October 31, 2011

Weather.... IT SNOWED!!!!!!! like 4 or 5 inches.  It was crazy!!! I have never seen a tree branch break off before because of the weight of snow.  My companion and I were afraid that a tree was going to fall on us as we were driving down the road.  But now it's mostly slush. Everyone kept telling us that the weather was weird and that it never snows before Halloween here. I found out that I need different/better snow boots... cause the zipper on the ones I have let snow/water in.... So I'm going to buy some other ones for when it's slushy out and my feet have to stay dry.  The ones I have will work for the rest of the time.But I don't know... And the weather has not been as bitter as Idaho.  Even though I'm out longer.  I'm no where as cold as I was inIdaho.

I love this ward so much.  I feel blessed to serve here.

So last week we came home to a bag of groceries sitting in front of our door.  It turns out that a grocery store in the area gave free bags of groceries to people in order to promote people going to their store.  Among the items were coffee, and cooking wine.  I thought it was kinda funny since we're missionaries.... and we can't give those items away because that kinda goes against what we're trying to do as missionaries and have people live the word of wisdom.  Does it not?  well I just tossed the coffee and then poured the cooking wine down the drain.  Before now I have never touched anything that had alcohol in it.  Funny that it happened when I was a missionary.  I have also never seen someone drinking in person before I was a missionary either.  I've seen it a couple of times as we've been tracting. 

I think I've mentioned some of the strange things about PA  before but the one that I think is kinda hilariously weird are the stop signs that say except right turn.  So if you're turning right you don't have to stop... It kinda throws me off sometimes.  Or the stoplights you can only turn left during certain hours of the day.  It's craziness I tell ya!
    

So last Wednesday the ward we share a building with had their trunk or treat.  (We were at the church cause an investigator needed an interview with the bishop and we were sitting in the lobby).  (Background info: this is a new church so it's fancy and has a handicap button and the doors were locked except for one on the far side away from the handicap door.) Well there was this little boy dressed as a dinosaur.  And he wanted to get in the church. So he was pushing the handicap button,  and he could see the second inside door was opening but the first door was just not opening.  So he pulled on the door and pushed the button like 5 or 6 times (while I was just sitting there laughing cause it was so darn cute!!!). So finally I decided that I should open the door for him cause he was getting no where.  Then later that night I was thinking about it and how it's like with the Savior.  The door represents going into God's kingdom.  And we're here pushing that button over and over again because we want to return to our Father.  The the door being locked represents sin and death, they lock us out of the kingdom of God. But the Savior overcame both and is able to open the door for us.  (Except He probably doesn't sit there and laugh at us trying to get in like I did with the little boy...)

Oh yeah I've been meaning to tell you! One man in the other ward is from El Paso!  He graduated from Corondo in like 1994.  He's pretty funny and whenever he sees me he calls me Sister El Paso. 

I just wanted to tell you my favorite line we get from tracting... "I'm already saved."  And I always think about what my companion told me about how people pick and choose what they want to believe from the bible... and it's so true here!!  There are so many religions now that people think all they need to say is I believe in Jesus Christ but then they can go and do all these awful things.  It's sad!! I'm so grateful for the church and how they teach us that the scriptures are not something we pick and choose our beliefs from.

Pictures from MTC and with her mission president and his wife

First batch of letters from Cherilyn...I mean Sister Davidson!

From the MTC

 

I am leaving the MTC in one week from today.  I can barely believe in a week I'll be in PA!!! I am so excited to meet my new companion and my mission president. I wish I had pictures to send home but they're printing right now. Cause I don't think I can put my SD card into the computers here.  But I have continued to love my district.  They're amazing. My zone leaders are amazing too(well they're not my zone leaders anymore...).  They're leaving tomorrow which is rather sad. I am learning so much!  It's hard to remember all what we need to use in the beginning of a lesson. But I think it'll get easier as I am out in the feild getting forced to use it multiple times a day rather than once a day and with a companion who has a little more experience.  Don't get me wrong my companions are incredible.  I love them so much just we're still learning.  One of our teachers said that my district is teaching so much better than when we first got here.  Which was a great compliment cause he encourages us but he doesn't really say things like that often.  My other teacher is hilarious and he teaches us a lot of things too.  I'm grateful to have two great teachers who really care about us and want us to succeed as missionaries.   One thing I have learned here is I'm sorry if I have spelling mistakes or grammer errors in my letters but I am tryingto type as fast as I possibly can cause we have limited email access. 

 

We also had mission conference yesterday which was really awesome and amazing.  The MTC president served in the North Eastern States mission. So he said each mission that is now there that was in his mission boundaries and he had those serving there stand up. Well my mission was one of those. and everyone gasped when we stood up cause there were 11 of us going to the same place all sitting together.  Like I've said being in a district going to the same place is rare. 

 

Well I orginially decided that I wasn't going to tell you of anything bad that happened but I decided to let you know an experience I had. Starting on Friday my stomach was hurting really badly.  Like so badly that I was in tears. And food wasn't helping.  and neither was anacids.  After the mission conference, I got back to my district room and just broke into tears because I couldn't deal with it anymore. I had decided earlier that it hadn't hurt that bad.... but it had really started to hurt on sunday.  and I was at a loss of what to do.  So I asked my zone leaders for a blessing.  they got the elders from my district. and they all came to give me a blessing.  It was the cooolest thing ever to get a blessing like that.  I know they all love me and all want me to me to be happy.  I was promised in the blessing that I would get better and that I wouldn't get sick the rest of my mission.  Which made me way happy. 

Love, Sister Davidson


From PA to Mom and Dad

Yeah the Church would probably frown on you two coming to visit me.  But I have had the desire for you to come to PA.  This area is beautiful!! (someday in like 1 1/2 years you can come to visit this area...)  I'm sorry that you can't come while I'm here. 

 

There are so many farms out here!! And there are Amish people here! There was a buggy going down my street one day as we were talking to people.  And we saw a little buggy carrying two little children.   It's been fun to see them on the road.  We have also seen them working on their farms which is awesome too.  (can you tell that I'm super excited to be here??!) 

 

The people here are generally very kind and courteous.  There have only been a few rude moments while tracting but I don't let those get me down!  Cause I'm stronger than that! Ha! Take that mean people! haha. 

 

We taught this chinese woman this past week who basically dropped us cause she "just couldn't believe that" er well anything for that matter (she just said I just can't believe it a lot)  My trainer Sister Denton said maybe it's a good thing she dropped us cause every lesson would have been a struggle. 

 

We're also teaching a sweet old man who believes most everything he's been taught.  Our only problem is trying to figure out how to get the importance of going to OUR church across to him.  cause he goes to his own church than comes to the LDS church afterwards.  He has a baptismal date and I sincerely pray he is able to be baptized then.  It's Nov 5th so we'll see! 

 

We've tracted into a few other people who have said we could come back.  Which is exciting.  We have an appointment tonight so pray for us. 

 

My ward is great!  There are a lot of less actives so we'll be doing a lot of that work too.  I'm excited about that. 

 

I've decided that everday as a missionary is a great day.  I love it.  That doesn't mean that there aren't challenges cause trust me there are a lot of challenges... Like walking out of the church building after church and trying to avoid walking into a spider web and totally falling on my face!  I hurt my knee prettty bad but it's okay today.  My shoulder hurts and I think it could be from that but who knows I could have slept on it wrong.

 

Last night we were tracting and it was after dark and we went up to one lady's house and she said uh sisters it might not be a good day for you two to be out after dark cause they just annouced your church as a cult.  My trainer was like well we don't have a choice we have to be out.  But we were safe.  I wasn't too worried. ;) and mom stop worrying! I'm fine!! I'm being obedient and the Lord is going to take care of me!

 

Love, Sister Davidson

Officially a Missionary!!!

My Mission Plaque in my homeward. :)

Me in front of it cause I am silly. :) and excited! (I had just been set apart a few minutes before that)

I was set apart tonight.  And it was wonderful.  I can't believe that this is finally happening and that this is real. :) I'm so happy and so excited!!! Love you all tons!!!

Missionary Picture!!

Hello for the Week!

I'm writing to say that I am ALMOST done with the Book of Mormon and I am way excited about it!! :) Only 6 more days until the MTC! Boo ya!

2 weeks left to go!

I started packing my suitcases today... I was also sitting in my room just thinking about how I put today as my availability date on my mission papers and how I'm glad I only have to wait another 2 weeks.  I was trying on mission clothes as a putting stuff in my suitcases.  And it just put excitement in me.  I can't wait until I'm out in PA teaching the gospel.  I'm not going to lie I'm excited to wear the missionary name tag too. :) I'm still working on finishing the book of mormon. and I'm working on being able to teach the first discussion.