November 24, 2014 San Nicolas

Davis and his companion at the Monterrey Mexico Temple

Hey, let me answer your questions super fast.

Dont have a simplified version [of the spanish hymnbook], its ok im doing well with the regular. I bought my own at the temple.

No thanksgiving here, thats an american holiday only. [Chris, Davis' dad, celebrated Thanksgiving in the Dominican Republic when he was on his mission.]

Luke [cousin] is a junior right now i think, but grandma told me that he will be able to go [on his mission] around the time Carson [another cousin] and I get back.

I think i can do pouch mail, that's probably a 7$ peso stamp (about half a dollar) I´ll ask my trainer about pouch mail, but what I did was just gave 5 pesos to my zone leader for the letter. [A letter arrived from Davis with what looked like a $7 stamp, but was postmarked from Salt Lake City.  It took two weeks to get to us.]

Haven´t gotten any packages yet.

OK! now I´ll tell ya some stuff! :)

I did take out some money from the personal card I have, 1000 pesos, about 80 dollars worth. I did buy one souveniur with some of the money...I found a super nice blanket for you. you can have it in two years. Other than that, I´m just gonna use the money for a couple of necessities, such as buying a tan pair of pants. 

Also, watch out for a cool Christmas surprise in the mail...in about 3-4 weeks hahaha.

Davis with his companion, J, and J's family at the church.

We had a baptism yesterday! J., a 9 yr old in a recently reactivated family, and guess who got to baptize him? The bishop wasn´t there this weekend so I got to do it! Most of the time you try to get a member to do it, but this case it was I who did it! Good experience, J. was really happy after that, and also really wet and kind of cold! once we got in the font and grabbed my arms, he clenched his nose and tried to sink into the water! hahaha it was pretty funny that he was super ready to be submerged. I had to tell him [to wait until] after I said amen.

Also, I will not ever be telling you about our transfer goals or such, or only with hindsight. Here is why: Two of our investigators did not come to church this week so they can´t get baptized in this change. Investigators have to come to sacrament meeting at least 4 times before getting baptized, that's a rule of our mission. But we still have faith for them. Anyway, I´m still trying to figure out what to tell you in these emails. O. is getting baptized tomorrow, and that´s super exciting!

I´m almost finished with the book of mormon again. I have two weeks left to finish it, seeing if I can finish it within this change. Something I read today was in Alma, talking about the Stripling Warriors. I forget the chapter and the verse, but it says that they were concerned of the liberty of their families more than their lives, and that their mothers taught them to doubt not, and God will deliver them. 2 things: 1. We should never doubt our faith. as Pres. Uctdorf has said "Before you doubt your faith, doubt your doubts." When we have faith the Lord can do marvelous things. 2. Thanks for teaching me mom, in Alma 37:35 it says to learn wisdom of keeping the commandments in your youth, and I wouldn´t have been able to do that without you and dad.

Also, can you send me a recipe of how to make good banana pancakes. I´ve been eating healthier also, I eat a banana every day and I try to eat whatever other kind of fruit I can find. are there other healthy meals I can make, or something?

Sorry about the weird format of this email. I´m going to write Nathaniel some things right now. Oh, also, can you send me Vince Guaraldi Christmas trio? That's  appropriate.

In front of the church before J.'s baptism.

I love you all,

Davis

November 19, 2014 San Nicolas

[Note to reader: Davis did not send an email on Monday which is the usual "preparation" day (p-day).  We did feel pretty sad and had not expected to hear from him for another week.  It was a fun surprise to get his email on a Wednesday.  He responded to these questions in his email:
1. What do you do to work out?
2. Do you eat at members' homes? 3. What are you eating? 4. How is the Spanish coming along?]

Bet you were sad that I didnt´send an email this monday...because our P-day was today because fuimos al TEMPLO! I have pictures, but I´m at a different Ciber so I won´t send them this week.

ok:

1. There used to be a jump rope, I broke it. Need to buy one next monday, it was useful. I usually do core, push ups, tricep dips, jumping squats with some giant cinder block, more leg stuff with two giant cinder block sticks, and I use the stretchy band. I really just try to get up and start working out asap until 7. It´s hard to actually break a sweat, i´m trying to find a way to do it.

2-3. mexico, the biggest meal is lunch. We eat at 2pm with a member. I´ve always had tortillas, and I've had stuff like spicy soups, uhhh I don´t know the names of things, various meats, beans, rice, other stuff, and mole (yuck,hahah) I haven´t had any fruits yet, but I´m going to buy bananas. There isn´t a lot of fruit here and it´s hard to eat healthy on your own time. I´ve probably had a little bit too much meat in the past few weeks though (it´s reallllly good though).

also, the weather right now is CRAZY! one day it´s super cold, the next day it´s hot. this time of the year the weather in monterrey just changes whenever. one day it was raining so much, and since the roads aren't well constructed, the roads were rivers and I was using my umbrella to protect us from the buses flying through these ´¨rivers¨ then it got hot and then it got cold and then it got hot and...

4. All of the latin missionaries say that I speak really well for only being out for this long. The two gueros (whities/gringos) say that I speak super well two for a 3 wk mexico missionary, so does the Stake president and a lot of others. The motivation helps, but remember I was an impatient person before my mission so this is pretty challenging. I think it´s doing well though and I´m trying to speak spanish as much as possible with my comp.

ok here´s some investigator stuff:

right now our goal for the change(transfer) is to have 5 baptisms and 4 confirmations(since they have to wait a week for confirmation) and right now we have...5 baptismal dates planned! I want to talk about O a little bit again, he´s getting baptized next tuesday. Also, he has a good buddy in the church who is just a year younger than him and he is isn't a recent convert family(baptized this past january.) It´s exciting because we´re going to have his friend´s dad baptize him! It´s super good because it´ll give O some support in the church, and since the recent convert family hasn{t been super active, it´ll give them some responsiblity. They´ve actually been pretty active though in the past couple weeks which is awesome! and we´re going to help them start having family home evenings this monday and...O will be there! O is super smart because he is quick to understand the gospel and such...and he makes sure to ask questions when he´s confused! super bien! also, we taught him how to say ¨the book of mormon is true¨and ¨joseph smith was a prophet of god

anyway, I only have time to tell you about one other investigator. He is a father in an all member family, except for him. He´s been investigating¨the church for 14 years. He hasn´t had a problem with alcohol, but he would go drink with friends. So far, he hasn´t touched alcohol for almost 4 weeks, and he´s going to get baptized in two weeks! It´s super awesome and his family is super excited! We´ve talked to him about how we can recieve the priesthood and bless his family with it, and we´re planning on talking to the whole family about being sealed in the temple after he´s baptized and has been a member for a year.

Also,

I don´t drink a lot of soda, that was just a picture, we drank that soda in about a week and a half. the nice thing is though that a lot of stores just have a lot of bottle caps I can have. Also, Hermano P (The 14 year investigator) has been getting teeth pulled recently, so what motivation is that to brush every day!!! Don´t worry mom, I´ve brushed my teeth thouroghly every day since I got to the MTC, flossing is improving, somethimes I forget.

Also, if you can send me music via email, I´m aloud to download it. If you can figure it out then Awesome! If not then it´s ok. but if you do, i´d request that you send the Christmas album of Canadian Brass, and Fantasia 2000 (I have the original 1944 fantasia)

If I forgot anything, you´ll hear it on monday!

I love you guys!

Davis

oh yea! one last thing! Guess who is the pianist for the ward!?

[Davis was the pianist in the spanish-speaking unit's sacrament meeting at church for a while in high school even though he hadn't played piano for a couple of years...)

November 10, 2014 San Nicolas

[Note to reader: We took a weekend trip where we attended church in a ward in Encinitas, CA.  While we were there we saw a picture of a missionary (Elder D.) from that ward in the same mission as Davis.  We talked to some ward members about Elder D and learned that he had just been assigned to the mission offices.  I sent Davis a photo of the photo of Elder D by email.]

Hahahahah I know Elder D! He's secretary of materials.

Wow, Nathaniel is fast, I´m kind of jealous hahaha. That´s almost as good as my best sophomore time. I'm trying to work out as much as I can here though, with the 30 minutes we have in the morning. I have found that it gives me much more energy for the day. I do miss running though.

Oh, you need to tell the bank that I'm in Mexico so they don't cancel the card if I use it. I have another missionary debit card, but that's for food and stuff. I could use mine for souveniours and such. I want to get some soccer jerseys for Nathaniel and stuff but I need to find ones without Carta Blanca logo on the back, a beer company.

Let me tell you a little bit about my area. San Nicolas is a pretty well off city (My zone is san nicolas, area is nicolas bravo) It´s not super wealthy or anything, but they have things. There are a couple really poor parts in my area though. Most of the houses are smaller than our living room plus kitchen plus front room are with the chandelier. There are a lot of stray dogs. something funny to do is if there’s a small stray dog barking at you, you pretend to pick up a rock and it runs away.

Here's a joke: ¿Porque las camisas de los Lamanites tienen arrugas?... porque no tienen planchas!

Ok I´ll explain: Why do the shirts of the lamanites have wrinkles?...because they don´t have Plates/Irons (planchas means both)

Davis and 12 year old O

We've been teaching an 18 yr old named A, as well as his cousin O. A was staying with his aunt working here in Monterrey, but his job was so terrible that he quit, and now he is going back home to puebla MX. He has a desire to get baptized though, and it turns out that his mom is a member! Yay! hopefully he answers the prayers of some other missionaries. We´re still teaching O, who is 12. He's super cool and has a really good knowledge of the bible. He´s reading his book of mormon (hopefully every day like we asked him to do hahah) but now that his older cousin is gone, he doesn´t have as much support to go to church. We´re finding a way to get him to come. It´s kind of hard when the rest of his family isn´t in line with the gospel, since his mom is in a "union libre" (not married) but shes also married to someone that she isn´t living with, so she basically is in a big pickly and can´t get baptized. It must be pretty hard for O, but he´s a great kid and he always has a good attitude. Here´s a picture of him, and then there´s a picture of me and my comp. with A, O, and a member (taller guy).

Davis, Elder S, A, Taller Guy, O, mysterious little girl.

I´ll tell you about more investigators next week.

Also, Bottlecaps! Since the water isn´t great here, a lot of people drink a lot of soda. I have 150 bottle caps just from two weeks being here; I´ll probably send them some time so keep my bottle cap collection safe because im still going to make that mural! I don´t like caffienated ones, so I don´t drink them, but I have a lot of coca cola bottle caps because It´s super popular here. Also, I don´t think I´ve actually had more than one taste of coke or pepsi before now, but when we go over to a members house and they just have a giant bottle of pepsi and that´s all there is to drink, well, ya gotta. hahaha it always just has a weird taste :P

Davis is going to mail bottlecaps home from Mexico?

Also, I´m sending pictures to you because the computers at this Ciber are really safe and stuff, but I probably won't in following areas because my trainer said he has gotten viruses on his SD cards and couldn´t take anymore pictures with them.

Also, no interesting birds! psh

Alright, I´ll be back next week to tell you about all of the amazing things about being on a mission!

Love you all!

Davis

11/3/2014 San Nicolas

Elder S (trainer) and Davis (trainee) at the Mission Home in Monterrey Mexico.

Mexico is great! I was assigned to the second smallest area of the mission, only about 1-2 sq miles. The area is called Nicolas Bravo in the town San Nicolas (also the zone), It´s only a short ways from Monterrey.

 My companion´s name is Elder S and he´s all the way from...Provo!  hahaha Yea he´s not a native but he speaks very good spanish. My spanish is, well, going. I´m working really hard to just say as much as I can say and understand as much as I can. I know that I´m going to have to be patient with myself, and that it will take a couple of months, but I´m just too happy to be here and to be working that I don´t let that get me discouraged. In Ether 12:27 it talks about how if men bring their weaknesses unto the Lord, we will make them strengths. That is something that is really promising to me. I try to talk to everyone we pass by, I think that it´s important that everyone has the chance to use their god given gift of agency to choose whether or not they want to accept and listen to more of the glad tidings we have to offer or not. After all, men are free according to the flesh...(2 Nephi 2:27) 

That´s awesome that Nathaniel did that well! WAY TO GO NATHANIEL YOU´RE DOING AWESOME! Tell everyone that    I´m doing awesome, and that I love being a missionary.

As for the birds, my area is really urban so I´m not gonna see any cool birds for about 3 months. I saw those other birds at the mission offices. The birds I have seen here that are different are: Inca dove, Couch´s Kingbird, Great Kiskadee, and some parrakeet sp.

Here are pictures of our home. It´s smaller than the apt. that I stayed in at the MTC. It really just reminds me to be very thankful for all of the things we have, like those new cabinets hahaha. There´s also a picture of me and my companion and me eating a campachana (really good)

 I´ll send you a letter by mail too!

I love you!

Davis

10/28/14 Monterrey Mexico – Mission Home

[Davis arrived in Monterrey Mexico 10/27/14 and spent the night at the mission home ("headquarters/office") He sent this message 10/28/14 before he was assigned a trainer/companion and sent out to his first area assignment.]

They gave us a little time to let you know that I´m well in Mexico. It´s really nice here and there’s a super cool mountain. The sierra madres are great. I haven´t gotten my trainer yet but I will in about an hour. I´ll let you know how my first week goes next Monday. 

So the mail address is 

Calle Chiapas #2202

col. roma sur

Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, 64700

It´s the same as was given before. This is the mission office and you just send it there and they disperse it from there to where you are. Meeting the mission president was great.

Also, I´ve seen Gila Woodpeckers and White winged doves, a scissor tailed flycatcher, some species of gnatcatcher, a lot of great tailed grackles, and a spindalis species (kind of like a sparrow).

I already love it here! I love you guys! Awesome picture too!

Davis

[Note to reader: the picture to which Davis is referring is the one below.]

 

Nathaniel is running really really well ;)

October 23, 2014 Provo MTC

Davis and Elder L are ready to go to Mexico.

I'm ready to go to Mexico!

We are leaving the MTC at 3:35am Rocky Mountain time, We will probably get there around 5am and be comfortably at the terminal at 6am. So I can call at 6am when It's 5am there, when you guys are just getting up. Our plane leaves for Dallas TX.. I am going to buy a call card so I'll have a considerate amount of time to talk. We arrive in Dallas late morning in that time zone I believe (what time zone is that called?) and we have a 2 hour layover. Our plane for Monterrey will only be a half hour flight! Short flight! So I can have more time to talk in that time if you want.. Send me a Dear Elder on what time you want me to call you. I think that SLC would be the best but Dallas will probably work too. I have a goal to give someone a Book of Mormon while in the airports or at a terminal. There are additional fees for bags over 50lbs. and a carry on can at most be 40lbs. so if I need to I will be sending some extraneous things that I don't need home tomorrow in a package. 

I got the music. At first I thought that some of the classical music wouldn't be allowed (Like Gershwin) but my companion just told me classical music, even with some brass and loudness, is allowed as long as it is wholesome :). I have some requests for the next SD or whatever. "Bolero" by Maurice Ravel, "Clair de lune" By Claude Debussy, and "Gimnopedie" by Erik Satie, maybe  the compositions of the planets by Holst (just the good ones that are wholesome, like Jupiter(especially))  also, Tchaikovsky's 2nd and those other classics. Also, the MoTab album Consider the Lilies, the hymns "Lord, I would follow thee", all of the war songs like We "We are all enlisted" "Put your shoulder to the wheel" "Onward christian soldiers" etc. and "Press Forward Saints" as well as that one song that has the lyric "rest my Ebeneezer" or something like that that everyone likes to sing for special musical numbers. Also there is a good album on my phone called "Sunset in Vienna" or something like that that has a bunch of short piano solos and they're really nice. You should be able to find it there wasn't a lot of music on my phone.

As for last minute things that I need grandma to send me: Jump rope, a nice one not a plastic one, and if she can't find one then at least make sure she doesn't get a large jump rope because smaller ones are better. [Reader FYI: a jump rope has already been bundled into Davis’ Christmas package to be shipped shortly]  And a nice blue tie that I would wear because I only have one blue tie!

Here's a picture of just me and my companion Elder L at the Provo Temple one last time. The shoes are great!

Talk to you soon! I Love you!

October 16, 2014 Provo MTC

Sounds like Nathaniel is doing great at Cross Country! He already crushed my freshman time! It sounds like everything is going well ever since I left...hmmm. Must be because me being on a mission is giving all of you so many blessings

I'll tell you about a typical day in the MTC:

At 6:30 we wake up. My companion takes a long time to get ready so I make him take a shower first. We go to breakfast at 7:15, and then on most days we will have study time in the morning. We'll do personal study for an hour, companion study for an hour, and then language study for an hour. But, our language study usually gets cut short because we will go teach an "Investigator" for about 30 minutes. It is really fun to prepare for the lessons and feel the spirit in them, even if our spanish isn't great. We have lunch at 11:30 and at 1:20 we are scheduled for gym time. The past week I haven't been able to go to the field to play soccer, but our district likes to play foursquare a lot. hahaha. after that we have class again at 1:50. This is usually Hermano Clark. He'll do language teaching with us, preach my gospel stuff, "progressive investigator" which is where he will pretend to be an investigator and We'll teach him. He's a great teacher. at 4:55 we will go to dinner, and then we'll have class again at 5:40 with Hermano Lund. He started being our teacher a week and a half into being in the MTC, because before, he was one of our investigators hahaha. But now he's our teacher, and a great one too. He'll do the same types of things that Hermano Clark will do. at 9:00 we will plan for tomorrow and then at 9:30 we go to our residence and write in our journals, get ready for bed, and I sometimes have enough time to write a letter. That's a day in the MTC! Also, We have devotionals on tuesday and sunday nights and they're always really good!

Can you send me some more Songbirds of North America Stamps? You can get them at the UPS store. Hmm also some more black socks probably. I can't think of anything else...maybe some banana bread if you want to make some more (without nuts this time?)

Thanks mom! I love hearing from you guys and I love you all so much!

Also, I can buy a call card to use at the airport here at the MTC, and darn I wish you could send me the field guide now ;) Also, did you put "My Shepard will supply my need" on the cube?

I love you,

Davis

Oh a couple things I forgot.

1. I come home august 29th 2016...just in time for school! [That is the first day of theFall 2016 semester]

2. Don't send a package to Mexico without putting a picture of the Virgin Mary on it, because then there's a better chance it won't get stolen or anything.

3. Today we went to DP Cheesestake in Brighams landing for dinner, and a Jack Johnson song was on. hahaha I miss home.

4. I did initiatory today at the temple instead of an endowment session. It was fun.

5. I think we get our flight plans tomorrow.

6. I'm pretty sure I have my visa, we went to the Mexican Consulate a couple weeks ago and they just had us take a picture and scan our fingerprints. They said that getting a Visa to Mexico is easy so I'm sure that I'm good to go I think.

7.Almost got a Black Capped Chickadee to sit on my finger

8.That's about it for now. I sent a letter to you guys today. 

Love you,

Davis