Boxing Day news

Merry Christmas to all

 

It has been a wonderful Christmas.  Elder Brown and I really enjoyed all the festivities.  On Christmas eve we enjoyed a very special moment as one of our investigators was baptized.  It was wonderful to listen as he described the feeling that came over him when he went under the water.  We explained to him the feelings of the Holy Ghost and he knew that is what he felt.  I can truly say that we had a White Christmas even in Arizona because he and I were dressed in white.  That was really the highlight of the entire week.

 

So this week we've also had some catastrophes.  My favorite pair of shoes got torn up by a little pit bull.  It was a very traumatic event, but I quickly recovered.  In addition my companion was playing with fire and decided to light a whole sheet of paper.  The fire alarm went off and part of the carpet got singed, so I went about shaving the top off the carpet because it had melted.  All evidence of there ever being a problem is gone.  :)

 

Christmas day was full of fun activities.  We got up and went to a breakfast for the whole Zone this morning with a dozen other missionaries.  We had breakfast burritos and Tortillas.  After that we went to the best Christmas program I've ever seen in one of our wards.  The organist is the wife of the ward mission leader and she is amazing.  It helped that the organ in that building actually has real pipes!  Later that day we called home, which was the highlight of the day.  It really felt like we'd only been gone a few weeks, not months.  We then had lunch at Bishop Parkers with biscuits and gravy, fruit, and brown sugar bacon.   After that we went home and opened presents that the wards had given us along with items from home.  I got a lot of Christmas socks(a pair of which I'm currently wearing).  My favorite gift was a pack of Pixar themed post cards.  Yesterday I spent some time using them up.  After that we went back to our normal activities, teaching and finding more people to teach about the Gospel.  It really was a wonderful day.

 

The weather here has gotten rather chilly in the morning and evening.  I've gotten myself a scarf and an investigator gave me a pair of gloves for Christmas. 

 

I love being on a mission.  It really is the best thing I've ever done.  It really has helped me grow as a person, but also has given me some challenges. 

 

Keep me in your prayers is all I ask, and do the best you can, to be the best that you can be.

 

I miss you all and love you very much.

Love

Elder Davidson

December 19th letter

It was a wonderful week this week.  This past Friday half of the mission went through the Temple on Friday.  It was a really special time because President Ellsworth was there to greet us.  After which we had lunch and got our Christmas packages.  I got the packages from both Grandparents, and am excited for my new study aid!  It was a wonderful week.  We were in a trio for a few days, because one elder's companion got moved.  It was really fun because Elder Neilson has been on his mission for 19 months so I really got to learn a lot from him.  There was also the added bonus of not having to talk as much during the day. 

This evening we have the opportunity to serve at the Visitor's Center.  The Visitor's Center is covered in Christmas lights, and there are hundreds of nativities inside the building.  Really cool ones too.  Which made me think of a cool present next year.  With all of Moms nativities she can make a advent calendar for each day till Christmas with a picture of each nativity.  That's one thing I miss is the nativities.

So there is a really cool Baptism story to tell, but it's still unfolding, so I won't give it away.  Just know that next week there is going to be a really cool story.  Something that let me know I am not forgotten.

I love you all and a Merry Christmas

Elder Davidson

Rodent war?

Hello Family and Friends

We had two baptisms this past weekend for two women, and it was possibly the best day ever.  You could see how happy they were to finally be a part of the Church of Jesus Christ.

This past Friday we had a ward party at a reception home called the Wright House, which is really classy.  During the program we got to watch a multicultural display of Christmas messages.  Sadly all the people who represented different cultures were all born and raised in Mesa, so the accuracy of some of the performances may have been a little off.  There was one young woman from Hawaii that did a dance.  It was really cool. The ward clerk had to come and make fun of us after, because we were on the first row.  My favorite part of the program was at the end.  One of the performers had trouble with her mic stand, and I got to whip up and fix it for her.  It was just like being at home fixing mics :).  Second to that was they had a really good cracker bar with cheese, olives, and pate.  The olives were ok, but they had some of the best cheeses.

We received Transfer News this Saturday, and found out that I will be serving with Elder Brown for another 6 weeks.  it will be an amazing 6 weeks, and I'm sure that I'll be learning a lot.  Our new house is so cute.  We're living with an older couple in a house that used to be an air shack for a airport, and then it was a restaurant.  Now it houses missionaries.  I did happen to hear a fairly large rodent in the ceiling, which might be the start of another war against the opposition only this time it won't be ants.

I'm learning so much and working hard to do everything I can to help the people around me.  This past week we started teaching a family of 6 and they are so ready to be taught.  The mother has talked with us on several occasions asking for suggestions on how to bring her family together.  It is amazing to share with her the teachings from the prophets and watch as she listens carefully to what we say.

I'm so blessed and it is raining just as it would at home, which really charges me up for another week.

I love you all and hope you all have a Merry Christmas.

Love,

Elder Davidson

New nephew news

Dear Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas,

Last night we got to catch a little of the Christmas devotional in Salt Lake, which was really cool.  President Monson's comments are always filled with really good books.  You can tell that he really likes to read.

I yet again have become an Uncle as the newest member of the family came.  Andrew Paul Eucker is the cutest little boy.  I'm excited as I hear the news because when I get back they'll already be 1 1/2!

The weather in Arizona has gone very cold.  It's been in the 50's almost the whole week.  which at home wouldn't be so bad, but coming from a really hot summer anything below 60 degrees is cold.  Which is kind of embarrassing.  We've had some really good rain the past two days, and it really feels like I'm back in Washington only without the endless amounts of green and the rolling hills.  It's funny because in this mission, if it's raining we're not allowed to ride our bikes.  I had to ask our district leader what he considers raining, seeing as back at home a little rain wouldn't keep me from riding a bike.  Walking in the rain brought back a lot of home, which was a nice present.

Baptisms!  Four people were baptized this past week end!  One family of three and then an older gentleman named .  They are all so cool.  After the baptism you could just see the older man's face light up.  He's been through a lot, so to see him smile is a big deal.  Next week we have another baptism too.  All in all it will be a wonderful December, not to mention that someone is getting baptized on Christmas Eve.

Elder Brown and I are getting moved to a new house today.  The whole mission is starting a new program, where the missionaries will be rotating homes every 2-3 months.  I'm really excited, the only bad thing is it means I have to get rid of things that I can't carry from place to place. 

I love you so much, and am working hard.  I'm reading about the destruction of the Nephites in the Book of Mormon, and it's really sad to see so many people destroyed.  It's not a happy scene, but it helps me to be grateful that the Book of Mormon survived the whole event.

Last Sunday we dressed up as prophets for the primary and read the prophecies of Christ's birth to the younger kids, it was really cool.

I love you all and am glad all is well have a wonderful week.

Love you a lot,

Elder Davidson

Neice news and turkey

Hello Family and a special welcome to Tesla (Tess) my new niece who is the cutest little girl in the whole world.

It was such a wonderful surprise on Friday morning, when I received a phone call informing me of the fact that my sister had her baby.  Now I am anxiously awaiting the third child of my other sister.  It is a wonderful time of year as I can now legally sing Christmas carols with out punishment.

Last week we had a wonderful Thanksgiving at a family in the ward.  I'm pretty sure it was the first time I have ever had a fried turkey and I absolutely loved it.  As my companion explained "it's like eating KFC turkey".  Even better than the normal amount of potatoes, gravy and smoked salmon?! the best treat was that they had a golf hole in their back yard.  I had a good chance to practice my pitching skills, but I can tell you that since I've been golfing with my Grandpa, I don't think I've gotten any better.  It was a really good treat and I really enjoyed the time with a family that really loves each other and works well.  That's one thing as a missionary you don't see on a regular basis.  Most of our time is spent going into homes that are broken for one reason or another.  So to just sit and spend time with a wonderful family was so refreshing.

Nothing new for me except we had a really fun activity this morning.  Our district (8 missionaries) got up at 6 and went hiking up a peak about as high as rattlesnake ridge back at home.  As we hiked there was a little cave that we crawled through and it went back 250-300 feet.  Most of the way it was only 2 feet wide and 2 feet tall.  I didn't even make it to the end of the tunnel, but I'm sure it would have just gotten smaller until I couldn't go any farther.  We also on the way saw huge Longhorns.  It was the coolest thing ever.  I'm pretty sure for the rest of the day I'll be walking slowly and stretching.

All in all a really fun week.  I'm looking forward to this Tuesday, one of the families that we're teaching is getting married!  Then on Saturday three of our investigators are getting baptized.  Yipee such a blessed area.

love you all very much and looking forward to an awesome December.

Love,

Elder Davidson

P.S. The temple here has some wonderful Christmas lights.  We went on black friday and really enjoyed it.  The one really cool thing is that all the lights are put up by volunteers from each ward.  It's not exactly the quality display as the Botanical gardens, but it still is very cool.  I got to put up my Christmas lights around my closet. :)

Oh NEW PACKAGE REGULATIONS:

By request of Elder Davidson, this Christmas season, please refrain from sending massive amounts of food.  We're very well taken care of.  In addition I think I have enough hot cocoa mix. :)

Bike Story

First a Story to show that this work is real.

This past Wednesday Elder Brown and I had a good day planned.  That morning he removed his headlight from his bike so he could put a new one on.  Well we headed out for the morning and on the way to a district meeting both Elder Brown and I had to maneuver around a few cars which wasn't too surprising, but it caused me to make a comment in district meeting "we were almost killed on our bikes".  It was more a joke than anything else, but the weird thing was our district leader responded that he had felt the need to talk about bike safety during that meeting.  It turns out not long ago two missionaries were killed in a Texas mission on their bikes.  I would encourage all to remember the missionary's families in your prayers.  Well the District leader gave a training on safety, with a specific instruction "not to bike without a light".  If it is dark and you don't have a light get off and walk.  We left the meeting and went about the day.  In the evening we realized that Elder Brown forgot his light.  After a warm confrontation about following the direction of the District leader we walked home.  The evening went uneventful, and we locked our bikes behind the house.  It then occurred to me the curious situation that took place.  Since the beginning of my mission I have never been trained on bicycle safety.  Then in one day, the day that Elder Brown forgot his light we had several events that caused us to walk our bikes.  What might have happened is unsure, but I have no doubt that that day we were protected, and kept from physical harm.  That is just one of the several occurrences that take place on a regular basis when we keep the commandments.

It has been a wonderful growing experience this week, as I've learned about some of the goals I have for myself.  I set a goal yesterday to be more outgoing so people will be able to see that the gospel does actually make you happy.

My bike sadly has reached a new decibel level.  It is no longer possible for me to sneak up on anyone walking down the street.  The noise from the chain hitting the spokes creates a nice snare drum racket, and then the crank case of the pedals has a perfect "squeak".

This Christmas should be a very exciting year.  The temple here in Arizona has thousands of lights put around it in celebration, and it is quite the sight.  This Friday will be the first evening that the lights will be showing. 

The week is looking great and should be full of left over turkey.  Love you all and miss you much

-Elder Davidson

Peaceful...

Hello all,

 

How is everyone?...

 

I am doing great!

 

I hope that everyone is doing well and had a good weekend.  My week  has been a wonderful learning experience.  I've learned when to bring my helmet inside so it doesn't get wet when it rains.  I've also learned that my companion knows a lot of Spanish.

 

So my companion is from Sandy Utah and a really spunky kid.  I'm pretty sure we're like fire and ice personality wise.  It's amazing to see how different we can be even when we study the same things, wear the same clothes and go the same places.  He really misses the snow, which I can understand.  On the back of his Preach my Gospel is a picture of the mountains.  He has three older brothers and a sister, and then a younger sister.  They seem very supportive and kind to him.  His favorite movie is Lord of the Rings and he really likes to play the theme song on the piano.  Oh in our new place we have a piano, so we'll probably be playing it today. 

 

The people in this area are wonderful.  I've never felt more at home than in the wards we serve.  There's quite a diversity in demographics.  One part of our area is very well to do, while there is one complex that has a pretty bad reputation for being the worst part of down town Mesa.  That said we forgot to lock our bikes up once in that complex, and they didn't go anywhere.  That probably was a blessing from the Lord for our stupidity.  The good news is most of the youth know who we are, so they don't mess with us.  In fact they talk to us every so often.

 

This week there were 5 people who accepted baptism, which is much more than I've ever had in a week.  Elder Brown and I are doing the best we can, and it really is starting to show.  I remember a few months ago I was talking about how slow it was, but now I know why.  When things were slower I had the time to learn how to be a better teacher and plan better, which is so important when you have almost a dozen people you think of on a regular basis.

 

I've gotten over the bug and am in full operation.  This week has a great outlook, and all should be well.

 

I love you all,

 

Elder Davidson

 

<hmm>

Can't think of anything else to say.  I know most everyone is busy to write, so I just hope that they know I'm doing well.

Heading out West

Dear Friends,

 

Thank you first off for all your prayers.  I'm doing so much better than before which is saying quite a bit.  It's been an interesting few days between a new companion and a new area.  I'm now working in the Maricopa Stake in the Mezona and Beverly ward.  The area covers approx. everything between Country Club and Dobson and Main til University.  This is probably one of those areas that most mothers would not want their son to be in, but so far I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary.  The work is very fast paced here in the area.  A young couple was just baptized this past weekend and they were one of the cutest things I'd ever seen.  All in all I'm looking forward to working in the area.

 

My new companion is Elder Brown.  He is a great hardworking Elder from Sandy Utah.  I'll be his second companion, which is hard, because even though I've been out longer I don't know much about missionary work.  I can see a lot of learning experiences these next few weeks.

 

My new place of residence is still in a members home, and I can tell you that I'm being very spoiled.  They have a space set aside just for the missionaries with a bathroom, bunk bed, and desks.  Breakfasts have been mainly toast with an egg or an apple.  I just thought I might include something new.

 

I've been learning so much and really trying to help others understand how much the gospel can change their lives.  The other day I was walking down the street and stopped a boy named Justin in the street.  He wasn't interested in what we had to say, but I asked if he believed in God and he said he did.  I then asked if he believed enough to pray.  He wasn't to sure about it, but I shared with him that if he sincerely prayed he would feel better and know that he is loved by heavenly father.  It was pretty cool as he left you could tell that regardless of if he would pray or not, he still had more confidence in himself.

 

The weather has been absolutely amazing with temperatures well below 80 and some light rain in the mornings and evenings.  This morning it looked amazingly like I was back in Washington only there were palm trees.

 

Something that I'm struggling with is being a little more loving and caring to my companions.  If anyone has any advice or ideas I could really use it about now.

 

I miss everyone back at home, but amazingly I've met a family in my new ward that knows quite a few of our family friends.  It was really a great treat to know that where ever I am it's only a few people back to home.

 

That's so cool about the ward youth conference.  That is one of my favorite things to do is work with the youth of the wards.  I can see in them lots of the desires and questions I had and now I can do my best in helping them become more than I was.

 

You may have everyone to talk to as a missionary, but no one really knows you as a person, they just know you as a missionary.  That can be one of the greatest sacrifices of all as I sit here and think about it.

Love you all,

Elder Davidson

Short

Hi...

 

I'm really sick.

 

This week was fast.  I'll be getting transferred to a new area this Wednesday.  I ran into a pole on my bike.  Elder Marco and I went to a ward carnival as... missionaries! We made jack-o lanterns.  This morning I came down with the flu and haven't been able to move most of the day.  All in all a strange week.  I have loved serving with Elder Marco and will miss him greatly.

 

Believe me when I say that this work is true, and not even the flu will take away my testimony.

 

I love you all very much,

Elder Davidson

 

 

P.S. Because of my current condition, I probably won't get any written letters out this week. Sorry

Walking on.. netting

Best Sunday ever!  And 1/4 of the time up. 1/100 of who I want to be.

When you're a missionary you have the privilege of attending three primary programs in one Sunday, it was with out a doubt the most entertaining Sunday of my mission.  I learned a lot of good lessons from those kids, especially when you have a resounding chorus of "Scripture Power!!".  There was one little kid about 4 years old, and you could barely see his face over the podium.  He was wearing a sky blue bow tie and big black glasses.  It was really one of the cutest things I'd ever seen.

Right so since some of the letter most of you don't have time to read I'll get to the interesting stuff. 

6 months almost gone!  It is time for me to set some goals for the upcoming months.  I feel like this is the greatest time in my life to learn and to grow.  There was an interesting phenomenon this afternoon.  We were next to a Sonic and some music was blasting and I didn't know the song!  Even weirder was I didn't want to know the song, it just wasn't important to me.  The world really is turning around me and I'm just standing in one place.

This afternoon Elder Marco and I decided to test our walking on water skills.  The house we're staying at has a net to protect children from drowning and apparently you can drive a car over it.  Elder Marco and I thought "I wonder if we can walk/roll across the whole net and not get wet?".  The answer from the pictures is pretty obvious, if I tried to roll across it I would definitely be breaking a rule.

I need to repent.  This past week not one but three mothers of missionaries told me that they hate it when their questions aren't answered, and I realized that I have not been answering my mother's questions.  Last week she asked what are some things I would like to have in my own family some day, which made me really think.  There are a few things I've learned.

    First is that as a Future parent I want my kids to know I love them and that Heavenly Father does too.  In all the homes we go in, that is the number one thing that I admire is when children know that their parents love them.  It also seems to be a good sign of how strong the family will be later in life.

     Second I want my children to know how to work in whatever they do, and make it fun.  It is a lesson that my Dad took a lot of time trying to explain to me.  Work can be fun if you just have the right attitude.

     Third and one of the most important is I want to allow my kids to fail.  I mean that in the most loving way.  When we teach children some of their parents have become so disruptive to their learning that we can't ask a question without the kid turning to the parent and waiting for their parents to answer for them.  It is painful to watch as the child's brain is so under utilized as they sit and have thoughtless information go in their ears and out their mouth with out even the slightest amount of consideration for the importance of what was said.  If they were allowed to answer the question as they wanted too, and then we helped them to see how their answer is right or could be improved their understanding and appreciation for what is taught greatly increases.  With out experiencing failure they will never know success.

Mormon.org!

The worms are coming out of the wood.  By that I mean the reality that people really don't know what a Mormon is blows me away.  As the campaign is picking up steam more and more people on the street are asking us questions and you see how little they really know about us.  One woman we spoke with honestly thought Mormon's was spelled "More men".  It can be almost frustrating that something as simple as a nickname can cause so much confusion.  Goodness!  We do almost everything else other people do, we just base all of what we do on the teachings and belief in Jesus Christ.  Is that so strange?  Maybe if everyone would just come and see they would understand a little more about who we are.

I love everyone back at home and where ever you are.  Hope you have a wonderful Halloween.  Till next week this is

Elder Davidson

Signing off.

Much love <3

(photos to be posted)

Best Sunday ever!  And 1/4 of the time up. 1/100 of who I want to be.

 

When you're a missionary you have the privilege of attending three primary programs in one Sunday, it was without a doubt the most entertaining Sunday of my mission.  I learned a lot of good lessons from those kids, especially when you have a resounding chorus of "Scripture Power!!".  There was one little kid about 4 years old, and you could barely see his face over the podium.  He was wearing a sky blue bow tie and big black glasses.  It was really one of the cutest things I'd ever seen.

 

Right so since some of the letter most of you don't have time to read I'll get to the interesting stuff. 

 

6 months almost gone!  It is time for me to set some goals for the upcoming months.  I feel like this is the greatest time in my life to learn and to grow.  There was an interesting phenomenon this afternoon.  We were next to a Sonic and some music was blasting and I didn't know the song!  Even weirder was I didn't want to know the song, it just wasn't important to me.  The world really is turning around me and I'm just standing in one place.

 

This afternoon Elder Marco and I decided to test our walking on water skills.  The house we're staying at has a net to protect children from drowning and apparently you can drive a car over it.  Elder Marco and I thought "I wonder if we can walk/roll across the whole net and not get wet?".  The answer from the pictures is pretty obvious, if I tried to roll across it I would definitely be breaking a rule.

 

I need to repent.  This past week not one but three mothers of missionaries told me that they hate it when their questions aren't answered, and I realized that I have not been answering my Mothers questions.  Last week she asked what are some things I would like to have in my own family some day, which made me really think.  There are a few things I've learned.

 

    First is that as a Future parent I want my kids to know I love them and that Heavenly Father does too.  In all the homes we go in, that is the number one thing that I admire is when children know that their parents love them.  It also seems to be a good sign of how strong the family will be later in life.

 

     Second I want my children to know how to work in whatever they do, and make it fun.  It is a lesson that my Dad took a lot of time trying to explain to me.  Work can be fun if you just have the right attitude.

 

     Third and one of the most important is I want to allow my kids to fail.  I mean that in the most loving way.  When we teach children some of their parents have become so disruptive to their learning that we can't ask a question without the kid turning to the parent and waiting for their parents to answer for them.  It is painful to watch as the child's brain is so under utilized as they sit and have thoughtless information go in their ears and out their mouth with out even the slightest amount of consideration for the importance of what was said.  If they were allowed to answer the question as they wanted too, and then we helped them to see how their answer is right or could be improved their understanding and appreciation for what is taught greatly increases.  With out experiencing failure they will never know success.

 

Mormon.org!

The worms are coming out of the wood.  By that I mean the reality that people really don't know what a Mormon is blows me away.  As the campaign is picking up steam more and more people on the street are asking us questions and you see how little they really know about us.  One women we spoke with honestly thought Mormon's was spelled "More men".  It can be almost frustrating that something as simple as a nickname can cause so much confusion.  Goodness!  We do almost everything else other people do, we just base all of what we do on the teachings and belief in Jesus Christ.  Is that so strange?  Maybe if everyone would just come and see they would understand a little more about who we are.

 

I love everyone back at home and where ever you are.  Hope you have a wonderful Halloween.  Till next week this is

 

Elder Davidson

Signing off.

 

Much love <3

 

 

Happy week

One wonderful week.  So I had interviews with the mission president this past Tuesday, and it was a great experience.  He helped me to see that there are so many things to do in this area, that we haven't tried.  He compared missionary work to his little granddaughter who on walking into a room would immediately find something to play with.  We must be like little children totally ADD in finding something to do...no problem.

Outside of one awesome interview we had a bad rerun with someone we met last week.  He insisted on trying to convince us that he was right, asking questions made to catch us in our words, like "what do you know about the Book of Matthew?" and my personal favorite "your family is Free Mason, you just don't know it".  It was rather boring really, because we refused to get in an argument, and when he was getting really abrasive, we calmly said "we really don't like causing contention".  When we said that he immediately responded "It's not contention, I'm just getting excited".  When trying to leave, he said "by leaving you're proving me right, and you're running away from the truth."  All in all not a very fun situation.  That evening/afternoon was amazing though, we visited a less active member of the church who had been through some really trying times.  One of her friends, was literally on a bed dying.  And 3 months ago she was brutally attacked, because of the nature of the attack she felt that she couldn't go to church, and actually apologized.  I have never felt more humble than when she was asking for forgiveness in prayer and had done nothing wrong.  Those are the moments when you know that someone was lifted that day.  The rest of the evening was wonderful as I shared with someone how I feel about marriage, and she gave me some really good advice on how to make a relationship work.  It was fun because she could tell that how I felt came from what I believe.

In other news the last heat wave is supposed to be over and it should drop down to 80 sometime soon.  The other day I shamefully had goosebumps at 75 degrees.  Today Elder Marco and I are supposed to be on a hike with the rest of the Zone, but we forgot to find a ride until last night, and now we're just taking it easy the rest of the day.  We might try to play some basket ball.

Oh man I love it here in Arizona.  Every day that goes by is just another life lesson to an eternity, and that's worth a lot to me.

Totally selfish request, but if anyone is bored letters to missionaries are a good way to occupy your time :-).

Love you much,
Elder Davidson

How to make your mom feel good

Dear Friends and Family,

 

I've decided that for my first meal home I'm going to have a roast chicken made by my mom.

 

It's been a fun filled week with more or less the normal activities that take place for a missionary serving in Mesa Arizona.  This morning I got my ears cleaned, because I wasn't hearing as well, and Elder Marco and I had a good time making jokes about what we could do when the doctor came in.  He suggested we make a fort out of the medical bed and put on some paper hats so that when the doctor came in we could yell "intruders!".  We didn't end up doing anything, but it turns out the doctor is a cousin to the Dances back at home.

 

We had a wonderful little miracle this past week.  Through out the week it was going pretty slow and everyone we met was either angry with us or just plain rude.  Finally one night we said "Hi" to a guy named Marco getting out of his car and struck up a conversation.  After a while he just asked "How do you guys do this every single day?".  It was an honest question and he wanted a sincere answer.  We explained that one major reason is that we know that what we have to share with people can help them in every part of their life.  Following an exchange of information he invited us back to tell him more about what we taught.  I'm really looking forward to meeting with him this Wednesday.  His sincere question was a nice contrast to some one earlier in the day who flat out interrogated us about the bible and our beliefs, trying to prove that what we had to say was wrong.  It really made me appreciate how much it means to be sincere and kind to everyone.  Even people who don't want to hear what we have to say take the time to at least listen to me as another person rather than just ignoring us.  I hope to show more patience and understanding when I get home, because I really appreciate it from others.

 

In response to questions about if there's anything cool to do on P-day, the answer is yes if we're not dead tired.  One of the neighbors has a basket ball court where it's fun to just go and shoot some hoops.  If we had a frisbee and the temperature was lower we'd probably go out and play some ultimate.

 

The people here are wonderful.  Most of the time everyone is really happy to see us.  On occasion they'll be someone working out in their yard that could use some help, so we bike up and ask "would you like some help?".  It is funny to watch the reactions of people.  Some just ignore us, so we ask louder, others look up and politely say "no thanks", but the best is when they cut us off before we're finished asking and start yelling and waving frantically "No, No, Go away".  I never thought that people would be so afraid of two nineteen year-olds.  At the end of the day this week has been one full of personal experiences that are hard to describe with out pages and pages of text, which I'm sure would take too much time to read so for now I say farewell.

 

Love you all

Elder Davidson

Sugar overload

"Hello"

-President Thomas S. Monson

Well that was without a doubt one of the best conference sessions I've ever watched.  That may be due to the fact that it is one of the only conferences that I've stayed awake the whole time.  Some great messages that helped me get up and do some more.  I think my favorite talk was by Elder Eyring at the priesthood session.  Of course our eyebrows were all burned by Elder Holland

Any way I'm sending pictures of my companion and I for everyone to see.  There's a funny story about my companion.

Elder Marco is a very healthy eater so when he received a large package with over 16 boxes of candy he wasn't very happy.  Then in another package he got even more candy.  His birthday was on the 30th so that's why he was getting so many sweets.  Well that morning while we were planning I smelled cake coming down the hall and sure enough we came home and there was a cake sitting on his desk.  At this point he was literally dying from all the candy.  That wasn't the best part.  When we went to dinner that night the family pulled out a chocolate cake with chocolate icing and chocolate ice cream.  By the end of the day he was just dead.

In other news we've reached Oct 1st and it is still over 100 degrees.  I'm starting to doubt that I'll ever feel cold again.

The work in this new area is really picking up.  Most of the whole area is residential and not a lot of new people around.  That being said I've found that usually the most unhappy people are the ones that live in big houses and have cars and almost everything they need.  They will usually be the first to complain about some little thing where as in the apartments and trailers there was one guy who was sick, his motorcycle got stolen from his stall in a trailer, and yet he was still happy.  It made me think a little bit more about what I thought was going through a hard time.

I guess the biggest thing I learned this week is to drink from the scriptures, because they can be your best friends.

To all friends and Family I love you all and look forward to another great week.

-Love Elder Davidson

New Area

 

Well I have been in this new area for about 5 days and absolutely love it.  Per instruction from my mother I need to answer several questions.

 

My new area covers three wards: Edgewood, Greenfield Park, and Winsor Ward.  We serve in the Kimball East stake and luckily I don't cover a spanish ward. (since I don't speak Spanish)  I'm still on a bike which won't be as bad once the temperature cools down.  The area is pretty amazing it's shaped like a upside down "L" it covers several retirement communities and some very posh areas.  Elder Marco and I live in a members home with plush carpet.  I love the carpet because when we pray my knees don't hurt as much. The only local land mark in the area is probably the Honeycomb apartments that are just east of Greenfield and south of Main.  When you look on a satellite picture of the trailers the streets look like a honey comb.  Other than that there aren't really any landmarks (except perhaps Walmart as the Elders suggested).  I don't have any photos of the area yet.  I'm still working on unpacking, because we've been so busy there hasn't been time to find everything.  My new companion is from Ohio and he is a really good Elder.  He's been out a little over a year and his birthday is in 4 days.  In the field I've been with all my companions during their birthday, so Elder Marco said I'm President Ellsworth's birthday present.  He helped me today eat healthier and get more exercise in the morning, which can be really hard, but it helps me be more ready for the day.

 

You should watch the mormon message "look not behind thee".

 

So my first Sunday in the area was amazing.  In Greenfield Park ward Elder Marco and I were both asked to give a talk on missionary work and the Mormon.org initiative (which will start next Monday).  That was pretty fun because we got to talk, and there was a farewell from a sister missionary going to the Midwest (I don't remember what mission).  Then in the next ward they had a combined meeting for the adults with the training for Mormon.org.  Then in Windsor ward Elder Marco and I split and I got to give a 40 minute training to the youth in the ward on one of the flat screen TV's focused on Mormon.org which was really fun.  When the youth started role playing the adults weren't participating.  I asked one of the leaders a question to see how she would answer it, and it was funny to see how she struggled just like the youth.  That's something I've learned is everyone needs to practice teaching no matter how old or young you are.  That was more or less the whole Sunday.

 

As for General Conference this weekend, I'm so excited to be watching it as a missionary.  There are so many questions that I need help answering, and I know that I'll get some answers while watching conference.

 

All in all there haven't been too many exciting things happen.  Elder Marco did say something really funny the other day.  After a dinner appointment we were unlocking our bikes outside when a 2 year old boy came out carrying his diaper.  Elder Marco just looked at him and asked, "is that for us".  It was really funny.

 

I love the people in my new area.  The members are all really excited about the Mormon.org initiative.  I hope you all get a chance to watch some of the portraits, because they're all really cool.

 

I love you all back at home, or where ever you are,

Elder Davidson

Moving

This week is the week.

 

Saturday night I received the news that I am being transferred this Wednesday to the Kimball Zone.  My new companion will be Elder Marco who I believe trained my MTC companion Elder Halling.  Elder Paetznick will be getting an Elder who came out with me Elder Ellsworth who is a good friend of mine.

 

In the world of missionary work you could say that these past three weeks have been a hard week, a harder week, and the hardest week of my life.   This means that this past week was the best week of my life.  We had struggles that we didn't know how to deal with.  We were kicked out of a house, several people just stopped talking to us.  All in all we had only one thing to do and that is to put our feet on the ground and lift.  Even with no one to see we still were able to see so many miracles, that I may not have noticed if it hadn't been for the trials that we had.

 

On Friday we had Elder Choi of the first quorum of the seventy tour the mission.  He gave all the missionaries excellent guidance on how to be better friends with those around us.  This is a subject that has been on my mind.  As I leave this area and the people that I've met and taught, the memories will stay with me.  Even better than that is the knowledge that I will see these people again in this life or the next.  I love the wards and members that I have come to know.  They will always stay with me.

 

By the way I've been reading the Isaiah chapters along with the epistle of Paul to the Corinthians and it helps to understand the way Isaiah talks.  Lots of the writing I don't understand the words, but I can understand the intent.  For example in 2 Nephi 16 Isaiah gives an account of him seeing the Lord, I don't understand it all, but when I read the story of Enos it makes more sense.

 

FYI I'm probably not going to be taking the table runner with me to my new area. :)

 

Besides that all is well in Arizona.

 

Something I just found out about my new area.  I'll be covering a spanish ward...Ahhhhhh!

Cool (er) and rainy!

Hello Again

Great news! The temperature is lower than 100 degrees!

In fact this past Saturday we had a wonderful torrential rain storm.  I had no problem with getting wet.

My Family and Friends there is a need of every member.  On October 3rd there will be a Missionary Media Initiative that will go from October till April.  As a missionary the most important thing you can do and should do is make a mormon.org profile.  We are blessed to be able to share our testimony with hundreds of others looking for something more in their life.

On a personal note our area has seen some struggles.  My companion and I have been putting everything we have in looking for people who are willing to listen, and it has been one of the slowest weeks that the District has seen.  Whatever the reason I know that Heavenly Father is preparing others to hear what we have to say.  There is great potential to raise our personal titles of liberty.  I know that we have something to share with everyone we meet that will strengthen their faith.  It may be a smile, hug, or warm conversation with a stranger.  No matter the day or where we are, there is opportunity to lift and encourage someone around us.

Truth be told life is hard, but we can always make someone else's day easy.  Sooner or later you'll see that no matter who you are there is always a friend trying to lift you up.  Even if they are miles away.

I love you all very much and miss you,

Elder Davidson

By the way I don't know if we're getting iPads, but I wouldn't doubt it.  There have been a few rumors regarding that so it might come while I'm here.  It means there will be a lot of need for technical minded missionaries.

Fyi I woke up this morning and there were thousands of ants in a line on the floor that made their way up the fridge to a loaf of bread that a local street vendor gave to us.  It was full blown warfare as we got the vacuum, windex and other chemicals to take them out.

Mom I got the package with all the goodies, and I loved the jelly straws.  Elder Paetznick and I played with them for almost twenty minutes and they were gone in two days. :)

we're no good dead

Good Morning

 

All is well here in Arizona.

 

Well... I should probably explain a few things that happened this week.  My companion Elder Paetznick came down with a pretty serious case of heat stroke.  On Wednesday we got to one appointment and he turned straight green.  Within minutes he looked like he was about to pass out, so we put him on the floor over a vent and got him some cool cloths.  With a quick blessing he regained his color which was a relief.  Honestly I wasn't sure if he'd make it for the rest of the week.  After that day we've restricted ourselves to only doing work inside in the afternoons.  As my companion says "we're no good dead." It's been a slower week than what we had last week.  Part of that could be the fact that we spent quite a bit of time in doors resting from the ill effects of the sun.  The good news is we are having more effective lessons than we've ever had.  The single most important thing to do as a missionary is study in the morning.  Our studies used to consist of just reading and discussing what we read in the scriptures.  Now we spend every minute talking about how to best help the people we're teaching.  This type of study takes a lot  concentration.  It's like a teacher who custom makes a lesson plan for every single student in the class every single day.  Problem is we are not very good at it, but we are getting better.
So as the Church has let the word out I guess I can share with you what is happening here in Arizona.  Come October there will be a "I'm a Mormon" advertising campaign.  There will be billboards, bus signs, radio spots, video commercials, internet ads through out the Phoenix area.  This week the missionaries will be getting a training on how to best work with the members.  As a missionary there is one thing that all of us as members can do, and that is to become well acquainted with mormon.org.  It is a strong possibility that as a member of the church, you will be asked about the Mormon ads.  Just remember to show love and understanding as you share with others your testimony.  I've seen that the only way to teach is through understanding of one another.
I love being here, even when we're dying of the heat.  There is no greater feeling than sharing the gospel.  Have a wonderful week!
Love your good friend,
Elder Davidson

Having the time of his life

Greetings,
 
It has been the hardest week that I've ever had my entire life.  We started out with lots of promising appointments this week, but most of them fell through which was a little disappointing.  Every day was a challenge both physically and spiritually.  I thought I'd never be able to stay awake with all of the work we've been doing, but when it seems like I've reached the very bitter end somehow we push through the rest of the day.  Then every morning we get up and do the whole thing over again.  I should say that we have seen lots of blessings.  In one ward that has been pretty slow we finally found some people to teach which made our week.  Probably one of the hardest things we did was dig a grave for a dog in someone's backyard.  It was an interesting experience to say the least.  It was a good 2 hours of work to get the hole deep enough.  My companion has back problems so he couldn't help which meant it was a long night.  with every stroke of the pick I was pretty sure that my body was about to collapse.  If I hadn't been drinking water all day I would have said that I was dehydrated.  Exhaustion isn't the word I would use more like completely spent, but my body just keeps coasting.  Believe it or not we have a similar week this week. 
 
I am having the time of my life.  There is no where else in the entire world that I would want to be.  Where ever I go AZ will have a special place in my heart.  The weather I could probably do without.
 
To put everyone's mind at ease we drink water all day.  We drink so much water that we can't drink anymore.

Special moment of the day we've been working with alot of couples recently that aren't married which is really a challenge.  You want to just show them that when you are married life is so much better.  I've seen that so much on my mission.  There are so many couples that are not married and for one reason or another they think that it's better or they're not ready for marriage.  All I know is that everyone I've seen that is married is so much better off in every way.
 
 
Well it's a long week looking for a good nap this afternoon:)
 
Love you all
Elder Davidson
 
Keep your head up.

tired..... but happy

This week could be called the greenie broken week.

 

This week we've been able to rest about two times a day once in the morning at 12 and then again at 5pm for dinner the rest of our time has been solid work from 6:30 in the morning till 10:30 at night.  We've been so busy that we haven't been able to finish everything we need to do each day.  This week is already turning out to be the same. Today is the first day in a week we've had to just sit down and rest.  It has been a miracle that we can get up in the morning get on our bikes and go all day.  I know I haven't been doing this alone.  For example yesterday we had a Zone conference 4 miles south of us.  We didn't have a ride, so at 6 in the morning after a full week of work we said a short prayer that we could make it to the conference and have energy for the rest of the day.  The weather was perfect the sun was behind the clouds the entire trip.  The temperature couldn't have been more than 78 degrees.  Honestly it was a miracle and I was smiling the whole ride down.  I don't know how or what is keeping me going.  I've never done anything harder than this missionary work.

 

We did have a wonderful baptism for a young man who has been taught for the last few months, and his mother and father came.  They were so grateful for what we had done, when really all we did was teach him about the Gospel.  Yet another lesson in how the Gospel changes lives and always for the better if we let it.

 

I can tell you how much I miss everyone at home.  When I see people that we teach I always wonder if I have friends at home that could have been helped by me being a better example.

 

I'm happy to say that I'm still alive and kicking.

 

I'd love to hear from you all about how your lives are going.  We can always use some good news from the world that isn't a dry desert.

 

Love from one of the most tired missionaries in Mesa.

Elder Davidson

New companion and working hard

Crazy week

 

I have a new companion Elder Paetznick.  He is 11 months my veteran and full of useful information.  He's rather quiet and speaks with confidence, but in his spirit he's like a lion.  When he came in and saw the area all he said was "Elder we're going to destroy this area".  He came in on Wednesday and by Saturday we'd more than doubled the number of people we are teaching.  He also helps me to be more obedient.  He's from Texas and a wonderful friend.  Our goal is to work so hard during the day that we collapse in bed then get up and do it again.  I'm really looking forward to it.

 

This week we have another baptism for a young man that has really changed his life.  When I first met him he could hardly say that he had anything but the clothes on his back.  Now he's moved back with his family and is helping his younger sister see the importance of keeping her life clean and making good choices.

 

We are very excited for the new programs that the Church is working on.  The visitors center at the Mesa Temple is really up to date.  There's a little interface that you can learn all about temples and what they are for.  Not to mention that it has a fun little game of finding temples on a map of the world.

 

I can tell you that we are involved in a great work one that I can not even describe how grand a scale it is on.

 

There have been way more miracles than I've told you about, but it's been such a busy week that I'm not sure what happened this week or the week before.  All is well in Lehi.

 

Love you all where ever you may be

Elder Davidson

 

PS. Helaman 5:44 is a really cool scripture.  Not that I've been encircled by any fire recently ;)

 

Things going well

Hello world!

 

Point of information if there were letters that were sent last week I don't have them yet because it is transfer week! That means that I'm getting a new companion.  Elder Berardi will be switching languages to ASL (American Sign Language) and will be covering three missions worth of area.  He's very excited, because the companion he is going with is also from where Elder Berardi grew up.  In fact that is how he learned sign language.  So my new companion will be coming in on this Wednesday and his name is Elder Paetznick.  I don't know anything about him, but I'm sure I'll get to know him over the next 6, 12... or more weeks.

 

So this past week there have been lots of miracles.  There was another baptism in one of our wards this past weekend, and it was just as special as the one two weeks ago, so I won't tell you much about it.  It was really a great experience, because the man who was baptized had several sets of missionaries teach him, so there were quite a few attending his service.

 

The week has been the refiners fire in regards to temperature.  There were one or two days that all we did was try and visit people and get into the shade.  It's hard to talk to people during the summer, because no one is outside during the afternoon.

 

Highlight of this weekend was definitely a surprise.  So at school in Rexburg someone in my family home evening group said she was from Mesa, and this was the same time that I got my mission call.  Well apparently she's in one of the wards that we cover, and she's been out of town, but came to sacrament yesterday which was so exciting.  I didn't know what to say, but it really was the best thing in the world to see her and be able to say hi.

 

That's about all that is new.

 

I had another spill on my bike, completely my own fault.

 

All is well in Lehi

Love Elder Davidson

A Great Experience

My Friends and Family,

 

I have received many messages of encouragement and support, and I love hearing about your families so that I can pray for you.  What I'm about to write has been on my mind for several days.

 

I could tell you about the day we raged war on bed bugs by burning a bed frame, or that we attempted to save a baby dove by taking it in our back pack to a members house, or that I was given a personalized sketch from my favorite comic book artist Stan Sakai.

 

The experience I had on Saturday afternoon as three young women were baptized has left a permanent impact on my Heart and will stay with me through out my life.  I share part of the experience with a sincere desire that you might feel of the joy that I had and know where it comes from.

 

Leading up to this week end I was reading a text called "Our Heritage" .  In the book it describes the history of the church and that the first members of the Restored Church were baptized in Europe on the 30th of July.  My heart was so overwhelmed even before the baptisms took place.  The service started and proceeded to the actual baptism as they normally do with a song, a prayer and a short talk on baptism.  I could feel so warm and knew that the spirit was there.  We proceeded to the baptismal font and as I watched these wonderful women each be submersed and brought out of the water you could see the literal change come about them in their eyes.  We returned to the Chapel were we waited our small band of Twenty or so people sat on different rows fairly separated and many were not well acquainted with those getting baptized.  That being said, I have never felt such an overwhelming power of love.  We were privileged to hear a vocalist perform the piece "Our Saviors Love".  It is difficult for me to relate this.  As I sat and listened to that music the realization of what kind of an impact I helped make in their lives can not be described by words.  Weakness from pure happiness is the best I can do to describe it.  Then Elder Berardi and I performed the piece that we had prepared.  It is impossible for me to share this with dry eyes.  The words of the song "Amazing Grace" were understood at that moment.

 

"Amazing Grace how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now am found

Was blind but now I see.

 

Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear

and Grace my fear relieved

How precious did that Grace

appear the hour I first believed

 

Through many dangers, toils and snares

that I have already come

twas Grace that brought me safe those far

and Grace will lead me home

 

Amazing grace

and grace will lead me home"

 

The only thing more powerful than the love I felt was the strength I was given to keep singing.

 

There was no money given to those who where baptized, no great physical labor rendered.  All that brought them this joy was two young men who opened their mouths and shared the truth that Jesus Christ is our Savior.

 

I any of you read this and feel even the slightest feeling of hope, love, or a desire to know if what I said is true or if you can have a similar experience.  Let me tell you plainly and simply that it is through Jesus Christ and following him that we will have joy forever.

The Book of Mormon testifies of him and his work.  You are invited to read and find out for yourself.

 

That is why I am here in Arizona.  I love the people and want to serve them the best I can.  I have helped more people in the past several weeks by opening my mouth and sharing what I know then I have in my entire life. I have seen it in the way they change their lives and their families.  They become stronger and better people.  To be a part of this really does bring me to tears.  I can think of no greater thing I could be doing.

 

I may not know you, but I pray that this short message has made you a little bit more hopeful.

 

Love

Elder Davidson

water balloons, and more ants

What happens when your Zone Leaders ask you to fill 300 water balloons for an activity.  Well you'll find yourself sitting in the bath tub with a hose coming in through the window, while rain wind and crazy thunder and lightning are going on outside.  This is how I spent yesterday evening.  It was actually quite amazing to watch all the lightning in the distance.  The only annoying part about weather like this is no longer is it just a dry heat in Arizona.  This morning our Zone did play water-balloon volleyball and had a fight which was pretty fun.

Some updates for the week.  Elder Berardi and I have several baptisms this weekend which we are very much looking forward too.  Three woman will be getting baptized on Saturday, which is very exciting.

We had one of the most amazing miracles this past week with someone we talked to in one of our neighborhoods. We have been challenged by our President Ellsworth to find 3 new people to teach every week.  In an effort to do this we have been very diligent in talking to everyone that we meet on our way to appointments.  At one home there was a younger gentleman who I pulled up to and started talking.  I told him simply "We are representatives of Jesus Christ and we want to tell you that you and your family can be together for ever".  He was very welcoming which isn't always the case.  He brought us into his home and introduced us to his family.  We quickly discovered that he was the only one in his family that could speak English.  After teaching him a little bit about the Gospel he related to us that he had just finished praying for Heavenly Father to show him something, and sure enough right as he finished praying we came around the corner.  The lord really does put us in the right place at the right time.

By the way to the Young Women from Somerset Ward.  Thank you so much for the letters they were very entertaining.

That's really the news from Mesa Arizona.  The mission work is hard, but with every person we talk to we are changing their lives in small ways.

I love you all
Love Elder Davidson

We finally conquered the ants in our house, by vacuuming them up as they come out of the floor.

Families, ants, and trailers

Hello and Greetings,

 

Coming up to three months out in the field I've seen quite a bit of change.  This coming week three of our investigators will be getting baptized into the ward which is most exciting thing that we did this week.  As far as the temperature goes it is still incredibly hot.  This past week we spent a lot of time at the temple visitors center.  It is one of the best resources we have besides Preach my Gospel.  One of the Presentations is called God's plan for his families, which was just redone this past week.  While watching the presentation I realized very literally that I love my family.  It's something that I am so grateful for that I will always be with my family after this life.

 

Well this past Monday we had interviews with our Mission President who is without a doubt the most loving man I have ever met.  It is so humbling to be a part of this mission.

 

Item of the week: A bike trailer

On Tuesday we helped someone get some scrap out of their backyard.  Lucky for me there was a bike trailer that was just calling my name.  Much to Elder Berardi's disappointment I took it home, and we've already used it twice.  After seeing the multiple uses of the trailer Elder Berardi finally confessed that it is pretty cool.

 

Right I can't think of anything else that would be jaw droppingly exciting.  We've done a lot of work to help people around the area and we've made some great friends.

 

Also if you ever get ants in your house you can use cinnamon to ward them off.

 

With that I say I hope everyone is enjoying their summer.

 

Love you

Elder William Davidson

 

PS. If you're ever bored write a letter to a missionary.  Even better buy a typewriter to write the letter.

seven eleven letter

The 4th report

We spent P-day last monday enjoying a nice afternoon of shopping in Walmart and watching explosions.  I've discovered that I have a fear of the walmart super stores.  If you're looking for another way to see eternity besides looking into two mirrors facing each other just look down an isle in Walmart.

 

It's very frustrating the most exciting things happen right after I email home.  On tuesday night there was quite a big sandstorm, which was rather exciting.  Elder Berardi and I got our hankies out and put them on like we were bandits.  The next day every car was covered in dust from the storm.  The good news is it rained the past two evenings which cleaned everything off.  Some of the coolest lighting and thunder was around 4 in the morning.

 

The miracle of the week:

 

Elder Berardi was at leadership meetings every morning this past week, so I got to be in a vehicle with Elder Hannesson who is an amazing missionary.  He really pushed me to the limit in performance. He would see someone on the street and basically push me out of the car with a Book of Mormon to teach who ever was there.  He taught me a lot because I had a lot of good experiences.  One of which was really special.  Elder Hanneson and I were parked on the side of the road and I saw two young men walking towards us.  I got out of the car and went to go talk to them.  One of the boys T. was very interested in having us come and teach his parents.  Well we set an appointment and showed up the next day.  I can tell you it was definitely the Lord putting me in the right place at the right time.  At the appointment we were introduced to a man and his wife B. and T.  He was an active member of the church, but hadn't been for several years.  He related to us an experience he had that week of going to the visitors center at the temple, and wanted a copy of the Book of Mormon so that he could read it again.  That same evening was when I ran into his son.  I can tell you that was a modern day miracle.

 

Also we have another baptismal date for an older woman who is just progressing so well.  The members have truly been the greatest blessing to us in the work.

 

In other news my ankle is finally out of the brace.  I just have to wear it when I play sports.  It was getting rather annoying because I had to wear to different shoes which earned me the nick name two shoes, from one of our investigators.

 

So a common question is do we get a car in the summer.  Sadly the answer to that is no.  All through the summer we are to continue doing work on our bikes which can be very difficult.

 

About the guitar I've had for a while, I've been trying to learn how to play some hymns so that I can play at fireside.  It's pretty fun, because it's something I've never done before.

 

I don't think there's much more for me to say.  I'm doing some sound recording today with Elder Berardi, which I'm really excited about.

 

By the way, never put off Companionship inventories, it just gets more painful when you wait.

 

Thank you everyone for all the letters, messages, and well wishes.  They truly do keep a missionary going from day to day.Thank you.

 

As always I love you and truly miss you all.

 

Love

Elder Davidson

4th of July and Questions

Per popular request I'll answer some questions.

Q: Are you a puddle?
A: Almost if puddles didn't just evaporate I might be.  The temperature has gotten to a point that it is constantly over 105 degrees from sun-up to sunset.  You can tell what the temperature is by counting how many people are working, walking, or sitting outside.  Usually when it's over 104 no one is outside.

Q: Do you ride your bike in the heat?

A: Yes. Unless it is hotter than 120 degrees we are outside on our bikes doing work.  This really helps Elder Berardi and I to set appointments in the heat of the day.  The good news is next week I'll be in a car on a companion exchange with Elder Hanneson.  

Q: Am I drinking lots of water?
A: The question should probably be am I inhaling lots of water, and to that I can say probably about 3 gallons in the afternoon.  Whenever we stop we drink (water).

Q: Can you set off fireworks in Lehi?
A: According to the urban mission myths fireworks were just made legal in Mesa.  Of course we don't really have a way to verify this information online, but I can tell you there are a lot of firework vendors.  Unfortunately as missionaries we are not allowed to hold anything that may explode ie. fireworks, guns, little children.  This rule probably only exists to keep our shirts white.

Right well Arizona is rather hot.  When it's over 110 "dry heat" doesn't mean much.  When we told an investigator the other day that it's a "dry heat" she told us "well so is my oven, but I don't hang around it all day." That said even though it's hot you do get used to it.  The thing that bothers me the most is when we are biking, and the wind is burning your face, because the air is so hot.

Just a little disclaimer please don't tell me anything about Cars 2.  I know it's a silly thing to ask, but I might as well try to keep it a surprise.

Today is the 4th of July!

Happy 4th everyone.  this morning we got to go to a neighborhood party down the street.  It was really fun.  They had benches set up in one of the yards underneath a tree and on the other side was a podium, where some of the older residents would dress up and recite some of the speeches given about the state of the union.  That was really cool to see, but the best part was a model cannon about 3 inches around and 3 feet long.  It had quite the sound.  I'm looking forward to some of the fireworks tonight, it should be a good show.

In regards to the work.

Elder Berardi and I have been extremely blessed.  I can't put into words some of the feelings that have been felt in the past week.  We have four baptisms set for this month which is so cool.  All of those preparing have been such good friends.  It's amazing to see that when people actually read the Book of Mormon cover to cover their lives literally change for the better.  I have yet to meet anyone that has read that Book and not found great knowledge.  If there is anything that I could say to everyone back home is my personal review of the book gives it two thumbs up.  Not only that I'm sure it's the best thing that has ever happened to me. 

Anyway, Elder Berardi and I had a rough week.  Not in work, but in personal matters.  On Tuesday morning I sprained my ankle :(.  It was the most pain I've felt in a long time.  All I did was jump up to get a rebound off the basketball hoop and came down destroying my ankle.  I wasn't able to do work for 2 days.  Which honestly was the most boring thing I've done since I got here.  I finally got a brace on Friday so I'm up and back to 100%.  I just had to laugh, because I had a bruise on my heel.

Well that's the news from Lehi in Mesa AZ

As always I love you all
Elder Davidson

Mop Bucket

 

This has been a great week, we have a baptism date in every ward.  One is C she has taken the lessons before, and was really excited about getting baptized.  Her testimony is so strong, she's living with her brother who is helping her, he served his mission in Africa, so he has some really good stories, like dropping fruit off the balcony of their residence.  In our other ward there's a similar story of a young woman N she is probably getting baptized very soon, her boyfriend is very supportive, and we're looking forward to teaching them this week.  In the last ward we set a date with R.  She has really made some great improvements she's so close to quitting smoking which she has wanted to do.

 

By the way our ward boundaries got switched last night, so we now have a little bigger area.  The bad news is the new area is up a hill :(

Transfers were also this week, but Elder Berardi and I will still be serving together for the next 6 weeks.  I'm really excited, because this means that we'll be able to teach some of the new investigators.  Elder Berardi is also the new district leader which is really cool.  I'm very happy for him.

 

I've discovered that I can fit in a mop bucket, and they are incredibly stable.  On P-day Elder Berardi and I made a new game, we basically slingshot each other across the gym floor.  Of course after that we then clean it, but who says we can't have a little fun before hand.  Today I get to go see the Bishop in our ward's sound studio.  That's going to be so cool.  I haven't played with sound stuff for several months now.

 

In even more unrelated news, I can iron a shirt in under 4 minutes.

 

I should say that I have never been more surrounded by such wonderful people.  Our teaching and sensitivity to the spirit has grown so much, the lessons where the spirit teaches rather than us, are when you feel more fed than any piece of food that you can eat.  It's at those times when you really do feel exhausted simply because the spirit is working inside you teaching and testifying of truths of what we teach, on those days I sleep really well.

 

The work is going well and my friends here in Arizona are truly amazing.  I could not be in a better place than I am now.

 

With that I love you all and miss all those back at home (where ever you may be).

 

Love

Elder Davidson

 

PS. Congratulations to the youth in Bellevue South Stake, I heard the dance festival went very well.

Melting

Hello World

It's hot.

My mind is full of all kinds of things.  I can't think of anything specific to share.  Elder Berardi is no longer sick, which means instead of studying while he sleeps in the room we're back working outside trying to be the best we can.  I know my last email I said that we don't do much tracting, but it turns out we spent all saturday knocking on former investigators doors.  Of the 16 plus doors we knocked on not one opened the door, which is almost worse than being yelled at.  We did meet one man.  He was struggling to put a piece of board behind his house so we ran over and helped him out.  It turns out that he had a picture of the temple here in Mesa and was interested to know more about it.  We shared a little about what goes on in the temple, then asked if he needed help with any house work.  The funniest thing when we ask this is people always ask how much we charge.  We kindly informed him that we do because we're here to serve.  Most people don't understand why the church or the members of the church do the things they do.  In reality it is so simple, because Christ leads this church and we are trying to be like him, and he served the people.

I love it here, there is so much to be done and accomplished.
 We had a really entertaining lesson with the young women from one of our wards.  We taught them how to invite their friends to come to Family Home Evening or come to mutual.  I told Elder Berardi that I've never taught a more receptive group of individuals.

This past weekend we went to a baptism of a young man who has been investigating the church for more than 2 years.  The only reason he couldn't be baptized was because his parents didn't want him to be.  As it turns out he is now 18 and finally got baptized.  His parents kicked him out of the house, but still came to his baptism which was so cool.  He had so much support from all the members.

My mind is very crazy this morning.

I'm looking forward to another great week to teach and serve the people of Mesa and for that I am grateful.

I miss everyone and hope all goes well.

Love,

Elder Davidson

PS. I don't know if I said this earlier, but we email in a model train store which is so much fun.  Steve the owner showed me how to drive them all which is really cool. :)

I could probably use a nap.

Oh One of the ward missionaries in my area said he would come to my homecoming in Seattle.  He's the funniest guy ever.  He has a sister in Seattle, so he wouldn't have trouble coming up.  He sings in the Mormon Arizona Choir, and he knows Mack Wilburg (Mom spelling)!  That should be pretty cool, he's an incredibly good performer.

Golden Will

OK this might take a while.

So much has happened this past week.  Elder Berardi is Twenty, we had three baptisms, some members got mad at us, besides that life is good.

This email will probably be "the missionary work is really hard" email.  Before I talk about that though, I need to give a shout out to my sister Leah.  I finally got a picture of my family which made my week, and a whole box of random gold items.  According to Tyson while he was on his mission new missionaries where called golden because they had such a golden attitude.  Well I now have a golden runner on our kitchen table along with a shopping list made with a gold ink pen.  I'm still working on the Golden attitude :).

Well this week really put the pressure on us as missionaries.  We didn't have a lot of people to teach, in fact on one day we had five lessons fall through, which means we're left to talk to people on the street.  In our mission we're encouraged not to go tracting door to door, but instead work directly through the members.  Well instead of tracting we make friends with everyone on the street.

So this entire week has been rough, no one that we've met has been really interested in learning more about Jesus Christ or the Gospel.  In that situation we just kindly ask if they need any service, which normally the answer is no.

Something that was really entertaining.  We moved a woman from her apartment on Monday, and it was the easiest move I have ever done.  She had everything already in boxes, and there were only two couches and a bed.  In under 45 minutes we had her entire place cleaned out with the exception of the bed.  I don't think I'll ever have a move that easy.

This past Saturday we baptized three people.  They were the family that I taught on the first day.  It was so cool to see the literal change that came upon their faces after they were baptized, I can't even tell you how special it was to be a part of something so simple, yet will ensure that as a family they will have eternal progression in the life to come.  It is so exciting to be a part of such a marvelous work that has been going on since before the earth was created, and will continue on after we die.

I love you all who are at home and abroad. 

Remember to be kind to the Elders in your ward.

It's funny people on the street who don't know us shout at us and get angry, but when our friends get frustrated with our honest and diligent efforts, it makes going through the day much harder.

When you see missionaries say hi and do something crazy, it makes us really happy.

Again I love you

Love,

Elder Davidson

PS. The picture shows some of the golden items from the package my sister sent

Will cowboy-fied

Elder Berardi and I got typewriters, and they're the best thing ever.  I made 4 letters in under an hour versus 1 when I hand write.  Mine is an old syle with just electronic keys so they don't get stuck together.  Elder Berardi's has a sixteen character screen so he can see what he types before it does.  When he leaves he said I could have it!  Oh so tuesday night after my last letter I wiped out on my bike and lost a pair of the grey pants(everything else is ok).  Elder Berardi lost his footing and swerved into me, and in order to keep him up I had to give him a little push on the shoulder.  Unfortunantly his foot got caught in my front spoke, and it was bye bye Elder.  No scrapes.  just ripped pants.  So this afternoon we are going bowling as a zone which should be pretty fun, I can't wait to see how good the other Elders are.  That's about all the day to day stuff I've done besides the fact E.Berardi and I cleaned our apartment, so it doesn't have spiders everywhere.

We met this awesome investigator on friday.  She needs help moving out this afternoon and the elders from another area asked us to go over and help.  Well I figured since she's going to california she wouldn't have much interest in hearing what we had to say.  Lesson learned, she is the most prepared individual I've ever met.  When we went to see her last friday she shared with us how she comes to learn truth, which is she prays about things she hears and waits for a confirmation from the spirit! Everything she believed lined up with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we shared with her the Book of Mormon her eyes got really wide.  She committed herself to read and pray about the Book of Mormon to know if it is writings from prophets of God.  We'll see her this afternoon to help her move, and I'm looking forward to it, she is the sweetest person I've met here.  Before we left she said that she would never forget us, because we made such an impression.  It was a great experience.

Last night we had a mission presidents fireside, which is the most powerful, entertaining thing.  It starts with a few recent converts sharing their conversion story, then there are a few musical numbers from the missionaries, and more short testimonies.  The best speaker was Bro.Carter who started off by saying "you know I don't think I'll have a problem speaking, because this is all about me which is my favorite subject"  He had such a powerful testimony, and he was blown away by the love members of the church have for each other.  I laughed so hard and is was such an uplifting talk. 

Almost forgot I bought some cowboy boots from goodwill for 10 dollars :) best deal on shoes I've ever gotten.

I love and miss everyone.
Elder Davidson

5/31/11 email

Right well I have quite a bit to share so I'll try to stay on topic.

First my area.

Lehi is originally the first location where the settlers came to Mesa.  You could not find a more diverse area than where we live.  Part of the area is populated by more livestock than humans.  There are three wards that we cover Lehi, 2nd Monument and Mesa Vista.  Monument is almost entirely cowboys, and the worst part is we're not allowed to ride horses.  I attached some pictures of our little pink house.  In our area there are about 2 apartment complexes and then there are about 5 trailer parks.  We've talked to all kinds of people.  On the south side of our area is the canal which is probably the only water for miles around.  By the way did you know that to water your grass here you just flood the yard for a day.

The people

Everyone here is so friendly, I haven't really had any bad experiences,  the evenings can be a little weird, but during the day time there's no where we can't go.  We had a baptism this past weekend which was a wonderful experience.  He's an absolute rock star.  He's been living with a LDS family when his parents kicked him out and he had a genuine interest in learning about our life on earth and where we came from.  Well that's what we specialize in teaching.  The service was a great experience his good friend baptized him, and then Elder Berardi confirmed him the following Sunday.  In another ward there's a young kid who has been investigating the church for years, and the only thing keeping him from joining the church was his parents.  Now that he's 18  there's not much they can do to keep him from doing anything, but they do support him which is a miracle.  There is a family that I think I talked about in my last email.  She is a great investigator.  She has grown up around members of the church her entire life.  She lives with her husband, granddaughter and mother, and the three women want to be baptized June 11th which is so exciting, because they're the first people that I've taught from the beginning.  The last individual we've been helping is R, she's from the Papago Indian reservation just next to us.  We met her as we were seeing another investigator.  She expressed a desire to quit smoking and to help her daughter who's 3.  To help her quit we offered to take her cigarettes and no sooner had we said this, she got up and brought us all the cigarettes in her house.  She's had a few relapses since, but she's really trying hard to quit.

Finally there's the problems

First there's my bike.  This bike was pre-ordered and was here when I got here.  I've riden pedal bikes in Washington for years and I have never gotten a puncture or a flat tire of any kind.  Within a week I got 10 punctures in my rear tire and 4 in the front.  Elder Berardi and I spent more time off our bikes fixing them than we did on them(he had several punctures as well).  Finally we went to the bike shop and got heavy duty tubes and this liquid called slime that clogs up punctures and solidifies so you don't have to get a new tube.  The tube that came with my bike measured just over 3mm thick which would explain the punctures.  The heavy duty tubes that we got are one quarter of an inch thick.  Hopefully we won't have any more problems.

Second the weather.  I don't know if I told you but it rained the day I got here.  Since then the hottest I've seen is 101 degrees, which is according to the locals very cool compared to a normal spring.  It may be a dry heat down here, but you're always wet from all the sweat.  I've turned a light shade of brown, which I'm sure will just get darker.

Anyway tell everyone hi and that I miss them.  The horses in our backyard keep us in good company.

That's about it.  I'm having fun and keeping safe.

Love you all,

Elder Davidson

In regards to mail you should know that it takes an extra two days to get to me(they have to forward it from the mission office) which means most people in the US have to send the letter a full week ahead of when they want it to arrive.  I will respond to any letters received during the week on monday which means they'll be delivered around friday.  Also they ask that you put my full name after Elder (ie.Elder William Davidson).

Elder Will in Lehi

Well I'm here!!!

It is beautiful here in Arizona.  We flew in on Tuesday and the work has been going ever since.  My journal entries for the first three days in the field were about a sentence long, just because we've been so busy.  My new companion is Elder Berardi from Illionois.  He's an amazing musician, and he loves making music.  We spent one evening just singing hymns for 20-30 minutes.  I can't tell you all the people I've met in the past 4 days.  The area I'm in is called Lehi Arizona.  Our house is a two bedroom little pink house and we have grass in the front yard!  The neighbors keep us up at night, but that's just because they're cows kicking the wall.  The weather is really not as bad as people say.  I got here and on my second day it was overcast and raining.  It felt just like home for a few hours.  We have a great rule here from the mission president.  If the temperature is above 75 we don't have to wear jackets.  The area is wonderful and I absolutely love it here.

So in regards to the work here, there's not enough time in the day for us to reach out to everyone.  In my first week three people have accepted the invitation to baptism.  The joy that you feel every day can not be expressed in any language.  The experience is unlike any other.  The only way to explain to you what it's like is by how time passes.  Every day feels like an entire week from 6:30 until 10:30, but every week feels like a day.  The people are absolutely wonderful, and there's really no way to tell them how much you care about them, except share the gospel.

This message is short, for a very good reason.  There are people here that know we are here to help and support them find a way back to live with our Heavenly Father, and we have been called of God to share this message to all the world(or Lehi).

I miss you all and I know your lives are going well and full of excitement, if you write I'll be sure to respond.

Love you all, I'll be home soon enough, but not until my work is done.

-Elder Davidson