Letter May 23, 2011

Hi family!!!

Well i basically wear cowboy boots all day! That's fun.. but it has been raining like crazy this past weeks... like flooding status.. out of control! I died my hair because it was growing out and I bought a box of LIGHT brown... but it turned out super dark.... oh well. Well it is impossible to stay fit on a mission... Basically if you want to work out at 6:20 A.M your companion wants to kill you. Oh well. Can I just say I am proud of myself for eating some of the most "non- delicious" food ever on my mission and not complaining/worrying about it... elk..nasty nuts in weird fruit pies of all varieties... my least favorite was potato salad!!! ew. ha i love Montana.  It is seriously sooooo beautiful.. oh I saw a skunk this week!!

So when your a missionary you get to do everything in small branches.. this week I had to speak in Sacrament meeting for 20 minutes... which was funny because after i spoke this lady came up and said... "oh hey Sister Davidson, I really liked your talk, I really woke up the last half there when you started talking about how you weren't really wanting to go on a mission but you did".  Ha... ok so basically people don't want to hear about the plan of salvation... they want to hear the dirt on you and your life.. i love that people here have NO SHAME .. they just tell you how it is! Anyway after I spoke then they asked me and my companion to teach the 11 year old class.. ha just right then! Oh and don't worry the week before without notice we taught the 3-6 year olds.. that was fun!

Well this week was pretty great,... jane the older lady investigator we have came to Dinner with us at the Ward families house. The ward's have three little girls and Jane loves kids... it was sooo great to see jane light up and talk non-stop to the kids.. i think it was the first time she had eaten outside of her home in years... it was really sweet.

I thought i would send some new pictures... what Montana looks like and how missionary like I look now (unattractive and frumpy) also to see my fav old lady Jane

I love ya all! Write to me

Sister Davidson

Letter May 16, 2011

Hi Lovely family,


Well this week was seriously insane! It was verrry hard! One day it rained the entire day and i was so freezing that i could barely even walk around... I was dying. haha.
So this week went to our meeting with an investigator who is an older lady.. We watched the movie the "The Testaments" with her which is a great movie all about Jesus Christ coming to the America's after his Resurrection. She seemed to really like it. Afterwards my companion asked if she had felt like what we had been teaching her the past few weeks was true and she said yes.. then we asked her if she felt the book of Mormon was true and she said "yes".. so then we asked if she had prayed and received and answer that it was true and she said.. "yeah and i feel like I'm a good person, and that my family is good, yada yada" and we were like cool... So then my companion says... as you continue reading and praying about these things will you follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized? Then the lady starts SCREAMING.... "I HAVE ALREADY BEEN BAPTIZED I ALREADY HAVE A CHURCH I ALREADY AM A GOOD PERSON". We were floored! My companion was just sitting there with her mouth wide open... so i say.. well we know you're a great person and that you have done well we just came to share a message about the restored gospel. SO then we left.. What was weird about that was that her daughter actually went on a mission... and is a member... and she said she already had a church but she doesn't actually go to church. so it was hard for my companion cause the lady really screamed loud. it was scary. but oh well:)

Then last night we went to a couple that has been getting the lessons for 9 months. They had been doing really well and were coming to church, reading the scriptures, praying. Anyway we taught them about eternal marriage and the temple last night and the Fowlers ( the older couple we live with who are both converts) came and talked about marriage before and after the temple and how blessed their relationship was after the temple. The investigators didn't seem too interested.. the lady said she hates children and doesn't understand why young boys of age 16 are aloud to pass "Christ's" sacrament.. There was alot of awkward moments where they just seemed disengaged.. i kept feeling like I should ask her how she felt about the book of Mormon (since she had read the whole thing, and I knew that she told the previous sisters that it was true) and so i asked her and she said... yeah it was a good book but I am just not going to join your church... not that it isn't true or good but I CANT give up coffee! that is just too much... I was shocked. My companion and the Fowler's were speechless because these two had come sooo far the last NINE months and now she was saying there is no way they can join the church because the Word of Wisdom is too much. It was like they broke up with us... they gave back all the material they had the past nine months and said they can't say it isn't true but they aren't ready to live it. So needless to say this week has been difficult. I have learned alot about patience and loving people no matter how they treat you.

I wish i had more of an uplifting message this week. but there were good things that happened as well. We are doing our best to be the best missionaries possible. I love it here. I know that the church is true regardless of the hard week that we had.. if anything it strengthens my testimony of the validity of the Book of Mormon being another testament of Jesus Christ.. If we follow all the precepts... not matter how hard some may seem to follow...things like coffee become trivial to the immense blessings in store for us if we just follow Jesus Christ.

Letter May 9, 2011

Aloha Family!
Curse all you who haven't written me... jk.. but seriously. I mean I know you have your own lives and all... but come on. haha letters are nice in the mission field.
Yesterday being mothers day it was nice to be able call home and to Skype Mummi and Marcus's family and hear all about their adventures in Europe! I hope one day i can go there and see all the beautiful scenery and art. But being a missionary is better than any vacation/art museum. For real. ha
I have had sooooo many experiences these past couple of weeks in Montana that it feels like I have been here a lifetime. I have learned alot about obedience.. And something way funny to me and to probably most of you that know me is that I have become a stickler for 100 percent obedience. it's hilarious. But it's an eternal principle! The more obedient we are to Heavenly Father/(little white handbook) to all you past missionaries. . the more apt you are to facilitating the spirit and being able to utilize that to help others come closer to Christ.. as well as yourself. I just can't get over how funny it is that I am like the mom saying... "well I don't think we should do that this way because it's on the border line of breaking so and so rule". Anyhow...
This week has been awesome.. We put in some sweet tracting hours and guess what we actually got into some homes! But the best part is there was one lady who let us in, not just because it was cold but to actually let us teach her!! Whoop new investigator...! We taught the first lesson, gave her a B.O.M and she said she would read some of it, were going back to teach her again on Thursday. AMAZING
I think it is kinda funny after talking with family yesterday.. I realize how different my MISSIONARY life is from all of yours.. My life is totally dedicated to serving the Lord right now and i am sad that one day my mission will end and I'll have to go back to normal life! haha Not that your normal lives aren't great, they are... but I like have nothing about myself to relate. All I can talk about are my amazing spiritual experiences and my investigators because they are my life now! i wish i had more time to write down about every single family and lesson we teach. We try to teach about 20 lessons a week but it seems like we do a lot more. i absolutely love my mission. it is the HARDEST thing i have ever had to do. it takes you way out of your comfort zone.. But the mission has already molded me into something better. i can't wait to see what time can do to my already growing faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love him. I had a stare down with a deer this week.. for like 30 seconds.. he was like 5 feet away from me! the deer here aren't scaredy cats! I also had a stare down with a cotton tail rabbit.. it was amazing.. im a weird nature girl. haha We'll I'll tell you about one family we are teaching.. they are the callisons.. and boy are they cowboy status..! there is 5 of them two parents and three kids.. the dad has the coolest southern accent that sounds like strait out of king of the hill.. they live on a ranch/farm... all the way up in these hills far far away from civilization.. they have three horses, three dogs, a cat, chickens and they are working on getting some goats.. they are trying to be completely self sufficient... meaning they hunt and eat all their own food... they even have this creek by their house that has fresh spring water!!! We drank it! It looks all green and mossy but you did your cup right in that stream thing and it's clear an d delicious! they live in this cute little house that basically just has one huge room on top and bottom... but its like a cabin style.. they all sleep upstairs with sheets covering their individual beds... not much privacy!! Anyhow it's so cute! But they are coming along with the lessons and we HOPE that somehow they will get baptized soon. I have too much to say and no time to say it.
love you all
Sister Davidson

Letter May 2, 2011

Hello Family!!!

Wow I am here in Montana... Let me just tell you it is freeeeeeezing!!! Like 35 degrees with wind that is super cold.. And yes snow!!! Yesterday, Sunday we were tracting in the snow for almost two hours and I was sooo cold. i can't even explain it... but apparently it snows here always. I am not in the city of billings actually, my area is billings but it is actually like an hour away from billings. The people here say that it snows in the summer.. We live next to the redlodge ski resort... I am in living on a ranch/farm that is like 10 miles away from a tiny town called Red Lodge. Basically we are out in the boonies! The only reason we have a truck is to drive to one of the tiny towns we serve in.. Red Lodge, Absorke, Joiliet and Colombus. So we are out and about walking all day... so all those who think sisters can drive everywhere... ya your wrong! I freeze all day. haha but it is sooo awesome. these tiny towns are filled with some of the most down to earth people I have ever met before. I love them. they just tell you how it is!! hah sometimes it gets kinds graphic.  We live with an older couple the Fowler's. Brother Fowler built this house all by himself. it's little cozy and nice... there is soooo much land out here it is gorgeous. I honestly think I have seen as many dear as there are people... and I have seen a bunch of hawks which is cool. oh and dogs are everywhere!!!!!  oh p.s sometimes you just see random parts of animals.. such as dear legs.. hence the picture

The people here are soo sweet. We have a few investigators and so many things have happened that I don't know how to fit it all in... so I'll just tell you a few.

Jane- Jane is about 75 years old. she lives in a nursing home but is rather capable. She is the sweetest lady I have met in my entire life. This week we went and taught her the first lesson... or rather the spirit taught her. I had spent my morning studying the first lesson and Joseph Smith's first vision... which i basically had memorized... but in the lesson My mouth just moved and I have no idea how i taught her with such clarity... I was like whoa what did I just say? I looked over and my companion was crying which I had never seen her do in a lesson before... Before you know it all three of us were crying as Jane said.. "You are teaching me this and i feel like it is true, like it is something that I have known before and you are just helping me remember, i think god sent you to help me remember". I wish i could convey all the things that happened in that lesson... but it was just a miracle. I love missionary work... there is soooo much to be done.. Every single being on this earth needs to hear the message of the restored gospel.. why? because it brings them peace and happiness in this life and the one to come with our Heavenly Father.

I have met many families while I have been here and they are just so amazing and sweet.. one in particular are the Wards... Sister ward was baptized 6 months ago but you would have thought she was relief society president the last 10 years.. she is adorable! And her three cute daughters and so sweet. one of them is 9 and was just baptized.. Oh by the way her middle daughter accidentally fell when she was showing me a picture of her grandparents on top of the piano... which meant the piano bench (filled with books) fell on my foot.. haha seriously I thought my toes were broken... but my whole foot on top is black and blue... charming. :)

I have never even been to a real branch before. it is sooo small compared to the huge wards in California.. or Utah. or even singles wards anywhere. there are prob only 30 people in the branch... so I have met all of them. there is so much i could tell you about them.. but i don't have time! One funny thing/silly thing is that they all think the end of the world is like tomorrow. Ha the natural disasters and such really get to them... which they should but they focus on it alot... hah anyhow.

I now know how it feels to get rejected on a daily basis... It is hard!!!!! First off I am somewhat shy talking to people I don't know.. it's awkward to knock on the doors of people you don't know and invite them to listen to your message. if only they knew how important it was! or how happy it could make them!!!

Oh my companion is sooo cute.. she is a great singer.. and in fact she makes me sing on a daily basis to our investigators and everywhere we teach! The first time it happened I was like... what the I can't sing in front of these people! But ever since I have been doing it I have felt the spirit enter the room and a calmness. it is great. I actually love it now... Weird! I never would have done it if it weren't for her.

Love you all... please write to me!! I need it

Letter April 27, 2011

Hey family!!!

I am here in Montana! It is freezing in this place! Seriously... no one else thinks it is cold but I am FREEEEZING!!! It is def not Hawaii here. So yesterday I met my mission president and his wife which was nice, they are the sweetest people. We all went to the mission home in Billings which is also the office. We had a few meetings and read scriptures a bit, then had a delicious dinner. Anyone who has been to the MTC should know it is great getting real food when your out... haha except some weird people that love the MTC food. hahhhhhhaa!  We then had a wonderful testimony meeting with all the missionaries that were leaving and us 11 that were coming into the field, it was powerful to say the least. It was awesome hearing some of the testimonies of the Elders leaving.. they love Montana it's their home. I shared my testimony short,simple and sweet.. basically I know that the church is true because I have felt the Holy Ghost witness to me on several occasions that it is true. There is no other way. I do not know how Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost do it, but they WILL answer my prayers and every other person who is diligently trying to know the truth. I have seen the gospel change lives.. applying it's principles has changed my own life. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission. It is hard. But it is sooo worth it.

   So after the testimony meeting we all got together around a huge map of our mission and a wheel or fortune style wooden wheel with every area on it. At first one of the Elders said.. here just spin and thats where you'll end up serving tommorrow.. I was like what the? But then I realized I was having a blond moment and that he was kidding... we just had to guess where we were going then open a letter that the mission president gave us and see if we guessed right. If we did then we won some PEANUT M&M's.. grandaddy would have loved that. Well somehow I knew already that I would be serving in the Billings area and I knew my who my companion would be from the first second I saw her.. ha so i spinned the wheel and I was right! Billings... opened the letter and yep, Billings!! There ya go! So excited.. and my companion was Sister Buchanan just as I had suspected. (she was at the dinner because her companion was leaving) So I won the M&M's and I know somewhere in heaven grandaddy was smiling. So the town I will be in is called Red Lodge.. I haven't been there yet since we are going to be teaching a couple lessons today before we get there. Oh and guess what? I get to drive a huge truck!!! WHOOO haha I love it. It's a 2007 chevy colorado. But I can;t actually be the driver until I am senior companion.. but still it's fun. It is really pretty here. I miss the mtc and how homey it was. It was like a little paradise on earth.. people that dislike it are weird to me haha. I saw soo many people I knew in the MTC!

Sister Roberts- from highschool

Elder Brig Madsen - from BYUH

Elder Drake Loud- family friends

Sister Brittany Ringler- from highschool, we were on th volleyball team together in 9th grade:)

Sister Michelle Winchell- my love from BYUH

So many people I feel like there is more but I can't remember  oh and this morning I saw a girl named Puunani that I knew in Hawaii.. she originally was sent on the temple square mission but she is now in my mission for a few months:)

So much has happened! I am thankful for all the letters... they really do help!!!

I love you all

Sister Davidson