Goodbyes and Hellos

May 22, 2017

So I just wanted to send out a shout out to my brother Nate for sending me those face swapping videos I had asked for. I started watching them in the ciber and started silently cry from laughter and tried so hard to act normal and it failed because one of my zone leaders saw me, thought I was crying uncontrollably because someone had died in my family and told Hermana Estrada which made her freak out and she came running to see if I was okay haha. I ended up showing pretty much the whole zone that was in the ciber those videos to understand why I was laughing so hard. I think I was the only one that really found them that funny haha.

This weekend we went to an area called "Viedma" for our capilla abierta. It is the most south you can go in our mission, and it was soooo pretty. It was everything people had told me it was. I went running with one of the Sisters serving there Saturday morning and I was so mad at myself for not taking my camera with me. It was sooooo breath takingly beautiful. We ran along this river while dawn was breaking and it was a little bit foggy and rainy. I felt like I was back in England! I just feel like nothing I can say to describe it will give it justice.

As for the capilla abierta, it went better than I thought it would did just because the ward there hadn't been very well prepared. But we still had a few people come and we still got references, so it was still a success! We had a weird moment where it was so slow, and the members were starting to get discouraged. I started talking to one of the sisters there and trying to make her feel better by telling her how their efforts were not wasted and that there is success in everything that we do by trying to be apart of the work, and pretty soon the whole branch and the missionaries started gathering around me to listen. I felt like I was in a gospel movie or something haha! "Capillas abiertas are great! People come to visit, we get their reference, and we drink hot chocolate! What is there not to love by saving souls and drinking hot chocolate at the same time?" 

Our Sunday was probably one of the best sundays we had ever had. We gave a presentation to the next branch that is going to have a capilla abierta

Something is happening tomorrow which is very sad... Hermana Estrada is going HOME! I am so sad to see her go. I have really loved being her companion so much. I have learned so much from her and have feel like I have just been having a really long sleep over with my best friend the last two transfers. But I don't have to be as sad because we both live in Utah, so we'll be seeing each other in the chosen land soon :) 

As for my new companion, I'm FINALLY getting a Latina companion! Her name is Hermana Leguizamon, and she is from Rosario Argentina. My castellano is going to get so much better! I am actually so excited to have a Latina companion because I didn't think I would get another one, but now I do! Luckily I already know her, and she is so fun and spunky. It's going to be a fun next two transfers (I am predicting that I am going to kill her too haha)

Anyways, I ´ll share more about what happens next week! Love you guys! Chau chau!

Con amor,

Hermana Davidson.

Davi and Legui!!!

I think this week was the fastest week that I have experienced yet in my mission. I also think it was the most busiest. If I could use two pictures to describe how our week went they would look like these:

​Happy, everything going perfectly as planned, maybe a little bit tired but everything is under control.

...

But this is how we felt in the inside:

​I think our faces explain it all haha! 

Allow me to explain.

On tuesday I woke up super early with the hermanas that had a sleepover at my apartment so I wouldn´t be alone after Hermana Estrada went home, and went to the terminal to wait for our new companions. I had heard that Hermana Leguizamon had broken her foot a couple weeks ago and the poor thing had to travel all cramped up in the bus. I feel like I´m a mother duck trying to do everything for her, but really she is already doing so much for me haha. Even though she was so sad that she broke her foot, she feels so much happier being in the assignment to me because she feels like she can do so much more and still has a purpose as a missionary instead of sitting around the house all day.

Between helping the new missionaries, helping Hermana Cifuentes make lunch for the trainers and the newbies, spending hours in the office trying to teach her how everything works and making sure the capillas abiertas aren´t going to crash and burn without Hermana Estrada, forgetting things over and over, chasing down our bus to Viedma in a taxi... I have learned that miracles are real, prayers are answered, and that I needed Legui to laugh everthing off!

Okay here´s the story with almost missing the bus. So on thursday, our bus left the terminal at 12:30. We had all our stuff packed and I had called a taxi by 12:00. By the time we got everything and Legui made it down the stairs with her crutches, it was like 12:15 and we felt like we waited for the taxi forever. At this point I was already panicking. By the time our taxi arrived to our house it was 12:30 and never have I ever prayed that the bus would come late. We were just barely turning the corner to get to the bus terminal and we saw our bus pass us on the other side of the road. The next five minutes were of me and Legui trying to think of whatever thing to solve our problem. We were both clueless because neither one of us had missed a bus. We asked our taxi driver and he was like "I´m new to the job, I have no clue lol" and so we made the decision to chase the bus down. It was the biggest adrenaline rush I have had since I lit my hair on fire (another story for another time). The taxi driver was like "This is the most fun I´ve had since I´ve started working here!" We both looked at him and was like "4 days" haha. Luckily the bus stopped in a nearby park and a big group of people was getting on and luckily we were able to get on.

I will never forget what the taxi driver said to us: "THIS... This is luck chicas." Legui and I are still laughing about it to this day.

The capilla abierta was in Viedma once again this weekend. And I was sooooo nervous. Hey Estrada, I understand you you feel now! I was so nervous for the turn out because the members were so kind and hardworking and organized and I didn´t want their efforts to go to waste. The moment people showed up I was so relieved. We had a lot of people come, and I knew I shouldn't have been so worried. Luckily the district presidente (stake president of Viedma) came and observed everything and told me he was happy with how everything was going and wanted to set up more dates for other wards. We scheduled for the rest of the wards that haven´t had one yet in Viedma and for some more later in November and December... That was a weird moment to be planning for events that I won´t be here for.

Anyways, things I have learned this week. Heavenly Father answers our prayers and really takes care of us when both of us forgot our wallets and we almost starved to death over the weekend but we didn´t because He is really great, my spanish is getting better but my english is already back to terrifying, and we are put with our companions when we need them the most. Honestly I love Legui so much! She makes me laugh everyday, is so patient with me, laughs with me whenever something didn´t go to plan, and is learning so fast. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with her and can´t wait to see the things we accomplish together!

I hope everyone has a great week! Love you all!

Con amor,

Hermana Davidson