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