Sunday, May 25, 2014

5/19/14 Tlaxcallan 2, with Elder Ramirez

Good afternoon everyone! I hope that all is well at home. I sent a package home today, it will probably get there in about a month or more. I sent some mexican goodies, so I hope you enjoy!

Right now, the work is going pretty good. We found a new family to teach: Eduardo and Janet, a young married couple who still don´t have kids. But they are pretty funny. In the first lesson that we had with them, we started the lesson with a prayer, and Eduardo (who really isn´t the emotional kind of guy) started to cry uncontrolably saying "that was wierd, i´ve never felt anything like that before". And during the lessons, he and his wife understand everything pretty well. They attended church with us yesterday and they liked it alot.

Recently, we noticed that we have been finding plenty of people to teach, plenty of investigators that are great. but they progress super slowly towards baptism. So elder Ramirez and I were thinking about what we can do more to help them progress faster. One thing that we thought of, is friendship. Many people don´t progress in the gospel because they don´t have support from the members or friends in the ward. Another thing that we thought of is helping them fulfill their commitments (such as attend chuch, read the Book of Mormon, obey the word of wisdom, etc.). So we are going to try even harder to help the people we teach progress towards their baptism.

Elena, Irais´s daughter (27 years old) is starting to progress pretty well. She wants to be baptized in the coming weeks, but she has to stop smoking, which will be a chellenge for her, but now she is starting to have more friends in the ward from some of the single adults. So that will help her alot.

The other day, I tried to take money out of my card to my bank account, but it didn´t let me. I don´t know if there is a problem or if it is just the ATM machinee but, the card expires in July,

But, my hour is up. Thank you all for the emails this week. Sorry I didn´t write much this week. The next week will be more. I love you all I hope that all is well at home. Kannon, keep preparing and getting ready for you mission. And family: Keep sharing the gospel and working with the missionaries!

I love you all so much!
Until next week,
Elder Davis

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Week of 5/12/14

Hello family! I know that I spoke with you guys on Saturday, and not a lot has changed since then, but i´ll try to find something more to say.

Apparently our mission has a facebook page now (strictly for the use of the parents of missionaries or return missionaries, not for me). But you guys should take a look, maybe you´ll find me! https://www.facebook.com/MexicoPueblaNorthMission

Well, right now things are going pretty good in our area. This week we found another family that wants to be baptized: the Otero family, which consists of the grandpa, Carlos, his two children (now adults) Carlos and Karla, and her two daughters Katya (12 years) and Bania (9 years). They already know that the church is true, but we just need to work with them to get them into the habbit of attending church, reading the scriptures, and so on. Learning to living the gospel, from what I have learned, takes time and help from the members of the ward.

I tried to offer money to the member that let us use her telephone, but she wouldn´t accept it no matter what I did.

Justine told me in her email that I have a bit of a mexican accent... is it true?? I feel like I talk the same. So while my accent in spanish is improving, my english is worsening. The other day we had interviews with the mission president, and we started my interview with a prayer, and I tried to do it in english, but it was pretty bad. I accidentally said some words in Spanish, and I had to think very hard to translate what I would normally say in Spanish into english. So I think that I am just going to stick with Spanish until I finish my mission.

Well, I guess that all that I have to say this week. Sorry that it was short, but I´m sure that you guys heard enough of me on saturday. Tell Kannon to write me something this week!! But I love you all and hope for the best! Until next week!

Love,
Elder Davis

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Cinco de Mayo, 2014, Tlaxcallan 2, with Elder Ramirez



Hello everyone! I hope that all is well at home! Im a little bit jealous about mom and dad going to Hawaii. Maybe someday they´ll invite the kids someday.

This week we had the baptism of Berenice, Corina´s mom! Berenice is going to be a very strong member. She had been listening to the missionaries for about 10 months before she was baptized. Really, the only thing that she was missing for most of that time was more friendship and support in the church. Once we brought some members with us to the appointments and some Family Home Evenings, Berenice started feeling a lot more comfortable in the ward and then she started progressing. That shows the importence of friendship in the church. Having friends in the church is a good start to progression in the gospel.

Today is Cinco de Mayo, and the only thing different is that the children don´t go to school. Cinco de Mayo is a celebration for a victory that the people from Puebla had in a battle. But right now, I am not even in Puebla, I am in the state of Tlaxcala, which is a tiny state within the Puebla North mission. With that said, the people of Tlaxcala don´t really care a whole lot about Cinco de Mayo. But I think later there are going to be parties, because that´s what the people do here whenever there is any sort of holiday, weekend, or break, they play super loud Mariachi band music and get drunk. We might join them in the party if we get bored.

This week, there was a small flood. While the four of us elders in the ward were eating with one of the sisters of the ward, it started raining super hard. After we finished eating, we looked outside and noticed that the entire street was flooded. One of the drains got clogged and the whole street filled with about 8 inches or more of water. So we called Berenice, who at this time was about to be baptized, and she brought her car to pick us up and rescue us because that was a bit easier than getting wet.

So last week I told you guys I that I sent a letter to mom for Mother´s Day, they said that it would take 2 weeks, so i hope that it get´s there on time. But regarding the package, I still haven´t been able to send it. Today a bought some mexican things to send home. But I still need to find some more things to send home. But i´ll send it soon, don´t worry.

One of the rules that we have always had is that we can´t go into a house with anyone of the opposite sex without there being another adult male with us. So usually, if we are going to teach a women, we either bring a brother in the ward with us, or we teach outside. But now, we were informed that we can no longer teach a women without another adult male present even if we are outside, in a store, in a park, etc.; if we are going to teach a women there ALWAYS has to be another adult male present. So for us, given that we are teaching more than 10 women and 3 guys, we need to involve the brothers in the ward a lot more.So we´ll see how that goes. in the next coming weeks.

Well, I love you lots! and I can´t wait to talk to you guys on Saturday! I am going to call you guys at 11:00 your time. which is 1:00 my time. I hope that you guys still remember you skype account name and password. I love you all!

Talk to you Saturday!!
Love,
Elder Davis

Sunday, May 4, 2014

pictures



week of 4/28/14

Well today is the last day of the transfer, and on Saturday they told us that niether me nor my companion are leaving, so we are both staying here!

Last week I believe that I told you guys that we were going to see a movie in the theater, and see some converts in Atempan. I attatched photos of both events. Last week, Elder Alejandre, because he is ending his mission and going home tomorrow, was able to come here and visit some of the people we baptized. We saw Maricruz and Dayane, who are both very active in the church! And at church, given that we chare a church building with Atempan, every once in a while I see Enrique, Angel and Fernando, and also their mom who was baptized not too long ago (she was finally able to change work schedule to be able to go to church every Sunday!

Right now, things are going pretty good in this area. We have a good amount of people that are progressing towards baptism. It´s pretty cool. I think as humans, we believe in miracles, but we don´t realize that they can happen to us until they do. I feel like that is happening right now. All my mission we have worked hard but we have always had trouble finding people that are willing to accept the gospel, especially in my last area, Teotlaltzingo. But now we have 10 people that are coming pretty close to baptism or want to be baptized. Berenice (Corina´s mom) could be baptized this Saturday. We have one investigator Antonio, who will be baptized next week if he attends church this Sunday. Diana and her daughter Natalia, who want to be baptized, but they just don´t have a lot of time for us to teach them. Arturo, Lidia, and their daughter Sofia, who have had a very dificult past and want to join the church (their baptismal date is the May 31). IraĆ­s needs to get married and gain a testimony of the church.  And her kids (now adults) Elena and David, want to be baptized, soon.

Today I sent Mom a Mother´s Day card. They said that it would take about 2 weeks to get to California. Nobody has even told me even my last card made it home!!! So, with that said, I don´t know when it is going to get there. I believe that I will be able to talk with you guys on Skype the saturday before Mother´s Day, So next week let me know what time would be best with you guys and i´ll plan it out with my companion. Just wanted to say that I love you and miss you all! Kannon: Congratulations with the mission papers!! I am excited for you and to hear where you are going to go!! The months or weeks between now are super important! By the way, I guessed that you are going to go to Canada, so prepare for the cold. Christ Lives! Miracles happen! Until next week!