Unang Pagbinag!!!!

Hello everyone if anyone can understand my title I had my first baptism this week. So ya combine that with thanks giving and several other items my week was amazing 

   Monday. Start of the week and we had transfers one of my house mates was transferring and the other was transferring. Because we do transfers on Pday now we brought  the one transferring down to the bus stop put him on a bus and returned to our apartment. I opened my first package from home which turned out to be my thanksgiving package I quickly decided again that I was blessed with one of the most amazing thoughtful mother and family. It had stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry's lemon bar box, and several other things for thanks giving. Ill talk more about that on Thursday.

    Tuesday we were with a third missionary Elder Rencher because he was training and his companion didn't get here till Thursday. We did some findings and visited some of the members in the area for referrals. The members who actually will work with us love us and are always welcoming.(doesn't mean they feed us but they are so loving) they gave us some help finding some of the people we were looking for in the area. We went searching for a RM who had served in the area then came back and had lived here. We ended up finding his house but his neighbors said he was in Canada for the holidays. I had a very pleasant conversation with a drunk man about the church in Tagalog, Which taught me that the lord is blessing me so much in the gift of tongs. 

   Wednesday We took Elder Rencher to the bus stop for his training then ran back to the apartment for exercise. We finished the lessons for sister Nazarine one of our baptisms this week. That night we had two of the elders from my batch who were training stay the night that was amazing.\

    Thursday was a really good day.We did proselyting in Comileocis until our district leader showed up to interview our baptismal candidate. We took him to sister Nazarin and she was approved for baptism. We then walked to Roney Jays house. The district leader interviewed Roney Jay for baptism and approved him. He literally came out skipping pumping his fist saying I'm being baptized Saturday. The district leader then interviewed John Rey for baptism. Here's where my heart got broken. He did not get approved for baptism. He was so upset about that he was almost crying. I was supper upset for him but then we told him that in a week he could be re-interviewed and given a chance to be baptized in 2 weeks. He was soooooo happy about that and got exited again. We then returned to our apartment and I prepared Thanksgiving dinner. Mashed potato's, gravy, stuffing fried chicken (we couldn't figure out a turkey or a lechon manook) Olives, green beans, and cranberry's. I then made lemon bars in our toaster oven. We didn't originally know how it would work out but it worked perfectly. I was supper blessed to have a mom and family so thoughtful and supportive and for a companionship so sportive. We also met the new missionary. Elder Roberts from Florida. He's a new missionary straight from the Provo Mtc running on 3 hours of sleep. he was told 2 hours before he left the Provo mtc that he was leaving then came straight to the field.

     Friday we visited Rooney, and his brother, who we only had taught once before, told us he wanted to be baptized but he was studying and was only available on Sunday. We were super excited. This family has been such a blessing to us. Roney has led to 3 out of 5 of our solid Invitations to be baptized and now possibly another because of his brother.  The Lord really is on our side. We then taught the Olias family. They remind me so much of my family especially they're little 8 year old girl with all her energy and excitement to be baptized.

   Saturday was the best day ever mostly. We cleaned the chapel for our baptism and started filling the font. We picked up our two water jugs and got a call that President Bangal was visiting us in our apartment. We got back to our apartment and started getting ready and dressed for the day when one of our water jugs tipped off the shelf and dumped all of the water out on the ground. We quickly started to mop it up and just got finished when President Bangal got here. After we explained what had happened he kinda chuckled and said well I guess we'll just have to be more careful next time. He interviewed Elder Roberts and congratulated me and Elder Sefuentes on our baptisms and left. Later that day we had our baptisms. It was so amazing to see the change in the two that we were baptizing. Sister Nazarin a 12 year old girl, and member of a part member family, would hardly speak with us when she started meting with us. She slowly started opening up and talking more she would say a prayer in the lesson and eventually started keeping commitments and with every commitment she would keep I saw her change even more. She is such an amazing investigator and has come so far. She was happy Saturday to be baptized. Our other investigator that got baptized Rooney he is the one that I was talking about earlier. When we first met him things were rough until his first Sunday. He went to church and something changed he got so exited by the Gospel I could see the change the spirit wrought upon him. He invited his friends to meet with us and started to be taught they are now as exited as he was to be baptized and are actively working towards it in the next week or two. Now that he is a member he is supper exited to be able to be a deacon in a year, and Is preparing to be one. He will be such a blessing to the branch. The baptism service was amazing we had so much support from the young men and young women of the branch all of both were there as well as there leaders it was amazing. That, and seeing them all dressed in white ready to be baptized. Unfortunately both of them had to be baptized twice because the flow of water was so slow that the water had hardly reached my knees but it was still so amazing to see there two smiling faces and to feel the joy of Heavenly Father for them. The rest of the day was a normal work day really.

    Sunday we confirmed our two baptisms and it was amazing to see there two smiling faces after the confirmation. I could really feel the love of heavenly Fathers love and joy for them. The rest of Sunday was a regular work day as well. 

     My spiritual thought this week comes from Mosiah 13:33

33 For behold, did not Moses prophesy unto them concerning the coming of the Messiah, and that God should redeem his people? Yea, and even all the prophets who have prophesied ever since the world began—have they not spoken more or less concerning these things?  

 The prophet of old and now all are special witnesses of Christ I would challenge you to read the prophets words both of old and new and see how they testify of Christ and apply something they teach in your life.

 Elder Davis

Ps i have some cheese blog style videos special for thanksgiving don't judge me for 

 wondering how to bake something when you don't have an oven

Maraming Mga Bagi

Ok I'm sorry for all my long letters but so much happens in one week and I have so much to talk about. The lord has blessed me to be in such an amazing area now. I'm sorry I don't talk numbers or names very much I am trying to keep in mind that there are several other missionary's on my email list and I know I am doing extremely well for being only in the field for 5 weeks and I know it can be hard to here about a missionary doing so well when you are struggling so I try to tell only really good story's or be general about how the lord has blessed me. The people love the Gospel here and the book of Mormon has so much power I love sharing it every day.

     Monday was your regular P-day email zone volleyball laundry the whole shabang. I love shopping here. Tuesday we were blessed to have  president Bangal in our district meeting. Unfortunately he was bearing bad news the Christmas conference with the whole mission had been denied so we were going to have 2 separate ones. He interviewed each of us. He was supper happy with me and my companions stats and was Happy that I was so happy. Said we were doing a good job working hard and to keep it up. He was impressed at how many people we had ready for baptism and that we were still working in new areas and finding more people.After district conference we explored a new barangai and did lots of findings.

    Wednesday Is when things get interesting. Right as we were finishing our dally studies and preparing for lunch the next door neighbor came over and told us that the Vice mayor had been murdered in an ambush (for more information about that look up Beloan Launin Ambush you'll probably get half a million responses you ll have to find one in English or at leas 75 percent English) We called precedent Bangal and he said to stay inside for safety, and to call him that night about the next day. So we had a repeat of the typhoon day cards, cleaning study.

   Thursday we were blessed to go back outside and teach. We taught those that we had planed to teach on Wednesday it was so good 3 of them are preparing for baptism they are a group of 11-12 year old boys and you couldn't get the more classic 11-12 year old boys but they are amazing they love the Gospel they do group BOM reads together and have nightly prayers and all support each other in going to church.  

    Friday We explored 2 more new Barangays and found even more supper prepared people. The lord truly is blessing us to be able to find people here. Saturday we cleaned the chapel and finally had help of members so it was cleaner than it has been seance I got here. We attended the baptism of two of the other elders investigators in Balaon this was a supper amazing experience and such a good reminder of what I am working towards and am so close to achieving with so many people.

    Sunday we only devastatingly had 2 investigators in church. It was branch conference though so we doubled our member count with the number of steak leaders we had there. And after church we went and finished preparing several of our investigators for baptism. The lord relay has blessed us with such an amazing people and with such great opportunities.

    The lord really has blessed us with safety and so much more this week. We have been told we need to be in our apartment about 7 now in just our area for safety because all of our area is under red alert so ya well see how the work goes. but as the missionary commission states no unholy hand shall stop it from progressing until the lord shall say the work is done.\

     This week my spiritual thought comes from first Nephi chapter 3 verse 7

7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men,save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.  

   The lord gives commandments for a reason If you are having a hard time living one pray to your Heavenly Father with an honest desire to change and to live it and he will help you and provide a way to live it.

Great to hear from all of you

Elder Davis

Some of the pictures he sent this week I posted on the last post. So they got combined...

Apat lingo ang calipa...Oklang

  Well that was a 4 weeks well spent. Yes its crazy I've been in the field for 4 weeks. Sometimes it feels like forever ago sometimes it feels like yesterday.(by the way the title of this literally means 4 weeks complete ok.)

    So this week has been supper full Monday zone volley ball and emailing that is always fun when we get together as a zone. 

     Tuesday we got together for district meeting at our branches building We had a normal district meeting paid and ordered our zone Jerseys. We then went on exchanges with the district leader. He Is supper amazing and funny. I Led the area for a day and learned so much about planing and contacting.  |I also learned that I know more than I thought of Tagalog. Then that night I learned how to make an adobo.

    Wednesday we went to the neighboring Municipality Luna and closed our exchanges. We returned to Belaoan planed and went to work. I am supper exited because one of our Investigators who we are teaching Finally said a prayer in a lesson we taught the other investigators in the area and then started exploring new places. We found a very possible Candide for an IBD (invitation to be baptized/ Investigator with baptismal date.) We are supper exited and and were so guided in finding the people we have.

    Thursday was the most busy day of all. We went to San Fernando For my 4 week follow up training. It was so great I got to see all my batch and catch up. It was so amazing. So a little history When we got to the mission one of the 4 sisters from my batch realized she had accidentally let her wallet on the bus with everything in it. After the flow up training she told me someone had found it all the way across the mission had contacted the missionary's in that area and had arranged to meet them at the mission headquarters to give Her wallet back. Back when she lost it that the lord would help her and she was supper exited to tell me that I was right. This just went to show me even more how much the lord is with us and that when we are on his side all things will be alright. I got to visit with my batch the mission presidents wife sister Bangal made us lunch and we returned to our area. We planed and went to work. after working we returned to the apartment the other elders in the area saw us coming and as a running joke locked and quickly shut the door yelling "Missionary's" (this is funny because it never happens here except at home.) How ever our already breaking doorknob decided to break at this very moment so I spent the next 15 minutes instructing the other elders how to take off the doorknob and then somehow getting the latch to open so that we could get into our apartment, and then fixing the doorknob (thank you dad for teaching me how do do things like that.)

    Friday was an average day except the other elders had a baptismal interview and because the district leader got here so late in order for him to return to his area it would have cost him 3 times as much if not more to return to his area so the assistance to the president gave him permission to stay the night in our apartment. needless to say that was quite interesting.

   Saturday was another day of work except that we did a lot of finding we explored new areas and found lots of people we were again led to people that were so prepared just showing us again how much the lord has prepared people for the missionary's. 

   Also we got a new room in our apartment the land lord took all of his stuff out of it and so now we have another room available to us so we are deciding what to do with that...

   Sunday was great after sacrament meeting we went to choir practice the branch choir consists of the missionary's the pianist the branch pres. and his daughter and several new converts. we are preparing a medal of all the Christmas songs in the hymn book.

    So people keep asking about the food Its all good we are eating lots of Filipino food but mostly in the apartment. In the past 4 weeks we have been fed by members 5 times 4 of witch were in the first week.so ya I've learned how to make lots of different things including Lumpia. But you want to know our favorite snack... TOAST we just randomly make it and have toast.so ya. 

     My spiritual thought this weeks comes from Enos 1 

2 And I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins.

5 And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.

6 And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.

Repentance isn't always easy and sometimes it can even be like a wrestle but it is so worth it when you feel that guilt swept away. I challenge everyone to find ways that you can come closer to your heavenly father and stay close to him if you need to repent repent and return to him no mater how hard it is worth it

Elder Davis

 Inside their fridge and freezer

 A bird flew into the church!

 The Elder Ethan went on exchanges with.

 Ethan learning to make Lumpia

 The Thanksgiving package I sent him got there!

 View from a new place they have been exploring.

 A treat for budgeting wisely at the end of the month!!!

 The town center!

Maling Alarma

Well that was a lame excuse for a typhoon... By the way I survived. It never even got worse than your average winter day in Oregon. This explains the title of false alarm in Tagaog (mom take notes you may have to be my translator when I return the language is destroying my English.)

    So this week was quite the week. Monday we went and found a coconut tree and got the green coconuts called bukos and made buko juice using the juice and meat of the coconut. Tuesday we had the "storm" We did several hours of study caught up on sleep cleaned the house and played 8 hours of the card game scum (which is supper fun with the 4 of us.) It wasn't that bad but we needed to get out at the end of the day.

   Wednesday we had our district meeting and surprise the assistance to the president was there and guess what they were going on exchanges with me and my companion. I spent all day proselyting in Sanfernando. That was quite the change in pace. There is a large hill there so I went from the flattest area ever to the biggest stairs ever. But it was exactly what I needed I learned so much from the Assistant. He was amazing I loved working with him he is literally one of the most kind people ever. He boosted my confidence so much because he made me do a lot more in everything. He taught me a lot about contacting and finding so we did a lot better with our contacting and finding after that. 

     Thursday was a regular day we had a lunch eating goat at a members house. That was really good actually. We visited one of our investigators to find that the nanay of the house had passed away and that they had a Catholic viewing set up. Apparently it is common to have gambling in front of caskets after someone passes away,  so, ya that was interesting. We shared a message about the plan of salvation and left them to there party.

    Friday We went to practice for the musical devotional, and did weekly planing, and proselyted. It is hard because here even outside you have a priesthood holder or someone over 18 for a lesson so getting lessons are hard because the branch only has 3 active priesthood holders that are not missionary's and only 2 of them are willing to work with us but aren't available all the time. But even with the typhoon we almost met the standard of excellence for a full week.

   Saturday was a regular day but we were guided by the Lord to find people that could end up with a baptism for December.

   Sunday was not just any Sunday but fast Sunday Dun dun dun...(add dramatic music) No problem for me. I enjoyed It it strengthened me and I feel the spirits strength with me. But having 20 Elder fasting at your branch building means you get a large group of elders begging you to take them to your apartment to feed them. This was solved when sister Bangal brought dinner. The Musical devotional was a devotional put together by the Baguio mission so we had a group of 20 some odd missionary's for a choir and several speakers. It was nice to be part of a choir again and to share my talent with others. I helped teach the tenors there part earlier in the week so thank you to my amazing choir teacher for teaching me how to take charge when needed and how to read music even better then I could before.The musical devotional was amazing we had several investigators there.

     So all in all this week was good, and I saw the Lords hand in my life so many ways. I thank him every day that I can be here serving him doing the exact things he would do if he were here on the earth.

    My message this week is from Alma 43 19-20

19 And when the armies of the Lamanites saw that the people of Nephi, or that Moroni, had prepared his people with breast plates and with arm-shields, yea, and also shields to defend their heads, and also they were dressed with thick clothing—

20 Now the army of Zerahemnah was not prepared with any such thing; they had only their swords and their cimeters, their bows and their arrows, their stones and their slings; and they were naked, save it were a skin which was girded about their loins; yea, all were naked, save it were the Zoramites and the Amalekites;

    I challenge you to not be like the Laminites but be like the Nephits. Do those things you have to do to protect yourself from the "firey darts of the adversary" Read your scriptures say daily prayer and never drop your standards for any reason. Keep close to your Heavenly Father so you can always feel of the spirit it is so amazing.

 (Ok as a mom I LOVE this picture!!!)

 There are a few older pictures from his travel day and the Manilla MTC that we just got this week.

 MTC in Manilla

 Christmas in SEPTEMBER!

 Climbing a coconut tree! 

 I'm not sure what this is! It looks like a worm! But Maybe it is the goat meat he talked about?