WEEK 83

  So it has been a little of a different week. We had MTE's (Missionary Training Exchanges) yesterday and we finished up this morning, so things have been a bit crazy for past few hours.  It's just where we exchange companions and go out and work together and try to learn from one another and see how we can improve.  Guess who I was with on MTE's though?  Bet you have no idea! I was with the Sherm Dawg! Oh what an adventure it was! It was also cool to see that he and I still got it. We still have that unity and what not and we had a great time together. :)  Elder Sherman has another 6 weeks and then he goes home.

   So things are going alright here. Yes I am in a trio now. But that is because one of the elders here went back to San Diego so his companion is with us for the next week. The other Elder went back to San Diego because he is a sign language missionary and they needed him back there. But it has been a lot of fun. We actually have had a car ever since last Tuesday because he had a car for his area.  So we have not biked that much lately. But things are going well. Trying to juggle both areas is interesting but somehow we are figuring it out. :)   

    We were not able to see R or R this week but we were able to see a lot of people and find a less active man that wants to come back to church and marry his wife in the temple. So that's pretty cool! :) 

    Transfers are exactly in a week so I should know exactly in a week what';s going down with transfers.  I probably will finish my mission out here. I am okay with it though because I do love it here. 

    Sacrament  in Spanish is going well.  Last week was different because we had to go the 3 sacrament meetings since we are in a trio. So I missed out on Sunday school but it was good :) 

    The best of my week was probably yesterday when I was with Elder Sherman. We were able to see a lot people and have a good time together. Plus it was nice to have a lot of positivity and it was just overall really fun.  I enjoyed it. I probably won't be able to go to the temple until I go home because if we are in the Valley, we can't go to the temple. So I am not sure. I am hopeful to be able to go soon but we'll see. 

   So yep, that's me. I'm glad that you enjoyed my little gift for valentines day. I wish I could have done more but I just wanted to show that I cared about you and that I loved and appreciate everything that you do for me. I sure do love you Mom. :) You are the best!

   Love, 

   Elder Taylor C. Davis

P.S.  If people ask why I didn't email them or anything please just tell them that my week was super crazy and I didn't have a lot of time. Love you!   XxxOooXoOxxXo

WEEK 82

    So it has been a bit of an interesting week to say the least. But all in all, it has been a good week. We were able to get a lot done and it was nice to do so.  I actually was able to interview another person this past week and she is scheduled to get baptized this Saturday! And she wants me to baptize her. What the?... I just met her and she wants me to baptize her instead of the missionaries that teach her. Weird. 

   Oh and we also got to de-demonize a house on Sunday so that was pretty fun. **** and ****** are doing well. ****** had the flu this week so they didn't come to church but they still have the desire to go and are really showing a lot of interest.  ****** didn't say much about the job thing but we'll see him this week again and find out. **** is doing well too. This week one of her friends got baptized because of her and that was really cool. We were able to help her with her talk and that was cool.  

   The bike is holding up pretty well. I don't have any complaints so far. We pretty much do ride everywhere. The other day we prob did about 50 miles. The only time we use a car is when we get a ride to stuff from the other Elders. But their car in the shop for a few days so there are no cars in El Centro now.

   Things with Elder Johansen are going well. He is a really good kid and a super good missionary.

     

  The Spanish things are going pretty well too. I actually had to speak in Sacrament meeting this Sunday. So you can imagine that that was fun. The told me Tuesday afternoon. I think it went ok though. I hope.

   Glad that you have been enjoying the pictures.  I don't want you to get used to it and then me get transferred and it not happen.  

   So I did get the February package. Thank you so much! I felt bad that my gift was so lame compared to yours. If you have even gotten it. But it really did mean a lot to me, so thanks.  My Valentines Day was alright. I ended up on exchanges with one of the zone leaders and we just worked hard all day and it was like a normal day.

  

   Sounds like everything is going pretty good at home and that's great. 

   Anyways, Love your guts!

   Love, 

   Elder Taylor C. Davis

P.S.- Elder Karlinsey is going to San Diego in a couple days and he said that if you have a package that needs to be sent, he will take it and drop it off at the mission office.  Here's a quick pic that we snapped a couple hours ago. I'll explain later. Love you!

XOXOXxxooxoxoxXOxxxxxooOOOOxXXX

 

TENDER MERCY

This morning I found these pictures in a facebook message.  They were sent by a member who attends the institute class Taylor attends/teaches in El Centro.  How fun to see him in different settings!

WEEK 81

   So things went pretty well this week! I finally got my bike out of the shop! It's not the best bike in the world, but I really do like it and I am glad to finally have it. The week has been good.  It's just been a little crazy. This past weekend our room mates had 3 baptisms and the week before that I got to interview all of them.  So it was cool once again to see people that I had interviewed enter into the waters of Baptism.  I am district leader again.  I just didn't want everyone to make a big deal about it again so I just kinda hinted at it.

   Pretty crazy that Kenna is already done and waiting for her mission call!  I wonder if she'll go somewhere foreign or something.

   Have to say that I am not surprised that you used your spirituality to help someone out yet again. You have always been so good at following the promptings of the spirit!  You are a machine!  I hope to someday be able to heed the promptings of the spirit like that!  You never cease to amaze everyone do you?  

   How is Beechop? Is he doing any better?

   So I have thought about and prayed about BYU a bit but it just doesn't feel right.  I think I would hate it and that I would just end up wanting to transfer somewhere else.  Plus if I'm thinking of going into the medical field, I wouldn't want to go to BYU anyway.

   So this week was pretty good. We saw a lot of people and we actually inherited a recent convert that wanted to be taught by us (the Spanish missionaries) instead of the English so that was cool. She's super cool and is helping us out a lot and is trying to get us to teach her mom. We saw Ruben and he is meeting with the Bishop today for a job interview.  Apparently his job now is super hard on him and he wants a different one so he can come to church every week. SUPER COOL! Plus he has been listening to the Book of Mormon on CD and is already on disc 5!  What a champ!  Things with the Spanish sacrament meeting in church are actually going really well.  There were actually Spanish Sunday School classes and everything this week!  Plus we are meeting with a member of the stake presidency to talk about it over lunch emails.  So yeah it is going well.  The members are really excited and it seems to be helping the investigators as well.

    The Iron Horse (his bike)  is good. I don''t know how you can help.  You help with enough already on my mission. :)  I think it will work just fine. :)

    I'll forward you the info that you need to send the stuff to UVU. :) Thanks for helping out with that. 

     We don't really have Valentine's plans, that would be a little weird. We just plan on a normal day. :)

      About the room situation, I honestly have no preference as to what room I have. My only concern is that I get my bed back and that I have a 9ers room. At this point, me moving downstairs would probably be better for everyone because it would be easy. Plus Jonah wouldn't have to feel like he only got all perks of that room while I was gone and that the spotlight was back on me again. I have been thinking about him and I think the downstairs room would be most beneficial for us all.  :)

    My Utes blanket is okay. It's actually held up pretty well for my mission so that has been nice.

   

    Well I sure do love you!

    Love,  

    Elder Taylor C. Davis

 I asked Elder Davis for a picture of his face this week - this is what I got!  LOL

This is his zone.

Elder Davis' bike.

WEEK 80

   Happy February!!! Holy Cow it's already February!  I am super happy that you enjoyed the email.  Ahhh your email brought me a sigh of relief.  I was getting super frustrated with the whole U of U thing and things just weren't making sense. Then, as I was struggling, I had the thought, "you're going about it the wrong way." I was confused about this so I prayed. Immediately I had the impression that now is not the time for me to go to the U. I was super worried because of what my patriarchal blessing says and was confused. So I continued to pray and felt like your email would help me out.  As soon as I read it, I took everything into consideration and prayed again to ask if going to UVU is what I should do. Then, I got a very strong spiritual confirmation that it is what I need to do.  So that is what I am going to do and I am NOT going back on it. Hopefully I can get all the financial aid and everything done before March 1st so it will be a smooth transition. But yes that is my decision.

    I am sorry to hear that going through and finding all that stuff made you sad.   :(   But I am glad you put it all away and that you feel good about it. :)  You are so funny.

  

   So other than all the college stuff, it was a decent week. We were able to see a lot of people again this week and I was able to borrow a bike from a super cool member until my bike is out of the shop (hopefully tomorrow).  The bike situation is kinda lame but it's still better than it was.  But yes, I do have to agree, it could be worse.  

   It was a super crazy and stressful Sunday because there is so much change now but it is so sick!  So this Sunday they started up a Spanish sacrament meeting and classes for all the Spanish people that live in the area and it was amazing to see how excited and pumped everyone was. Just to add to the awesomeness, Josefina and Rafael showed up and were so pumped that they stayed for the English and the  Spanish sacrament meeting!! Holy poop! Plus I was able to talk to Josefina after church and she is super happy and excited and she seems to be doing well. It's a shame that I can't teach her anymore but her and I were making jokes and laughing all throughout the classes in Spanish. It has been a really good week!  :)  Ruben and Roselee are doing alright.  We haven't been able to set them with a date yet, but they are doing pretty good.  We were talking to Ruben and he said that he never wanted to miss church ever again.  

   Unfortunately since we are in the Valley, we were unable to participate in the Mormon Battalion thing, so that was a bummer. But I heard it was pretty cool.

   I have to say that when I heard the Cheatriots won, I almost cried and have been a little angry ever since,  haha.  

   The best part of my week would have to be Sunday. That just trumps everything else.

   So just to reiterate, I think what I want to do is go to UVU from home and maybe later transfer over to the U.  I still don't know what I want to study but I will just work on my generals and take that problem to the temple when I can.  :)

   Thank you so much for being the inspired Mom that you and always being connected with Heaven. I sure do love you!  

   Love, 

   Elder Taylor C. Davis

    P.S. - I didn't exactly buzz my hair but I did cut it myself and it's all the same length. I should hopefully be getting it cut by a pro soon though.

TENDER MERCY

This morning I awoke to find these pictures on Facebook.  Heavenly Father must have known how much I needed to see my missionaries face today!  Thank you Gloria for posting them!!!  They were taken at Superbowl tailgate party.  The missionaries were able to go to the pre-party, but not watch the Superbowl.  LOL