Monday, November 30, 2015

Week 55 - Thanksgiving Dinner + 5 lbs & Fake Twix Bar. Yep :/

Thanksgiving Dinner: Kelson Happy. Gained 5 lbs :)
Hey Family!

So Thanksgiving. That happened.

Thanksgiving Plate
On Tuesday Elder and Sister Anthony (the couple that serves in the mission offices) invited us to THANKSGIVING DINNER!! We were there with Elder Dillon and Elder Tribett, some other senior couples, a couple from our ward, and President Anaya and his Wife! It was SOOOO good!! There were 5 pies so I just about died. Cherry, Apple, Mince Meat, Lemon, and Pecan. Yum. I gained 5 pounds on thanksgiving. LITERALLY five pounds, it was SO great! But I´ve already lost the 5 pounds so that was sad... #TotallyWorthIt

They opened up a new restaurant here like 5 minutes from the temple in our area and guess what restaurant it is...LITTLE CAESARS!!!! PIZZA!! So we bought Pizza on Wednesday. I don´t know how they managed to make pizza that tastes EXACTLY like it does in Utah. It´s a Christmas Miracle folks. And it costs 79 Pesos which is actually LESS than 5 dollars so ya´ll are paying too much in the states!

Fake Twix - hard candy in it? HA!
So, true story, I opened a twix bar and it was a cheap hard candy that had been resealed in the candy bar. I can just only imagine where they got the wrapper from. #Garbage Just so you know, they sort and sell the garbage here so... don´t worry Mom, I didn´t eat the candy!

Today we got together with the Assistants and some other missionaries to play BASKETBALL! MERICA! I love Basketball! I´m rocking a good sunburn but it was SO worth it! And we made a pyramid with a bunch of huge guys so enjoy that picture. Another Christmas Miracle.

This week they lit up the lights on the temple grounds and it was very pretty! It wasn´t Salt Lake status, but it was pretty good! I got to see lots of members from my old wards and also some investigators from Azteca, my last ward! I sure do love all the wonderful people I´ve met here of all faiths and all walks of life.
After Basketball Pyramid :)
Basketball game
Right before they lit up the lights we got to go out and invite a bunch of people to come in and see and it was a good chance to invite everyone to watch the new video the church made about Christ! All of you, take 2 minutes and watch this video:
https://www.mormon.org/christmas

Now that you've watched it, go ahead and share it with everyone! This is the best message ever. There has never been a message of more hope, more happiness, or more joy in the whole world! God so loved the world that he sent his SON to save us! He sent his Son to save a world that was forever lost because of sin. He sent his Son to love us, and teach us to love others. He sent his Son to show us the way and if we follow him, we will return to live again with our Father in Heaven and our Savior, Jesus Christ. I invite you all to discover who He really is, and what He did for you and for me. He knows you, He loves you, and He wants you to come unto him and be perfected in him. The world is always changing, but in such a world one truth still remains,

HE LIVES!

I love you all and I hope you have a great week! Don´t forget to pray :)

Love,

Elder Davies


Mexico City Temple Christmas Lighting
Playing with the bird

Crazy Cat


















 

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Week 54 - A short Hello from Mexico, and Axel & Andrea's Baptism!

Axel & Andrea's Baptism!

Hey Family!!

This week was AWESOME!!! Axel and Andrea both got baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday!! That was so great!!! Axel is 25 and is so great. He is totally going to go on a mission in a year! I´m calling it!  He has made so many changes and is such a stud! Andrea is also so great. Her cousin is a recent convert from about 6 months ago in the ward that is right next to ours in the other stake, and he was able to baptize her and confirm her! It was so great. Axel has been going to Institute for 4 weeks so he had his institute teacher baptize him! That was a great day! And after the baptism on Saturday we got to eat in the Temple! It was just a PERFECT day!

Yesterday we had our second Sunday-night Devotional for Recent Converts and Investigators and it was a success! Axel actually gave his testimony and it was SO great! I was so proud of him!

They are putting all the Christmas lights up here on Temple Square and they put the coolest flowers out! I LOVE it! It looks like CHRISTMAS! WAHOO!!

I´m very happy here in Mexico! I love you all so much, sorry for the short email but I love you all!

Elder Davies
Just Chillin' on P-Day... with an indoor Hammock :)
Birds?

Post Baptism Meal



Week 53 - A Mexican Christmas Tree for $7

Elder Davies with a Young Man from a Family they were teaching
Hello my wonderful friends and family and other people!!

I sure do love you all so much! Thanks for the encouraging emails and letters! You guys are the best!

This week was SO great! We had our Zone Class on Tuesday and that was fantastic! We watched a talk called "Where do you Face?" by Elder Lynn G. Robbins which is EXCELLENT! Everyone go watch that! We also talked about the importance of humility and how pride is the lack of humility and pride is the source of many great sins and failures.

I hit my year mark this week!! HUMP DAAAAYYYYYYYY!!! Thanks everyone for reminding me that I´m half way...that just went to fast! Slow down, time. To celebrate, we made Root Beer Floats! Sorry no pictures, but it was good! Bought Root Beer at Sam´s Club!

The $7 Christmas Tree
So I went on divisions this week again with some Elders and one of them was my son, Elder Arenas, in my old Ward, the Azteca Ward! That was so great! While we were headed to buy the food (the sister gave us money so we bought giant chickens), I saw the most beautiful Mexican Christmas tree ever! It was white and kinda old but it was a CHRISTMAS tree! This guy was selling it outside the market with some lights and other random electronics (just imagine DI but on the street) and so I asked him how much the tree was! It was A HUNDRED PESOS!! So I bought the tree with a string of lights for $120 pesos (that´s $7 USD folks, SEVEN BUCKS!) At first I thought it was kinda expensive because I´m a poor missionary but I figure it´s my last Christmas so I´m gonna go all out and blow 7 Dollars. I´m quiete the spender. Best. Purchase. EVER. Working on finding some decorations for it, I´ll keep you updated on that!

Yesterday Moises, an investigator Elder Arenas and I were teaching, got baptized! He is so great! He was so excited to be baptized. He is so excited in fact, that he wants to make a musical about Nephi!! Haha, that would be great, right?!

I was really sad to hear what happened in France, the people who were affected by the bombing have been in my thoughts and prayers. It´s amazing how just a few minutes after the whole world knew what was happening. We live in amazing times!




On another news-related note, I´d like to talk a little about some of the policy changes our inspired leaders have made about the spiritual and physical well-being of children who have same gender parents. It´s so sad to see so many people fall away and complain and protest, not just for this matter, but for many matters including the Ordain Women movement. It´s incredible that even in the dispensation of the fullness of times so many are being tricked and falling into apostasy. This isn´t anything new, however. Prophets and even the Son of God have testified of the lies that would be spread and believed in these the latter days. As Nephi prophesied:


"20 And the Gentiles are lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and have stumbled, because of the greatness of their stumbling block, that they have built up many churches; nevertheless, they put down the power and miracles of God, and preach up unto themselves their own wisdom and their own learning, that they may get gain and grind upon the face of the poor.

23 For behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you that the Lord God worketh not in darkness.
24 He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.”

(2 Nephi 26:20, 23-24)

God has always done things for "the benefit of the world" and he does it for LOVE! That doesn´t mean it will go with what the world says because there are many evil spirits that are loose deceiving the world into believing Satan´s lies (DC 50:2). We must be willing to take the Holy Spirit for our guide and we will not be deceived and cast out in the last day (DC 45:57)

Please remember that Satan, being a fallen angel, is set on destroying us and will do all that is possible to destroy the plan of God. Satan also knows perfectly well that the Plan that God has given us is perfect, so he attacks the integrants of that plan, which are you and me. Keep in mind that when Satan fell, "...he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice." (Moses 4:4)

Hungry Much?
To all of those who may doubt or be angry or who may be decieved by the cunning voices of the world that are turning ever farther from the doctrine of Christ, I share with you the words of Jesus Christ in the first section of Doctrine and Covenants verse 38:

"What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all befulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of myservants, it is the same."

When the living Prophet of the Living God, who is Thomas Spencer Monson, and the Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ speak, they speak for God. Those who go against their word are going against the God who gave them life. This is the Church of Jesus Christ and in a world of changes values and opinions, we must remind ourselves that God doesn´t change his nature and the laws of heaven based on our earthly opinions or desires. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

-Elder Davies
 






 
Zone Conference


 
Moving some Furniture



Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Week 52 - "Hump Day" One year in Mexico City!

Elder Davies with Elder Dillon on "Divisions" or "Splits as we used to call them
when you worked with another Elder not your companion

Hey Everyone!!

This week was just full of fun surprises!

The first surprise came when I was on divisions with Elder Flores from Veracruz. We were in the Visitors Center and we were waiting for someone who called and cancelled on us, and then this couple walked in and we started talking to them where the Christus statue is. Turns out the girl wasn't a member but she was from Mexico but had lived in Ohio for 10 years and had just returned, so she spoke English WAY better than Spanish. So we got to give her a tour! She is so great. She met the guy she was with (an ex-missionary) at work. They were talking about the family and she said, "I just think the family should be something that doesn't end when we die...like something eternal." So he brought her to the Temple! We got to give them an English Tour and I got to see all the videos in English (that was weird!) and she is totally gonna join the church! She lives outside the mission, but the Sisters are teaching her over the phone from the Teaching Center here in the Visitors´ Center.
Yep. Apparently Christmas shopping comes early in Malls in Mexico Also!
So like I mentioned I did some divisions this week. I was with Elder Nobmann on Tuesday, that was so great! He is a great missionary and I learned tons being with him! I always learn a ton from the divisions, but I think those are the best divisions I've had in my whole mission! Also we ate chilis and they were SO spicy haha we were trying to tough it out in front of the Sister that gave us the chilis but when we left we bought some yogurt because it was like a little tiny chili but it deceived us...not the worst but it was burning! Haha!

On Wednesday I went with Elder Jensen from Las Vegas and it was a great work day too! He actually just had changes and moved up to Zone Leader so that´s awesome for his last cycle and a half! He is a great missionary.

On Thursday I was with Elder Flores who has just over a week in the mission that was SO great he is just so energetic and has the fire in his bones. You always know the new missionaries for their excitement and their SUPER white shirts haha!

Translation: "I ask you a favor to not turn
my place into a garbage can"  This used to be
a place where everyone dumped garbage. Put
up a picture of the Virgin Mary saying not
to litter and problem solved!
On Wednesday morning I had to go to Polanco with the Elders that I arrived here with to renew our Visas. Polanco is outside the mission in a SUPER nice part of Mexico City, it´s always fun to go there! When I was standing at the desk getting my papers done I heard the girls that were working there freaking out because some famous guy was there getting his visa done, I guess he was like a model from telenovelas (Mexican TV Soap Operas) or something but yeah he was SUPER ripped like his arms were the size of my thighs...just beyond ripped. When he was walking out everyone was taking pictures and freaking out and we were gonna take pictures but a Black Suburban came up and he jumped in and they flew away...so I saw a famous guy! No idea who he is, but that was random! We also got Dairy Queen while we were there! And saw Santa Claus in Sears! So Sears just feels like America. I walked in there and I was like, "Well, this feels like the U.S...."

Yesterday was the PRIMARY PROGRAM! I decided that is the best reunion (church meeting) all year apart from General Conference. They´re both great. The kids were SO adorable! There was this one little boy that didn/t know ANY of the verses but when he got to a line he knew or the chorus he would just SHOUT it 'aha it was so cute! I was crying and laughing!

Well things are great here in Mexico! Thanks for the love and support! You are the best and I love you all so much!

-Elder Davies







Week 51 - Halloween in Mexico!

Kelson's Zone at an Activity
Hey everyone!!

This week was crazy!! So how was Halloween? Here it lasts 3 days!! Halloween is the 31st, the 2nd is the Day of the Dead and the first is just a good excuse be crazy en between! Like every other holiday here in Mexico, they celebrate the night before, so last night was CRAZY! Everyone just was decked out. In Utah, we just have a bunch of cute Halloween costumes but here...it´s just scary! Everyone had their faces painted or a crazy mask hahaha even people driving cars. I´ve never been in a Zombie attack, but I now know exactly how it would feel to be the only guy alive in a Zombie attack. It´s crazy guys...

So here on the Day of the Dead they give things to their family members and friends that have passed away like if your grandpa really liked Tequila, you leave him a bottle of Tequila on his grave or you make a display with his pictures and candles and leave it there. It´s a cool holiday, for them it´s resepct to the dead it doesn´t have anything "dark" about it for the majority of the culture although there are some crazy people...but everything was good!

Pumpkin carving Zone activity
We had our zone activity today and it was great! We decided to carve pumpkins! It was hard to find pumpkins....and there were no carving kits, but we used giant kitchen knives and some hard pumpkins one of our investigadors went and bought in a big market. We all carved things that were related to the church. Two groups did the temple, one made the liahona, the personal progress insignia, the kingdoms of glory, and a HLJ (CTR) sign! It was super fun, most of them have never done it because it is just one of those weird American traditions, but everyone loved it! The Zone is so great! We have a lot of new missionaries, of the 24, 7 are in training! 

So just in case any of you were wondering, the church is true. We love this church and gospel because it isn´t Joseph Smith´s or Thomas S. Monson´s it´s JESUS CHRIST´S. What we have isn´t something new, it´s something that Jesus Christ established a LONG time ago that has been lovingly continued in our days. I invite you all to read the Book of Mormon even more than you are now, I have yet to meet some one who has read "too much" of the Book of Mormon and I don´t think I ever will! Let your lecture of the book be acompanied with pondering and sincere prayer and you will find the answers you all desire so much in your life!

I love you all so much!

-Elder Davies