Week 97

Thanks for all the birthday wishes!

This week was awesome and filled with good stuff. Tuesday Elder Durbin and West knocked on our door about 7 am with a little cake in their hands singing Happy Birthday. Finished a killer exercise by eating 1/4 of a cake haha. Following Latin American tradition, I got the cake shoved in my face haha. Fun morning. The Elders here in Sensunte are awesome. Then Tuesday night my comp Elder Tineo invited me to pupusas de piña. May be the greatest thing since sliced bread. 

Thursday we had a super awesome multi-zone conference. Waking up at 4 to get there on time was well worth the effort. The mission as a whole has progressed so much over the past 2 years and now the Lord is asking even more of us. I wish I could stay another 6 months just to see the progression of the work (in case you didn't know, getting permission to extend your mission is very difficult), but I'm just going to work with all in the time I have. 

We have been going through some trials in our area. I don't know if I told you guys that we opened up a new town about 30 minutes down the road from Sensunte. We have been working there so much and have a big investigator pool, but it is tough to get them to progress. As far as anyone here knows, missionaries have never dedicated much time to try and work there, and the other churches have strong roots and aren't afraid to down talk 2 white shirt foreigners haha. 

At church on Sunday we both felt pretty down. We had done everything we could think of to get people to go, had put into practice various new ideas, but didn't get even close to the turnout we were expecting. Throughout sacrament meeting we were praying and seeking guidance and forgiveness if we hadn't done something we could have done to help more people. As I prayed the scripture in Ether 12:27 came to mind about how God gives us debilities to make us humble and search his help. Later that night I read this quote from Presidente Monson,

"We all have treasured memories of certain days in our lives- days when all seemed to go well for us, when much was accomplished... It's not difficult to be happy on such perfect days. Our mortal life, however, was never meant to be easy or consistently pleasant. Our Heavenly Father who gives us so much to delight in, also knows that we learn and grow and become refined through hard challenges, heartbreaking sorrows, and difficult choices. These and all trials present us with the real test of our ability to endure"

The more I think and look back on things, the more I realize that the times I have learned most in my mission, the times when I feel like I have been pushed to become the best missionary I can be is when things weren't working out great. 

My comp and I have new goals and plans and are super excited to push forward this next week. Whatever it takes we are going to push the work forward. So excited for next week!!

Hope everything is going well with you guys! 

Love Elder Davis

Week 96 Cambios

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! Tomorrow I am going to treat myself to some delicious pupusas and I may even put a match in them to serve as a candle:) 

Last week started out good when we got to watch a Disney movie on Monday about these little people in this girls head (in Spanish its called Intensamente, but not sure in English) it was pretty awesome actually. 

Then Tuesday we had changes, With the new way they are doing changes, I sent Elder Bingham off on a bus, and then I had to stay with a member until about 5 pm when my new comp finally showed up. Hermano Carlos (the member I was with) had to work so we couldn't go visit, so instead I spent the day learning how to be a carpenter. Actually he did all the real stuff and I just plained the wood for hours. But it was fun and I learned a little at least. 

Then I got my new comp, Elder Tineo from Peru. I got to know him a little in San Miguel and was super excited when I saw him get off the bus. I asked God for an obedient and hard working companion for my last change, but told Him I would be fine with whoever, and he blessed me with what I asked for. So far we are having lots of fun, doing lots of exercise, laughing a lot, and teaching really well together. His teaching and working style blends well with mine so we are getting a lot done! 

We work in this little place called San Fransisco every other day and the 3 churches there realized we were taking a little group of people to church with us every week and all decided to hold anti-Mormon meetings and make up a bunch of garbage about the church. Talk about opposition, but we are pushing forward.

I'm doing good, super happy, working hard, and trying to make the most out of every day.

Love, 

Elder Davis

Week 95

This week started off really nice when we went to the temple on Tuesday. Somehow we got the 

2:30 pm session which meant that we didn't have to wake up early, but weren't able to get home afterwards so we had to spend the night in Cojutepeque (because there were no more buses). 

While in the changing room I ran in to Elder Azpilcueta, an old comp. We caught up, and all was good, but then he passed me the bad news. A youth from my first area (everyone just called him "Chico") was killed 2 weeks ago. He was super relax and wasn't involved in anything, but he crossed gang lines to go to a friends house and they didn't like that much. When I was there we challenged him to find a friend to take to church, and he did. We then started teaching his friend in his house and he enjoyed doing it and started going out with us to teach. He tried to teach me beat boxing while walking the streets, but I never got it down haha. He was a true friend, and excited to go on a mission when he turned 18. If you would pray for the Diaz family and especially his dad Mario I would appreciate it. 

As I entered the session it was hard to hold back tears as great memories came flooding back. The session began and I was praying for comfort and understanding. Throughout the session I received a powerful witness of the plan of salvation. I know where Chico is and  what he is doing. I love this gospel and while I'm still sad for what happened, I am happy to know that one day we will see each other again. I just have to keep strong and try to be worthy of that every day.

People need this gospel in their lives. There are so many hardships that only the revealed truths of Christ´s gospel can help cure. What happened has helped me once again see the importance of sharing this doctrine with all who will listen. 

Just got the call that I'm not having changes!! Elder Bingham does though:( 

I'm going to miss that guy. I'm super stoked to have my last change here in Sensunte!! 

Have a great week!!

Love,

Elder Davis

 Pictures:

1. Johnathan and I

2. A picture that 4 different youth sent me-they saw it on a Mormon meme page on facebook and recognized me. haha It was when President Vasquez took us to the movies.

Week 94 Wake up Call

Towards the end of last week I was looking over my patriarchal blessing.  I used to be really good at reading it every Fast Sunday but sadly have gotten out of the habit. Every time I read it, it inspires me to work a little harder to be worthy of the blessings that are promised therein. This week I realized I wasn't living up to part of it and decided it was time to repent. Back home early morning work-outs weren't that hard because I was generally jumping in a freezing cold pool and you wake up pretty dang fast, but here my workouts have always been half hearted and done more to just be obedient to the missionary schedule than to actually achieve anything. But after reading my blessing I was inspired and set the goal to wake up at 5:30 each morning. So this entire week I woke up at 5:30, got in 30 min of Book of Mormon reading (it's actually harder to find time here to read than you would think) and then worked out from 6-7. I feel so much better. I didn't even realized just how out of shape I was in, but just starting off the day like that makes such a difference! Hopefully I can keep up the pace because as of right now, I'm loving it! 

This Thursday we had a really special night. We are always in charge of getting organized the family nights we have for the branch every Thursday, but this week the Young Men's President said he was going to take care of it all with the Branch President and Secretary. We showed up a little early (not that I was skeptical that they were actually going to do it, more of just an insurance haha) and all the chairs were already set up. As everyone started showing up we greeted them as usual, but they all had looks on their faces like they were up to something. The family night began (a half hour late as is Salvadorean custom) and the branch had done the whole thing as a thank you to us missionaries. A lot of members had prepared little talks and one member even played, "Armies of Helaman" on his guitar while he sang modified song lyrics directed more towards us. It was so kind of them, I love this branch, and hope I don't get changed on the 20th so I can finish my mission here. I feel like I have so much more I want to be able to help these people with, and just not enough time to do it. 

Other than that, it was a pretty normal week. I got my airline ticket... talk about a terrible feeling. 

But overall happy, working hard, and trying to gain lots of weight before I get home:) 

Love, 

Elder Davis

Week 93 Conference

This week was full of just normal but rewarding missionary work, up until Friday. 

Friday we went to this huge lot on the side of a hill (of course because everything here is a hill) and with machetes cleaned the entire thing up. It had been overrun with weeds for years, but these members were trying to sell it and wanted it to look clean for the buyers, so they asked us to help. It was exhausting, but nice to work with our hands for a little. 

Saturday we woke up early and ran over to Hermana Roxannas House. When we got there she already had everything ready and we threw the batter in trays and stuck them into the oven we helped her build. We made Quesadillas (not the cheese Mexican food- it's a type of bread here) and it turned out super delicious. Needless to say, building my own oven when I get home is on my to do list. 

For conference I watched it with Elder Bingham and Elder Durbin in the branch president's office in English (translations just never match up to hearing the prophets and apostles voices). We had tons of snacks and the conference was amazing.

When President Uchtdorf talked about dad's asking their children to take selfies of them it reminded me of our Grand Canyon trip when dad asked us like 5 times to take selfies of him and mom. hahaha President Uchtdorf hit that on point. 

Everything is going well here. Our little branch keeps going through trials, but we are pushing forward. 

Love you all, 

Elder Davis

Week 92 Holy Week

This week was awesome. We had an amazing temple trip to take investigators and they loved it. The spirit was strong and everything was well organized and executed. My branch president forgot to contract a bus to take everyone, so at 6:15 in the morning the day of the trip he called to tell us he had forgotten haha. We threw on some clothes and ran down to the terminal and started searching for anyone who would do the trip for us. As an answer to our prayers, God placed a bus owner in our path who had just gone down to the terminal to sign a paper that day, and wasn't going to work. He agreed to do the trip for us and it turned out great. Between the 2 areas we took 40 investigators and less actives to the temple!

We opened up a new city (San Isidro) it's a little town down the road from Sensunte, but the new sisters stole so much of our area we had to find somewhere to work, and we are already seeing fruits. 

Friday was interesting (the buses shut down Friday through Sunday for Holy Week) because we had to see an investigator in San Fransisco. A little place about 7 miles from Sensunte. We could have paid someone to take us, but we aren't allowed to get in the back of trucks here, so we ended up having to walk there and back haha. It was a far walk, but the investigator is well worth it and everything turned out good. On the way we had all sorts of adventures- the funniest one was when Elder Bigham saw some bags of what he thought were juice on the side of the road and convinced me to see who could throw one higher and have them splat on the road. As we picked them up the liquid started falling out of little holes all over our hands. The smell was inmistakable, it wasn't juice, it was pee. hahaha

This week was Semana Santa- meaning everyone decided they were Catholic again. It was kinda interesting to do a self reflection on how much my teaching has changed since last Semana Santa. I wish I understood then what I understand now, about this gospel and about how to teach it to these people, who have a love for their Savior, but don't know anything about who He is or what He truly did for them. 

In the Lectures on Faith, Joseph Smith explained that to have true faith we need to understand the character of God, who He really is. 

That is one of the most amazing things about the restored gospel for me. We know who our God is. To us He isn't some impossible to understand spirit that is everywhere and nowhere at once. He isn't some undefinable 3 persons in one, or one in three. He is an all powerful, all knowing, exalted man. The literal father of our spirits. He has an only begotten Son in the flesh who is our Lord, our brother, our Savior and our king. He lived a perfect life, and gave a perfect sacrifice that only He could have given. He suffered more than we can comprehend, more than any man could have suffered save it be unto death. He bled from every pour, and He did all of it for the simple and selfless reason that He loves each of us with a perfect love. 

This Easter I give my witness that Jesus of Nazareth is my Savior. I love Him with all my heart and despite all of my efforts I will always be in His debt. 

The distractions of the world and temporal needs and responsibilities may not allow me to dedicate all the time I should after the mission to spreading His true gospel, but I hope to always be a missionary. 

I'm happier and working harder than ever:) 

Love

Elder Davis

Week 91 Movie Night!

This week I did something I never thought I would do in the mission. We went to the movies! 

Tuesday night we got a call that we would be going and I thought it was a joke, it took Elder Durbin a good 5 minutes to convince me that it was the truth haha.

So Wednesday we woke up early and caught the bus to San Salvador where we met up at the movie theater with 120 other missionaries. I guess President Vasquez saw this movie about the resurrection of Christ through the eyes of this Roman captain and loved it so much he wanted us all to see it haha. I felt so wicked walking into the theater, and watching the trailers for the other movies that will be coming out (not going to lie Batman vs Superman looks pretty good) but it was fun. I was happy because I am finally convinced that I have Spanish down because I understood the entire movie without issues (ended up translating most of it for my comp haha). 

Other than that it was a pretty normal week... This week is Semana Santa so all of the Catholics are already going crazy. I am in one of the most Catholic towns that I have ever seen and even Catholics who never go to mass turn super fanatic this week, so hopefully we have people to teach. 

All is good in the hood!

Love Elder Davis