No, We Really are On Fire!

So this week was soo awesome! Especially considering the way it started. But we got moved in to another apartment and got new furniture and stuff so we are pretty much back to normal. Paishan is an investigator we have been teaching since end of May and she's from Taiwan. She's here getting her PHD in Economics and has 4 more years left. She started out with no belief in God whatsoever and she has such a testimony of the gospel now it's amazing. At our lesson last Tuesday she decided to be baptized! She's getting baptized a week from tomorrow, August 25th! She's definitely converted and will remain steadfast in the church I have no doubts. I'm so happy for her it's just incredible to see the transformation in her. The only problem with getting baptized that she expressed last tuesday is that she wanted it to be at 4 because she wanted to have dinnr with her roommate because she just moved here from Taiwan and doesn't know anyone. haha we were like well how about 7. She's like Okay...so we're all set to go for Tuesday! And another investigator Carl, he's the one we were walking home from an appointment and he called us over and asked us what we did and sensed something about us. We taught him for 3 hours and he said he'd been praying all week to just know the truth. He grew up baptist and has tried other religions but never felt complete. We taught him 3 times last week and he just loves it. HE said he knows this is the truth and he always feels so good when we come over. We watched the testaments with him yesterday and he just loved it. He found out one of his co workers is mormon and he said he was sooo excited! He went and found him and they talked all day and they found out a way to be able to work side by side all day so he can talk to him mroe about the gospel. This work is unbelievable. Heavenly Father wants to guide us in all we do and I know as we let him, we will be blessed and we will be able to bless others. I'm so greatful for the knowledge I have of the Plan of salvation and for my testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I know Joseph Smith saw HEavenly Father and Jesus Christ and I know they restored the Priesthood Authority to the Earth through him. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and for a Prophet on the Earth today who directs this Church by revelation. It is so necessary to have further revelation for our days. We are going through things so different than other times and the answers for them aren't specifically found in other teachings. I love all of you and you are all such examples to me.
Sis davis

We're On Fire! (or at least our apartment was) :-)

Hey Familia!! How is everyone doing?? Sound like everyone's summer is going pretty great! Well this week was sooo awesome! We have 3 new investigators...one is a chinese family they are here because he is getting his post doc in nuclear physics and we met with the wife, her name is chang, twice last week and then the whole family came to church on sunday! gosh it was awesome they are so excited to learn...they have no background of anything to do with god at all. And then we had an appointment with paula and she wasn't home so we were walking back the other way and this guy called us over and he started asking us questions cause he's seen us walk a lot and he could feel something different. so we told him our message and he asked for a pamphlet and we wanted to give him a book of mormon but we had just given our last one away so we told him we'd walk home and get one and bring it back. well when we brought it back, he invited us in and we taught him for 3 hours!! It was the most incredible lesson...he said he'd been praying all week long for him to find the truth, and then we showed up and he knows we must have it. he grew up baptist but he never felt complete. he's studied with JW's and he didn't like what they taught, and a bunch of religions but he never felt full. he wanted to know more about joseph smith cause he said if I join this faith, i need to know all about it so i can share it with everyone so I need to know about him. so we read from joseph smith history and when we were done he said okay I am probably going to join. he said he's learned from missionaries before and he goes" they never explained it to me the way you have. man it could have been different a long time ago!" he knows his bible very well and every truth we taught just made complete sense to him...the spirit was so strong and at one point he jsut broke down sobbing about how lonely he has felt and he just has needed to let out his thoughts for so long and he's soo greatful for us talking to him and listening to him. At first I was scared! this huge black guy is bawling! but goodness he's just the coolest guy ever! Listening is so key to helping people accept the gospel. everyone investigating will have a problem with something. whether it be marriage, word of wisdom, tithing, chastity, so many things, and they are all things we can help them with, but only if we know what the problem is. we can only do that by listening. okay so that was saturday...well Sunday is where are amazing week turned completely upside down!! we were at church yesterday and we have a meeting at 630 and 730 and then church is at 9 so we were gone all morning and then one lady came up to me and was like hey not to worry you or anything but i just got here and I past your apt on the way here and your building is on fire! I didn't think too much of it though cause i just thought she meant one of the buildings in our complex cause there's like15 or 20 different buildings. and then when we got home there's firetrucks all over and ambulances and firefighter's still trying to fight the fire. I guess a little boy was playing with a lighter and that's how it started. it was the most insane experience in my life by far! no flames got in to our apartment; everything is just smoked out and completely water damaged. we lost all our furniture and a lot of our clothes , but none of our books of mormon or journals or area book or anything got damaged and that's really what matters. so anyways the bishopric and some others from the ward helped us get everything out as fast as we could and we are staying at our relief society president's house til we find a new apartment. The apartment complex we live at has other apartments but 16 apartments were lost in the fire so they don't have that many other units and a lot of the people had no where to go so we told them to not worry about finding us one cause we have a place to stay and we can just find another complex. so yeah... i'm still not even sure what happened it all seems like a dream! I can't believe we don't have our apartment anymore... the people next to us just moved in the day before. We're so lucky to have a ward family though. it was great to see everyone from the ward so willing to help us out and take us in and everything. here's some pictures of this fire.
http://www.theeagle.com/local/32-displaced-in-CS-blaze
http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/52833007.html

So yeah that was pretty much my week! pretty insane but nothing that can't be handled. Sister Carter lives in a beautiful hosue on the lake and she's just the sweetest lady ever! This morning she told us to invite the elders over and we all went fishing and she made us breakfast and then we played pool. All of her kids are grown so she just loves having us there... I miss my apartment though. I don't even have my toothbrush!! Don't worry she gave me one. Well I should end this. Elder childs, one of the senior missionaries, is coming up here to come look for another apartment with us so we have to meet him shortly. I love you all and I am so greatful to be serving a mission and I know I am right where I am suppose to be!
Sis Davis

listening to the Holy Ghost

Everything is going amazing here in College Station. We are in finding mode right now, but we have been blessed every time we have gone tracting or contacting formers and potentials to find new investigators each time. We contacted a lady named Paula who was taught a little over a year ago. We invited her to learn more and she said she wanted to so we set up an appointment and when we went over she wasn't home, but it was only 830 and I felt it was too early to go in for the night so we talked about it and there was a potential we have tried about 7 times and she's never been home but we decided to try her one more time because her apartment was on the way home and I felt like we should. So we knocked on her door twice and she wasn't home so we started walking away and then a lady answered. She wasn't the potential we were trying to contact, but we told her who we were and about our message and she invited us in and we taught her the Restoration and gave her a Book of Mormon and she was really excited. Her name is Mable and she has two girls that are 5 and 3 and so adorable... So we set up a return appointment. Then a couple days later we contacted Paula, the former investigator, and set another appointment up with her and now we are teaching both of them. So even though it was discouraging when Paula wasn't home the first time, Heavenly Father was in control and he knew that Mable needed to hear the Gospel that night and we were able to start teaching both of them. Listening to the promptings of the Holy Ghost really is the only way we can succeed as missionaries in the way the Lord wants us to. I'm still learning a lot, but every time I take that leap of faith, not knowing beforehand what I am going to do or Why, but acting on the promptings I receive, I am blessed. So that was one awesome story for this week. And it can't get better than being evacuated to the Stake Center for hours because of chemical explosions. We were so confused at first. I was on exchanges and so I had Sister Boren in my area and Sister Sorensen went with my previous companion Sister Lieber on campus and Elder Salazar called us and told us the situation. We really thought he was just joking around because they leave dumb messages all the time saying the first presidency text them and told them they were worried about us...hah just things like that so we didn't know what to think. So yeah we just had 13 of us missionaries and a bunch of other members from Bryan in the Stake Center in College Station for awhile and then we got permission for all the sisters to stay in our apartment since we are out of bryan far enough and then all the elders to stay in the Zone leaders and university elders' apartment cause they live together. It was great for us cause there is only 4 of us! The elders had 9 in their apartment haha so I don't think they had the funnest night. We just ordered pizza and took pictures! It was a relaxed night...It was actually a little bit of torture being confined to your apartment because everyday we're told we have to be out all day except meal time and so it felt like we were breaking the rules or something! But yeah all is well we are all alive. We are having zone meeting on Wednesday and I was asked to give a talk on the Relationship between Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ which is really broad to me so I had a hard time picking a point to talk about to relate it to us. At length I came to the conclusion that really it was pretty obvious that I needed to talk about obedience and the example Christ set of that. His relationship with the father is on the foundation of complete obedience. His own statement of that is "Thy Will be done." So I am sort of getting all my thoughts on paper finally. It will be great though I have already learned so much about it in preparation. We are going to the Temple this Thursday as well so it's just going to be a wonderful week. I am so excited to hear where Shannon is going!! She's going to be such an amazing missionary! Let me know where she gets called to. Well I have to write some individual emails and then we are going bowling today so I am gonna end this but I just love you all so much and I am so happy that we are a family for time and all eternity. It's such a great blessing we have been given! Any blessing we receive though is only predicated upon obedience...interesting how everything goes back to obedience. That's why we are put in to family units though so that we can help eachother bind ourselves to holiness before the lord and act in exact obedience. Truly, if we take away all our arguing and bad feelings once in awhile, family is who we think of first with anything and we are always wanting to help them walk in the ways of the Lord, which is walking in exact obedience. K love you!
Sister D

Singing in the Rain!

So we got rain this week...twice!!! That above everything else, made it the best week ever! It's crazy though because when it rains here it pours and the little streams rise up so high and it floods really easy. Anyways I have a new companion! Her name is Sister Sorensen and she is from Idaho falls! I guess they like to keep the Idahoans together! She is an English Major at BYU and she's a wonderful missionary and I'm lucky to have her as my companion. We were able to do some tracting this week which has been awhile but it's always good to let a new missionary experience the awkwardness of door approaches. These ones weren't too bad...had a couple of them without shirts on but no fully naked people like Elder Hiatt's Greenie had to deal with on his first door so that's always a plus! She set up two appointments while we were tracting so she's on her way to training next transfer already! People really are pretty open to listening here...and even if they don't want to learn mroe they are nice for the most part. We have a great week ahead of us with some appointments and lots of potentials to contact so it is going to be busy busy but that's the only way to be and then you forget how tired you are! We have a new ward mission leader and he's soo awesome!! He's so excited about it and he's very hands on which we needed! He's got great ideas about incorporating preach my gospel with member lessons to involve the members mroe and bring in more referrals. I don't have that much to say this week because we were in houston for a couple days with the rest of the trainers and their companions but that was a wonderful time. I'm so lucky to be on a mission I don't know how I got here, but it's the best place to be and I just don't ever want to be released. If it wasn't for my family I probably wouldn't be! Thank you so much for everything you all do and teh support you give me, it means a ton. I know that the Lord is at the head of this church and as we are exactly obedient in the commandments we have been given, both as a whole and individually within our callings, we will surely be blessed and have no need to fear about anything to come. Love you!
Sis Davis

Singing in the Rain!

So we got rain this week...twice!!! That above everything else, made it the best week ever! It's crazy though because when it rains here it pours and the little streams rise up so high and it floods really easy. Anyways I have a new companion! Her name is Sister Sorensen and she is from Idaho falls! I guess they like to keep the Idahoans together! She is an English Major at BYU and she's a wonderful missionary and I'm lucky to have her as my companion. We were able to do some tracting this week which has been awhile but it's always good to let a new missionary experience the awkwardness of door approaches. These ones weren't too bad...had a couple of them without shirts on but no fully naked people like Elder Hiatt's Greenie had to deal with on his first door so that's always a plus! She set up two appointments while we were tracting so she's on her way to training next transfer already! People really are pretty open to listening here...and even if they don't want to learn mroe they are nice for the most part. We have a great week ahead of us with some appointments and lots of potentials to contact so it is going to be busy busy but that's the only way to be and then you forget how tired you are! We have a new ward mission leader and he's soo awesome!! He's so excited about it and he's very hands on which we needed! He's got great ideas about incorporating preach my gospel with member lessons to involve the members mroe and bring in more referrals. I don't have that much to say this week because we were in houston for a couple days with the rest of the trainers and their companions but that was a wonderful time. I'm so lucky to be on a mission I don't know how I got here, but it's the best place to be and I just don't ever want to be released. If it wasn't for my family I probably wouldn't be! Thank you so much for everything you all do and teh support you give me, it means a ton. I know that the Lord is at the head of this church and as we are exactly obedient in the commandments we have been given, both as a whole and individually within our callings, we will surely be blessed and have no need to fear about anything to come. Love you!
Sis Davis

not much time to write

From: "Caitlin Davis"
To: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Subject:
Date: Monday, July 13, 2009 1:30 PM

Hey Family! Okay So I don't have too much time to write today I apologize but I will try my best! Phillip was baptized on Saturday so that was so exciting! His wife is a member and they have 2 boys so it completes a family which is the best and I am so happy for them! The work is going to well here and doors really are opening all the time. I have seen that as we are faithful and dedicated, the blessings are beyond our sacrifice and I am so grateful for the blessings I receive constantly from serving. Also Sis Lieber and I were able to go to a family's sealing in our ward and it was hands down one of the best moments so far on my mission. To see such a transformation from where they were a few months ago and then see them sealed to eachother and their kids and the smiles on their faces was absolutely priceless. I love it...all of the different parts of missionary work are incredible and are all equally important and sometimes we can forget that, but as President Hinckley tells us, There's no point in doing missionary work unless we hold on to those fruits of the effort and they Must be inseparable. So reactivating the lessactives is just as important as helping others gain faith, repent and be baptized. Just another little something I learned. This last transfer has been great to me and I know it will just keep getting better. Transfer calls were Saturday and Sis Lieber is leaving me...she is getting transferred to the University ward in Bryan and she's white washing an elder's area so that'll be fun for her. I am going to be training...haha I still kinda laugh when I write that cause I am still a baby! I don't know how I'm suppose to train! But I know the Lord is in charge and he'll help me the whole way as long as I do my part and rely on him in everything I do. So yeah I'm meeting her in Houston on Wednesday and we'll spend some time up tehre with President nd Sister Hansen and come back up Thursday after we do a session at the temple. We have some great investigators and a couple of them praying for dates so we should be seeing some baptisms soon enough. I'll write more next week I just have to get going now. Life is amazing and Mission life is even more so! Love you each sooo much!
Sis Davis

time is flying by

From: "Caitlin Davis"
To: ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Subject:
Date: Monday, July 06, 2009 9:01 AM

Hey yall how is everyone?! Sometimes the weeks go so fast I question myself that I didn't like write yesterday...anyways this week went well for the most part! I was sick in bed for 3 days with the flu and the Elders brought me a half gallon of Cookies and Cream BlueBell Icecream which is death cause it's so good! So I think I gained a good 15 lbs. but luckily we don't own a scale! Although I had to get weighed at the Dr's when I went to the pulmonolgist a couple weeks ago and I've gained 3 lbs...but keep that on the down low. But Sis Lieber taught Pai Shan without me on Tuesday night and asked her to be baptized and she said once she finds out if it's true or not she has no reason not to be baptized! She fasted for an answer on Sunday, all she could say was I'm so hungry! We are teaching her tomorrow night and setting a date for her...either the 18th or the 25th. Our district is doing awesome with baptisms and the only week we don't have one in the month of July is the 18th so we're trying to get her in that weekend but it may be to soon...we will just have to see what Heavenly Father wants. She's ready though and she loves the gospel. We taught Yuanfa's roommate again last night. His name is Hong and he's the one I have talked about before who doesn't believe in God and we've been teaching him a lot about the Plan of Salvation and Chinese people just eat that up. We truly take so much for granted in our lives having the knowledge that God loves us and has a plan for us. We've always believed that it's just been second nature and I think we need to plant that deeper into our lives and not only just believe it but say yes I believe that so what am I going to do because I believe that. And we should be constantly striving to be better people and also bring others to the truth of the gospel that are in darkness. There are seriously so many people all around us that really are only in darkness because they don't even know where to look for the light. And we have it and the only true light they can get is from us...we must share the gospel with everyone. Anyways Hong is going to pray to know if God is there...he was suppose to last week but he really is devoted to it this week. and he said I really hope tehre is a god. And teaching about the Kingdoms he said so I still have a chance to go to the Celestial Kingdom...and he was relieved and excited. He already believes in God you can tell. He said so if I find out God is real...what do I do? So it's only a matter of him finding out if God is there and the gospel will just flow into his life easily. I have a lot of joy teaching Hong seeing him come from complete darkness and seeing the light and walking towards it...slowly but very straightly. Transfer calls are this Saturday. I'm staying here cause I'm in the middle of tests and Sis Lieber could be leaving or staying we have no idea. Oh guess what! So Sister Lieber and I when we go to be we would always say Don't let the Bed Bugs bite and if they do beat them till they're black and blue and we would just always so that...well guess who really DOES have bed bugs!! I didn't even know they were real! But of course I get bed bugs and Sister Lieber doesn't cause I get everything haha...so we have been camping on the couch and she pulls her bed out next to the couch and we're getting our apt sprayed this week. We are meeting with Gladys this week the 90 year old woman who we had an amazing lesson with a few weeks ago? she was at the 4th of July breakfast we were so excited to see her! Anyways I need to end this but I love and miss everyone but not mroe than I miss the Lord and being on a mission is the best way I have found to please the Lord and my family and bring blessings to both so I'm content here for 15 more months...love you all so much!
Sister Davis