Old Habits Die Hard

Well, get ready for a surprise. .. I decided I am going to go to BYU-Idaho! Yeah I know right? I am actually being dead serious. Yes I hate the cold, Yes this was not in my plans at all.. So what's the deal? Well I am not exactly sure.. all I know is that I've had the strongest impression not to go back to Hawaii and to go to Idaho. I have NO IDEA how this is going to work out.. seeing as I already registered for Hawaii and the fact that I despise Idaho. haha
    Let me tell you though I know this is the right decision. . Just as much as I knew I should go on a mission. I fasted and prayed about it. I told God there was no way I was going to BYU-Idaho cause that would just be nonsense! By the end of my fast I felt so good about going there.. ha  Makes no logical sense, but at the same time it does. Anyone that has any tips or in's on how to get into BYU-Idaho for Fall let me know! I know this is crazy talk.. but I'm really serious about it.
    Sometimes on our road in life God makes us give up something we love for something even better. In this situation.. that's how I feel. I LOVE HAWAII. I am obsessed with it. I love the ocean. I love BYU it's the best. I love the time that I have spent there and the people I have met. I thought for sure I would just graduate from there and go on to get my Masters... I guess the Lord has different plans.. He always seems to have different plans. God knows I hate the cold.. so anyone reading this knows that my decision to go to Idaho has to be from Him because there is NO WAY I would have chosen this on my own.
     It has been a good week. I have had a terrible cold but other things are going really well. We set a baptisimal date for a little boy named Dawson Hazelitt! His family came to church this Sunday.. so we're super excited. I love that family. I don't know if I mentioned them before. I LOVE teahcing kids.. they are so humble.. they just get it. I would say alot more but I don't really have the time. Love ya'll

Sunshine in Helena

Running for the Cure for Breast Cancer

Well it was a good week! Last P-day I convinced all the Elders and my companion to hike Mount Helena. It was sooo pretty! Not exactly like Hawaii hikes, but beautiful nontheless. I also convinced my companion to run the 5k for Breast Cancer with me.. It was super fun! We live right by the captiol, it's a nice building I must say.

There's been a few nights I haven't been able to sleep at all.. so that was no fun. One of the days this week I was super tired and we we're walking to our dinner when we saw this old man with a broken arm (and very sick/tired looking) trying to mow his lawn.. He almost fell over! I was like Oh no way is he mowing this lawn.. So I asked him if I could mow it for him..(who cares if I'm in a skirt right? I've been walking all day anyway and it was hot and sweaty) I might mention I have not used a lawn mower in ages. I could count on one hand the times I've used a hand mower.. But I did it! The awesome part was Sister Valdivieso was talking to the Man as I was mowing. She asked him if he was interested in learning more about the chuch.. he said "Well I never have been until now, I am just so touched by your service". She then set up an appointment with him and his wife (he says his wife is afraid of us) then she found out he was going on vacation to.. guess where? St. George utah! haha He said he was planning on walking around the temple grounds because they are so pretty. Hmmm seems perfect. we'll see.

Montana Capitol Building

Breast Cancer Eye Protectors



Mt Helena



So we met with Sam and Tiffany again this week. We called and invited Tiffany to church (since she hasn't been coming much, just her husband) and she was so excited that we invited her! She's like "yes I can't wait to sit next to you girls, you are so funny". Ha hey if being weird works, I'll take it. She came. The best part was by default we had to teach the lessen in Gospel Principles because our teacher was gone.. We taught the restoration.. and watched the 20 minute restoration video. Man was it spiritual. At the end I felt inspired to share my testimony about my favorite convert Jane. I told them how I remembered watching this DVD with Jane.. and when I looked over she was bawling.. by the end my comp and I were bawling as well. By the end Jane finally knew she needed to be baptized.

Tiffany had tears in her eyes. Please pray for us to know how to invite her to be re-baptized. She is so awesome. I just love her.

I'm not gonna lie.. being close to the end of my mission is REALLY HARD on me. It's depressing. I know it's just part of life to move on.. but who would ever want to move on from this?

Love, Sister Davidson

A band of Angels coming after me

I love this song. .

Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home;
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home.

I looked over Jordan,
And WHAT did I see,
Comin' for to carry me home,
A band of angels comin' after me,
Comin' for to carry me home.

If you get there before I do,
Comin' for to carry me home,
Tell all my friends I'm comin' too,
Comin' for to carry me home.

It's been a great week. First.. I was threatened at gunpoint.. a .38 to be exact. haha! So there's this city in our area called Montana city.. It's pretty country.. houses are up in the hills and far from civilization.. we went to this house on the top of one of said hills.. an old man answers the door and screams.. "I am going to shoot you, get the *BEEP* off my property! I'm not joking if your stupid enough to knock on my door I can kill you on sight"!... So of course I did what I should and bolted to the truck as fast as I could.. Well we were in a trio that day and the other two sisters are like casually walking slow.. all the while he is screaming "Get out of here now! Your making me sooo mad! while proceeding to throw his crutch at them!"  I'm like get the heck in the truck now!!!! I'm already in the truck and finally one of the sisters makes it in.. my companion is outside the truck picking something up very slow.. I'm like sister WHAT ARE YOU DOING GET IN THE TRUCK!!! haha she was picking up a couple mormon.org cards she dropped.. I'm like are you serious! Leave the cards! hahah it was kind of hilarious.. She was just in shock. I would have been ok if I got shot.. Spirit paradise sounds pretty gratifying.. I wouldn't mind a band of angels coming after me.
     Mothers day was nice. I don't think I told you about a lady named Elizabeth we met with a few weeks ago.. We'll we were out trying people and no one was answering.. then I told Sister Valdiviso.. Don't worry I've got a feeling we will find someone we never met today and teach them.. She's like yeah. . not even 5 seconds later.. a lady starts RUNNING towards us "SISTERS! SISTERS! wait!!!!, I want to talk to you"! It was Elizabeth. She had been inactive for 8 years or so. . shortly after she got baptized.. We got to know her and right on her door step We taught her about the atonement.. and it was AMAZING!! Long story short she's been coming back to church for 2 weeks strait now.. and the ward is embrassing her. My comp is like.. "how did you know? you always call stuff like that out before it happens".. Then I remembered seeing sooo many little miracles like that in my first area with Sister Buchanan.. She called stuff out all the time.. it was like she just casually went through all the miracles.. and I was astounded at them.. I asked her the same question.. she said.. I guess it's just that I expect the Lord to do these things.. I have been out so long that it isn't I don't recognize them.. it's just that they happen so often. Anyways .. It's just rad. that's all.
      Sister Michiels came to church this week with all her kids!!! It was the cutest thing I have ever seen. Since we've been bringing the kids to church the last month.. they were all able to sing with the Primary to thier mom. I almost cried. Geez I never ever ever ever want this to end. I can't ever type all th miracles I see in a week. But I can tell you I LOVE GOD. I love Him so much. Jesus Christ is my BEST FRIEND. Nothing is better than doing His will.. because He knows me best.


Irelyn,Me, Harry,Wynter,and Davis

Loves,
Sister Davidson

Nothing is Coincidence

Just thought you might like a tiny taste of what we sisters do all day. Just sing prmary songs.. thats all. This onw is give saiuid the little stream. It's a cute Primary CD/ ha. Can you tell we like being companions?

It's been a good week. We had transfers and I am with Sister Validieso for another 6 weeks! So that's good! Anyhow.. I don't know If I mentioned before that we cover 2 wards? Well We are at church from like 8-5 every Sunday. .. that's ALOT of church. I've never had to go to 2 wards plus two meetings every Sunday.. but It has it's benefits. You get to learn from different people.. and say alot of prayers.. people always ask us to pray. ha.

We're going to have another Sister with us for a couple days until her new companion comes here..So that will be interesting. haha I think it's awkward with 3 people. we'll make due.

 I love Helena. The Michiels kids came with us to church on Sunday. It's just us and the 4 kids.. hilarious. I feel like a mom but I seriously love it. They are the best kids ever..seriously

We have had some pretty awesome things happen this week. We ran into a less Active Brother Langdon.. who has been away for about 15-20 years.. After talking with him for a bit.. I found out he went to BYUH shortly after he joined the church in New York. I asked him wabout his missionaries.. some spiritalyu experinces he had were told.. I could see the spirit reminding him of the truth.. It was amazing. I asked him alot about BYUH and we actually had one of the same teachers who is still there! Long story short.. I don't think meeting him was by chance. There was just too much for us to talk about. I asked him to come back to church. I said the Lords needs you Brother Langdon.. your a great guy. He said.. it feels a little like I'm going to relay this situation over the pulpit someday.. I said nope you for SURE will. It was so awesome. I love being a missionary. I love being Bolod for Christ. I've learned so much out here. I know that everyone I meet .. it's not just a coincidence they are in my patyh. It's up to me to do something about it. What a priveledge it is to be here. So humbling.. and motivating. I love the Gospel. It's sooo true. no matter where you are.. how far you've gone. the gospel, the atonement of Jesus Christ can heal you. It has cleansed me from the inside out. I;ve nevver been happier. Love Ya'll Sis Davidson

When you dream, dream big

I've been thinking alot lately. Actually I think allll the time.. literally all the time. I'm really good at giving advice to others.. much better at teaching them the basic principles of the gospel. I can teach someone about Faith.. and how they should have faith in God and trust him.. believe that He is and that He WILL fulfill his promises.. For myself though.. not so much. Why is t that I can know that these blessings God has are for the people I teach, yet struggle believing it for myself? hah It's a hard task. It's not that I don't think God loves or cares for me.. it's that I just haven't had the strongest Faith in believing all the promises He gave to me.. will actually happen.. if I do my best. I sell myself short.. all the time.. for all you out there that sell yourself short... STOP It. thanks.
A mission teaches you.. if you let it.. how to "hold fast" to God.  How to change. How to become better than you were before. I realize that I truely have changed.. I now have a log of all the things I struggle with (don't worry, not massive sins, just things I want to change) There are 5 main things that I can do better.. Every day I check off whether or not that particular problem happened that day. . I literally log my progress. It's a huge eye opener.. I believe doing this has helped me be more prepared each Sunday to take the sacrament.. It helps me feel less guilt.. It helps me repent fast.. It's pretty cool. haha I recommend it.

I needed a blessing this week. I hadn't slept at all for days.. it was just a hard week. Well I'm prideful and basically refuse to get a blessing until I'm about to break.. (maybe I should put this on my log) anyhow.. I gave in and called and asked the stake President.. who just lives down the road from us.. He sat down with me and we chatted for a bit. Let me just tell you this man is Rad. yep. I said it. He is so full of the Spirit it radiates off him. We talked about my life, my mission, and what I'll do after. He opened my eyes to so many things. When he gave me a blessing it was seriously like a conduit to heaven opened up.. not even joking. It strengthened my testimony in the power of the Preisthood. it truely is restored to the Earth.. the same exact Preisthood when Christ was here. I felt it. I talked to this man for 15 minutes.. and some of the things the blessing said were direct quotes from my patriarchal blessing.. It was amazing.. there is no way it wasn't a strait message of God. Seriously a miracle..
   Which brings me to Miracles.. Miracles to not produce conversions. Take Nephi in 1NE17.. He's telling his brothers.. hey.. Moses lead the children of Israel out of bondage.. they were fed manna day,to day (except Sunday cause saturday they had to gather two days worth.. they complained about that) Basically they witnessed many miracles.. I mean Moses parted the Red freaking Sea!!! And the Children of Israel complained! They thought it might have been better if they remained slaves.. then Laman and Lemuel.. they saw an angel.. they heard God's voice from time to time.. but did it convert them? Nope. Fact is that if you are diligent in keeping the commandments and trying your best.. you will witness little miracles all the time.. but if you just saw miracles.. it would mean nothing.

   This week we started teaching a new family... the mom is a member, the dad is excommunicated and seriously poisons his kids minds with anti materials.. it's so sad. He gets them every other week.. The kids mom wants us to come and teach them, so she can have some reinforment for the gospel in the home. I love these kids. They are struggling like crazy.. but they remind me of me when I was young. It's a priveledge to see God working in my life, since I was young.. to meet other people struggling,. Anyway as we were teaching the kids.. about "Faith" haha One of the kids said "Sister Davidson, you smile ALOT, why are you always smiling".. ahah I said "We'll its' because I'm super happy, do you want me to frown"? haha there's a lot of good things coming around in this area.. Really

I love the Lord. there have been so many times where I have felt like Alma..
I love these scriptures.. I am going to place a few additions in here that make it personal to me.

 17 And it came to pass that as I was thus ^aracked with torment, while I was ^bharrowed up by the ^cmemory of my many sins.. (afflictions, pain, broken heart) behold, I ^dremembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

 18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, ^ahave mercy on me, who am ^bin the ^cgall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting ^dchains of ^edeath.

 19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my ^apains ^bno more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins( afflictions, tempations, losses) no more.

 20 And oh, what ^ajoy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

Some advice for myself.. and everyone else. when you dream of your future dream big. Dream as if God would grant you your every righteous desire.. because HE WILL!!!

  Love you..

Sister Davidson

Can this last forever?

This week was good. Like really good. I feel like I'm finally understanding.. just exactly how to be a missionary. It's so much work.. so much.. but it's worth it. God knows exactly why He puts people in a certain place, at a certain time. I truely believe that 100 percent. I've been doing alot of organization in this area.. there was no map for us to go by (we don't have gps mapped in our brains, sorry. Oh and we're not Elders who's dad's actually buy them gps's) So I've spent a bunch of time oraganizing the area into smaller area's that we can walk to and plan our days around. It's funny the random skills you pick up as a missionary.. before the mish I was literally directionally challenged.ha .. We found 5 new investigators this week! WOOP!
    The first family is the Michiels. Sister Michiels has a pair of triplets, and a set of twins.. Yep.. crazy. One of the kids (davis) has autism.. another one of the girls has slight autism.. and one has alot of problems and is basically bedridden.. When I saw them on the ward list I realized there was one mom with 5 kids.. no dad listed.. So I figured we should see how she is.  Can anyone guess that this mother needs help? She is actually going through a terrible divorce and hasn't made it to church in basically years. We got to know her a bit.. and then found out none of her kids are baptized.. and they are all old enough! So we started teaching them! We've taught them twice this week and I called a couple from the ward who picked them up for church! (Since the mom can't come because of Pheobe, the bed-ridden child)
     I cannot express how much joy fills my heart as I teach these children. Children understand things in a way adults don't. . and you know what they are super smart! It's impossible to explain the love I felt as we taught the children to sing "I am a child of God". . I'll never be able to express the joy as we taught them how to pray to thier Heavenly Father.. we all knelt down and waited as each child slowly said thier own prayer. My favorite was Davis's prayer (the one with autism) He said ..
"Dear Heavenly Father, My favorite Spider is the black widow.. but you probably already know that. I like them because of thier bright red spot.. and because they are the most poisonous. Thanks for the missionaries coming over, and please help us to have a great day. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen." ha
  My heart seriously almost burst when the kids came to church and there was Irelyn (all pretty in her red dress and pink tennis shoes) holding her Book of Mormon.. she ran up to me and said "Sister Davidson! You promised I could sit by you"!
   Geez. I don't want this to ever end. I feel like when I say I love the Book of Mormon, the Restored church, and Jesus Christ. it sounds cliche. But it's not. This gospel is for real. It's the only way to be content. . completely content with whatever God lets us go through. How patient He is with us. How much He truely loves us. I can feel His love all the time for the people around me. I can feel His love everyday. My life was good before my mission. But it's WAY better now. Good thing I came right?
    So Sam and Tiffany (the ex communicated couple) invited us to go fishing with them and the kids tonight! So excited right now. haha pray it goes well!
Love ya'll.
Sister Davidson

Aloha

A mission is like a long run.. you start out thinking wowza this is going to take forever.. I'm tired.. How am I ever going to complete this.. then you get your first wind.. your just strolling along, feeling great.. for a while your like "yeah, I got this"! Then as the next mile approaches your like.. dang, my legs ache.. why can't this be over (all the while saying.. I can't stop now I've come too far!) Finally your in that final stretch.. your sprinting to the finish.. your almost floating as you come closer to home.
  That's how I feel right now. The realization that I have 2 tranfers left seriously sinks my heart.. but I am sprinting to the finish. I'm giving it my best.. and it's going by tooo fast. I never want to come home. I just want to be the Lord's sevant forever. I know that maybe whoever is reading this thinks.. wow she's being dramatic.. she's got three whole months.. haha maybe you just don't understand. I spent the bulk of my life not understanding God. I believed in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.. I went to church frequently.. but I did not believe that God loved me.. I did not believe that I could have a good life. I thought I was on my own. Literally. God's "eternal blessings" were for other people, the "chosen people".  I heard the generic.. "read scriptures, pray, go to church.. then you'll be happy". . but I didn't believe it. In my life it was fend for myself, protect myself, work my butt off.. and then maybe.. just maybe you'll find a tiny happiness at the end. You see I didn't have any Faith in God.
    My mission has brought an immense sense of peace and understanding to my life. I've found myself on my knees begging God to help me understand, and He has shown me soo many wonderful things. I believe God had my mission in His  plan for me from the beggining. . my trials have really helped me to understand the people of Montana. My struggles have helped me love more.. reach deeper within myself.. asking God for the charity I need to forget myself.. and help these people. I don't know if there is anyone that I have helped more on this mission then myself. I've converted myself, to the gospel that was always available to me.. But God knew I needed my mission to do it.
    There's so much that goes into the work that the members do not see.  They expect that missionaries.. don't take a break to eat lunch.. shouldn't be playing soccer on P-day.. many many other things. It's been one of the rougher things I've dealt with out here. Sometimes you just have to please people. For any that know me.. you may know that I am NOT a people pleasure. I am not humble enough. haah seriously. So it's something I'm working on. When you come to a new area.. the previous missionaries may have been breaking rules.. the members do not really know the misison rules.. so they find these things to be "set in stone schedules" that all missionaries should do. It's hard to break the cycle but I came out here to do the Lord's work.. aha I'm reminded of Moroni 7
45 And ^acharity suffereth long, and is ^bkind, and ^cenvieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily ^dprovoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
   Sometimes it takes a while for the members to get used to the way you do things. But in the end.. if you have charity for the people.. everything works out and understanding prevails. . because Charity is the pure Love of Christ.
   I saw a miracle this Sunday. Sam and Tiffany came to church. Tiffany hasn't been to the church in YEARS. I sat next to her in relief society and we chatted and laughed about stuff that was going on. It must be rougghh coming back to church when EVERYONE in the ward knows your excommunicated. She is awesome though. Just love her.
     I am nowhere near perfect. . but because of this gospel.. I know how to be better.. how to be happy.. how to make good things happen in my life.. by letting God take the reins.
Love ya'll
Sister Davidson