27 October 2014

Dear family,

I don't really believe what the calendar is telling me, but it seems that this changes week is a little different. The changes call doesn't go out for a few hours, but this morning, I started putting things in suitcases, because I am almost sure that I have changes. I don't know how it happened, but the 18 months and the short extension is just about over.

This week we had some good adventures and experiences.

On Thursday we took the Webbs to teach our investigator B. He speaks English and Spanish, so the Webbs had a chance to teach without a translator. I also did a fair amount of teaching in English. It was a strange experience to teach the Restoration in English. But it's perhaps good practice for working with the sister missionaries at home. Hna O mostly understood what was going on, but she taught in Spanish.

On Saturday we went out to teach in the rain. After several of our plans fell through, we started contacting. We came to a house that looked remarkably like a boat. It was even set up on stilts so it had the appearance of floating. Too late--after we had rung the doorbell--we noticed a lot of chairs, a sure sign that someone holds church meetings there. An older man answered and let us board his boat to visit him and his wife. Upon entering, he asked which congregation we went to--east, west, or center. My companion told him we were missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to which he responded that he used to be a Mormon. It turns out that he is now  Jehovah's Witness and he had let us in because he thought we were Jehovah's Witnesses too. :) But he and his wife were very friendly. We chatted for a little while, sang ''I Am a Child of God,'' and left.

Yesterday I spoke in Sacrament Meeting. I wanted to share Doctrine and Covenants 84:88 to finish. But I fumbled the reference, looking in section 88 instead of 84. Luckily this verse was the first scripture I learned in Spanish during my language study in the MTC. So I gave it from memory, and I think I got it mostly right. There is a special spirit sharing scriptures while being able to still look the members in the eye.

Well I need to go now. I still have a little time left to go and share the things I know and believe.

I know God is our loving Heavenly Father.

I know that Jesus Christ gave his life to help us overcome the effects of sin and mortality.

I know that The Book of Mormon is true and that I feel happier when I read it.

I know that God hears and answers our prayers and that we are guided today by a living prophet.

I know that I love you all and that we are working toward having an eternal family.

Lots of love,

Hermana Davis

20 October 2014

Dear family,

This week we worked really hard. And we managed to teach more lessons than we have for a while. So I felt really good about our work. Of course none of our investigators one came to church, because you can't have everything perfect. But one of our recent converts received the Aaronic priesthood. That made me happy.

Today we made the final visit to the beach. Now we just have to work really, really hard this week and help our investigators progress and find lots of new people who have been looking for the truth and maybe just didn't know they were looking.

I hope you all have a wonderful week. Enjoy the pictures!

I love you all!

Hna Davis

13 October 2014

Dear family,

This is the week where I write incredibly little.

On Friday night, we had a fellowshipping night (noche de hermanamiento). We had hoped to have several investigators. Only one came, but the activity was really good to boost the spirits of a couple of members in our area who haven't come to church in the last month. It really helped them feel part of the branch with so many people there to visit them in their house.

On Sunday we had a small choir practice because it is branch conference next week. I am glad to be here in Honduras as a pianist for branch conference instead of in Delaware to speak for stake conference....just in case you were wondering.

We're trying to work more closely with the members, and we are starting to make some progress. We are also trying to line up a talent night for the end of the month. It's a struggle to coordinate the talent night here because we live so far away from so many of the members. But we are doing our best. I hope it turns out!

And also I thought you'd like to see a picture of the bat we found in the museum at lancetilla last week. I do not think it was part of the exhibit, but we took several pictures anyway!  

I love you all so very much. Have a wonderful week. Talk to you soon!

Hermana Davis

6 October 2014

Dear family,

On Saturday, we took Hna A to the Saturday morning session of conference. And I actually decided to watch that session in Spanish, just for the experience of it. It was good, but I still don't understand everything perfectly, especially if I get distracted for a moment or two. I watched the other three sessions in English, but we all went running to the Spanish room when the native Spanish speakers spoke :).

Sunday morning we didn't take any investigators to conference, but we did take a sister who was baptized 25 years ago and has been inactive almost as long. I think she enjoyed conference and she discovered that some of her friends are church members. (Interestingly those friends have all been baptized since the time E stopped going to church, so she didn't know.) They aren't necessarily people she sees all the time, but that didn't keep them all from having a lively conversation! Hooray for fellowshipping!

This morning we went on an adventure to visit Lancetilla Bontanical Garden. It was definitely beautiful! You get the idea in the pictures.

I hope you all have a wonderful week! The church is making a wonderful difference in the lives of so many people here--people who are just learning about it. We have to let it make that same difference in us even though we've been members for a long time.

I love you all!

Hermana Davis