A Strange Turn of Events

So... I am still in Fat Stick, and Elder Figueroa had transfers to everyones surprise. My new comp is Elder Mendoza from El Salvador; my 2 other comps from El Salvador were pretty rough and ended up getting sent home for disobedience (amongst other things) but I have faith that my new companion will be different. He was in the district before transfers and was a bit problematic and very lazy, however, thus far, we are getting along well and have found some very positive people. In the mission I have learned to find the good in every person and have found a lot of good in Mendoza. He is especially good at gaining the affection of the members, which will serve him very well in this area.

On Friday we had a leadership meeting in Malacatan, my first zone. Due to a bike race the roads were blocked and we had to leave very early in the morning, therefore we arrived 5 hours before the meeting started. Elder Cancino, Elder Holland, and I got permission to go to San Pablo and see the members and our converts before the meeting started. If you remember right we three were together there. It was a ton of fun and made me realize just how much time I have in the mission... So much had changed.

Well, iI am out of time. I love you all.... The Church is true.

Elder Davis

Una Semana Mas

This week was a success because a less active that I have been trying to get to church since I arrived attended this Sunday. We also had two investigators, one of which I have been inviting for just as long. A recent convert family that we have been working with attended for the second time after a long period of almost complete inactivity; they even committed to be a missionary family this week, or in other words, they will give referrals and contact them with us. 

Tomorrow the transfers will be announced and it is very possible that I will leave Palo Gordo. Due to the length of my stay here and the good comp that I have the change would be a bit tough, however, I am ready for a change. I especially hope I have a Latino comp this time around.

Even though I have not baptized here, I love the area and the people because of all they have taught me. I have done more development of the Christlike traits here than in any other, nonetheless, it has been incredibly difficult on some occasions to stay diligent and enthusiastic. Yet, it all gets easier with practice. I feel that the things that I have learned and improved here will allow me to be a much more efficient tool in the Lord's hands in my area to come, and not to mention, after the mission. I am loving the mission and being a member of this TRUE CHURCH. I love you all. 

-Elder Davis

A Baptism

I finally had the opportunity to get back into a baptismal font! The man that was baptized is from Soche (the sisters area that was in my district) and I had the opportunity to teach him twice about a month ago and for some reason he wanted me to baptize him. If you remember he is the man that has the special needs child named Woody. His wife was baptized 2 weeks ago, therefore the family is all-member and preparing for the temple. This family is very special and I was so happy to have been able to see their conversion.

In Palo Gordo we have been focusing in finding new people and working with the more dedicated members, so far we have seen results. On Saturday we found a very positive family and surprisingly the dad is the one that wants to learn the most. He asked a lot of good questions in the first lesson and understood very well what we taught; the spirit was very strong. I believe his biggest obstacle will be taking time out of work to attend church.

I will likely have transfers this time around and even though I really like my current comp, am hoping to be sent with a latino. 

The mission is teaching me a ton and  treating me relatively well ;). The Church is true and Christ lives.¡Les quiero un monton!

Elder Davis

Weeks Gone By

This week was yet another flash of time in history. Pedro is no longer progressing because he has some weird ideas about the Holy Spirit and resurrection. Right now we are working with three really cool families that are interested and they are even related to some good members of the branch. We had some very spiritual lessons with them, however, getting the people to leave their crops and animals on Sunday seems almost impossible sometimes... Yet, the miracles don't come until after the trial of your faith. Manuela is also reading the Book of Mormon and showing a lot of positivity but she has had a hard time making it to church because her 5 month old baby has been really sick.

My comp and I are getting along really well and doing our best to stay animated and be obedient. He is very obedient and a good example which helps me improve daily. I have got him saying and doing a lot of the goofy things I do. I am not sure if that is a good thing or not, but we have fun.

Tomorrow we will have interviews with President Goodman which I believe will be very motivating: I hope to learn a lot.

Being District Leader is trying me, especially because my area needs to be the model area and we are having a difficult time getting it up to that standard. Also, some of the elders are not getting along with their comps. Notwithstanding one area is preparing A MIRACLE FAMILY for baptism. I am very excited to work with them more.

This P-day was pretty fun and the little distraction I needed to get me a little de-stressed. We played volleyball and ate carne asada.

I have started to make the development of a different Christlike attribute party of my weekly goals. I am currently striving to be more diligent in order to be more constantly in tune with the Spirit to work the Lord´s way. Keep me in your prayers and know that the church is true. 

-ElderDavis

In the Refiner's Fire

Palo Gordo is trying me in more ways than any other area that I have had. Baptismal dates fall and  it seems almost impossible to get people to leave the corn behind for at least an hour to attend church. We have many people ready and willing to attend conference which I thought would be a game-changer, but they were all working with their harvests or washing clothes... Pedro couldn't make it either because he was feeling dizzy. However, the  most disheartening was that Marcos told us that he doesn't want anything to do with the church due to the very poor example of the members who not once visited him, not even upon being committed to do it by us.

Elder Figueroa and I are praying that we can get two families that we are working with to church on Sunday.

I absolutely loved conference and was able to recover a lot of the spiritual strength I have lost in the past months. I was also able to learn a lot about the love and mercy my Savior has for me and the power of his infinite atonement. I would like to expound upon what I have learned but I am already about out of time. (The computer I am using has horribly sticky keys...)

The church is true. -Elder Davis

Beloved friends and family

This week was full of spiritual lessons. We didn't find a ton of people, but those we found were all very positive; we even found some families (that give us MEALS whenever we visit)! All of the people we found are from the same village and, unfortunately, the ENTIRE village was invited to a birthday party that was held on Sunday, and where there may be free food... alli esta la gente... and cake and tamales are a bit more enticing than the sacrament in the mind of he that hasn't been taught.

Our investigator Pedro attended once again, to our surprise, because we weren't able to go and get him Sunday morning and he lives pretty far away and is a very much elderly. I was giving a talk when I saw him enter in the sacrament room and just about started crying because no other investigator had shown up. I am really hoping he gets baptized. The rough part is that the members aren't very pilas at fellowshipping investigators here.

This week I got a little down and didn't have a very strong desire to teach, however, upon praying the Lord helped me recover my enthusiasm and speak with everyone. The power of prayer is real and the church is true. Love y'all lots. Que Dios me los bendiga.  -Elder Davis

Tell Trey to write me and send me pics. and Parker too... fools.

TRANSFERS!

The Americans I met in the supermarket

Cow hoof (que rico)

Lunch in the market with some investigators from Samayac that made a surprise visit

Don't worry I didn't have transfers, however, many from the zone did and my district has been completely changed. I now have two more areas to help and no hermanas... just elders... bummer. The hermanas always worked hard and were respectful, on the other hand the elders... yet if it were always easy there wouldn't be any improvement. 

Marcos still doesn't want to get baptized and the members never live up on their commitments to visit him. I love that kid a ton and it pains me that he won't take the step. We also have an 80 year old man that is progressing, his name is Pedro and he is an old-school Guatemalan farmer that likes to talk about the good old days and cracking jokes. He is very kind and humble and actually looks a bit like Grandpa Dorman. He attended church Sunday and had a great time because he is good friends with some of the old folks in the branch and says he will keep coming. He is praying to know that the Church is true and be baptized. Manuela unfortunately couldn't attend this week due to the fact that she had gone out of town to visit family. This week we found lots of positive people and we're hoping they progress.

My new zone leader is Elder Cancino, my trainer! It was so good to see him again and catch up. He has changed a lot and has a lot to teach me. We love to bug each other though...

Thanks for all of the loving support, and remember "the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God". The Church is true. -Elder Davis