August 12, 2013

Hey family!

 

Thank you soooooo much for the package!!!! :) I got it today and I am so very grateful for everything in it! I wish I would have known that you were sending me a package... I gave away my "Our Search for Happiness" book (part of the missionary reference library) yesterday when we met with Emilio. But that's okay. I loved everything it in! 

 

Today I hit my 2 month mark! Time is flying by really fast! I can't believe it. This past week we did quite a bit of service. Tuesday morning we pulled weeds for Sister Guckin, an elderly lady in our ward. Wednesday we vacuumed out Sister Bailey's pool. Yes, we vacuumed it out. She had a whole bunch of leaves piled at the bottom of her pool so we offered to clean it out for her. I think that may be the one and only time I will vacuum out a pool. She also had two frogs swimming in her pool, too. Thursday we pulled weeds for a potential, now an investigator, who is very pregnant. So, thank you very much for sending me gloves. I have been using some gloves that a sister in our ward gave us, but they're both left handed gloves... I am very happy to have a left and now a right handed glove.

Cleaning pool for Sister Bailey

Sister Davis with Sister Bailey

Monday after we returned to our apartment from emailing, we received a text from Emilio. In his text he said that he knew that God was trying to teach him something, but he wasn't sure that Mormonism is for him... He still wanted to meet with us this weekend and so we did. We met with him yesterday and we had Sister and Brother Clawson there as well. (Sister Clawson is a convert, so we thought maybe her conversion story might help.) Brother Clawson basically taught our lesson for us. Sister Jensen and I got about five words in before Emilio had to go back to work. Brother Clawson was able to answer his questions, though, and he was bold. At one point in the lesson we were talking about faith and Brother Clawson described taking a leap of faith was like standing at the edge of a cliff. Emilio said that his "cliff" was going to a Mormon church and becoming a Mormon. Brother Clawson had a very bold response for Emilio. He said, "What are you going to lose if you go to church maybe a couple of times? Maybe just a couple of afternoons, but you really aren't losing much." Or something like that. Emilio seemed to really agree, though. He sent us a text after we left saying that he really liked Brother and Sister Clawson's experiences and that they seemed to help him! Hopefully, my giving him the "Our Search for Happiness" book, Brother and Sister Clawson's experiences, and giving Emilio the Family: Proclamation to the World will help him!

 

On Tuesday we met with David. We brought Sister Pond with us. Sister Pond is half Korean and Caucasian. I think we were inspired to bring her because David and his wife, Linda, were very impressed with her ethnicity. Linda and Sister Pond seemed to connect pretty well and the amazing thing is that Linda sat down at the kitchen table with us. That was the first time that Linda has sat at the kitchen table since both I and Sister Jensen have been here! We didn't talk a lot about the gospel, but it was still a miracle to have Linda sit there with us! Yesterday at church David seemed very happy which is good. We didn't have a lot of time to talk with him, but I'm glad he seemed very happy. We're going to try and set a goal with him for a baptismal date on Tuesday. We're hoping that by setting a goal he'll be able to build up courage to tell Linda and prepare himself for baptism.

Sister Davis with Sister Zander who joined LDS Church in 2011

 

Last night we received a call from a member of the Bishopric in Jarrettown (my zone leaders' area). He said that he has set up an appointment time for us to teach his grandson and granddaughter on Tuesday night. I'm excited and nervous at the same time! Ha I've never taught a child before and I hope that I can teach the gospel in a way that is simple and can keep their attention. (They're ten and eleven.) I'm sure we'll be fine and it will definitely be a good learning experience. Oh and his granddaughter is a dancer. Hopefully, I'll be able to connect with her :).

 

This coming weekend I'm going to a county fair, too. Part of our stake has a booth set up for it that emphasizes  preparedness--Spiritual and temporal. Apparently, there have been some referrals from this in the past.

 

Mom, that's kind of funny you mentioned keep moving my dancing feet. I have had some major dancing withdrawals this past week. I want to dance so bad, but there's no time for dancing when you're on the Lord's errand.

 

Dad, to answer your question, we don't tract very often. As a matter of fact, I haven't tracted at all yet.

 

Well, I hope all of you are doing well! I love you all so very much! Thank you again for the package!

 

Love,

Sister Davis