Hello Hello!
I have never loved Mondays so much in my life, until I became a Missionary! Mondays are the best! I love getting your letters and emails! You all are so wonderful and so good to me! I am eternally grateful for your love and support! This week has been.. well.. Interesting! I was sick most of the week and just starting to be on the up hill of things! I had so much time to read the scriptures it was truly a gift! I love reading the scriptures! I find physical, spiritual, and emotional strength as I read them and relate them to my life. My mission is teaching me things, that I may have never come to known for myself otherwise. I finished reading the Book of Mormon again! Every time I read I can feel myself become closer to my Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that I am learning things that will help me both spiritually and temporally through out my whole life. I learn things that will bless me and my future family. I am learning how to discern the needs of others. I am not just learning the stories, but I am learning why they were included. I am finding new insights and guidance on every page. I love what Nephi says in chapter six of his first book, "I shall give commandment unto my seed that they shall not occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men." I know that this is true! In Mormon 8:35, Moroni says, "Behold, I speak unto as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing." I know that everything in the Book of Mormon is for us, for me, and for YOU! It was preserved for our day so that we could receive guidance and direction. SO many people sacrificed all that they had, even their lives to preserve and protect this book of scripture! Prophets who wrote these words and especially Latter-day Prophets! How grateful I am for their sacrifice! How grateful I am for our Heavenly Fathers love. I know that He loves us and wants to read and study and apply the scriptures so that we can be prepared for when our Savior comes again! He is coming!
Wednesday I had such an interesting experience. We had to take our car to the Ford Country dealership for a repair. I told Sister Area that it would either take 10 mins or 2 hours.. Well they told us it would take 2 hours, so we went in the show room to wait. We were reading the scriptures when a kid came up and sat at the table near us. He had random tats all over and his shorts were hanging to his knees. He looked about 17. We both felt impressed to talk to him. We started up a conversation and of course it led to the gospel, EVERYTHING relates to the gospel. We talked about our mission and what we do and share with people. His brother came to sit an listen, he looked about 15. They shared with us the trails they had faced in their lives. They told us about the death of their to brothers, how God had never answered their prayers, and how family is so important to them. We testified that they would see their brothers again, that God gave us our families to help us, support us, and that He does answer prayers. We were in the right place at the right time! We testified of the Book of Mormon and that it truly would help them come closer to God. I am so grateful our car didn't take 10 mins. We were needed there! Later on in the conversation we realized that the one we thought was 17 - was actually 25. And the one we thought was 15 - was actually 31!! We would have never guessed!
Thursday we had Zone Training Meeting. It was so fun! Our Zone is hilarious! We learned a lot of new tools and guidance that will really help our area if we can apply them correctly. Afterwards, Sister Area felt impressed to go visit a lady who didn't want to learn about the church a few weeks ago... We went down an allyway to her house and as we were walking we met these two teenagers, Marinda and Joseph. We talked to them and asked them if we could come and share a message about Jesus Christ with their family.. They gave us their address and we set up a time to see them! I know that is why we went down that ally to the other house. We needed to meet those two kids!
Friday I went down hill again, I was not feeling well. But we went to meet with Miranda and Joseph's family. They were not home but we met their father Oscar. He is from Honduras. He is a single father raising 4 children. It was hard to understand what we was saying, but what we did gather was he believes in God but has no religious background. His ex-wife and the mother of his 4 kids is in prison for the third time. She has drug addictions and it has really toren their family apart. He wants to learn about the gospel and have his family come closer to God. We set up to go back on Saturday, because he said his oldest two would be home then.
Saturday we went back and we felt impressed to bring Brother Gardner with us. Well it turns out that Brother Gardner knows Oscar!!! Oscar use to come to the church for the networking meetings to try and get a job! Brother Gardner helped him get a job! Oscar told us that he wants to be a member of the church. We taught the Restoration and Oscar asked us "How can I be happy like you? You are so happy!" AWHHH! It is the gospel! It brings us happiness! We talked about baptism! And he wants to learn and prepare! I am so grateful we walked down that ally and talked to those two teenagers.. We would not have met Oscar if it wasn't for that!
Sunday I gave a talk in sacrament meeting, along with our new ward mission leader and his wife. It was an amazing meeting! My talk was focused on a quote by John Bytheway. He once said, "A true friend brings you closer to Christ" My first point to be that kind of friend, a true friend, was that we have to see everyone as our brothers and sisters. I read a letter from my little sister Breeze. She wrote this letter to me last April, and it has truly shaped my mission. She talked about her testimony that every person I share the gospel with isn't a stranger, or a friend, but is our brothers and sisters. It is such an inspiring letter. My second point was that we need to be open. Be open about our beliefs. Be open about our standards. Be open about our way of life. I read a letter I got from my little brother Kiger, back in June. He is so open with everyone! I shared the story of him taking his friend home for school and his testimony to him about the Book of Mormon. I love what Kiger said at the end of his letter. "Then I dropped him off, he promised he would read! Who knows if he really read, but I know that now that Book of Mormon is out there it has the opportunity to go places and touch other people's lives!" So inspiring. The last point I made was about inviting with love. I named all of the members of this ward that I have seen invite with love in the past 3 weeks that I have been here! It was powerful! The other two speakers did an amazing job as well! Sister Area and I went to Primary and taught the kids a song, "Invite! Invite! Morning, Noon, and Night! Invite! Invite! Invite with all your might!" We gave them all missionary name tags! They loved them so much! It was awesome!
I am so grateful to be serving in the Black Canyon Ward here in Boulder City. I am learning a lot. A lot about myself and a lot about how the hand of the Lord can work in our lives. I know that there are miracles all around us - we just have to find them! I love finding miracles! I know that this is exactly where I need to be!
I am so grateful for this gospel! I am so grateful to be a missionay!
Love and miss you all!
Love,
Sister Davis
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