March 24, 2014

Family!

Oh my goodness thank you so much for your emails and all the pictures! Okay wow the SoJo house looks sooo nice. Why didn't those nice changes take place while we were living there again? ha ha jokes that seems like that always happens when people move. But it looks great! I am sure the new family will LOVE it there and create loads of good memories.

This week was fantastic! We were able to go on exchanges with Baler again!!! What a beautiful area of the world. Seriously, what a beautiful beautiful place. Ha ha the 4 hour trip road to get to Baler once again reminded me of the Road to Senaca. Gotta love good memories like that eh Dad and Grandma and Grandpa Davidson? Good times.

But Baler was beautiful! The exchanges that we were able to go on were great. We learned a lot from each other and the Sister missionaries out there are fantastic. I learned a lot about trying to understand where people are coming from before you go in and teach them. When we put ourselves in others' shoes before we try to help them-it makes a big difference. I forget to do that all the time. I remember President Maxfield's advice to me before leaving about treating everybody as if they're having a hard time and many times you will be right. It was good advice, and it has helped me have more love patience and concern for others.

This week Tatay Reltio was baptized!!!!!!!!!! Oh what a great great event that was! It was hard with the timing b/c we got back from Baler and had only an hour to get everything ready.But it turned out great! Tatay was slightly concerned b/c it was super windy and he thought maybe it wouldn't continue. He was a happy camper (literally looked like a happy camper-see pics later for clarification ha ha it was awesome) when we told him it was of course going to continue.

After Tatay was baptized he was literally a new person. He literally had a changed countenance. He was so full of joy, and just like it was relief. All the hardships he had had before had been as if they were all washed away. He looked like when he came out of the water he had just been... I don't know but just relieved from everything. It was a sweet memory. He bore his testimony and he spoke from the heart. He was extremely grateful for Heavenly Father and he spoke of Heavenly Father as a child speaks of a father who he has great respect. Tatay is very childlike submissive in so many ways. Being childlike and submissive is truly a beautiful Christ-like attribute.

Being a witness of changes in people truly is a miracle and an enormous blessing. I have a testimony of the change that Christ will bring into our lives when we remember Him. When we do what He would do, when we do what He asks us to do, our lives are changed. We are filled with true and everlasting joy. I hope each of you are reading the Book of Mormon everyday so that you can draw closer to Christ and feel His closeness and His love and support for you.

Mahal ko kayo! I love you all! Thanks for all you do!

-Sister Davidson :)

1. FHE with the Mañalac Family! Except Brother Troy all of a sudden had to work which made it so he couldn't come which was a BIG bummer. But oh well. I LOVE this family! They have soooo much potential. It's amazing what we see in them that they don't yet see in themselves.

2. Exchanges with Sister Baker! From CA but her family just moved to somewhere in St. George. She is awesome and makes everyone around her laugh! 

3. Yep LOVE this place.

4. I got to go to the ocean again!!!!!!!!!! 

1. Baler!!! 

2. BALER!!!

3. We had fun playing in the sand :)

4 And then pretending to go swimming  

 more pics of me at Baler. hope you like looking at me ha ha

2. getting the HS musical in at Baler

3. Self posed shots with Sister Ganacial!

4. A little boy I forgot his name but we were able to teach him with his family! HA ha he was a stud and he taught me how to hold a twister top toy while spinning it. That doesn't make any sense but it was a fun game they play and I failed to capture it on camera. Sorry!

 1. Exchanges with Sister Naingue! Teaching a less active family and their friend about the Word of Wisdom. They are funny teenagers who are still trying to figure out what they want out of their life but who have great personalities and have great potential also.

2. Tatay going camping!! Jokes. But he just had his towel and change of clothes in his backpack getting ready to go to his baptism. Ha ha Tatay is so funny. It was also funny. When we left to go, all his neighbors were asking where he was going and he answered them saying "i'm going to America!" In a joking way which made everyone laugh. 

3. Supporters of Tatay's baptism!

4. Tatay and Brother Bruce who baptized Tatay! Brother Bruce leaves next month for his mission in Quezon City!

Kaela, Alexandria, and JJ feeling the American spirit! These are the kids of the Mañalac family who I love so much! They truly are such cute kids!!

2. Ha ha so randomly Alex and JJ started pulling faces and it was so adorable we took pictures.

3. Tatay holding up his Mga Pinil ng Aklat ni Mormon from when the missionaries gave it to him back in the 90s. All missionary work makes a difference!

That's all folks! Thanks for your love and support! I sure do love you all and I know if you will put the Lord first, everything as in everything will fall into place better than you could imagine. Love you!

-Sister Davidson 

March 17, 2014

Family!

Thank you so much for all your emails about your weeks! LOVED the pictures Savanna, as in Linc is getting so grown up! The SoJo house sounds like it is closer and closer to being done if it is just slowly. Good work on all the work you're putting into it! Also glad you had a great birthday Dad! Ry isn't your birthday in April? That'd be really embarassing for me if it was and I missed it.. so to save me from embarassement do you want to tell me when it is? thanks!

This week. Was Spiritually powerful week. We had Zone Conference this past week and because it is almost April, the entire Zone Conference was focused on the Atonement and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. President Martino is awesome. For his part in the program, he hardly spoke at all. Rather he had put together the Bible Videos of all the events surrounding the Atonement. Starting from the Sacrament and ending with the Resurrection. In between different videos he had selected different verses from different Hymns about Christ to be sung. It was Spiritually powerful and I learned a lot. I learned a lot about how the Atonement covers absolutely everything. No matter how or what we experience, no matter how or what we feel, Christ has done it too. Every.single.struggle that we face-Christ knows EXACTLY how we feel-because He has also experienced it. He has been there before, and because He has been there, He knows EXACTLY how to help us. The Atonement doesn't just cover and help us in times of struggle, but it applies to when we are happy in life, it applies to when we are feeling the blessings of God in our lives. It's amazing. The depth of the Atonement is indescribable and I don't know if I will ever understand it's full power. But I do know that as we continue to apply the Atonement in our lives, our minds will be opened. We will better understand what He did for us, we will better understand the magnitude of His love for us. The magnitude of Christ's love. The magnitude of Heavenly Father's love for us. It is amazing. I am unable to describe it, but I know it's real. 

There were also other experiences I had this week which testified to me that as a missionary, I truly represent the Lord Jesus Christ in His work. To be an instrument for Him, to be an instrument also in the loving hands of Heavenly Father, is an amazing and indescribable opportunity which I am ever grateful for. To be short, Jesus Christ loves His brothers and sisters. Heavenly Father loves His daughters and sons. There is no other way for me to say it, it's just true. It's just real. It's always there for us. It will never stop. 

I love you! Thank you for your continual love and support to me! Please continue to pray for those we are teaching and helping return back to their Heavenly Father. Tatay Relito should be baptized this Saturday! Please pray that he will physically and spiritually be strong to make this important step in his life. I hope you are searching the Book of Mormon and the scriptures to find answers in your lives. The answers are there. We continually hold them in our hands. It is just up to us to find them in the scriptures. But I testify that I know that they are there. We're not going to find them by casually reading the scriptures, but it will take our time and our concentration not only through our reading but also in our prayers with our Eternal and Heavenly Father. When we find our answers, the Spirit is real and will testify to us of what we have found to be truth. 

I love you! I know, without a doubt, I know- that Heavenly Father loves His children. He is there for us whether we ask for His help or not is up to us, but He will not leave His children, He never will. He gave His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ to us, the greatest act of love, He gave Jesus Christ to us so that we have the chance, it is possible, for us to return to His perfect presence. Jesus Christ loves us. He was the only perfect person, which means He has the most perfect love in the history of the universe, He has that perfect love for His brothers and sisters He has that perfect love for you. I love Him, and I know He loves each of you. 

-Sister Davidson :)

Pictures! 

1. 3 Generations! My anak, Sister Bongolto, and her anak Sister Daly at Zone Conference!

2. Sister Training Leaders from Cab and Guimba! Sister Bongolto and Sister Littlefield!

3. Sister Tauiliili and Sister Tui'one!!! LOVE those two girls!!! Sooo much!

4. Sister Merwal! My companion from Camiling!!! 

1. Making the ever delicious American dessert for our sweet companions who have never tasted the sweet goodness of Smores!!! 

2. Mmm soooo good! 

3. Birthday of Sister Larson!!!! Happy birthday!!!!! 

4. We love us some good cupcakes! Okay actually these cupcakes were incredibly delicious. Like I felt like I was eating Maddie's cupcakes :) mmmm 

1. Tatay Relito!!! Sister Ganancial brought her Tagalog Big hymn book so Tatay could see and read the big words in Tagalog. He loved it. He asked her to point with her fingers the words so he wouldn't get confused. Ha ha he joked with us how he has no idea sometimes where we are in the song b/c he'll jump over to the next page without realizing it, or he'll jump to verse 2 before verse one is over simply b/c he forgets about the way the hymns are written. Tatay Relito is seriously hilarious and always jokes and laughs at himself and his old age. 

2. Ha ha Sister Ganacial not being able to open our own front gate. This is the front of our apt by the way. Fun note-this apt is the BEST apartment I have ever lived in. Seriously it is sooo nice! And Sister Ocampo and Sister Wheat from Draper Utah are our beautiful and amazing kabahay!

3. This is Sister Ruby and Brother Troy and 2 of their 4 kids. Their family is AMAZING!!!! As in they continue to search for the truth. They are some of our investigators who are progressing with their reading and prayers but they haven't yet come to church which holds them back. But no joke they are an amazing family and their potential in the church is amazing. The blessings they will receive as their family if they choose to join the church and then be sealed eternally as a family... is amazing. Whenever we teach them, I'm reminded of the De Jesus family and the great blessings they received when they were baptized. ahhh man keep them in your prayers also! Also their one child is asleep and looks dead in the tryke ha ha.

4. Just the BIG moon! It's sooo pretty!

That's all folks! I love you so much and I know we are blessed when we are obedient to what our Father in Heaven asks us to do!

Love you!!! 

March 10, 2014

Family!!!!

Okay what the!?!? Ha ha I feel like so much happened to you in the last week! With going shaving crazy to the face and head, and to Baby Linc looking no longer like a baby but like a big kid! What the!? Pictures are awesemoe, Thanks!!!

This week was fantastic! As EVERY week, EVERY day here in the mission is the best. If there is anyone on the line of should I go on a mission or not, definantly do it! It is the best. So great. But seriously, I hope everyone gets the chance to go  on a mission! Even if it's as a senior missionary couple-do it! We LOVE the senior couples here, as in we love them soo much.

Okay so lots happened this past week! It was great! This week has been a trial of my faith and just a reminder that we don't always get what we want right when we want it. Faith is a requirement before the miracle or blessing is seen. Remember Tatay Relito? He is still great and is still ready to be baptized! Hopefully, we pray, this Saturday! Okay but all of a sudden, this past Friday was the first time he asked us to come at a different time because he was feeling sick. He looked sick and so no problem for us to come back a different time. When we came back on Saturday, his neighbors told us he was in the hospital! What?? Sunday he was unable to come to church so after church we went over there with the Ward Mission Leader and his awesome wife (Brother Allan and Sister Lea) and Tatay was alive! Also he had changed in just a short short time. During his time in the hospital, just sickness of old age, he had time to really reflect what he wants out of his life at this time. He had time to look at what he's done in the past, where he is at now, and what he still has time to do. He had been incredibly humbled, and had been dependent on the Lord. We taught him about Priesthood and the power of healing. We taught him about the faith that is required before there are ever any miracles. Brother Allan offered if he wanted a blessing and Tay said yes. We asked if he had the faith to be healed, he paused, thought about it and said yes. We prayed with Tay before the blessing, and we asked Tay to give the prayer. He asked if Brother Allan would give it instead, as Tatay is always shy at first ha ha, Brother Allan agreed, and then Tay interuppted and said "well it's my house I guess I ought to give it" we laughed and then Tay gave the most beautiful, heart sincere prayer I've ever heard him give. He was communicating with his Heavenly Father in the most humble, childlike, submissive way I've heard. It was an emotional prayer for Tay, it was a very spiritual experience for all of us there. What an amazing experience for me. After the prayer the blessing was given, we left Tay with a smile on his face looking forward to the days to come. What a change I've seen in Tay Relito. What a change has come to him. In the things he has given up for Christ. He was addicted to coffee and ice tea, he gave it up ha ha relunctly at first but he did it. He walks to church, about a 10min walk for us, a lot longer for an old man like him. His neighbors ask him where he's going, they invite him to drink with them, but he stays true to Christ. What a deep change I've seen in Tay. How grateful I am for the experience I've had with watching this beautiful change happen in him. THIS is what is truly rewarding about missionary work. seeing others come to Christ, seeing the true, everlasting, eternal joy that enters into their lives. It is hard to explain. But it is amazing. I love it.

okay I love you all! Sorry this email is short again ha ha but that's how it always is! Just know I love you! I pray for you daily that not only are you doing okay, you're happy, but that you're making the little daily decisions that will bring you closer to your Savior. And I also pray that you are given experiences for you to help you come closer to Him. Enjoy those moments when they come. 

I sure do love you all sooo much! Sooo much! Christ loves you so much. I hope you can feel His everlasting love for you everyday. 

-Sister Davidson :)

Pictures!

1. Sister Ganancial and Brother Marlon laughing at FHE! Ha ha i love unposed shots of people laughing.

2. Sister Tauiliili and Elder and Sister Moser!!! Sister Tauiliili and I were able to go on exchanges together!! We were reunited once again! Being companions in the MTC together and then for 24 hours on exchanges! Wow. What an amazing change I've seen in her. She... is truly one amazingly strong individual and she is an inspiration to all, especially to me. And then Elder and Sister Moser!!! They were our next door neighbors in Camiling! And it was sooo fun to live next door to them! As in so fun! They took care of us like us Sisters were their grandkids! They go home next month so it may have been the last time we saw them. They're great though and I love them!!!

3. Ha ha trying to lock the church after using it. This was a cool experience. Sister Ganancial and I were asked to go and teach with Sisters Larson and Laiti to one of their investigators who has a deep problem and because of the language barrier, we were asked to come and help clear up misunderstandings. Good thing Sister Ganancial speaks Taglaog! But it was a neat experience to help the investigator and to see how much love that Sisters Larson and Laiti have for her despite the language barrier. 

 1. CAB Zone! The Zone leaders and us! Elders Wong and Illistrisasimo

2. Sister Ganacial, Sister Bongolto, ako, and Sister Littlefield! After MLC while waiting for the bus!

3. having a CSP at the church! Brother Allan our amazing ward mission leader, and Sister RJ and I are watering the plants!

4. Sister Ocampo and I at the CSP!

1. Exchanges with Sister Daly! She is my apo in the mission and she is amazing! From Samoa and loves to be happy! It was fun to go on exchange with her!

2. Going to mutual with the YW/YM in our ward! They asked us to come and share about missionary work! It was fun and the youth in our ward are awesome! 

3. Tay Relito with Sister Lea after the Priesthood blessing!!! 

1. Brother Allan with Tatay Relito!!!

2. And then with Sister Shermay, Brother Bruce, and Brother Arjay!!! 

3. CAB ZONE ACTIVITY!!! I love our zone!!! It's super fun with each other!!!!! 

That's all folks!! I love you soo much and thanks for all you do for me!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!! I hope your day is splendid with lots of fun not only for you but for all those around you as well!!! 

I know that this Church is true! If you have questions, pray and ask Heavenly Father and He'll let you know. He'll give you answer you need, the answer that is right for you. But He often gives us answers not while on our knees, but rather through our actions. When we go to church, when we read the scriptures, when we are doing service for others. It's interesting. :)

I love you!!!

-Sister Davidson :) 

March 3, 2014

Family!!!

Okay thank you so much for all your emails!!! You're all the best! Ha ha you sound super busy but super good so ya! 

Okay so sooo much I want to talk about. So little time this week! Sorry in advance! 

Fun stuff. I got a companion again!!! Wow it was hard not having a companion. Working with ward missionaries, or being in a 3 some just wasn't the same. Even how great the ward missionaries are... there is something about having a full time missionary be with you, they have been set apart-and that setting apart makes all the difference in the world. So ya! I got a new companion!! Sister Ganancial is absolutely the best! She is our batch which makes it even funner! She's 26 from Ilo Ilo and amazing. It's fun. She's the newest Sister Training Leader so I get to train her what to do which makes it fun. It's great b/c she is already familiar with everything so I just have fine tune her in on the little details. She's going to be the BEST companion and STL ever! I'm excited!

Okay so this week. I had my first MLC! It was so amazing. MLC is Missionary Leadership Council (?) where all the leaders get together at the mission home with the mission President and his wife and we have a bunch of training, a bunch of council together in order to make the mission better! Seriously, best ever. Every missionary needs to have the experience of going to MLC. It was simply so spiritual, we had a lot of good discussions as leaders of what we're doing well, how we need to do better, what changes we need to make, etc. It was a really neat experience where the Spirit taught us a lot. 

This week also. Big test of my faith. Tatay Relito is suppossed to get baptized this weekend! BUT he fell through on one of the committments to be baptized so it is no longer going to continue which is a really big bummer. But b/c there is always repentance Tay is now going to work for getting baptized on the 29th of this month! Here is the leap of faith for me though. We're working as a mission to reach the standard of excellence for baptisms this month in March. Which means 1 baptism per missionary in the month of March. This is really going to take a miracle. It has never been done before in the mission and now we're working on it! We've been planning this for the past month and a half and now it's game time. So with Tay not being able to be baptized until the end of March, ah man we really need to pray he will do what he needs to do to make it to the waters of baptism. We know the Lord has right timing for everything, and we feel like this March is Tay's time. We're excited. Tay is also really excited. Actually that's a lie. When we told Tatay Reltio his baptism can't continue this Saturday he was pretty upset b/c he wants to be baptized but he has some things that he needs to work out first. But after talking and listening to the Spirit, he got excited again and re-committed himself to make those changes in his life. So pleeease pray for us. Pray for Tatay that he'll make the changes in his life so that he can become cleansed completely from his sins. Pleease pray also for our other investigators who are so close to making the right choices, but are not quite yet there. Pray that they will feel the Spirit strong enough when they pray, strong enough when they read the Book of Mormon, strong enough when they go to church, that they can know and choose for themselves to get on the path that leads to eternal happiness. Ah man, missionary work is hard ha ha and it is always a test of faith. 

Sorry I feel like this is a rushed email. Ha ha that's how it goes somedays. 

Sure do love you all! Get excited about doing things for the Lord! It's a miracle when we are instruments in His hands even if those things that we do are the little things that make just one person smile. 

Love you! Mahal ko kayo!

-Sister Davidson :)

Pictures!

1. Sister Ganancial!! And I at the mission home for MLC!

2. I got to be with my anak Sister Bongolto again!!! She also is a new STL and I got to spend MLC with her!! So much fun to be reunited again! And then with Sister Marcucci again! We were kabahay for 3 transfers! Many of my best times in the mission have been with these two amazing Sisters and now we were united again as STLs!! So much fun!

3. Sister Bongoloto and I with President Martino!! Amazing!!

4.  ALL the Sister Training Leaders for our mission!! 

February 23, 2014

Family! 

Thank you so much for your emails to me! You sound incredibly busy with painting and fixing up the house. Funny you're doing it all now so it's all nice and new just to leave it ha ha oh well. the next people who live in the house will appreciate your hard work!

This week was awesome! I love every week that I have to be a missionary. Seriously, it's so great. Bummer we weren't able to teach our Indian neighbors who don't speak English as our schedules keep conflicting, but we'll keep trying. This week we were able to teach Tatay Relito a lot with the SA members who make everything so much more fun. Tay was joking with the SA and in his prayer he asked for forgiveness for laughing so much when it was suppossed to be a spiritual lesson ha ha Tay is progressing and we're super excited for him. At church he was shaking hands with people and introducing himself and feeling part of the ward. AWESOME! We're excited for Tay. 

This week was also the last week of Sister Reyes!!! She left me yesterday to go to Tarlac, and then to Manila, and then back to Bicol as she is finished with her mission. It's so sad! It was sad to see her pack all her things, to see her testify and teach and do everything as a missionary for her last day. This next week she'll no longer be a missionary and she'll be starting her new life! Sister Reyes is great, she taught me a lot and I am so grateful for the transfer that we were able to be companions! Ah man I'll miss her. Thank goodness for internet to stay connected with people from all around the world!

So this week I was also able to have exchanges with Sister Larson from AZ and Sister Tui'one from... SOJO!!! Yep that was awesome. During every single exchange I have, it is amazing to me how incredibly, how perfectly God knows His daughters. I have been able to have the privilidege of being an instrument in His hands not only for those we teach everyday, but also during our exchanges for His precious daughters. It is amazing. As we talk and work together throughout the day, things come up and through the gift of the Holy Ghost, we are able to both grow and be strengthened and work out things that are giving us hard times in life. It has been a miracle to be a witness of how much God knows His daughters and He knows EXACTLY what they need.

Example. At the beginning of the transfer, Sister Reyes and I scheduled out when our different exchanges were, who we would do exchanges with, etc. As we did that, we felt good about all the exchanges except for the ones with Sister Larson and her companion. As we prayed about it, we felt prompted to change their date with another companionship. I don't even remember who the other companionship was, but we just felt we should change their date so we did. This past week we had our exchanges with them, and our exchanges were absolutely perfect timing for the Sister Larson and her companion. Sister Larson and her companion mentioned to both myself and Sister Reyes that had our exchanges been earlier, it would not have been as helpful. But as the exchanges were when they were, many many prayers were answered. I have a strong, strong testimony that our Heavenly Father knows HIS daughters, knows their needs, knows how to best help them. And I am incredibly grateful to be an instrument in His hands to help those whom He loves.

This week was great! This next week will be great! Good luck with everything you're doing! Stay close to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ! Even though we're always busy, we always must make time to put Heavenly Father first in our lives. When we put Him first, everything falls into place. And when we're doing all we think we should be doing but we're still not seeing the answers or the blessings we're asking for-sometimes it just takes doing the right thing long enough to see the blessings, to see how His hand is in all things. So keep going. :)

Love you!

Mahal ko kayo!

-Sister Davidson :)

Pictures!

1. Playing "In-djen-Pass!" for FHE!!! Such a fun game by the way and so hilarious! Our FHE was at the Mataeo family who is less active, and the Bishop, Brother Allan and his family, and Brother JR were able to come to the FHE to support. SO much fun! And the members being there to support and invite the Mataeo family to come back to church made ALL the difference... as they came to church yesterday!

2. Successful FHE!!! So much fun!

3.Wacky picture!

 1. Exchanges with Sister Larson from AZ! Don't remember where in AZ although it's super small town, close to the border. 

2. Some less actives that Sister Larson and I visited in their area and I don't remember their names. But they were so kind and made us laugh a lot. The one is pregnant, even though you can't tell, but she's super excited for her first child and for the life that he/she will live! We really encouraged her to come back to church, so her and her child and her family can grow closer to our Heavenly Father all together! 

3. Sisters Danica and Clair! They were baptized last December and are super cute and fun to teach! We have the opportunity every once in a while to teach their grandpa who is not yet a member but when we do get the chance to teach him, he really really loves what he learns. Especially about family history! When we taught about family history the grandpa was really involved and it was fun watching their family look at old pictures and then grow closer together through their history. The promise of Elijah the prophet is real!

1. Taking pictures at the last Sunday of Sister Reyes!!! I LOVE these people! Our ward is sooo awesome!!! Tatay Relito is next to me!

2. More ward members! Especially with Sister Leah and Brother Allan! 

3. Saying goodbye for forever to Sister Reyes! Ah man I'm going to miss her soooo badly!!!!!!!! 

 1. Sister Tui'one getting locked out of her house so we had her neighbor climb the fence ha ha to open it up for us. good memory.

2. Sister Tui'one got a package with peanut M&M's and was kind enough to share with me! Made me think of how many peanut M&M's dad can eat :) love you!

3. Saying farewell to Sister Reyes!!! Love her!!

That's all folks! Thanks for your continued love and support! Love you all sooo much! Mahal ko kayo! don't forget to say your prayers every morning!

-Sister Davidson