November 4, 2013

Family!!!!

Hey family how are you!? Thank you sooo much for your emails! LOVE them!! Also I love the pictures. Okay Lincoln-who is this kid? He's adorable! Ah man he's adorable! I love the Halloween pictures and the new app on Darla's phone where it collages them all together. Good work. and Thank you!! Also Dad and Darla I'm glad you've gotten your package. Don't open it up til Christmas eh? Also let me know if you want another nativity like that. I can get another one next year right before I come home so just let me know! Also it's not badly priced so ya! 

Okay this week... AWESOME. Seriously I love everything about my life right now. Everything about it is soo great. The Lord is too kind to me. 

Couple of cool stories. 

First. I sent you a picture last week of a deaf woman I met and I was able to sign with her! Well actually we were able to communicate okay but her sign was a little unclear. Come to learn, her sign language is a little unclear because she's still learning ASL. How did I learn this? Oh you know, I just met her teacher! Her teacher is hard of hearing and when they both walked up I signed hello to her and then her teacher signed back as well! We started signing back and forth and it was like "woah we both know sign!" It was sooo cool! Also cool note. The gift of tongues is real. Like I already know that b/c if it wasn't for that I couldn't speak any Tagalog whatsoever. But the gift of signs is true also! As soon as I started signing to him, signs were coming back to me instantly. My hands were signing before I was thinking of what I was saying to him. It was a neat experience to have and its hard to explain exactly how it happened. All I know it was a gift from God given to the both of us so we could sign back and forth. I really am praying we're given the chance to teach him and her soon!!! I feel like this experience is teaching me that the Lord didn't have me learn ASL for 2 years for nothing but He has a plan for me to use the little ASL that I do know. Wow I seriously am amazed at the way the Lord accomplishes His plan. And that everything, absolutely everything, happens for a reason. 

Second. The Book of Mormon is true. If you want to be happy-read the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon will answer absolutely any question you have about anything. If you have a question about seriously anything-from how can I help this person come to church, help me with patience, who needs my help today, where is my towel, ha ha anything, seriously anything! If you have a question, pray and ask Heavenly Father and then read the Book of Mormon. The question is answered. Of course it is answered in the Lord's time and not our time, but the question is always answered. I've been asking different questions about many different things and every time I pray and ask, and then read the Book of Mormon-the answer comes. It will come as a thought, a name of a person,  something you remember, something you've learned in the past, a past experience, or whatever. The answer comes in the perfect way the Lord wants it to come. But this I know-the answer will come through reading the Book of Mormon. My testimony of the Book of Mormon and the power in the Book of Mormon has been strengthened soo much throughout my mission and especially recently. I know that book is true. I like what President Hinkely's father (??) about the Book of Mormon about "no wicked man could write such a book, and no good man ever would save it be he were inspired by God to do so." something like that. The Book of Mormon is true my dear family and friends. Everything about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints relies on the truethfullness of the Book of Mormon and I can say I know it is true. Try it. If you have any type of question; pray first. And then read. Start from wherever. The beginning, where you are, or just open it up and read. That answer will come. I KNOW the Book of Mormon is true. I KNOW if you want to be happy-read the Book of Mormon. 

Third. We are always hearing about "see people as they can become, not as who they are currently, but as they can become-their potential." I love that. It gives me the pump to talk to people about the gospel of Jesus Christ. When I try to see people, see these beautiful people around me, as Christ sees them it changes the way I act and talk. It's wonderful. I read President Uchtdorf's talk last April to the YW about Our Journey Here on Earth this past week. I loved what he mentioned. He asked everyone to look around them-the people they are around. And then as seemingly normal or meaningless they may seem to you-they were with you in the pre-mortal life. They are your brothers and sisters. They were with you when you chose to start on this journey here on earth. They were excited with you. They were probably a little nervous as you were about "will I make it back?" But they took that step like you, and are here now on earth. Life is hard. No secret about that. Sometimes so hard, those around us have forgotten the journey they are on here. They have forgotten where they have come from and they have a destination. It's not our job to convert them, but rather it is our job to love them. Testify to them about our loving Heavenly Father and His love for them. Love is a universal language. Even if we don't know English, Tagalog, Chinese, or whatever-love is universal. The language of love can penetrate hardened hearts, can heal the wounded soul, and can cheer up the lonely and sad. The love of Christ is for all. I'm learning to look around me at those all around me, from the people here in the computer shop to my family and friends at home, to look at those around me as who they once were. They may have been my number 1 hero in the pre-mortal life. They may need my help remembering for themselves who they truly are. Who they once were. Who they are now. And who they can become. I love these people around me even if I've never met them before. And I know it is only through the love of Christ that things like that are possible. Wow how incredibly grateful I am for the love of Christ. How incredibly grateful I am for the Atonement of Christ. Only through Him am I able to return back to my Heavenly Father. I have so many weaknesses, yet through Him, I can become perfect like our Heavenly Father. We all can. We all have that potential within us.

I love you all so much. I love being here on a mission and learning new things everyday. I am so blessed to have a family like you. Thank you for your sweet and kind examples to me all the time. I hope you're happy and doing well. I know if you want to be happy despite the difficulties you're facing-draw closer to the Lord and you will be happy. Say meaningful prayers everyday. Actually communicate with your loving and tender Heavenly Father. Read the scriptures and words of our living prophets and apostles. Read the Book of Mormon. Go to church for all 3 hours. Fulfill your callings in church. Serve those around you. Give yourself to the Lord. That is when we can truly be happy. And not just temporally happy, but happy for eternity.

I know the Church of Jesus Christ is Christ's church today here on earth. He established it before, and again He established it through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know our Heavenly Father is aware of each one of you and what you need. He is always concerned about your well being and he looks forward to hearing from you all of the time. I love you. and I know our Savior loves you.

Thanks for everything. Love and miss you always!

-Sister Davidson 

1. Happy Halloween!!! We had a CSP and helped clear some damage done by the storm a few weeks ago at a members house. Even though it's been almost a month since the storm there's still a lot of visable damage. oh this is Sister Antonette next to me and Sister Ghale-2 of our awesome youth here!

2. Ya we're adorable!

3. Tatay Manarpiis and Brother Arnold helping put the roof back on Nanay's house!

4. Damage done by the storm. Poor Nanay. She was here all by herself during the storm and was just hiding in the CR hoping she would be okay. She was blessed! nobody was hurt! Just the house! 

5. Happy Halloween from our awesome district! It's just the 4 of us but it's fun! 

1. Tatay Teoldofo (non-member) and Nanay Felicitidas (less active who came to church this past Sunday!!!!) they were both struggling to read the Book of Mormon because their eyes are so bad-but they did it! It was so adorable! I snuck my camera out in the lesson to capture the moment-a precious moment indeed to me. 

2.Si Tatay of Sister Gwhen. Ew nasty his make up was so nasty! He did it for All Saints Day on November 1 which is their day to celebrate their dead. not much on being scary but more on being with family and friends at the cemetary to give respect and enjoy each other's company. It's awesome as the whole community basically shuts down so everyone can go to the cemetary. They really come close together it's neat. 

3. The Giray family! So kind! They fed us dinner and it was delicious! they are an active family who we can rely on for help so it's great! They are so kind!

4. It rained while we were at the church for an activity and all the kids from around came to play in the rain! so fun! 

5. You'll be proud I still know how to eat with my hands!

6. And I'm still eating fish. Although not all types of fish yet ha ha. 

1. The deaf sister! Although i can't remember her actual name I just know her sign name... sorry.

2. The deaf sister and her hard of hearing teacher! Although like Sister I don't know his actual name, just his sign name. He gave me a sign name though which was fun!

3. And then this was just awesome. At one of the drug stores check it out-Orabrush. Seriously??! ha ha I laughed so hard and was amazed that they have this! Except at SM they have so much stuff. I was laughing so hard and was so thrilled to find they have Orabrush in the Philippines. Good work. 

That's all folks! Love you tons! Keep doing what you know you should and fear God more than man or woman!

love you! mahal ko kayo!