A favorite family

Father, son, grandson :)

Have you ever seen a cuter little one??? What a face!

Delicious Papaya Kasi

Hey there, This was a good week- and a fast week. So it was a great fast week like all 104 weeks of a mission. It goes by too fast. So before I say anything else I messed up last week haha- I told you that President Ardern was coming for Stake Conference but he is not/ did not, he is coming for a Mission Tour next transfer. It is going to be really great to have him and his wife in the mission. But we have a lot to do to get ready for that. But thanks for your prayers thinking I had to translate for President Ardern haha. We got to teach quite a bit this week which was AWESOME! Yesterday we were teaching a lesson and the person we are teaching wants to learn English so they told me to teach in English for this one lesson! I AM OFFICIALLY TERRIBLE IN ENGLISH! I can't teach in English. I am BY FAR more comfortable teaching the Gospel in Tagalog than I am in English. Filipinos have a saying when it is hard to either speak or understand a language they say, "Nose Bleed" I was "Nose Bleeding" hard yesterday in English haha. I don't know what it is about teaching in English but it is hard. I give workshops in English and anything- but in teaching- I am NOSE BLEEDING IT UP in English. Dumudugo and ilong ko! I love my mission- I think I say that all the time but I love it! This past week we were in a meeting with President and I asked if I could extend one more transfer on my mission haha. And Mom guess what he said- he said . . . no. :( haha He said, "Elder Davis if I allowed you to stay one more transfer on your mission your mother would be on the next plane to Naga and she'll bring her shot gun and shoot me." So even though I really want to have 6 months after my time here in the office it looks like I am not going to get it. Why does my Mom love me so much haha? It is your fault Mom that I don't get the extension haha. I knew it was a long shot anyway. Ammon was lucky- he served for 14 years! So since I have no cool stories to tell you because I am stuck in an office haha- that is just a joke I am learning a lot here and I enjoy it. But since I am not in the field I will have to tell you about my friend from BYU! He is serving in Bolivia and due to all the new missionaries they, like us, are sending missionaries quite literally to the ends of the world! I am so jealous of him. He proselytes in JEANS and BOOTS. He walks 6 hours every week go get to a place with internet and grocery! And they spend 20 hours a week in service- in the corn and garlic fields! Does that not sound like a paradise!?! Plantin corn in a name tag would be awesome! Anyway we email quite a bit and we are both super jealous of each other I think haha. Guys I am boring. Haha not really but I have no AWESOME stories to tell you this week. But I can tell you this- the church is true. Yesterday we attended the Stake Conference in Naga and it struck me how the Book of Mormon has the same effect on people no matter where they are from. I know that Joseph Smith did not write that book. We had people sitting outside because we couldn't fit them all in the big stake center. I don't think we realize sometimes how blessed we are. Living in remembrance of what we know is a hard thing to do but it is important to do. I read a talk by President Hinckley this last week, and he told a story of a man who was studying in the states and became converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. When it was time for the man to leave President Hinckley asked him if was willing to make such a great sacrifice of joining the church because he would be disowned by his family and basically his country. The man responded, "It's true; isn't it? What else matters?" How awesome is that? When you know it is true- not much else matters. When you know it is true, a little Filipino lady will give up a lot of money to travel to church. I love this Gospel, I love teaching it. I love seeing the impact is has on people, once they know it is true. They believe that a 14 year old boy, from a place they don't know, saw God the Father and Jesus Christ and that God called him to be a prophet just like in olden days. They know it is true. We know it is true. What else is important? Anyway I have places to go and people to see and the Gospel to preach! Also warning- I am deadly close to finishing a poem about my trainer in the mission- Elder V-berg! I love you all a bushel. We are working hard and loving it! Thank you for your prayers, I always pray for you! Keep sharing the Gospel and be happy always. OH I ALMOST FORGOT, Elder Datu and I got a parking ticket earlier today! That stunk. There is a saying here that says, "All the illegal is legal in the Philippines" but apparently that's not always true haha. But it's not a big deal, we already took care of it. Brother Willy, the guard at the mission home, took us to the place and we paid it off. Brother Willy is the best guy in the world, I will miss him as much as I miss anyone! Elder Davis- Sorry for the boring week haha.