Week 27 What I Know

Hey guys thanks for all the emails this week. 

Talking on Christmas day was just awesome. Emailing is good and all, but seeing some familiar non- El Salvadorian faces was really nice. haha

So mom asked me to say my testimony while we were calling... Not wanting to talk in Spanish and not sure if I knew how in English I said no... but then I felt bad and so I thought I would share with you a little of my testimony today.

Before my mission I took for granted the testimonies missionaries had... Without ever giving it much thought, I observed that people generally left on their missions good, spiritual kids and came back spiritual giants. What I never really considered is just how much work it takes to grow that much spiritually. 

When I started my mission it was hard for me to bear testimony... (Ironically it was one of the few things I could do in Spanish) I've always believed the church was true, had faith that everything I was taught was true, but the idea of telling every single person I met that I KNOW this is true was hard for me. 

It took many nights on my knees, and one or two tears, but today I can honestly say that I know the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. I know that God helps us, his children, when we are in need... Not necessarily when or how we want, but he always helps us. I know that Christ established the church, but the authority to govern that church and preform the ordinances therein were lost. I know that God restored that church with its accompanying authority through a 14 year old boy. A boy that like all of us made mistakes, but was humble enough to keep repenting and keep trying to bring forth this great truth regardless of persecution. I know that that boy, Joseph Smith, was a prophet of God. I know today Thomas S Monson is a prophet, seer and revelator. Most of all I know that Christ lives. He is my savior, my redeemer, and my brother. I know that through him I can return to live with my father in heaven again. He understands me completely, he knows my trials and afflictions because He suffered through them. I know that He is always here to help me if I but ask with faith and am willing to act based on the answers I recieve. 

I'm not done learning, my testimony is not complete, but it is something I love and am proud of. It wasn't easy for me to obtain, but I am working to strengthen it every day. 

I love how Elder Uchtdorf put it the last General conference, "Let us acknowledge that gaining a testimony is not a task of a minute, and hour, or a day. It is not once and done. The process of gaining spiritual light is the quest of a lifetime. Your testimony of the living God and his restored church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, may not come as quickly as you desire, but I promise you this: If you do your part it will come. And it will be glorious."

Thanks  for all of your love and support. I hope you all have a great new years!! Love Elder Davis

BTW that pic of me by a fire was me burning a tie at my 6 month mark... crazy how fast time flies!

Week 26 CHRISTMAS IS ALMOST HERE

Holy cow, everyone was writing me about Christmas today... so crazy it doesn't even feel like Christmas time minus a few activities. haha Thanks so much for all the emails... sorry for my depression last week... it was hard but I'm over my pitty party. 

First off we had a Christmas party with the president and 5 other zones. It was huge and tons of fun!! I met up with my old comp and a few good friends here and we just played games, ate food and every zone gave a skit... Ours was the best.. we had everyone laughing and finished it up hardcore spiritual that made the President and all his family start to cry!! Super fun and awesome!!

I had a whole list of things to write about, but once again forgot my list... 

But things are better with my comp... it was really hard to start out, coming into a companionship like we did was just terrible. But Wednesday night my ward mission leader took my comp into his room and had a talk with him for about an hour... I don't know what they talked about but after that his entire demeaner changed. That night he asked me to give him a blessing... it was one of the coolest experiences of my life.

President Ruben Clark said something along the lines of:  I know I'm talking with the spirit when I learn from what I have said.... I learned the truthfulness of that statement as I gave my companion a blessing. I have never felt words just pour into my mouth from the spirit like I did during the blessing. I learned so much about my comp during that blessing, so much about what we needed to do to get our companionship to work, and so much about the power of the spirit. It was such an amazing experience.

After that we have been doing so much better together... I'm not going to lie and say we are good friends or anything, but we have a love and respect for each other that  just wasn't there before. 

Today we had our Zone Christmas p-day. That was awesome! We played games and had a huge chicken and mashed potatoes feast! Super fun day... but the best part, we got permission to watch FROZEN!!! So much fun (fact: frozen songs are not near as good in Spanish) 

But yeah I'm doing good! Can't wait to call for Christmas! 

I love you all, 

Elder Davis

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!

My old comp bought me a Beatles shirt for Christmas!! Super awesome... We loved to sing while walking in the street and he knew I loved them. haha

Merry Christmas from El Salvador San Salvador East Mission

Zones 7 & 8

Week 25 Life is Just Perfect

The subject isn't the truth.

We had changes.

I am upset. 

I am trying to stay positive.

I am failing at trying to stay positive.

To start out on a good note, thanks for all the emails. I have been pretty dang upset the past few days and you all just made me really happy, so thanks a ton!!! 

But yeah, I don't really know what else to write. Tuesday night we got the call that my companion was changing areas. Wednesday morning we were in the changes meaning sad... because we really are best friends and I love that guy a ton and we had such cool Christmas plans and we just understood each other and kinda kicked butt together but yeah... We were just praying for good new companions to have Christmas with.... I guess God had other plans. 

I'm in the same area with my new comp Elder Hernandez. He is just a great guy (sarcasm). Someone please pray for me, these next 6 weeks are going to be very difficult together.

But on a positive note this super family that we were teaching, but moved away, moved back!!! They are 2 parents with 4 kids!!  They are awesome and dirt poor and were in church this week and loved it and it was such a huge blessing to find them again.

But yeah, hopefully by next week I'll have more to write and things will be a little better.

Love you all.  Thanks so much for everything!!

Elder Davis

Pics... our frequent doctor trips last week put us in San Salvador a lot and we got permission to go to this huge mall there last p day! super cool and we got Cinnabon and it was awesome!

And my star wars socks are probably the coolest thing in the world!

Week 24 Happy Christmas Season!!

I just love Christmas season!!!! I find myself subconsiously planning appointments in this rich gated community (all the rich people live there, but the houses are about the size of our living room) just to see Christmas lights!! Our Christmas tree is full of ornaments and lights we bought, and the little tree mom sent me just cheers me up whenever we walk in the door!!!! How can you not love Christmas?? 

Also people are just nicer! We changed our street contacting to include Christmas things about the birth of the Savior, true meaning of Christmas, etc. and people still just lie to our face and give us fake directions and such, but they do it in a nicer way... Christmas just has an effect on people.  hahaha

This week was soooooo boring!! Monday night we were exhausted... we planned and then layed down to close our eyes for 5 minutes while our pila (sink thingy) was filling up with water so we could wash our clothes and dishes.... well  we both  fell asleep and 20 minutes later my comp woke up with a ton of water on the tile floor where our pila is. He ran in to turn off the water, slipped on the wet floor and fell face first onto the hard tile floor!! 

His face instantly started swelling and had this awful blue color.... We called the mission nurse (who is a moron) and she told him just to rest for a day and keep ice on it. The next day it was a ton worse (like the ugliest thing you have ever seen) and had a ton of blood in his eye... the nurse once again told him just to rest and put ice on it. Friday with nearly his entire eye full of blood we decided that the nurse was a moron and called the mission presidents wife. She sent him to the doctor the next day. After 2 hours walking around the capitol looking for the doctors office and having to run out of a hospital after being admitted (another hillarious but super long story) we found out that he had some serious thing and needed to be put on all this medication immediately and we are going back to the doctor again tomorrow. The mission president's wife found out and chewed out the mission nurse hard core and now all the elders love us because everyone knows the nurse is a moron and she finally got chewed out for it!!

So yeah, we didnt get to leave much and I was a little sad about that, days sitting around in the house are horrible! But we got to go out for a few hours Sunday, and we were just praying to find someone good so we could have a little success this week... and we both felt that we needed to go to the house of this lady who wasn't very positive when we visited her the first time and lives super far away, but we went for it...  After walking about 10 years we got there and met her kid and her husband and her grand kids and they are all awesome and we had a super spiritual lesson and laughed with them a ton and they want us to come back again ASAP to learn more about this Smith because it makes sense that people would receive revelation now like they did in the bible and gosh it was just such an awesome blessing to find them. 

There was a temple trip for investigators and recent converts Saturday. We didn't get to go because we were at the doctors, but a few investigators went and had great experiences. 

One of the pics is of brother Juan... Our recent convert who blessed the sacrament Sunday! He is super awesome and progressing so much... so greatful for that guy!! 

Ok, that's about it... 

Love you guys have a great day and thanks for all the emails!!

Elder Davis

week 23

So I did't get any turkey on Thanksgiving... Tuesday the member called and said she couldn't anymore... Then thursday came around and I forgot it was Thanksgiving until the next day everyone went into San Salvador for black Friday deals and I remembered that I had forgot Thanksgiving! 

But its ok, because Tuesday I had my own Christmas! I received letters and packages from September, October, and November!! It was so awesome.. .you guys are the best!! 

Um, don't really know what else... We bought ornaments for the Christmas tree we bought for our ward mission leaders house, so that was super cool... Now everyday I feel so full of Christmas spirit when I enter the house. haha

Changes are in a week and 2 days.. that should be exciting. 

Oh yeah we are going to do a Christmas gift exchange with the elders here and my ward mission leaders family.

Church was hillarious this week!! The 2nd counselor gave a talk for 15 minutes on the "international spirit" and how different countries can feel the different forms the spirit takes, and how blessed the word is because they can feel the "international spirit" with us elders all from 4 different countries.  hahaha The bishop finally whispered in his ear it was time to stop talking. hahaha

But yeah normal week... sorry don't really have anything for you. 

Love you guys

Elder Davis