Week 78 - Mother's Day, New Contacts and Elder Cux's Birthday!

Elder Davies at birthday party for companion Elder Cux (Koosh)

Hello Friends and Family!

HAPPY MOTHERS´ DAY YESTERDAY, MOM!! Sure do love you! You are definitely my biggest fan and my biggest writer every week, props!

Yesterday was my last phone call home EVER! After about an hour of technical difficulties we got Skype to work and had a nice little chat! Just an apology to my whole family I´m so sorry I was so awkward...I just don´t know how to talk to Americans anymore! And plus that whole hour of technical problems just kinda distracted me...but it´s okay, it was fun to see and talk to you all!

Elder Cux's birthday Party

This week my companion had his birthday on Tuesday! So I went and secretly bought him a cake before district class and we gave it to him at the end of the class. That day we went on divisions so I didn't really get to spend it with my companion but that was fun!

On some other divisions on Thursday I stayed with Elder Duran in my area while my companion did a baptismal interview with Elder Duran´s companion! The lady that was interviewed on Thursday and baptized on Sunday is named Jessica. I told you about Jessica about a month and a half ago, but I was with Elder Duran in his area on divisions and we walked passed Jessica and her son playing soccer. Her son was kicking and Jessica was being the goaltender. Wow, I thought that was so neat and I felt like I needed to contact her so I did. We talked briefly and put an appointment to see her later but I didn't realize just how great she really was till about a month ago when I saw her when Elder Oaks came to Mexico. She has a serious back problem and has a really hard time walking and can´t sit for a long time, but she goes to church and she plays soccer with her little boy. What a great mother!

Drinks given to them by members

When I was with Elder Duran this week a family gave us what they called "refrescos preparados" (prepared sodas). For those of you have been to Mexico know that those look EXACTLY like the beers they give out in the Tianguis with chili on the rim of the foam cup. We started walking down the street and decided we ought to leave them in a members house because even though it was just Sangria it looked like something else.  Actually some drunk people saw us and said, "Hey, don´t you fall over with that drink of yours!!" Haha.  Yeah we left it at the members house that was on the corner but we got some pictures first! Whoops!

On Sunday Gaby, Wendy, and Ariadna got confirmed in church! Later we went over to the Vazquez house to visit them and they had a cake and a poster they had made for my companion haha! Caught us both by surprise, but luckily for some reason I had my camera! Got some fun pictures of them! They are such a fun family there are just SO many of them I LOVE it!

Faustino is an investigator I think I told you about. He showed up two Sundays in a row to just the third hour of the block and we didn't get to meet him until the second Sunday but now we are teaching him! He is doing really well and he is loving everything!

We also have Aarón that we connected with last week! He was an investigator of some Sisters in another ward and never got baptized because his wife didn't want to get married.  Well it's a long story but now he is living alone in our area! So we have been working really with him and the Bishop and the Elders Quorum President to get him ready to be baptized very soon!

Ruben, Adriana, and Areli are doing well also! Ruben and Adriana came to church for the second time with us this week so we are excited for them! Areli still hasn't made it to sacrament meeting, but we will be working with her on that! They are doing well and progressing a lot!

Also we have a new investigator named Jaqueline that is also awesome! She could't make it to church but we are hoping to see her in the next couple of days and see how everything is.

This work is just so wonderful! I love being a missionary. Did you all know that? It´s just so wonderful! You get to be right in on the action of some of the coolest life-changing moments of so many people lives. That is just the greatest joy you could ever have!

I know this church is true and I know that by living what the Gospel teaches we find more joy than doing anything else in this life. I love you all so much!

Elder Davies

Week 77 - Gaby, Ariadna, and Wendy´s Baptism! Friend & Former Elder Passes Away

Baptism of Gabriela, Wendy and Ariadna!

Hello friends and family!

This week has been a roller coaster! It´s been a hard week but one of the most rewarding of my mission. On Thursday we got news that one of the missionaries that served here in our mission and returned home about 6 months ago, Elder McNeil Walker, died in a Tractor/Semi accident in Idaho. (See Story on KSL)

Elder McNeil Walker - Former Missionary
to Mexico City passes away in Idaho

We were all shocked and it was especially hard for me here. Elder Walker served here in my ward a little over a year ago and many of the active members are his converts. After we found out, we took time to go and tell his converts of his passing. It was a really beautiful thing to hear all the wonderful memories and stories of this great missionary. One thing I will always remember about Elder Walker is he was ALWAYS smiling! He just found the good in everything and helped everyone else to see it! He was and still is a wonderful example to me

Posing with cousin Heidi Kriser who was
visiting Mexico on the way to Belize

On Tuesday I got a phone call from the secretaries that some missionaries had met me cousin Heidi in the Temple Visitors´ Center! I called President and, because we are only 15 minutes away from the temple, he gave us permission to run over and see her! We got there just a few minutes before she left but it was so crazy to get to see Heidi and talk for a couple minutes! We took some pictures then she was off!

On Friday we had the opportunity to go to the temple as a Zone with our President and his wife. It was a wonderful session and once again the beauty of that building surprised me! I know without a doubt that the temple is the House of the Lord!

On Saturday we had a VERY busy day. We started the day off with our English Class then we had baptismal interviews for Gabriela, Wendy and Ariadna! After that we had a very full day with appointments and getting things lined up for the baptism.

On Sunday afternoon the three of them were baptized! I got to baptize Ariadna, my companion baptized Gabriela, and Oscar, the Elders Quorum President, baptized Wendy. It was a wonderful experience and we are so happy for them!

Baptism of Ariadna!

I´d like to share an awesome experience with you all. These last few weeks we have been extremely blessed with many referrals from members and from the Visitors´ Center, let me share the story of one such referral with you. On Saturday afternoon Jorge Luis was in a bus passing in front of the temple and he heard a voice in his head that said, "¡Bájate!" ("Get off the bus!"). He followed that voice and the same told him he needed to enter in the Visitors´ Center. There he met some missionaries and they were able to answer all his questions. He came back Sunday afternoon and told one of the Sisters from my Zone what had happened and she called us because he lives in our area! They were talking with him on the phone yesterday and he is very excited and we are going to go find him today! How amazing is that?

I love you all so very much and I know that this is the Lord´s Church. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet called of God and that thanks to the Restoration which through him the Lord commenced we can be eternally blessed. I know that if we do all we can to follow the Lord in our lives we will find greater peace than ever before or than doing any other thing. I know these things are true in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love,

Elder Davies

Week 76 - Zone P-Day Activity Pics & Umbrella Sharing

Zone Activity on P-Day :)

Hey Friends and Family,

This week was a great week!

We had our Zona Activity today and it was really fun! We actually have some other American people in the Zone, so that´s fun! We are 8 from Mexico, 5 from USA, 3 from Guatemala, and 1 Peruvian. We are diverse! We did a little Minute to Win It competition and ate Pizza! Like Always! #NotComplaining After that we played capture the flag but with WATER BALLOONS! That was pretty crazy! Overall a really fun activity!

"I Hope they Call Me On A Mission" - Video by Kelson's Dad who is missing his little boy...
But is SO glad he is where he is right now!  Music by "Elder Love" & friends - Youtube.com :)

This week was a good week! We found a mom and daughter we have been looking for for a long time right before it started to rain. We started to walk with them toward their house because we had an umbrella and it started pouring right as we were passing the chapel. That was okay thought, we went inside to not get soaked and we got to share with them part of the restoration and they accepted a baptismal date for the 22nd of May. They had been listening to the missionaries a year ago for a few months but in another mission and we just found them at the PERFECT time in their life! The mom´s name is Maria de los Angeles and the 16-year-old daughter´s name is Estrella. They came to church with us too!!

The Vazquez family is coming along well! There are SO many of them...the ones that are progressing most of all are Adriana, Gabriela, Wendy and Diego. You could pray for them and also remember Damian and Gabriel. We are gonna see if we can get everything to line up for a few baptisms this next weekend.

Well, things are great here! My new companion, Elder Cux, is great! I´m having lots of fun with him and we are learning a lot!

I hope you all have a great week and you make good choices!

Love,

Elder Davies

Week 75 - New Companion & Elder Oaks! Elder Oaks! (shook his hand twice :) )

New Companion: Elder Cux (Mayan name pronounced "Koosh")

Hello friends and family,

I have had an absolutely incredible experience this weekend. Well, we had our mission conference with Elder Oaks. We took a group picture with all the missionaries and him and then he shook all of our hands before the devotional started. We were in the choir so we got to sing two musical numbers and after the second one we sat down on the front two rows on the left side and got to hear his talk. Elder Oaks is an Apostle of God, I received that confirmation various times during his visit to our mission and our stakes. I finally understood what Alma was trying to explain in Alma 5 about having the image of God in our Countenance, he sure has that image in his.

Elder Oaks with the Mexico City East Mission

Elder Oaks addressing the Conference

On Sunday we also had the chance to hear from him as he spoke in a special stake conference with our stake (Vergel) and my old stake (Aragon). The conference was to start at 9AM but we wanted to get there nice and early so we actually showed up at about 7:45. At 8:15 I looked up and suddenly there was Elder Oaks walking in the large room of the multi-stkae center. He went and, starting with the choir and then the congregation, shook EVERY PERSON´S HAND. There were about 250 of us there at this time and about 20 minutes later, when he had finished, he left again until the conference started.

I wish I could share with you all the wonderful spiritual insights I received but I think the most important thing I could share with you would be the power and simplicity of his testimony of Jesus Christ. When he testified the Spirit did also that what he was saying was true.

On another note, today we had transfers. I stayed in my area and I´m with and Elder named Elder Cux (pronounced Koosh, it´s a mayan name) from Guatemala! He has 16 months in his mission and is a great missionary from all I´ve been able to see so far! We have a lot of work ahead of us but we are glad for it. Elder Perez was transferred to a zone that´s about 15 minutes in the other direction from the Temple, so he didn´t go too far! Every companionship had a change in our 8-companionship Zone so we will have lots of new people to work with and we are EXCITED!

Highlights of this week:

-Shaking Elder Oaks hand (TWICE!)

-I saw a lady leave her house holding a mapache (That´s a racoon. Yes. A racoon.)

-It´s raining outside, it just started out of nowhere!

-I got a new companion

I know this church is true and I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the World. I know that by and through his atoning sacrifice we can not only be clean but we can be better and we can change. I know that God lives and he loves us all and he is aware of every single one of us.

I love you all,

Elder Davies