't tell you one tenth of what I
fell and it is even harder in writing. But if you don't know this is
true... read, ask with faith and you will know.
I am such a missionary, testifying to my own family. To
people who already know these things. I always just end up bearing
testimony hahah even in my emails home, what a lameo! But I know there
are those who read my letters that are not my family and not of this
church... not yet haha. I am glad you enjoy my letters and I am thankful
for your nice letters and emails to me.
So Thanksgiving is this week they say? Weird! Time is flying.
I will miss you family, but not too much haha. I am much to busy
serving a mission at the moment. Obviously I would love to spend
Thanksgiving with you BUT remember what I just told you? This church is
true and the living prophet has asked that I serve a mission right now-
and for eternity we can have "thanksgiving" together- after these two
years. So I have written a lot and I hope you enjoy it. I have so many
pictures here but the computer won't let me update them, I will be lucky
if I get one haha. Sorry.
But life on the island is good. I still am not fluent but I
am improving. I love my mission. I am working hard and being obedient
(that was for mom). Things are great and I love being a missionary. I
have never done anything harder nor anything quite as exciting. I can't
believe how fast time is going by. I hope you are all doing well. I hope
you are thankful for your blessings. If you feel you are not yet
thankful for your blessings, go get a bucket and wash all your
clothes... you'll become more thankful I promise haha. I NEVER KNOW WHAT
TO WRITE ABOUT.... LET ME KNOW!
Elder Davis
P.S. Have a great Thanksgiving....... BE THANKFUL FOR EVERYTHING!
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