Sorry about not updating for the past few weeks.

Hi

Apr 6

me

When I was a missionary we used this as a case study to help members be missionaries. Hannah, Sister

Howdy,

Its been a pretty great week. We started teaching this man named Myles, we tracted into him and then taught the Restoration a couple days later with our ward missionaries. He's a really tall high school football coach. He seemed really open to reading and praying about the Book of Mormon. He goes to a baptist church every Sunday so it'll be a change for him.

So the highlight of the week involves Susana. We had been trying to meet with her last week because we really wanted her to watch the Women's Conference but she had a lot of stuff going on with school and family. Friday night rolls around and we still hadn't been able to see her but we were determined to get her the conference. Well around 4 on saturday afternoon (still haven't talked to Susana) we drove by her house and she was sitting in her car outside her house! We turned around and had a good chat with her, she was feeling pretty stressed out from school and had a lot of homework to catch up on. So at this point I'm thinking that she'll probably be too busy to come the the conference. Nevertheless, we talked about the prophet, mentioned he was going to speak, told her that going to the conference would help her feel less stressed and that some of her questions about the gospel will be answered. She responded "Okay, I want to go". It was one of those moments as a missionary where you just want to jump around and say wahoo! but you don't because that might freak the investigator out.        Anyway we ended up going to the ward missionary's house and invited one of Susana's fellowshippers to come with us. It was amazing how well everything worked out for being an hour before conference started. Conference was sooo good. I'm not sure how much Susana understood but the spirit was present and that was more than enough. Sister Heaps and I gave each other the "well this is awkward" look when the prophet did not end up speaking. I don't think Susana minded. It was just so awesome to see how joyful Susana was after listening to conference. It really was a night&day change from when we had saw her earlier that day. She even took notes during the meeting! When we were talking with the Browns and Sister Corea (the members that were there) she said that she felt confused because she feels like she would be betraying her catholic background by joining the church. Sister Brown is a convert so she had some good comments about that. I really think Susana wants to join the church but it is just a matter of her reading/praying about the Book of Mormon and understanding the blessings that come from the gospel. 

I'm glad that Harrison took those names to the temple. That is wonderful. There seems to be more work for males than there is for females. What's that about? 

That is fun that you're on spring break. Not so fun that Dad has to work and Christian has Bronchitis. 

I got the skirt that sent, thank you!!! I like it! Blue, gray, green are good colors for tops (in that order :) haha) possibly pink or yellow. If you can't find anything one layer that's okay, its mostly because my downeast tees are running out of life.  Also (sorry to ask for so much stuff) I'm almost finished with my journal. Can you send you of those?

Enjoy your spring break! I love you!

-Sister Davis

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Mar 25

Marianne Davis

Hey Harrison, I can't remember if I told you this. The blog for Hannah doesn't have the zip

Conference is the best.

Howdy,

Conference was super excellente! I can't wait to get the conference ensign so I can read all of the talks again. It seemed to me that all of the talks were about being better disciples via love/service and conviction to our beliefs. We watched the first session at the stake center and then the other three at various member's homes. I really liked Elder Nelson's talk about faith and I also really liked Elder Uchtdorf's talk on gratitude. I guess I really liked every talk. I especially appreciated Elder Ballard's talk about missionary work. If every member studied Preach My Gospel....that would just be so great. I was thinking that maybe I should share something I've been studying with you, Sister Heaps always sends her family scriptures and stuff. 

I've been focusing a lot on lesson 4 in chapter 3 of pmg, its about the commandments. This morning, I was reading over the Pray Often section and what stuck out to me were all the blessings that come from praying. I copied and pasted it so you can read it too:

As we pray with faith, sincerity, and real intent, we will see God’s influence in our lives. He will guide us in our daily lives and help us make good decisions. He will bless us with feelings of comfort and peace. He will warn us of danger and strengthen us to resist temptation. He will forgive ours sins. We will feel closer to Him. We must learn to recognize His influence in our lives. We must learn to listen to the still, small voice of the Spirit.

We can recognize when the Holy Ghost is teaching us the truth. Our minds will be filled with inspiring and uplifting thoughts. We will be enlightened, or given new knowledge. Our hearts will have feelings of peace, joy, and love. We will want to do good and be helpful to others

I counted 13 blessings. That's a lot for simply praying often.

This week we made a new discovery. We're not sure how long our phone has been around but there are tons of contacts in it. We don't know about 80% of them, they might be former investigators or they might be members, we just don't know. However! Sister Heaps was going through the contacts when we were driving somewhere (I'm the designated driver so I don't handle the phone) and noticed that some of the contacts have notes along with their other contact info. One of the contacts, Phyllis, had a note that said "Phyllis is a former investigator that loves the Book of Mormon". Awesome! There were a few others that had little notes like that or it just had an address. So this past week we have been trying to get back in contact with these people. We actually met Phyllis yesterday and she was really open to learning more/taking the discussions. I guess she used to meet with missionaries two-ish years ago. She was out cutting her lawn when the elders walked by and offered to mow the lawn. They ended up teaching her but somehow they ended up losing contact.

Susana is getting closer and closer to accepting the gospel. I don't understand how  two simple things, reading the Book of Mormon and praying, can be the hardest thing for people to do. 

Katie Jones baptism date is still April 19th but we haven't been able to teach her the past two weeks b/c she was out of town and then sick. So we have A LOT to teach her but only a short amount of time to teach it all. I feel at peace with it though because she is super ready.

Sister Heaps and I have been trying  figure out how to find more people to teach because tracting is good but not as effective as other finding activities. We're going to really try to encourage members to invite people to hear the discussions. I think having them read PMG will help (it sure makes me want to share the gospel). Plus, Elder Ballard made a pretty bold promise during general conference. He said hundreds of thousands will find peace in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints if we invite and follow-up. 

I love you, hope you you enjoy the rest of spring break!

-Sister Davis 

April 14

I wish you could meet our investigator Katie, you would love her. She is just super great and has such a strong desire to be baptized. We're a little concerned with her family situation. Her parents are not unsupportive but they aren't very supportive either. She has their permission to be baptized but she doesn't think they'll come to her baptism because they're "not church people". Sister Heaps and I are going to go over this week and invite them/scope out the situation. She has had a lot of different things come up that keep her from attending church and its harder without a family that encourages to go to church each week. She prays and reads the Book of Mormon everyday, so her heart is in it even if her family is not.

Our other investigator Kaitlyn, she's 10, has really started to progress. Her mom figured out that the reason she is so nervous about baptism is because she is scared about water getting in her ears. I guess she has a water phobia; when we told her she could use ear plugs she, all of a sudden, got really excited about being baptized. Problem solved! The best part about that lesson was when Kaitlyn said the closing prayer. It was the first prayer she has ever said! And we got to be there for it! It has just been so great to see the change in, not just Kaitlyn, but her mom as well. There is so much more light in their life, they're happier and the contention that was in their house when we first visited is not there anymore.

Susana (I wish you could meet her too) is so so so prepared. Heavenly Father really wants her to be a member of the church. Let me tell you why. This whole past week we've been trying to get a hold of her without any luck. We texted, called, went by her house (I hope this doesn't make us sound stalker-ish) and we just couldn't ever seem to get a hold of her. So last night we were on our way to a less-active's house and just a couple houses before their house was Susana! We pulled over, of course and started chatting. Turns out that she got a new number. She said that she had missed seeing us this week and that she really wanted to go to church. She is kind of funny; she wants to be a member but she isn't sure if she wants to be baptized...we're going to go into a little more depth about proper authority. She said that whenever we see her it is always after she has been praying or at a time where she really needs a spiritual boost. Anyway, the Lord's timing is so incredible and also a great manifestation of his love for us. 

Also, we tracted into this lady, Monique and we went back a couple days ago to teach the Restoration. Turns out that she used to meet with missionaries when she lived in Louisiana. She said she was glad that we found her again. Pretty cool, right?

This week I was reading about the man with palsy whose friends lowered him through the roof so Jesus could heal him (Mark 2) and I really like the things that Jesus says. In verse 5 he says "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee" and after that the scribes were murmuring "Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?". Well, Jesus saw that they were doubting and said posed the question of whether it is easier to say forgive sin or to heal. In verse 10 he said "But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sin." and following that he tells the man with palsy "Arise, and take up thy bed". I just think this is cool because before he manifested his power to heal the man he first forgave him of his sins. The Savior wants us to know forefront that through him we can be forgiven - spiritual healing.

Hey, good news! Do you remember my investigator Shelby from Bryan? She got baptized last week! Yay!

I love you!

-Sister Davis