November 12, 2008

This last week in Liverpool has been great. WE had a baptism on Saturday for V***** and L*****. They are doing amazing. Still just trying to get them to wear Sunday best to church, but the gospel has changed them. One step at a time. We are visiting the Temple with them today. WE visited the Temple with J******* yesterday, and we will be going up there for Zone Conference tomorrow. I have no complaints. They have been doing a great job with their friend F******. F****** has gained so much strength and is making the necessary movements to be able to be baptized. What wonderful people. They go and read with F****** during the day to help her understand the Book of Mormon. I am so excited for them!!

F****** loves the lives of those who live the gospel. She wishes she was born with it and wants to go live in Arizona so she can have nice weather and be around members. She struggles with some of the problems in England, and I feel so lucky to be able to have grown up in the gospel. From that, I want to list the 10 things I am most grateful for:

1. Grateful to have been born into the covenant.
2. Grateful to be serving in a difficult mission, where I can learn things that Heavenly Father wants me to learn.
3. Grateful that there is a Temple in the mission boundaries that we can take investigators to feel the spirit of the Temple
4. Grateful that we have been able to watch the change that comes over people's lives.
5. Grateful when we watch the spirit touch someone and enlighten their understanding.
6. Grateful to have an obedient companion
7. Grateful to have a mission President who is committed to making the work progress.
8. Grateful to have a family that sends me e-mails and so many cards. Elder Weidmann has really grown to understand how close our family is.
9. Grateful to have the physical and mental capacity to serve a mission.
10. Grateful for the knowledge and understanding that the Plan of Salvation gives us.

J******'s baptism is this Saturday, and we might have to fill up the font with warm water manually, because the font pump is broken. That means we baptized V***** and L***** in freezing cold water. I baptized V***** and confirmed L***** the next day, and Elder Weidmann did the others. It was such a great experience. To add to the cold water experience, we had to baptize them twice, because they didn't go all of the way under.

It has been so cold lately, and my gloves, scarves, and coat's have been used. It is going to be a cold winter, but I love it. It reminds me of when I first came out. It also reminds me of Christmas.

I don't have any scriptural thoughts or specific experiences from the last week to share with you. It just all rolls into one. I just want you to know that I love the gospel. There is no greater source of happiness. The mission is going great, and I look forward to more great experiences.

Love you all,

Elder Davies