8/11/09
Hey everyone!
So another week has gone by and my first here in Meoqui.... wow... It has been a long week to say the least with a lot of ups and downs. But it’s been pretty good and I am starting too really like the little towns I am in. I say towns because there are 4-5 out skirt towns that are also part of my area, but Meoqui it the biggest town and is where we live.
It’s been a little tough with the companion because he goes home this week, but I have really pushed him a lot and he has been an excellent missionary. The past few sets of missionaries here really slacked off a lot to say the least so a few people have so-so ideas and church activity has gone down a little, but I really hope to be the difference here and bring it back up! I have my work cut out for me to say the least. I have these two weeks to learn the area with my comp and learn from him and then I am on my own. It’s going to be a lot of responsibility. I know if I confide and rely on the lord I can do it, but it will definitely be tough. The leadership here is not too great so my comp and I have to run all the church activities for our little town. It’s exciting though! I really feel like I can make a big difference here and I am excited for it. It has been a little distracting with my comp and 3 others in our district leaving for home in a couple of days, and them talking about home all the time and what they are going to do. But I really decided I would not even want to go home right not, I have so much more work to do and learn here on my mission.
Oh, so when I got here we had a way tiny and not very good house and I have already got us a new house. It’s only 10 dollars more a month and is twice the size of our last apartment and has a well working toilet and hot water for showers. We woke up and cleaned it real real well and are moving today! It’s a little tough with my comp because he leaves in a week and could care less, but he helps out. Oh and I spoke in church on Sunday again and it went real well! I felt real good after talking and it gets easier each time. Plus here we are going to speak every second week of the month so I will get used to it.
So yeah Meoqui is coming along, it’s a farm town and they produce a lot of corn, alfalfa, and watermelon. And I love watermelon and it’s SO cheap here. Like 50 cents for a HUGE watermelon so that’s cool!
I’m grateful to be here on the mission and I have never known more than I know now that the gospel is true and that we really can be happy in life, we just have to LIVE the gospel principles and watch them take effect in our lives!
I love you all so much and that you for all of the support!
Love,
Elder Andrew Davidson
Monday, August 17, 2009
8-4-09
Hey everyone!So wow! This week has been a long one and a whole lot has happened! First of all, PLEASE DON’T SEND LETTERS OR PACKAGES TO THE P.O BOX OF JULIANA OROZCO IN EL PASO. I am not longer in Juarez and don’t send anything to there. Send it all to the other addresses, the one for letters and the other for packages.
The REGUALR EL PASO ADDRESS FOR MY WHOLE MISSION THAT GOES THROUGH MY MISSION PRESIDENT, BUT TAKES A WHILE IS:
FOR LETTERS ONLY
Elder Andrew Davidsonc/o Edgar Flores Prieto1650 Sioux Dr. CH. 44781El Paso, TX 79925
FOR PACKAGES AND ENVELOPES ONLY
Edgar Flores-Elder Andrew Davidson2220 Bassett AvePMB 106El Paso, TX 79901
I am now in Meoqui. It’s a little town below Chihuahua and I’m in the south part of the state. Crazy huh? I’ll tell you all about it in a second, but first I was in Juarez, my old area, until Monday morning. So this week we had 2 baptisms. We baptized this Ricardo and Dulce I think I have mentioned a number of times. They are 21 and 16 and Dulce, is 8 and a half months pregnant! Crazy! She is 16 and pregnant already. But they are amazing and it was so cool to baptism a couple, it’s a rare thing in the mission. They have a lot of family in the church and I feel like they will be lifelong members. We baptized them on Saturday and confirmed them on Sunday and it was great.
Also on Sunday we had a meeting with the Mission President and the Stake president and the assistants to the president! Cool huh? Usually only the zone leaders get to be there, but our stake does not have zone leaders. Because there are 4 stakes and 3 missionary zones, so my comp and I got to fill out all of the forums and be there are present it all to them. I learned a TON! When else am I going to get to be in a meeting like that? I really learned how we can work with the church leaders more and what we need to be focusing on and such. And my comp is new to the area so I had to answer all the questions about who is where and details and such. Plus my comp was a little nervous so I got to answer a lot and talk a lot at the meeting.
So I HAD a WAY awesome investigator named Javier. I’m not sure if I have mentioned home before, but he was going to be my best convert. He is like 50 and lives with his son. He has changed tremendously and is so smart and understands the gospel more than other investigators usually do. After we taught him about the plan of salvation he said, “so I have decided I have to do all I can to make it to the Celestial kingdom!” Cool huh? He was smoking about 20 cigarettes daily and we have got him down to almost none and he also quit drinking alcohol and coffee as well. He is a FOR SURE future leader of the church and he loves fast and testimony meeting and plans to bear his testimony next month already! We were going to baptism him this Saturday, but I am not longer there so that is sad. But I know he is in good hands.
So on to the crazy stuff. On Monday morning I was just doing my exercises at about 6:35am and then our zone leaders called to tell me I am going to change areas to Meoqui. My first thought was what in the world is a Meoqui! Ha-ha! So I had to pack and be at the bus stop at 10 am for my bus. Then I traveled all day to the south part of the state. Like an hour below Chihuahua and close to delicias. I have only been here for a day or so, so I don’t know too much yet. But it’s a little small town and the whole town is our area! How cool is that! Oh and the coolest part is that we have BIKES! I am an official missionary now. I have a bike! So I am here with Elder Mar... Who goes home in 2 weeks... weird? But it’s a little tough because I have to learn all I can in only 2 weeks and then he leaves. But the hardest part is that he does not know much about the area because he has only been here for 4 weeks. I have a lot to learn about the area and from him so that is cool and I’m excited. I feel like the next two weeks are going to fly by though. We have to work our tails off though! So our house is way small, two rooms, and we have nothing. I slept on a bare mattress last night because we don’t have any sheets. The little pillow is extremely yellow and old ... so they are going to send me sheets from the offices. The last person here just bought his own set of sheets and took them with him. It’s a cool little town and I really hope to make a difference here. I left a LOT back in Juarez and had a great area and a lot going for me, including an earned temple trip for completing out last month’s goal. So the whole zone goes to the temple this Thursday.. .but not me.
I now have 8 people in our district and we have to travel to the town over to attend district meeting. Oh and we have sisters in our district and its really weird to me. Because there are none at all in Juarez so I have never even really seen a sister working here with us. We are also in the district with the zone leaders and I really like the zone leader here and he is an awesome elder! We had to teach today in district meeting and my companion did not plan anything, but I planned out both parts and the activity so it all went really well. Much better than I thought it would and the zone leader there, Elder Lowe, really like it and pulled me aside and talked to me how much potential I have and such. Cool! I’m not sure it was too good, but if I learn to rely in the lord 100% I will be able to accomplish things here in the mission. Because with my own talents and abilities I do not have much going for me... let alone Spanish... so I got a lot of working to do if I want to try and reach my maximum potential here in the mission and later on in life. It has been humbling to be here and know nobody or the area or the people, but I really like it so far and I know I am here for a reason. The Lord needs me here and I need to do all I can because who knows when I am going to change areas again. I have 2 weeks to learn all I can and then I have to be able to run the area with a new companion. I’m a little nervous, but I hope it will all go well. I will keep you posted. Let me know if you have questions about the area, I will do better to describe it better next week. But I’m real excited and have a LOT of work to do. Oh and 4 elders in my district out of 8 are leaving in 2 weeks.... crazy! I am trying to keep them excited though!
So yeah, if you want to send something you have to send it through the mission president mail, which is really slow. So if you want to have something to get here around my birthday day you have to send it like now...(Sept 1st). Oh and I got letters from Kendra, and Ty, and Kali, and Larissa, and Grandma Davidson this week! I love you all and it has great to hear from all of you! I will do my best to write you back! Things are a little crazy today, but next week I will write!
Love the work and love the mission!
Love,Elder Andrew Davidson
The REGUALR EL PASO ADDRESS FOR MY WHOLE MISSION THAT GOES THROUGH MY MISSION PRESIDENT, BUT TAKES A WHILE IS:
FOR LETTERS ONLY
Elder Andrew Davidsonc/o Edgar Flores Prieto1650 Sioux Dr. CH. 44781El Paso, TX 79925
FOR PACKAGES AND ENVELOPES ONLY
Edgar Flores-Elder Andrew Davidson2220 Bassett AvePMB 106El Paso, TX 79901
I am now in Meoqui. It’s a little town below Chihuahua and I’m in the south part of the state. Crazy huh? I’ll tell you all about it in a second, but first I was in Juarez, my old area, until Monday morning. So this week we had 2 baptisms. We baptized this Ricardo and Dulce I think I have mentioned a number of times. They are 21 and 16 and Dulce, is 8 and a half months pregnant! Crazy! She is 16 and pregnant already. But they are amazing and it was so cool to baptism a couple, it’s a rare thing in the mission. They have a lot of family in the church and I feel like they will be lifelong members. We baptized them on Saturday and confirmed them on Sunday and it was great.
Also on Sunday we had a meeting with the Mission President and the Stake president and the assistants to the president! Cool huh? Usually only the zone leaders get to be there, but our stake does not have zone leaders. Because there are 4 stakes and 3 missionary zones, so my comp and I got to fill out all of the forums and be there are present it all to them. I learned a TON! When else am I going to get to be in a meeting like that? I really learned how we can work with the church leaders more and what we need to be focusing on and such. And my comp is new to the area so I had to answer all the questions about who is where and details and such. Plus my comp was a little nervous so I got to answer a lot and talk a lot at the meeting.
So I HAD a WAY awesome investigator named Javier. I’m not sure if I have mentioned home before, but he was going to be my best convert. He is like 50 and lives with his son. He has changed tremendously and is so smart and understands the gospel more than other investigators usually do. After we taught him about the plan of salvation he said, “so I have decided I have to do all I can to make it to the Celestial kingdom!” Cool huh? He was smoking about 20 cigarettes daily and we have got him down to almost none and he also quit drinking alcohol and coffee as well. He is a FOR SURE future leader of the church and he loves fast and testimony meeting and plans to bear his testimony next month already! We were going to baptism him this Saturday, but I am not longer there so that is sad. But I know he is in good hands.
So on to the crazy stuff. On Monday morning I was just doing my exercises at about 6:35am and then our zone leaders called to tell me I am going to change areas to Meoqui. My first thought was what in the world is a Meoqui! Ha-ha! So I had to pack and be at the bus stop at 10 am for my bus. Then I traveled all day to the south part of the state. Like an hour below Chihuahua and close to delicias. I have only been here for a day or so, so I don’t know too much yet. But it’s a little small town and the whole town is our area! How cool is that! Oh and the coolest part is that we have BIKES! I am an official missionary now. I have a bike! So I am here with Elder Mar... Who goes home in 2 weeks... weird? But it’s a little tough because I have to learn all I can in only 2 weeks and then he leaves. But the hardest part is that he does not know much about the area because he has only been here for 4 weeks. I have a lot to learn about the area and from him so that is cool and I’m excited. I feel like the next two weeks are going to fly by though. We have to work our tails off though! So our house is way small, two rooms, and we have nothing. I slept on a bare mattress last night because we don’t have any sheets. The little pillow is extremely yellow and old ... so they are going to send me sheets from the offices. The last person here just bought his own set of sheets and took them with him. It’s a cool little town and I really hope to make a difference here. I left a LOT back in Juarez and had a great area and a lot going for me, including an earned temple trip for completing out last month’s goal. So the whole zone goes to the temple this Thursday.. .but not me.
I now have 8 people in our district and we have to travel to the town over to attend district meeting. Oh and we have sisters in our district and its really weird to me. Because there are none at all in Juarez so I have never even really seen a sister working here with us. We are also in the district with the zone leaders and I really like the zone leader here and he is an awesome elder! We had to teach today in district meeting and my companion did not plan anything, but I planned out both parts and the activity so it all went really well. Much better than I thought it would and the zone leader there, Elder Lowe, really like it and pulled me aside and talked to me how much potential I have and such. Cool! I’m not sure it was too good, but if I learn to rely in the lord 100% I will be able to accomplish things here in the mission. Because with my own talents and abilities I do not have much going for me... let alone Spanish... so I got a lot of working to do if I want to try and reach my maximum potential here in the mission and later on in life. It has been humbling to be here and know nobody or the area or the people, but I really like it so far and I know I am here for a reason. The Lord needs me here and I need to do all I can because who knows when I am going to change areas again. I have 2 weeks to learn all I can and then I have to be able to run the area with a new companion. I’m a little nervous, but I hope it will all go well. I will keep you posted. Let me know if you have questions about the area, I will do better to describe it better next week. But I’m real excited and have a LOT of work to do. Oh and 4 elders in my district out of 8 are leaving in 2 weeks.... crazy! I am trying to keep them excited though!
So yeah, if you want to send something you have to send it through the mission president mail, which is really slow. So if you want to have something to get here around my birthday day you have to send it like now...(Sept 1st). Oh and I got letters from Kendra, and Ty, and Kali, and Larissa, and Grandma Davidson this week! I love you all and it has great to hear from all of you! I will do my best to write you back! Things are a little crazy today, but next week I will write!
Love the work and love the mission!
Love,Elder Andrew Davidson
7/22/09
Hey family and friends and everyone!
So another week already! I was a pretty good week overall for the most part. We had 3 people to get baptized this weekend pasado (last weekend), but they all fell through so that was sad, but things are going well with them right now.
So after another week with Elder Regnier, things are going well and we are becoming good friends. He is a little explosive and gets frustrated but it’s taught me a lot. I have to work on a lot of different things to get along with him so it’s been great when it comes to how much I have been learning. I feel like I learned a ton this week like Spanish, the gospel, and about leadership as well. So my companion is a leader of our district (smaller group of missionaries) so we had lots of meeting this week in the mornings and I have learned a ton as I am around the other leaders more. Plus I get to meet other missionaries and become friends with them. This morning we had a special meeting at 7 a.m. that was 35 minutes away with ALL of the leaders from Juarez (there are 3 zones here and over 100 missionaries) so there were a lot of leaders. The assistants to the president were there too and they taught us about an activity we are going to do this weekend. My comp and I are teaching about 40 youth for 3 hours, because all the leaders are going to teach at this big multi-stake youth activity. Cool huh? I’m excited! It was also cool to know a lot of the leaders there and it’s been a great learning experience. Plus my new comp uses a lot of different words so I have been able to pick up a lot of new Spanish words and ways to teach.
The only down side with my comp is that he is way old in the mission and is not as motivated to work as hard... but it’s been great because I have had to step up and teach more and be the leader which is actually a lot harder than I thought, but I have learned a ton!
Also we have a new investigator who is way awesome; his name is Javier and he is way ready to hear the gospel. He has been searching for the Church of Jesus Christ for a long time, as in the same Church Christ established when he came to the earth. He hates when church leaders are paid to lead and are leaders based on knowledge... both of which are not part of the church that Jesus Christ Himself established. I’ll write more on him next week and we will see how it all goes.
Sorry I don’t have more time to write, but life is amazing! I love serving others 24/7! It’s like a dream life and I have never been happier in my life! Crazy huh? Service is the secret to happiness! Well that and family and the gospel... but they are best combined!
I love you and miss you and thank you for your support!
Love
Elder Andrew Davidson
Hey family and friends and everyone!
So another week already! I was a pretty good week overall for the most part. We had 3 people to get baptized this weekend pasado (last weekend), but they all fell through so that was sad, but things are going well with them right now.
So after another week with Elder Regnier, things are going well and we are becoming good friends. He is a little explosive and gets frustrated but it’s taught me a lot. I have to work on a lot of different things to get along with him so it’s been great when it comes to how much I have been learning. I feel like I learned a ton this week like Spanish, the gospel, and about leadership as well. So my companion is a leader of our district (smaller group of missionaries) so we had lots of meeting this week in the mornings and I have learned a ton as I am around the other leaders more. Plus I get to meet other missionaries and become friends with them. This morning we had a special meeting at 7 a.m. that was 35 minutes away with ALL of the leaders from Juarez (there are 3 zones here and over 100 missionaries) so there were a lot of leaders. The assistants to the president were there too and they taught us about an activity we are going to do this weekend. My comp and I are teaching about 40 youth for 3 hours, because all the leaders are going to teach at this big multi-stake youth activity. Cool huh? I’m excited! It was also cool to know a lot of the leaders there and it’s been a great learning experience. Plus my new comp uses a lot of different words so I have been able to pick up a lot of new Spanish words and ways to teach.
The only down side with my comp is that he is way old in the mission and is not as motivated to work as hard... but it’s been great because I have had to step up and teach more and be the leader which is actually a lot harder than I thought, but I have learned a ton!
Also we have a new investigator who is way awesome; his name is Javier and he is way ready to hear the gospel. He has been searching for the Church of Jesus Christ for a long time, as in the same Church Christ established when he came to the earth. He hates when church leaders are paid to lead and are leaders based on knowledge... both of which are not part of the church that Jesus Christ Himself established. I’ll write more on him next week and we will see how it all goes.
Sorry I don’t have more time to write, but life is amazing! I love serving others 24/7! It’s like a dream life and I have never been happier in my life! Crazy huh? Service is the secret to happiness! Well that and family and the gospel... but they are best combined!
I love you and miss you and thank you for your support!
Love
Elder Andrew Davidson
7/14/09
Hey!!
So a LOT happened this week and I’m sad I am only able to write a small chuck of what goes on but just know every day is exciting and new. I love it here is Juarez; the days are much more exciting!
First off I got a new companion! Elder Jaurez went to the south of the state and I am with elder Regnier who is from Cuernavaca. I’m not sure how to spell it. Supposedly it’s really pretty there because most people freak out when he says where he is from. He has been in the mission for 22 months now and leaves in 2 changes. He is way relaxed and a cool guy. I am already learning a TON from him and he is a much better teacher than Elder Juarez was. Plus the words, or vocab, he uses is a lot different so I learn a ton from that alone. He knows more English than Elder Juarez does but never speaks in English. It’s really hard for me to speak in English and don’t really like to so we always just talk in Spanish. I feel bad because he needs to practice too, but it’s just harder to talk in English.... ha-ha. We get along well and I’m excited to have him as my comp!
Our leaders called us at 1am on wed and said we have changes and that we had to be at the bus stop at 6:30am so we got like no sleep. It was also a very humbling experience to be in the bus stop with all of the other elders and realize how little I am to the mission.... I worked with our zone leader until our companions came in from Chihuahua. It was a long day and I missed Elder Juarez more than I thought I would, we are good friends.
We also had baptisms on Sunday again and baptized the two daughters of the lady, Ivete that we baptized last week. It was SO special and exciting to see them together and to see Ivete helping her daughters out and the family being so united together. Ivete was never home and not a good mom before and one of her daughters told us she doubted her mom loved her before, but now after they have grown and changed so much through the gospel they are now praying together and are much more affectionate together and her daughters are happier than ever! I was just so great to see them all together and happy.
Since my companion has changed I have had to step and lead the conversations and introduce people so it has helped a lot with my Spanish. I am much better at leading the lessons and directing everything we are teaching and leading our conversations into the lessons. Stuff I need to be good at to be senior companion. I have learned a ton and have SO SO much more to go so I’m excited!
Oh and I had to speak in Sunday again but we did not have time to prepare so I had to just bring my scriptures up and spoke for 15 minutes! I was so calm and collect and organized it was crazy! I really liked it and know that the Lord was there helping me! We had so much going on with people being there and organizing the baptism and yet I was able to speak really well. So that was exciting. People even said stuff to me after and congratulated me
Life continues to go well and I really like all the new people in my district and my comp. I have more opportunities to learn and to apply what I learn into my life. I can really test and try my faith through my daily actions because faith always leads to action, always!
I’m so happy and grateful to be here and to serve the people I am privileged to be with everyday!
I love you and your support means so much to me!
Love,
Elder Andrew Davidson
Hey!!
So a LOT happened this week and I’m sad I am only able to write a small chuck of what goes on but just know every day is exciting and new. I love it here is Juarez; the days are much more exciting!
First off I got a new companion! Elder Jaurez went to the south of the state and I am with elder Regnier who is from Cuernavaca. I’m not sure how to spell it. Supposedly it’s really pretty there because most people freak out when he says where he is from. He has been in the mission for 22 months now and leaves in 2 changes. He is way relaxed and a cool guy. I am already learning a TON from him and he is a much better teacher than Elder Juarez was. Plus the words, or vocab, he uses is a lot different so I learn a ton from that alone. He knows more English than Elder Juarez does but never speaks in English. It’s really hard for me to speak in English and don’t really like to so we always just talk in Spanish. I feel bad because he needs to practice too, but it’s just harder to talk in English.... ha-ha. We get along well and I’m excited to have him as my comp!
Our leaders called us at 1am on wed and said we have changes and that we had to be at the bus stop at 6:30am so we got like no sleep. It was also a very humbling experience to be in the bus stop with all of the other elders and realize how little I am to the mission.... I worked with our zone leader until our companions came in from Chihuahua. It was a long day and I missed Elder Juarez more than I thought I would, we are good friends.
We also had baptisms on Sunday again and baptized the two daughters of the lady, Ivete that we baptized last week. It was SO special and exciting to see them together and to see Ivete helping her daughters out and the family being so united together. Ivete was never home and not a good mom before and one of her daughters told us she doubted her mom loved her before, but now after they have grown and changed so much through the gospel they are now praying together and are much more affectionate together and her daughters are happier than ever! I was just so great to see them all together and happy.
Since my companion has changed I have had to step and lead the conversations and introduce people so it has helped a lot with my Spanish. I am much better at leading the lessons and directing everything we are teaching and leading our conversations into the lessons. Stuff I need to be good at to be senior companion. I have learned a ton and have SO SO much more to go so I’m excited!
Oh and I had to speak in Sunday again but we did not have time to prepare so I had to just bring my scriptures up and spoke for 15 minutes! I was so calm and collect and organized it was crazy! I really liked it and know that the Lord was there helping me! We had so much going on with people being there and organizing the baptism and yet I was able to speak really well. So that was exciting. People even said stuff to me after and congratulated me
Life continues to go well and I really like all the new people in my district and my comp. I have more opportunities to learn and to apply what I learn into my life. I can really test and try my faith through my daily actions because faith always leads to action, always!
I’m so happy and grateful to be here and to serve the people I am privileged to be with everyday!
I love you and your support means so much to me!
Love,
Elder Andrew Davidson
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