Christmas 2015

Hello everyone!

I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas! We had a great one here in Mabini. We had a very busy week this last week. but it was good none the less. We had a cool activity together as a zone on Christmas eve. Me and Elder Aquino got it all organized to where we would all go Christmas caroling to some people here in Escalante and then after that we had a big dinner with the zone. After we ate and stuff we had a white elephant gift exchange which was really really fun. I enjoyed it. 

Then on Christmas day, we had our Christmas ward party and our baptism. It was great because tons of people joined in on the baptsim because it was a part of the party. So it was well. I really enjoyed talking with my family on Skype, even though the connection sucked hardcore haha. It was still good though. 

We are staying so busy lately its hard to keep it all straight, but over all life is going great over here for me. I hope you all can have a safe and fun New Year! Its that time again to make new years resolutions and evaluate how we are really doing in life and make the needed changes to improve for the better. Do what you gotta do! Love you all! 

 

 

Just Pictures - Merry Christmas

Ice Cream Run

Packages for Christmas

Toboso Pride

Back to the beginning

Good odto everyone! 

This week was another good and fast one. We had a good last few days of work, me and Elder Matthews. This last Friday we had our mission Christmas conference which was really good. We spent the day Thursday driving down and then had con on Friday and then drove back on Saturday morning.  Again, like I have mentioned driving was really fun. 

We taught our IBD just yesterday and she is still doing good. She is preparing for baptism on December 26.  She has been going to church for 6 months straight and is finally ready to get baptised.  We also found a lot of good potential people to visit. 

I was able to work with Elder Germaine in Toboso again on Monday.  It was good to go back and visit my first area and work there again. Its funny because I ran into a bunch of people that I knew from my first time around and they kept telling me "woah you can actually speak visaya now!" hahaha it was good. 

But I hope everything back at home is doing good.

Have a safe week and enjoy that cold weather and snow for me and I will soak in this 95 degree weather for you all! haha 

elder davis

 

Villanueva Family

Christmas Conference

Dasda ???

 

 

....Car

Hey everyone! 

Hope you had a good week this last week. I had a little bit of a harder week work wise in all honesty. We have been really really busy running around and doing interviews for the district leader and the Elders and Sisters in the zone. We had to do quite a few in this last week, and that is what made our scheduling so hard. It is a good problem to have because we are getting people baptized so I am definitely not complaining haha! This last week we were able to get 2 of our IBDs baptized! Two members of the Argel family, Sister Tiesha and Brother Emanuelito. Their baptism went okay. We ended up waiting for like 2 hours for someone to show up to preside for the baptism. Our Bishop never even showed up, President Plaza ended up stopping by and stayed for the baptism so we could do it. I don't know what the deal was with that but, it was good anyways. We had a little bit of a rougher week with teaching people as well. We got punted a lot this last week and we also have been trying to organize our zoning and using time and what not. We are still trying to get a good balance. 

We are doing great here, just really really busy. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We did here in Escalante! We were able to get some chickens and make some mashed potatoes and stuff so it was a success in my mind. We are still trying our hardest to find those people that are ready to receive the gospel. It’s been difficult, but it’s been good. I know that as we work harder and rely on the Lord he will introduce us to them. 

We just got back from another Mission Leader Council Cebu which was good. We were able to pick up the car that we have been assigned to use! So we actually have a car to use now! I am so excited to drive around and what not. But yeah that is about it for this week! I hope you are all doing great and I love and miss you all! Stay safe and have a great week! 

Elder Davis 

Sugar Cane Harvest

Hello everyone! 

I hope you all had a great week! I had a good one here in Mabini! We were really really busy this last week. We had a bunch of different companion exchanges with some of the Elders in the zone. But it was good. We got two of our investigators ready for their baptism coming up this next Saturday. They were interviewed and they passed so we are super excited for this coming up baptism. We spent a good amount of time trying to find new people to teach as well! It was great. I enjoyed it a lot. 

It has been so dang hot lately though. In our area here, we hike through the sugar cane fields alot and there is like no shade hahaa. So its been really really hot but its all good. We are having fun with our missionary work. Sorry that I have to be short this week, I am out of time. Just wanted to let you know that I am still alive and well haha! I hope you have a great week this week! 

Halong! 

elder davis 

 

Mabini

Mabini Apt

Sugar Cane Harvest

Sugar Cane Harvest

Sugar Cane Harvest

 

Mabini Area and Cebu City

Hello everyone!  

I hope you all had a great week! I had a good one for sure. We have had a lot of things to do and not a ton of time to do it. But its been good. We have been visiting one family up here in Mabini a lot. The Argel family. They are so awesome. They are a  huge family and they are all interested in the gospel. They are progressing great and we have really grown to enjoy them. 

The fun part about our area here is that all of our areas are really far away! And transpo is really hard here so we have been walking and walking and walking some more lately. And its been super hot and sunny so its been just really hot and tiring but its worth it for sure. We have some great people in our area right now that are progressing great. I am excited to still help them progress even more! 

I am loving life and my mission. This is the best thing that anyone could ever do. I would recommend serving a mission to EVERYONE. It will change you and help you improve for the better. 

Love you all and miss you! Have a good week and stay safe! 

Elder Davis

 

Cebu City

Cebu City

Cebu Temple kids

Last day with anuk

MLC conference

MLC conference

Cebu city temple

Poly style

 

A Barge to Cebu

Hey guys!

This week has gone by really really fast again! So this last week I was able to get transfered up here to Escalante again and get settled into the new apartment. We have been really busy since transfers and everything. We actually had stake conference on Sunday so I was able to see all of the members from Toboso. I really enjoyed seeing them again, it was great! Man time flies so fast, I can't believe that its been a year since I have been in that area. We were able to work in our area in Mabini a little bit and the members there and the investigators are great. I am super excited to continue working in the area. Being away from the Escalante area for so long, I have forgotten just how bukid it is up here haha. Its really quiet and not a whole lot of people up here, but its great. I am loving being back.

This last few days we have had MLC meeting with all of the Zone Leaders in the mission and stuff which was great. We took of on Monday morning and headed to Cebu. We were able to get over there and we had dinner and were able to watch some cool videos and a fireside broadcast. Then on Tuesday we had the meeting and we were taught from the Mission President and the APs. I really enjoyed the meeting. And now were back and getting ready for the week. I had a great week catching up with some of my favorite missionaries from the mission. It was great.

As we were on the barge heading over we actually met another American from New York who was actually a really good guy. We sat and had a great conversation with him about life and some of our beliefs. It was a cool experience because he actually listened to a little bit of what we shared and wasn't rude about it at all. So he asked us a few questions about things and God and stuff and we were able to share our testimonies to him. It was cool. The questions he had were kinda random and interesting but it was a testimony builder to me because all of his questions he had can be answered through the gospel. He had some really deep questions that could be answered by understanding the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that all of the many questions we have in our lives about our purpose and where we are going and where we came from all can be answered and we will have a sound understanding of the plan of God. I know that this gospel is the only thing that will bring us the perfect peace and happiness that we all look for in our lives. I hope the gentleman we met on the barge will continue to learn about the church as will all of you!  I love you all have a safe and great week!

Elder Davis

Big American!

Hello everyone! 

Again, this week went by so dang fast I can't believe it! But it was a good one. We stayed busy teaching our investigators and recent converts and less actives. We have been very busy trying to manage it all but we did pretty well this last week. We had a lot of really good lessons with new investigators of ours. We focused on finding new people to teach, and we did just that. We taught a bunch of OST lessons and met a lot of new people to teach. It was good. We had a pretty interesting experience this last Sunday night as we were walking to the church for a meeting. Me and Elder Cabasan were walking along the side of the road and this guys approached us, he was obviously drunk but we still tried to have a conversation with him. I had to answer a phone call so Elder Cabasan talked with the guys while I talked on the phone, but as soon as I got off the phone, this guy imiediatly told me "Alright lets go were going to fight right now". I was confused and asked him what he said and he just repeated that he wanted to fight me, haha so he got into his fighting position and continued to say "alright lets fight!" I asked him why and he told me because he wanted to die and he knew that if he got in a fight with a big American, he would die for sure. So I tried telling him that I was not going to fight him or kill him or anything like that, but he wasn't taking no for an answer. As we tried walking away he kept blocking us and grabbing my arms telling me to fight him.   I was just kinda laughing at the situation and we finally got away from the guy, but yeah just a funny experience....the guy wanted to fight me so  I could kill him. 

Transfer calls came in last night and brought very suprising news! I thought for sure that I would be staying here in Bais and finishing the training of my anak, but we found out that I will be transfering! I will be heading to Mabini, which is up in Escalante! The same zone as my first area! I am actually going to be just two areas over from Toboso. So its going back to where I started! I am super excited! So my whole mission I have been assigned here on Negros Island! Not yet on Cebu or Siquihor. Pretty funny my mission is  Philippines Cebu mission but I have never been assigned to that island. But I am so excited to go back up there and serve the people up there! 

I hope you all are doing great! I miss you all so much! Take care and have a great week! 

Elder Davis

 

 

Impact

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had a great week! I did for sure. It went by so fast  I can't believe it. We had a baptism this last week! For Johnlloyd Gonzaga. It was a decent baptism. I am still amazed at the diligence and sacrifice that this family makes to come to church everyweek. Like honestly its amazing. Even me being a young 19 year old  kid get completly exhausted after making the trip out to their house. So its amazing that they come to church every single week. 

Then we had a couple come to church with some of their friends and we taught them and gave them an IBD which they quickly accepted. So we are so excited for them as well. Their date is on Nov. 21. Then we also had brother Algen, Sister Lilyas kid at church as well. His baptism is set for Nov. 14. So we are very excited for him as well. Bais is doing great. We have some new investigators that are really really good as well. So we are staying very busy running all over the Bais area trying to keep everything under control, but we are having so many new people coming into the picture as new investigators and people to teach so we are busy. 

Life here is going great. I am loving it. Staying so busy and tired constantly but that is mission life. I wouldn't trade it for anything at this point in my life. 

I have been studying in Mosiah lately in the Book of Mormon and the teachings of Abinadi and the influence he had on Alma. I thought about it alot. Its really cool their story. I just want to point out that out of everyone that Abinadi taught, only Alma was touched and accepted the message. Today in our lives there are so many people that don't want to listen to our message or don't take it seriously, but as we continue on in our faith and continue being a good example, we can influence maybe just one person for hte better. Even if we don't realize we are having an effect of them, we are. So just always continue to be a good exapmle for people because they are always watching. We can have such a big impact on peoples lives without us even realizing it. 

Love you all have a great week! 

 

Just pictures

Every busy minute

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had a great week! I did for sure. We have been staying super busy trying to manage all of our people we need to visit and focus on and finding the time to do it all. Haha but its good, I love every busy minute of it. We have at this point in time 3 people preparing for baptism, which are the two kids and the husband of Sister Lilya! They are doing great. They are learning and keeping their commitments and progressing well. The youngest is going to be baptized on October 24 and the other one and his dad on November 14. We are excited for them and super proud, because as I have mentioned, they live so far out in the bukid its unbelievable that they even come to church.

Watching conference this last weekend was great. I love general conference now. The hours of the sessions just fly by with the blink of an eye. I remember being younger and thinking that conference was an eternity long but now they are just so fast. I really enjoyed listening to the speakers.

We had interviews with the mission president this last week which went really well. I enjoyed talking with President McCurdy. He is a great man and has taught me a lot of important lessons since I have been out here on my mission.

I am loving life and staying busy. I can't believe how fast time is going by. Its just going right on by. I hope you are all doing great! Have a safe and fun week!

Lily

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a great week! 

I had a good week here in Bais. Me and my companion, Elder Cabasan are doing great. He is such a good elder who is diligent and has a good work effort. This week we actually had a baptism! Sister Lilya Gonzaga was able to be baptised on Saturday! It is was a good baptism. Her husband and family were also able to make the hike down for it which was really good. 

We also were able to focus a lot of time to teaching the less actives and recent converts here in Bais. It was awesome because a sister and her two kids came back to church this last week after about 3 months of teaching and trying to get them back, they finally did. It was great! 

I am getting super excited to watch general conference this upcoming weekend....I know you guys already watched it but I am still looking forward to it haha....being on the other side of the world takes time to get things sometimes....

I am doing great and hope you all are doing the same! Have a great week and stay safe! 

 

 

My Anak!

Hello everyone! 

This last week was a good one. Time flies that is for sure. Its almost October. That means conference is right around the corner. I am super super excited to watch conference and listen to our prophet and the apostles. 

This last week we were able to get our IBD ready for her interview for baptism. We taught her and she passed her interview so she is set to go for her baptism this Saturday, October 3rd. I am excited for her that she will finally be able to get baptized. She has come to church for like 6 weeks straight now so she is definatly ready. 

Its been good having my new companion, my anak! haha he is the best. His name is Elder Cabasan, from the lower island of the Philippines, Mindanao. So he speaks the language already so there is no language problems which  I am super grateful for. He is great we are getting a long great. 

I hope you are all doing great. I miss you all so much and can't wait to see you again. 

Have a great week everyone! 

Elder Davis 

 

 

RIP little spiders

Hello everyone! 

This last week was super busy again. We have been teaching a lot of the members here in Bais lately. We also have been working with our investigators trying to teach them all the lessons and preparing them for baptism. We have been trying to find a good balance with our time. Its been an adventure trying to figure what works best but its going okay. 

I am going to be short with my letter today because I have some things I need to get done today and  I honestly am just trying to get through this next week alive. But just know that I am doing okay here in Bais and am still loving my mission and life. 

Oh and by the way, my two fighting spiders both got attacked by ants and were killed. I know, I was pretty sad too. Haha But don't worry I was able to come back and find two really big new ones so I am still in the game :) 

Love you all and miss you tons. Have a great week! 

Elder Davis 

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Hey everone! 

Hope you had a great week! I had a decent one here myself in Bais. This week was busy again with trying out the new schedule visiting the jungle twice. It was kinda difficult cause  it is so far away. But like I shared last week, it is so worth going out to because Sister Lilya is great. She came to church again this last week and is preparing for baptism on the 19 of September. She is doing so great. 

We found out that our other IBD, Brother Mike, is not actually married to his girlfriend...which is a huge bummer because they are both so so ready to accept the gospel. Brother Mike is one of my favorite investigators I have had out here because he is just so willing to try the things we teach and is learning and growing so much. Just since my time here in Bais, I have seen a huge change in his countenance and it is so cool. The gospel changes people for the better no matter who it is. 

Just a cool little thing about this week....So out here in the  Philippines, there is cock fighting that people do for gambling and stuff like that, but they also do spider fighting! It is actually pretty sick. They go out and get these fighting spiders and fight them. Its awesome. I actually got two spiders myself and have been fighting them just for fun. Haha its really fun, just challenging people to fight spiders. My two spiders are doing pretty well. They have each won a couple matches and killed their opponents quickly. Haha its pretty cool.....just  a little something cool to let you guys know what I have been up to. Of course there is no gambling involved when we fight our spiders, but its just a fun thing we do for fun. And it is actually a great way to start conversations...just ask them if they have spiders to fight and boom....your automatically in with them.

Have a great week everyone, and stay safe! I love you all and miss you tons! 

Elder Davis 

This picture doesn't do the jungle any justice

 

 

 

Weekly letterrrrrrrrrr - Week 52

Hey everyone! 

This week was kinda an interesting one! To start, I got super sick on Friday and wasnt' able to work. And then just yesterday I had to go to Dumaguete to have a bunch of painful warts removed from my foot haha. It was painful but its all good now. 

We have been really busy teaching people lately. We have so many people to visit but no time to do it. But its a good problem to have haha. We actually visited one of our IBDs (Investigator's with Baptismal Dates) this last week for the first time. She has come to church for 3 weeks and just this last week we were able to actually visit her. She lives about an hour and a half hike back into the mountains and jungle. It was the craziest and farthest hike I have been on to visit an investigator. It was seriously like hiking through the mountains back at home. It was an adventure. But it was just a huge testimony builder because its super hard to get investigators at chruch. And this sister has been coming for 3 weeks in a row, without us teaching her at all. Its amazing. She says that she just loves the feeling after she goes to church at our church. She notices a difference and is willing to make the trip every week. 

I am doing really well out here. I am halfway through my mission now. Tomorrow I hit my one year mark. It is so crazy I can't believe it. It all goes by so fast. I will be going home before I know it. But hey I still have a whole year to give it my all and do my best. And that is what I plan on doing. I love you all and hope you have a great week! 

Elder Davis 

 

 

Mission Tour

Hello everyone! 

I hope you all had a great week. I had a pretty good week here in the Philippines. We had a mission tour so we were able to go to Cebu for three days. Elder Hayne was able to speak to us and it was a great conference. I learned a lot and really grew from the conference. Other than our trip to Cebu, we had just a pretty good week of teaching and meeting new people. We contiunued to teach Mike. He is still going through so many trials with family and financial situation but he still progressing. We also have been able to teach a lot new people. 

My time here on my mission is going well, and really fast if i do say haha. But I am enjoying it. I have learned so much continue progressing every day. 

Sorry I am short, I don't have a ton time today. I love you all and hope you are all doing great! Have a great week! 

Elder Davis 

 

 

 

 

Peace

Hey Everyone! 

I hope everyone had a great week this last week. I had a great one myself here in Bias. I don't have a ton of time today but I do have a really cool experience to share from the week. Our investigator, Mike, has been doing really really well. We taught him this last week and during the lesson, he told us his testimony of the Book of Mormon. He told me and my companion that while he reads the Book of Mormon, he feels peace, and accepted. He has been going through some of the hardest times in his life lately and has been recieving a lot of critisism from family and friends, and it was sick because he told us that everytime he reads, he feels so good. I know that I have shared a lot about the Book of Mormon in past emails, But it is seriously the biggest help in our lives. I know that no matter what we go through, it will help. Its just truly amazing. 

Transfer calls came last night. Elder Magbaleta will be transfering to Cebu and I will be staying here in Bais. My new comp is Elder Pantilo. I have never met him before but I heard he is pretty chill. I am stoked for the upcoming transfer. 

I love you all and hope you are doing good. Miss you all! Have a great week! 

Elder Davis