June 27, 2011. Give oh Give

This last week was amazing. Jane Noblitt...  One June 25, Jane's Birthday she was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The Baptism program went as follows.

   * Sister Davidson (me) ha gave a talk on Baptism. I had my comp. sing "Give said the Little Stream" because that is JANE

   * The three Ward girls sang "When i am Baptized"

   * Sister Buchanan (my companion) gave a talk on the Holy ghost

   * Jane bore her testimony of how she came to know the church was true

This baptism was the best event I have been to that I can remember.. because the spirit was so strong in the room and throughout the entire program it seemed there wasn't a dry eye. I want to make a little tribute to Jane Noblitt. 

     Jane had 9 brothers... her mother died when she was four.. She grew up in Massachusetts. She had an extremely difficult childhood

    Jane took care of three triplet girls until they were from the time they were babies until they were 18, because their mother couldn't.

     She always wanted to have her own children but could not.. so she adopted one boy. She said she used to cry alot and ask God why He didn;t allow her to have her own children.. then she finally decided that there were so many children around that needed her love already that weren't getting it. 

  Jane was a nurse for many years... she prides herself in caring for others.. it's her favorite thing to do. She always talks about how god made us to serve others and to help and love one another.. if there is anyone she comes in contact she says she tries to give them as much love as she can.. so they can feel the love God has for them.

   She opened a Bakery in Columbus, montana and also a cleaning business

   She can build things because she grew up with so many brothers.. she built her a shop for her late husband all by herself and shingled the roof of her own house.

    She was in a serious car accident that caused her jaw to shatter and had to have many back surgeries and was told by doctors that she would be a vegetable her whole life.. But after many years she taught herself to walk again.  She also had a stroke which caused her to lose her some of her memory.. she forgets names because of it.

     She lost her "hubby" as she calls him a couple years ago... And ever since went into a little slum of deppression because she feared he was gone forever and she'd never see him again.. she prayed for something to happen.. She asked God to help her make things right again...

   Sister Buchanan my companion.. (a few weeks before I came) was walking down the streets of Columbus doing missionary work one day when her and her comp at the time passed A lady in a blue coat. on the street... they passed her without saying anything and then Sis Buchanan felt very strongly that she needed to talk to the Lady.. So they ran back awkwardly and talked with Jane.. they asked her if she wanted to meet them and learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ.. She cried and said yes, I just lost my husband and am having a very hard time..

     They saw her a few times before i came to the mission... the first time I met Jane I felt an instant connection with her. I tell my companion.. maybe it is because she is so similar to my Mummi (grandmother) and is so Christ like and loving.. you can't help but love her back. 

   In my talk on Baptism I said that Jane had changed my life. She taught me more about love and service and coming closer to Christ than I taught her. I saw a change in her since we started teaching her the lessons.. I witnessed her depression fade.. I saw a new hope and renewed faith.. with every visit. She now has courage and knowledge which she says she had once forgotten.. but now remembers. . That one day she can be with her husband again. 

   I know that God must REALLY love Jane. I figure He must love me too for allowing me to be a part of her life. . and apart of her experience of being baptized. 

June 20, 2011

This White and Brown horse kept nibbling on my dress and making me pet him!

Look at all these Elk!

Well This week has been crazy... in and out of the Emergency room and hospital a bunch... My favorite places... 
So they found out I have four ulcers in my stomach.. who would of thought a mission stressful?? no way. But the Doctor says she thinks my gallbladder needs to be taken out... So today i underwent a really awful gallbladder test. So hopefully I find out soon and they can just rip it out! I am sick of feeling like garbage!!!
But Hey this week Jane is getting baptized on her birthday.. Saturday June 25th. i couldn't be happier. i am so excited for her. it is going to be WONDERFUL!! 

June 13, 2011

Well where do I start???? It's been a great week for the work and a terrible week for my health... Let's start with the good things.

1. My companion and I have been praying about jane.. the 73 year old woman we have been teaching the last 7 weeks who is basically perfect. . We both felt it was time to ask her if she wanted to be baptized.. as missionaries we come up with a date and then present it.. I really felt strongly about June, 25.. My comp agreed.

2. We brought jane to a young boy in our branches baptism on Saturday.. she loved it!

3. After the baptism we went back to her place and taught her a lesson.. during the lesson she said.. "Well I just want to have that good feeling of the Holy Ghost to be with me all the time, I feel like it just comes and goes.. how can i get that"?  Perfect question Jane! You can recieve the gift of the Holy Ghost after you are baptized! Jane says.. "What do I need to do to get baptized"?  AhAHH! We didn't even have to bring it up.. she did.. we had a great lesson about Baptism/Holy Ghost and the qualifications. 

4. Then we said.. we have prayed about it and we both think that June 25, would be a great date for you to get baptized... Tears rolled down her face as she said.. " Well that will be just beautiful, that's my birthday". 

How great is that??? I feel so blessed to be a part of Jane's baptism. She is beyond wonderful. She has done so much good during her life and served many.. She loves the gospel of Jesus Christ and is so excited about her baptism,. she's calling and telling everyone she see's about it, and about the church. Goes to show that Heavenly Father has his own timing for our lives.. 

Lets get on with the bad/sickness I have been having... 

1. It is terrible being sick as a missionary because you are used to serving people all day.. we have been helping people clean up from the floods and you can't really do that when you feel like death.

2. The top of my stomach feels like it has pieces of glass shattering inside.. this has gone on for days now,

3. Blood has been coming out of places it shouldn't when I use the restroom, so obviously I had to eventually get to the emergency room.. which happened on Sunday

4. the nurse.. in the ER was very young and looked like a student.. i said to my comp "Sweet I get to get poked by a greenie".. She replied.. " oh sister don't worry I'm sure they wouldn't hire any crazies that didn't know what they were doing".  

5. Well not even 2 minutes later the nurse comes in to put an iV in my arm... well obviously she didn't know what she was doing becuase the blood started shooting out of my arm and splattering on the ground.. this really freaked my companion out.. I was laughing really hard which wasn't good for the blood flow.. ha you could tellt he nurse was so worried she didn't figure out  how to stop the blood for like a whole minute (which is alot when blood is gushing out of your arm) Anyhow.. after my clothes which i was sitting on got blood spurted all over them, she finally got it under control.. ha

6. I was there for six hours! I told the Doctor that it was probably stomach ulcers.. but they kept giving me different tests for my gall bladder.. Which wasn't the problem... anyhow basically they just kept giving me morphine and making me drink this nasty white paste (which they called a coctail)..

7. After all that time they just let me go! They were like... I really think you should get in with a doctor tommorrow... Ok??? What the???

8. My conditions are still the same,.. My president is worried sick.. we'll see what happens.. haha the joys of a mission.

Anyhow...

I love you all! Thanks to all that sent me letters I really appreciate it! I could use a few prayers so I could get back to work... love you!

Sis Davidson

June, 6, 2011

Well... we had a baptism on Saturday June, 4th! Marvin Krook:) I am not sure if I have mentioned him before but for the last 6 weeks Sister Buchanan and I have been teaching him. My comp and her last companion taught him some before i came to.  He is 80 years old and has been Methodist his whole life. He married his wife.. who is a member.. three years ago.. His wife died about 15 years ago. Anyhow Sister Krook never pushed him into the gospel, but she knew he would be receptive to it so she invited him to church with her on Sunday's and he came.. eventually he met with missionaries (Elders) and stopped for a while.. Then when they moved to Joliet, Montana he started meeting with Sisters ( my comp and her former) and then me and my comp. i liked him from the start.. he is a huge Jokester so he reminded me of grandaddy.. ha. Anyhow he was very receptive but had a lot of questions.. We were so excited when we committed him to be baptized.. He said " well do I get to get baptized in my birthday suit, thats how I was born the first time". Ha what a silly old man.  His wife said that our particular companionship has brought the Spirit into their home more than ever and she was so grateful we were the one's to see him baptized. that made me happy. his baptism went great. I spoke on the Holy Ghost and my companion sang "His Hands". It was beautiful! I have always loved that song because my mom played and sang it on the piano all the time. I sang that song with my companion to all our investigators this week and nearly every one cried. it was nice. Anyhow I didn't get transferred! I am staying here with my companion for another transfer! Sadly this is her last transfer and she goes home after this. . And that means I will probably take over the area! I am terrified!! 

I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. The happiness it brings to people cannot be measured by any system. There isn't anything more rewarding than watching a person's countenance change.. and becoming happier as they start to realize that Heavenly Father really is there and that He loves them..  For those family members that are reading and are members of the church.. please help the missionaries! Invite them for dinner.. talk to them about the people in your community that they are teaching.. They need you! The most loving thing you can do for anyone is invite them to learn about the Gospel.. the work cannot be done without you. I never realized how much the ward really makes an impact on investigators. Please be sensitive to those who are trying to find the truth.. and be an example of love.   I love you all! I can't believe it has already been two months! it's crazy! 

I hope to hear from you all soon

Love 

Sis Rachelle Davidson

Letter May 30, 2011

Aloha,
Well devastation has struck our area... flooding like crazy. It has destroyed a lot of people's basements and if they lived in an apartment with a basement. It was gone. It was really sad to see... and hard to work with because we wanted to help people clean up the damage but there wasn't much we could do. The flooding keeps coming and the rain will not stop. It's crazy because apparently it has never rained this much EVER in my area of Montana. So no one was prepared at all. It's also really hard to work walking around outside all day in the rain. Anyhow... This week I got to feed a lamb! That was cool. That sucker is strong!!! It almost took my arm off when it was eating. Montana is soooo pretty. Everything is turning green. Probably cause of all the rain. . But anyway it is gorgeous... I saw some antelope and a bunch of turkey's this week too. There are more animals then people. Every Montanan has about 7 dogs and every house we go into they jump up and slobber all over you... my coat is basically a dog fur coat. Good thing I like dogs. I find myself speaking in a way I used to despise... I say things like “I like them boots” or “that don't work” Correct English is not part of the culture here. Haha
Well despite the Weather conditions we were able to find three new investigators this week and teach them the first lesson. It was amazing. I am just so happy to be out here serving the Lord. There is no more important work than this. . There is no better place I could be. There have been so many people here in Montana that I KNOW I was supposed to meet. . That I KNOW I was supposed to talk to. The Lord KNOWS us... He knows us individually... I am so happy that I can just be myself!! The people here are so funny and sometimes do the most outrageous stuff. It is very entertaining.
Well I fasted yesterday... for the investigators and for a man named Marvin... who we have set a baptismal date on Saturday... Hopefully it works out. Anyhow a miracle happened yesterday (I think it was the fasting:) ) because 6 of our investigators came to church and one of them was JANE... My favorite! She is amazing... She loved church. She said, “It's like there's all this knowledge here to bring us happiness, I wish I would have come earlier.. Thank you so much for bringing me here. I feel so happy". How sweet is that? People like her make all the hard days worth it.
I love you all!!! Write to me! I need you letters
Love Sis Davidson