June 23, 2014

Hey Family!

Thank you so much for your emails and your pictures! Linc is getting super cute and I love his smile! But it sounds like you are all alive, and doing well so that is always good to hear!

This week… was hilarious in SO many ways ha ha just thinking about how great it was I am laughing to myself. So fun stuff happened. Wednesday was transfer announcement;  I have been released as a Sister Training Leader, Sister Bongolto and I are now separated (only for a short time) as it was announced that I will be transferring… back to Camiling Branch One! My exact same area as I was in before! As in, the exact same area! After my first area in Tarlac, I was transferred to Camiling Branch One last September and half of October. And now I am back! I am leaving Tarlac (again) and going back to the same area in Camiling (again.) I love it. Like literally I am in the exact same house, the exact same desk, the exact same shelves, everything is the same ha ha and I love it. My new companion is Sister Caoile from Pangasinan and she is awesome! We actually went on exchanges when I was back in Cabanatuan and I was her first Sister Training Leader! What a cool experience no? She is awesome and so humble. I love being with her and I already know this transfer is going to be great.

This week I learned a lot about the scripture in 3 Nephi  14. “Or what man is there of you, who, if his son ask bread, will give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” I have a testimony that Heavenly Father knows us better than we know ourselves. I have a testimony that He does give, the best gifts, to His children when they ask. When the transfer announcement was made that I would be returning back to Camiling as my last and final area in the mission, I was completely at peace and so excited. I was here such a short time before and I had always felt that I could have done more. The opportunity to go back and finish my mission here with the Saints in Camiling… what more could I ask for? When I arrived back here in Camiling, it was an overwhelming feeling of joy and peace that this is exactly where the Lord needs me to be and this is exactly where I want to be right now. I am humbly grateful. It is interesting to me how familiar coming back here was and yet how much I have learned and changed since the last time I left Tarlac for Camiling. I am thankful for the knowledge that I have learned, and I am thankful for the changes I’ve seen in myself as I have grown closer to Jesus Christ in just the past year.

This is officially my last area and Sister Caoile will be my last companion which is weird to think about. As such though, we have some great goals we’re hoping to accomplish with the Lord’s help. We’re really wanting to find a family that we can teach, a family that is ready to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. A family that is ready to be baptized, and ready to accept a temple sealing goal date. We are happy with this opportunity we have to exercise our faith and to humbly ask the Lord to give us what we hope is part of His vision for Camiling Branch One.

I love you all soo much! I know that the Lord loves us. I know that this is His church. He is the Head, He is the director of His work. I love our Savior Jesus Christ. He is everything. I have drawn closer to Him each and every day as His representative, and I am humbly grateful. He knows me; He knows how to help me better than I know how to help myself. He knows how to help all of His brothers’ and sisters’. How humbled I am that He has given me the opportunity to be His hands to help our siblings come closer to Him.

Mahal ko kayo!

-Sister Davidson :)

Pictures!

1. I love the Philippines! This was just a big sign in the SM mall that we saw so we hurry and took a picture. :)

2. Sister Bongolto and I!!! Love her! 

3. Us with the departing missionaries! We will miss these Sisters! Sisters Fabros! Sister Bernarte! and Sister Fabillion! 

4. Last time with Sister Lawrence, Brother Lorenzo, and Brother Khyle! Brother Lorenzo is continuing on the path for baptism! And when he gets baptized and Sister Bongolto sends me the picture, I'll send it to you! Thank you for your prayers for him! I love these people so much and am so impressed with their dedicated faith. 

5. Last kabahay picture before I get transferred to Camiling and Sister Penales gets transferred to Baler!

1. Familiar no? Sister Bongolto sending me off to Camiling Branch One again. 

2. Our family generation! I trained Sister Bongolto, she trained Sister Daly, and now she is training Sister Talento! Cute no?

3. Welcome back to Camiling!!!!

4. LOVE it here!

5. More so I LOVE the members here!

1. This is Tatay Warlito. Such a cool experience with him. When I was here the first time, we received Tay Warlito as a referral from a member, his next door neighbor. Tatay Warlito was receptive enough and he had a TON of questions. I remember for Tatay we worked really hard to try to teach him. He had a busy schedule and so teaching him at a time that worked for us and worked for him as well as his neighbor was hard, but when we taught him it was good. I only taught him a few times before I got transferred. But when I came back to Camiling, I was told he was baptized this past March! When he saw each other again we remembered each other and he pulled out his old phamplets and there was my name that I had written along with Sister Merwal. It was awesome! Even though I was unable to be a witness to his progress and his baptism, it was a good feeling that the referral that Sister Merwal and I worked to get, turned out to go through. Tatay Warlito is now a strong, active member who REALLY understands the meaning of the Sacrament. It was cool to teach him, and now we are the ones to teach him until he will enter into the temple next year. What a blessing!

2. Cute kids right? They had made this game just from digging holes into the ground and using little stones. I don't remember what this game is actually called, but I know I've played it before! I was so impressed with their creativity and they were so cute, so obviously I took a picture. :)

3.They're adorable right? :)

 

4. With Sister Herlene again!!

5. Sister Caoile and I at our zone activity earlier today!

That's all folks! I am so happy where I am and I love every minute of everyday! Thank you for your love and support and your continual prayers in my behalf as well as in behalf of those we are teaching. Please continue praying for them. 

I love you! Mahal ko kayo!

-Sister Davidson :)