Sunday April 14th 2013

OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY!

       Wasn't General Conference great? I loved being able to watch General Conference though it was time consuming and we couldn't teach near as much as I would have liked. Either way it was great, Elder Holland didn't disappoint. President Monson's talks for me however were the best of the best. Usually they are not my favorite but EASY favorite this conference and the facial expressions were classic. What a great time to be a member and a missionary. If you didn't catch it by conference... we need to share the Gospel with EVERYONE! It scares me to death to think about not sharing it.

     NOW! Rulon is going to Arkansas!!! He may not need "the gift of tongues", but he will for sure need the "gif u interpertatin u tonges!" hahahaha! How exciting! And fittingly he is leaving on may 22!!!!! The pictures you sent are awesome, he looks so ready so serve! Rulon.... classy. However, now when I get home my best friend and my brother will be on a mission and married. What am I going to do? haha

     So I really liked something President Monson said in Conference, "Missions are a family affair." How true that is, I hope you know how thankful I am for you family. You are ALL examples to me and I feel your prayers across this massive world, they make it over the oceans and land and I feel them in my heart. I think Mom's must be the most powerful though, or maybe just the most often. But they give me strength and faith to go when the work gets hard. Thank you.

      Our week was super slow this week, almost two full days were dedicated to Conference and we had a full day with no work due to a "Trainers Training" so the week wasn't near as much work as I would have liked but it was  great week none the less and Conference was sooooo motivating! 

      I hear the wind is HOWLING there? Not surprising haha Good ol Eagar. Even when it is windy here it is a HOT WIND. But I will take it. A good breeze makes a big difference here. It is hotter here right now than it ever has been before my mission. IT IS PAMBIHIRANG MAINIT!  Also, we won the "Zone Activity" which means earlier today we had a Zone Activity with President and Sister Bliesner at the ocean. It was beautiful, but HOT! Makes me want to swim hahaha! I have a couple of pictures from there but that is about it. And a picture or two with members at General Conference. Also the picture of The Mayon Volcano was taken while riding a bus, little blurry sorry.

      Also yesterday I had the responsibility to have two Baptismal Interviews. It was a very spiritual experience and humbling. Quite frankly I would rather not have to give interviews, it is a lot of eternal pressure. No small thing. But two interviews and all went smooth and it was a good experience.

      I am thankful beyond measure for this mission. I am also thankful for the pure gifts God has given as I have served. That includes but is not limited to Tagalog. How is it that I understand these people? I still feel like I need to learn so much Tagalog, and that is because I do, I am still progressing obviously, but I am so grateful for what I do have. It is a privilege to be a missionary in this army right now! I feel very much like a soldier at times. And I am trying to fight with all I have for this SHORT TIME!

      I do not have to much to say right now. Our area and investigators are progressing and I just love this work. Elder Villamor is awesome. It is great to be in the same district as Elder Vogelsberg too. No one has influenced me on my mission here in The Philippines as he has in my training! Good ol tatay V-berg!

     Well, I need to go and teach the word people... different tongue... same word though. And it touches and changes hearts the same way it does in English. The "language of the spirit" is FAR MORE IMPORTANT than any other language. Hopefully I will have some "cool stories" next week. And I will try to get good pictures for you Mom! 

     I don't need to say it, but I will. Share the Gospel. It is going to nations and it will consume the whole earth. I sure hope we are all a part of that in our close lives and in our own worlds and own friends. Stay classy and smiling. Like is too short to EVER complain. Love you all and pray for you.

Elder Davis

P.S. it still hasn't changed, at all times there is a bug on my person and sweat 24/7. 

     
    

Elder Vogelsburg! Rough day to be a missionary!

P Day at the beach!

General conference Sunday!

Sunday 7th 2013

 Dear Family,

       I just read Dad's letter and he said it would be fun to hear a "regular day's schedule" for me and my companion. I think that is a great day so I will do that in just a little bit. 

      Real quick, how do we have a connection to President Ardern? Through Papa Hansey? Because he will be here to do a stake conference next transfer and I imagine I will have an opportunity to talk to him. Let me know next week.

      Now I will be sending pictures of "THE WORST HAIR CUT EVER" hahahaha I is always a little risky to get your hair cut here. They are almost guaranteed to have no training, that being said, they are USUALLY pretty good. But I either made this guy mad or he was drunk hahaha. We called it "The Coconut Cut" because it was like they put a coconut on top of my head and then cut around it. We know it as a "bowl cut" hahaha but enjoy the pictures and laugh away. I got it "fixed" later on but it is hard to cover up that butcher hahaha.

      Speaking of hair (buhok), we had obviously said that word a lot with my haircut, but I have  another humorous story. We were teaching a family (less active family that I love... their house is the one where I took pictures by the well/laundry station) and we shared the story of King Lamoni and his people when they "buried their swords." It was a "visual" lesson too because we had Itaks or Machetes (sp)  (basically swords) with us. And we talked about how they were killed and didn't fight back, and how the other army was largely converted to the Lord, it was a great lesson. HOWEVER, the words HAIR and ARMY are very similiar... HUKBO and BUHOK I said, "for example (grabbing Tatay's Itak/sword) if a Huge HAIR came here to kill us, would we hide our swords like they did? They laughed SO HARD! Don't mess us Hukbo and Buhok hahaha. Not many people are scared of a HUGE HAIR, but they might be scared of a HUGE ARMY. It was super funny, it was a good lesson too. That family rocks, but it is so hard for them to go to church. 

       Another funny story, of course we know the meaning of CTR- Choose The Right di ba? But here in the Philippines when you have awesome funny members CTR means Cook The Rice. So classic, this nation would die without rice... I think I might die when I get home too. Buy Rice Mama. 

     So I have TONS of pictures this week. A member worked with us and ALL HE WANTED TO DO WAS TAKE PICTURES haha, so I have a ton, I know that hurts your feelings Mom. But I hope I get them all sent off. Please excuse the hair.

     So, at Dad's great request, I will give an "average day" of mine here. I wish more would request like this, I never know what to write about. So, at 6:30 EVERY MORNING we wake up, sleeping in is obviously not an option. For 30 minutes I exercise, push-ups, sit-ups, other-ups and ect. Then I eat breakfast, usually fresh baked bread from the bakery I bought the night before with hot chocolate, but here in the Philippines anything with Rice is a for sure option for breakfast. I then shower... or "bucket dip" haha we have no showers here, obviously cold water too. After the shower at 8:00 we have Personal Study until 9:00. I LOVE PERSONAL STUDY. From 9:00 to 11:00 we have Companionship Study, usually only one hour but when you are in training it is two hours. This is our mornings everyday and by this time we are WELL READY to go out and preach with power.

     Since we are opening an area our "teaching pool" is pretty small. So from 11:00 to 12:00 we tract everyday to find people to teach and save. And obviously strive to get and contact Referrals. 

      At 12:00 we eat lunch, usually at the apartment, occasionally at the calenderia (sp) the local "restaurant" and that AS ALL MEALS consists of RICE... see "CTR" above. We have no "rice cooker" we cook on the stove and almost everything we eat is fried or boiled, no stove here- BUT I LOVE THIS FOOD. After lunch we have language study for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Our Mission President likes us to have "morning work" if not we would just do language study in the morning but usually after lunch. Sometimes at night, if we are going to a remote-far area. After lunch the work REALLY STARTS.

     After lunch we had out to our appointments. Depending on how far away our mode of transportation changes, but almost everyday we ride on the local and CRAZY buses, I love it. If the area is sorta close but sorta far we take Triceys (sp) It is a motor cycle with a side cart. And on occasion we take padyaks . . .  a bike with side cart that a strong legged Tatay rides all day. But mostly, and no matter what day, WE WALK! And mind you it is HOT HOT HOT. But we walk A LOT. It is a good thing I have my "eternity shoes" with the air plane tire on the bottom! My shoes are soldiers! 

      But we walk and teach all day long until 8:00 or 8:30 and then we go home and eat dinner, due to the circumstances in the Philippines it is most effective to eat late and work earlier. But from 1:30 or 2:00 until 8:00 or 8:30 we work. We go to tons of families, both investigators and less actives and recent converts alike. They are almost all very poor, and all of them are pretty poor. BUT I LOVE THEM MORE THAN I KNEW WAS EVER POSSIBLE. We teach them "The Gospel of Jesus Christ" and do "our Purpose as Missionaries or our purpose as Representative of Jesus Christ which is, "Imbitahin ang mga iba na lumatpit kay Cristo sa pagtulong sa kanila na matanggap ang ibinalik na ebanghelo sapamamagitan pananampalataya kay JesuCristo at ang kanyang pagbabayadsala, pagsisisi, binyag, pagtanggap ng kaloob ng Espiritu Santo at pagtitiis hanggang wakas." Or if that is hard for you to understand, our purpose is "To invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. I had a way harder time typing the english than the tagalog... I am so grateful for the Gift of tongues God has blessed me with to help his children on this earth.  But our work is great and it is so fulfilling to do this work. We then go home at 8 or 8:30 for dinner and by that time we are PAGOD! Or really tired haha. But that is how it is supposed to be.

     We have dinner and OF COURSE it RICE hahaha. The question is Ano and ULAM natin? Meaning what is the thing we will eat with the rice, because obviously we don't need to confirm that there WILL BE RICE haha. We eat, plan for the next days activities and lessons and people and EVERYTHING, we write in our journal, relax- good luck finding time to relax, MOSTLY I just read the Book of Mormon in Tagalog until 10:30 and then we sleep. Then we get up at 6:30 and do it ALL AGAIN. For 2 straight years, we call it THE BEST TWO YEARS for a reason.

      We do have P-day, once a week. But that is only 8 hours I think, and most of that time is emailing family and DOING OUR BY HAND! And buying food. Then at 6:00 at night, like later today, we go and teach for 3 hours, until 9 or 9:30.

      If you ever want to see a miracle in the modern world we live in just look at the missionary program. 18 to 20 year old BOYS do this VOLUNTARILY everyday. And we like it haha. We love it. I would rather die than go home... early. It is a "Marvelous Work and a Wonder" and it is done "By the 'weak' things of the world" we "go forth 2 by 2" and "declare his gospel" and we know we have been called of God, by a Prophet to do it. And we know our work is true. Nothing will stop this work from progressing. It will go to ALL THE WORLD, and we will "go forth and preach and baptize in His name." I love my mission, and in fact, I need to go pretty soon so I can "continue this work" that I have been called to do. And one day I will "return with honor." Hopefully that day is VERY FAR AWAY. But time is flying by, trying to use it wisely.

       So Dad, this is our "average day" I imagine in a lot of ways it is very similar to your mission in Boston. But the language is "a bit" different Also, do you see the White Water Buffalo thing... it is called a Calabao. And they are usually (almost always dark)  but there are some albino (sp) ones, they are big white and weird looking. I FEEL LIKE A WHITE CALABAO haha, I am big and white and everyone around me is dark. But likewise, we are pretty useful. And about all day we are walking through rice fields... i love rice fields... it is like a green ocean. Rice is just a good thing... CRT.

         I hope you like all the pictures. The pictures by the water pump is a classic example of where these Nanays wash there clothes everyday, and get water to cook and everything else. Or they do it at a waterfall or a river if there is one close, often there is one close. Also are you jealous of the mangoes? The fruit here is so fresh and so good and cheap. Often it is given to us, and there is fruit here you have never even heard of, it is all good. And cool hanging bridge no? It's pretty cool. OH and Elder Villamor is AWESOME! Our companionship rocks! I love my aki, and I LOVE  TRAINING!  

        So, let me know if you want me to write about anything else to you guys. I love you all so much. I hope you enjoyed General Conference I get to watch it this week, I am so excited!  

PAAAAAAMMMMMMMBBBBBBBIIIIIIIIHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAA! Race is getting married?

Congrats Kuya! Kuya is Big Bro in Taglog. And Mayroon na akong SISTER IN LAW! Hi Julie. Haha Way cool! Way happy. I just hope Julie lets us have a camping trip when I get back... please haha. Also I am a great uncle and I love my pamangkins so feel free to start hahhahhaha!

     Thanks for your prayers and support. I love you all and pray for you daily. We are workin hard and being obedient. I love my mission. Have a great week and find at least ONE PERSON to share the Gospel with. It is even better if it is a friend! Share this Gospel. Love you all.

Elder Davis 

P.S. dang that was a long email.... that's because the DAYS ARE LONG as a missionary... but the weeks FLY BY! I have no idea how we always have energy, but we always do. 

   

Must be up pretty high because those "water buffalo" look like mice.

This is the family "laundry room".

Again, he looks so HAPPY!

April 1, 2013 ( No April Fools here.... he really does do this much preaching:)

Happy Easter!

     What a good week, SHEMPS! First off, thanks for the Easter Package FULL OF CANDY! You know me very well, the package contained the keys to my heart, all the essentials: Skittles and Starburst (given), Tootsie Rolls, Laffy Taffy (I'm not joking), and THE BEST ONE- Starburst JELLYBEANS (exclusive to Easter)! Great package. I got it at district meeting and shared it with everybody, they loved it. American candy is super sweet though to these Philippinos most of the time haha but it was fun to eat. Elder Vogelsberg and I especially enjoyed it, we have the same likes of candies. Like father like son I guess, but like Tatay like Aki hahaha! Anyways thanks!

      So Easter Candy is great... but obviously not important. Easter is here not to eat candy but to remember Jesus Christ. This past week we had our scheduled interviews with President Bliesner. I love interviews so much, I always learn a ton. In our interview we talked about Easter and Jesus Christ, he said something very simple but very true, he said, "Without Jesus Christ none of us would Make It Home." He didn't say, "We'll Go back or Return... still cool... but he said GO HOME. Those are some powerful words to me. I live LITERALLY on the other side of the world, far away from home. I am in a situation where I realize the value of HOME. But please not I would rather die than be home right now haha  I don't want to go home... early. But I do feel how great it will be to "Return" or "Go Home" With Honor. We celebrate the Resurrection of our Savior and his Atonement. Because of what he did, we will all Go Home. After my mission, I will hug my family and go back to the closest thing to heaven on earth: EAGAR hahahaha. It will feel good, but seeing our family In the next life, and our Heavenly Parents and Jesus Christ and EVERYONE will feel like Heaven. How grateful I am for our Savior, or in Tagalog, Tagapagligtas- literally meaning "one whose duty it is to save." 

    We all have need to be saved. We are not perfect, but even if we had little to no sin, we hold no power to live again, without Him. I feel very very very blessed to know the Plan of Salvation. And because I know these "comforting doctrines" I am serving a mission to share it with ALL. To share that I know, that God has a plan for us, each one of us, and the goal of that entire plan is for us to Go Back Home! And it is made possible do to the Infinite Love of our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ. As a missionary I feel small portions of God's love for His Children (me included). As I crouch in their huts and teach his Gospel I feel his love for them. I am always taken back to my favorite scripture for those who are "less fortunate" in Ether 12:4 when it talks of "a better world." That "better world" that we can "hope for" is our Home. I hope we are doing all we can to do our part to Go Home, for certainly Jesus Christ has done his part. "If ye love me, keep my commandments." That's our part, our part is much easier, especially because we know He will even help us with OUR PART. We are very blessed. As we journey Home, lets bring as many of our brothers and sisters as we can. SHARE THIS GOSPEL PEOPLE! 

     Sorry for my "preaching" but not too sorry hahaha. Our area and work is progressing big time in Ocampo. We have an investigator, Tatay Abner. he is close to knowing the truth, but he doesn't feel worthy to pray. He is a very humble man, a sincere seeker of truth, but is having trouble with prayer. I can't wait until he will PRAY!  Really Pray, and the promise of God is He will answer. But truly our area is great, I am loving EVERYTHING. 

    There is nothing better than serving a mission. I pray for you everyday. I hope we are thankful for all that we have! Happy Easter. I feel like this is a really short email, oh well. There are plenty of emails left on the mission hahaha. Thanks for all your prayers. Love you all.

Proclaim this gospel with the sound of a trump.

Elder Davis

I love how he looks so HAPPY!

He says this is the first live turtle he has seen. Probably eaten a few dead ones though.

Sunday March 25th 2013

Howdy Howdy, Well, hi. Hahaha I never know how to start my emails, or write them, or end them haha- but that's okay. So first, Rulon's Papers are in?? THAT JUST IS ASTIG! No other word to describe that but ATIG! Elder Udall will be so good, hopefully he is Naga or Legaspi Mission hahaha! Probably Wisconsin though haha. So "this just in" our apartment flooded- surprise surprise. I think I will be more surprised when my apartment is not flooded as apposed to when it is haha. But No big deal, I am way thankful for where I live, especially from what I see everyday. So I love training! I hope I make a good "Tatay" haha. My AKI IS AWESOME! Elder Villamore is like my real kid haha TRULY! He is awesome, just a tiny Pinoy with a big testimony. He rocks! And our work is INCREDIBLE!!!! Mom, you would absolutely love him haha. But training is GREAT! Also we had a random transfer so I am now in an apartment with 3 philippinos!!!!!! I am going to get good in Tagalog sana! And my kabahays are AWESOME! But I am say happy. I think if all three of them stood on each others shoulders I would be taller than them hahahaha joke lang! Want to hear an awesome thing? Ready or not here it comes- We got a referral last week and this week we went to have our first lesson, it was Saturday. We had a great lesson, The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it was awesome the spirit was very strong. We testified of Jesus Christ and The Book of Mormon, of Prophets and of Joseph Smith. Elder Villamor extended the baptismal invitation (first lesson mind you) and he accepted. So the next day, Sunday, he went to church and told us he was up to 11:00p.m. last night reading in The Book of Mormon! I am beyond excited to go back haha! He has a wife and 3 kids with one on the way and HE WANTS TO INVOLVE ALL OF THEM. FYI, we want to involve them too hahah of course! But we truly are finding "the elect." And it came FROM A MEMBER REFERRAL! From a sweet Sister that shared her testimony and the gospel with him (her friend) and gave him to us (the missionaries). BE NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST PEOPLE. Give referrals and share this Gospel with everyone, including ESPECIALLY your friends even close friends! Remember it is true, remember how blessed you are to have it and SHARE IT! Sorry for my "missionary mode" haha, but do that thing. We have awesome investigators right not and they are progressing so much. I love being senior and training. This work is so fulfilling! We contacted another lady, Nanay Lita she was a former investigator we came to find out. About 10 years ago she had a dream about what to do with her religious life and then the next day the missionaries knocked on the door and said, "we felt like we should come here." Cool no? She listen and liked there teachings but never ACTED! Hopefully this time around she will ACT! I could tell stories for years but we have a FHE to get to pretty soon- another thing HAVE FAMILY HOME EVENING EVERY WEEK. And we are busy. Love you tons. I pray for you daily. Read your scriptures, choose the right, pray, obey, go to church, and be thankful! Love you and thanks for your prayers! Elder Davis 

Life is SO hard!  Count the little girls fingers:( Chantz said deformities are pretty common.

Hungry anyone????

Sunday March 17th 2013

Together again!!!! Elder Vogelsburg the best trainer!

skinny missionary

Pretty sure he has found someone to tease. Poor little lady!

Howdy Howdy,

      Igwa na akong aki! (Bicolano Naga) I have a KID, A GREENY, A TRAINEE! And Vogelsberg is now a proud LOLO! And on a similar note, Elder Vogelsberg in now in my district and my ZONE LEADER. Also my previous companion Elder Datu is the new Assistant to the President-cool stuff! I feel so old in the mission but still VERY YOUNG! 

     Things sound great back in good ol' Eagar! Things are great here... I am basically opening an area... basically BUT I AM LOVING TRAINING!  My aki is awesome and he came here to work and he's obedient. I LOVE IT! I am finally able to do missionary work the way I think it should be done and follow Preach My Gospel as close as we can. I AM SO EXCITED for these next two transfers! 

       My trainee is Elder Villamor and he is from Metro Manilla! He rocks, he is taking his "first steps" in the mission. He has, in these past tree days, given two baptismal commitments and did his first OYM's and just EVERYTHING! Of course it is a little easier to do when you are fluent but it is still scary for new missionaries! But he is a natural. He is super prepared and awesome! He is a convert, with his family, like 5 years ago I think, and his testimony is super strong! BASTA I AM A HAPPY TATAY! 

       Before we got our trainees we had "Trainer's Training" and it was awesome! We got to watch the talk by Elder Holland from the MTC, the same talk Race had me watch before I left for the mission. It got me so excited! Elder Holland knows how to motivate missionaries! President Bliesner doesn't do too bad a job himself.

      So I have no clue what to tell you haha. I have become desensitized VERY MUCH SO to the Philippines. Showering with buckets seems usual... not unusual. Eating something that still has eyes in it seems RIGHT. Seeing BEAUTIFUL scenery is normal... but I still enjoy that. Seeing a family struggle for food is a weekly basis kind of thing. I find myself more comfortable in homes with grass roofs and dirt floors than IF THERE WERE A HOUSE HERE WITH CARPET! I don't know what I will do with carpet... I don't know what I will do with a washing machine. I don't want to go home. I don't want to do anything but missionary work forever. My purpose is ... "inbitahin ang iba na lumapit kay Cristo sa pagtuong sa kanila na matangap and ibinalik na ebanghelyo sapamamagitan ng pananampataya kay JesusCristo at ang kanyang pagbabayadsala, pagsisisi, binyag, pagtanggap and kaloob ng Espiritu Santo at Pagtitiis hanggang wakas." I don't want to do anything else than that! I am so gad I still have 15 months to serve Him with ALL my heart, might, mind, and Strength.

       Well... I have to go time to go. Hopefully I will have some cool stories for you next week! I am so thankful for all your prayers, especially you family and parents. I feel them often and I have been very blessed! Thank You! I am also remembering that there is a Mom out there somewhere praying very hard that the trainer of her son will be "a good boy." I will try so hard to be that "good boy" now and forever. Thanks so much.

       The church is true and I am a happy missionary "bringing the world his truth." Love you all and pray for you OFTEN! Keep on keepin on!

Elder Davis

Sunday March 10, 2013

Howdy Howdy, October 15ish I began to read Ang Aklat ni Mormon in Tagalog. My trainer promised me, that "if I would read it, for understanding, I would be fluent before I finished." I have now read over 777 pages of Tagalog text in the Book of Mormon and I FINISHED IT THIS WEEK! In October I would read 1 page a day, on a good day. And by the time that page was over I couldn't really tell you exactly what happened. Now, well, it's much much easier hahaha! I read 95 percent of my free time and during language study as well of course. It takes a while haha. Two days after finishing it I was informed that I WILL BE TRAINING NEXT TRANSFER STARTING TOMORROW haha! I am way excited. It could be American (maybe an 18 year old) or it could be a Philippino. We'll see what happens! Either way I am excited! And our area is being split... basically opening an area! As I finished Moroni chapter 10 I again tried "Moroni's Challenge"- To ask God in prayer if it is TRUE! But this time, unlike previous times, I did it in Tagalog! The answer came the next day in a mock lesson (in Tagalog) as I testified of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So... totoo siya! Pangako iyan! I learned much more than Tagalog in my reading- MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THINGS! ...bagbag na puso at nagsisising espiritu... Now don't let me fool you. I have far to go in Tagalog. I am far from perfect. I am an "ugly fluent" haha! But things are great here. I am excited for next transfer... Tatay na ako! Who knows who my anak is but I am excited! It will be way hard though!!!!!!!!!! This past week in our old apartment we did 4 DAYS with NO WATER! You never know what you have until it is gone! We had to go pump the water from the community well and then bring it back to the apartment to shower haha. Anyway we have water now. BE THANKFUL for everything you have. Clean water and IT IS IN YOUR HOUSE haha! Good stuff. I have met a man here, actually HE found ME. We were on the street one night, a man came from my back and grabbed my arm (not weird in the Philippines) I turned and a small old man with a cane (It was like the old man on the movie 'UP" status) and he spoke to me in FLUENT ENGLISH saying, "Do you have an Englsh Book of Mormon I could have. I am very interested in it. I have a Tagalog version but I think I would understand the English one better." Cool? YES!!!!!! We will teach him for the first time this week, HE CAME TO CHURCH. He loved it. He asked questions and the whole ward is in love with this Tatay. AS AM I! I have never felt like this with someone, but I am way excited for Tatay Abner! This Gospel is AMAZING AND PERFECT! It will heal any wound, for it is Jesus Christ's Gospel in its FULLEST! And the truth will always set us free. We are blessed! So Elder Christofferson's talk in the Liahona rocked this month no? It made me think of Gramps Sherwood, but cows and horses instead of sheep haha.I miss him a lot. Anyway the quote of President Packer was quoted in that liahona, "We are not obedient because we are blind, we are obedient because we can see." How true that is. Think about it, it's an awesome quote. Well, you all rock! I am happy. I am trying hard, working hard, obeying hard, and I am seeing miracles. Pray hard. Be thankful. Be obedient regardless of any hardships. I am such a wierdo missionaro na ey? okay lang iyan! I will send pictures HOPEFULLY! Love you all, throw a prayer my way. I'm chucking them your way. Elder Davis P.S. I totally met Elder Ardner!!!!!!!!!! that is awesome that whole thing with papa hansy hahaha cool stuff. I might meet him again, we'll see. Tell Grandpa if he wants to wait until next year I will help him brand and we all know he is fond of waiting.

Happy Missionary!

Delicious apple star fruit.

Howdy Howdy,

      Do you know how good it feels for others to tell you are fluent in Tagalog? If you don't know how that feels, I invite you to try it. Well, everybody it has been another great week. Time is still flying by! We will be moving into a new apartment this week and next week our area will be split and there will be four of us in this area. Which means that Elder Guanio and I will be split as well, but we'll still be in the same apartment so it's all good! The work is great and we are progressing! Lovin' IT! 

     So FHE daw tomorrow with the Lambson's and Kellen ey? Sounds fun, tell them I am in Ocampo, right next to Pili- I think Kellen was assigned there.  That will be fun to hear there stories. Naga Mission "best in all the land." Maybe they'll sing the mission song for you guys! It should be your opening hymn!

     So Mom we do have Sisters in our District but they are assigned in Goa the biggest city in our district. Your guess was right that usually there areas are in nicer areas. But our sisters are toughthey can do anything. Also Sister Christensen is in my district which is fun, we were in the MTC together. But ya, there's your answer.

      So who wants a cool story? Ready or not here it comes: This Wednesday we were walking, in the heat, sweating and dirty, to a far area of ours. I told my comp, naramdaman ko na makikita natin ang isang ahas mamaya. "I feel like we're going to see a snake later on." Earlier that morning I had randomly read in Acts where Paul gets bit by a viper and nothing happens to him. Ironic no? When we reached the house Tatay wasn't home but about 2 minutes later he comes running by saying there was a COBRA! It was about twenty yards from there house! So naturally I was quick to follow and see a COBRA! We watched from a little way off, just in-case we got bit and were't quite as lucky as Paul haha.  But Tatay and few others IN SANDALS dug out the cobra and killed it with an itak (machete). It was about 4 feet long- scary looking thing. But it was way cool. They ate it daw, sadly I did not get to taste it BUT I REALLY WANT TO EAT COBRA! I thought it was no good, that they only ate python but nope. There are tons of snakes in this area! 

      So after that event we taught tatay and I told him the story of Paul and we talked about MIRACLES! He told us about ten years ago he was able to go to church with his sons, because they really wanted to, but he had NO IDEA how they had the money every week to go. But that somehow every week they had the money to go to church. He said it was a miracle. I agree. We had a great lesson and he committed to go to church. He's going to Manilla for a few months though next week- DARN MANILLA! 

       We've been super busy and I forgot my list of things I wanted to tell all of you! Basta, totoo ang simbahan haha! I love my mission, Tagalog ROCKS! I have bee so so so so so so so blessed! We are all so blessed. This Gospel is true and one day we will all return and stand before God, our Father. I hope and pray we are only doing things we can be proud of when that event happens. Judgement Day is a good thing to ponder every now and then. I am a representative of Jesus Christ. I feel it everyday! This is the only true and living church. And I know, Jesus Christ lives and he and Heavenly Father love each one of us PERFECTLY. Weather you live in a home with carpet and a computer or in a hut with pots for cooking rice- he loves you!

     You are all awesome! 

Grandpa Sherwood goes with him everywhere!!!!!

Always has, always will LOVES little ones!

Elder Davis