Sunday March 30th 2014

    First off the pictures of the funeral look awesome! Seeing Annie (the horse) with no rider was the hardest one. But don't worry, if you are, I have not been distracted one bit. In fact I don't think I have ever been more focused. We had the best week I've had for over 17 months as far as work goes... I felt on fire this week, and full of energy, like I had more than one companion. What a great week! Every week is great as a missionary! 

     So.... I am not sure if I am allowed to tell you this, but President Reeder told me and he didn't tell me not to tell anyone- SO I AM TELLING YOU! This past week, I was giving the workshop in our District Meeting and I get a text from President that says, " I JUST GOT PERMISSION FROM SALT LAKE TO CREATE THE BAAO BRANCH!" So yeah, we will be a branch soon! How awesome is that. I am so happy for Baao. There have been a lot of members and missionaries that have worked a long time before I got here to get this place to be a branch! But I will be here to see it- and I am excited! So thanks for your prayers... and don't tell anyone here in Baao hahaha. 

       So I have continued to try to improve my Rinconada skills, that's the language they speak here in Baao and it is amazing the response of the people. Something about being about to tell a tatay that "We all die, it is part of God's plan" IN HIS LANGUAGE is just cool! I have learned that I can get into doors because I know Tagalog, but I can get into hearts with RINCONADA! It says in D&C that we will "hear the Gospel in our own language." But far more important than how I speak is what the Spirit speaks to them. Man I love being a missionary. 

       This week was hot... even for the Philippines. I could feel the heat from the ground through my AIRPLANE TIRE SOLED SHOES! It has been hot! Like hot with pure humidity! And we are out walking in it in shoes and pants and a shirt and tie... and we love it! Wouldn't trade it for the world! 

    So I hope you like the pictures, I always try to take a few even though we are so busy. The one with the little girl is my favorite. Her name is Danna and she's like the most precious thing ever. We go by their little fried banana stand thing multiple times a day and she always comes out to the road and in the cutest accent says, "Good Morning Elder Davis!" Or "Good Night Elder Davis!" or something equally cute! The bananas are delicious too. Anyway, we are planning on teaching their family soon. 

     Time just keeps flying by! What am I going to do when I am not a missionary. I love going to homes and telling them that "We are here to proclaim to you that the true Gospel of Christ has been restored to the world." Like who would ever want to stop being a missionary! 

     So, I wasn't there at the funeral, but you sent him out in style! I have felt close to him, I have felt extra strength this week. I have just tried to "Forget myself and go to work." He's still out there riding fences as the old song says. I read a talk today, one of my favorites from President Hinckley called "The Women in our Lives" He says, "I have said that when a man gets old he had better have daughters about him." Grandpa was a lucky guy to be spoiled by Mom and her sisters! 

     Well, I never know what to write about anymore. I love my mission. It is hot... no other way to say it. Just hot! But thank you for your prayers! I pray for you. I love you. The time is flying by and it kinda really scares me. Anyway we have places to go and people to see so I'm out! Love you a bushel! 

Elder Davis 

spinning top

Elder Davis

favorite little girly!

He loves this little girl!

swimming caribou much better than swimming croc

March 24th 2014

Well, I lost my Rook partner! It is a good thing I still have Logan to keep me busy when I get home haha. Logan wrote me and told me "I will miss giving your Grandpa his Dr. Pepper every time he would come into eat at the restaurant, I'd have it ready before he ordered it."

Anyway, I figure you are worrying about me, don't. I am fine and dandy. President told me I could call you guys if I wanted to but I won't. It will take too long and we have people we are teaching tonight so we'll just do the last thing Gramps said to me, through Mom, "Work." Don't worry about me, yeah I cry and it is hard to concentrate but I am happy as ever. The Gospel is so comforting that it is hard to stay sad very long. 

    President called to give the bad news and obviously it was rough but in my prayers that night I couldn't even think of a complaint, not that we should ever complain. But all I could say in my prayers was, "I thank Thee that I had such a good gramps all growing up." Basta I am doing good! I sat down and wrote a poem, I didn't have much time and it was hard to concentrate and on top of that I kept using Tagalog words, but I will include it later on in my letter! 

      So I included the picture of all those Daily Planners and Scripture Case and Picture of Grandma and Gramps because 1.On every page of everyone of those planners on the top of the page is written "Earn It." That was Gramps' advise to me before I left, so everyday of my mission, MTC included I have tried to "Earn It." 2. I always have that picture on my desk, now I have 2 angels looking over me here! 3. The scripture case is new, and cool if I do say so myself, but it has on it my favorite scripture in Tagalog. "Sinoman ang naniniwala sa Diyos ay maaaring umasa nang may katiakan para sa isang daigdig na higit na mainam..." It is from Ether 12:4. I hope I got all those words right, I don't wanna check plus you don't understand it anyway. In English it is, well now I have to check because I don't know it in English. "Whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world" but it is so much cooler in Tagalog! But I have that "Hope for a better world." And it has got to be a good world because this one is pretty sweet! 

      Well, I guess we can now say with easy that Gramps lived his life "Good enough for the girl he went with" and that is saying QUITE A LOT! I really am doing good, don't worry about me. I am happy and working, those two go hand in hand. Sorry if I am a bit all over the place, it is hard to concentrate sometimes. I am going to miss one heck of a funeral. It is a damn good thing that his last ride will be on a horse, that is all I gotta say. 

       So here's the little poem I wrote, it aint much but here ya go:

Something bout ol’ cowboys

They leave their brand wherever they go

The purposely do it on cattle

But their mark is left on more than they know.

They may not be using hot irons

But just as deep of an impression is made

On the hearts of those who've been round 'em

Cause the example of a good man don't easily fade.

I figure he's got a sunrise in front of him

and on his arm his girl named Mary J

So with the tip of a hat and a whip of the reigns

An old cowboy rides away.

I love my mission. I know that God has a merciful Plan of Happiness for us. We are his children and He is our Loving Father in Heaven. I didn't call you today family because we have a few people to teach tonight that need to know that they can be with their families forever. We're already blessed with that knowledge- plus I'll just cry and you'll just cry if I would have called. We'll just wait til Mothers Day. I think the day of the Funeral will be the hardest for me, I would love to hear The Aunts and Uncles talks and voices and see the horses and what not. Anyway, I just keep on blabbing on. I am off to teach the Gospel that I heard Gramps testify of so many times, and the Gospel he lived til the day he died.

Elder Davis

Tell everyone I love them. We all know I was his favorite... just kidding, but seriously!

scripture cover

missionary planners, missionary guardians

ANOTHER spider

ANOTHER spider:)

church building

primary room

"sorta" real hotdogs

Sunday March 16th 2014

Hello,

     Every week when we get on to email, before I open my emails I always hope that my Gramps is okay. This week I opened it with the same thought and read that "Grandpa was alive, but that he died." Well, these keyboards are wet with tears. I don't know what to write about anymore. I am glad he wants to make it til June, I pray he does. Since I have been a deacon I have prayed that he would die either before or after my mission, just not during it. Truly, since I was a deacon.  I just want him to be happy though. CAN YOU BELIEVE MOM FOUND A NICKEL!?! SOOOO COOOOL! Well you can tell gramps that he better not be like those girls that say they will wait for the missionaries and then flake out... but then again Mary J is waiting for him haha. Like I said, if you go Gramps, just stop by Baao Philippines first and tell me good bye. But I would prefer June if that's okay! We'll go feedin cows and any other chore we have and you can go then. 

       Well, I don't feel much like telling stories right now but this week was pretty cool. Elder Arganda and I did get pretty sick though. I think it was because we had two days in the shoes of the assistants and that is not fun. We were their temporary companions on Monday and Tuesday because of our meeting. We were up til 11 and drove A LOT, like a lot. and Didn't get home til late, anyway we got sick, but nothing too bad- we're fine. But I had two highlights of the week!

     1.) We taught this great less active guy, like he could be your uncle he's so cool, and it was a great lesson. One of the best I have ever had with a less active. We read with him the story of the Prodigal Son! It was powerful! This man has a testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and reading with him was amazing. When we hit the part of "The Dad seeing his son afar off and running to him and embracing him" the spirit was so powerful! The man said, the Dad didn't even think twice about taking his son back, he asked no questions, he was just happy that his son came back to him. 

     I testified to him that our Father in Heaven is waiting for us, and when we go back to him he will run to us, all he wants is for us to return back to him! "To be eternally wrapped in the arms of his love will be a real, and not a virtual experience." -Elder Bednar. Anyways, I hope he doesn't take too long to come back! Prog... Progin.... MY SON RETURNS! (some of you are laughing right now). But it is a great story for every one of us. 

      2.) Seeing from the corner of your eye that a recent convert is paying their tithing is one of the happiest feelings in the world. The sacrifice they are making to pay their tithing just makes my heart jump within me for the blessings that are coming their way. Tithing, out of all the commandments we teach, is my favorite, because I teach it to people who need financial blessings from heaven! No sacrifice is too great for the rewards awaiting us. Anyway, those were my highlights. 

     After reading the letter earlier I still don't know what to write about. You just tell Gramps that he doesn't need to wait for me. Mary J is probably pretty mad at me, she about had him back and then he pulled a Lazarus! Anyway, I love you all. I truly do. I love my mission. I have learned so much here. Above all that I have learned is that of the pure love God has for us (see #1). I can feel it as I teach his children. I can feel that they are special to him, he cares for them, he is aware of their needs. If only my mission could just last forever. Anyway I better get going. Have a great week. I hope you enjoyed the pictures. I promise I won't be distracted from my work because of what is happening back home, I will work everyday of my mission until they kick me on that air plane. My Gramps taught me how to work too well for me to not finish my mission strong. Also I just texted President and told him I won't extend anymore despite my desires. I love you and I am thankful for your prayers! Love you a bushel.

Elder Davis

P.S. "Life and Missions are like a roll of toilet paper, the closer you get to the end, the faster they go." Revision of a Larry E. Sherwood quote!   

      

Baao Philippines

The new assistant Elder Klassen

Monday 10, March 2014

Where Do I even start?

      Howdy all! This has been such an amazing week! So many miracles. We had Zone Training, and we had a baptism!!!!!! It was AMAZING! I hope the pictures go though!

     This past week we went and looked at a future potential apartment and met the owner of said apartment. He was super nice, he is a hot shot retired air force guy. Super cool sunglasses. Anyway, he was like 75 years old with a cane and just had the same coolness as Uncle Dennis. But Uncle Den is a Marine! Anyway we met him and he was super impressed that I knew Tagalog and we looked at his house he is renting. It was nice, but we won't be renting it. Anyway to make a long story short we met him, we and his family were great and we shared who we are as missionaries and what we do and I told them that I know this language because God helped me learn it, anyway we went home that night and it was like 8:30pm and we were about to do out Daily Planning and I couldn't sake the feeling that we needed to go to him and give him a Book of Mormon. Even though it was late I knew we were supposed to do that. So we got our shoes back on and ran over as fast as we could (i think my trainee thought I was crazy.) We got there and I gave Tatay the Book and told him it was true and that it changed my life. I told him to read it. I don't know what will happen from it. He lives far away and was going to leave the following morning. Anyway I hope he will read it. But if he does or doesn't I walked home that night feeling that God was pleased that I followed The Spirit's impression to me. I have learned on my mission we can never hesitate when we feel an impression, no matter how matter how late at night and how far away and how tired you are. I was happy to give him a Book of Mormon, he's probably someone's Uncle Den too. I love my mission. I go to bed with a smile on my face every night and I wake up just as happy- missionary work is AWESOME!

       We have now been in Baao 4 weeks. This is our 5th week. President dropped us off in our area on that first night and then next morning a man named Melvin Tanay came how from his service has a Marine in the Philippines Marines. On our third day we taught him and his wife. In every new teaching opportunity their comes a point where you have to ask the people if they would like to be taught or if we could teach them. That always happens, and I always remember how they respond when I ask them if we can teach them. I want to see how interested they are. That has been the case my whole mission EXCEPT for Melvin and Avon!

      It was our third day here, he got home our second day here and on that third day it was as if we were transmitted into their living room that afternoon, sitting in front of each other, him with a pamphlet of the Restored Gospel in his hand, and we were to preach the Gospel to them. I have absolutely no recollection of  how we started to teach them. But God put them in our path. As we kept teaching them I would always ask Elder Arganda, "how did we start teaching them? I just don't remember!" I even went back in my journal to the day we first taught them. All that was written there was, "As our desire to share the Restored Gospel is strong, God will lead us to his children who are ready to except it. We will lead us to them, or them to us." That is what happened with them. On the first lesson we invited them to be baptized and they accepted!

      Both of them have parents that were members and went to church when they were in primary but they grew up outside of the church. Since he is a Marine he is often gone. He was baptized on Saturday, Confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of Sunday and also received the priesthood of Aaron Sunday night. Today is Monday and he leaves to go back to Mindanao and keep fighting. He has some intense stories! Anyway, we got special permission to get him baptized on such short notice! They are awesome! Avon's family is returning to the church, her Uncle is also the councilor to President Reeder and we had him baptize them! It was awesome!

      Last night was our last lesson before he left and I promised him as a Representative of Jesus Christ that God would protect him physically and spiritually if he would read in the Book of Mormon and pray like he should. It was a great meeting. They thanked us for serving missions... do you know how good that feels? It makes every hot day worth it! I told them that when I was set apart President Hunt promised me that there are individuals and FAMILIES waiting to hear my testimony, they, I believe, are numbered among those President Hunt mentioned. They have a little 2 year old boy named Sky... when that kid serves a mission I will not be able to express how happy I will be. They are planning on going to the temple to be sealed together for FOREVER in 2015! 

        Well, life is great here. I love my mission. We are working hard. I am gong to "serve my mission to it's fullest and come home exhausted!" ;) Baao is a special place! Today we are in Naga and tomorrow we are going to Daet in Camarines Norte for our Trainer and New Missionary Workshop! I am glad to be the one taught and not the one teaching that workshop this time!!!!!

        Oh, the pictures. Hope you liked them. The pictures of that meat stuff is COBRA! We are teaching this investigator family and Tatay said that when they were out in the rice fields that day a cobra was right under him and he killed it.... intense. So they were about to cook it. I DIDN'T GET TO EAT IT! They told us that we could take some home and cook it if we wanted to... but I aint got much experience cooking cobra hahaha. I wish we would have gone when it was cooked..... I would have eaten it so fast! Snake is so good! Hopefully before I go home I will eat Cobra! Also, the other pictures are of our meeting house. I hope you like it! Life is good here. Thanks for your prayers and support! Love you all. I'm praying for little Lowee! Tell her to Magpagaling!!!!!!!!!! Love you all!
Elder Davis

Baptism day!

Cobra!

Thank goodness it wasn't cooked!

Loves the kids!!!

"church house"

March 3, 2014

Hello All!    

      I feel like even if I told you everything that happens in one week you still wouldn't get even one tenth of how great it is here! Miracles are happening here in BAAO! This is a group of the church, not yet a branch, but very close! Only a few months ago they were averaging 29 people at church, or so. They met outside, under a tarp thing in a members yard. This past week we had 91 people at church! AND WE ARE A GROUP! But so close to becoming a branch. The missionaries here are just great! Baao rocks! We didn't even come close to being able to fit in our meeting house, not even close! We were also surprised to see President and Sister Reeder decided to come to church that day. What a great day for them to come, I told him we need to start building a church here in Baao! 

       Sacrament meeting was amazing. Despite the band that march by playing super loud music it was amazing. We meet in this little house/office style building (I need to take pictures) and it is hot, and crammed and no AC, very few electrical fans, but the Spirit of the Lord is so thick you can taste it! Why in the world would 91 people decide to come to church and stay for 3 hours and do a whole BUNCH of other responsibilities if it weren't for the truth they feel there. It is simple. No smoke and candles, no dancing and flags, no marching and chanting. It is very much like when Christ administered the sacrament, they did it quietly and reverently and sang a hymn! I wish you guys could come to church here! But if you do come (like if you are in the neighborhood), make sure you are early- because you aren't going to fit! 

       This past week we also had interviews with President Reeder. I inherited Dad's emotion. I can't help but cry. I don't know if I was able to spit out 3 to 4 words in our interview. Eventually President just said, "Elder Davis, it is going to be hard for you to go home isn't it?" Oh I lost it when he said that. I'm crying just typing it. It was a good interview though, I love the Reeders so much! I am so grateful to have been around them and the Bliesners! Anyway, this week was great. And I don't want to jinks it, but it is possible, due to some weird circumstances that we could have 2 EARLY baptisms this week. They are awesome, we will see if they are ready to make and keep the covenants though. He is a marine, so due to his schedule and what not they may be baptized on Saturday! That would be awesome! We'll see if they are ready, they want to be baptized! Which isn't surprising because they are reading the Book of Mormon and asking God if it is true, you are just asking for it if you do those things haha. They are so happy, the Gospel is changing them for the better. They say, "In our old church, the leaders there just told us that following the commandments were sorta our option haha." We still have the option, that is true, but it is very important to actually follow. "If ye love me, keep my commandments" Jesus said. 

       Guys, I never know what to write about. If you want to know what I am doing, just picture me either studying the Gospel at my desk (sweating, with bugs on me- and a HUGE smile) or outside teaching and testifying to everyone (sweating, with bugs on me- and a HUGE smile). We are doing great. The area is great. God is guiding us and guiding others to come to know of the truthfulness of this Gospel. I have never in my whole mission taught with more power and authority than I have here. We are just giving all we have to the Lord. And even though we may just be "a lad" inf we give our "2 fishes and 5 small loaves" to the Lord he can do miracles. We jsut have to give him everything, even if it is just a small amount and we are just little lads. 

        Well, we have places to go and people to see my friends! Time is flying by! I cannot believe it is already MARCH! Thinking that I only have 3 Fast Sundays left makes me want to cry. Speaking of Fast Sunday, we had an investigator of our bear her testimony, it was the first time she ever came to church- way cool. She said that she had dreamed it before, cool! I hope you like the pictures, berny and power-fist haha. The worms, well I don't know where they came from, or where they are going. I don't know if they came from us or if they will come into us... "we just don't know these things we don't have the technology!" (some of you are laughing at that quote). 

      This church is true. I know it is. I could get preachy, but I'll try not too. I love you all so much. Read, pray and go to church, FHE and temple. Do your duty to your best, leave the Lord to the rest. I love you all so much and I am thankful for your prayers and emails. I am the happiest missionary in the whole world. Or at least I feel that way! have a great week. Don't waste it, you'll never get this week back, ever. Love you a bushel.

Elder Davis 

Worms!

Where did they come from, where are they going?

      

Volcano

Elder Davis