Email Elder Davis at: christopher.davis@myldsmail.net

Mail:

Guatemala Retalhuleu Mission

Iglesia Mormona, Boulevard Centenario

Salida a Coatepeque,Zona 2,Apt Postal 26

Retalhuleu

GUATEMALA 11001




Wednesday, July 29, 2015





Dear... whoever's reading. 

This has been a good week and spirits are high. I have found the more positive I am and the more faith I carry with me... the better my Spanish is. In other words, its coming! -- slowly but surely. As for my companion, things are improving, and as for patience, that is coming as well, which is a very good but hard thing. I have always been afraid to confront problems I have with people, and that is something I am improving with here as well. I am becoming a much more forthright person and that is helping me out a lot. My knowledge of the scriptures, the nature of God, and my calling is growing all of the time with my testimony. My district is good, but unfortunately there are allot of carry-overs from high school and the insincerity I feel from many of the missionaries here puts a bad taste in my mouth. Yet, that is simply a bi-product of humanity, and I try not to dwell on it. At the end of every two weeks we get a new district leader, meaning I have been released. Aside from what I have told you, not much has changed in my prison of preparation. The view of the mountains here keeps me going. Man am I happy to be a Missionary!        

-Love you all, Elder Davis

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Week 2 - Guatemala CCM


These two weeks have flown by!!! I think I am over the MTC hump and getting a good groove in. The language is coming surely but slowly, it's is dang hard that is for certain. I cant wait to get out into the field. Today we finally got out of the CCM for about an hour and went to a shop down the street. There I bought some canned octopus. T'was pretty good stuff. The food here is good, and I am never hungry...which I will never complain about. Luckily, we get an hour and a half each day to exercise, there is a small gym and two courts on the complex. My district is all gringos y gringas, because all of the latinos are only here for two weeks. I must be doing something right with my Spanish, because I really hit it off with the Latinos here. I got pretty close to several of them, but they shipped out to their fields of service this morning. That was a bit sad...yet, there is no time for woeful stagnancy here, so it was back to the books. I am learning a lot about myself and I am striving to improve more day-by-day. The spirit is strong and my testimony is growing. I love you all.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

From Elder Davis, Week one Guatemala CCM (MTC)

Guatemala CCM (from the Internet)
From Elder Davis, 

Many of the keys either don't work or require special combinations... so bear with me. 

As for my travels everything went well and I am safely in Guatemala City. The city is beautiful but I
don't get to leave the complex... so it already feels like a prison. The food in the MTC or  CCM is good. I wish they served more traditional Guatemalan food, but beggars can't be choosers, right. I
get to drink lots of fruit juices though, and as you can imagine the fruit is really good. I went to the temple this morning and had a great experience there. 

My companion is Elder Bucheger or Boo-hager. He is nice, but a difficult companion. He questions everything I say and doesn't listen to my study advise with the language... thus he is falling behind and making it difficult to complete our Spanish/ gospel assignments. We are working on it though and hopefully things improve.

I haven't ever considered myself a prideful person in the past but I am definitely humble now... I realize just how much I need the Lord in my life everyday. This is especially the case with Spanish, IT WILL BE THE DEATH OF ME! Not really, but it is extremely difficult. Although, I have seen a lot of improvement in just a week. It is difficult not to compare myself to others but I am making it I priority that I break that habit. 

I have made lots of Latino friends here... They all want my ties. I cant wait to get into the field. From the few experiences I have had with the locals I already know I will love them. I have only cried a few times since my arrival and most of it has been for Isaac... I found one of hist toys in my bag!? It must have fallen in at some point, but it has become my good luck charm, and guess what... I sleep with it every night. 

The spirit is very strong here if you let it in and I am already seeing the importance of obedience and it's affect on my progression. I cant wait until I'm jabbering off Spanish with the locals in Retalhuleu...Oh! and I am district leader of my whopping 10 missionary district called Mateo. I instigated a testimony session in district meeting last night and felt the spirit like crazy!!! I now feel much closer to them all and look forward to being with them for the next 5 weeks. 

Make sure to tell mom and Jenna good luck for me and Emrie, that I love and miss her. I love You all so much! Give Matthews kids all big hugs for me. I Want Isaac, especially, to know that my love for him es muy muy grande and that I know that he will an amazing young man when I get back. 

Im not allowed to have a camera at the CCM, so no pictures for 5 weeks...Again, I love you all and will right you again next week.


-Elder Christopher Davis

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

He Made it!

Guatemala is amazing and I have survived the traveling process... You
need to write me every Sunday, but I will write at random times
throughout the week. I love you all and I am doing great.

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Departure!

Elder Christopher Davis is officially on his way to Guatemala!  This week has been a whirlwind with a special dinner at Matthew and Aubrey's with a very cool cake with the Guatemalan flag (fabulously done by Aubrey).


On Monday, July 6 Elder Christopher Davis was officially set apart as a missionary by President Charles N. Andersen. The entire family was present, plus we had Grandpa and Grandma Davis and Grandpa Dorman.


Before the setting apart, we gathered for a quick family picture.


On Tuesday July 7 we finished the last minute preparations and travelled to Idaho Falls.  



Before going to the airport we had dinner at the Olive Garden and enjoyed some time with Elder Davis, who was temporarily wearing his dad's old missionary name badge.


At the Idaho Falls airport we had plenty of time to say goodbye (much better than the quick drop-offs in Provo) and took some last pictures.  We were joined by Todd and Kathy's family.  Everyone shed a few tears, but the goodbyes were especially hard on Isaac and Emrie.  An airport TSA lady was particularly kind to Elder Davis and said "the time will go by fast" and he replied "I hope it goes by slow."  He was ready to go and is so looking forward to his time in Guatemala.