9-16-13

Howdy Howdy! 

      This week was great! We got to teach a lot this week which always makes it a great week! Our investigators are progressing AWESOMELY! Elder Datu and I are some happy campers in our work here in Naga! We are enjoying the work and finishing Elder Datu's last nine weeks stronger than ever! He's got nine weeks and I have nine months- neither of us want to waist that time! We are doing great- Elder Datu truly is like a brother to me.

        I wrote another mission poem this last week, I will  include it into my letter and I hope you enjoy it. I can still remember quite vividly my first day in Naga. I remember when the announcement was made on who was going to be my trainer. The announcement was that Elder Vogelsberg was to be my trainer. Our names were called and we sat down by each other and that was the first time I saw his shoes. I was sitting there comparing his TERRIBLY worn out shoes to NEW my shiny black shoes. I knew I had a long way to go before I was to be a missionary like Elder Vogelsberg. One of the very first things I told him was, "We need to get some mud on these shoes." There is no substitute for work in missionary work. So this one is for Tatay Vogelsberg, I owe a lot to him. He helped me so much in my mission and in my life. Also, shout out, my batch-mate, SIster Christensen, gave me the "I think the Lord likes worn out shoes" line. So if shoes could talk. . . 

“How Beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings…”

Isaiah 52:7

By: Elder Chantz Davis

Philippines Naga Mission

I heard once that Lord likes worn out shoes

I even think it makes Him smile

For with the wear and tear that comes

Conversion takes place of style.

So if you only knew my story

Why I look the way I do

I think you’d change your view about me

‘Bout being “Just an old nasty pair of shoes.”

For I was once black and shiny

And I looked pretty sharp with a suit

But I been through a bit since then

And now these dress shoes have tuned into boots

I know the life of a missionary

And even better the life of his shoes

Because I am the shoes of a missionary

And we’ve been about everywhere declaring this good news

I got to see most of the lessons

When the family only had a dirt floor

But when they had cement or tile

I was left listening at the door

And listening was just terrible at first

I remember his language when I first heard him try

But I saw his tongue get loosed

As the miles and miles went by

My sole continued to wear daily

And the holes have grown so fast

This mission has passed so quickly

I don’t know where the time has passed

They arrive in the field quite the same

Missionaries and their shoes so new

Both fresh, both clean both ready to go

But neither knowing what they’re about to go through.

Yes it’s true missionaries and their shoes arrive the same

But they go home quite different you’ll find

One’s battered and beaten and torn to shreds

While the other goes home refined

And though battered and beaten are the soles of these shoes

And I feel bad that he can feel the rocks with his toes

I know the thinner and thinner my sole gets

The more my missionary’s soul grows.

So yes I think the Lord likes worn out shoes

I think it makes Him smile

For with the wear and tear that comes

Conversion takes place of style.

      Anyway I like the poem. Here in the Philippines you take off shoes when you go into people's homes, unless they only have dirt floors, which is often the case. I feel more comfortable in a dirt floor some times than I do in a big house. I hope we all count our blessings. We have so many in our lives. I am always amazed and impressed at these people here, they are always happy. Life is much to short to not be happy. No matter what our circumstances are, we can be happy and we can count our blessings. Anywho I hope you enjoyed the poem, I aint much of a poet- but I dabble. 

       We are teaching some amazing people right now. We have one investigator where when we get there we just say, "Well what are YOU going to teach US today!?" We give her reading assignments and when we come back and ask her how it was she basically bears her testimony to us of all the things we want to teach her! She is so spiritually sensitive. In our second appointment with her we had just got there and she told us how she believes everything we taught and is confident that it is true. She then told us, this is the second visit mind you, that she would like to serve a mission so she can tell this truth to other people! Is that not awesome!?! She is living in a house with some members here and she reads and prays about the Book of Mormon everyday! It is awesome to hear her testimony. All it takes is a desire to know, a seed of faith, reading and praying and anyone will say what she told us, "I KNOW it is true by the power of the Holy Ghost." She is awesome! I love my mission. Her name is Joy by the way. I can tell you how awesome my mission is! I love what we teach, I love who we teach, I love what effects our teaching has on these people's lives and on my life. The only thing I don't love is it has an expiration date. But not really, my mission will never really be over for me. Anyway thank you for your prayers for us and for the people we are teaching they are progressing so well and most importantly they are "Coming unto Christ." There is nothing more satisfying than fulfilling your purpose as a missionary! 

      We have two super busy weeks ahead of us here in the mission. It is exciting, I just hope we get to teach a lot still in those few weeks. Well, I don't have too much time, surprise surprise! I hope all is well in your lives. I hope we are all reading from the scriptures everyday, praying everyday and going to church every week and striving to be Christ-like always. 

        I hope BYU beats Utah next week. We have some U fans and some Y fans here in the mission and I really don't want to hear it from them. So let me know how the games goes next week, but I am sure President Reeder will let me know before that- he's a die hard BYU fan too! Anyways have a great week. Keep being missionaries to everyone! What you have to say is important and true, don't be scared to testify. Love you all so much and I am thankful for your prayers! 

Elder Davis