June 17th 2013

Family history picture: L to R Great grandfather, grandfather, son, grandson:)

Philippines sunset!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

       This week has been, yet again, crazy! It was Wednesday night and we had just finished exchanges with the Iriga Zone Leaders and we were eating dinner, I told Elder Datu, "Tomorrow will be my first REGULAR day since I have been here. We can get up tomorrow morning and do regular missionary work all day long, I am so excited." Well I jinxed that! About 10:15 that night we got a call about a problem we needed to fix the next day. We drove all the way to Goa and then to Calabanga! We didn't get to work that day until 4 or 5 pm I think. I am still waiting for my ONE REGULAR DAY of just being a missionary haha! But it is great here. It is a different kind of service and I am enjoying it. Hopefully one day I will have a full day to teach God's Children His Gospel, sa bagay pahabang buhay ko, gagawin ko iyan!

         So let me throw in a random question, have you sent my new Debit Card? This one is now expired so, it would be sweet if you could send that in a convenient day. 

         Patuloy tayo. So, this past week Elder Datu and I held a lesson in a church other than our own haha. I won't say the name of the church but it is not very big and if you didn't know it was a church you would think it was a house. Their leader guy is one of our investigators and when we went by they invited us in. We went in and they wanted us to share a message to them. So we were there with about 5 of their most active members, Bible in hand and ready to preach. I think they wanted to debate and argue, of at least a few of them but we just kept our cool and began to share with them the message of the Restoration and just what we believe. Because we didn't argue or yell, when they asked questions, we were able to answer very easily and calmly. While on the other hand they seemed very... unkind. Almost everything they said was non-biblical and a little crazy. May I note by the way that Elder Datu is THE BEST TEACHER I KNOW in English or Tagalog. He's good. Anyway they asked us, "if we were to die right now are you sure you would be saved?" My answer was pretty simple, "I don't know. I am not perfect. I hope I will be, I know that we can only be saved through Christ an His Gospel, faith, repentance, baptism, ect." And then we asked them the same question and this was the answer one lady gave. "I know I am saved, I am positive of it. No matter what I am saved" and she gave some reasons such as, when she came to know Jesus Christ she changed and became better than she was, she believes in Him ect. ALL TRUE, GOOD THINGS.

         But the impression came to me, "Wouldn't that be what the adversary wants? For people to think, 'I am saved now, no matter what I do.'" Satan will tell you many truths to make you believe one lie. Christ has saved us, it is true, we are saved by His grace, but if we never threw out our responsibility of repentance and faith and living the commandments and not to mention his commandment to "be ye perfect." I hope I will be saved, I think I will be, but I will not assume that I am saved "no matter what." Anyway I am just preaching on like a mad man and who knows if I even make sense but it was a very cool experience to preach the Gospel in that environment. It was only after the lesson on the way home we realized that in the missionary handbook we aren't supposed to preach near or close to houses of other faiths, oops. We'll just teach them in their homes next time haha. Also I think we are going to church there this week, President said we could, hopefully they will return the favor and go to our church. The lack of the spirit in that church we taught in was quite apparent. Anyway that was fun.

        Now let me bud in here again- I will be here for at least 9 months! I would love if you would send me some good CD's. Some good lds music, please consult Race, he'll know the good stuff. These long drives need some hymns! If you could do that I would be very happy!

        So it is FATHER'S DAY! Happy Father's Day DAD! I have thought a lot about Dad this week. If there is another son in this world who thinks more of his father than I do, I don't know them. I study Preach My Gospel everyday and my favorite chapter in there is Chapter 6, Christ-Like Attributes. I am pretty sure that in every attribute listed there I have a note about how my father exemplifies that attribute. My Dad is Christ-Like. I have often BOASTED of this but that is because it is worthy of boasting, I HAVE NEVER HEARD MY FATHER RAISE HIS VOICE (basketball officials not included). I want to be like my Dad. So thank you Dad. Thank you for all the sacrifices you have made for all us kids, for your work, the vacations, stories of your mission and scriptures you would tell us when we were small, thanks for serving a mission, thank you for your example, thank you for the priesthood blessings I have received from you many times and your example in that priesthood. Thank you for listening to me and helping me through all my struggles and helping me get to where I am now. I look up to you so much. And thank you for how you treat Mom, you've given me a great example on how to be a father and a husband. Tell Grandpa Sherwood and Grandpa Davis happy father's day too! I have some amazing examples of fathers in my life.

       I don't have too much else to add. This week has been crazy! Also I don't have too many good pictures, but the one I do have is a posterity picture. I am a grandpa now! My kid texted me happy fathers day yesterday haha, it was awesome! Also, of course, I am in the same area Kellen Walker used to be in, they still remember him and love him. The Tollantes family told me to say hi to him! Also Mom you asked if I will be able to travel a lot here in the office, yes. I will see the whole mission just about, the problem is most of the cool places are in the south mission and I am north. But I have been down south quite a bit already!

        Love you all. Happy Father's Day Dad! Have a great week. Sounded like the Little Larry Reunion went well. I heard there was some good swear words thrown out there, it's not a sin when Uncle Craig is there doing his magic. Haha. Anyway i gotta run! Love you all.

Elder Davis

P.S. I have now bought a pizza card here at Shakey's Pizza, it is way good. GO FAT CHANTZ!