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