Thursday, January 26, 2012

Week 47 - Thursday, January 26th, 2012

It sounds like Maureen is really having a great experience with her newest companion. We're so grateful that she is happy and progressing. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers for her. I know that they help her.
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Candi
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Dear everyone!
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I'm sorry I don't have too long to write but I do have a few things to share. Not so much about the miracles this week but more on the side of what I've been learning this week. Heavenly Father truly has a plan for us and He's organized it so well that I don't believe anything is a coincidence. :)
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For starters, I have an amazing companion that is teaching me so much. She is a hard worker and teaches me how to work more effectively and helps me know what I'm supposed to do. But what I've really been impressed about and what I'm really learning from her is my purpose as a missionary. And I've begun to realize what I'm Really doing here on my mission. I'm bringing people to the gospel and helping them receive those saving ordinances that Only come through Christ's church. Not just non-members but members alike. When I get home I will know and hopefully will always remember what I must do as a member of Christ's church, help Everyone receive those ordinances! Never will you see me miss church (unless it's a dire circumstance) because the Sacrament is far too important. Never will I slack in my callings because the people whom I serve are far too important for me to be lazy or "too busy." Never will I pass up an opportunity to go to the Temple and perform those sacred ordinances for those who have never had the opportunity. Never will I Not teach my children about their Savior because they need that testimony early on in life. And Never will I forget what my Savior has done for me. I will wear out my life in serving Him. That is what my mission has taught me. :)
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He has a work for me to do, and something I learned this past Sunday is that I need to have more faith in His plan. This past Sunday was stake conference. Only it was a regional conference for all of Southern California, so a few members of the 70, Sister Thompson of the Relief Society presidency and Elder Perry spoke to us. I loved all of their talks! Elder Johnson spoke to us about faith and how many of us feel that faith is, "if I pray long enough or if I fast enough I will get what I want because I have faith that God will give it to me." I used to think that way too. When I was about 8 I thought I had enough faith like Peter, and if I used my faith I could walk on water like him! I tried, several times, to walk on the water in my pool. Unfortunately I just kept falling in. However, in my eight-year-old mind I reasoned out that if Heavenly Father ever needed me to walk on water He would let me (like if someone was drowning or something). I almost figured it out that day I tried walking on water. Faith isn't hoping for something long enough to get it, praying about it and fasting over it tirelessly. It is believing that God has a plan for me, even though I can't see what that plan is right now; it's knowing that He has a plan for me that will lead me to true and lasting happiness that I can't even fathom in this life. And then working on following HIS plan to bring me to that place. We exercise that faith when we pray to know His plan and let His plan come to pass and help us on the way when it's hard. That is faith. So when it comes to walking on water, if it's part of His plan for my happiness, it will happen. But regardless of whether I walk on water or not, I know I will be happy as I follow His plan for me. :)
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I love Heavenly Father, He loves me, He has a plan for me and He wants me to succeed in that plan. He encourages me to walk the path of faith with Him, though I cannot always see the way. He gives me an iron rod to hold on to: scriptures, Prophets, revelation. And most importantly He gave me a Savior, who is Christ the Lord; who redeems me, who enables me and who provides resurrection and a possibility of Eternal Life. His plan is flawless and perfect and I love it. I love teaching it, I love sharing it and I love seeing it light others lives. I love my missionary service and I couldn't be near as happy without it. :)
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I love you all!
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Love, Sister Maureen Davis

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Week 46 - Thursday, January 19th, 2012

Here is Maureen's latest. She is on fire! So, consider yourself warned. Actually we couldn't be more proud . . . in a good, humble way.
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Dear Arizonans, Utahns, Californians, and wherever else you may be,
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This week has been so good. Sis. Park and I are busy teaching everyone that breathes... okay maybe not that many but man are we always so busy. We had another baptism this past week, which makes two this year already. It was really neat and the spirit was so strong there. The lady being baptized, Brenda invited her husband and a friend who are not members. Her friend was crying the whole time and wanted to learn more from the missionaries. :) And her husband is getting closer to baptism. We usually share a message while the person baptized is getting dressed so we showed a mormon message about listening to the Holy Ghost and how we need to live by faith in a world governed by sight. We challenged everyone there to follow what the spirit invited them to do as they were at the baptism that night. It was so powerful! Then Bishop got up and invited all those who were not baptized to pray about it and be baptized. Then Brenda got up and bore her very first testimony (as she put it). It was such a wonderful baptism - the spirit was so strong and we heard so many amazing testimonies that night.
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Well, at church on Sunday Beth and her whole family came and Stayed all three hours. It was so neat and the kids loved it. I guess in the past they've been bored. But it was a great experience for everyone there. Then we met with their family again last night. We talked to them about why it was important for them to get an answer to prayer and to know if the Book of Mormon was true. We shared with them that if we want to live with Christ and Heavenly Father again we must follow the right path and make sure what we are doing is on the right path. So we must pray to find out if this is the path Heavenly Father wants us on. It was so neat to see them understand that. We taught them how they would get their answers to their prayers and how the Holy Ghost speaks to us and then we invited them to be baptized. The 7 year old perked up and said he wanted to be baptized. Haha then both Beth and Ruth said they would be baptized too! It was so neat and Dale (the husband) was so happy with his family and their decision. They told us that they have loved having us over because their family has come closer together and they've needed that time together for a while. It's so true. The Gospel blesses families, it brings more love, patience, and peace into our lives and our relationships. And it was so neat to actually see that take place in this family over the past few months. Ruth told us that she knows we are messangers from God. A 10 year old can recognize it. I hope that many others will feel the blessings of the Gospel, it's effects in our families and our lives and choose that road that will bring us closer to our Heavenly Father.
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Well other than that our week has been really good. We've been busy trying to talk to everyone. We've had some amazing members helping us out, going with us to appointments, taking our investigators to the Mormon Battalion, visiting those that need some support. It's been really good. We're going to try to focus our efforts a little more on the members and how they can be amazing examples to others. On Sunday we had our ward council meeting and we were discussing the ward mission plan for the ward this year. Half of our ward council understood that this is designed to help people come closer to Christ through the ordinances and the other half was very concerned with how this applied to them. It made me sad to see how selfish we all can be at times. We don't realize it but many times we don't do things unless it benefits us somehow. I admire those that stick up for the truth and have the desire to spread this amazing message with the world. If everyone understood that they were children of a God and that He has a plan for them this world would be 1000 times better. But that's exactly how satan works. He tries to diminish not only our self-worth but our view of God's other children and we get so focused on our physical needs. We've been listening to conference talks lately and we just heard a talk by President Uchtdorf about love being spelled out as T-I-M-E. And what we spend our time on shows what we value in life. I hope that I always take the time for God first and then my family. I know that as I do that everything else will fall into place. Satan wants us to be busy with anything: texting, movies, tv, video games!, facebook, internet, etc, whether it's good or not because when we make ourselves busy we tend to not think of others or God. I hope and pray that we can simplify our lives to spend time on those things which truly matter most. :)
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Anyway enough of my soap box. I know these things are true. I know God gives us Prophets to lead and guide us in this war against the adversary. I know that in a battle we need faithful leaders who help us to stay organized and win the fight. That's why God wants order, that's why we have Prophets and teachers and leaders and parents, etc. He's so wise. :)
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Well I love you a lot! Give my hugs to my sisters and parents. Thank you for the wonderful examples you have been to me.
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Love Sister Maureen Davis

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Week 45 - Thursday, January 5th, 2012

Thank you Everyone for the Birthday wishes! That was so sweet of you. :)
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I couldn't hear your voices on the video but I imagined they were beautiful! :) I'm so grateful to be here on a mission. And it's been a very very good birthday so far, I'll argue to say the best! I miss family of course but my lovely companion delayed getting ready this morning to make me a small chocolate birthday cake and then she wrote with an eraser on the mirror Happy Birthday Sis. Davis <3 I almost missed it! haha we went to the lighthouse today and my last companion, Sis. Hudson called to sing happy birthday, and I'm going to see her and Sis. Nichols tomorrow at a baptism!!! Staci New in our ward is getting baptized tomorrow after a lot of hard work and effort. :) We're so excited for her. She's been investigating the church for over a year now. Anywho.... I got the package today! It was awesome. I'm wearing the bracelet right now, I love the necklace, I'm excited for the teeth whitener and for listening to my ipod in the car now! And I got so excited when I saw my favorite cake and candles. man! you guys know me soooo well! ;) I told sis. Park that was my favorite cake earlier so we were both laughing when I found it. Thank you all! Oh and we went to In and Out, yum! and we went to the Lighthouse with our zone, minus the zone leaders. It was lots of fun. We have an australian elder so I naturally begin to try speaking like him and then he mimics american, it's quite entertaining. :) ps was the ipod shuffle for me or was that accidently in my package? :)
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Anywho, awesome birthday! And to top it all off with a strawberry on top, we get to go to Book of Mormon study tonight! It's the best thing ever. Learning about the book of mormon with a bunch of members, less actives and investigators, it's the best thing ever! I'm sooo excited. :)
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Welp... Life has been good, the work has been hard but really neat. Sis. Park and I are working our tails off, we're going to be the best missionaries we can be and I'm so excited! We're striving to be exactly obedient so we can have the spirit more in our lives, we're trying to be bold and loving, and we're trying to be better teachers. It is going to be an amazing experience! I also have a half companion as my companion is a sister trainer. She goes on exchanges each week and she is in charge of all the full-time proselyting sisters. So while she's on exchanges with others I go on exchanges with the other trainer sister's companion, Sis. Rudd. We cover both my english area, which is huge and her spanish area, which covers a stake. I got to meet with some of her investigators and try using my spanish skills.... I really need the spirit and the gift of understanding tongues. I just can't do it alone. But it's been good. I love both my real companion and my half companion. They both teach me a lot and I really have been working on humility lately. It's been a good lesson to learn. :)
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So miracle this past week. There is a couple we're working with who literally only have a trailer... that's all they have. The lady's name is Donna and she's been married to someone for 16 years now and trying to get a divorce because he's abusive. She's been living with her boyfriend because they don't have any other place to go as they're so poor. So naturally she can't get baptized till she gets married or moves, she can't get married till she's divorced and she can't move out or she'll be on the street... lots of hardships. So she and her boyfriend Ron have been praying for a miracle. Well on wednesday Donna was out working for the owner of the trailer park they're at (who's mormon) and she heard someone say her name. Guess who moved in RIGHT across the street? It was her husband who's been avoiding her for the past 15 years. She asked him if he'd sign the divorce papers and he said he would! Turns out he trims trees and he just got a job at the house across the street and he was willing to get the papers signed. So Saturday, New years Eve, and Dad's birthday (by the way, Happy Late Birthday Dad!) he was served the papers and in 6 months they'll be divorced.
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What a way to start off the new year. They have a wedding and baptism set for the 1st of July. We are SOooo happy for them! It was truly a blessing and a miracle from God, and they know it. :)Well I love you all! Thanks for the birthday presents and wishes! :) Know that everything is going well here and I'm loving my mission as always.
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Love ya! Love, Sister Maureen Davis