Hola!
So this past week has been one of the greatest learning experiences I have ever had in my life! Oh and first off Congratulations Mom on graduating! I'm sorry I could not be there for it! I love you! And thank you Larissa, Paula, and Kali for the letters! We had zone conference this past Thursday and I got the Dearelders for the first two weeks in March. Thank you! its always amazing to hear from home!
So I had my first baptism this past week! It was completely insane and everything that could go wrong did... I was the craziest day of my life, but we had two baptismal services and baptized 3 this week. And we have 4 planned for next week and then 2 the next week. So its going really well. We have an amazing area and have the opportunity to baptize a lot here. We are leading all of Juarez in baptisms right now, and there will be even more baptisms next week. SO that is exciting. Juarez is 5 zones and each have about 5 districts with about 7 missionaries per district.
Oh and I was very grateful for the area I get to work in this past week. I thought it was ghetto until we went and worked in the Alta Vista area for a day. Like it was the most impoverish area I have ever even seen a picture of in my life, no joke. Like when you see commericals trying to get you to donate money and they show pictures of WAY impoverished areas, this was those areas. Like houses were made out of mattress springs and wood pallets and tires where used to build up foundations on hills for the houses! Nothing is paved at all and its all dirt and sand. There are a ton of hills too and some of the really steep ones have stairs made out of old car tires! I actually really liked it though, it adds an extra bounce to my step!!! ha ha Oh and there are tons dogs every where and they're all nuts and sound like they are going to kill you! That is for all of the areas here though. Getting chased by a dog will get your adrenaline going FAST. Like when I'm really tired from walking so much everyday and want the energy to keep going I end up getting chased and then I'm WIDE awake! ha ha But yeah, after Alta Vista I was very grateful my area has way less hills and a lot more paved roads! The people are so amazing and so humble! They have so little and yet they are willing to give so very much! I love the Mexican people and learn so so very much from them everyday!
My companion have been getting along really well, I really got lucky with getting such a good companion. It is hard sometimes because He just expects me to learn all of the lessons so fast when I am still trying to just learn a language. But the language has come a long long way. I can almost always understand everything, unless they speak extremely fast, which is usually just the 15 to 18 year old girls... ha ha. And i can speak much more now and am much better an pronouncing things too! I still can not wait to be fluent tho... I day dream about it so much.
Right now we have a ton of investigators!We are busy all day everyday! We get up at 6:30 everyday and get ready and study til 10:30 and then work and visit investigators and teach until 2 and then have lunch until 3 and then work and teach until 9:30 each day, We don't get dinner here so that is an hour more of work for us... haha "Comer" or Lunch is always amazing with the members tho! I love it! Oh and we email from a cafe about 7 blocks away so it is close. We walk a TON each day, like TONS, like probably 7 to 10 miles a day or more. I want to get one of those step counter things so I can see how much I really do walk a week.
And its been tough to get rides for everyone for church because we have been getting about 10 investigators to come to church each week, which is really good. Oh and all 10 have baptism dates too! And I think another family is going to commit to baptism dates this week as well! The Lord is truly involved in this work! I love it! It has been so amazing to see that here especially! I love that we are not the ones convincing them or converting them. We teach them the principles and then invite THEM to pray and for THEM to find out on their own. It has really strengthened my testimony of prayer, I love being able to promise some one that He will answer and I know it! We still have to teach them the doctrine and provide the material for them, but after knowing so little of the gospel they pray and really start to gain testimonies for them selves! I love it! People change their lives so much! Its crazy! It has been amazing to see the changes people make for something they know is true! I love the gospel and I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve!I am really starting to get used to life here and really starting to enjoy everything more, especially because I can understand what people are saying! ha ha Thank you so much for your support and prayers! I really appreciate it!
Love,Elder Andrew Davidson