Week 83 The 12 and a Rottweiler

This week was awesome!! 

Wednesday we had the worldwide mission conference that was great!! Then on Saturday Quinten L. Cook visited El Salvador!! 

His message was so awesome and it helped a lot! I know without a doubt that he and the other members of the 12 and the first presidency are called and guided by God. It's reassuring to know that God guides his church and for that, it will never stir away from the truth. 

So Saturday night this family invited us to eat. They are the poorest family you have ever seen and have so many mouths to feed because they never turn anyone away (they have taken in so many kids of relatives who haven't taken good care of them). The wife (Sister Cecilia) is the funniest and happiest person you have ever met. If you ask her why she is always happy she will tell you, "because I am Mormon, why wouldn't I be happy". 

When we showed up it was obvious that she didn't talk and after a few minutes excused herself to go lay down. Turns out she is super sick and is going to need an operation. They don't have money for the operation and are trying to figure out what to do... in fact they didn't even have money to get food that night for us and chose to not eat breakfast or lunch to be able to give us the little they had for dinner. 

Before we left we were able to give her a blessing and help the little we could. This family has some of the biggest challenges I have ever seen, but they are always happy. They are always looking for ways to serve others. They are always preaching the gospel. And they are always living their covenants. They are the perfect example of Christ like people and have helped me understand what it truly means to be a Christian. I hope to one day be more like them. 

Oh yeah and they have a fat rottweiler that bit me as I was sitting in the house... it's all good though, just can't use my thumb much (which makes typing interesting haha) but its already getting better! hahaha 

I am super happy to be here and everything is going good. Thanks for all your support!

Elder Davis

Week 82 Count Your Blessings

About Tuesday of this week I was feeling a little frustrated... but then almost magically the thought of that talk from that general conference came into my head... where the missionary hears the voice in his head that in God's eyes he isn't much different than his companion. I realized that I have no right to be frustrated at anyone, my sole job is to do the Lords will here in El Salvador and try to help everyone I can... so I started making a list in the back of my agenda of all the things I was grateful for this week to focus on all the blessings the Lords given me. Needless to say,  I have much to be grateful for:

- Pupusas

- Hermana Cecilia

- Johnathan and the testimony he has developed

- repentance

- modern day prophets

- Gods love

- Mercy

- Nice Pens

- Preach My Gospel

- scriptures

- Gifts of the spirit

- hot showers

- Having my own bathroom

- having a mirror (it is my first real mirror in the mission haha)

- clean water

- Journal

- answers to prayers

- Christ

- The atonement

- Gods love

- second chances

- President and Hermana Vasquez

- Hot Dogs

- Avacados

- The lady who gave Hermano Carlos work

- Hermana Carlos

- finding a seat on the bus

- Tortas

- My shoes after I got them sown back together

- Taking off tie and shoes in the night

- Anti-itch cream (mosquitos love me)

- zone conference

- Wednesdays (when we have water come to re-fill our tank)

- Health

- Mormon Messages

- Life

- Opportunity to be on the mission

- Opportunity to be in Sensuntepeque

- family support

- Parents who raised me in the gospel

- Honey

- Inspiration

- Revelation

- Goals

- companionship inventory

- money pouches

- Hermano Napo

- Pte diego

- Hermana Roxanna

- Clean laundry

- Daily exercise

- Fasting

- gift of the Holy Ghost

- Temples

- Trials

- The Book of Mormon

- friends who are on missions

- toast

- Water tank

- new socks

- Gospel art

- Church books and manuals

- Service projects

- Blisters

- Maizillo

- hammocks

- new razor blades

- sacrament

- the visit of pte Lopez (conselor to mission president to our ward)

- Miracles

- people who want to change

- New ideas

- The Word of Wisdom

- personal study

- other elders in the branch

- The fact that the bus driver jammed early 2000's pop the entire 2 hour ride to Cajutepeque

- computers that are updated above windows xp

Just a few things that I noticed throughout the week. I'm just so grateful for Gods blessings... He at times lets me go until I feel like I can't push any more... but if I give that last little push He always sends a tender mercy to keep me up.

Love you guys and hope everyone recognizes their blessings this week!

Love Elder Davis

Week 81

Another week here in Sensuntepeque. I learned that the word sensunte in some Indian language means place of many hills... my life all of a sudden makes sense. haha

This week we had an awesome multi-zone conference with President Vasquez. I guess the convert baptisms around the world dropped this year and Salt Lake is giving a ton of instructions and seminars to the mission presidents to stay on top of things. The mission is going through even more changes... honestly everything has changed since when I got here. The progression and inspiration of our mission president and the general authorities that give instructions to him is just awesome to see. The work of the Lord will progress no matter what efforts Satan throws at us.

In the multi-zone conference Sister Vasquez spoke on patience. It was awesome and a true answer to my prayers. Crazy how God is always so willing to answer us when we have faith. 

One morning we woke up at 4 and went to a less actives corn field. We had an hour and a half hike out to it... then worked until oneish cutting down the maicillo (not sure how to say that in english) and headed back home. It was super fun. I became friends with his deaf-mute brother who was helping us (see pic) and learned the art of using the "cuma" the curved machete-like thing. Super awesome day. 

Other than that just trying to help our investigators progress... It's interesting how Satan puts obstacles in the paths of the most amazing people, but without doubt God will help us see how to resolve the challenges. 

Love you  and thanks for eveything,

Elder Davis 

WEEK 80

Happy New Year!! 

Hope everyone had a great new year, and have placed some awesome goals that we will all probably forget about by February but it's the thought that counts right?? 

I personally have a few goals but I would like your help with one. I set the goal to do exercise every day (except Sunday's) until I get home. If you guys would be so kind as to verify with me each week that I am really doing it, that would be much appreciated because I am out of shape! 

We had a pretty chill new years. One member invited us to a carne asada lunch. It was soooooo delicious and there was so much food it was amazing. We were exhausted at the end of the day and ended up going to bed early:( but woke up to the millions of firecrackers that people set off until about 2am. 

Other than that it was a good week. We taught an investigator about the vicarious work and how he can help his ancestors recieve the saving ordinances and he just started crying and couldn't stop thanking us for being here to teach him. He is just waiting on a letter from Salt Lake and he wants to go to the temple the day after his baptism! 

Loving the people and truly coming to understand what patience really means. The mission is the best.

Love Elder Davis