I have added a BUNCH of people to this list this week so If you're getting this and don't want a weekly email from me you can just let me know. Or move me to your spambox. I wont be offended. Unless you're family.
So this week as I'm writing to you now I am filled with an appreciation for the relationship I have with each of you! You guys have all really helped me feel very happy and loved these past 10 months that I've been away from home. I am filled with hope and desire as I think on the love that all of you have for me. I have been inspired to do better and work harder and make better choices as I have reflected on some of these emails and felt the love that all of you have for me and the faith that you express in me. People like you are the ones that give me a reason to keep moving along. You fill me with hope! I want to BE what each of you see me as! So thank you all for the love you have shown me.
Me and Elder Crouch have been working hard and trying to set meaningful goals. My vision of how a mission works has completely changed as I've recognized the importance of planning and working in a structured orderly way. It is truly amazing the way the Lord works! I have learned a lot of how He operates and interacts in our lives on my mission. Everything we do is led by the spirit. Sometimes the Spirit will lead us to do some seemingly ridiculous thing! I have seen that plenty of times where I have felt totally blind as I've been led by the Spirit. Not knowing where I am going or what I am doing or why I am even talking to a person sometimes. Only to realize at last that ''this was God's doing. This is what HE wanted me to do, and now I know why'' In the same way, God works in a very structured and orderly way. We cannot just walk out the door at 10am without a plan and say "today we'll let the spirit guide us!!". That is not how God operates. The Spirit plans ahead. The Spirit starts guiding you with what to do at 10am at 9pm the previous day. The Spirit sets goals. These goals are for US. To help us learn and grow and stretch. Everything is done in perfect order and synchrony. When live our lives the way God would have us do it we enable HIM to work more completely and fully through US. I would encourage each of you to set goals and make plans for every aspect of your life. Your rate of growth will increase and accelerate. I can promise you that in the name of Christ.
PLANNING CORRECTLY has taught me how to stay in better unity with God. THAT is why I love it so much. I have studied planning and record keeping a lot on my mission because I've always felt something pulling at me trying to help me understand the grave importance of it but I never felt that I was quite able to grasp it until now. There is still more that I have to learn but something has clicked in my heart and mind lately that has helped me understand THIS is how we plan. THIS is how we do it the RIGHT way. I love my planner and I love my Area Book. There are improvements that need to be made to both but I love them. I understand their importance and role in this work and I know that if we as missionaries and people can use our 'planners' and Area books/journals correctly this whole work will change.
Karman has had a bit of a rough week this week. Her member Boyfriend broke up with her and she's been having a rough time. So we're going to try and stop by her house this week and see her. Hopefully it will go well and she will talk to us and feel open and free. She's very guarded sometimes. I have been praying a lot for her. She is so special. She can't let a little bump in her life set everything else ablaze too. She'll bounce back I know it.
We had an amazing lesson with another investigator of ours named Anna. It was on exchanges. We haven't been able to see Anna for about 3 months since I've been here. She works overnights at a hospital. But she has been in our hearts and minds ever since our first lesson with her because of her deeply ingrained desire to follow God. I remember after my first lesson for her (we taught the Plan of Salvation) she was crying and fillied with so much joy. She had so many questions and the spirit was so powerful. She was almost GLOWING! We asked her if she wanted to be baptized and she said she wanted to get the next Saturday off for it! lol We explained that there was a lot more we had to teach her and prepare her for before that could happen but we were happy that she was willing and excited to follow the example of our Savior. Since that lesson she has been in our hearts and minds and we have tried so often to stop by and talk to her. And this week we were able to see her again! She said that she was really sorry that she hadn't been able to meet with us because of her work schedule but she had been reading the Book of Mormon every night on her breaks. (She was in 2 Nephi!!) and had been feeling the spirit everytime she read. We were able to have a lesson with both her and her sister and committed them to come to church. The spirit was strong as we extended this commitment and she felt it confirm to her that despite her crazy work schedule she would be able to make it to church if she had faith and put forth an effort. Unfortunately we didn't see her or her sister at church on Sunday. We'll be going back again this week to check up on her and see how she's doing again. She better have a good reason for missing it!!
I love being a missionary and I love sharing the Gospel. Thanks to each of you for your love and support.
-Elder Davis
So this week as I'm writing to you now I am filled with an appreciation for the relationship I have with each of you! You guys have all really helped me feel very happy and loved these past 10 months that I've been away from home. I am filled with hope and desire as I think on the love that all of you have for me. I have been inspired to do better and work harder and make better choices as I have reflected on some of these emails and felt the love that all of you have for me and the faith that you express in me. People like you are the ones that give me a reason to keep moving along. You fill me with hope! I want to BE what each of you see me as! So thank you all for the love you have shown me.
Me and Elder Crouch have been working hard and trying to set meaningful goals. My vision of how a mission works has completely changed as I've recognized the importance of planning and working in a structured orderly way. It is truly amazing the way the Lord works! I have learned a lot of how He operates and interacts in our lives on my mission. Everything we do is led by the spirit. Sometimes the Spirit will lead us to do some seemingly ridiculous thing! I have seen that plenty of times where I have felt totally blind as I've been led by the Spirit. Not knowing where I am going or what I am doing or why I am even talking to a person sometimes. Only to realize at last that ''this was God's doing. This is what HE wanted me to do, and now I know why'' In the same way, God works in a very structured and orderly way. We cannot just walk out the door at 10am without a plan and say "today we'll let the spirit guide us!!". That is not how God operates. The Spirit plans ahead. The Spirit starts guiding you with what to do at 10am at 9pm the previous day. The Spirit sets goals. These goals are for US. To help us learn and grow and stretch. Everything is done in perfect order and synchrony. When live our lives the way God would have us do it we enable HIM to work more completely and fully through US. I would encourage each of you to set goals and make plans for every aspect of your life. Your rate of growth will increase and accelerate. I can promise you that in the name of Christ.
PLANNING CORRECTLY has taught me how to stay in better unity with God. THAT is why I love it so much. I have studied planning and record keeping a lot on my mission because I've always felt something pulling at me trying to help me understand the grave importance of it but I never felt that I was quite able to grasp it until now. There is still more that I have to learn but something has clicked in my heart and mind lately that has helped me understand THIS is how we plan. THIS is how we do it the RIGHT way. I love my planner and I love my Area Book. There are improvements that need to be made to both but I love them. I understand their importance and role in this work and I know that if we as missionaries and people can use our 'planners' and Area books/journals correctly this whole work will change.
Karman has had a bit of a rough week this week. Her member Boyfriend broke up with her and she's been having a rough time. So we're going to try and stop by her house this week and see her. Hopefully it will go well and she will talk to us and feel open and free. She's very guarded sometimes. I have been praying a lot for her. She is so special. She can't let a little bump in her life set everything else ablaze too. She'll bounce back I know it.
We had an amazing lesson with another investigator of ours named Anna. It was on exchanges. We haven't been able to see Anna for about 3 months since I've been here. She works overnights at a hospital. But she has been in our hearts and minds ever since our first lesson with her because of her deeply ingrained desire to follow God. I remember after my first lesson for her (we taught the Plan of Salvation) she was crying and fillied with so much joy. She had so many questions and the spirit was so powerful. She was almost GLOWING! We asked her if she wanted to be baptized and she said she wanted to get the next Saturday off for it! lol We explained that there was a lot more we had to teach her and prepare her for before that could happen but we were happy that she was willing and excited to follow the example of our Savior. Since that lesson she has been in our hearts and minds and we have tried so often to stop by and talk to her. And this week we were able to see her again! She said that she was really sorry that she hadn't been able to meet with us because of her work schedule but she had been reading the Book of Mormon every night on her breaks. (She was in 2 Nephi!!) and had been feeling the spirit everytime she read. We were able to have a lesson with both her and her sister and committed them to come to church. The spirit was strong as we extended this commitment and she felt it confirm to her that despite her crazy work schedule she would be able to make it to church if she had faith and put forth an effort. Unfortunately we didn't see her or her sister at church on Sunday. We'll be going back again this week to check up on her and see how she's doing again. She better have a good reason for missing it!!
I love being a missionary and I love sharing the Gospel. Thanks to each of you for your love and support.
-Elder Davis