Sunday March 25th 2013

Howdy Howdy, Well, hi. Hahaha I never know how to start my emails, or write them, or end them haha- but that's okay. So first, Rulon's Papers are in?? THAT JUST IS ASTIG! No other word to describe that but ATIG! Elder Udall will be so good, hopefully he is Naga or Legaspi Mission hahaha! Probably Wisconsin though haha. So "this just in" our apartment flooded- surprise surprise. I think I will be more surprised when my apartment is not flooded as apposed to when it is haha. But No big deal, I am way thankful for where I live, especially from what I see everyday. So I love training! I hope I make a good "Tatay" haha. My AKI IS AWESOME! Elder Villamore is like my real kid haha TRULY! He is awesome, just a tiny Pinoy with a big testimony. He rocks! And our work is INCREDIBLE!!!! Mom, you would absolutely love him haha. But training is GREAT! Also we had a random transfer so I am now in an apartment with 3 philippinos!!!!!! I am going to get good in Tagalog sana! And my kabahays are AWESOME! But I am say happy. I think if all three of them stood on each others shoulders I would be taller than them hahahaha joke lang! Want to hear an awesome thing? Ready or not here it comes- We got a referral last week and this week we went to have our first lesson, it was Saturday. We had a great lesson, The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it was awesome the spirit was very strong. We testified of Jesus Christ and The Book of Mormon, of Prophets and of Joseph Smith. Elder Villamor extended the baptismal invitation (first lesson mind you) and he accepted. So the next day, Sunday, he went to church and told us he was up to 11:00p.m. last night reading in The Book of Mormon! I am beyond excited to go back haha! He has a wife and 3 kids with one on the way and HE WANTS TO INVOLVE ALL OF THEM. FYI, we want to involve them too hahah of course! But we truly are finding "the elect." And it came FROM A MEMBER REFERRAL! From a sweet Sister that shared her testimony and the gospel with him (her friend) and gave him to us (the missionaries). BE NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST PEOPLE. Give referrals and share this Gospel with everyone, including ESPECIALLY your friends even close friends! Remember it is true, remember how blessed you are to have it and SHARE IT! Sorry for my "missionary mode" haha, but do that thing. We have awesome investigators right not and they are progressing so much. I love being senior and training. This work is so fulfilling! We contacted another lady, Nanay Lita she was a former investigator we came to find out. About 10 years ago she had a dream about what to do with her religious life and then the next day the missionaries knocked on the door and said, "we felt like we should come here." Cool no? She listen and liked there teachings but never ACTED! Hopefully this time around she will ACT! I could tell stories for years but we have a FHE to get to pretty soon- another thing HAVE FAMILY HOME EVENING EVERY WEEK. And we are busy. Love you tons. I pray for you daily. Read your scriptures, choose the right, pray, obey, go to church, and be thankful! Love you and thanks for your prayers! Elder Davis 

Life is SO hard!  Count the little girls fingers:( Chantz said deformities are pretty common.

Hungry anyone????

Sunday March 17th 2013

Together again!!!! Elder Vogelsburg the best trainer!

skinny missionary

Pretty sure he has found someone to tease. Poor little lady!

Howdy Howdy,

      Igwa na akong aki! (Bicolano Naga) I have a KID, A GREENY, A TRAINEE! And Vogelsberg is now a proud LOLO! And on a similar note, Elder Vogelsberg in now in my district and my ZONE LEADER. Also my previous companion Elder Datu is the new Assistant to the President-cool stuff! I feel so old in the mission but still VERY YOUNG! 

     Things sound great back in good ol' Eagar! Things are great here... I am basically opening an area... basically BUT I AM LOVING TRAINING!  My aki is awesome and he came here to work and he's obedient. I LOVE IT! I am finally able to do missionary work the way I think it should be done and follow Preach My Gospel as close as we can. I AM SO EXCITED for these next two transfers! 

       My trainee is Elder Villamor and he is from Metro Manilla! He rocks, he is taking his "first steps" in the mission. He has, in these past tree days, given two baptismal commitments and did his first OYM's and just EVERYTHING! Of course it is a little easier to do when you are fluent but it is still scary for new missionaries! But he is a natural. He is super prepared and awesome! He is a convert, with his family, like 5 years ago I think, and his testimony is super strong! BASTA I AM A HAPPY TATAY! 

       Before we got our trainees we had "Trainer's Training" and it was awesome! We got to watch the talk by Elder Holland from the MTC, the same talk Race had me watch before I left for the mission. It got me so excited! Elder Holland knows how to motivate missionaries! President Bliesner doesn't do too bad a job himself.

      So I have no clue what to tell you haha. I have become desensitized VERY MUCH SO to the Philippines. Showering with buckets seems usual... not unusual. Eating something that still has eyes in it seems RIGHT. Seeing BEAUTIFUL scenery is normal... but I still enjoy that. Seeing a family struggle for food is a weekly basis kind of thing. I find myself more comfortable in homes with grass roofs and dirt floors than IF THERE WERE A HOUSE HERE WITH CARPET! I don't know what I will do with carpet... I don't know what I will do with a washing machine. I don't want to go home. I don't want to do anything but missionary work forever. My purpose is ... "inbitahin ang iba na lumapit kay Cristo sa pagtuong sa kanila na matangap and ibinalik na ebanghelyo sapamamagitan ng pananampataya kay JesusCristo at ang kanyang pagbabayadsala, pagsisisi, binyag, pagtanggap and kaloob ng Espiritu Santo at Pagtitiis hanggang wakas." I don't want to do anything else than that! I am so gad I still have 15 months to serve Him with ALL my heart, might, mind, and Strength.

       Well... I have to go time to go. Hopefully I will have some cool stories for you next week! I am so thankful for all your prayers, especially you family and parents. I feel them often and I have been very blessed! Thank You! I am also remembering that there is a Mom out there somewhere praying very hard that the trainer of her son will be "a good boy." I will try so hard to be that "good boy" now and forever. Thanks so much.

       The church is true and I am a happy missionary "bringing the world his truth." Love you all and pray for you OFTEN! Keep on keepin on!

Elder Davis

Sunday March 10, 2013

Howdy Howdy, October 15ish I began to read Ang Aklat ni Mormon in Tagalog. My trainer promised me, that "if I would read it, for understanding, I would be fluent before I finished." I have now read over 777 pages of Tagalog text in the Book of Mormon and I FINISHED IT THIS WEEK! In October I would read 1 page a day, on a good day. And by the time that page was over I couldn't really tell you exactly what happened. Now, well, it's much much easier hahaha! I read 95 percent of my free time and during language study as well of course. It takes a while haha. Two days after finishing it I was informed that I WILL BE TRAINING NEXT TRANSFER STARTING TOMORROW haha! I am way excited. It could be American (maybe an 18 year old) or it could be a Philippino. We'll see what happens! Either way I am excited! And our area is being split... basically opening an area! As I finished Moroni chapter 10 I again tried "Moroni's Challenge"- To ask God in prayer if it is TRUE! But this time, unlike previous times, I did it in Tagalog! The answer came the next day in a mock lesson (in Tagalog) as I testified of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So... totoo siya! Pangako iyan! I learned much more than Tagalog in my reading- MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THINGS! ...bagbag na puso at nagsisising espiritu... Now don't let me fool you. I have far to go in Tagalog. I am far from perfect. I am an "ugly fluent" haha! But things are great here. I am excited for next transfer... Tatay na ako! Who knows who my anak is but I am excited! It will be way hard though!!!!!!!!!! This past week in our old apartment we did 4 DAYS with NO WATER! You never know what you have until it is gone! We had to go pump the water from the community well and then bring it back to the apartment to shower haha. Anyway we have water now. BE THANKFUL for everything you have. Clean water and IT IS IN YOUR HOUSE haha! Good stuff. I have met a man here, actually HE found ME. We were on the street one night, a man came from my back and grabbed my arm (not weird in the Philippines) I turned and a small old man with a cane (It was like the old man on the movie 'UP" status) and he spoke to me in FLUENT ENGLISH saying, "Do you have an Englsh Book of Mormon I could have. I am very interested in it. I have a Tagalog version but I think I would understand the English one better." Cool? YES!!!!!! We will teach him for the first time this week, HE CAME TO CHURCH. He loved it. He asked questions and the whole ward is in love with this Tatay. AS AM I! I have never felt like this with someone, but I am way excited for Tatay Abner! This Gospel is AMAZING AND PERFECT! It will heal any wound, for it is Jesus Christ's Gospel in its FULLEST! And the truth will always set us free. We are blessed! So Elder Christofferson's talk in the Liahona rocked this month no? It made me think of Gramps Sherwood, but cows and horses instead of sheep haha.I miss him a lot. Anyway the quote of President Packer was quoted in that liahona, "We are not obedient because we are blind, we are obedient because we can see." How true that is. Think about it, it's an awesome quote. Well, you all rock! I am happy. I am trying hard, working hard, obeying hard, and I am seeing miracles. Pray hard. Be thankful. Be obedient regardless of any hardships. I am such a wierdo missionaro na ey? okay lang iyan! I will send pictures HOPEFULLY! Love you all, throw a prayer my way. I'm chucking them your way. Elder Davis P.S. I totally met Elder Ardner!!!!!!!!!! that is awesome that whole thing with papa hansy hahaha cool stuff. I might meet him again, we'll see. Tell Grandpa if he wants to wait until next year I will help him brand and we all know he is fond of waiting.

Happy Missionary!

Delicious apple star fruit.

Howdy Howdy,

      Do you know how good it feels for others to tell you are fluent in Tagalog? If you don't know how that feels, I invite you to try it. Well, everybody it has been another great week. Time is still flying by! We will be moving into a new apartment this week and next week our area will be split and there will be four of us in this area. Which means that Elder Guanio and I will be split as well, but we'll still be in the same apartment so it's all good! The work is great and we are progressing! Lovin' IT! 

     So FHE daw tomorrow with the Lambson's and Kellen ey? Sounds fun, tell them I am in Ocampo, right next to Pili- I think Kellen was assigned there.  That will be fun to hear there stories. Naga Mission "best in all the land." Maybe they'll sing the mission song for you guys! It should be your opening hymn!

     So Mom we do have Sisters in our District but they are assigned in Goa the biggest city in our district. Your guess was right that usually there areas are in nicer areas. But our sisters are toughthey can do anything. Also Sister Christensen is in my district which is fun, we were in the MTC together. But ya, there's your answer.

      So who wants a cool story? Ready or not here it comes: This Wednesday we were walking, in the heat, sweating and dirty, to a far area of ours. I told my comp, naramdaman ko na makikita natin ang isang ahas mamaya. "I feel like we're going to see a snake later on." Earlier that morning I had randomly read in Acts where Paul gets bit by a viper and nothing happens to him. Ironic no? When we reached the house Tatay wasn't home but about 2 minutes later he comes running by saying there was a COBRA! It was about twenty yards from there house! So naturally I was quick to follow and see a COBRA! We watched from a little way off, just in-case we got bit and were't quite as lucky as Paul haha.  But Tatay and few others IN SANDALS dug out the cobra and killed it with an itak (machete). It was about 4 feet long- scary looking thing. But it was way cool. They ate it daw, sadly I did not get to taste it BUT I REALLY WANT TO EAT COBRA! I thought it was no good, that they only ate python but nope. There are tons of snakes in this area! 

      So after that event we taught tatay and I told him the story of Paul and we talked about MIRACLES! He told us about ten years ago he was able to go to church with his sons, because they really wanted to, but he had NO IDEA how they had the money every week to go. But that somehow every week they had the money to go to church. He said it was a miracle. I agree. We had a great lesson and he committed to go to church. He's going to Manilla for a few months though next week- DARN MANILLA! 

       We've been super busy and I forgot my list of things I wanted to tell all of you! Basta, totoo ang simbahan haha! I love my mission, Tagalog ROCKS! I have bee so so so so so so so blessed! We are all so blessed. This Gospel is true and one day we will all return and stand before God, our Father. I hope and pray we are only doing things we can be proud of when that event happens. Judgement Day is a good thing to ponder every now and then. I am a representative of Jesus Christ. I feel it everyday! This is the only true and living church. And I know, Jesus Christ lives and he and Heavenly Father love each one of us PERFECTLY. Weather you live in a home with carpet and a computer or in a hut with pots for cooking rice- he loves you!

     You are all awesome! 

Grandpa Sherwood goes with him everywhere!!!!!

Always has, always will LOVES little ones!

Elder Davis