I'm trying to stay calm OK!?!?

Deep breaths are what get me through all the talk of departing. Deep breaths and crying myself to sleep at night.

Er'body is asking about how my leg is doing so I will report on that first! But may I say, word gets out fast! The heck!? Anyways. (: So I went to the instacare hospital and that was FUN! I just love hospitals! They took an x-ray and everything seems to be fine, nothing torn and nothing broken! #missionary #protection As I laid on the x-ray bed I could not help but think about the many many times in the past I've rested on those flat hard beds while they moved my legs into uncomfortable positions and took x-rays.. Those were the days. (: It would be neat to be an x-ray tech. But yes so I'm fine everyone stay calm I can walk and when I'm tempted to limp I just imagine the voice of my former physical therapist Dave saying, "No! Heel toe! Walk correctly [insert first name]!" So it's all good. Taking ib-prophen for the pain and just up and about doing the Lord's work! The doc says this is temporary and in about a week I should be standing level again. (: Although that is a bit of a shame because I love the look on the sister's faces when I switch between legs and loose an inch of height hahaha! Classic party trick.

This last Sunday our departing class sang in Sacrament Meeting. They asked me to put the hymn together so I compiled an arrangement of Come Thou Fount. It was wonderful. Sisters cried. (:

We also had Emily Utt from the church history department visit the mission for Relief Society to give some training and more historical background for Temple Square! It's the third time I've seen Sister Utt on the mission and every time the training finishes we always talk for ages about the history of St. George. On Thursday though I went up and told her I was leaving soon so she BETTER come visit St. George often! I must say, though, that understanding the history of Temple Square and many of the historic temples (i.e. Nauvoo, St. George, Logan, etc) can be such a converting experience. You look at the lives of those people and it's evident that the only driving force powerful enough to help them accomplish all they did is Jesus Christ.

This week we are especially happy because one of our investigators on the east coast has finally decided on a baptism date!!!! He is shooting for March 14 and we are SO happy!!!! We first met him on Mormon.org chat and have been talking with him for almost 6 months now. He's only a senior in high school but the true reason he even began learning about the church was because of the influence of his friends who are members. I don't think the young people realize that their example can have profound impact on the people around them. Teenagers have more opportunities for missionary work than they realize. But anyways, we are very excited for him and he seems happy as well. (:

We've also had some great experiences finding more people to teach this week! A man from France came online to tell us about some of his friends living in Africa who were not members. There were 4 he told us about and so far we have been able to contact 2 of them and both of them want to learn more and be baptized! Miracles! There are certainly many others out in the world who are prepared to learn more about the plan that Heavenly Father has for them.

Funny/awkward story--> On Sunday night we were on our shift in West Gate and these two young men came up to say hello because they noticed Sister Bernhardt was from France! He spoke a little french with her and then said, "Hey! Are you guys coming to the YSA convention in the Tabernacle?" And then there was this awkward silence and I said, "No... we are missionaries." And then his friend laughed and they walked away slowly... some people's children. When they were out of sight we laughed a little bit and then I told Sister Bernhardt that we should avoid the YSA thing in the Tabernacle at all costs... And then she reminded me that I go home soon... and then I threw the tissue box at her. And then she laughed at me. Some people's children.

So yes this week was fun and exciting and confusing! I stopped by President's office on Sunday to ask him something and then I ended up in his office for an hour as he counseled me on my entire life. It was great though and President is so kind. :( And he made me cry like twice because of his kindness. And now I think I know what I'm going to do with my life! (Which is great because about a week ago I was trying to make the macro plan he requires us all to make and I was having a meltdown because I realized that the real world is absolutely terrifying.) So I'm not terrified anymore! Just...really scared. :D It's improvement.

It's ok though, because as Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, "We are eternal beings! Endings are not our destiny." I have also decided that returning home from a mission doesn't mean I ever have to leave the mission field. I'm not leaving the mission field...ever...just in case any of you were ever wondering about that... I'm not...just so you know. So please support me in that.

I love you all!!!

 

Sister Davis

 

By the way this is me being extremely happy in the hospital. (: I love the hospital. I may or may not have written my own rap while waiting for the doctor to come back with my x-ray results... #yellowwall #missionary #sowhite

 

This week was just really weird. Haha

So I am sorry right now this letter is going to be really fast!

This last week was really great and we've been very busy! We had our zone activity last p-day which was a lot of fun and a huge success! We've also been on exchanges a lot this last week with the new sisters and their trainers. Lots of fun experiences from that!

Funny story: We were on exchanges on Valentine's day and I was with Sister Bae from South Korea. She is SO funny! We were walking across the square in the evening when a couple stopped us and asked us to take a picture (of course...#templesquareprobs). So Sister Bae took the camera and just as they were about to take the picture the guy got down on one knee and said (turning to his girlfriend) "Will you marry me?" He had the ring and everything. Sister Bae was so shocked she just froze so I tapped her and said, "Hurry take pictures!" hahahaha so she took lots of pictures while they hugged and kissed. I know. #templesquareprobs. #everyday #whyhere #idonotunderstand So yes Sister Bae was really really upset after that because she didn't want to see any couples or proposals but I just put my hand on her shoulder and said, "You know, Sister Bae...you can't run from it on Temple Square." And then she just made sad sobbing noises for a little while haha(: Such is the life of a temple square missionary.

(I might mention that wasn't the only proposal I saw this last week.)

It was also an exciting week for my companion Sister Bernhardt because some of her companions she served with in France came to visit us and take us to dinner! WOO! It was heaps of fun. Except I'm not going to lie it was really weird walking into a restaurant with normal people who talk about normal people things... But they were super funny and nice and the food tasted great so that was a plus right?! Haha(:

Our investigators are also doing SO well. Two of them have now set a goal to be baptized, one of them will be 3 days after I go home! Ah the agony!!! Haha(: But it's good.

I'm sorry this is just so short. But just know that things are going well and we are really busy and happy and consecrated and blessed and hungry and diligent and hilarious!

I love you.

Love,

Sister Davis

 

Dinner with Sister Bernhardt's companions from France!(:

 

This week went by WAY too fast.

Ok. So. This week was so fun!!! But it went by too fast and every night when I climb into bed I almost cry because the day is over. Bah! Anyways.

We went on exchanges with all of the District Leaders this week and it was a success! Lots of learning, lots of teaching in different languages, and lots of finding finding finding! This coming week we will be conducting exchanges with all the sisters in the zone who are training/new missionaries. These exchanges are always the most fun. (:

We have a new investigator from Washington state and he is just the most humble man I've ever spoken with. He was referred to us by a member who met him on a plane ride home! (This member was a sister on the plane ride home from her mission by the way... being a missionary doesn't ever end!!!) We called him last week and he told us about how his wife recently passed away and he was curious about how our beliefs differ from his (he is Catholic). We felt impressed to speak about living prophets (not what you'd expect right?) and we told him about Thomas S. Monson and, of course, he was really interested in that! We sent him an email with a talk from the prophet and invited him to listen and pray to ask God if this man was a true prophet of God. We are looking forward to talking with him again soon. (:

I think I mentioned to y'all last week that Sister Brock and I were planning an MLC training for the District Leaders in the mission? Well we held that last Friday and it was exceptional! We really enjoyed it and the sisters all walked away so excited for their next district meeting and all the ideas and training they gathered! We were SO happy it was a success because we were hardly able to squeeze in the extra time to prepare the training, it was pretty hectic, but the Lord provided and we had the time (barely) and it was a success!!!

Speaking of training's (man I love giving trainings..probably just because I love being in front of people) Sister Lytle, our other sister from St. George, asked me to visit her zone training meeting to help her train on Unity. She specifically wanted me to do a the training I gave in MLC to all the zone and district leaders. I think she just wanted it because it makes everybody cry... haha(: But I went yesterday to do it and it was so fun! Not only that but being able to give these trainings and see these sisters feel the spirit is such a testimony building experience for me. I love watching them and I love it when they have those "Ahha!" inspiration moments. Those are the best.

Several months ago I was teaching an investigator out in Ohio with Sister Merrill. She was so prepared to received the gospel but some negative events took place with the local missionaries and then we suddenly couldn't get a hold of her anymore. :( It was the saddest thing ever. Well, two days ago I felt impressed to look through my area book at my list of former investigators. I called a couple, with no responses and then I dialed this lady's number. Well she picked up!!! And she was so happy to hear from me! The first words out of her mouth were "Oh!!! Oh sister I've missed you! I love the church!" hahahaha(: I was so happy I almost cried! She is still meeting with missionaries and she goes to church and Relief Society activities and just loves it! She says the ward loves her, which I believe because she's the sweetest person ever, and she really wants to get baptized! Right now she is working on quitting smoking. "But once I'm free of smoking," she said, "I will be baptized!" Ah! Everybody stay calm. (: The church is true. The Lord sure loves us.

Yesterday we had our zone leader reports with president. Those are always so fun because as soon as you sit down in his office he pulls out his big container of nuts and passes them around so everyone can have "brain food" as he calls it. (: Haha he's crazy. At the end we all started talking about the next coming transfer, how many sisters from the MTC, how many departing, etc etc and President said, "We have many new sisters coming that would need to be trained, so we need to find those trainers first!" I raised my hand and said "I'll extend if you want me to president!" Then we started having this serious discussion how it's not too late for me to extend because I'm not even flying home....and then I asked President if I could...and then he said he would love to have me...and then he asked me if it were interfere with schooling or work. And then I frowned and had to consider that... Anyways now I'm rambling but that was an interesting conversation haha

By the way AWKWARD story about zone activity...so we're emailing later today because we went shopping first for zone activity things...and as we were going around Walmart we were buying fake flowers (long story, not they have nothing to do with valentines day we're not that desperate) and three bags of chips, so we looked a little unhealthy and odd. The funny thing is, we were shopping at the Walmart in Taylorsville, not Salt Lake, so we ran into lots of Elders from another one of the SLC missions and it was so weird because they were looking at us like, "Why would Temple Square sisters be eating that junk food and buying themselves fake flowers!?" Seriously. That's what their face said. So now all the rumors out there about Temple Square sisters having to eat a super healthy diet have just been destroyed. Haha you're welcome world.

Anyways that's this week... Even though this week was even more wonderful and miraculous than I can describe my emails never do missionary life justice...they just make missionary life sound busy and awkward. But missionary life is also very busy and awkward...

But I just love you all! Have a happy day of love this week!

Sister Davis

I was on exchanges with Sister McDaniel when this took place...

While Jeffrey R. Holland was giving his training to Seminary and Institute teachers we ran down in the tunnels and took pictures on his golf cart... #nevergetsold #stgeorgekids

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!

Just thought I would stick that up there...just because I can. And it's true.

This week was AMAZING! Amazingly BUSY! Ha(: It was great. Lots going on. I feel like...I feel like I don't ever want my mission to end... oh wait! I ALWAYS feel like that!

So this week...this week was crazy. This week I learned how inspired companionships are. I learned that God has a hand in every single aspect of our lives, big or small. And I also learned that God is the master at organizing things because when I look at my life and I look at all the events that have taken place and all of the "coincidences" and the way that my life ties together I can only come up with three reasons why my life is the way it is: 1. My life is simply a really dramatic musical. 2. God is heavily influencing my life piece by piece. or 3. All of the above.

I'm gonna stick with 3. All of the above. Let me also say something else: The world is about the size of a toothpick when you serve on Temple Square. A toothpick. That's it! It's tiny!

Anyways. So last Wednesday night was great because we got to go with one of our less-active friends to see Meet the Mormons! Yay! It was a really good experience and we were really happy when he told us after that he felt the spirit a lot during the film.

Last Friday we had our ZTM (zone training meeting) which went smoothly, thank the heavens above! We had the District Leaders do most of the training and we focused on the Doctrine of Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, etc). The sisters in the zone are so great they all have very quiet personalities which can be a bit awkward when we get up in front of them and I try to crack a joke...don't get me wrong they all laugh, but their way of laughing is like a little chipmunk laugh  so they all make this same face where their nose scrunches up and you hear these tiny little snickers.... But that's beside the point. ZTM was great!

We met with the AP's after ZTM to talk about some ideas we had and they decided that we should just hold another MLC and give the training with them ha so this morning we had to do some of the fastest training planning in my life before running over to the conference center but it's going to be really good and we're going to have the MLC this Saturday! Sister Brock and I will train the District Leaders about increasing the effectiveness of our District meetings and it's going to be especially good because there will be gummy bears involved! Er'body get excited!

Saturday was a funny day because Trilogy was running all over the square since State Honor Choir was held this year in the Tabernacle! So I ran into Kelton, Taylor, Tommy, and Mckay like 5 times and those guys are hilarious. But the best was when we talked with Mr. Riemer. I tried to ask that man for life advice and his only counsel was go to the Temple! (Well and he tried to talk me into being a choir teacher but we all know that I just wouldn't survive a career like that.) But anyways, by the end of the day my companion couldn't stop talking about how awesome all the guys were and she was impressed that Tommy speaks French (somebody tell Tommy that because he will blush).

Funny enough we even saw them again Sunday morning after Music and the Spoken Word because I was announcing and they stayed the night to go so that was cool! Then again I tell you these things but my best guess it you probably already know this because you've seen it on one of their Facebook, twitter or instagram accounts by now...

Sunday afternoon was Finish Strong Meeting. (AKA lets-talk-about-how-you-are-all-about-to-go-home-and-we-don't-want-you-to-get-trunky-meeting.) We all had to share what things we were applying to keep us from getting trunky which was funny haha! I got up and just shared with the sisters that I'm going to follow the counsel of D&C 51:17 where it says "act upon this land as if for years, and this shall turn unto them for their good." So yes I said I will be acting as if I will still be a missionary for another 5 years and they all laughed but I don't think they realize how serious I meant that..... (By the way that also means I'm going to do my grocery shopping the same: holla for my companion because she will have a ton of leftover free food from me!)

Monday was an interesting day! In the morning we had to take a sister in our zone to the eye doctor because she was having sudden trouble seeing out of one of her eyes. Her name is Sister Bae and she is from South Korea and she is the cutest human being I have met. She has a very quiet and cute little Asian voice and yet sometimes she says things that you don't quite expect and they catch you off guard and make you laugh quite a bit. I went back to the doctor's room with her so that I could translate all of the paper-work she had to fill out about her medical history. (By the way sometimes it's really hard to simplify some of those questions they ask you...it was interesting...hehe) One question was if she had any surgeries before and she turned to me and said, "Oh! I had lasik surgery before my mission! My eyes was perfect! (and then with an adorable frown) but now this eye is not perfect." So cute haha(: By the way, there was not anything seriously wrong with her eye she just got some face wash in it and it blurred it up a little bit but she's fine now. (: yay!

And now to tell you about one of the most exciting parts of the week! TODAY! Today was the day that we sang in the LDS Buisness College Devotional! It was so fun! And there were so many people and they were all our age and there were a lot of couples which was weird and they all seemed so serious! Are people back out in the real world always as serious as these guys were? I'm not sure... But anyways! We sang an arrangement of "I Feel My Saviour's Love" and then President Poulsen spoke, which was excellent! They had us sit up at the front where like the president of the school and the speaker sits, you know what I mean, and it was really funny to just watch all these young adults in the audience. President Poulsen asked all the RM's in the audience to stand (there was a LOT) and they had to recite the missionary purpose. They remembered it well! And it was cool because you looked at the faces of some of those young men and you could tell they were just beaming because they loved their missions! (: Afterwards President said, "Sisters lets all go get lunch together!" So President took us to lunch! Woo! It was so fun! President Poulsen is just one of the best people I have or will ever know.

Yes so there we are things have been pretty busy. You may think we're so busy we don't have time to teach investigators but that statement would be FALSE! We love our missionary work the most of all! We were able to speak this week with our investigator in Las Vegas and he is doing so well! (He's the one I told you about who is a single father of a 20 month old boy.) Tomorrow he is talking to the missionaries in his area because he would like to be baptized before March 7th. Yay!!!! We are so happy for him, he is just so wonderful and he makes the gospel a priority even though his life is hectic and busy. (:

Our investigator in Provo is still doing so well. Sometimes I feel like she teaches me and I just don't know half as much about life as she does! But she's awesome and she is already doing visiting teaching even though she isn't a member yet! Haha and she loves it so much!

A lot of y'all have been asking about our investigator in England! She is doing well, amidst the huge trials she's had. Things can be a little up and down but we know that everything is going to work for her. She has a lot of opposition but we've been able to see every day how the Lord is constantly aware of her no matter what. We pray for her a lot and, like we have always said, she has much more faith than she gives herself credit for!

Ok this email is getting supper long so I'm going to bring it down to a close. I don't think there is tons more to say so....yeah! I love you all! Have a wonderful week!!!!!!!!!

Sister Davis

My last time announcing for Music and The Spoken Word! So tender!

Back row: Sister Escobedo from Mexico, Sister Chau from Japan, Sister Ma from Taiwan, Me, Sister Kuo from Taiwan. Front row: Sister Mok from Hong Kong, Sister Brock from Oregon, and Sister Araujio from Portugal!

​Everyone who announced!
Left to right: Sister Chau from Japan, Me. Sister Ma from Taiwan, Sister Escobedo from Mexico, Sister Araujio from Portugal, Sister Amar from Phillipines, Sister Konietz from Germany, Sister Mok from Hong Kong, Sister Brock from Oregon, Sister Bomgren from Sweden, Sister Maladiri from Vanuatu, and Sister Richmond from Tahiti!