November 25, 2013

Family!!

Hello!!! Thank you so much for your emails! I LOVE reading them and I LOVE pictures that you send. It looks cold where you're at and I'm happy to say that I love being in the sun everyday. I think I have Mom's Arizona blood in me in that I love love love the heat. Don't know why, I just love it. :)

This week was great! Every week is great! This week we had many experiences where we learned that everything happens for a reason. There are no mistakes in God's plan for each of us. 

We visited Sister Aquino this past week who is less active. We had a good lesson with her and then at the end of the lesson she opened up to us about why she is less active. She had a traumatic experience in her life that really shook her up. She went to church that next Sunday hoping to find comfort, but rather a member added to her burden by saying some things that shouldn't have been said. Rather than feeling the comfort that she was looking for, she felt more rejection. Her feelings were hurt really badly. She really wants to come to church, and she really is trying. We are working with her on forgiving this person who has hurt her. She  has the desire to forgive this person, but it is taking her time. We're working to help her remember the Savior's Atonement and that through Him, everything is possible. Through her opening up it reminded me that I've had experiences where I have been hurt by what people have said to me, even if they didn't mean it intentionally. Through those hard experiences, I had to forgive them. I've had to rely on the Savior to remember that even though my feelings were hurt, they didn't mean it and they really are good people trying to do the best they can at life. But through those experiences I have more sympathy for Sister Aquino. I learned that everything happens to us for a reason. The times in our lives that have been hardest, we seem to learn the most. The times that are the hardest we draw closer to our Savior Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. And then after the event, we can usually look back and see why things turned out the way they did. We can usually look back and be grateful for the experience and the many learnings we had from that hard experience. 

Dad I'm grateful you mentioned that this past week was the time 5 years ago we found out Mom had cancer. 5 years ago? Wow. But anyway, even though everything that happened with Mom was incredibly difficult, we've learned so much. We've grown so much. I am grateful for our trials in life where we are able to learn and grow. I think it is through the hardest times in our lives when we grow the most. I am grateful that everything happened the way it did with Mom. Without that experience, how would I ever have learned sympathy or compassion for those who I meet that also have lost a loved one? How else would I have learned to have an idea of how others are thinking or feeling when they learn their loved one has cancer or any type of sickness? Without those experiences, I'm not sure how I would have learned those things. So yes even though it was hard, I'm grateful, incredibly grateful for those many experiences. For you though, how have the hard times in life helped and blessed your life?

I love you all soooo much! Each and every one of you is a light and example to me and I'm grateful to be family with each of you! I hope you continue to read the Book of Mormon everyday, and say your personal and family prayers. The quote is true that "A family that prays together stays together" and we like to add "forever." Our family really is eternal and it's perfect. :) 

Keep doing what you know you should!

-Sister Davidson :)

Pictures!

1. We had an FHE with the Gomez/Tumacas family! This kid is adorable. His name is Charles Darwin ha ha 

2. Happy family! But they'll be happier if they come to church! Because we know that families that are sealed in the temple can continue their happiness like this in the eternities! 

3. This was just a cute Kodak moment. These kids were yelling to each other through this tube thing on their way home from school. Ha ha just cute kids.

4. Sister Naldoza and me in front of our chapel!

5.Sister Naldoza petting the monkey while Sister Calobosa is holding him!

 "Bad to Smoke" but I took a picture more because I laughed at the funny English "pull d'string to stop."

2. Practicing our Choir for Branch Conference! These amazing sisters don't show their excitement too well ha ha but it really was fun! Also fun stuff, but the Lord has really strenghthened my piano skills here on the mission. Jared Heywood was right that even though I'm not good at piano-they use me. I've been the branch pianest for the last 2 transferes. I've also been the pianest now for a funeral, and 2 choir performances. Ya! Good thing they're not picky or they don't mind the many mistakes I make. :) I love these people!

3. Also we love free food and the members are great cooks!

That's all folks! Love you! Stay safe! do what you know you should. Fear God more than man. :)

mahal ko kayo!

OHH I almost forgot! How is my Christmas present coming along? :) Remember Elder Ballard's message to us about missionary work?

"The key is that you be inspired of God, that you ask Him for direction and then go and do as the Spirit prompts you. When members view the work of salvation as their responsibility alone, it can be intimidating. When they view it as an invitation to follow the Lord in bringing souls unto Him to be taught by the full-time elders and sisters, it is inspiring, invigorating, and uplifting."

 "We are not asking everyone to do everything. We are simply asking all members to pray, knowing that if every member, young and old, will reach out to just “one” between now and Christmas, millions will feel the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. And what a wonderful gift to the Savior."

I love you! And I also look forward to hearing about your experiences with missionary work!