May 28

Howdy!

I'm pretty short on time today! Sorry if this email is shorter that the usual.

It has been a great week. There must of been something in the air because a lot of our investigator have decided that they should actually read the Book of Mormon. It has had a positive effect on their progression. yay!

Today we went to the temple. Love that place.

It has been raining cats and dogs and armadillos and alligators. Literally! (of course, not literally. I know you don't like it when people use the word literally wrong.) It has been raining a lot. I'm not sure how to drive in the rain when it gets as bad as it has been. I actually think the way to drive in crazy rain is to not drive in it. 

So highlight of the week: We got a dream referral. I mean, every missionary wants this kind of referral. Her name is Brandi Noah and she is so great. She is engaged to a recent convert (so she referred herself) and she is really excited to learn more. She even said that her fiance is working on getting the higher priesthood so he can baptize her and then get sealed in the temple. She actually said that! She has four kids and she seemed very open to having them learn as well. She is super nice and cute.

The craziest thing happened last night. First, Sister Heaps is still waiting for her visa to Brazil so she is still practicing Portuguese everyday. Last night our appointments fell through so we decided to tract (the rain had stopped luckily) and we tracted into the kindest Portuguese-speaking grandma I've ever met. Her grandson translated the whole restoration for us but Sister Heaps said the first vision in portuguese. It was pretty cool. At the end, we asked the grandson if he would also be interested in learning more and he certainly was! The grandma is going back to Africa (I didn't know parts of Africa were portuguese speaking) next week but its cool because I'm not sure if we would have gotten in the door had she not been there.

Have a good week. I love you!

Sister Davis

It has been a great week. There are a lot of good things happening here in the Bridgeland ward. 

I can't remember if I told you about Jackie Yarngo or not....she is a less-active member that we tracted into. She is super nice and she is from Libya. She took the lessons in France and then got baptized when she moved to Minnesota. Her testimony is still super strong. We've actually started to teach her 10 yr old daughter, Ikelynn, and we're planning on meeting her husband tonight. He's not a member so we're hoping we can start teaching him too. Her daughter is super cute. Last time we were over she said that she would like to be baptized so we're just waiting on her dad's approval.

We had some interesting lessons with Phyllis this week. On wednesday we taught some of the commandments but it turned out that she had read some anti-mormon things. It was actually pretty cool because she thought it was really disrespectful and said she'll never be looking at that stuff again...only mormon.org and lds.org. A lot of people shun away pretty quickly once they've been exposed to anti-mormon stuff but because Phyllis has been reading the Book of Mormon and praying she had that spiritual booster to recognize it as bad news. We helped her download the gospel library app on her ipad and she loves that. Every time we go over she tells us how much she loves that app.

She wasn't able to make it to church because she got pretty sick with a sinus infection. Well, we told her about priesthood blessings and she said she would like one. Last night we read 3 Nephi 17 and then Brother Brown and Brother Allen came over and gave her a blessing. It was so great. It was Brother Allen's first time giving the anointing. The really cool part was right after the blessing, Phyllis expressed that the pressure in her head was gone and she was just so happy. I don't know if I've ever seen someone so cheerful. The blessing was just a simple blessing but the effect was truly great. It was really awesome to see someone who has never had the priesthood in her life be able to witness the power of the priesthood and see how it can bless her life.

We taught seminary on Tuesday. It starts at 6:00 am here, that part was unfortunate but overall it was pretty fun. I couldn't believe that some of the kids were falling asleep but then I thought back to my seminary days and I'm not sure how awake I was everyday.... I guess 6 am is pretty early. The ward likes us to do different stuff like that. Last Sunday we taught a little bit of priesthood, I felt a little bit out of place during that class. Next Sunday we are teaching Young Womens. 

I like being a missionary. Sharing the gospel rocks.

I love you! Have a wooonderful week! I hope those fires get put out. I'll do a rain dance, actually I don't think missionaries are allowed to dance....Christian can do it instead.

-Sister Davis

May 5

Howdy,

Nothing too crazy happened this week. I know I've said this before but the mission has really taught me to be patient. Sometimes things don't work out the way you may have envisioned. I kind of feel like my area is a little plant that I'm trying to grow and I'm impatient because its a strawberry plant that grow triple as many strawberries than a normal strawberry plant. This scripture explains what I'm saying:

Alma 32: 41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.

I guess its a little different in context but it works. Sometimes I feel like the work is slowing down but I'm not into that so we just keep being diligent and patient.

This is what Preach My Gospel say about patience:

Patience is the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated, or anxious. It is the ability to do God’s will and accept His timing. When you are patient, you hold up under pressure and are able to face adversity calmly and hopefully. Patience is related to hope and faith—you must wait for the Lord’s promised blessings to be fulfilled.

I like that.

Phyllis is our top investigator. She's looking forward to getting baptized but she has a hard time coming to church because of her arthritis. That is the only road block. Besides that, she could probably get baptized tomorrow.

I did get to go on an exchange with Sister Gregson last week! That was fun. It was just like the old days in Bryan.

This is the first day of a new transfer. Sister Heaps and I are still companions and we're still in Bridgeland. Our district leader thought he was pretty funny and tried tell us that I was getting transferred. It was a cruel joke. 

We had two pretty cool finding experiences. We tracted into two (seperate from each other) part-member/less-active families. Both of them said we could come back to share messages. Its cool because I've been praying to be able to teach a family. I think this may be my opportunity.

Well I'll talk to you soon. I love you. Have a safe trip back to Reno.

-Sister Davis

Apr 28

Howdee,

I'm not really sure what the mothers day plan is...church ends at 12 here so that is 10 (I think...) for you but we'll probably not chat until later...hmm I'm really not sure. It seems pretty flexible. I'll let you know next week.

We have had a good week! It was also stake conference here and it was also centered on missionary work. It was pretty great. Our mission president spoke about sharing the gospel one by one just like when Christ was in America and let the people come to him one by one. It was way good and true. When missionaries teach, we teach a lesson tailored specifically for each person's needs. He also said that the atonement isn't for everyone collectively but it is for each and every person individually. I liked that.

Have I told you about Phyllis? She's the best! Her name was in our phone and there was a note attached with her address and it also said 'Phyllis is a former investigator that loves the Book of Mormon'. So we've been teaching her again, I guess its been about 2 years since she knew the elders. She is soaking up the gospel and she really does love the Book of Mormon. She has some arthritis problems so its been hard for her to come to church. I feel like she is already a member and could have a calling. She is looking forward to being baptized.

We've started teaching our old investigator, Jonny, again - his wife is a member. Whenever we teach them, they seem way tired because their 8 month old baby keeps them up all night. Its cool because despite their crazy life of work and family they have made the decision to make time to learn about the gospel.

Transfer calls are next Sunday but I think (praying) I'm staying here. 

I feel like I've been learning a lot lately of the importance of each person's relationship with the Savior. Being on a mission is not so much about baptizing but about bringing people closer to Christ - baptism is an event along that path of coming to know the Savior. President Pingree has also given everyone the challenge to read the Book of Mormon before he leaves with the question "How can I use the strengthening and enabling power of the atonement?" on our minds. Its helped me see/think more about how I can actually apply what I read from the scriptures into my daily life.

I always feel like I skipping something important in these emails....

Here's a good quote from President Monson's talk:

 "Love is the very essence of the gospel, and Jesus Christ is our Exemplar. His life was a legacy of love. The sick He healed; the downtrodden He lifted; the sinner He saved. At the end the angry mob took His life. And yet there rings from Golgotha’s hill the words: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”⁴—a crowning expression in mortality of compassion and love."

I LOVE you! I hope you have a great week.

-Sister Davis