The Mission is like a Dream Come True!

May I just say how happy I am to be a missionary on Temple Square?! So some of you already know that I have always wanted to live downtown, in an apartment, in a big city, for about a year or so, just to experience what that is like. Well, Heavenly Father is letting me live that dream because my companion and I live in an apartment downtown! Like really y'all...this city does not sleep at night. It's actually pretty soothing to listen to the sounds of cars and sirens and just lots of noise as I lay in bed at night. Not only am I exhausted every night when I crawl into bed but I love just laying there and listen to the sounds of the city outside and thinking about my amazing day! It's so great:)

 

Things have been just SO busy! We walk so so much everyday and by then night we are so so tired! My trainer (who went outbound to California) reminds me often that Temple Square is one of the most physically demanding missions there is! And, honestly people, she is so right. Like I'm pretty sure I've already lost weight...

 

Miracles happen every day here! One night when we were on the sqaure we were walking down by the Book of Mormon display and there was this young man just chillin' looking at stuff; so we said hello and asked him where he was from. He said he was from Washington State and he was on his way to florida cuz he just joined the air force and he has 9 days to get to the base down there. He was driving around SLC, saw the Temple, and decided to come look. He told us that he used to date a girl who was LDS and he used to talk to missionaries before, but he wasn't intersested he just liked to bombard them with questions haha! We offered to give him a tour and he said yes! So we took him to the temple model and explained to him what temples are and why we have them. Then we got into this very neat conversation about the Book of Mormon. We asked him if he would be interested in reading it and he was like "Well I dunno I've read some before and nothing really came of it." Then Sister Wettingfeld started to testify of the BOM and the spirit was like BAM! But he then he was like "Well, I don't want to take your book from you!" And then I felt really strongly like I should testify of the book, so I did. After that you could almost see in his eyes that he felt like what we were saying had value. We then asked him if he was sure he wouldn't want one. Then he said, "Yeah, please I'd love one!" :D :D So we gave him one and also a mormon.org card. Then he gave us his number and email address and said he would be interested in learning more from us over the phone. It was so amazing, watching his heart slowely, but surely, change. :)

 

There have been several tours we've given and it is amazing to see how people are so awe struck of the dedication and hard work the pioneers had in building these places here! They can feel the spirit of the Lord and they always are so touched by the messages and especially by the teachings of Jesus Christ. Of course, because He is the greatest teacher of all.

 

Sorry this email is so long! But I want to share another miracle investigator story! A couple nights ago as we were getting ready to leave the computer center (where we chat with people online, and call people to teach over the phone) a chat popped up and I thought "Well we have to go soon...but I'll just take it!" The man on the chat was a father of 3 boys with one on the way. His wife and him want to learn more about the church because they want to raise their children right. Within the first minute of talking, he asked for a Book of Mormon! We committed him to go to church and he said we could call him the next day to follow up! Well we called him the next day (Sunday afternoon) and he DID go to church! It was the primary program that day so he said his kids loved it! Hahaha! :) We got to talk to him about what a regular Sunday service is like and he is planning on going again next week! He and his family are just so golden and so ready for the gospel!!!

 

This morning I got to see Sister Nicholls again!!! She and other sisters came up from the MTC to get a tour of temple square! I was so happy to see her beautiful smiling face and I'm so excited because they get to come back again Saturday night and experience what it's like teaching at a visitors' center! I am SO excited for her!!!

 

This last week I also saw the Gillespie family!!! They were here for a concert of The Orchestra at Temple Square! It was so fun to see them and talk to them! I got to ask how Elder Gillespie is doing, and I got to see Kaelee and ask her about school! They are such amazing people!

 

On Sunday morning my companion and I got to go see Music and the Spoken Word!!! Oh my goodness it was so beautiful! Alex Boye was there but I didn't get a chance to go say 'hi'. Next time though! I promised him I'd come say hello at some point... They also sang "Simple Gifts" which reminded me of back when I first started taking voice lessons and when Elder Plum sang that at state competition last year! Oh the memories...:)

 

It has just been so wonderful here, I wish I had enough time to write about everything! Remember, never be afraid to share the gospel with people you know! Member missionary work is vital to helping others come to the Savior. I love you all!

 

Sister Davis

 

Here are some fun pictures!

 

 They had BAMA jelly at the store! So I got it!!!

My companion and I! This wall is actually on the roof of the conference center :)

Remember back in the MTC when sister McBride had to go to the hospital? This is evidence that we did in fact enter the real world!

And this is what we left on the waiting room in the hospital...hehe:)

My name tag!

Sister Nicholls and I this past Wednesday morning!

The view from our apartment at night :) :)

 

That's all, thanks for reading!

Officially a Temple Square Missionary!

Sister Davis wrote on Wednesday!...

So it sounds like Reim time really did call y'all!!:) It was such a tender mercy from the Lord to be able to see Cierra, Kelton, Kaden, Nathan, Chrissy, Taylor and all those guys! I didn't originally plan on bearing my testimony to them but when the spirit tells you to do something as a missionary you really just do it. Haha! But it was wonderful and I was so happy to see all of my friends and their beautiful smiles! My trainer for that night was Sister Willhelm, from Brazil and she was just fantastic! As soon and we got assigned we just went to work full speed! Love it! Going back to the MTC was a little hard after that experience. Haha:) I have 5 new investigators just from online. There are so many out there searching for the gospel!

Alright so Tuesday was a CRAZY day! BUT it was amazing! So Sister McBride was throwing up all monday night so the next morning we took her to the health clinic and they sent us to the hospital so she could get a c.a.t. scan! Yea! Crazy! But we actually had the best adventure because while she was in getting it done, Sister Garisau and I were able to each lunch at Kneaders! It was like...real food! In the real world! Sister McBride turned out to be ok, they're just gonna keep an eye on her for now. But it was extremely adventurous!

THEN that night Elder Dallin H. Oaks came and gave an address to us and it was broadcasted from our MTC to all of the MTC Campus' across the globe! It was such a powerful and amazing experience! I wish so bad that I could print his talk off and give it to investigators because it was golden!

Tuesday night was also very bittersweet because my companions and I said goodbye to Elder Seegmiller and his (we call them the minions) companions. Don't worry though, we got a picture! We couldn't leave without getting photo documentation of those awesome Elders! I also was able to talk with Elder Armstrong after the devotional, which was really really neat, and a blessing because he stays on the west campus so it was cool that we even got to talk! But I think the most sweet "last night in the MTC conversation" was with the beautiful Sister Nicholls. She is seriously so amazing and just radiates good! She has her V.C. training in like 2 weeks here on temple square though so I really really hope that I get to see her when she comes!

 

Today has just been a sup totes cray cray day here on Temple Square. We got here early this morning and just sat and absorbed a bunch of "need to know this" info about our money, security etc etc. Then we got to meet our mission president and have interviews with him. The next couple hours we had down time (I took advantage of it to try and start learning the history stuff in the packet asap cuz there's a lot haha) while they assigned our companions. Then they announced our companions! My companion is from Florida and she just got back today from her outbound in California! Her name is Sister Wettingfeld. She is the district leader and she is so awesome! She's got long blond hair like I used to have and she's just funny and sweet and so great! I'm incredibly excited to spend the next transfer getting to know her and learning all the in's and out's here from her!:)

After we got our companions they sent us to Wal-Mart to go shopping for our food. I'm not going to lie it was so weird shopping for all my own groceries for the first time in my life for myself...but not only am I so grateful for my amazing parents who taught me how to clean and cook and do laundry, but I'm also grateful for the experience this is going to give me for later in life...

Everyone keeps saying "Welcome to the best mission in the world!" I'm so happy to be here. I would not want to be anywhere else! I love you all!

Sister Davis

MTC teaching, singing and pictures!

Christy wrote this past friday! Here is her letter, and I also have some fun pictures! She will be officially at Temple Square on Wednesday!

I'm flipping through my notebook trying to pick what things I want to share with y'all! My heart is just so full and there is just so much to say!

Let's acknowledge this moment of all nodding our heads in agreement of the fact that General Conference was AMAZING! MEMBER MISSIONARY WORK! YOU can be a part of it! This is the Lord's gospel and let us never be afraid or ashamed to share the greatest message we have on this earth! Thomas S. Monson said it best, "Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together, to labor in the Lord's vineyard to bring souls unto Him." Read his talk here! And may I just say how much the music of this conference touched my soul... Maybe it's partially because I haven't sung in a choir for a while, but the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was so excellent! And that family choir...when they sang "I Know Heavenly Father Loves Me" was just so touching and so beautiful. I love music. God can tell us He loves us through music.

Speaking of music! Elder Seegmiller and I auditioned last Wednesday with The Olive Tree and we were a yes! We performed yesterday in the New Missionary Welcome meeting for about 200 missionaries who had entered the MTC that day or the day before. It was a success, not on my part, but on the part of the spirit. My prayer was that the spirit would touch those Elders and Sisters, and as I looked out on them and saw the tears in their eyes, I felt so grateful to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord. God has blessed me so much and more importantly, He has blessed those missionaries with His love.

Speaking of new missionaries! Two of those missionaries in that meeting were people I knew! Sister Charlotte Nicholls ,from England serving in the St. George Utah Mission, was there! What an amazing beautiful girl! We have been able to talk and she told me that she was able to visit St. George with her family before coming to the MTC! I'm so excited for her! (Luke, I don't know if you'll ever read this but you have an amazing, beautiful sister! But, of course, you already know this haha) Also my friend Elder Weidner was there! He was a Yellow Group Counselor with me for BYS! And speaking of BYS family, I've been able to talk with and see Maren (another yellow BYS councilor) a couple times in the morning since she works here at the MTC! And while were on the subject of seeing familiar faces, I've also seen Elder Garish (an old friend from St. George Utah), Aubrey McBride & Abby VanOrden (went to high school with them, they work here), and a young sister missionary who knew who I was because I spoke in her institute ward back when I was living in Boise! Lastly, but not least, Brad and Michele Armstrong will be very excited to hear that I did meet their little brother Elder Armstrong during this last conference weekend! We took a picture (with his companion) that he said he will email to me when we are both no longer in the MTC (since emailing another Elder/Sister in the MTC is not aloud haha). He is staying on the West Campus right now and it's kinda crazy because he is the only person in the entire MTC who is learning his mission language! And he can't even finish learning it until he gets into the field, so right; now he's a solo missionary. (A.k.a. his companions are going to a different place and speaking a different language.)

The Elders in our district are all in Austrailia now preaching the gospel! Well, except Elder Nielsen who has been temporarily reassigned because his visa hasn't come through yet. But you'll be excited to hear that his reassignment is to...BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA! AH!!! I told him if he gets assigned to the Gadsden ward he HAS to visit all the family and tell them I love them for me!!! Haha!

So on Wednesday we got to go visit temple square and take a tour of the North Visitor Center. I'm so excited to hit the square next week! Tomorrow (Saturday) we will be going back to the square to be assigned a temporary companion for the night to experience teaching and doing missionary work IN our mission field! I can hardly wait!!! On Wednesday evening we did training with these volunteers that come to the MTC and we practice talking to them as if we were on temple square. Our teachers don't tell us if the volunteers are members or not, so we don't know. But something so amazing happened...one man we talked to asked us about the church's family history program. I was able to talk to him kinda about how it works. Then he asked me "Well do you know about your family genealogy line?" I was so happy that I could say yes! I told him about where I come from in my ancestor line and about the temple work I did for family members over the summer while living in Boise. After he heard that he became very open with us and excited to talk to us! Some people thought he was just playing a role (like some do) but while we were talking I just kept having this feeling that said "He's not a member! He's not a member! Ask him if he wants to learn more about the church!" So we went to him after the class was done and said "Sir, are you a member, or no?" He said "No I'm really not! Everything I told you was true!" We asked if he would like to have our missionaries go visit his daughter and he said Yes please! Then we asked if he wanted to meet with missionaries and he seemed a little nervous about having people come to his home. But then the spirit reminded me that I had a mormon.org card so I gave it to him and said he could chat with missionaries online and there were tons of answers to questions about our church! He got SO excited and said "Thank you thank you! You three just made my day! Please send the missionaries to my daughter as well!" We got our first referral IN the MTC! So amazing...

Yesterday was our first day of training for mormon.org chat. You would be AMAZED how many people go to mormon.org and want to talk with missionaries and want to learn about the church! I talked with two people yesterday, one sir from Europe and later, a girl from New York. They both are very interested in the church and want to keep learning. Because of the way our system works my companions and I will be able to teach them lessons all just over the internet if that's what the investigator wants. Our teachers told us that there have been several people who were taught on mormon.org by missionaries and were baptized and their baptism interview was the first time seeing the local missionaries! The world is a changing out there... We are also being trained on talking to people over the phone! We feel pretty legit cuz we get to wear these cool headsets and we look like super tech savvy missionaries:)

Last night we were able to teach a young college student who is inactive. (Well at least she played an inactive, we don't know if she is active or not or even a member!) While we were talking to her I was really just praying to know what to say that would be right for this girl. I opened my mouth to talk and said a couple fumbled words, then all of the sudden the words just started coming out. This happens EVERY DAY here at the MTC. I feel like I never really know what I should say, but as soon as I open my mouth and start to talk, the spirit fills my mouth with the words. It's so humbling and so incredible.

Heavenly Father loves us so much. He sends out missionaries because He loves all of His children and wants them to return back to Him. I love being a missionary! There is NOTHING I would rather be doing right now. I love you all! Don't ever forget that God is always there!

Love,

Sister Davis

Here are some pictures!

My name tag!

 

 My companions (Left: Sister Garisau from New Zealand. Right: Sister McBride from Canada).

Eating vending machine food.

Room number and message for visitors.

Door decorations!

The Provo Temple.

Elder Despain photo bombed our picture :( haha

The sisters in my 1 MTC zone!

My 1st MTC district! (Left to right: Elder Lang, Elder Neilsen, Elder Musters, and Elder Despain).

 My motto!

 Us before study hour.

The best picture you'll ever see.

Trying to represent our countries with our faces.

Our gift to our zone sisters the night before they left for the field :( we wanted to make it cuter but we don't have the resources.

One of my favs!

How I feel every day!

Being happy on our first P-day!!

I was happy to wear normal shoes and Sister McBride loves her flip flops!

Our MTC water bottles.

With Elder Musters discussing some progressing investigator ideas!

 Hope you enjoyed everything!

MTC... bam!

Sister Davis had her P-Day on wednesday and we got her first email! No pictures yet, she is still trying to figure that out. She has some really neat experiences to share so here are a few things she said.

"I don't even know where to start... the MTC... bam. Day one was amazing! Every day after has just been better and better! I started off by going to my classroom and meeting my companion! Here's the thing y'all. So I have two companions, Sister Garisau and Sister Mcbride! Sister Mcbride's companion didn't ever show up to the MTC so we were just made a threesome!!! Sister Garisau is from New Zealand. She has the most beautiful accent in the entire world and she is just so beautiful and sweet and classy and quiet and kind and adorable!!! Sister Mcbride is from Canada!!! She is so crazy and funny and kind and loving and amazing! I love them both so much, we have the best companionship ever! We love to serve, we love to learn, we love to laugh we love to lift each other higher."

"Our first night in the MTC we were taken to a group activity where we taught an investigator with a classroom full of new Elders and Sisters. Our first investigator was a young college student. At first he was just very unreceptive and we could feel that he didn't care at all to hear us talk about the church. As we were sitting there I had this like crazy heart-pounding feeling that I should share a quote the Kori shared with me in mission prep. I was super nervous to but I raised my hand anyways. I told him that "my brother-in-law once told me that nobody cares how much you know unless they know how much you care. But we really do care about you, and we're here for you." All of the sudden this young man started crying... The spirit suddenly entered the room and God's love just hit this young man so hard, we all could feel it. Absolutely amazing."

"We have been teaching progressive investigators right now who are not members. We have three of them and it has just been such a growing experience learning how to bring the gospel to these people, not just teaching them but also showing them how it can help them in THEIR life. I love our investigators so much, they are amazing people and God really really loves them."

"I know you're all wondering if I sang in the Relief Society Broadcast, but unfortunately I didn't enter the MTC soon enough to have that opportunity. We also haven't had any chances to watch the Broadcast yet so thank you mom for those key points from it!!! Don't worry though, I met an Elder Seegmiller here my first day and he is an excellent piano player from Meridian, Idaho! Crazy eh!? He will be accompanying me for a musical solo audition of The Olive Tree. We audition tomorrow to see if we can get the chance to perform in any meetings here at the MTC so please pray for us! I really hope to be able to use those gifts from God to bless others!!!"

"The young men in my zone now are all going to...wait for it... Sidney Austrailia! All the sisters in our zone are going to temple square."

"The MTC is such a great, funny, crazy, busy place! I absolutely love it! There's been tons of talk about "remember not to flirt with the elders/sister!" The age gap isn't quite as big now so they really really REALLY emphasize that...there have been some interesting moments...but my companions and I just laugh about it and don't worry y'all, we don't flirt! We're too busy planning lessons and teaching people to worry about that!!! The devotionals here are amazing and we had a member of the 1st quourm of the seventy come speak to us last night. It has ALL been excellent."

"I will be in the MTC for 3 weeks. The first two weeks are just regular missionary training and the last week will be just with the square sisters doing VC training. We plan to leave for Temple Square on October 16th!!!"

"The church is true. We are sent forth to bring others closer to Christ, and that is the goal we set our hearts on every day. A mission is a lot of hard work but it is rewarding to the soul. It is the most worthy cause on this earth. I love you all!"

Sister Davis

So if you were hoping to see her at Conference you will just have to go back in April and visit her!