September 09 2013

Hey Hey Hey!!!!!

Happy Monday! What a great day it is! I feel so blessed to be able to take part in The Lord's plan for his children! This week has been where The Lord is truly refining and teaching me. I have had many opportunities to rely on His love and guidance.

 

This week we were able to meet and visit many Less-Actives. It amazes me how many of God's children have partaken of the great fruit of The Gospel, but have fallen off the path. Some of them just need to feel loved and wanted and needed! Once they feel like someone cares and misses them they come running back! I think that is one of the greatest sights to see! I have witnessed so many of my brother's and sister's come back to His fold. What a joy it is to see that! My purpose as a missionary is really becoming more meaningful with each passing day.

 

Jesse is doing great! I just love him! He has such a desire to be a better person and a better father for his 3 year old son. He is truly understanding God's love for him as we continue to relate it back to his love for his son. He is struggling a lot with the influences of the world. Especially with the influence here in Vegas. If you aren't LDS or have good standards then you spend all your time on the strip or at the local bar... Jesse is striving to withstand those temptations and is so open with us. His openness with us just helps us to know how to help him and that he really wants to be better!!!! Pray for him!!!

 

We also started teaching Katie!!! Katie is amazing! AMAZING! She has been dating a guy named Stepheno, who is a member. She has been learning about the church fromStepheno's older brother who served a mission. She has come to church for the past 3 months!!! And is reading the Book of Mormon! She is now ready to meet with the missionaries!!! We met with her yesterday and she is solid!! She is already on 1 Nephi 15!!!! And LOVES the Book of Mormon!

 

Speaking of LOVING the Book of Mormon... I LOVE THE BOM! It is seriously SO amazing!! I am learning so much and relating every verse to the world we live in today! I just love how Heavenly Father continues to lead and guide us today through the words and testimonies of those that lived so long ago!

 

Prayer is SO real! I have spent more times on knees this week than I ever have before. The Lord  truly knows how to comfort each one of us! I am so blessed to have felt my Savior's love so abundantly in my life! He lives! I know that my redeemer lives!

 

Remember that He knows you!

 

Love you! Miss you! Always!

 

Love,

Sister Davis  

September 02 2013

Family and Friends!!

I love you so so much!

This has been a great week! We found out about transfers on Saturday! It was so stressful waiting for the news! I've been here in Robindale for 4 months now, so I was pretty sure I would be leaving.. BUT Sister Berger and I will be here another transfer together!!!!!!!! I am seriously in love with Robindale so I am so glad to be staying... That means I will be here 6 months! 1/3 of the mission! It's crazy!!!

So this week has been kinda weird.. I'm not sure why.. Just weird. But lots of tender mercies. The Lord truly is aware of each one of his children and it is so great to take part in this work! Sister Berger and I had the opportunity to do a training together in our Zone Training meeting. We were training on having our members become member missionaries. It was a great opportunity to help our Zone see the HOW in member missionary work. It doesn't happen over night, but it does happen! I have seen Robindale completely change and transform to be missionary minded. My companions and I have put a lot of work in over the past 4 months and we are seeing more and more results of our hard work! The Lord really is opening my spiritual eyes so that I can be refined.

So this week we met with Jesse again!!! First off.. listen to this... well read this I mean... Jesse came to FHE on Monday night.. Came up to us at the end and set our next appointment... AND asked a member to come to the lesson... YAHOO! Okay, this may not sound like that big of a deal! BUT this is every missionaries dream, that their investigator will set up the appointment, instead of us pulling teeth to set one up.. AND asking a member to come for us! Oh it was a beautiful thing!!! Fast Forward... We had an AWESOME lesson with Jesse on Saturday.. we taught The Gospel of Jesus Christ -Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of The Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End - Jesse really loved it... We set him for baptism on September 21st!!!! He accepted and wants to prepare to be baptized then! He told us that Sunday (yesterday) he has a lot of plans with his family, but he canceled ALL his plans so that he will be able to come to church this Sunday! WOW! That's amazing, and really shows a lot about him! And then on Sunday... HE CAME TO CHURCH! Cesar, this super awesome guy in our ward, picked him for church, sat with him, explained things to him, introduced him to other members, and took him to the classes.. Jesse LOVED church! He said he can't wait to come back next week! He told us he learned so so much! He is even bring his friend to FHE tonight! How cool is that?!! Our investigator is being a missionary! OH &&& I almost forgot... We set him for the 21st of September, because we prayed to know when he will be ready by and that is the answer Heavenly Father gave us... WELL... His birthday is on the 20th! The day before his baptism! How cool is that?!!! WAY COOL!

I am truly learning SO much from reading The Book of Mormon. I am finding ways to apply the teaching in my life as a missionary and in my life not as a full time missionary.. The words are truly the words of Christ! I feel so close to my Savior and my Heavenly Father as I read! I know that no matter what your troubles, worries, or concerns are that The Book of Mormon has the answers and will provide comfort! I wish I would have relied on it more and been a more devoted disciple of Christ growing up.. But I know that it is never to late to have The Gospel change your life and outlook! What a blessing it is to have the knowledge we do and to have the opportunity to share it with everyone around you. I know that as we look outward, that The Lord looks outward on us!!! I have seen this so much! 

I hope you have an awesome week! Look for ways to help and influence others for good! Be an example of the Believers! 

XOXO!

Love,

Sister Davis

August 26 2013

My Biggest Supporters!

I love and miss you!

It is getting harder and harder to remember what goes on in the week, because the weeks are so jammed pack! Last Monday seems like a life time ago! We have had some great experiences this week! I just love being here!

I want to tell you about Jesse! He is wonderful! I just love him! -side note- it is just so cool to love people so easily! I can really feel Heavenly Father's love for each person I talk to. Anyways, Jesse! He is 22 and has a son. We met Jesse last last week on the street. We were in our car driving to meet someone else.. I saw him in his front yard, and just felt like we needed to go meet him! I am so glad that we turned around. When we got out of the car we talked for a minute, he was rushing to leave, but told us to take down his number and that he wanted to come to church! Okay- so a week goes bye and he never responded to our messages so we just stopped by. He told us that he lost his phone and welcomed us in. We taught him about the Restoration of The Gospel! He said he really didn't know anything and wanted to learn more. He came to Family Home Evening (which is just an activity we have every Monday night at the church).. He came and we played dodge ball/capture the flag combination! He had a blast and made a lot of friends with the members! We gave him a church tour afterwards, ending in the chapel. The Spirit was so strong. He said he couldn't wait to come to church. Later that week we met again and he came to a YSA Valley wide party at UNLV. It was great to see him making friends with such great members. He came to see a baptism on Saturday and loved it! He turned to us and said this is something he wants to do. We explained the priesthood to him and he said he wanted to be able to have the priesthood someday! Awww! It was great!!

We had an awesome girl named Sydney come to church. The Elders were teaching her, but she should be going to the YSA ward so they introduced us to her. She loved theYSA ward on Sunday! She is so fun and really wants to know the truth for herself! She is searching! That is the greatest thing.. when people really want to know for themselves. That's what we want! We don't want them to just believe what we are telling them, or what their friends are telling them.. But we want them to ASK Heavenly Father!

I know that it is so important for all of us to ask questions! Our Heavenly Father wants to answer us. Your Heavenly Father wants to answer YOU! I wish I would have really understood that before my mission. I wish I would have relied on Him more. But I am learning so many things here in Las Vegas! I know there is a life time of learning ahead of me. I am so grateful for the small knowledge I do have. What a blessing it is to have our Heavenly Father and our Savior on our side! ALWAYS!

I love being a missionary. I love knowing I am a daughter of God. I love my life.

Until next week, keep sending letters! They keep me going!

Love,

Sister Davis

August 19 2013

Family & Friends!!!!

Can I just tell you how much I love being a missionary?!! It is the greatest thing anyone could ever do! What a blessing it is to be able to serve my Savior and my brother and sisters here in LV Nation!

This week we found NINE new investigators! NINE! Everyday we found one or two! I love each one of them so much! Each of their stories and how we found them are so precious and unique! I won't get into all the details, but I will tell you their names! Pray for them!

Shi! (friend of a less active)

Fabian! (we met him on the street)

Amanda! (friend of a member)

Katie! (less active's girl friend)

Tony! (referral from other missionaries)

Mauricio! (referral from other missionaries)

Jesse! (we met him on the street)

Eva! (we met her on the street)

Alec! (we met him on the street)

I wish I could share everything with you! One day I will! We can read each of these letters together and I will tell you all the things I left out! What an awesome time that will be! You will be able to see alllllll of my pictures, journals, and planners! You will really know how things are! Because they are just so great!

Things I've learned this week...

Goal setting is SO important! The goals and numbers we set are not just random. They have names and faces behind each one. A goal not written down is just a dream! We were able to exceed our goals! ONLY BECAUSE we had The Lord on our side. If you set a goal and don't go to The Lord for his affirmation and help to achieve it you won't achieve it! It doesn't matter the goal! Spiritual, Temporal, Physical, Emotional... etc. The Lord HAS TO be involved if you want to accomplish it!!!

When you pray for Christ-like Attributes The Lord will pour opportunities for you to develop it! This week I prayed for patience! I was given many opportunities to be patient! What a Blessing!

The Lord will give you just enough strength to get through the hard times. I was not feeling very good several times this week.. But the work must go on! As soon as we would get into a lesson or start talking to someone on the street I would instantly feel better! But as soon as we left or got into the car that sick feeling would come rushing back to me.... I know that The Lord gives us strength to be an instrument in his hands. I am grateful he gives me the strength and then takes it away, so that I can recognize He has a hand in all things.

I am just so full of gratitude. I know that my time here is but a blink of an eye. I hit my 4 month mark on Saturday. It's hard to believe! Only 14 months to go! It will be over so soon and I want to look back and know I did what The Lord asked of me. If anything I want to know that my service was not wasted. I have become a better person. I have realized that we have no other option, but to rely on The Lord and His timing! I am so grateful that I can only call home twice a year and write letters on Monday. I am more focused that way. I do miss all of you! But I know that we can overcome even the hardest trials with our Savior on our side! Thank goodness He knows us better than we know our selves. I look back on where I was a year ago.. where I was two years ago.. where I was 5 years ago... The Lord truly provided a way and guided me so that I would be worthy and prepared to be refined. So that He could mold me into the daughter he wants me to be! The daughter he NEEDS me to be! 

I am so grateful for this sacred time I have been given.

I love you all & pray for you!

Love,

Sister Davis

August 12 2013

What a week! I love being a missionary!

 

Hellooooo all you wonderful cheerleaders!

 

I am so grateful for your support! This week has been one to take note of! We found 4 new investigators! Talked to sooo many people! And had eight lessons with investigators, with members present! We call those LTMs! We met with so many less-actives and had an amazing missionary themed sacrament meeting yesterday!

 

Highlights for this week!!!

 

Ken Kirby! We met Ken as we were walking to visit a less active! We asked him if we could share with him a short message right then... And he invited us in! His girlfriend is a member, but hasn't been to church in 12 years! We were able to explain to him the Truth has been Restored to the Earth! He listened so intently! It wasn't a planned lesson, but The Lord put him in our path and gave us the opportunity to share this life changing message with him! I am so grateful that the Lord is guiding this work!

 

Josephina! As missionaries we offer blessings on homes in the form of a prayer. As representatives of Jesus Christ, people may ask us for the things that they would ask Christ for if He were here with them. Such as peace, comfort, etc. We met Josephina and explained that to her. She invited us in to have a prayer with her. I offered that prayer. The Spirit was so strong. I know that there were unseen angels with us. The way she described how she felt after the prayer was amazing.

Kelly M! Kelly was baptized last year, but his family is really against the church and so he stopped going. We were able to have a lesson with him and hear of his testimony and how he found the church. He wants to come back. He is just struggling! Thank goodness the Lord is on our side to help him!

Melody! I talked about her a month ago... She has been really sick and we haven't been able to meet with her. But that changed this week! We just stopped by and she let us in to share the message of the Restoration! It was great! She said that it sounded familiar, like home! I know that the Spirit can touch any ones heart! It is amazing to see that!

Marcos! This is a crazy experience! We met Marcos at a park and he was walking his dog. He started asking us a bunch of questions and he asked us if we could come over the next day and teach him more. He gave us his number and apt number. The next day we tried to call him before hand, but he gave us the wrong number. We went by his apt. But he gave us the wrong apt. number. We felt like we should knock on an apt across the way, and it was his apt! We met his mom and she told us he wasn't home, but to come back later! We tried calling the wrong number again, but it was still wrong... THEN.. I had remembered that when he gave us his phone number he said the last two digits were 24 and then said "oh actually it is 23" So we thought we should just try calling the number with a 24 at the end... GUESS WHAT.. it was his number!!!! He tried to give us all this false information.. BUT the Spirit led us to him anyways! Crazy huh?! WHAT A BLESSING! 

Yesterday, our Sacrament meeting was themed Missionary Work! I spoke first and made many specific promise to the members if they would share the gospel. Following my 3 min talk.. yes 3 min.. I know that is hard to believe... There were 5 members who each spoke for 3-5min about missionary experiences that they have had! Each was unique. But SO powerful! Then Sister Berger spoke for 3 min about a new thing we are starting in the ward! It is a MEMBER MISSION PLAN! Each ward has a mission plan, and each family should.. But since this is YSA we started a member plan! Where they can set goals and make plans to share the gospel!!! It is great!!!!!! Then Justin, our ward mission leader spoke! It was powerful!

We had about 5 new less actives come to church, along with the ones that have already been reactive. Two of them who never stay for all three hours.. stayed this week! It was so great!!!!! 

Okay last awesome miracle!

Last night we met a guy named Nate! We told him that we had an important message to share and that it would only take 15min. He invited us in and we shared the message of the Restoration! We explained to him that we have a living  Prophet today, Thomas S. Monson. He is just like Noah and Moses, we told him. Nate wanted to see Thomas S.Monson so we told him to visit LDS.org and watch a talk. He was so interested to learn and to read The Book of Mormon. The Lord just provided the way for us last night!

I know that this Gospel is SO real and can help every single person we come in contact with! I also know with all my heart... That this isn't just "another" thing to do, it is the ONLY thing to do! Sharing the Gospel is the ultimate way to live the promises and covenants we make at baptism!

I love this Gospel! I love the Book of Mormon and Bible! I love my Savior!

I love and miss y'all! Please write!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

XOXO!

Love,

Sister Davis

August 5 2013

WOW! WHAT A GREAT WEEK!

 

Hello cute family and friends!

 

I have to say this week, and especially these past two days have been full of tender mercies from The Lord. He truly knows us and loves us! He truly knows you and loves you! Sometimes it is hard to remember things that I did earlier this week because each day is so long! But I will hit the highlights of the past two days!

 

Friday/Saturday we street contacted 3 different guys and we were able to set an appointment with them each one of them!

 

On Sunday morning we went to a lesson and brought Kayla Paige! She is just so great! The guy we had the lesson with is named Michael. He basically lives in a party house with his half-brother. He has had a really hard life and was very open about the trials he has faced. We taught The Restoration and it was a powerful lesson! He told us that he never listens when people talk about religion, but we made him listen. He said that he will really pray about this. He told us that he hasn't prayed or gone to a church since his grandpa died, 8 years ago. He said it is just too hard. His grandpa was the one that raised him and taught him religion. We are meeting with Michael again soon! It is sure to be great!

 

After our lesson, Sister Berger and I went to our church meetings and then were standing in the back of the chapel welcoming people. Some crazy person, behind me, put their hands over my eyes... I had no idea who it could be.. I turned around and said, "Oh HEY!" Before I really saw who it was.. Then when I saw it was Summer and Kara, my cousins. I was speechless. It took me a second to realize it was really them, here in Robindale... It just made no sense. But it was the greatest thing! I just wanted to hold their hands the whole 3 hours. I just couldn't stop smiling or tearing up or touching them. I just am so grateful I could see them. It was a great surprise! WHAT A BLESSING!

 

Later on, we had a lesson with a guy named Rodrigo! He is from El Salvador. Jasmine and Cesar came with us and it was an awesome lesson! We taught the restoration, but focused on the authority that Christ gave to the prophets and apostles. We compared it to a flash light! Prophets light the way in a dark place, but the flash light has to have the battery or it won't work. That battery gives it the power or the authority. He really understood that and wants to read the Book of Mormon and learn more! It will be great to meet with him again this week!

 

Today Summer and Kara took Sister Berger and I to a doctors appointment and to Jamba Juice! It was so great to get to catch up with them. I am so grateful to have a family that loves and supports me. I know that Heavenly Father gave me them on purpose! He knew I couldn't make it through this life without the amazing support system that I have! I am SO blessed!!!!

 

I am so grateful for my Savior and I am so humbled that he has allowed me to represent Him for 18 months. I just hope that I can make Him proud! I love serving here in LasVegas. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else!

 

I love you all so very much! Please write! Know that I pray for you!

 

XOXO!

 

Love,

Sister Davis