June 9, 2014

Hey Family!!!

Happy early Father's Day!! Yesterday at Church was the Father's day celebration b/c we have a conference this next Sunday. The primary sang the cutest songs and it got me all excited to hang out this next week! Make sure we keep in our prayers that the internet connection, video camera, sound, etc is all snazzy good! I'm excited. Thanks for your emails! I LOVE hearing about how you are doing and it sounds like you're busy with summer now and loving life!

This week was has been awesome! Oh my goodness I love everything about missionary work, it is just simply the best kind of work in the entire world. Sister Bongolto continues to be amazing as ever and I continue to learn from her daily about how to be better. Our ward is amazing, and it is happy and fun to see the result of taking the time to plan for how to involve members in missionary work. The members are always willing to help, it is up to us to plan and carry out how to harness their power and see the work move forward.

This week I learned about joyfully doing all things within our power. I read a lot about King Mosiah and his example of how he joyfully did all things around him. I learned how he had many unplanned things come up which perhaps were inconvenient to him, but multiple times I read how “he received them with gladness.” I thought about the Savior, and how even though things came up that were perhaps inconvenient for him, I have no doubt that He fulfilled all His duties joyfully. The word joyfully has many synonyms: “happily,” “ecstatically,” “blissfully,”  ”gladly,” “cheerfully” and I just love it all! I just feel so elated at all the joy and goodness that is all around us all the time. When we pray to have charity for ALL things around us –people, creatures, weather, etc.- it comes and it is so fun! Yes there are still trials, still Red Seas in front of us-there always will be. But we can cheerfully do all things; we happily can get through all trials with the help of the Savior. I love this work, I love our Savior, and I love everything about His work.

I love you all so much! Hope that you are all loving life and loving the Savior and keeping Him at the center of your lives. I love you all, I love our Savior Jesus Christ!

Mahal ko kayo!

-Sister Davidson :)

Pictures! 

1. Some of us Sisters waiting for the church to open for one of our meetings! LOVE these Sisters! 

2. I had exchanges with Sister Macabanting!! She is brand new in the mission and such a meek missionary who I learned a lot from. Her Nanay Sister Holmes made a great face for this picture in the background. Mysteriously looking at us.

3. Sister Ganacial and I!! I love her and am soo happy we are the same Zone!

4. We had a CSP for a member in our ward the Afable family! Their house always floods when the rainy season comes so we went and put all the dirt in the house so that they can put cement in and the floor will be higher up so it will be less likely to flood. I love CSPs!

5. Definantly can work in construction after the mission.

6. Action shot

 1. Sister Bongolto and I still matching even from the first time we were companions!

2. Little Khyle! And Sister Halbleib in the background being awesome. Ha ha this kid is so cute and loved seeing pictures of himself. 

3. So I thought this was cool, they didn't have a leveler so in order to make sure that the flooring is level they fill that tube with water and then they both hold the ends of the tube up and they see where the water lies inside the long tube and that is how they determine if the floor is level or too high/too low on one side-genious right? Also I'm so impressed that the Elders know what they are doing, I never learned anything like that before my mission. 

4. Leveling the different side of the floor. 

5. Group picture with Tatay Disosdado the one on the left!

1.Exchanges with Sister Gancial!!! Have I told you about Tatay Pedro before? He is this deaf Tatay who is a widow and lives alone and is so strong in the gospel! He walks to church every Sunday with his cane and it is probably about a 45 minute walk. What an example of dedication to go to church to partake of the Sacrament, even when he doesn't hear a word of anything that goes on around him.

2. And then with Sister Rochelle! Our amazing ward missionary who loves to work the whole day and has such a sweet personality that people just want to be around her. 

3. We saw this car, and obviously a picture was needed. 

4. Sister Bongolto and I with some of our investigators! Sister Judith, Kimberly and Brother Patrick all came to church yesterday!!! They loved it as well! When we taught them we brought along a member who was a youth and was the same age as one of them, and she really helped them feel like Church wasn't a scary thing, but a great and happy thing. When they came to church, they loved it and said we will see them next week again at church!! Ah man the power of members in missionary work... indescribeable!!! 

5. Sister Bongolto has now been on her mission for an entire year! Crazy how it was a year ago that we were companions in Tarlac, and now again in Tarlac. 

June 1, 2014

Family!!!

Thank you for all your emails, your love, support,and your prayers! It sounds like you are all doing well, loving life, staying busy, and staying actively happy! Good to hear! I'm excited for Father's Day! 

This week was incredible. As every week, as every day is. This week I learned a lot about the promise of the Lord when He says "Whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him." (Mormon 9:21) I testify that is truth. There are so many things that we want at times. Some things are of little importance,and there are others that are of great importance. I am continually learning that when those things that we want are for the benefit of others, when those things are the things that the Lord Himself wants to happen, if we ask in faith doubting nothing-He will give it to us. I know that the Lord cannot lie, He never has, He never will. When He promises us that if we believe in Him, we exercise our faith, He will give us what we desire if it be His will. It is then up to us to make sure we are aligned with His will so that which we are asking for are not for selfish desires, but are things which He wants to give us. 

I'm learning a lot as well about how things that we are asking for from the Lord are not going to come without a cost. We must pray with all we've got, and then we must do everything in our power to make what we want to happen, actually happen. President Harold B. Lee said: "It is not enough to say I will do my best, but rather I will do everything which is within my power and I will do all that is necessary." When the Lord has called us to do something, or when He asks us to do something through one of His leaders, He will provide the way for that thing to happen-IF we will exercise our faith, and then do everything within our power and do everything necessary for that thing to happen. It is certain that we will come across challenges. That is the pattern of the Lord for us to grow and strengthen our faith. Just like Moses had the Red Sea in front of him, we will also have our different Red Seas. The Lord had given Moses an assignment, and with that assignment, He also gave the way for it to happen. When Moses finally was able to take the people of Israel away from Egypt, he got to the Red Sea. He didn't give up, he didn't lose faith or the vision of what the Lord would have him do. When he saw what was in front of him, He knew the Lord didn't take them there all the way for nothing. He used his faith, and he parted the Red Sea and they walked on dry ground. When we have a stumbling block in front of us, if we are on the errand of the Lord, He will give us a way through. If we will exercise our faith in Him, if we do all that is necessary, He will show us how to part our own Red Seas and then we will walk on dry ground. I love the scripture in D&C 123:17, "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." I know that when we do everything in our own power, when we are on the errand for the Lord, we can then stand still and see the power of God. 

I hope you are all doing well and loving life. I hope you are looking for the tender mercies and the miracles Heavenly Father blesses us with everyday. When we look around us, and appreciate more fully His hand in all things-everything is a little brighter and a little happier. I love you. I know that He loves you. I know that Christ lives and He is always with us if we seek Him.

Mahal ko kayo!!

P.S. Please continue to pray for Brother Lorenzo! He is going back and forth with what he wants to do with his life and what will give him happy satisfaction and joy. Your prayers are working, we are seeing progress, and yet we need your prayers still. Thanks, you're the best. :)

-Sister Davidson :)

Pictures!!!

1. Rainy season is starting to start!! Except they say it is going to be a long summer. I love the rainy season and can't wait for it to fully start :)

2. We had FHE with the Boroggo family!!! And if you notice the candle in the background it's b/c it was a brown out so there were no lights so we were playing games by flashlight and by candlelight-the best way!! Good thing my camera has a great flash! 

3. Attempting to take a picture of the dark ha ha 

4. LOVE this family! They were baptized last year which I was able to witness, I was able to teach them before they were baptized, right after they were baptized, and now we are in the same ward! 

5. Working with Sister Lawrence and going sand-bag hopping so that we don't walk in all the rain water! 

 Sister Training Leaders at MLC/DLC!! I LOVE these Sisters!!!

2. Sister Tui'one!!! Still love her sooo much!!!!!  

3. For President Martino's birthday we gave him a "heart attack" ha ha those good things you do when you are in primary never grow old. I remember giving one Bishop a "heart attack" when we were back in the Stake Center... don't remember who was Bishop.... sorry. But those Primary Leaders were the best!

4. All the kids and youth playing out in the rain! 

5. The Relief Society had a be-lated Mother's Day treat and we were able to serve the food so to show our appreciation to the wonderful Sisters' in our ward! They planned and carried out a great activity for the Relief Society Sisters!!! The decorations were adorable so Sister Bongolto and I had fun. 

And then we used our magic to get everybody together for a group picture :) LOVE these Sisters!!!! 

2. And then getting all the sisters to make a wacky faces 

3. And then we had lunch again at the deJesus' canteen mmm delicious. Also si Danrey had his nails painted by his great cousin ha ha he was not shy to show off his nails. 

That's all folks! Sure do love you! I love hearing from you and seeing pictures of how you'er all doing! Hope you're remembering to stay close to the Savior through all that you are doing. Remember that when Red Seas come up-with your faith and then with the power of the Lord-you can get through them and walk on dry ground. 

Mahal ko kayo!

-Sister Davidson :)