Week 11 - Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

So I know I usually don't write till later, but today we're going to Carlsbad to listen to Elder L. Tom Perry! And we're actually leaving in 40 min. So this note is going to be short, sweet and to the point. I hope you got my Easter letters to the family in time! And let me know what time you can talk on Mother's Day!
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Okay, so as for this past week. It's been a real challenge. I've been trying to learn patience and humility and charity for people. It's been a hard lesson to learn but Heavenly Father is teaching me. It's really difficult for me to work with someone who just won't listen to anyone else's ideas and who thinks they know everything. But I've learned that everyone thinks differently and that sometimes I just won't be able to understand how they think. In those cases I just have to listen and be attentive and try to be a peace maker. I've learned that I can learn a lot from others even if that's not what they're trying to teach you or if they're talking about something completely different. I can learn by the Spirit and usually that is what I need more than what anyone else can tell me.
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I'm sorry this is going to be a very uneventful letter this week. I have learned a lot about myself. (A lot of stuff I didn't Want to know about myself) So I'm trying to correct my bad behaviors and habits and learn to be bendable and maleable so the Lord can mold me the way that will be best for me. It's just been a LONG learning process. But I think I'm finally getting it. :)
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I love you all so much! I'm so grateful to be out here and for the blessings I've received from a loving Heavenly Father. I'm grateful for the Atonement and I've realized that it doesn't need to just play a role in the sins you make but it can help us overcome our bad habits. I love my Heavenly Father and I love my Savior! I pray for you each day and I hope life is going well back in AZ! I love you all Sooooo much! I'm super excited for Mother's Day and I hope you're all happy! :) Love ya!
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Love, Sister Davis
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Oh My Goodness!
I can't believe I almost forgot all the exciting things that happened this week.
1. We taught a class at SDSU. As in we as missionaries had a slide presentation about our church. We were teaching a religion class and there were lots of awkward questions asked that were difficult to answer but I think we did our best and it turned out alright. There was a girl who came up afterward to pretty much tell us that what we believed was wrong, we said we wanted to meet with her later, she came yesterday and we talked to her about what she believed and what we believed and found out it wasn't that different. :) So we'll see her again next week.
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2. Alex (little Alex - not the one who spray painted shirts for us) from Clairemont got baptized!!! I was able to attend the Baptism and sing a musical number with Sister Cluff! We sang How Great Thou Art, no piano (bc we found out 5 hours before!) and we harmonized quite nicely. ;) It was lots of fun to see all my old pals from the ward. :) We are so happy for Alex and the choice he made! It's awesome how people can change and be brought to know more about their Father in Heaven and what He wants for us!
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3. I'm singing again in the Fireside this next Sunday! There's 9 of us singing a beautiful arrangement. I'm so glad I get to sing here. I absolutely love it! Oh and I'm singing a duet with our new zone leader Elder Powell. He's playing the guitar. (I want to learn to play the guitar when I get back... for real this time) :)
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Haha I think that's about it for this week. I'm opening up more with the members, thanks to Heavenly Father and I love our wards. We have some really awesome members that I absolutely love!
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Ok now I'm done for real! I'll talk to you next week! :)
Love Sister Davis

Week 10 - Friday, April 22nd, 2011

Here's the latest. I've never been so excited for Mother's Day!
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Dear Mother,

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I got one package from you all but it included Easter stuff and a few articles of clothing... no music. So I don't know if you just sent one or two? Je ne sais pa. I did get the package from the Ellsworth's though. Now I have lots of Easter stuff. :) HAPPY EASTER! MERRY EASTER... HAVE A GOOD ONE! ;)

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Alright so Wednesday we had transfer meeting and guess what?!? Sis. McCloy, my companion at the MTC, is now my companion again! :) And technically we are supposed to be trained for 12 weeks... well we're finishing each others training. So it's been officially interesting. It's just a good thing we've both learned so much. Now we're training each other the stuff we learned from our trainers. It's lots of fun! I love Sis. McCloy. She is so much fun and she inspires me to be better.... and more humble. (Mosiah 4:11-12)

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Yes, you've heard right, we're working at the Institute at SDSU. We actually cover a pilot program called The Center which incorporates Institute "the Tute", 18th ward and 9th ward, both singles wards. It's fun but Sundays can be very long, being in church for 9 hours... yeah... it's alright. And one of the wards is less talkative so sometimes its difficult for us to always enjoy taking members to that ward. But we're working on all three things right now, So we're constantly at the center just trying to talk to people and get to know members, inspire everyone we meet, meet with nonmembers, plan and help out in activities, etc. It's pretty much like being back in the Singles ward back home so I have to constantly remind myself that I'm a missionary and I have stuff to do. We occasionally go to the campus to talk to people but I haven't really gone since I've been here.

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I love working there, I really enjoy everything about it. We work with two other missionaries there, Elders Yi and Davis. And I don't think we're related to Elder Davis... but we did both have to give talks on Sunday in the 18th ward! It was actually really fun, I talked about things I've learned as I've been a missionary. It was really scary/good to talk. :)

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I think my hardest struggle this transfer is going to be opening up to talk to people mor because both Sis. McCloy and I are quietish, and I'll have to work with someone who has been driving me crazy. He just won't listen to anyone, and he always thinks he's right... SO i'm learning patience and humility right now. I really need it. But I love working with the Denlers and they are both such a fun couple. I was looking for them and then the first day we were transfered into the center I met them and it was a bunch of "no ways," "I know them too," and "they're awesome." Haha it was fun. They are awesome missionaries and we're sad to see them go next month.

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As for Clairemont, no one is baptized yet, two of them can't be baptized on their date because they didn't go to church and the other one, we're praying for him to be baptized this Saturday. But I don't here about what's going on. We visited Sis. Thomas and it went well. She is doing better, we took pictures with her and talked to her about life and Bro Thomas. She just keeps praying and we keep praying for him. He's the investigator we care most about from Clairemont. We shouldn't have favorites... but we do. And yes, Sis. Cluff with forever be a great friend. She's just all around awesome! :)

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It sounds like eveyone is doing really well back home and that you all are having a blast. I pray for you all every day! Hey have you seen Elder, no longer Elder Cowan? It's weird that everyone is coming home now... :) OH! Guess what!? Amy Ruben is going on a mission!!! She is going to be serving in California too! Different mission but still cool! Haha And Maddy you better tell me when Becca gets engaged. ;) Check her facebook daily.

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As for life, life is well, I'm learning a lot and loving it. I think days are naturally better when you teach people bc you are constantly inviting the spirit so the days have been slower as we don't teach much in the Center. But we're going to change that around starting this week. Pres wants us to find 3 new investigators this week! So we're going to be working on it!

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Well I have to go right now but I thought I'd share some random bits of info:

I got 16 mosquito bites this week on my legs... from standing outside of a house talking. :P

I found out that the actor who played Gilbert Blythe is actually LDS and the reason he looks so much older in the 3rd movie is bc he served a mission in between. Cool huh?

When our investigator Alex, found out we were leaving he gave Sis. Cluff and I shirts that he spray painted. THey look awesome! I'll send a picture some time.

There are 3 of us from the MTC at the same time who are in the same district now! We actually make up half the district, Elder Saager, Sis. McCloy and I! IT's lots of fun.

Livy's birthday present may be a little late so I apologize.

Check out the new Joseph Smith movie on the internet!!! I want to see it so badly!

Last but Definitely not least, Elder Perry is coming to talk to us! I couldn't remember if I had told you or not. But he's coming to talk to us and we are opening two more stakes so pretty much all this splitting wards between missionaries is going to stop! And we may be moved in a week or two, no one knows yet!

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Before I forget, we need to schedule a time for me to call you all on Mother's Day so let me know what time works best!

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Well I love you all and hope you are all doing super well! Keep up the good work, study Preach my Gospel, it's awesome! And continue to be the best examples you can be! :) I love you!

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Love Sister Davis

*Week 8 - Friday, April 22nd, 2011

Here's Maureen's email from two weeks ago that didn't send for some reason. You all get a double dose this week! Happy Easter to everyone. Thanks for sharing this experience with us. It makes it sweeter.

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(FROM LAST WEEK SORRY)
Thanks Mom for the letter, don't worry I know you all didn't forget about me. :) Oh and Thanks for the package! I felt so special when I got it. :) Thanks for the cookies and goodies and yes one of those shirts was the correct red shirt I asked for. Funny how I thought there was only one I left behind. It was the stripped shirt. Thanks for the CDs too. We've been listening to them in the car all day. Tell Maddy thanks for putting them together... or writting on them... whatever it is she did. But I know that was her handwriting. :) And thank you for the elf stuff! I just barely ran out. :)
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Well i hope everyone is doing well and that you all enjoyed General Conference! I thought it was absolutely fantastic. But I can't remember my notes right now so we'll have to discuss at a later date. I did however have a question answered by Elder Oaks' WHOLE talk. That was awesome.

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As for missionary work, this week has been a slower week. We realized that most of our investigators are afraid of committments, so we're trying to figure out how to get them to commit and at the same time we realize we need to find more people. I'm trying to get out of my comfort zone and talk more. It's working... :) The only person we really talked to and felt really good about was Sara. We finally saw her again and her mom wasn't there. Hallelujah! We talked to her and she's doing so much better and we taught her how to pray! Well her dad came over, and he's a big guy so we were nervous, especially bc we've gone to his house before and he pretty much closed the door in our faces... pretty much. But because we were playing with his granddaughter he seemed to like us more. ha! It was awesome! And we're trying to meet with her tonight too!

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I'm sorry I don't have any cool amazing stories but I could tell you about my district right now. We have Hmong elders, Spanish elders, ASL elders and English Sisters. Pretty much the most diverse district ever! But they're all awesome! We do things pretty much every P-day together bc we are all buddy buddy. :) Last time we did play frisbee! But no mom, I couldn't show off any as it was slightly windy... and I don't have any skills to show off anyhow. Oh well. :) But it was lots of fun and we got to know everyone a little better. Elder Bennet is a spanish elder and he's just goofy. Elder Scoresbe, Bennet's companion, is from Alaska and yes I already asked him if he knew the Tanners, he said it was a possibility. I guess it is a big state. Then we have Elder Insong (Hmong elder) from the Philipines who pretty much has a fiance back home, they have the day picked and everything... it's ... interesting, for lack of a better word. His Companion is Elder Blatter who is leaving next week and today was his last P-day, hence the California Burrito meal for lunch today. I don't know the ASL elders at all, Elder Taylor reminds me and Sis. Cluff of Handsome Rob from the Italian job, in the way he acts. Haha he and his companion Elder Porras are hillarious. And you already know Sis. Mitchell. Sis Park is super funny, always witty humor and is super sarcastic. We get along swimmingly. :)
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Well! Time for random facts. Fact: Sammy Baugh who is 8, a member, and lives right behind us, is a mennace. Love him dearly, he likes to attack the house while we're studying and he and his friend through their birds at our door on Saturday mornings, yes, live birds. Why? We figure that's their way of flirting with the sister missionaries. It's not cute. ANYway, I have a dictionary and now whenever I don't understand a word completely I look it up. mom, I thought you'd be proud. haha.

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Fact: Sis. Cluff is teaching me a bit of Tagalog. Guess what this means, Pananampalatya. Faith. That's right I know, Magaling (which I always thought was the verb for being a muggle) but it means talented. It's my favorite word. ;) haha Fact: last night during daily planning, Sis Cluff and I talked in a Brittish accent for so long that I thought we really were brittish for a while. I thought Jono would be proud. Fact: I have a candy drawer. yes. it's true. And Sis Cluff laughs at me because I always add something new each week. I am eating constantly. I have protein bars every day and I have to bring snacks and candy to keep me going, is it healthy... asi asi, but at least I don't starve right? :D Hey Mom, could I get Aunt Diana's address and Aunt Janelle's as well? Thanks. :)

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Ok that's it of my life.
Mom - that's so cool that you got to see Manhatten Transfer, Dad must love you or something. ;) How are the Temple trips coming? Are you getting ready for Livy's baptism? When is it at? Are you excited to have your sisters visit? I saw the pictures and I don't even know what to think. The room looks awesome but it is totally not my room anymore! And thanks for the pictures of everything else. I loved them. And I definitely approve of Maddy and Erin's hair cut! They're cute but I'm shocked that Maddy chopped it! Yes we watched conference and loved it. And I hope your meeting went well today. It sounds like you are all doing well and on top of everything! that's awesome! And good luck with Pete, pray about it and I know you will make the best decision. :) Love you Mom!

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Dad- how is extra work going? And how is normal work coming? Are you getting lots of consults? Who took my place at work? How's life? Thanks for the letter you sent me! You know you could have mailed it just in the envelope. Haha. But thank you so much I loved it. And Sis. Cluff says hi to you all back. I love you so much dad!

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Maddy- Thank you for the E-mail, if you e-mail me again next week I promise I'll actually respond to you in e-mail. :) And you and Erin and Emmy and Olivia should write me on e-mail each week. That's be fun to talk to you all on email! Well I love you and I approve of your hair cut! Good luck with BYU. you'll get in - just make sure you tell them everything! Haha

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Erin- I love you and mom says you're doing really well. How did you enjoy conference? Did you ask a question? Sorry apparently my letter came a bit late. I hope school is going well and mom tells me that you're having lots of fun Lauren Beavers! Thats awesome. P.S. I love your haircut! It's super cute!

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Emmy- I love you and I'm so glad you're enjoying softball. Keep playing hard and work on that pitching arm! And have fun in gymnastics! Have mom send me pictures of you. P.S. you sent me your letter to Joey... Should I forward it on? :) haha

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Olivia - I love you write down some jokes for me! I want to hear them. Tell mom to write down your jokes. I missed your letter this week. :( Write me next time.

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I love you all! I'm glad everything is going well! I love you all soooo much! Keep up the good work! And enjoy the pictures! :) i'll send more next time.

Pictures 2

Week 9 - Monday, April 18th, 2011

Dear Mom-

. Last weeks e-mail! I'm so sorry! It said it had sent, so I didn't worry about it. Then I come today and it said it had problems... just my luck. :P Well I re-sent it so that you can have it. I think what caused the problem was the pictures. I tried to send 8 pictures. :) Maybe I'll try less from now on.

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Big Shocking News: I'm being transfered. Yes only after 6 weeks of being out here. I'm being transfered and I won't know where or with whom until tomorrow. So if I write at a different time, I can't really help it. When we got the call I was sooooo confused! I have so much work to do here in Clairemont! And I just barely started driving and got to know the area and... I'm getting moved. And Sis. Cluff won't finish my training! So pretty much I'm getting a new trainer for the next 6 weeks and then Sis. Cluff thinks I may actually train. I'm officially terrified!

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But I know Heavenly Father loves me and is watching out for me. I actually came up with a cool analogy the other day! (I've been using a lot and it's very strange) The analogy is that Heavenly Father has a Map, a HUGE map with every path drawn on. He see's the little dot that says "you are here" (where we are) and he see's the big X marks the spot. He see's which path we need to take to get to the X, not necessarily the fastest way but the best way for us. Sometimes that path will include a spot of quicksand, a tiger lurking behind the trees or an occassional vine we have to swing on. All we can see is what's around us and every time we come up to a fork (or a three-k) in the road, we have to decide which path to go down. Now sometimes the clear ones will not lead to the best places, sometimes we have to go on a path that hasn't been walked on a lot but Heavenly Father sends his messenger "our guide" to tell us where to go and what to do. We need to listen to that guide because that's the only way we're getting back safely!

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Well This week has been a busy one, thank goodness! We've been talking to people right and left and we've had great experiences of people actually praying during the lesson to know if this is where they're supposed to be and they get the answer right there on the spot! It's been so cool! And we have 3 people that can get baptized and have dates! But I won't be here for them. oh well. We've talked to many less actives and the stake just had their trek here, so many of the youth who were less active before are coming now! We were so excited. They actually got to walk in the snow! It was crazy. We did have a hard experience this week though. We received revelation for Bro. Thomas and realized we had to tell him he wasn't ready and that we wouldn't be seeing him for a while. That was one of the hardest days of my mission. Telling him we couldn't teach him because he needed to gain a testimony for himself. I was about in tears. I felt extremely horrible afterward because Sis. Thomas gave us the quickest, briefest hugs afterword and instead of talking like usual, we were pretty much pushed out the door. We're going to visit her today before we leave. That is another hard thing! After I leave who will take care of that family? They were my home away from home. I absolutely love that family and I'm heartbroken that I have to leave them. I hope I can come back soon! Well... We know Heavenly Father is looking out for them and knows what they need the most. I trust Him.

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Well little updates: I've been making meals lately, and I'm surprised I've actually enjoyed doing it so much! I made BBQ chicken last week and Sis. Cluff is begging me for the recipe. ;) We made Fajitas and lettuce wraps and something else but I forgot. We also made Suicide cookies - (Mom's Note - she means chocolate crinkles, wierd name, but if you breath in the powdered sugar before you take a bite, you choke. . . ) But the consistency was wrong so I'm trying to figure out what I did wrong. Oh! haha And I saw this huge Portal 2 sign like 50 times but whenever I saw it I was always too late to take a picture. Finally! We got a picture. Just before leaving too! Sis. Cluff will tell you that I'm crazy. ;) Ah I'm going to miss her. She was seriously like another sister. Well we saw a rainbow, so we have another year before the second coming. :) There was actually a Double rainbow... but it was hard to capture. Robbie's cutting my hair today! I'm getting it cut again because it's in the awkward middle stage and I can't do Anything with it! We'll talk to her today to see how she's doing. :)

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As for you all going to stores... I'm not jealous bc I don't like shopping remember? :) and actually I've been to H&M while I've been out here and I got a cute navy shirt. As for e-mails, I can only e-mail immediate family. I can receive e-mails and read them but I can't respond.

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Family!

You all sound so happy! I'm so glad that you and dad got to go to the Temple! As for Maddy's concert I hope you recorded it so I can see it when I get back. :) Tell Erin I'm praying for her and that after her family, callings are next in importance. And if she works on it, she will be blessed so much more! As for Emmy maybe I can give her tips when I get back on softball. ;) I'm sure she is fantastic at softball and teaching others a thing or two. As for Olivia, she sounds very content with life right now, I'm happy for her. :) I love you all! You're all awesome!

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I hear from people often, especially Danielle haha. Today is the first day I went to get mail and there was nothing... I'll get used to it bc I'm sure it will happen more often. :) I have a lot of letters to write anyhow.

Well I love you all and hope you are all doing well. You'll find out next Tuesday where I'm going. :)

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Love ya!

Love, Sister Maureen Davis

Maureen's pictures!