June 27 2013

Hello my lovely family and friends!

WOW! I feel so blessed! Today was filled with many emails and letters from my most favorite people.. EVER! Thank you for thinking of me. I love you all so much and think of you all the time! ALL THE TIME!

I have to say things here in Vegas are really great and I can't believe I have already been out on my mission for 10 weeks! I am loving every minute! Did any of you watch The Work of Salvation Broadcast last night?!!?!?!? No?? You missed out! Preach My Gospel changed Missionary Work for the last decade and that Broadcast will change Missionary Work for the next few decades!!!!!

L. Tom Perry announced, “The missionaries are now authorized to use the Internet in their proselyting efforts. During less-productive times of the day—chiefly in the mornings—missionaries will use computers in meetinghouses and other Church facilities to contact investigators and members, work with local priesthood leaders and missionary leaders, receive and contact referrals, follow up on commitments, confirm appointments, and teach principles from Preach My Gospel using mormon.org, Facebook, blogs, email, and text messages. “Access to the Internet by missionaries and the use of digital devices will be phased over several months and into next year. We will be in touch with you when it is time for your mission and area to use these tools. Of course safety is paramount in this new frontier of missionary work. Mission presidents will monitor missionaries’ online work to help them remain safe in all they do.”

This is HUGE! I am so excited to be apart of this great and marvelous work! There was so much more that was said at the Broadcast! We will soon have all of our chapels open during the day and tours will be available for all, given by missionaries! I can't wait for that! Each chapel will turn into a little visit center type thing.

The work here in Robindale is moving forward a little more everyday! I know that as we continue to be strictly obedient the Lord will bless us with miracles!

The forty day fast is going great! We are about half way done and many of the members have friends they want to share the gospel with! They are bringing them to Family Home Evening and to Church. The members are feeling the urgency and excitement more and more!

We are doing a lot of reactivation! So far we have five people we are working with to bring back into the fold. ONE at a time! We are trying to care of the ONE! At last nights Broadcast someone said that the Lord will not trust you with more of His children if we don't take care of the ones we already have. We are working hard to help the children Heavenly Father has already blessed with the true Gospel.

I am so excited to see what comes of all the new changes! I know that they will bring the gospel to so many more of God's children who need His love. I feel so honored that I am able to help move the work forward!

I am always praying for YOU!

Love,

Sister Davis

P.S. Please keep writing!!!!!!!!!! I love letters! I have a book of every letter that has been mailed to me. (I can't print the emails). I only have one hour to email, so please write me letters so I have time to respond! XOXO.

June 10 2013

Hello!!!

I hope you all are doing well! I love reading all of your letters and hearing about what is going on in your lives! I wish I could be there for all the good times and bad, but I know that I am needed here in Las Vegas. The work here is good and very hot! I'm melting! But I love it!

This last week we started our 40 day fast and we are already seeing the miracles poor out upon us and the Robindale YSA Ward! We had two investigator, that were not progressing. It was in all of our best interest to stop teaching them. We really didn't want to loose them, because we love them so much! But as soon as we did we received three new investigators out of the blue! We exercised our faith in the Lord and He truly did bless us! I am so grateful for the opportunity to see the Lord's hand so frequently.

This coming Wednesday our mission will begin to read the Book of Mormon together. We will each read 7-9 pages a day! We will finish the Book of Mormon in 75 days. Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon in 75 days! We are inviting everyone to join us in this amazing journey! I would like to invite each of you! This is something that I know will strength my testimony both in the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. I am so excited to have this opportunity! I hope you will join me!

I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ can help each one of us, no matter what we are going through! I am so grateful to be able to share that with people! I want to thank you all for the support you give me! I think of you often! I love and miss you so very much!

Love,

Sister Davis

June 03 2013

Let me just start by saying Heavenly Father truly is aware of each one of us, individually! He knows our worries and our fears. He wants to help us and He knows how to do that! Yesterday was a powerful day! Filled with blessings and miracles!

I had the opportunity to fast and this Sabbath Day I choose to fast in gratitude to my  Father in Heaven for all that He does for me. Here on the mission it is so much clearer to me that His hand is guiding ever aspect of my life! What a blessing! We had a powerful testimony meeting. Jantell, a girl who just started coming back to church, bore her testimony. It was beautiful! She talked about how she saw us in her apartment complex, 3 weeks ago, and ran home to clean. She started praying that we would knock on her door and we did. She has totally turned her life around, in order to grow closer to her Savior. It's amazing to see the changes she is making!

Sister Cardenas and I taught during the third hour of church. It was a combined Priesthood and Relief Society meeting. We began with testifying of the Savior and His 40 day fast. We then introduced that as a congregation we were going to start a 40 day fast. Each person was asked to fast one day for the missionary work in our area. We passed around a calendar for people to sign up on and by the end of the lesson it was full of names! Many people signed up for multiple days! We played a video called, "Small and Simple Things!" It was powerful! The Spirit was so strong! By the end there was not a dry eye in the room! The video explained the importance of our small acts of service and the importance of baring our testimony to those around us. We gave every person a black name tag just like ours.. They wrote their names on it and we reminded them that they are all called to this work! Bishop Tuke spoke for 15 minutes at the end. He asked, "How many of you go to a good restaurant and don't tell any of your friends about it? ...Why is sharing the Gospel any different? ...How many of you are worried about offending your friends by telling them about that good restaurant? ... Why are you afraid about sharing the Gospel? ... How many of your friends stopping being your friend if they don't like the restaurant you told them about? ... Why would they stop being your friend if you shared the Gospel with them?" Everyone got the message! Bishop Tuke had Sister Cardenas and I stand up in front of everyone and said, "We are so blessed to have these two missionaries in our ward, and they are sister missionaries, which is even better! Why do you think they are here? Do you think they didn't have things going on at home? Do you think Salt Lake didn't know what to do with them so they just gave them to us? They are called of God! They are here to teach our friends and our families. They are here to teach! They are the ONLY ones who have the authority from God to teach your friends and family in this area. You do not have the authority to teach them. I do not have the authority. We can bare testimony to our friends and family, but we cannot teach them! You are here to give Sister Davis and Sister Cardenas opportunities to teach!"

I can't even express to you the overwhelming feeling of the Spirit that was felt as Bishop Tukespoke. I definitely needed a reminder of my calling. Heavenly Father sent me here to teach! I know that as the Robindale YSA Ward fasts for missionary opportunities we will see miracles! We will! I cannot wait to see the affect each person has on their loved ones!

It only takes one person to introduce the Gospel to someone and change their life forever. Be that ONE person! We need you! God needs you!

I love you!

Sister Davis

May 27 2013- Mothers Day

On Mothers Day, Sister Davis got to FaceTime her parents :)

(Sister Davis face timing her Mom, and siblings Kiger & Breeze)

May 27 2013

My Sweet Family & Friends!

I have to say things just get better and better as my time serving the Lord continues. This week was full of miracles and blessings! Something that I have come to learn this week is that.. As long as I do my best, The Lord will ALWAYS provide the rest! What a blessing it is to be involved in The Lord's work! Yesterday Sister Cardenas and I had the oppertunity to speak at church. I was asked to speak on missionary work and how we are all called to this marvelous work! There were many new faces there, which is such a blessing. After we spoke many of the members came up to us to with names of their friends who they wanted us to visit and teach! It is a such blessing that the members trust us with their dear friends.

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to go on exchanges with two other sister missionaries! It was a great experience to see how they teach and to have an oppertunity to spend 24 hours with each of them. We were able to contact many people who haven't been to church in years and they are ready to come back! The Lord was able to place us in the right place at the right time! I am so grateful to be an instrument in His hands.

I know that The Lord placed me here in the Robindale YSA Ward for a purpose. There is an absolutely amazing single adult in our ward named Kayla! We teach her twice a week and every time we do my testimony of our Savior's love is strengthened! I have grown to love her so much! This week she gave us the greatest gift! It was a basket filled with different kinds of snacks and each one had a really cute saying that went with it! She put so much thought and effort into this surprise! It really meant a lot! Y'all know how much I LOVE cute, thoughtful, from the heart gifts! 

I know that my Savior lives and that Heavenly Father is aware of each one of His precious children! I am so grateful for this time I have to dedicated to The Lord! I pray for you all and think about you often! I can't wait to hear from you next week! 

Love,

Sister Davis

May 20 2013

Can I just start by saying how much I love and miss y'all?!

 

Things here are so great! I know I say that in like every letter, but it is so true!! It's starting to feel like I'm living in the flame! It's wicked hot here! But the breeze is nice! This week was pretty rough. They never said the mission would be easy! But it sure is worth it! I've seen so many miracles it's truly amazing! God is great!

 

I've been keeping a miracle/blessing journal since I got to Vegas! And boy do I have lots of things to write in it! What a blessing! I've really started to appreciate the little things! This week we met an amazing girl named Jantell. She has had a really hard life, but is still so happy and optimistic. Meeting her was truly a blessing for all of us. She wants to come back to church and wants to start doing what she knows is right! On Sunday night there was a fireside that our mission puts on every month called, "Why I Believe." There are musical numbers preformed by the missionaries. A couple people are asked to share their conversion story and how they came to know their Savior and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is so inspiring and everyone is invited. Jantell was able to come with us and it really impacted all of us! The Spirit was so strong! I can't wait until next month when I can attend again!

 

I was able to go to the Las Vegas Temple this past week and it also marked one month since I entered the MTC! The Temple was amazing! It was so cool to be there with all the new missionaries and their companions. The Vegas Temple is beautiful! Very different from the other Temples I have visited, but still so beautiful! The Spirit and Peace that is felt at the Temple is truly a blessing! It is powerful!

 

I can't believe I've been out on the mission for a month! Time has just flown by! It's unreal! This week I've been studying a lot about Peace. I know that in a world full of chaos and trouble when it seem like there is no peace to be found we can have inner peace. That peace only comes from our Savior. He is the Prince of Peace. Though it sometimes seems that the world is against us Christ is always by our side. Always! He lives! He loves us! I am so grateful to have that knowledge, and I am honored that the Lord has allowed me the opportunity to share it with others.

 

With all my love,

Sister Davis

 

P.S. I've been going through the General Conference Talks from April 2013 & it is amazing! I encourage you all to read one a week at least! It is such a blessing to have a living Prophet and Apostles called of God to guide and direct us! ....Keep sending letters! My address is on my blog if you need it! sisterlaekynndavis.blogspot.com

May 13 2013

Hello my beautiful family and friends!

I miss you all very much! Things here in Sin City are awesome! I am learning so much and growing spiritually. I honestly feel like I am being molded and crafted into a better me! It's hard to change, but just seeing how far I have come in a little less than a month.. I can't imagine how I will be by the end of the Mission!

Things here in the YSA Ward are really hard! We only have two people to teach and we spend most of our time reaching out to people who are less active in church. However, it is really rewarding to visit with and talk to so many people. They all have a very unique story and it truly is a blessing.

Sister Cardenas and I have been having so many amazing experiences together. If only I could put them into a few words. On Sunday we taught the Gospel Principles lesson in Sunday School. It was so great! The spirit was so strong and truly was giving us the words. We taught about Faith in Jesus Christ. I've studied about Faith so much in the last month. What a blessing it is to have this gift of Faith. It truly is a spiritual gift from our loving Heavenly Father. I am continually amazed at how my faith is growing and changing. Without Faith we have nothing. Nothing! In the Book of Mormon it talks so much about Faith. I love Ether 12! I 've read it so many times and every time I gain more understanding and knowledge about Faith!

I am so grateful to have this opportunity to serve my Heavenly Father and His children. Every person we see is truly a daughter or son of God and they have divine potential. They each have something to offer to this world. I love serving the people of Las Vegas!

I'm always praying and thinking about you!

Miss & Love you!

Love,

Sister Davis

P.S. Don't forget to send me letters! I love picking up my mail on Mondays! It's the best!

May 6 2013

Hello Friends & Family!!!!

I hope everyone is doing good! Things are amazing here in Vegas! I arrived on May 1st and met my new companion, Sister Cardenas! She is originaly from Peru, but has lived in Provo for the last 12 years. She has been serving the Lord for the last 14 months! She is such a blessing to me! I absolutely love her! She reminds me a lot of Raven, which I love!

I am currently serving in the Rodindale Young Single Adult Ward here in Vegas. What a blessing! This is the first time they have ever had their own set of missionaries, not to mention Sisters! We are opening this area up for missionary work with the help of all the members. I met the Bishop last Tuesday. His name is Bishop Tuke and he is the Fire Chief! He is one of the nicest people I have ever met! He has really taken us under his wing and is so excited to have us here!

I have been receiving blessings left and right from the Lord! It is amazing! When I first arrived we didn't have an apartment, so we stayed with four other Sisters and slept on the floor. However, the next day they found us an apartment and we moved in. All we had were beds. No desks, or chairs, or any kitchen supplies. It was so empty! Bishop Tuke asked us what all we needed. He found so many people who want to help us. It has been such a blessing.

I feel so overwhelmed with all of the love and support we have been given in this area!

I know that my Heavenly Father is aware of me and each one of us! He sends people to us in our times of need. I am able to recognize my blessings so much more since being on the mission. It amazes me how much my Father in Heaven is blessing me! Prayer has been such a source of comfort to me. As I trust in the Lord I am able to find strength! I am so grateful for this oppertunity to serve the Lord.

I miss & love you all!
Can't wait to hear from you!

Love,

Sister Davis

P.S. I can only pick up my mail on Mondays from the Mission office. I can't wait to check my mail next Monday! Thank you for all your letters, packages, and emails!

May 2 2013- SLC Airport

Headed to Las Vegas, NV!!!

April 25 2013- Provo MTC

Hello!!!

I am so excited that I have a chance to send you all a letter! I love you & miss you SO much! I have been at the MTC for 8 days now and it has been the best 8 days of my entire life! And I'm not even exaggerating! I love it here! I have been learning so much and enjoying every minute I have here! I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to learn, grow, and prepare in this amazing place. Everyone here at the MTC is so sweet and helpful. There has been so much going on I'm not sure where to begin and what exactly I should share with you. I have had so many wonderful and spiritual experiences I wish I could tell you everything. I'll start off with just some basic information.

My companion's name is Sister Nichols and she is from Palmyra, New York! How cool is that!? Sister Nichols and I work so well together and I am truly blessed to have her as my companion. We always seem to be on the same page. We have similar goals and hopes for the success of our missions. We have already taught 7 lessons together and we can always feel the Spirit in those lessons. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to learn from her and with her. There 10 people in our district. 4 Elders. 6 Sisters. We have gotten to be so close. The Sisters are all going to the Las Vegas Mission, but the Elders will be serving in San Antonio! We are seriously a little family. We do everything together, from studying to eating meals to playing knock out and volleyball during our gym time. I love them so much and I am so grateful to have been able to spend my time at the MTC with them. I feel so blessed. I know it may sound like I am saying that a lot, but I truly have so much gratitude in my heart. It is so amazing to be apart of the Lord's work!

Every day is practically the same. I sleep, eat, study, and repeat. I study about 3-4 hours everyday on my own. I'm gaining so much insight from my scripture studies. I've grown to love and cherish the hours I get to spend learning! I have a few different teachers that come to teach my district each day. Each one of them have served missions and are so insightful. Sister Fuller, one of my teachers, served her mission in the Texas Houston East Mission, so I knew her from when she served in Atascocita Ward. It has been so nice to have a familiar face. I have been learning so much from my teachers. Not only do I learn important skills to have as a missionary, but I also learn life lessons that I know will benefit me in the future.

I see my old roommate, Kati Ford, everyday! It is so nice to see a familiar face among the 3,000 missionaries who are here at the MTC right now! I also saw Talyn Hohneke a ton before he left for his mission in West Virgina. Okay, something I thought was so cool was that on Wednesday, April 17th, the day I entered the MTC, was the first time in history that there were more Sisters who entered than Elders! There were 259 Sisters and 253 Elders! I think that is so awesome! And I am so excited to have the opportunity to be making history here!

Here's one quick story.. Everyone in my district was asked to prepare a talk on Faith. Our Branch President would choose two people out of four districts to speak in church. We didn't know if we were going to be one of the two until he called us out of the congregation on Sunday. And can you take a guess who was chosen out of like 40 people to speak... ME! But I love speaking in front of people and I was one of the only people who was prepared. I feel blessed to have had an opportunity to testify of faith in front of so many missionaries.

Something that I have gained a stronger testimony of since being here at the MTC is that Jesus Christ's gospel really is for everyone. No matter your situation or your struggles the Gospel can help you! I know that this is true! As I study and pray about the Book of Mormon I have come so much closer to my Savior. I know that the more I understand Christ's purpose and ministry the more I am able to understand my purpose here. I know that my Heavenly Father helps me everyday! I can feel His love and see His hand work miracles in my life! In Ether 12:6 it reads, "Ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." I know we will have trails, but with faith in Jesus Christ we can overcome anything.

I wish I could spend more time telling you stories and expressing my love for each one of you! But I am limited on my time, as you all know.

I leaving for Las Vegas on May 1st! I won't be able to send another email until May 6th. So this is it for about a week and a half!

I love you all & pray for you everyday!

Love,

Sister Davis

P.S. Thank you so much for all of the dearelder mail, letters, and packages! I am truly blessed to have friends & family that love and support me! I have received more letters than all 10 people in my district combined! They've been counting, not me. Keep sending more! I love hearing about your lives! Even if you don't think you have anything interesting to say I promise I will love hearing about whatever you do have to say! If you aren't sure how to write me or what my address is check out my blog!! sisterlaekynndavis.blogspot.com