The Hms in the GV, Aug 22, 2016

Hello Everyone!

So transfers were this past week and Hermana Lopez headed down to Hermiston and I recieved Hermana Vazquez! She's awesome and from Lake Dallas, Texas. She's a convert of a little over two years and I love her to pieces.

This week started off pretty slow because we were saying good-bye to all the members with Hermana Lopez. On Wednesday I went and picked up Hermana Vazquez and we got to work! We taught two lessons and found two new investigators. Juanquine and Maria are a 80 year old couple and they are super hilarious. We taught them in their backyard and there was a dead calf just laying there. At first we thought it was a dog, but nope. It was a baby cow. Lol. Anyways, the are planning a trip to mexico soon so they said if they are in town on the 17th of September they would be baptized! Yippie!

We've taught Gia twice this week. She hasn't been keeping her commitments, so we are struggling of knowing what to do to help her. We taught her about faith this week and read Enos with her. We are thinking of starting to teach her in spanish to help her understand more, but it's hard because her husband, Walt who is a member, doesn't speak Spanish. 

We taught Hortencia with Sister Slaugh this week. Hortencia is super confused because she has studied with so many different churches and really doesn't like organized religion. We are going to be going super slow and simple with her to help her undersatnd. We aren't sure how willing she is to change her life, but she says she feels the spirit really strong when she's with us. We aren't giving up just yet!

We taught Serviano this week about faith and how he can act on the faith he has to grow closer to God.  He's doing alright. We think he's drinking problem is a bit harder than he lets on. We're coming up with a plan to help him overcome that and start coming to church.

We taught this family from Chiapas! The mom's name is Lorena and she has 3 kids. A fourteen year old boy and a two girls who are nine and six. The fourteen year old, Rafael, was baptized when he was eight in Seatle. The family moved and couldn't find the church again. But we knocked into them! The nine year old, Haiti, is on date for the 17th. We are pretty excited to teach them all.

Today we woke up early and drove to Richland to wax our cars! It was actually a lot of fun. All of us misisonaries, waxing our cars in our nice clothes at the church. Then we ate donuts. (Yay!) That has pretty much been my week. Lvoe you all so much! Hasta Luego!

Les quiero!

The Spirit of God like a fire is burning...the Mountainside, Aug 1, 2016

Hola!

These past couple of days has been crazy for us! Long story short, There is a huge fire in my area last night, almost burned down the entire mountain and the Elder's Apts. We got evacuated and spent the night with the Sisters a couple towns over. (Also why I am emailing early) It was pretty intense. You could see the flames from miles away and the entire mountain is burnt to a crisp. It burned down a lot of houses, including the Bishop in the Prosser Ward's house. Then in the city on the other side of us, SunnySide, there was another fire on that mountain! The entire valley we were in was filled with smoke and we couldn't see very well! So like the Spirit of God like a fire is burning.....the entire state of Washington.

But other than the fire, This week was pretty good! We started teaching this 16 year old JWs. His name is Jario and he has the sweetest spirit ever. He really just wants to understand and it's hard for him because everything we are teaching him goes ageist what he has learned his whole life.

We have also started teaching Hortencia. We found her last Sunday and she's super wonderful! She's been looking for a long time for the right church. We left her with a Book of Mormon and she said she would read it. We stopped by yesterday and she is super sick so we'll be catching up with her in a bit.

We also taught Rosalinda's family the Plan of Salvation. Rosalinda is on date for the 3rd of September. Will and Nancy are a bit harder to catch. Danny and Jonathon are super cute too. We read out of the picture book with them. Hopefully we can get the entire family on date pretty soon.

I've been studying Chapter Six of Preach My Gospel a lot this week. Isn't Christ like the best? I think it's so cool how you can't have Hope with out Faith. And you can't have Charity without Hope and Faith, and Vice Versa. Basically, Faith is pretty wonderful and everyone needs more of it. I feel that as I study that chapter, I am learning more and more about our Savior. He really is our best friend! I'm so grateful for him and all that he did.

Love you all so much. Have a fantastic week!

--

Hermana Lizzy Davis

Washington Kennewick Mission

1 and 2. Really old bag of Cheetos

3. Kittens while tracting

4. Selfie

5 & 6. Smoke pictures from the fire

Consacration: You're gunna suffer, but you're gunna be happy about it July 18, 2016

Hola Hola!

This week was pretty wonderful! 

On Tuesday I went on exchanges with mi Hermana Mama Wade. We tried by a couple of people in Benton, but they almost all fell through. We taught one of their recently activated members, Jill. She's the best. She's teaching the 17-18 year olds Sunday School and wants our help to teach them like the Missionaries taught her. (Like Teach People, not Lessons)

She's basically the sweetest. We then had enchiladas for dinner! We taught a RC about the baptismal covenant and then exchanged back.

On Wednesday I got to meet President and Sister White for the first time! We had Zone Conference and it was awesome! They brought their 3 un-married children with them and it was really fun. At the beginning, he shook our hands and before we left he said each of us had an interview with the president during that hand shake. He's a retired inspector for like the cia or something. So he looks in your eyes, sees your soul, and knows your heart. 

Thursday I went on exchanges with Hermana Fristrup and that was a party. We helped people move out of an apt that was on the third floor. yippie. 

Niki came to church and we were able to teach her the plan this week. Serviano is doing better, we haven't seen him much, but yay! They taught Rosalinda on exchanges and she's doing well as well!

And Know I'm out of time. So like. Hope yall have a good week! I'll send pictures next week!

"Porque no llores, Davis? Arrepientete de sus pecados.", July 11, 2016

Hello Everyone!

This week has been pretty great, a few struggles, but over-all pretty good. I love being on a mission and seeing the long span of things. I don't know if I have ever felt the love of Chirst so strongly than at this point in my life. 

Update on Serviano: (Good & Bad)

 On Tuesday we went by and talked about his answer of wither or not the church is true and if he needs to be baptized. He has a lot of crazy things going on in his life right now. But even though it all, he know that this is true. He started crying and was like I just feel something so strong right now telling me this is the right thing. (He then rebuked me and asked why I was the only one not crying. See Subject Line.) He didn't want to set a date just yet because there is someone he needs to talk to about it first. We came by and Wednesday and taught him about temples and the spirit world. He thought it was the coolest thing that his dad is getting missionary lessons right now too. We showed him pictures from the new temples pamphlet (because it's only in English...booo) And he said that's he feels like he's seen the Celestial Room before in a dream. (What?!) Now the sad news. Serviano went to to a good-bye party for his nephew on Saturday and he relapsed on his drinking. We are going by tonight to talk to him more about the Atonement and help him set some goals about how to follow the commandments better. His niece was getting baptized in the Catholic church, so he didn't come to church on Sunday either. (La Luche es Real Folks.)

Gia is going out of town for two weeks in Montana, so hopefully this doesn't stop her progression. We invited her to take her Book of Mormon with her and read from it every day. We are planning on sending her some texts of love and gospel stuff throughout the next weeks. 

Last night, We were walking around town trying to follow the Spirit on what we should be doing and we just felt rather lost and confused. No one had come to church and we were a bit discouraged. We had prayed many time to see what neighborhood to go to and kept getting prompting that this wasn't right. Finally we deiced we needed to go visit a member. We prayed and went over to the Strohs. It was like 8:45, but they were home and awake! We told them about how we were feeling and then they shared that they have a couple that they really want us to teach! Hermana Stroh has a cousin and her husband that she has been thinking about introducing us to her for a while. Her name is Rosie and her husband is Miguel who works with Hermano Stroh. Yay! We are having dinner with them and Tosie and Miguel on Tuesday and we are very excited!

I know that this church is true. I know that Christ is our Savior and he loves each one of us so much! Whenever we doubt that love, we can kneel down and pray and wait for that answer. I've felt that love for me and for each one of my investigators so much. I'm so glad that the Lord is hasting his work and that I have a chance to be apart of it. miss you all so much!

Hermana Lizzy Davis

Washington Kennewick Mission

1- Sisters at the Zone 4th of July BBQ

2- Hermana Lopez and I with our Respaldads (Basically Mexican Starbucks)

"Guess What Sisters! I Baptized Myself Three Times!" July 5, 2016

Hola mis amigos!

This week was pretty good, You know like America and stuff. I wore Red, White and Blue and Hermana Lopez wore Green and black so vive la Mexico! 

We ran out of miles so we just walked eveerywhere for like 4 days. We had enough to go to Richalnd for a meeting, an exchange in Benton, and then to church. We walking inot the middle of nowhere and just tracted into the  houses we could find. 

I was in Benton City for a day with Hermana Bergmann, mi hermanita! They have some pretty cool street names so I took some picture of those. We had dinner with some members from Peru and they fed us tacos! (I loooove tacos)

So Serviano. While I was out on exchanges, Serviano told Hermanan lopez the following story:

 He went to the river with his family and after he received a priesthood blessing he knew he needed to be baptized. So while he was at the river he baptized himself...three times. Because A) Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. and B) to make sure all the sins were washed away. Then Hermana Lopez basically Doctrine smacked him with love and explained the Priesthood authority again. Yippie.  

We are teaching a new family! We taught The mother the Restoration and she accepted everything super well. She had just shared about how wonderful her baptism was and then I invited her to be baptized again by the proper authority and she was like, Yes! That makes sense! So here is hoping we can keep them instead of referring them over to the English Elders!

Yesterday we had to be in by 6pm and then we watched the Testaments. Basically the life line of hopelessly romantic sisters. But we watched it because of the fact it was filmed in Chiapas, where Hermana Lopez is from. 

Love you all! Have a good week!

Hermana Lizzy Davis

Washington Kennewick Mission

The White Mormon Girl Speaks Spanish, June 27, 2016

Hola Hola!

This week has been crazy! Tons of exchanges and President White gets here tomorrow! What even is this?! We are all so excited and so sad. We'll miss President Ware, but I know President White will be just wonderful! Subject line cred to a lady we door stepped. She was like kinda crazy, but when we were telling her the Elders were going to be teaching her because we teach in Spanish, she turned to me and was like, "You speak Spanish?" and I said yea, then she yells into her house, "Hey Dad! The White Mormon Girl speaks Spanish!" Sooo. Yes. That happens more often then you'd think.

This week we went on all the Exchanges. I went into Richland and spent the day with Sister Christensen from Spanish Fork. (We forgot to take a selfie, shame on us.) It was super fun. I'm starting to become less scared of white wards. I taught Sister Christensen how to pray in Spanish during language study. She took notes and I'll be following up with her to see how that goes. The next day I was in the YSA in West Richland with Sister Nessen from Las Vegas. We taught Their RC, Windy, and she's amazing! She already has so many of her friends that she wants them to teach. She's basically the cutest thing. 

On Thursday I was finally back in Grandview. We had District Council and we talked about how to teach to the commitment and help our investigators resolves their doubts. It was really cool and I learned a lot more about really loving the people we teach, and having more patience with them. 

The Stuggle this week has not been that we haven't found anyone interested, just that we keep finding the interested people that don't speak Spanish! We have sent so many refferals to the English Elders it isn't even fair. They can't speak Spanish either so that just makes our lives harder. 

Saturday we just drove out in the middle of no where, parked, and then walked all afternoon. Long Country Road tracting my friends. It's a reall thing. 

Serviano has been struggling this week. He told us, "I knew you said that Satan would work harder on me, but I didn't know that he would work this hard." The Elders came by and gave him a Pristhood Blessing. We haven't seen him in the past couple of Days, but we are praying for him!

Love you all so much!

1. Dinner at the Sanchez's House

2. Pope Road....

3. Exchanges with Sister Nessen

4. All the awkward Eler and Sister pictures -- Prosser District

5. My Quote Wall

Hermana Lizzy Davis

Washington Kennewick Mission

I Just Want a Bla Ha (Black Hat), June 20, 2016

Hello everyone!

This week has been wonderful! It wasn't too terribly hot. Just like 90s, which is a lot better then it was a week or so ago!

Serviano is working towards the 9th of July for a baptism date. He knows everything is true and he loves the Book of Mormon, he just needs to stop drinking. We went over with him a plan on how he can do it and kick those temptations in the butt! He's very excited. Pray for him to have the strength he needs:) We were just about to close a lesson with him when some of his friends showed up and they were straight up drunk. One of them was asking Hermana Lopez all these deep life questions and the other was telling me he just wants a black hat and what is the name my mother gave me. hahahaha. Then we were walking home and they pulled over and wanted to give us a ride home....and we were like no..sorry! He like got out of his truck and tried to get me to drive. basically people are cray cray. (Do people still say cray cray?) We've talked to like 4 drunk people in the past 3 days. 

Gia is doing pretty well, She still really scared about baptism. We are trying to help her understand about how she won't be alone in this journey and that Christ will be with her every step of the way. We taught her about what she is really promising at Baptism and how the Lord is going to bless her if she acts. We invited her to pray about a date for her baptism. We are seeing her tomorrow, so hopefully that goes well!

I got to go on an Exchange with mi Hermana Mama! I looove Hermana Wade! WE taught lessons all day (And in English!) Teaching in English is so much harder than teaching in Spanish, believe it or not.

President Ware had his Farewell Zone Conference. We talked about being happy though the mission. God made us to be happy. So be happy, be bold, and don't scatter sunshine! Pics attached. Pres Ware rolled his eyes at our #selfiegame

Well that's basically what we've done this week besides knock up our entire area. With all the exchanges and meetings we basically have no miles so we just walk around a lot. #loveit

Love you all so much! Have a wonderful week!

Hermana Lizzy Davis

Washington Kennewick Mission

1. P Ware and I

2. Hermanas Fristrup, lopez, and Nessen and President

3. Our attempt at a zone picture

4. Selfie

5. President and Sister Ware with me

6. More selfies

7. They gave us the wrong size of ice cream...but no complaints here!

8. Exchanges! Hermanas Lopez, Bergmann, Wade and I

9. Hermana Wade and I​