Nine Months

Hi friends and family, I'll try and give a all around gerneral update because several people told me they didnt really think they new what was going on in my life.

 

My companion is still Elder Ramirez we stayed together after transfers. He was born in toreon coahuila but pretty much spent his whole life in Dallas. He's a goof, he has the worst eating habits but its kind of funny. We get along fine and we've more or less figured out how to teach with each other. I am still in sout little rock.Everything in my area is pretty much off of a road called baseline which I guess one of the senior couples told us is like one of the first roads like period. when they went and explored this part of the states or something I don't know. There are lots of hispanics in our area and we are decently close to the church which is always a blessing. Angel the investigator with walmart and the umbrella is getting baptized this thursday. He is a very spiritual man and he knows a lot aobut the bible. That'll be my first baptism in this area and it will be Elder Ramirez's first baptism so we are excited about that.

 

The spanish branch is not quite as strong over here but it's still good. There are some wonderful people over here very faithful members of the church. Transfers will be in the end of april like the 20 somethingth of april. Elder Ramirez will most likely move and I will probably stay here. We have some other cool investigators but nobody is really that close to being baptized. I now get tons of emails from friends and I try to send repsonses to most of them. It's very time consuming but also very enjoyable.

 

I've been a little sick for a couple weeks. It's getting annoying I think I will call the mission doctor today and see what he says. I'm not really sick but its not going away.

 

We had a super awesome testimony meeting this yesterday because the youth from the stake had just gone on a trip to nauvoo and so the branch president invited them if they wanted to to come up and share their feelings from the trip. They ALL got up. some of them dont even speak spanish but the branch president translated for two of his kids and one girl just bore hers in english. Angel our investigator was crying during the english testimony. That man doesnt speak a drop of english. One kids from the branch got up and talked about a walk that they went on where they were given the name of one of the pioneers that had crossed through that area or something. and and the end of the walk the stake president (by the way the little rock stake president is awesome he's suuuuuuper intense) says to the kids The important question you need to ask yourselves youth is would you be willing to do the same thing the pioneers did. I know you would all be willing to do it. And this young man who is a little bit bigger a little bit awkward wears glasses not super eloquent says. I was really thinking about that important question and I didnt really think I would do the same. And on the bus ride home I thought about it for a while and I prayed about it and I realized that I would do the same thing. It was super sincere and honest I just started crying like a baby.

 

Anyways I hope that is sufficient for an update. I hope you all feel connected. I hit my nine month this past week. Dont really know where the time is going.

 

Much love, Elder Davidson

Exciting News!!!

Hello one and all!

 

Hope everybody's weeks were satisfactory if not pleasing even. Things re all right down here. I'll get right into the good stuff. This week managed to produce a reasonably good story. Nothing to crazy but it was funny.

 

We started teaching a man from El Salvador about a week or two ago. He's doing pretty well. He's read to about first nephi 10 last we talked and he really wanted to come to church this weekend and see what it was all about. But he doesn't have a car so we needed to find him a ride. No big deal we've got a few different people that can help us with that. It was actually perfect because he lives in an apartment complex and his dowstairs neighbor is an active member. So while we were eating at their house on thursday we asked them if they could give him a ride. They were a little bit hesitant but then agreed.  We gave them his number and gave him their number figured with them living like a 10 second walk from each others front doors we would probably be good. Fastforward to saturday night we call the family giving a ride and they say it's still cool ... unless it rains. Their van's windsheild wipers are broken and if it's raining then they cant drive anywhere. We're llike oh ok thats cool it'll be fine we'll just pray and ask heavenly father to not make it rain so we can have our investigator come to chuch. Fastforward  to sunday morning violent thunderstorms ... our NOAA weather radio is making obnoxious siren noises and warning us about severe weather. Ride 1 not going to work it's cool we're missionaries we always have a backup plan. Go to our cool 30 year old less active who is usuallt willing to help. We get ready to go and leave for church about 2 hours early with the intention of fixingproblem and still getting to church early. We go to his trailer and knock on the door his brother opens we obviously woke him up I dont know how he was asleep at 10:30 in the morning  on the couch with his wife because they have like a 2 year old and I dont know any two year olds that sleep in till 10:30. Irrelevant! We ask him if we can come in and wake his brother up. He says ok we go in (background our less active is a Pretty big guy recently diagnosed with sleep apnea and now sleeping with a oxygen mask)

he's asleep in a recliner with regular clothes on (including shoes) and his oxygen mask. We poke him for several minutes he finally wakes up and he is in no shape way or form coherent so we tell him to come to church and their is mutual unspoken understanding between my companion and I that he is not going to be able to give our investigator a ride. back up plan B we drive to another less actives home who'd been coming to church semi consistently for the last month. 3/4 they're not home. Crap what do we do. We pull into an abandoned gas station to make calls. We first have to call other missionaries to see who is taking their investigator to church because we cant double book anybody. So we get that figured out decide to try somebody else call him he got called in to work for an emergency he says try my wife. We call her SHE CAN DO IT! BOOM! but she needs solid directions. We drive down to the apartment complex where our investigator lives to get a solid address and description for her. Between the two of us and the GPS we get some solid information ready for her. Send that text . Keep in mind its raining this whole time and I and not feeling real well and forgot to eat breakfast. We go and knock our investigators door to tell him about the change of plans. Some other guy with no shirt on answers the door. and says he wnet to buy groceries at wallmart. (he walked) crap! we call our INV and he says he's done buying groceries but he doesnt want to walk home in the rain. In a stroke of brilliance (I have to admit) my companion says fine then we will come to walmart and give you one of our umbrellas so you can walk home without getting wet. Drive to walmart got find our INV give him and umbrella tell him we have a sister from the branch coming to pick him up in 20 min

he decides to get social anxiety all of the sudden because its a woman and is all like I dont even know her what do I say. We assure him its okay her teenage children will be with her its not some kind of date. We go off to church. and leave it all in the hands of the lord.

 

He made it to church. Even had time to put on a shirt and tie and product in his hair. It was branch conference and the stake president gave a wonderful talk. It was all worth it.

 

Knew term coined by my companion for "doing everything you possibly can:" We even gave 'em the umbrella

 

In other news new rule change from SLC says we are now permitted to email our friends! Holy cow! So whoever you are reading this send me an email. jorgen.davidson@myldsmail.net It is now permitted.

 

Cool right!?

 

Love you all hope my story wasnt too dragged out.

 

Have a great week everybody!

 

Elder Davidson