Monday October 21, 2013

There are pythons and cobras in that grass!

Still got hops:)

"Chapel" in Ragay. Only white face in the crowd!!

Elder Davis

San Carlos Family

Well howdy! I hope everyone's week went excellent! Mine was great! This week we watched two precious souls enter into the waters of baptism and it was perfect. To top things off- BYU won and The U lost to U of A... living the good life! So the San Carlos kids are baptized! This is a great family. The first time we went there they seemed pretty hesitant to be taught again. They had been less-active for over 10 years. We kept visiting those first few weeks even though we didn't see much progression and as we did we grew to love this family and see some of the challenges they are facing. We grew to be close to them and they grew to trust us as the listened to our lessons. The kids had not been baptized due to how long they had not been in church and we taught them about baptism. I could make this a real long and better story but I don't have a ton of time and there is a lot more to write about BUT they have sacrificed these past few months to come to church. These little girls and their older brother got their father to come back to church! He even stood in the circle when they were confirmed members of the church! The baptism was perfect! They were all there and Tatay came straight from work- hammer still in hand! I can't tell you how great it is to see them pass in the gate toward eternal life! I wish I had more time to write about them. Enjoy the pictures. This Sunday was awesome! We went to two sacrament meetings! One of them was in RAGAY! Ragay is one of the newest sites we have a church in. They are still a group and as you can see in the pictures they meet in a chapel with a dirt floor and bamboo walls and a grass covering on the walls and roof. The first time they met about 7 weeks ago they had 6 people attend... when we were there they had over 20! The church is growing there. The missionary that opened that group is my son in the mission- Elder Villamor! I'm so jealous of them, out in the middle of the jungle, preaching the gospel and going to church in a hut. There is something special about the sacrament that has been blessed while kneeling on dirt. Hopefully I get assigned somewhere like that when I get out of the office! After Ragay we attended sacrament in our ward and it was the Primary Program! Is there anything better than cute little Filipinos singing in the Primary Program? It was awesome and our new convert had a part in it... it was hilarious! All you could see was their black hair sticking over the pulpit and their cute little English accents quoting scripture! This past week we had exchanges and I was with an elder from Cebu... if you didn't hear about the huge earthquake in Cebu then you should look it up- it was MASSIVE! Anyway we got to teach a lot of lessons and in this one lesson the family was asking where he was from, he said Cebu and then they started asking about his family and what not. This good missionary told them, "I don't know how they are doing. As missionaries we can't email except on Mondays. I think they are okay, I'm praying for them." They were quite impressed with the sacrifice he makes to serve on this mission and the focus he had on teaching people this gospel. At the end of the lesson I told them that the reason we missionaries do what we do... and volunteer to do it.... is because we know that what we are teaching them is true. Missionaries amaze me everyday! It is incredible the sacrifices missionaries have made just to share this Gospel. This work is THAT important. I've seen missionaries serve though family members die while they are serving, though their family doesn't have money and they have no one with a job to support their family, two weeks ago the house that my companion grew up in (his grandma's house) washed away in a hurricane, and now earthquakes and missionaries just keep serving. They go in peoples homes with big smiles and tell them about a message that makes everything sad about life become okay. Why do over 80,000 missionaries, ages 18-21ish, serve missions all over this world? It truly is "a marvelous work and a wonder" it's a miracle! So help those 80,000 out as we take this message to the ends of the earth, be it Ragay or your own neighborhood. Now I am going to share something with you that President Reeder just shared with us. Yesterday he was at a stake conference in Daet and one of the members of the stake presidency gave a talk about fasting. Now for any of you who read my letters who are not members of this church, we believe in fasting. Fasting means not eating and drinking for a period of time. Once a month we fast for 2 consecutive meals and then give at least the money we save from not eating those meals to the church who then gives that money those who are in need of help. Now the story this man shared yesterday at Stake Conference was that there was a mother who joined the church. She was taught all about this gospel and accepted it with all her heart. She was taught the commandments, including fasting. Some church leaders had heard that this sweet sister and her family were fasting for two days at a time. Meaning they were not eating or drinking for 48 hours! President Reeder shared with us that the leaders went to visit them and make sure that they understood how to fast. This sister shared with her leaders that the missionaries taught her that fasting was going without food and drink for 2 consecutive meals. This sister and her family only have 1 meal a day- so being the faithful sister she is, they fasted for 2 days (wich is 2 meals for them)! She had such simple and amazing faith. "The missionaries taught me that fasting was a commandment in this church- and I know this church is true." How amazing is that faith? How is it that I sometimes complain about fasting? I think I can go without dinner and breakfast just to help those who are in need. I think the commandments, in general, whether it be baptism, or tithing or fasting or whatever, the Lord wants to see our faith. I think we can all have a bit more faith, try a bit harder at being obedient and be more thankful for the blessings we have. I love you all a bushel! I miss you- but not too much! Thank you for your prayers! HOLY SMOKES I ALMOST FORGOT THE BEST PART! So this past week I found out the best news ever! The Bunion kids are getting baptized! This family is Elder Vogelsberg's and mine's favorite family! They are a part member family, only the Mom is a member and she's been less-active, the father doesn't like our church too much but the kids love it! They wanted to be baptized last year when Elder Vogelsberg and I were there but they live so far away from the church that it is hard for them to go and their dad didn't want them to. Anyway the missionaries in that area asked me if I remembered this family and of course I told them I did. The kids are finally going to church and they are going to be baptized! The missionaries asked them who they wanted to baptize them and they said, "Elder Vogelsberg! Elder Vogelsberg!" The missionaries said he's already home and then they said, "Elder Davis! Elder Davis!" So President Reeder has allowed me to go and baptize them this Saturday right there in the ocean! It is the going to be awesome- the only way it would be better would be is if Elder Voglesberg were here as well! Anyway I love you all a bushel! Be good and say your prayers, read those scrips and go to church- mostly choose the right and Do Some Good! Elder Davis