Jesus Christ is Christmas!

Hello everyone!

This week has been a great, great week. It started off right with a baptism! I was able to baptize Kent Villaflor on Thursday. It was such an amazing experience. After his baptism I really saw a true happiness in him. He  is very shy usually but after his baptism he was like talkative and just had a glow about him. Then the week ended off really well with our annual Christmas Conference. It was such a good time. I got to see a bunch of elders from my batch and see how they are doing. I really enjoyed it. We had a talent show and some workshops. It was really really good. But the coolest thing about it was that we talked so much about the real purpose of Christmas. I hope as everyone goes through this Christmas season that we all remember that Jesus Christ is the real reason for Christmas. Strive to become more like Him during this season! I love you and miss you all!

Elder Davis

MTC batch

Kent's Baptism

Every kids dream and legal transportation in the Philippines

Typhoon Hagupit went farther North of us

Hello everyone!

I know I say this every week but I just can't believe how fast this week went by! It is crazy how quickly it passed. This week was interesting because of typhoon Ruby! I am glad to say that my area wasn't affected to badly. There was just a bunch of rain and strong winds. But other than that nothing too bad. We found out on Friday morning that we were going to be moved to a different house a little farther inland because our house is right next to the beach. So we packed our things for a few days and stayed for 3 days in Escalante. It was pretty boring to be honest! haha We just played cards and slept. We weren't allowed to leave so it was good to finally get back to work on Monday. I am very grateful that the storm didn't do much damage to my area. I know that Heavenly Father answered our prayers and kept us safe. Its weird to think that I have been out for 3 months already! It has seemed like an eternity on one hand but on the other has gone by rather quickly. I miss you all and hope you have a great week! Love you all!

Elder Davis

P.S. I got the coolest hat you will ever see last week.  haha

 

Playing cards with the Escalante missionaries during Typhoon Hagupit (Ruby)

Boredom during the typhoon

Coolest hat on earth....or the universe?

Typhoon Hagupit (Ruby)

To the families of our missionaries!



I am happy to report that Typhoon Ruby has passed our area of impact.  We experienced rain and winds but nothing serious.  Our report this morning is that your missionary is safe and happy but anxious to return to their proselyting activities.  Our preparations were timely and we are grateful for the exact obedience of each missionary.



We will be having a mission-wide prayer of thanksgiving at 12:00 pm noon today for carrying us through the storm.  If you would like to join us then or when you receive this message, it would be deeply appreciated.  We have experienced a blessing and tender mercy through this situation.



I pray that the future days bring joy and happiness to each of us as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.  I extend our love to each of you!



President Terry C. McCurdy

Mission President 

 

Philippines Cebu Mission

Tiny boats and turkey....OK, how about chicken

Hello to everyone!

This week really flew by! We stayed pretty busy still with lessons and tracting. We are still focusing on the less actives and trying to get our investigators to church. We have gotten one less active family back to church this last week so I was very happy about that. I love the joy that I have felt by helping others remember the joy that comes from the gospel! I am so very happy that I am out here on my mission and I know that this is where I am supposed to be.

This week I rode in this tiny little boat that I thought was going to fall apart! haha and it was also Thanksgiving! We had two cooked chickens and mashed potatoes and bread! It was awesome I really enjoyed it. I hope every one had a great Thanksgiving and stayed safe. I love and miss you all!

Elder Davis

Zone activity

Tiny boat ride

Thanksgiving feast!

They might be giants

Sugar cane fields

???? I at least know the middle portion is Elder Davis

Happy Thanksgiving

Hello to all!

This week has been a good one. We taught quite a few lessons and did a lot of tracting. I struggled a little bit this week with missing home a little bit, but it is getting better. I just rely on the Lord for my strength and before I know it the day is over. I love the strength I receive from reading the scriptures and praying. It never fails me. I am doing alright with the language. I am starting to pick up on new things and understand a little better. I still struggle with speaking, but it will come. I am starting to like the culture here though. It is completely different, but cool at the same time.
 
I can't believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving though. I just want you all to know how grateful I am for all of you. I am truly grateful for all of the things you have done for me and the support you provide me. I encourage you all to be grateful to our Heavenly Father for all of our many blessings as we go through the Holidays. We have so many blessings that we sometimes overlook. So remember to always thank our Heavenly Father because we really have so much to be grateful for.

I love you all!

Elder Davis

Apartment selfie

District lunch on palm leaves

Oh yes...nectar

Zone Conference ??? (editors note - not exactly sure, just guessing - drd)

Week 11 - Jeepney's and Army trucks

Hello everyone!

This week has gone by really quick! I am starting to adjust and enjoy this mission. This week Elder Craven and I have focused on finding less active families and try and get them back to church. We had one family attend church this week, which was really exciting. I am currently doing an English fast, which means that Elder Craven and I do not speak any English for a whole week. It seemed impossible at first but I am actually really enjoying it now. I never thought I could go through a whole day of conversations in Cebuano, but I am realizing I can! I know that the Lord is helping me learn the language quickly. 

So this week was awesome because Elder Craven and I had a variety of different rides! We started the week by riding on top of a jeepney! It was awesome. The thing was packed inside so we were told to get out and get on the roof haha! Then we were waiting for a bus one night for a long time. We needed to get back to the house and there were no buses. But this huge Army truck went by and stopped and they told us to get in, so we got a ride with the Army soldiers! It was awesome! 

But I hope you are all doing great and enjoying that cold weather! I am way jealous of that, because I do nothing but sweat in the sun all day long here! Have a great week!

Elder Davis

Riding on top of the Jeepney

Riding home with the soldiers

This is the Villaflor family. They are awesome.

Week 10

Hello all!

This week went by pretty quickly! It doesn't feel like a week has gone by but sure enough it has! We had a good week though. I am starting to adjust more and more. The language is still killing me but it will come with time. I still miss home a little and the nice things in America, but I am adjusting. I just pray everyday for strength. I know this is where I am supposed to be! 

So this week was exciting! I tried balut for the first time! That was very interesting. It wasn't too bad, but its not my favorite. I would prefer something else if available haha. It really just kinda tastes like a hard boiled egg, and isn't crunchy. I also met a really nice water buffalo that didn't want any pictures haha. I am losing weight out here though. I don't know how much, but there is a difference in chubby-ness from the mtc pictures and the ones now haha. But I love everyone and miss you all. Have a great week!

Balut

Balutfest!

Me and a water buffalo that didn't want it's picture taken

Eating at the church with just our hands

Fried Bananas B-A-N-A-N-A-S

Hey everybody! 

So this week has been a little better. I am starting to adapt to the life out here. I would still say I have a little bit to go to be fully adjusted but I am making progress. I still miss home and the states but its getting easier. I am excited to get fully adjusted and adapted to this new life though. We taught a bunch of lessons this week which was great. Elder Craven is teaching me a ton of stuff about the mission still. I am starting to understand people a little more when they speak, but I still need a lot of work haha. Elder Craven gives me tons of opportunities to speak to people and its really helping. This week I was able to eat this thing called a banana que. Its a banana that is deep fried and then covered in brown sugar. It was really good. I enjoyed it haha. Me and Elder Craven also ended up getting lost one evening out in the middle of this forest/ sugarcane field. We were on our way to a teaching appointment and thought we knew the way through the fields, but we didn't and had to make our way back to the road and ask a member to help us get there. It was pretty funny. But I am trying my hardest to do my best out here. I know through Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ anything is possible. 

I am excited to continue working and learning. I can't wait to see what this week brings. I love  you all and miss you tons. Thank you all for the support and love you have shown. 

Elder Davis

T

Fried B-A-N-A-N-A-S

This is how we purchase water and pop.  There are no plastic bottles, just bags that you bite a hole in. Sometimes we even get a straw.

This is the first part of a banana bundle

First area - Toboso

Hey guys, 

So it has been quite the week. My first one in the field. I just want to start off by saying it is so much harder than I ever anticipated. The life here is COMPLETELY different than in the states. The people are way different, the climate is different, and all of the nice things like running water and showers are non existent. So I dont have a shower here, I take a shower by dumping a bucket of water over myself. There is no running water so everytime we do that or use the restroom we have to get all the water from a well. There is no really good plumbing so we have to just dump a bunch of water down the tiny little toilet to flush it. It is much different than what I have grown up with haha. What we eat is pretty much just rice and noodles, vegetables, and this hot chocolate stuff and bread. I am struggling with the language. It is so hard to understand these people and talk to them. I know only a few simple phrases and when I am asked questions, most of the time I have to ask Elder Craven what they said. It is so hot here and humid. I am sweating 24/7 and always feel sticky. I will have to get used to it I guess. My trainer is Elder Craven. He is really cool and I like him. We get a long well. He is teaching me a lot about being a missionary.  

 

We have taught many lessons and tracted a lot. I enjoy getting out and teaching it is really fun, even though I can't communicate very well. I know though that as I get better with the language I will enjoy it more. This has literally been the hardest week of my life. I am missing home a lot and missing the nice, comfortable life back home. But I hope I will soon love it here just as much. I know the church is true and my testimony has been strengthened so much since coming out here. 

I miss you all so much and hope you are all doing great. 

Elder Davis 

Elder Craven my trainer

Me and Elder Craven

Philippino house pet!

Our Toboso apartment

Toboso

Toboso area

I made it to the Philippines!

Kamusta kamo!

 

Just wanted to let you know that I made it to the Philippines safe and sound. We all made it safely and I am really excited. I am going to love it here, I  can already tell. I wasn't able to call, but I get to email. So the flights over were sooo long. The flight from Portland to Tokyo was a 12 hour flight, plus the flight to Manila was about 5. I am so excited to be here though. When I first got off the plane, right away I felt the humidity. It is rediculous out here! It literally feels like a steam room. We got into Manila at about 11 our time and then took a bus over here to the MTC. It is so awesome over here. Its really hot and humid, but way cool. You should see how everyone drives here. It was literally the most intense drive of my life. We were in a huge bus and on the highway, and there were cars everywhere and motorcycles and people everywhere. We were going down the highway and someone literally came out in the middle of the highway to wave down and get on another bus. It was crazy. Also we needed to turn around so we literally just flipped a u turn inbetween the median and stopped the whole road to turn around. haha it was intense. We are actually going to get to go out on exchanges today and go out into Manila and proselyte! I am so stoked! Even though the main language is Tagalog, I am stoked to get out in the city. We stay here for 5 days then head out to our missions on Wednesday. I wish you guys could see it here cause its really awesome. But I love you all and hope you are all doing well.

 

Gihigugma ta kamo

 

Elder Davis

Last night at the MTC

Whats up guys! 

 

So today is my last day here in the MTC! Its crazy how fast the time has gone by. I have a little bit of time to email and let you all know whats going on for the next few days. So tomorrow, we get all of our plane tickets and stuff at 3:30 in the morning. We then go to Salt Lake City. We leave from Salt Lake and go to Portland, Oregon. I have a big lay over there so I will have time to call home. We arrive in Portland at 9:30 am, and don't leave until 2 in the afternoon. So be ready for a call between then!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will call and be able to talk for a while so be ready! So then we fly to Tokyo, then from Tokyo to Manila. I found out I will only be staying in Manila for like 5 days! So thats great. I am very excited and cant wait. I really hope you all read this so we can talk on the phone tomorrow. I love you all and miss you all! I am pretty sure I will be able to email when we arrive in Manila too. So be ready and I will hopefully talk to you all tomorrow. LOVE YOU!!!!!! 

 

Elder Davis

Packing to leave for the Philippines tomorrow!

6 more days in the MTC

Hey! 

 

So I am doing great! I am super excited to get outta Utah and head to the Philippines. Its crazy to think that I only have 6 more days in the States. I can't wait though. The language is coming along good. I am learning a ton. So there has only been one super interesting thing this week. I am no longer companions with Elder Wayne. There is this elder that was going to go home last week. I was super sad cause he is so awesome. I helped him pack his stuff up and all that. But he met with the MTC president and decided to stay, on the condition that he switches rooms and companions. So I guess they talked about it as a branch presidency and decided that I was the best elder for the job of keeping him out on a mission. It meant a lot that out of the whole branch, they thought I was the best one to help him. His name is Elder Goulding and he is super awesome. He is from Utah, and he is actually related to Ellie Goulding somehow which is super sick. Me and him are getting along great and I hope I am making a difference in his life. I want him to stay out on a mission so bad. But yeah thats the only change. We did get to watch conference which is always great. We watched all the sessions. I really liked Oaks talk on Saturday. He talked about loving all types of people no matter their circumstances. I know that as we learn to love everyone, we will be much happier. 

 

So I am glad to hear everyone is doing well. I hope hunting was/is a success! I wish I could be out there with you all! I dont think I will need anything before I head out, but if I do, I guess I'll figure it out haha. Thats great that you all are reading scriptures every morning. I finished the Book of Mormon last week and I am restarting it. I love reading it. I have never realized how much power we can receive from it until getting out here. I hope everyone does better than I and starts gaining a testimony of it sooner rather than later. I know its true and that through it, we can receive much power and strength from our Heavenly Father. 

 

Make it a priority to pray and read the BoM everyday, with no exceptions. Bring the scriptures to life also. Talk about the story of whats going on within the scriptures. I think that can help. 

 

But thats all I got for today. I will be able to email on Wednesday night before I leave so I will email then. I love and miss you all and hope you are all doing great! 

 

Elder Davis

 

 

Me and Elder Goulding

 

Two of my favorite Elders in our District

These are two Elders from Ecuador and Mexico. They are so awesome. I love talking with them in spanish! They were super impressed that i could actually hold a conversation haha. But now its really hard to speak spanish cause my brain is constantly thinking cebuano!

 



Me and Elder Wilson

Week 4

Hey everyone! 

It has been another week already!? Haha time is flying by, it feels like yesterday that mom and dad dropped me off, but its been a month already! I am loving it here. I feel this great spirit all the time. Working with all kinds of different people is teaching me a ton. Mostly humility haha. The other day one of the elders in my district was really being rude to his companion and it made me really mad. I love the elder that was receiving the rude attitude, he is one of my favorites here so it really bothered me. So I kinda went off on the other one and said a couple of rude things back to him that were true, but too harsh. I felt horrible after and was really contemplating whether or not to apologize. Before my mission I wouldn't have for sure. But I realized thats wrong of me to do. So I pulled him aside and truly apologized for it and now were golden ha. 

But I hope everything is going great at home! I got my travel plans today! I will leave Utah on October 16th and then fly to Portland, Oregon. From there we will fly to Tokyo! Then to Manila, Philippines and stay there for a month it looks like. I don't know exactly, but then from there we fly on November 17th to Hong Kong! Then finally we will go to our missions. I am sooooo stoked for it. I have never been on an airplane before and what happens? They make me the Travel Leader of 14 missionaries in our zone haha. So I will be in charge of everyone while we travel. Pretty funny. 

So sorry for the short letter this week but theres nothing really new going on here, just the same ol same ol.  The language is coming along great! we taught our first lesson over Skype last night. So we taught a filipino woman that was in the philippines in Cebuano. It was super cool.  But I love everyone and hope y'all are well. 

Elder Davis

and yeah your jokes make me laugh mom!  Especially the one about nacho libre, haha.

​This is Elder Fonua (left) and Elder Toani (right). Fonua is from Tonga and Toani is from Kiributi. They are soo awesome i love them a ton. If you notice Fonua is wearing my red tie, we traded for the one i am wearing. He is singing for the Priesthood session in the Choir so look for him, and my tie!! haha Elder Toani is so cool too, he is teaching me little phrases of Kiributi too. You all probably have never heard of Kiributi so look it up, they are a bunch of little islands north of Fiji. 

A little boredom

They might be GIANTS! 

Halfway through the MTC

Hey Guys! 

So another week has gone by already! Its going good here. I am liking it a lot. The weeks and days go by faster and faster as time goes on! I am already halfway through the MTC. I will be leaving for the Philippines on October 16 or 17 sounds like. I cant wait its going to be so amazing. I am learning the language really well. I am loving it. 

I went to the temple today and did sealings for the first time. That was a great expirence. I love going to the temple. Nothing too exciting this week has happened really. Just  the same old same old. Go to class eat and study haha. I am making a lot of good friends though. I am growing to love all types of people. I have an elder that is from Kiributi and he is teaching me a little bit of his language too which is really cool. 

I have been thinking a lot about what I want to do after my mission lately and i dont think i want to become a radiologist. It doesnt seem like the right thing to me.  Its amazing how God helps us understand things though. Like for the past 2 and a half years i have wanted to be a Radiologist but after thinking about it a lot in here i realized thats not really something for me. so i have had that question of what the heck am i going to study and go into after my mish. and one day in class we were talking with one of our teachers and he said he studys linguisticts and it like hit me that that is what i think i want to do too. The study of  languages and cultures are soooooo interesting too me and i know thats a better route for me. But thats two years away, but still important to think about. But i think that is what i want to do. There are a lot of different kinds of things i could do with it too. 

I am missing everyone back home! Thats so sweet that keagan bought a little bike for 20 bucks! I wish i could be back messing around on it with them. But once Noland realizes that brayden is good at anything he does, he will be varsity soon enough for sure. Thats great that AJ is doing good with cheer. I miss you all and hope you are all doing great! 

Thanks for the package it was good. I will never run out of werthers now! :) 

Love you 

Elder Davis

Week 2

Hey guys! 

So this week has been great! Busy but great! Me and Elder Wayne were made the Zone Leaders for our branch so that was exciting, at first...haha. We are in charge of like 50 Elders and Sisters and we have one district that is kind of disobiedient so it can be challenging at times. Like the other night I had to hunt down these two elders that left the dorms at like 9:50 with two other sisters. So that was a huge red flag. We ended up finding them in front of the sisters dorms waiting for them to come back out with a bunch of snacks from the vending machines in there. It was an interesting expirience because they were two Tongan elders and sometimes they just don't understand that what they are doing is against the rules. So i just expressed my love for them and told them that what they had done was against the rules and don't do it again otherwise big consequenses come. And they were so cool about it and i could tell they were very sorry. 

The language is going good! I am picking it up pretty quick, but thats not to say there are not challenges. It is amazing to see how the Lord blesses you when you're obedient. Almost everyday i wake up and randomly know words in Cebuano that i barely studied the night before. Its pretty amazing. Elder Richard G. Scott came and talked to us this last tuesday. That was incredible. I have never been in the same room as an apostle before (from what i can remember). The spirit he brought with him into the room was amazing. He talked to us about prayer and the importance of it. I realized that it is such an amazing blessing that we are able to talk and communicate with the person who created everything we know in this life. We all should never take that blessing for granted. 

Everyone here at the MTC is sick or getting sick. This place is a breeding ground for sickness haha, but i have been putting moms med kit to good use and have avoided it for the most part. But i had the worst night i have had this whole time lastnight. I had like crazy growing pains on both my shoulders all night and i couldn't sleep at all. It was the craziest thing ever. I was just sitting in my bed really angry all night that i couldn't just fall asleep. Every position i tried made the pains worse. It was horrible but they finally went away earlier this morning.

I love you guys so much and miss you a ton. Its still weird to think that is only been like 2 weeks away from home cause it feels like i have been out for 2 years already haha 

Love 

Elder Davis

 

All missionaries going to Philippines Cebu Mission

Elder Davis and Elder Ray

1st Full Week

Hey Mom and Dad!

Thanks for writing me! i am doing well here in the MTC. I am liking it a lot. Its hard, but i like it. So my schedule everyday is as follows:

wake up go to breakfast.

Personal study for an hour

Companionship study for an hour

Language study for an hour

then gym then lunch

then usually like 2-3 hours of class room time

then dinner 

then 3 hours of class room time

then planning 

then bed :) my favorite! just kidding personal study is. 

But yeah thats my basic schedual for the day. Then on sundays we have a sacrament meeting and some more study time and then we have a devotional. So that reminds me..last Sunday they made an anouncment just before the devotional started that whenever a prophet or apostle enters the room, everyone stands and stays standing until they sit down and so on and so forth. So naturally everyone freaks out and is super excited thinking that an apostle is speaking that night! Yeah no it was some other dude. So then we all thought ok they must have an apostle coming on tuesday for tuesday night devotional. so we decided that we would show up an hour early to the devotional so we could get good seats, thinking it was an apostle. tons of others had the same idea. so Elder Germaine (the kid from queens creek) just started yelling Elder Johnson! Elder Johnson wait up!!!! 

and we started just making our way up to the front of the line. and so we made it to the very front of the line chasing "Elder Johnson" who was no one, just an excuse to get to the front. It was awesome. so they finally open up the doors to the place and it was like opening the doors to a concert. it was rediculous. people were just trying to get good spots for the apostle. so we finally make it into the chapel with great seats and were soooo excited to find out who it was going to be because we had heard rumors that the First Presidency was in provo earlier that day. And then the speaker was announced and it was not even an apostle it was some guy no one has ever heard of hahaha so it was very disappionting but it was still a great devotional. 

But to answer your question yes they still have the dork dot and its on your name tag for the first day, unless your smart like i am and decide youre sick of all the attention and put it on the back of your name tag like an hour after getting there haha. 

I have gone through the Provo temple twice now and its great! It is sooooo much bigger than the Denver one. But i still like the Denver one better (duhhhh). Everything is going good with the other Elders too. I am learning to work and cooperate with different kinds of people. In my letter i wrote home i know i was very annoyed at the point i was writing haha but i am figuring it out. 

I am still doing great with the language and loving it more and more everyday! its such a different language than spanish is. its funny because i am so trained with spanish that i always want to answer in spanish instead of Cebuano. But i am picking it up more and more everyday. I love walking up to different Elders and Sisters and bearing my testimony in Cebuano its way cool. I got pretty good at it, but need work with praying. 

I'm glad to hear that everyone is doing well at home. I miss everyone a lot now and its starting to feel real about now. I am super stoked to get out there though. The MTC is great on the spiritual side of things, but other than that its pretty much prison i have decided. The food makes you crap (editor's note: sensored for viewing guests, word changed to - create droppings) create droppings like 5 times a day. its horrible. haha but tell everyone HI and let them in on whats going on until i can figure out how to get everyone on the email list. 

So i will be emailing every Friday while in the MTC around 1 or 2. But it would be cool to hear from you guys during the week through some letters or something. and i would love love love it if you guys could send like a ginormus bag of those werthers hard candie things. they are pricey here. and whatever else you guys think i would like. Thanks! 

Thanks love you all soooooooooo much!

Elder Davis

MTC Groupie

MTC District??? (Elder Davis will have to start explaining the photo's)

MTC comp - Elder Wayne