Week 2 in the Philippines MTC

Hello every one 

This week has been short but its just the way the Manila MTC set it up for the new missionary's here. Anyways even with it being short so much has happened this week. A lot of people have been asking about the food so I will answer that question. The food here is amazing I have had a lot of native food here so a lot of rice but I love it. Last Thursday night we had a full fish and ate them head and all. We have had all sorts of great dishes. I absolutely love it. 

           The people here are amazing. On Sunday We got an opportunity to go and spend a hour and a half on the temple grounds. I got to talk to the native Filipinos and it was amazing. They are so nice and so happy. Literally everything makes them laugh it was the best. They taught me a lot about both the culture and the language then when I went to leave a few of them asked for a picture with me, that led to the rest of them asking for a picture , which led to one giant group picture with a bunch of natives and my entire district and a few others.

         Last P-day I got to spend some time in the Manila temple and do an endowment session. For those who don't know the endowment is one of the ordinances members perform in the temple. The best way to explain it with how little we can say about it due to the sacred nature of it is given on LDS.org "When you joined the Church, you received two ordinances—baptism and confirmation. Likewise, the temple endowment is also received in two parts:

In the first part, you will privately and individually receive a preliminary ordinance called the initiatory ordinance. The initiatory ordinance includes special blessings regarding your divine heritage and potential.

In the second part, you will receive the remainder of your endowment in a group setting along with others who are attending the temple. During this part, the plan of salvation is presented, including the Creation of the world, the Fall of Adam and Eve, the Atonement, the Apostasy, and the Restoration, as well as instruction on how all people can return to the presence of the Lord. Some of the endowment is presented through video and some by temple officiators." 

                If you are interested to learn more you can email you and I'll answer as best as I can or you can read more on HERE. So I got the amazing opportunity to go and perform endowments in the Manila temple. It is actually really small each endowment room only holds like 25 people per endowment room, however it is absolutely beautifully inside everything is so ornate and amazing. The spirit there was so strong and I leaned so much. 

        Our teachers here are so amazing, literally the brother never stops smiling. I look out the window in the door and I see him looking in and he just has such a big smile. The sister is so sincere about everything I can feel her love for us and for everything we are doing. We are teaching them as "investigators." They have chosen an investigator from there mission and they portray them and then we have to teach them. The investigator me and my companion have been teaching is somewhat of a hard case but it has made me grow stronger as I try to find ways to help her see our love and Gods love for her and the importance of faith in her life. I have come to love her and feel of Gods love for her and how much he wants her to come unto him and partake of the blessings of the Gospel. I am constantly praying to find ways to help her. 

      In my last brief email I mentioned giving a Book of Mormon out in the airport and I got lots of questions about that so let me explain a little bit. The entire 13 hour plain ride any time I was not sleeping I was studying the scriptures or language. While I did that I was constantly praying to know who on the plane the Lord would have me talk to and share the Gospel. I was feeling no strong urge or promptings to talk to anyone. Then at the end as we were leaving a brother came up to me and asked me about our beliefs about the Bible vs the Book of Mormon I shared with him that we believed that the Book of Mormon was a book translated by the power and authority of God and that because of that it was completely correct. I explained that we also believe the Bible to  be true but due to the fact that it had been translated so many times by so many people without the power or authority of God that there were some things missing and not translated right, because of that the Bible was missing some of the beautiful truths that the Book of Mormon has. We had a talked for 15 minutes waiting to get off the plane and as we left I felt that now I needed to give him a book of Mormon. I quickly dug the one I always carry with me highlighted Moroni 10 :4-5 I read the verse to him and extended the challenge to read the book of Mormon and to pray to know if is true. The man accepted the Book of Mormon and said he would and we parted ways.

       The thought that I would leave with you is 2 Nephi 9 : 21-22

21 And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.

22 And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day.

I would invite you to take advantage of this and come unto Christ and look to him to help you in the hard times as well as in the easy times he can help you in all things and I would invite you to use that and come closer to him

Elder Davis

PS I attached pictures because google drives is blocked there are some pictures of our rooms they are so much nicer here