Vos sos familia

July 24, 2017,

There was a lot of things that went on this week. Liiiiiike we have investigators now! whoooooo. It felt great to spend time and focus on our area. And then when we got to our capilla abierta we forgot lik 58 things in our house because we were so focused on working on area. It was righteous fail I think.  Yep, still trying to find that balance. But we are working on it.

Yesterday was really special. We had to travel to Mar del Plata on Sunday to give a ward training. Now that Legui can walk again, we decided to spend our sunday afternoon visiting our converts in Puerto (we both served in the same area, just at different times). I was able to see my cute Gloria again. She and her Dad went to the temple two months ago and she now has two callings in the ward nursery and as a ward missionary. She is so great and I loved seeing her and catching up with her.

After visiting her we went and saw Flavia. Oh my goodness I love that woman so much! It was raining and dark when we popped in on her doorstep so she didnt recognize me right away but she could tell that I was blonde and she told me that even though she didnrecognize me right away, she knew that "vos sos familia." (you are family) I don't think there has been anything that anyone has told me that could ever make me feel as happy as she did. Flavia was finally able to get baptized about a week ago, and she is so happy and content with her life. I could just see how happy she felt.

 

Other than that, we have another busy week ahead. I love you all and hope you all have a great week!

Flavia is my family too 

Gloria will always be the cutest and I will always have a double chin

Me in my favorite spot in Puerto where you can look down in all of Mar del Plata

Con Amor,

Hermana Davidson

Happy

How is that it has already been a week?

July 17, 2017

Not that I don't like writing you guys but I feel like I just barely wrote. This week went by really fast, just like they always do.

We did more divisions this week with the sisters in Pringles after district meeting on tuesday. We focused on challenging the investigators to be baptized. It felt good helping the sisters out with their investigators. I got to teach one of their investigators named Milen about baptism. The sisters had invited her to be baptized before she hadn't really taken it that well. Hermana De las nieves and I were able to invite her to think and pray for when it is her time to be baptized. She took the invitation well and seemed happy to know that it was her decision and that she could receive an answer from God through faith and prayer. Please keep her in your prayers! She's a good one!

Our capilla abierta this weekend was in Viedma. Even though it had rained alll day long, we still had people come. Legui and I had a chance to participate because the sisters had to leave early. I actually really enjoyed it!.

On sunday at 2 in the morning, we traveled to a little Pueblo called San Antonio and camped out in the church. Something I never thought I would do on my mission: have a sleepover in the sacrament room at 4 am haha. Not sure if we broke a rule or not buuuut you gotta do what you gotta do

.

The little branch we trained was so darling. I absolutely love the people in the district of Viedma. The branch President invited us over for lunch. San Antonio is the farthest south you can go in our mission and I had heard if go to the the beach there, you might be lucky enough to see a penguin.ñ So I had been dying to go of course, and we were lucky enough that the branch President and his family took us to the beach. It was so pretty and so freezing cold. I was so happy. Sadly we didn't see any penguins, but it was still worth seeing. So much prettier than the beaches in Mar del Plata . Pictures coming in two weeks haha.

Lately I feel like that I am truly losing myself in the work. We have so many things to do that sometimes we don't finish our work in the office or sometimes we don't have time to work in the Falda and normally that would stress me out but I feel so much comfort in knowing that I am doing the best that I can and using my time to the best of my ability and that Heavenly Father understands my efforts. I really love being a missionary and the capillas abiertas and am so grateful to be lieving this crazy adventure and serving the Lord's work.

Wouldn't change anything!

picnic with the hermanas in pringles

Love you all, and can't wait to talk to you next week!

Con amor, 

Hermana Davidson

Hey fam bam!

Hey fam bam!

July 10, 2017

This week fleeeeeeeew. We spent two days helping Hermana Cifu with sending the old missionaries off and welcoming the newbies. It was a lot of fun but I don't think I will be making another sandwich anytime soon ha!

Our capilla abierta was in a little military town called Punta Alta just outside of Bahia Blanca. The missionaries there are in our zone so we decided to take advantage of being there and do divisions with the hermanas there.

I was with a sister from Boliva named Hermana Muñoz. We came to the mish in the same group so it was fun to talk about all the things and experiences we have had in our missions since then. We taught 2 lessons together to her investigators and found one of their contacts that they haven't found in like 3 weeks and taught her too. All in all, it felt good to teach again!

Our capilla abierta went better than I had hoped. We had 2 of the new missionaries there, and so I tried explaining to them in English everything  and it was so embarrassing I struggled so hard. The sisters wanted me to pray in English so that they could hear my accent and I almost couldn't do it haha bye English. At least I can still write haha!

Lately we have been so busy that we are struggling to find time to do everything. If you all could send a little prayer our way so that we can find time and balance between all our duties, it would be very much appreciated! 

I love you all and hope you have a great week! With love, Hermana Davidson and my friends from Villa Mitre (my zone)

Abrasitos! 

SURPRISE

Hi guys!

July 4, 2017

Bet you all thought that I forgot to write you all this week but jokes!

Well, another transfer has come and gone so quick. They keep going by faster which is kind of scary but it makes me feel better knowing that the time is going by fast by doing things worth while.

Legui and Davi stick together yay!

I was thinking recently (especially after the questions that I got asked on Mother's day) that I haven't really explained very clearly what a capilla abierta is. 

To start of, capilla abierta = open chapel.

This is a program that is based off of the concept of visitor centers at the temples.

During the week, we make lots of preparations. The stake leaders over the missionary work talk to all the bishops and Branch Presidents in their stake and plan dates (on Saturdays) to have their capilla abierta. The stake then contacts us and we plan their CA and trainings.

Every Sunday, My compy and I take hour of Sunday School explaining to the members what the program is like and what they need to do. This is their "training" which is really important because this is how we get them excited and invite people to come. The more they invite the more success we have obvio!

On Thursdays, we travel via bus (the only part I don't like) to the area and on Fridays we have rehearsal. All the missionaries and members participating in the activity come and clean the church, set up their stands, practice their 3 minute presentations, and we give the missionaries their assignments and train them on what they are going to do.

Then on Saturday, we all get together in the Sacrament room and open with a prayer and wait for visitors. When they come they first go into the sacrament room where two sister missionaries welcome them and explain how the tour will go. They listen to an audio of Christ speaking, the sisters bear their testimony about Christ and invite them to follow their guide. In the cultural hall, there are 2'4 missionaries waiting for them to teach a little bit about the Restoration of the Gospel. After that they go visit the baptismal font where there are two Elders dressed in white ready to "baptize them" (the joke everyone cracks at ever CA I have ever had haha) But really they teach them about baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost. Then they go visiting all the organizations such as the Relief Society, Priesthood, Young Women's, Young Men's, Primary, Family History, and Self Reliance. 

In the end they visit a table filled with missionary lesson pamphlets, liahonas, family history guides, and other fun church things to take home. I have two other missionaries stationed there to get their references from them. We ask references from everyone and their dogs here.  In the end, the visitors get to enjoy a little refreshment and hang out if they would like... If the members and missionaries haven't eaten all the food. 

And that is pretty much what I do every weekend and love it! I pretty much feel like I have the best gig in the mish. Even though it makes me want to pull my hair out sometimes it is so fun and so worth it. I think my companion and I are the only one's besides President that thinks that this program is really going to take off, but I know that it is an inspired program that helps bring people closer to God.

 

I love everyone and this work. Special shout out to my Mom...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM

Hope it was the best! Have a great week!

Con amor, 

Hermana Davi

Look for the Miracles

Hi guys!

June 26, 2017

This week was busy busy busy. We traveled twice this week and am feeling so grateful that our Capilla Abierta this weekend is here in Bahía Blanca so we get to live in our house this weekend yay!

Speaking of being grateful, this week we had the opportunity to listen to Elder Bragg. There were many things he shared about the missionary work that I loved, but I think one of the things that really hit me hard was when he talked about gratitude. He said everyday, look for the little miracles throughout the day and find the things you are grateful for. He promised that we will be much happier and see a difference in the work.

 

I had always thought I was a pretty grateful person but the mish makes you realize that you kind of suck at a lot of things and so I realized that being grateful is something I need to work on recently.

There were two miracles this week that I would like to share. The first one is one that happened to me. 

When Legui and I got to Necochea, we had to wait 6 hours in the church until the members and missionaries could come. While we were waiting, we went to go get something for lunch. When we came back to the church, we noticed a guy show up in this big water truck. He got out and said something like "I think you are the one I've been looking for" and I just about grabbed my compy to run away and then realized he was holding a little camera case and it dawning on me that it was mine. Hermana Estrada can testify that I sometimes have a nasty habit of leaving my camera on the bus but this time I had zero clue that it had fallen out of my backpack. He explained that he found it in our seat and tracked every person down that had seen us and talked to the taxi driver that took us from the bus terminal to the church until he had found us. What were the odds that he would have found outside of the church when he showed up? I don't think I had ever felt so grateful for someone and I had no idea how to thank him enough. Things like that just don't happen here. I felt very looked after today. People are good guys.

The second little miracle is that it rained, and rained, and RAINED all day saturday. Not a single person showed up to the capilla abierta and I felt so sad that my promise that I tell everyone every capilla abierta of "someone ALWAYS comes" was going to be broken. 

Well it turns out we just had to eat all the refreshments for people to come because after the members ate everything and were cleaning up, some investigators showed up last minute haha. But everyone was happy to put up their stands again and I sent the young men with some of my money to go buy cookies for the visitors haha. 

I hope everyone has had a great week! I love hearing from you all and hope that my letters brighten your day up a little bit.

Enjoy pics of Legui and Davi adventures!

Bus rides make you a bit loco

Proseltying in a TAXi

The scariest dog I have ever seen... Yes it is real!

There is no Comfort in Growth

Hey guys! 

June 12, 2017

Sorry I didn't send a letter last week, from now on we only have 1 hour to write so I lost track of time answering personally to other letters last week. I am trying to manage better time so I will have time to write everyone in my weekly letter from now on  (I had no idea I could send emojis yay)

So last week we had interviews with President. He asked me if I was stressed now that I am the one with the most experience in the Capillas Abiertas. I told him I was. Then he told me it was normal and that I am doing a good job so it's fine and keep on stressing! Not sure how but it was comforting to me to hear that ha!

Also with every interview with Pres, he always tells me something mind blowing and life changing. Here is what he told me... Legui and I are both staying in the capilla abiertas until we go home! And on her last transfer, we will likely be in a trio so the new sister will have two transfers to be trained in the assignment. (Legui goes home 1 before me) I didn't really think much about it until I got home and while I was doing my workouts I kind of started tearing up because I realized just how finalized the rest of my mission is now and how fast it is coming to an end. I know 5 months is a long time, but I know from experience that it will go by way too fast.

Ander here is something that will make it go by even faster... WE ARE GETTING AN AREA. Sort of haha! From what I can understand right now, we are going to be helping our zone leaders out in their area if we happen to have some time to go proselyte. So it looks like we might be sharing investigators (and baptisms *cough, cough*) I am still kind of confused on how everything is going to work but Legui and I are super stoked to start teaching again. Hopefully her foot will heal up so we can go help a little more in the field. Capillas Abiertas are still our number 1 priority.

Legui and I have had a lot of bonding moments this week. I have always said that I have gotten my companions when I needed them the most and I can testify to that even stronger now. I am such a worry wart but she makes me laugh and relax about things. Last week out of nowhere I had a weird dream about home that left me feeling the most homesick I had ever felt during my mission and last night I really felt it affecting me along with the stress of our last capilla abierta (it was pretty much a circus) and I broke down and started crying for the first time in front of my companion. She immediately made me feel better by being her crazy self and making me laugh and she was telling me that I am stressed because I am working hard  and soon that hard work will pay off. We sat down and put President's philosophy of "being your own agent" and made a list of the things that went wrong in the capilla abiertas, set goals of how we want the capilla abiertas in the future, and made plans to reach them. I felt soooo  much better after like I had a much better grip on my life. Companions are such a great blessing!

After listening to Legui share her studies about hope during companionship study this week, I decided to dedicate my personal studies to studying it as well. To me, hope had always sounded like a concept like if you hope enough, something you want might happen if you get lucky enough. Bunt in "True to the faith," it says that "in the language of the gospel, the word hope is sure, unwavering, and active" Or as I like to think of it now as the spanish translation of the verb "to hope" which is "esperar." Funny enough, the spanish translations for "to expect" and "to wait" are still "esperar." So when you say you are hoiping for something, you are pretty much saying you are waiting and expecting for something too. This gave me a whole different perspecting on reading the scriptres. How many times is the word "hope" used in the scriptures? For everytime the word hope is used, replace it with the words "expect" or "wait" and it gives it a whole new meaning. "Faith is to Expect/Wait for things not seen nor heard." This was something that I loved learning a little more about and thought I would share!

Well, that was pretty much everything for the last two weeks! I hope everyone has great week! Love you all! 

(I have really missed emojis)

Con amor,

Davi