Saturday, December 13, 2014

Nobody really knows how cool the mormons are until they visit their parking garage...

Ok the moment dad has been stressing about all week is finally here! (; Transfer news! Ahaha(: So I'm staying a South 2 Zone Leader, but my new companion is Sister Tuinukuafe from New Zealand/Melbourne Australia! Woo! Don't be deceived though, she was born in Tonga! (I know, Temple Square sisters are so exotic...except when they're that one white girl from Utah...what?) Anyways, yes we are companions and we are so excited! She's in her last transfers so I'm "killing" someone, AGAIN. (Disclaimer: "Killing" in missionary lingo means you're their last companion before they go back home.) We're over West Gate and Guest Services, like last transfer, so it's all busy and all exciting!

This week has been SO WEIRD! Last...was it Friday...I saw Pine View High School Concert Choir. We had gone to lunch at Cheesecake factory and we were walking through the JSMB when I heard this beautiful music and I thought, "Oh how cute, another high school choir!" And then Mamma Meek ran up to me and I was like "Whaaaat!?" (On the inside of course.) So we hugged and then I looked up to see my former choir-mates all around the balcony singing a Dan Forest arrang. and I just wanted to sit on the floor and listen for a good hour and cry because it was so beautiful and they were all so beautiful! Funny enough, it was their last song so right after they all came running down the stairs and I was swarmed by millions of smiling faces calling me by my first name, AH! Weird. Nathan ran up and tried to hug me and I had to jump back into ninja pose and say, "Woah! Nathan I love you dude but I can't hug you I'm a missionary!" ahahaha! I think it was Mckay who scolded him and laughed and showed him how to properly shake my hand hahaha awe man! Tommy was there too! And Shandon and JAKE! Jake made me cry. He didn't even have to say anything he just looked at me and I started to tear up. And Breanne was there and Aliesha and if I listed them all I would get a head-ache haha. It was great though. That night in the North Visitors Centre I ran into them again and Shandon asked me to demonstrate for him how to contact someone, teach a principle, give a pass-along card and invite. So I stopped like the next guy who walked by and they just stood off to the side watching hahaha and then I challenged them to go find someone they could do that for. Great future missionaries, I'm tellin ya!

Enough about that.

This last week we decided to do our Weekly Planning in the church office building. Our weekly planning sessions was on Sunday and the church office building is closed on Sunday but since we're missionaries we have access cards that let us in! So we went to the bottom floor near the cafeteria and planned for the week. While we were there security walked in and said, "Now you sisters aren't going to run outside and try to talk to the prophet are you???" And we were like "What!?" and he told us that the brethren were about to come out of the building and get in their golf carts to be driven down to the conference center for the 1st presidency devotional! But then he reminded us that we're not allowed to stalk them and try to talk with them. Haha(: So we looked back at the doors every once in a while to see if we could catch a glimpse but they must have smuggled them out while we were praying or something hahaha!

Two nights ago we had a neat experience at Harmons! So our beautiful, incredible investigator in Provo works here in SLC at the Harmons across the street. Well, we were running short on time to go home and cook dinner #zoneleaderlife so we decided to run and grab something there, and as we did we ran into her! It was such a tender mercy too because she was having a really hard day/week and we were able to talk through some things with her and just help remind her how much we love her! It was great though, right there in the produce section of Harmons we had a short powerful lesson! Haha(: Ok maybe not short, it was like 20 minutes that we were talking but you get the idea. We were so grateful for that though.

Alright last story. Transfer day, yesterday, was insanity. Sister Tuinukuafe started going a little crazy because our phone was going off the hook and I had to tap her on the back and tell her, "Don't worry sister...you will get used to it." And then she gave me this adorable sad face. haha! But part of the reason it was crazy was because one of the sisters in our zone who just got back from outbound was very very sick with a temperature of 102F. So the AP's located President Loos (who was the only Priesthood holder on the square at that time) and they told us we would ride up in his car with him to visit so he could give her a blessing. So! We met up with president in his office and walked down into the tunnels to go in the church parking garage where employees and missionaries park. Well long story short we got lost because president couldn't remember which section he parked his car in and the church's underground parking garage is MASSIVE. So we spent almost 20 minutes walking around laughing about how nobody in the world would even know that the Mormons have such a massive parking garage unless they came and actually saw it. President Loos told us that his first couple MONTHS here he got lost in it every single day haha! But we eventually found his car and drove up to the apartment and he was able to give the blessing. Ah it was just an interesting way to end our insane transfer day haha!

Sister Fuentes is returning from outbound today and her flight lands in less than half an hour!!! I am so excited to see her I don't think anybody understands! I just love her! And Chile! Viva Chile! Speaking of people I LOVE...Sister Garisau (my MTC companion) came back this week to visit the mission!!!! I was SO happy to see her, she is so beautiful! We talked a while and we've come to the conclusion that I WILL be visiting her in New Zealand after the mission. There is no question, it's going to happen!

Anyways, now I'm just rambling because I just love being a missionary so much and I love being on Temple Square so much and I love all the fun, exciting, hard, depressing, immense miracles and events that take place on a daily basis! 

I almost worry sometimes because serving on Temple Square 24/7 you kind of enter this spiritual bubble that cannot be penetrated so if you ever spend lots of time outside of Temple Square you can really feel a strong difference. But it's also a blessing because it helps you to very easily discern the good from the bad. I think that is why the leaders of the church encourage members to visit the temple on a regular basis. The more we do that the stronger the Lord's influence is in our lives and thus the more protection we gain through the ability to discern right from wrong. And the thing is, you don't have to enter the Temple to gain that spirit of the temple. Entering is ideal, but even spending time on the temple grounds can help you gain the spirit. Which reminds me of one more thing I want to share!

Our investigator in England was having a pretty rough week. She had a lot of things thrown at her and by others who have a lot of negative feelings toward the church. It's been interesting to hear about, though, because we can feel that each trial is strengthening her testimony. She ate dinner with some members the other night and afterwards she texted us to tell us about what a powerful spiritual experience it was and that it just reaffirmed and reminded her that she does know this is all true and that she does want this in her life. She also was able to recently visit the London temple. She spent time in the visitor's center talking to the sisters there as well. (: She told us about how she enjoyed visiting the temple and that made us so happy! We KNEW that if she made the choice to visit temple grounds, she would feel the spirit, and have a positive experience. So long story short: The church is true!

Alright I promise this letter is reaching it's end! Mostly because I don't know what else to say. (: But I love you all and don't ever forget that the first vision really did happen. It really did. Don't ever forget.

Love yous!

Sister Davis
 
My new companion Sister Tuinukuafe and I! She is gorgeous!
 

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