March 9, 2009

It has been a crazy week as we have been working in both of the areas we are to cover. There is much travel, and traveling in a three-some is becoming a little bit more comfortable. Sometimes it feels like we are surrounding people with our message, but that is excellent. We are usually able to contact most of the people on each of the buses we ride on. I wish this could last longer, but we are supposed to break up in the next couple of weeks when the missionaries come from Provo, once their Visas get there.

We have many investigators we taught for the first time, because this area we just moved into has a lot of progressing people. The ward is ready for all of these converts and do a good job at helping them out. It is great to have a missionary minded bishop. We try to keep good relations with the ward, but it can be difficult when some silly things happen. We so desperately want to keep that trust, so we usually just say whatever is needed to keep the relationship positive. We learn a lot of things on our mission that we didn't think we would.

We are teaching a 25 year-old young man named L**. He has had a very difficult life. He loves how he feels at church and what the gospel is helping him do, but he has to overcome many obstacles. We really grow to love these people, with a love that isn't our own. I am convinced of that. Without the infusion of God's love, we wouldn't be able to grow so close to people in such a short amount of time.

We are also teaching a man named S******, whose step son was just baptized a couple of weeks ago. He has also had a difficult life. We are helping him overcome smoking, and there are so many things standing in his way. I can't express how blessed we are to grow up in the areas we have grown up in, with the families that we have grown up with, and the perspective of the gospel that really changes the way we live.

D****'s baptism has been moved to go with another baptism that we will be having on the 20th. The Elders down here have been teaching two young grandchildren of some members. S**** is 14 and J**** is 12. They are great kids. I love how some people are just prepared for the gospel. S**** is going to be baptized on the same day as D****, the 20 of March. The ward likes to do them on Friday nights.

We have been teaching a lady from Monserrat named V*****. She has some family in the church, but used to be 7-day adventist. She is such a great lady, and she does some really good study. She is one of those people who look like they are 25, but really are 60.

I am very much looking forward to Conference. I have been reading the Ensign's for the last two conferences, and I have realized more the blessing of having living prophets and apostles. If everyone would just hearken, how different would this world be. How much more happiness would exist in our lives? How much more blessed would our families? How would our ability to resist the world increase? How would our understanding of life's difficult things improve? It is God's way, because it works. We have that evidence that it does before our very eyes, within our very lives. I have pen-ready, heart-opened, eyes-pointed, and ears-waiting for the whisperings of the Holy Spirit as Prophets of God invite us to grow closer to Christ on April 4 and 5.

My three happies are:
Serving in the three-some.
Watching the gospel change lives.
Having a beautiful new neice. (Do other families oogle over their neices and nephews as much as we do?)

Favorite Scripture? John 15:10-11. All of the commandments given to us really do help us to have a fuller joy. Every commandment received from God, or His servants, ancient or modern will be directed at this end goal . . . our eternal happiness!

Favorite Memory? We have had a lot of funny moments over the last couple of days. It would have to be watching David's reaction to our "12 days of Chirstmas" song.

Miracle for the week? We were looking for a less-active on North St., but couldn't remember the address. We had to get going, but when we got to the bus stop we realized that we had 20 minutes. We decided to tract North St. Not much was happening until the last door. We had 5 minutes left. We started to talk to this lady and she told us that she had been baptized into the church, but had fallen away when her parents split up. She married a non-member, and so it didn't help. She invited us in, and her kids were amazing. They really wanted to come to church, especially the 15 year old boy. He says he doesn't like beer, coffee, tea, or alcohol anyway, so he wants to join us. He should be coming to youth on Tuesday. I am excited to see what happens. He could be the key to getting his family into the church, and one day sealed.

Sometimes we take for granted the gospel and the knowledge that we are sealed forever. It cannot be taken lightly. It is Eternally important for us and for all people. This is why I love to do this work. I love you all and know that God lives and looks over us. Never lose hope!

Elder Davies