Legends...
The work continues to progress here in Daveyton, Gauteng, South Africa. My companion and I received word from the APs of the mission record for most lessons taught in a week, and we made it our goal do surpass it. When you put your mind to something, you have a righteous goal, and the lord is on your side, you can work wonders. We surpassed the goal by 3, and we are preparing to REALLY set the bar the last week of the transfer by passing it again. The hardest part was trying not to allow our goal to surpass the importance of really teaching our investigators. As we strove to do this, we maintained the spirit, and we taught by the spirit. Miracles come when you work hard, and the Lord really puts people in your way as well. It seems as though my determination to work has increased ten fold. For the past week I have been filled with the feeling one gets when going over a hill in a car at a high rate of speed. You could say I'm "pumped."
We met a guy on the street Sunday evening, and he attempted to sell us an air freshener for our car. We tried to explain that we don't buy on Sundays, but he persisted in his attempt. Finally, he broke down as we told him who we were and what we do. He then confessed to us his many wrongdoings, and we began to teach him about repentance and the atonement of Jesus Christ. He began to weep, and he told us that the air fresheners he sold weren't long lasting, and that he couldn't lie to us because he felt his guilt weighing upon him heavily. I couldn't sell garbage services, but I can definitely sell the gospel. Its easy when you have the spirit guiding your thoughts.
We had the opportunity to eat Skopa, goat head, on Saturday.... It didn't taste too bad, but the members feeding us made me eat the brain. I nearly puked several times as I choked it down. The texture got to me more than the taste. My stomach has felt quite strange for the passed two days as a result.
I will try to make a more detailed account of things next week, but for now, I have nothing more to add. Stay well, and remember the lord. Elder Mcknight says hello as well.
Love,
Elder J. W. Davidson
Monday, July 30, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Letters 07/23/2012
Patience, Humility, Diligence, and Humor
It has been two weeks now with Elder Mcknight, and I have had a resurgence of energy. I have always had a great love for this work, but I feel that I am reaping the rewards in a much greater abundance. Having an African companion with a different background and orientation, not to mention the conflicts, really inhibited my sense of humor. I notice it more and more as I am able to laugh and joyfully roll about throughout the day. All things seem to have a lighter mood to them, and I have definitely been caught up with the fever of missionary work.
We had interviews with President Omer on Wednesday, but it turned out to be a brainstorming session instead. We discussed the different attitudes of the South African people, the quality of the mission itself, and the solutions to the problems with certain investigators. For some reason, my monthly allotment had some kind of glitch, and some unnecessary deductions were taken out, so I have been living off of very little for the past two weeks, and most likely for the rest of the month. The office elders take too long to get things done, but I have enough rice and sweet chili sauce to last me for at least two more weeks.
One of the most fulfilling parts of a mission comes when you are teaching a stubborn investigator, and they finally have the light in their head flip on. You can see a new spark in their eyes and a glow in their countenance that seems to extend through every fiber of their being. Then, as they fulfill their commitments too you, you know that they "get it." It really lightens my own soul and being. I cannot stress the importance of keeping this light maintained. Without it, we lose faith, and without faith, we lose hope. If we lose hope, we must surely be in despair, and "despair cometh because of iniquity."
Love,
Elder J.W. Davidson
We had interviews with President Omer on Wednesday, but it turned out to be a brainstorming session instead. We discussed the different attitudes of the South African people, the quality of the mission itself, and the solutions to the problems with certain investigators. For some reason, my monthly allotment had some kind of glitch, and some unnecessary deductions were taken out, so I have been living off of very little for the past two weeks, and most likely for the rest of the month. The office elders take too long to get things done, but I have enough rice and sweet chili sauce to last me for at least two more weeks.
One of the most fulfilling parts of a mission comes when you are teaching a stubborn investigator, and they finally have the light in their head flip on. You can see a new spark in their eyes and a glow in their countenance that seems to extend through every fiber of their being. Then, as they fulfill their commitments too you, you know that they "get it." It really lightens my own soul and being. I cannot stress the importance of keeping this light maintained. Without it, we lose faith, and without faith, we lose hope. If we lose hope, we must surely be in despair, and "despair cometh because of iniquity."
Love,
Elder J.W. Davidson
Monday, July 16, 2012
Letters 07/16/2012
New Companion
Transfers finally came, and I can't even begin to explain the relief that I have felt. A great source of contention and stress has departed from before me, and I can finally breathe easy. Elder McKnight is my new companion, as well as the new district leader. He is from Orem, and Daveyton will be his last area, so I may end up being the one who kills him off. The quality of the companionship has been great so far from week one. He has been willing to work, and we have set some great goals to work towards that would have seemed quite unachievable before. I am definitely enjoying the work much more than I had previously been. One of our goals involves receiving the most valuable companionship award at zone conference in August. From everything that has happened thus far, it seems like it will be a straight shot.
We had an experience standing in line at one of the supermarkets, and unfortunately for us, it was a saturday. We had been waiting in line for about 20 minutes, and the line seemed to move only a foot or so. When we were about to leave and shop somewhere else, one of the employees came up to us and asked that we follow her. We came to the front of the store where she scanned our goods and gave us a receipt and then proceeded to say "My elders don't wait in lines." Up until that point, I don't believe that I understood just how much the people here love and respect the missionaries.
The more time goes on and the more experiences I have, the more I begin to enjoy the work. We have been incredibly busy this week, and I haven't had much time to do much else, aside from the work. My shoes are scuffed and unpolished, I haven't had time to cook proper meals, most of my clothing is dirty, but it doesn't seem to matter. My mind has been focused on other things which are more important. I now have a testimony of P-days. Time has also begun to fly. This week has flown like a rocket, and the next is coming just as fast. The only thing slowing it down would be the ice cold showers at night and in the morning. For some reason, the water heater hasn't been working properly. I have also had the opportunity to eat pigs feet and goat head... which I will never eat again...
My time feels well spent, the spirit has been strong, and I am doing well. I send my love and prayers in your direction.
Much love,
Elder Jared William Davidson
Transfers finally came, and I can't even begin to explain the relief that I have felt. A great source of contention and stress has departed from before me, and I can finally breathe easy. Elder McKnight is my new companion, as well as the new district leader. He is from Orem, and Daveyton will be his last area, so I may end up being the one who kills him off. The quality of the companionship has been great so far from week one. He has been willing to work, and we have set some great goals to work towards that would have seemed quite unachievable before. I am definitely enjoying the work much more than I had previously been. One of our goals involves receiving the most valuable companionship award at zone conference in August. From everything that has happened thus far, it seems like it will be a straight shot.
We had an experience standing in line at one of the supermarkets, and unfortunately for us, it was a saturday. We had been waiting in line for about 20 minutes, and the line seemed to move only a foot or so. When we were about to leave and shop somewhere else, one of the employees came up to us and asked that we follow her. We came to the front of the store where she scanned our goods and gave us a receipt and then proceeded to say "My elders don't wait in lines." Up until that point, I don't believe that I understood just how much the people here love and respect the missionaries.
The more time goes on and the more experiences I have, the more I begin to enjoy the work. We have been incredibly busy this week, and I haven't had much time to do much else, aside from the work. My shoes are scuffed and unpolished, I haven't had time to cook proper meals, most of my clothing is dirty, but it doesn't seem to matter. My mind has been focused on other things which are more important. I now have a testimony of P-days. Time has also begun to fly. This week has flown like a rocket, and the next is coming just as fast. The only thing slowing it down would be the ice cold showers at night and in the morning. For some reason, the water heater hasn't been working properly. I have also had the opportunity to eat pigs feet and goat head... which I will never eat again...
My time feels well spent, the spirit has been strong, and I am doing well. I send my love and prayers in your direction.
Much love,
Elder Jared William Davidson
Monday, July 9, 2012
Letters 07/09/2012
Last Week of the Transfer
Elder Lewis and I have continued to have much success, and we have really been working hard. We get along quite well, and the work has progressed more in these two weeks than the previous four. It has been refreshing to see and experience what true companionship unity is, but unfortunately transfers are tomorrow. I will be staying in Daveyton for at least another month and a half, if not three months. I'm excited for a change in the district.... There has been quite a bit of discomfort and contention between the entire district. We have all claimed to be patient and long suffering, but in reality, as I look back, we were all a bit spiteful towards one another. I think we are all a bit relieved that our time together is nearly done. This transfer has been a rollercoaster ride, and everyone is getting off.
The highlight of the week was another trip to the temple. I had many things to converse with the Lord about, and I couldn't help but shake with excitement. I had a great deal of personal revelation, but that which stood out the most did not come until we began our drive home. I realized that as I go into the temple, I let my guard down as to things of the world. I become so overcome with the comfort of the spirit that I forget about needing to resist the temptations of the adversary. As I leave the temple doors, I am so comfortable that I forget to put my armor back on, and satan seems to be standing on the other side of the entry way with his foot sticking out to trip me up. He knows when we will have our guard down, and he is always ready to pounce. As I came to recognize this, I understood the importance of staying continually on a higher ground, and always remembering to heed the subtle, quiet promptings of the spirit.
Hopefully all is well, and hopefully my companion isn't a lizard. Stay well, as always.
--Love,
Elder Jared William Davidson
Elder Lewis and I have continued to have much success, and we have really been working hard. We get along quite well, and the work has progressed more in these two weeks than the previous four. It has been refreshing to see and experience what true companionship unity is, but unfortunately transfers are tomorrow. I will be staying in Daveyton for at least another month and a half, if not three months. I'm excited for a change in the district.... There has been quite a bit of discomfort and contention between the entire district. We have all claimed to be patient and long suffering, but in reality, as I look back, we were all a bit spiteful towards one another. I think we are all a bit relieved that our time together is nearly done. This transfer has been a rollercoaster ride, and everyone is getting off.
The highlight of the week was another trip to the temple. I had many things to converse with the Lord about, and I couldn't help but shake with excitement. I had a great deal of personal revelation, but that which stood out the most did not come until we began our drive home. I realized that as I go into the temple, I let my guard down as to things of the world. I become so overcome with the comfort of the spirit that I forget about needing to resist the temptations of the adversary. As I leave the temple doors, I am so comfortable that I forget to put my armor back on, and satan seems to be standing on the other side of the entry way with his foot sticking out to trip me up. He knows when we will have our guard down, and he is always ready to pounce. As I came to recognize this, I understood the importance of staying continually on a higher ground, and always remembering to heed the subtle, quiet promptings of the spirit.
Hopefully all is well, and hopefully my companion isn't a lizard. Stay well, as always.
--Love,
Elder Jared William Davidson
Monday, July 2, 2012
Letters 07/02/2012
The Bittersweet Nature of the Work
Well, I typed out a huge letter to send, and somehow I deleted all of it and then the auto save took effect, and it was too late. I don't have much more time, so I will try to summarize:
There is opposition in all things. It seems that no matter how much you seem to understand this statement, one always seems to forget it. This past week has been one of the best and worst of my mission.
With elder Lewis as my companion, the work seemed to excellerate. He said that he was willing to do whatever I felt inspired to do, and we proceeded to have a miraculous week. We set a record for total number of lessons taught in a week, and we exceeded several other goals. We were able establish much trust with several investigators who have previously been quite stubborn, and for those who have had a difficult time grasping or understanding our teachings, they seemed to absorb our message like a sponge. I have really begun to understand how much the spirit abounds when a companionship is in unity.
There was a certain instance this week when we were teaching an elderly man who was a pastor from the Assemblies of God church. No matter how hard he tried, he could not confound us. In the end he mentioned how knowledgable we wer, though we were only 20, and he had studied the bible for over 60 years. Two young men with little knowledge and experience, but with the spirit, will always confound the wise and learned of the world.
The downside of the week came on Tuesday when an investigator's child passed away. I won't go into great detail, but it stirred me up into remembrance of my own experience with death. I ended up conducting the funeral service, and the mother asked me to sing "Be Still My Soul." Long story short, I did much thinking.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)