Well, Howdy! This week has been crazy! We had three Zone Conferences and SOO MUCH MORE! The "so much more part" I won't include in the email but just know we have been busy! A lot of driving in these last few days. I can't express how much I am learning here in the mission. I feel like I am living a mini life in 2 years! I am convinced that I could do nothing in these 2 years that could prepare me better for life than anything else on this earth. I truly believe that. Anyway, I am doing great! I love my time here on my mission. In our Zone Conferences, we still have 2 to go this week, we are watching "The Work of Salvation" Broadcast! That thing is incredible! I love the title, Notice how it is not "missionary work" In fact I am pretty sure they never use the term "missionary work" in the whole two hours! They use the term, "member missionary work" because "The Work of Salvation" is not the responsibility alone of the missionaries but of everyone who knows and loves this Gospel. So if you aren't inviting your friends are ANYONE else to listen to the missionaries DO IT! But I know you guys are doing that, sorry I always bug you about it, actually I am not sorry I bug you about it- it is the work of salvation! We've spent quite a time in the car with the Reeder's! They are amazing! They are strikingly similar to Mom and Dad! First off, President Reeder and Dad both went to BYU accounting at the same time, as far as I can figure right, and they both worked moving Soda Pop for a job while going to college, as far as my memory is correct. Sister Reeder loves Dorris Day and President loves John Wayne. They grew up just a town apart in the same stake, sound familiar? Sister Reeder is the loud one and President is the quieter one who describes himself as boring- is this not Gary and Kathleen!?! Anyway I have been laughing at all the similarities haha, there are more too I can't remember them right now. Anyway they are great people just like Mom and Dad! I have been a bit sick this last week, I think it is due to the lack of sleep and the driving we have had to do and the stress due to the "so much more part" I mentioned above haha. But I hadn't been feeling all that well. Sister Reeder told me that I was to "go home and go to bed." I told her, 'I will go home and go to bed. . . in 11 months." I can't even begin to describe how fast my mission is going! I can't go to bed on some day or I might miss something awesome on this mission! But when I do get home, I will be going to bed haha! I will sleep for like 3 days straight haha! The thought of going home makes me want to cry, I love you all a ton but I hope that "going home day" is far from now! I hope to become a more diligent missionary, President Reeder's stories from his mission are some really good examples of diligence, I want to be like that. This morning we were cleaning our apartment, we just switched apartments, and we changed the water filter- I think the picture can describe it better than I can haha. That thing was gross, but I have seen worse. When I was still new in the mission my batch, Elder Vaki, told me that their water tasted like blood. Then like 3 weeks later they changed the filter and that filter was WAY WORSE than the one you see Elder Datu (pogi) holding! Anyway I thought you guys would get a kick out of that one. If you were wondering why I was not feeling very well this week, this picture might hold part of the answer... After our Daet Zone Conference we got to go to Pambuhan for President to give a baptismal interview. That is where we took the pictures by the ocean- this place is in the middle of nowhere but it is beautiful! Not only is it beautiful but the members in that branch are so strong! Sister Reeder loved it there! She had the little kids sing, "I am a child of God" while she videoed them. They don't know English but they could sing every word of that song! They didn't have very much money, it was obvious, but as a typical best people in the world Pinoy they gave us food. There is not a nicer country in the world, to me. Sister Reeder said Heavenly Father was smiling while they sang and she was right- they are some cute little kiddos! Now, why is Elder Davis holding a tire with black stuff on his face you may ask? The answer comes from last night, we had a family home evening at a part member's home and it was awesome! But after the lesson we went out to the car and started to drive away, first off we are so spoiled to have a car but anyway, we started to drive away and there was an obvious problem haha. The car had a flat, completely flat haha. It was night time and raining a little and we had to change it. A member came and helped us a little bit but he was no mechanic haha- anyway we got it all fixed, but got a little dirty in the process. I enjoyed it though, I really miss that kind of work. We haven't had great luck with the car the past few weeks. Speaking of which, when I had to tell President about the fender bender I said, "President I have good news and I have bad news- let me tell you the good news first because it will also let you know the bad news." He said okay and then I said, "The good news is the accident wasn't very big- I think you can now guess what the bad news is." haha but he took it well and it's over now. We didn't get to teach very much this week do to all the mission business we had to take care of but it was still a great week. I cherish lessons now because we don't get to teach them very often. There is nothing like teaching the Gospel to God's children! But since we don't get to teach very much and we are always with president speaking English, plus we don't have much time for language study my Tagalog is plateauing haha. But that is okay, I am thankful for every word of Tagalog that comes out of my mouth. I love all of you. I miss you, but not too much haha. I know this Gospel is true. I have told you before and I will tell you again, I know it is true. If it wasn't i wouldn't be here. I don't understand everything in this Gospel, I don't know all the mysteries of God, but I do know he loves EVERYONE of us. I know this is his church and that he has called prophets in these are times. I know the message I share with others is his message and that we are his messengers. There is no doubt in my mind about that. This church is true, and living and real! The plan of salvation is happening, how blessed we are. May we do nothing of which we can't be proud. Elder Davis

Old filter, new filter. YIKES!

Travels to the out reaches of the mission.

Actually doing some 'work'

JULY 21, 2013

Good-bye Old Friend!!! Hope to see you at BYU!

 Head Home!!!!! Famous Davis Fist Bump!

Buhi!

DALAWANG BAGAY:Una- kinasal na si kuya! Pangalawa- Bobo ako! IN ENGLSIH= TWO THINGS: First- My older brother is married! Second- I am an idiot! So first thing first- holy smokes my brother is married! I have a new sister-in-law! I think it would be weirder if I didn't know Julie. Anyway that is awesome! The pictures looked great and they looked SUPER happy! The kiddos all looked good all dressed up! It will be so weird when I go home and May asawa na si kuya! I'll be the only one who is not married haha. Hopefully I will just never go home, I will just serve the rest of my life. But anywho, Rabbies- congrats! And remember....mintchocolatechip! Now second- I am a BOBO, i am an idiot! Do you know the feeling of getting in an accident and then having to tell your Dad about it? Try doing that and then having to tell your Mission President about it. Have you already figured out what happened? If you haven't let me tell you a quento dear friends! This morning, P-day, we played basketball and then went to the gym close by. The owner of the gym is actually a member and anyway we were there and lifted a bit and then we got in the car to go home. Now you need to know, driving is much different here in the Philippines, there are no rules. That is pretty fair to say, and even though there are no rules everyone kind of understands each other but they end up doing whatever they want. We see a lot of accidents driving around. Also parking, you can park anywhere you can as lang as you don't completely block traffic. Anyway we were in the car after the gym and about to leave to go get some delicious SioPao before showering. I had just turned the van on and extended the side mirrors (because they have an electric folder) and I began to turn into the street. This is a very small street, not too busy, just a back road here in Naga City. I turned in and clipped the end an overpassing car going about 5 miles an hour. I hadn't even moved a foot and they were only going like 5 miles an hour and we just scraped and scratched paint. Luckily it was just a small wreck and no one was hurt, but it makes you feel extremely BOBO! I also have a confession, President Reeder still doesn't know- I'm telling him later on today. Elder Cambell, who is our Couple Supply Elder, and I have taken care of it but I'll tell President later today. I am not excited to have that conversation. It will be a funny story to tell ages and ages hence though. It is ironic that the red truck had a window bread this last week too haha. Anyway I am BOBO (idiot). I still haven't been able to come to grits that I got in a fender bender. FYI I invited the second party (who is a dentist) to church on Sunday hahaha! Always share the gospel! I think the feeling of being pulled over by the cops or getting in an accident is a lot like the guilt we feel when we sin. We have done something that is not right and we know we can't just go back and re-due it. It is a terrible feeling, and it is terrible to have to admit it to "The Big Man." But unlike an accident you can always fix the sin. Repentance is a great thing. If it weren't for repentance, made possible by Jesus Christ, we would all have the feeling of "I can't believe I just hit that car, I am such a bobo." I can't take back what has happened. Anyway it is a good thing that there is repentance. Weird little comparison. I hate the feeling of being in an accident or getting pulled over by the cops!!! This week was awesome! We finished transfers and everyone is in their areas. The sad part was Tatay Vogelsberg has now gone home. We drove him to the air port this last week and after they left we picked up the new incoming batch! As awesome as the new batch is, they can't replace how awesome the batch is that just left! I will miss Tatay Vogelsber so much! Elder Kornegay will be a big one to lose too, and jsut that WHOLE BATCH! They did the Davis Power Fist for me (see picture). That is my go to pose here in the mission! I will forever be grateful for Tatay Vogelsberg, I still remember my first day when me and him got to our apartment and it was FLOODED! He had no bed, just a foam mattress on the floor and he slept on a half wet mattress that night and gave me the bed. Our whole time he slept there on the ground while I was on the bed. He is a great missionary- but an AMAZING TRAINER! I am very grateful for him, the beginning of missions are not easy but he helped me BIG TIME! I am excited to see that kid again at BYU we'll toss the football around and speak some Tagalog to each other and watch BYU sports! Anyway, he's awesome. Wednesday is always a interesting day as far as emotions go. You drop off amazing, experienced missionaries who are ready to see there families after a well served 2 years and then you pick missionaries up who are just starting their journey! You see shoes, like Elder Vogelsberg's, that are FALLING TO PIECES and then you see BRAND NEW ones by the new missionaries! There is a poem there coming up- I'm still working on it in my mind. Hopefully it will be finished this transfer! The Buhi pictures are pretty cool huh? We had to drive people to Buhi! It is a way cool place and there is a member there that can make you ANYTHING! I bought two ties! She makes this cool material and then makes anything out of it, scripture cases, bags, jackets, blankets, towels- ANYTHING! IT is a way cool place! I will buy a lot of that before I leave! This past transfer we opened a new area and this last week we were informed that they will not have water or electricity for the next month! That is no good haha, they'll just live in the closest area to them and travel to their area and work everyday. As much of the luxuries that are found here in the office I CAN'T WAIT TO GET INTO THE FIELD AGAIN! There in nothing like being in the field teaching God's children ALL DAY LONG! I can't wait! Anyway I love you all! Thank you for your prayers, I pray for you daily! Mom, way to invite people to be taught by the missionaries! You are the bomb! Keep it up! Have fun in ol Eagar and smile and be thankful because we have much to be thankful for! Love you all, have a nice week and don't crash the car! Elder Davis

IN WITH THE NEW! July 14th 2013

I love being a missionary,

      I really do love being a missionary. It is incredible. Anyway, how is everyone? I hope all is well and good. Things are great here. We are right in the middle of transfers and things are MAGULO! I can't think of a great word to translate magulo, it means that things are like all-over-the-place, kinda thing. I am struggling right now with both English and Tagalog- I speak English all the time in the office and I forget easy English words and then I speak Tagalog after not speaking it all the time and I forget easy words- it is the worst! haha Earlier today I called soap- broth. Like soup broth haha. Because I mixed up sabao and sabon (sp). Easy mistake but it happens because everyday i speak so darn much english! It's okay, I am happy and blessed to speak when I need to speak. Elder Datu laughs at my Englsih and my Tagalog though hahaha- I am a MASTER AT TAGLISH though! I can speak Taglish like nobody's quan! Are you kukuning what I'm ilagaying? (Are you picking up what I'm laying down?) Okay that is a bit extreme Taglish but I love speaking Taglish to Americans, it is so awesome. 

      It rained there in Eagar? That is aweome, prayers work huh? It is good to hear that we had rain, we get plenty here in the Philippines. I hope that rain helped with the fires that are all over the state. We know as good as anyone that fires are no fun!

      So Race gets married this week right? That is crazy! And awesome! Send pictures. Also, another big thing happens this week, my Tatay in the mission- Elder Vogelsberg goes home. I will drive him to the airport this week! I am so stinking sad he is going home! I owe so much to him as my trainer! He was the perfect trainer for me. He is such a good missionary. It will be sad to see him go, but I'll see him at BYU. 

      This week has been way busy. Our mission is split in half- when we still weren't split in half we had close to 200 missionaries- now that is in the whole mission before it was cut in half. NOW we are expecting just our half of this mission to have 230 missionaries!! That is 30 more missionaries than the old Naga Mission in just half the area. What does that mean? It means there are new opening areas everywhere! Wards are having 6 missionaries in it and new branches and groups are opening everywhere! Almost everyone in our mission is training (even extremely young ones) because we are getting about 30 missionaries arriving and only like 6 or so missionaries are going home, and it will be like that until we get to 230 missionaries! The work is HASTENING! The wave is here, jump on or you'll miss it! How exciting is that? Our mission is just exploding with tons of new missionaries! I love it! It is happening all over the world! We have people finding new apartments and opening areas and stalking apartments and it is awesome! President Reeder told us that the apostles told all the new mission presidents at the Mission President Seminar that, "There has not been a more exciting time in the church than right now except for the Restoration." And I am a missionary at this time! I love it! But the biggest vision the brothern seem to have is that of missionaries and members working hand in hand- so share the Gospel with everyone. This is not just the job of the missionaries, this is the job of all those who have been blessed with the knowledge of the truth.

      Anyway my preaching is about over for the email, I think. But this week has been great, a lot of late nights and planning for transfers and things like that but it has been good. I am starting to enjoy this type of work more but I still really really really miss missionary work. We didn't get to teach much this week and this next week we won't teach very much either, we will be teaching missionaries, which is good and fun, but I miss investigators! Anyway, life is great. 

      The picture of the corn fields are way pretty aren't they? I saw it and, of course, instantly thought of Grandpa Sherwood. There are some things that no matter how many times I will see them, I will first and always think of Gramps! 

       Also if you will notice, and I am sure you will notice, of the picture of balut- the half-fertilized duck egg. We were going out to dinner and then Elder Datu said he really wanted balut, I said I was need a little munchy  myself. So he bought balut and I got donuts!!!!! I enjoyed the donuts as much as he enjoyed the balut haha! Just look at that head! I can't believe I have eaten that before, and I want to eat it again before I leave. I think I will enjoy it better the second time.

      We had Sixto's baptism this last week! I love the Ramos Family! I love them! Baptism is a very simple but a very specific commandment. It is also has huge consequences, whether you chose to be baptized or not, and then if you choose to follow the covenant you ahve made at baptism. I don't know why it was chose that we needed to be baptized and confirmed (born of water and spirit) to enter into the kingdom of God, but that is how it is. It is such a blessing in our lives and eternities. Sixto was so happy both at his baptism and his confirmation when he was given the gift of the Holy Ghost. he told me, "I feel different." After the baptism we went by the family and taught them a lesson about eternal families. We talked about how baptism can unlock the gate for heaven for an individual but for a family they need that and to be sealed in the temple. They have a date and goal set for next year to go to the temple! They are awesome, they don't have much of anything to call there own in this life as far as material possessions go but they have a treasure of truth and knowledge that no one can take from them. We are all so blessed, both physically and spiritually! I hope we are all so thankful!

       Anyway, I need to go. I love you all. Keep me in your prayers, you are in my prayers! Have a great week, we will have a great one here. Thanks fore everything. 

Elder Davis

I would choose this.....

instead of this!

President Reeder, Sister Reeder, Sixto and family.

Kumusta?

        Let me first off start by saying, on the 4th of July... I forgot it was THE FOURTH OF JULY! Hahaha it was Elder Datu's birthday and we celebrated that. I forgot all about what everyone was doing at home, not to say I didn't think about America and it's wonderful and miraculous starting, but I didn't think about you family AT ALL! I hope that doesn't make you feel bad haha. I realized a day or two after the fourth that you had, the flag raising, the parade, fireworks, BBQ, and all that jazz. I didn't even think about it. I opened up my email and saw all your pictures and I GOT SAD... why? Because I realized that next 4th of July I won't be a missionary anymore! It will be fun to be home and fun on the 4th, but I don't want my mission to end. Anyway, happy fourth of July, little late. I feel very blessed to not worry about home at all. I am lost in this work and I LOVE IT! 

         So this week I will "participate" in my first transfers! I am very excited to give my advise to President Reeder and then watch and learn! I am learning so much here on my mission, and growing so much! I love it. This next week, like all transfer weeks, will be full of busy days and long nights and long rides and long meetings and little sleep hahaha. I can't wait, send a prayer our way. 

       We will have a baptism this week, Sixto Ramos! He is awesome, he is a part member and his family hasn't always been active. But his family has started to come to church again while we've been teaching him and now they go to church as a family and it is just awesome! We have seen such a change in Sixto and in the Ramos Family in general. They are happier, and Sixto has gotten so much smarter. That kid can answer about any question in all the lessons we have taught him. He reads better and has just matured in this process! Anyway we are excited for his baptism. We'll try to send pictures.

       Earlier today we had a Zone Activity and it was awesome. Very pretty and it was the first time the Reeders have seen The Philippines in that way. The ocean was way pretty, I will try to send pictures today, we are pretty busy.

       This week we had an amazing lesson with The Azanya family! We had a Family Home Evening there and we had for member presents, our Bishop and his wife, our ward mission leader, and our Elder's Quorum President and his wife! It was awesome! Members are the key to this work! Family, if you are not giving thought out, and prayed out, referrals to the missionaries you should do it! Members are the key to missionary work. The Tatay said a few words at the close of our FHE, he said how he was impressed with our church, how we dress, how we act, and he talked about how WE CAME TO THEM, including our Bishop coming to them, he said how in other churches they want you to come to them, but hot in this church. And he loved how much we focus on the family! I love being a missionary! So- share the gospel with your friends, or tell the missionaries that they can use your home to teach people they are already teaching and you can be there and be member present. In the words of Gramps, "Do it 'dang' it!"

         We had "Meet the President" Zone Conferences this past we and they were awesome! President gave a talk called, "Do We Realize What We Have?" We all talked about we we have in this church that can be found no where else, how families can be together FOREVER, the Plan of Salvation and I could go on and make the list but I wont. We talked about all these answers we have to life's questions and how blessed we are and how we need to share it with others. President read us a letter of a conversion story in Germany, this lady had 3 PHD's in religion related topics, and she had wrote multiple books on the same topic. Anyway she let the missionaries in her door and they handed her something she had never heard of before, "The Book of Mormon." She read it and D&C and the Pearl of Great Price and like 20 different volumes of doctrine from the church and some Talmage writings in the next 8 weeks and she was baptized into our church. She gave a talk at her baptism and said, "I don't think you members know what you have." I don't know if I realize what we have, I need to be a better missionary. We are so blessed and we need to share this Gospel and our testimonies. I know this church is true, I know it. So lets share it, the world is starving for truth. I love being a missionary.

         I am learning so much here and the Reeders are awesome! I miss the Bliesners but they've earned their right to go home. I feel like my emails are getting more and more boring haha, hopefully they will get better. Let me know if you have anything you would like me to write you about or anything you would like to know. 

       Thanks for your prayers and I pray for you. I hope the fires will stop there in Arizona. I miss you all, but I don't want to see any of you one day earlier than I should haha. You guys rock! Tell the grandparents I said Hi and that  I love them! Also if you know any couple missionaries that want to serve in Naga, send me an email, no guarantee, but I think we could get them here, pull some strings. We need couple missionaries here bad! So let me know! I love you all, sorry this is short, we have a lot to do today.

Elder Davis 

        

They look like lifeguards; in a way I guess they are!

Seriously? rough P Day.

What a view!

June 30th 2013..... Out with the Old

President/Sister Bleisner

I smell a RAT!

Chicken poo!

Well, Howdy! We are still alive here in the Naga Mission! Our mission is now officially split into the Legaszpi and the Naga Missions and both missions have there new mission presidents! This week has been pretty busy and this week will even be busier! But I am loving it. I am so excited to serve with President and Sister Reeder, even though it is sad to see President and Sister Bliesner leave! Yesterday we met the Reeders at the airport. We were told the second that President Reeder's foot is on the ground, the keys of the mission would be transferred to him from President Bliesner. I could see the change, because all the sudden all my fear went from President Bliesner to President Reeder haha just kidding. The Reeders are amazing! I can't wait to get to know them more and serve with them. We'll have a long time to spend together! They are so excited to serve, and so am I. So after we picked them off we went to church and President Bliesner gave them a quick tour and orientation and then after that Elder Datu and myself drove them to Legazpi to orientate the new Legaspi mission president and then to leave. It was fun to spend time with them in there last few hours here. I think they have been working the last few weeks on about 4 hours of sleep each night, and President Bliesner didn't sleep at all his last night here, they were busy beyond all belief! I can't say I have ever seen anyone be so masipag and "return with honor" like they did. What a great example, they are inspiring to me. This week we will have to Multi Zone Conferences of "Meet the President" and what not, and we have a Mission Leadership Council tomorrow. We are busy and happy and the Reeders are up to the challenge. So first off, Pa Tenney is a new Bishop back home? Tell him to send me an email! I love the Tenneys! Also Brother Smith is now also, Bishop Smith? That is great, those are two men that had a great influence on me before I left on my mission. They are awesome, we have good people back in ol' Eagar. Also your trip to Washington DC looked like a blast. Race and Julie look great! It will be so weird to go home and be THE ONLY ONE NOT MARRIED hahaha. But I will just hang out with all the pumunkins (nieces and nephews) and leave you old folks to your boringness. So funny story. We were in a lesson the other night and we had a member working with us. We were teaching and then our member present, kuya Richard, pointed out that there was a chicken sleeping above me in the roof. Now, I am more uncomfortable in a lesson when there is NO chickens running through my feet and what not than I am when there ARE chickens. It just seems like there should be chickens, because they are always there. SO anyway, the chicken was there sleeping above me and I didn't even think twice about it. The lesson when fine, but at one point, I feel a thud on my leg, the chicken had pooed on me. The people we were teaching laughed pretty hard and so did Elder Datu and kuya Richard, and I laughed myself. We took a picture of the white mess on my pants! I also have a picture that Elder Klassen took on his camera. They were on their way to come to our trainers training and they found a massive, stinky, dead rat under their seat on the bus! Classic, so I'll be sending that home for your enjoyment! I love this place! I hope this next year goes by slow but time is going sooooo fast here in the office SOO FAST! "Heaven is a continuation of the ideal home." -Preach my Gospel page 85. That is a really cool quote. I am so thankful for my family, I think it would be hard to get more "ideal" than our home and our family. It truly is heaven, or I feel like heaven with all of the fam damily! We're not perfect but we are happy. Heaven will be a happy place. I really like that quote. We are teaching a less active family and focusing on getting one of their children baptized. When we started teaching them the kid, sixtu, was pretty dull. He couldn't read all that well and wasn't all that happy, or didn't seem to be. You should see this kid now. He can tell you all about the Plan of Salvation and the story of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon and The Gospel of Jesus Christ. His parents are impressed at how happy and smart he has gotten in these lessons. He knows so much! More importantly the truth of our message has touched his soul. It is great to see that family, once less active, come to church as a family and be so happy. Brother has a tie now and sixtu will be baptized soon. I love my mission. I want to be a missionary for the rest of my life. Speaking of which we have SO MUCH TO DO! I need to go and get to work. I love you all so much. Thank you for your prayers I feel your prayers everyday and pray for you everyday as well. Sorry this is so short. We are busy and time flies here. Be good. Share the gospel, and do it with "Power and Authority", "be not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ" and maybe my favorite, "Declare my word like unto angels of God." Elder Davis P.S. I almost forgot it is the 4th of July soon. That's like my favorite holiday ever and I don't even miss it, I am lost in this work at the moment! I love being a missionary!