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