Monday, January 20, 2014

January 20, 2014

Kumusta Kayong Lahat?
       This has been a great past week. We had three Zone Conferences in our three farthest zones: Iriga, Goa and Daet! It was great. We gave a workshop on how to ask inspired questions and it was fun. I hope we were effective. In what we do we don't get a ton of time teaching investigators so I hope when we teach other missionaries we teach them well so that they can teach investigators better. Anyway it was good. This next week we have two more- Oh and Doctor Jackson and Sister Jackson will be coming down from Manilla too. Doctor Jackson is an old friend of Uncle Paul Blad so that should be fun to meet him. He is hilarious in texts, I am excited to meet him in person. He will join us in our zone conferences. Anyway, I only have 3 weeks before I get transferred to my new and safe to say LAST AREA! I gave you a clue at Skype where I thought I was going... well not to shock you (though I was shocked) that's not where I am going anymore. Sorry Mom, I know you were excited. Anyway I am excited for the vision President has for the area I will be assigned to. It is going to be a great way to FINISH my mission.
       Well our golden investigator family have gone to Manilla for the next two weeks! BUMMER! They are looking for work and then they will come back with the plan for what they will do the rest of their lives. They made SURE to pack their Book of Mormons and to keep praying. We and They about cried when they were leaving! They gave me a cool hat, LBC! haha They knew I liked it. Anyway they are gone now and it is a bummer. I pray I will be able to see and teach them again before I am transferred. They are so great!
        So the past 10 days it gets as "cold" as "cold" gets in Bicol haha. And to tell you the truth... I have actually shivered TWICE! I haven't shivered in 2 years hahaha! It is like 70 degrees outside and I shivered haha... everyone here thought their feet were going to fall off they were so cold hahaha. The stores started selling jackets haha, I haven't ever seen that haha. Anyway I have never enjoyed the weather more haha hindi na ako pinapawisan!
        Also shout out to all those who love PASACAO! That is for all of you who don't know where or what that is. They have a new Branch President, Elder Vogelsberga and I love this family. They were a bit Less Active when we where there and we taught them about every week. But now Brother Relos is the new branch president. The good thing about that is that their former branch president, love him to death, wasn't from Pasacao. So it is good that they have a Branch President in Pasacao mismo! And for those of you who don't care about Pasacao, shame on you.
     Anyway one of the spiritual highlights this week was in Daet. We had just finished the Daet Zone Conference and President had to give a Baptismal Interview in a place called Pambuhan. It is very very far away! It is in the middle of nowhere but the church is very strong there. It got started as a group in 2001 with 6 members! Just one family basically and since them they have over 80 with GREAT attendance and with tons of missionaries. It is a great little place right on the ocean.The road to it is a lot like the road to Grandpa's house, just muddy muddy. Anyway the pictures I sent are from there. I've been there before but this time I really go to chat with the members there and get to know them. I met the Pioneers of Pambuhan. They are so proud of their little church in their little town. They are so established in the Gospel. Those little kids you see in the pictures with me can say every single 13 Articles of Faith IN ENGLISH! Without missing a word and not one of them is over 9 years old! TAKE THAT PRIMARY LEADERS EVERYWHERE haha! I took a video of it and will show you when I get home. Sister Reeder about started crying when we heard them recite it... I did cry haha just kidding.I hope you like them doing the "Elder Davis Power Fist" as well. I love that picture. You should hear those little kids sing, "I am a child of God." Mom you would never be able to stop crying. They know that they are little children of God, and that He love them. And He does! I love that doctrine, we are children of God!
      Also side note... when I was in my first area in Naga we had like 72 missionaries in just the Naga Boundaries (not including Legaspi) and now we are close to hitting 230. I have been an assistant in almost all of the time of that growth haha. It has been crazy!  How awesome is that? Can you say, "Hastening the Work?"
     One more thing you might find interesting. Well I hope you find it interesting because I can't think of anything else to share with you haha. Everyday, and I mean everyday, I write "Earn It" on the top of my day in my daily planner. You can check all of them when I get home if you want to. When I left I asked Grandpa what his advise for me was and the last thing he told me before saying, "Give em hell" which I correctly interpreted to meaning heaven, was, "Chantzy, everyday, EARN IT!" So everyday I have tried to "Earn It!" That means a whole lot to me. It means I am obedient, it means I am diligent, it means that I not only pray for help but that after I get off my knees I get on my feet and get to work. The thought OFTEN crosses my mind in the course of a day, "What would Grandpa Sherwood expect me to do in a situation like this?" Most of the time the answer comes, "serve." Anyway I could talk for an hour about my Grandpa's "Earn It!' and my Mom's "ERED" (every rule every day). But I will leave that for another day. BASTA I love my mission so so much! I told Sister Reeder this past week I don't know they are going to force me onto the plane.
        Last night I was at my favorite members house ever! They fed us Sunday Dinner and we taught our Recent Convert there and afterward we talked about how I get transferred soon. First of all, when I go into their house I say, in English, "Mom, Dad, I'm home!" haha And they truly do feel like family. But no one replaces you Mom and Dad of course. Anyway they asked me if I would ever be able to come back and visit them and I just said, "I hope and pray I can." They joked and said, "Write on the wall that you will come visit and then sign under it." Haha they are funny. I hope that in my life I will be able to come back to Naga though. I have been in this area for 9 months! It is like I live here hahaha.
        Anyway I love you all. Stay strong in the faith. I am doing great. Thank you for your prayers. I pray for you many times a day. Tell the Sherwood cousins that I love them and miss them and are praying for them. It is a sad thing about Cambo! There are prayers from The Philippines for them. So much has happened since I have left, it is crazy! Love you all a bushel!
Elder Davis
       

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