June 18, 2008

It has been another great week at Manchester South. C***** got work off on Sundays now, so he should be baptized in the next two or three weeks!!! Finally! This guy is going to be a great addition to this ward and to the church. He told us last time that he has decided on his own that it would be a good idea to stop drinking caffeine altogether, although his favorite drink was lucozade, a caffeinated sports drink. he also told us that he wants to be in every Saturday night by midnight to keep the Sabbath Day Holy. He really keeps the Spirit of the law. We have had to leave B***** and S**** alone for a while, because they just keep avoiding us. We don't want to force them to listen, so we just have to leave them. That is the way it has been with many people. We just get to the point where we have to find those who are going to keep commitments and have a real desire . . . a patience-requiring process.

I have been trying to send a package out that contains a cd with my first three transfers full of photos, though the last three haven't been captured as well. Also in it are many letters which will end up just being very, very late. But I love you all!

I am taking my driving test today, and it has been raining all day. That will make me drive slower, and then maybe the test will not be full of so many different obstacles. It has drained any money that I have/had, but it will be nice to get that weight off my chest.

We had a really great District Meeting yesterday focused on choosing to be happy, which is something that I am glad was decided on, because I needed it the most. The district is full of great and happy guys, and I was trying to teach them about it. I prepared too much as I usually do, but we had a great time. We did a role play of six different situations we usually find ourselves in every day and showed how we could do it with a positive and happy attitude or with a negative attitude. We laughed really hard, but I forgot to bring my camera to capture it all.

We also made a cake(in honor of Dad's birthday) and wrote each other some cards. My purpose was just to help them have a fun time, and feel the love from the District. We really do have the choice to be happy or not, which is something that mom has been telling us for years, and some of us never seem to understand. I really like two scriptures about the point: 2 Nephi 2:26-27 and D&C 123:17. There were more, like Helaman 5:12. Many times we let our happiness be affected and decided by outside circumstances that change. We cannot do that, because then our level of happiness will change, like basing my happiness off of how many people will listen to me each day. But if we base our happiness on a sure foundation, something that never moves, then we can be consistently happy. That is Christ (Helaman 5:12) and he will lead us across the gulf of misery(or sadness).

We had another week full of really great stuff, but one of the highlights was a new investigator named M****** who said that he felt so good after our meeting last time. That right there makes the effort so worth it. Recognizing the spirit is the most important thing, because WE CANNOT CONVINCE PEOPLE. I am trying to learn that more and more. Only the Spirit will have that influence. I just simply don't have that capability.

I love all of you, and thank you for your prayers and concerns. I hope to have a positive influence on you, like the one you have had on me.

Thank you,
Elder Davies