Castless

Dear Mother and Friends,

I am pleased to announce that I have been freed from my Black cast.  It was a bittersweet separation from my shell.  On the down side I won't be able to use my hand as a blunt object to fix things like nails and broken bikes.  I also have a really sore wrist that doesn't really like to move.  On the plus side I can write again, and I don't get silly questions about falling on my bike.

In other news it has been a pretty good week.  We found a really nice family that went to the Christmas lights at the visitor's center.  It is a wonderful event and opportunity for people to learn about the church and our savior.  This year there is one difference.  The Elders will no longer be hosting the event.  Instead the only ones that will be hosts are the sister missionaries who work at the visitors center.  That said we are allowed to take our investigators to the lights so they can learn for themselves.  We are at the visitors center so often that soon we'll be considered the Visitor Center Elders.  The lights are not that spectacular.  They are all put up by volunteers so the quality is not as good as say the botanical gardens.  On the other hand when you go inside the Visitors Center you can really feel the spirit of Christmas.  In the large theater there are hundreds of little nativities from around the world.  My favorite is made from books that have their pages folded down so you can see a 3D image of the nativity scene.  There is another one that is carved out of a gourd.  It would be really nice if we had a good hour to just take pictures of the nativities, but sadly there is not much time.  Perhaps this afternoon we will have a chance to make it.

Another wonderful piece of the Christmas lights is you often see other people you taught.  A couple nights ago we were picking up some paper work from the center and the convert I baptized on Christmas eve last year walked up to me.  I was so excited that he was there.  I asked if he was planning on going to the temple, and he said that he was.  I got his number and I'm hoping to go through with him sometime in January.  I also met a convert from my first area, which was a good experience, but kind of sad.  He isn't doing as well as the other convert.  It was still good to see him.

We have a very interesting area.  Almost every day we run into someone who is on drugs, relapsing from drugs or selling drugs.  This is one thing that is totally new to me from back home.  According to what I've heard Mesa has a very high meth traffic.  It's pretty sad because you can see the results of that wherever you are.  In every area I have been in there have been over 7 or 8 halfway houses.  I respect that these exist for without them many of these people would not be able to get back on their feet.  On the other hand I find it so sad that there are so many that have experimented with these substances.  As far as I can see the results of this so called experiment is always the destruction of people and their families.  I am so grateful for the example of my friends and family that have helped me make wholesome decisions.  In addition I love being a missionary and helping others recover from choices that have caused havoc in their life.

In other news Merry Christmas everyone.  Already I have sung lots of Christmas hymns.  This year will truly be a special Christmas.  It is the last Christmas I get to spend devoting all my time and attention to serving The Master.  What better way can I celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ than trying to be like him and following his example.  I'm about to finish the 4 gospels, and I absolutely love the Christmas story and the life of Christ.  Especially those who changed because of his example.

Well I look forward to a great week here in Arizona.

Love,
Elder Will Davidson