Week Thirteen!

Hola!

So lot's of stuff....yeah not really. HOT AND HUMID. That's the theme for this last week and definitely the upcoming 100+. Biking is so fun! Not really though. Here's my address! Finally remembered! 210 3rd St. West #3111 Bradenton, FL 34205. It's in the Watermark apartments right next to manatee river. You can look at the bridge just to the west of us that we bike everyday with 80 mph winds at our faces.

So the work is picking back up. We had another baptism yesterday! Felipe Sandoval is the man. Kid actually. He's 19. Friend of the Santos family (Alex (18) and Neftaly (14)). AND Alex (has had the priesthood for a month) did the baptism!! Awesome. Recent convert baptizing his best friend, and what? Oh yeah we set a date with Alex's brother too, Jr. (he's 20) , for the 12th of May, but we're going to try to move it up to next Sunday. A couple weeks ago Jr. didn't even know or believe that God existed. Now he wants to hang out with us, give us rides, learn new stuff. The change in these people is insane. Felipe started out before I got here saying that people only have religion to feel safe and he didn't believe in God. Baptized. Alex and Neftaly didn't believe in God. Baptized. Jr. believed in science. Baptism set. They're parents, father drinks constantly and mother was the reason Alex and Neftaly didn't get baptized for so long. Baptism set for 26 of May. This whole family is being changed by this gospel. Jr. is seeing it in his brothers and he wants the happiness they have. We all came home from church yesterday and their mom was just sitting away watching tv and we all came in laughing and smiling and Alex was so happy because he just baptized his best friend, and so the mom sees their change, especially in Jr., and she wants to be a part of it. The change that this gospel does in the lives of everyone is insane to see first hand. We have another date for the little sis. of Abi Sorto (beach baptism), her name's Angie Sorto and is set for the 12th of May. Another guy we're working for a date if he can quit drinking is the 19th of May. So stuff is starting to happen again and it's crazy how it all just blew up all over again. Pretty amazing to be a part of it all and see and feel all of these things that can only be felt on this mission. Cray stuff.

Anyways....running races yeah? I miss running. Can't really do it out here that much, just bike. But those races are way awesome! Way to keep it up. By the end of my mission I can start doing 150 mile bike races I'll have thighs of steel. I've been gone for a decent amount of time I guess! It is so hard sometimes I'll be honest, but it's just the fact that I have to accept this as my life now and I don't have any other option. Because if home is an option in my head, during those hard times I'd be on the plane. So I don't let that be an option. I heard of some of my friends from high school coming home already and they were in the mtc about the same time as me. Stinks to hear that. But it is the hardest thing ever. I'm beginning to experience the difficulties of being with the same person 24/7 for 3 months straight. It's quite frustrating...basically a lot. He has mood swings like a roller coaster and so I try to deal with it. And he doesn't really know how to say things nicely? So everything he says now is like a command in a negative way with a ton of "you're an idiot". Same if I ask him a question so I just don't talk much in general anymore. And my spanish isn't really growing because now he just does all the talking period, english and spanish, so I don't talk much anymore, and then he gets mad at me for making him do all the talking...right. Nice. I'm dealing with it though. Trying to be positive ish.
 

Well keep up the awesome stuff!!

Live Hard,
Love Hard,
Laugh Hard,

Elder Bryson Davies

Week Twelve!

Hola! 

This last week was transfer week. Obviously in the same place. I'm basically guaranteed to be here at least 4 transfers, so I'm just enjoying it! Casey will probably leave the next transfer. We got another new Hna. Hna Danes from Colorado Springs. She just turned twenty on Saturday. She's pretty cool! And we're going to be getting new english sisters in Bradenton, spanish elders in Sarasota. Sisters are going to be starting to be put into leadership positions too! District leaders and zone leaders status.

This last week was long. Because we did so much knocking and trying to contact and whatnot. Oh and I'm driving this transfer! E. Casey is having me drive so I know the area better. Yeah driving in Florida is hard. Everybody just honks. Almost died like 80 times. Chill. And this week we're on bikes. 100 degrees, 85 humidity. Nice. Gonna sweat like a pig on a hot hawaiian bbq. 

Nothing really happened this week. Went on another exchange this last week. Elder Watkins. He's from Cali but lives in Hawaii cause his dad teaches there. He's way awesome! AND he spends a ton of time in PG! His cousins live there and he goes there a ton for holidays and whatnot! They live right behind the theater we live next to! Their last name is....Smyth. I think. The Smyths. They should at least be in our stake. So look them up! He's my zone leader here. 

Yep....don't really know what else to say...been like halfway sick for like two weeks. It's kinda hard because I'm constantly exhausted....or maybe that's just because I'm on a mission...that might be it too. 

I get NO MAIL. So like if you wanted to send a blank piece of paper every now and then it'd be cool. I get the dearElders like every few weeks so those are cool when they come. I get those like two weeks after you send them. But emails are good to look forward to every week so that's nice. Still keeping in contact with all the homies! They're doing way good. Enjoying all the crazy things going on. Craig sent me a pic of a dead squirrel. Maybe I'll try to send that to you since I don't have any. Everyday is just a mush. The only days that exist are P-days and Sundays. WEIRD. But it's going good. We try to do things to spice it up every now and then so it doesn't get boring and such, because knocking for like three hours does have its boring moments. 

It's pretty great with Spanish. We had a huge meeting with all the ward group leaders yesterday. We only talked about missionary work for like ten minutes at the end, but during the whole thing, since to understand Spanish I still have to think about it, if I got bored I would just not try and nothing that was being said made any sense! Hard to explain but it's nice every now and then to do that. Can't really do that when english people are talking because you can always understand what they're saying, not here!

I got nothin else! You should send me all the info I'm gonna need for the mother's day call in three weeks! Don't know what I need, but you probably do yeah? So you can send that and we're going to find someone to do it at these next couple weeks.

Alright good luck on everything this week!

Live Hard,

Love Hard,

Laugh Hard,

Elder Bryson Davies 

Week Eleven!

Hola!

Here in the Bradenton/Palmetto/Sarasota of Florida is just dandy. Things are slowing down a bit because everybody we had as progressing investigators is basically baptized! I mean that's a great thing, but now we're having to start all over and FIND everyone. This last week we did a lot of knocking and what're called Peace and Blessings. Heard of those before? Don't know if it's only this mission or others too, but it's where we go around and instead of knocking and introducing that we have a message to share, we say we've been sent by the Savior Jesus Christ to leave His peace and blessing with His people, it's through our priesthood authority and a prayer that we're able to do this (explain a little on that) and is that something you would like to receive today? That's basically all we do and then we do it, basically a blessing on the entire family that lives there and the house through the Melch. Priesthood (we do specific things for each specific person in the prayer so it's pretty long, but specific prayers get specific answers!) And then after the prayer we ask how they feel, explain the Spirit, and then introduce that we also teach about Christ and ask if they'd be interested to learn more. That's usually where they say yes or no. Most people accept the blessing, we've even had people accept it and we do it and they said that was pointless and deny our lessons...okay? A lot of times they say to come back when they have more time, which is usually never...but we try! But yeah peace and blessings, that's what we do.

Let's see what else.....Oh we had splits! Right! We only ended up doing one from Tuesday to Wednesday with the english kids in Sarasota. It was way fun! I was in my area with Elder Fisher. He's from Las Vegas. We knocked a lot that morning and got a few referrals for the English Bradenton elders and we got a few for spanish as well. There were only like a couple of Hispanic people home so I didn't talk that much in Spanish, but when I did it was only me because the other dude didn't know what was going on. I set up a meeting with a guy and told him about the BOM and such. Then this other guy, probably Argentinian because he looked white, answered. Elder Fisher goes on thinking he spoke english and explains peace and blessing and asks if he wants it. Finally he says he doesn't speak english, so I had to redo everything and explain it all again and he said he didn't want it. So I told him how we teach about Christ and stuff and asked if he believed in Christ, and he said something in spanish that doesn't correlate at all to the question. He said "igualmente" which is what you say when someone tells you to have a good day and you mean to say "you too". So that didn't make sense so I kept going and then he cut me off when I started to explain the BOM and he said something quiet so I lean in "como?". He says it again. He's atheist. AWKWARD. Didn't know what to do there. I was like oh so you don't want anything that we have, and he's all no not really I don't believe in God or Christ or anything you have. So I just sat there....well mucho gusto! Que tenga un buen dia! Good times...good times....Oh and with Casey the other day we were knocking and it was my turn to do it and a guy answered, he was back in the shadows and his skin was dark and we were in what we call "Little Mexico" so everyone is Hispanic. So I start speaking Spanish and he's just like "COME AGAIN??" He's a giant black man. You speak english! I said, Well yes what do you want, he said. We're missionaries for our church and we....WELL GOOD FOR YOU, NOT INTERESTED! BAM! Nice. Good times...good times....

Baptism at the beach!!! Awesome! The whole day on Saturday was rough because we were knocking and no lessons were happening and our ride to take us to the church forgot about us and we were running low on daylight! But then we got the the beach where we could find the least amount of people (still were quite a bit and they were taking pics and stuff it was silly) it was in one called coquina? Coquino Beach? No idea for sure. But something like that just straight out from us to the west like twenty minute drive. We got there basically right at sunset! Amazing and me and E Casey went out with the two girls and baptized them! With the waves being as tall as us at that time it was pretty hard ha ha. Casey did his on his first try but then the waves had carried us in and we didn't notice so I tried, didn't go all the way under. We have to wade out even more, waves are huge! We're basically already soaking wet from head to toe, and I messed up the prayer like three times because it was in english! I don't even know the darn thing in english! but then I finally got it and all is well! Whew it was crazy. And that water was nice and that beach was awesome! Beach baptisms RARELY happen out here so there were a bunch of other missionaries watching because they'd never seen one or been to one and it gave them an excuse to go on the sand. WAY COOL. And yesterday I confirmed the girl I didn't baptize and that was in english so it was way awesome. GOOD STUFF. And that's 8 baptisms since I've been here! First transfer! Casey says that doesn't happen and I just don't know how the normal is for people because I've only been seeing constant success. Oh by the way today's the first day of the transfer! ONE TRANSFER DOWN! Well technically two with the one in the MTC. Two down! Like 14 left! Nice. I'll be here for quite a while I'm thinking. But there's so many people coming out again this transfer! Mostly sisters. The threesome that's in my branch one is leaving this week and they're getting a greenie too! And they're still training the one that came out with me! Training early out here. We'll see what happens with me.

Spanish is still good. Something that I have a major problem with is I can understand so much when I just listen to people talk and such. But the second that a question is directed at me from a Hispanic person I have no idea what they said. It doesn't make sense! But Casey said that it happened to him too. No idea why. It bugs me because then they think that I can't understand anything just because I can't answer they're questions when they talk to me and then they don't pay attention to me for the rest of the time we talk because they assume I can't understand it. BUGS SO BAD. That's probably the worst part about it right now. And I don't know how to make it better. Working on it...somehow...eh.

Well I think that's mostly it! Good luck with all the crazy traveling and tests and jobs and speeches and such this week! Prayers for days! Oh and you should tell that Michael child to email me and stuff. Cool.

Live Hard,
Love Hard,
Laugh Hard,

Elder Bryson Davies

Week Ten!

Hola!

 

How bout that conference huh?? It's about a thousand percent different as a missionary because you think of how everything applies to you, but also for about thirty million other people too at the same time! Good stuff about the family too. How some of the most important work we can do in this life is that within the home. We try to get that across to people here, but they don't really get it. A lot of families here aren't "families". Especially coming from Utah and thinking I knew what a "not" family was and what family problems were. Boy that was a slap in the face over  and over and over here. It's hard to teach how God loved us so he gave us families to people when they either don't have  family or their family isn't even close to what a family should be. People out here go their whole lives not even knowing what love is in their life (remember the talk about that girl that came from the darkness and needed to be shown the light because she didn't know it even existed? Twas Uchtdorf) But yeah things are rough in families out here. So it makes me thankful for ya'll back at home! Even though we go through hard times, that's life and we need to continue to show unconditional love for each other because that's the way that God wants it and He gave us families in the first place, so we need to show Him respect. And that one guy who talked about marriages: Marriage is a gift of God, the quality of our marriage is our gift to Him. That's pretty crazy true. So much of the world doesn't even realize what a blessing it is to have that eternal companion, and that's talking about all the members of the church! People take it for granted and don't try to work through problems with God and Christ as their guide and they lose the love they once had. It's sad that that is something that is failing in the church today.

 

But anyways happiness! FIRST BAPTISM DONE AND DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah I baptized a lady named Maria and elder Casey baptized her two little daughters! AND duh I had to mess up on my first time. How would it be memorable without messing up? Turns out when you ask "Cual es su nombre completo?" to a hispanic person you should ask about ten times to make sure they don't have any hidden names, and most of them have like 5 names. So I missed one of her names! Oh well Casey noticed and I just redid it anyways. But it was all good! That was Saturday afternoon. And this Saturday is the beach! It'll be at about 6 ish in the afternoon. I'm baptizing one girl and Casey's baptizing the other!

 

Tomorrow and the next day, two days in a row, we're doing exchanges with two sets of english missionaries. Tomorrow I'll be by myself with an english kid that doesn't speak spanish in my area, that'll be Elder Fisher, but then Wednesday I'm going to the english side of things and hitting that up that'll be with Elder Buck. Fun stuff!

 

Oh for the priesthood session we had a whole four members show up!!! Whoo!! Ha ha nothing like Utah here. Nobody comes to even the english one really. Like maybe fifty for an entire city? Weird. But I watched the whole thing in Spanish! That was the only one I watched in Spanish because I obviously can get more out of english right now, but I still understood a lot! That was interesting to get the translation going on. Weird.

 

I'm gettin pumped for the heat! It's starting to get HOT here. And it's not an average hot. It's death hot and wet and sticky all the time. WHOOOO!!! And I'm on bikes this week! Party and a half coming up for this big guy.

 

Live Hard,

Love Hard,

Laugh Hard,

 

Elder Bryson Davies

Week Nine!

Hola!

I don't have hardly anytime today so it will be very short. I just got on a computer after a bunch of missionaries that were using ours in our apartment complex place. So sorry in advance but no pics or anything.

But anyways! Let's start with yesterday! I CONFIRMED THREE PEOPLE AND GAVE THEM THE CONSTANT COMPANION OF THE HOLY GHOST!! So I guess that's pretty cool. I was way nervous for it and I'd been trying to get more words in my vocabulary throughout the week just in case I needed to use them because I wanted to be able to say what I needed to and what they needed to hear and in a way that everyone could understand. So that morning I was praying and studying way hard for it, focusing on the two of Alex and Neftaly because at the time I didn't know I was going to be confirming Viviana the same day. So before I was way nervous and so were they! But we went up and right when we put our hands on them a huge amount of power flowed in me and all nervousness vanished. I went into the blessing and said everything as it popped in my head, every thought I got I tried to go off of it because I figured that was what I needed to say at that moment, and I went until my head was blank and then I ended it! And the same thing with Neftaly who was second! And we went and sat down and I couldn't stop smiling and they couldn't stop smiling and Casey told me that I said the entire thing perfectly with no mistakes....!! I conjugated everything perfectly, I used "tu" form which you need for blessings and I never use it normally, and he said I used words that I've never even said before and we've never gone over!! It was CRAZY. Such a testimony builder that: the gift of tongues is REAL, because there's no way I could talk that perfectly now, it was only for the moment that I needed it most. The Holy Ghost has immense power. And Heavenly Father cares about each one of us individually and perfectly. Later we baptized Viviana which was awesome! And then since we can't confirm her really next week because of conference we just did it right after. It wasn't as perfect as the other ones because I just wasn't as prepared and it was on the spot, but I still followed the Spirit and got across what I needed to say. 

But yeah I'm really really basically out of time because they're telling me to hurry and I just started. Cool. But this morning for P-Day we went to Anna Maria Pier! Look it up! I have pics but no time this week to send them. We chilled on the pier and watched people fish. Then we went and ate at a place I can't remember the name of but it was literally right next to the beach. Like some of the tables were out on the sand. AWESOMENESS!!!! I'll have to send the pics next week because they're basically sweet. Anyways sorry this is so short! We have three more baptisms on Saturday! And two for the 13th and they want to get baptized...where?.....oh the OCEAN! So that's going down for sure! HAVE A GOOD SPRING BREAK!!!

Live Hard,

Love Hard,

Laugh Hard,

Elder Bryson Davies

Week Eight!

Hola!
 
This week's been way good. Lot of success with investigators progressing. We're learning to use the members a ton and they make a difference! If the missionaries ever need help from you guys, SAY YES. Members are such a live saver and sometimes they're exactly what our investigator needs to hear, not only us. So yeah they've been way helpful and we've tried to have one at every lesson.

Thanks for the Spanish advice. It's rough, but I'm basically just throwing it to the wind and going with it. Trying and usually failing but it's part of the growing experience.

It's been hot here. Humid and foggy as death. But today it's nice and clear and windy so not too bad. We got to drive over the Skyway bridge when we went to Tampa yesterday! Cool bridge!
 
I'll keep you guys in my prayers!

So lots to tell about the baptisms and Elder Anderson!

Baptisms: Two down!! So the whole story is this. Alex and Neftaly have been taught by missionaries for over a year and have never gotten baptized. So Elder Casey and I (and the Spirit) got them to the point of them wanting it. So we had set the date and they were ready. But they needed the permission from their mom and she wasn't giving it to them at all. She believed they weren't ready because they don't read everyday and know everything and they were already baptized. (catholic) So during their spring break they basically spent the entire week with us going to lessons and we were even on bikes the whole time. They really saw what our work is like and through the lessons we know they came closer to Christ. So that week on Thursday we fasted with them for the permission. They went and asked again after and she still said no and they're too afraid to try to be bold and talk to her about it. So me and Elder Casey fasted again on Sunday that her heart would be softened and she'd be understanding. So Monday night we went to their house just to have a normal lesson. We talked for like thirty minutes and then we sat down at their table and were literally about to pray. Their mom walks in the house and starts making dinner in the kitchen we're in. (She never has done that) Me and Casey looked at each other and we both knew and felt that this was the time to talk to her. So we did! We talked to her about how baptism is only the door to rest of the journey in this gospel. It's only through baptism that they can progress further in knowledge. And we told her about the Book of Mormon too. And after about twenty minutes...she said YES! AND she said she would have to come to it and she works all the time, she checked her schedule and the one day she didn't work? The 24th. The day we chose. AND she said they only could if she could learn more about it herself. DUH WE SAID YES! It was such a great experience for us and especially it gave Alex and Neftaly a testimony of the power of fasting and prayer. So Elder Casey baptized them last Sunday. Guess who's confirming them and giving them the Holy Ghost next week..................OH ME! IN SPANISH! So yeah that'll be fun! And we have another baptism next Sunday with Viviana, she's the nanny of a family that Casey baptized like the week before I got here. And then we have another baptism the Saturday the 6th in between conference sessions. (Which we watch in Spanish in the chapel with ward members and investigators. Weird cause it's 12-2 4-6 and 8-10 sessions.)

So Elder Anderson came! We had to wake up at 4 am because Elder Nitta (DL and our driver) needed to get there by 630 to practice a musical number he did with another elder. So we got to the church in Tampa (Odessa actually I think) and sat there for like two hours before other missionaries started trickling in. Got to see almost my whole MTC district which was cool! They're all the same...cause it's only been three weeks....But then we went into the gym and got situated (200+ missionaries) to take a huge pic with him and he walked into the gym! Little old man! Ha ha but we got the pic with him and then we made our way into the chapel. And as everyone went in we got to SHAKE HIS HAND! Hand of an apostle! And Pres. Summerhays and a member of the 70 that was with Elder Anderson. WHOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAA. It was awesome. All the leaders there talked and their wives and then him last.

Some cool stuff we talked about:
Sis. Summerhays: "You don't know everything, but you know enough." talking about teaching anyone and everyone through the Spirit.
Elder Munts (spelling? guy from the 70): "Anybody, Any place, Anytime." Talking about finding people.
Elder Anderson: "We bring ALL people to Christ." "Tithing is key for retention of members." "We represent Jesus Christ to a world that is losing its faith in Him." "In our lifetime we will see the Book of Mormon become a powerful evidence and tool that will keep everyone that believes in it safe and true." "We testify of Christ with actions." "We are meant and allowed to always progress in this mission and all of mortality." And then one girl got up when he was asking for some input and said this, which he said he wanted to write down because it was so profound! Look for it in his conference talk ha ha: "Using the Atonement helps us understand how far we've come and how weak we are."

So yeah that's what went down this last week!
Live Hard,
Love Hard,
Laugh Hard,

Elder Bryson Davies

Week Seven!

Hola!

Okay so lots o lots o lots o questions to answer! Jeepers you guys know how to ask em. So let's get em answered!

Neighborhood here is cool. We're kind of by just a lot of businesses but also we're on the Riverwalk so if we want to go there and play volleyball or basketball or whatnot then it's right there. This last week we had bikes....DEATH. My bike's all tiny and stuff, but it's all good. I'm getting used to it. We've biked SO much this week. We biked like 25 miles on one of the days about. Because some days we have to go to south Bradenton, then into Palmetto (across the bridge of death, which ALWAYS no matter what way we go the wind is against us), and then back to Bradenton, and then back to Palmetto. We try to plan better but some people bail on us then some people can only do it certain times. I lost 10 POUNDS this last week. Gonna be Swarzanegger by the time I leave even Bradenton! Lots of exercise during bike week.
 
Language is getting better each day...almost each day. Whenever we're talking about gospel stuff, so like the entire morning, Elder Casey basically talks to me in only Spanish. And when we go to church everybody only talks in Spanish because...they're all Hispanic. So I'm getting better and better at understanding what they're saying. But my ability to speak is very not good right now. But I'm trying more and more. Sometimes I just feel inadequate when they speak in perfect Spanish to me and then I feel like I shouldn't even try to speak back. But that's something I have to get over and get out of that comfort zone. It's not too bad during lessons, because honestly more than half are in english. Because like I said most of them are with teenagers or kids our age so they prefer English. We're teaching a few older couples where we only speak Spanish though. It'll be cool though because instead of a person that goes somewhere where they speak strictly one language the entire mission and then they come home and have to get straight back into english and lose the language they learned, I'm able to learn how to teach and everything in both so I'm able to be comfortable and used to speaking in both. But sometimes that makes it that much harder to feel comfortable and learn fast. But it's coming little by little. Except I'm gonna come home speaking english with a swagger accent and Spanish with a Mexican/Cuban/Dominican accent.

Baptisms are alright right now. We're for sure having 3 on April 6 with a woman and her two daughters. Then we can possibly have two kids this Sunday, if their mom gives them permission. She's very very Catholic and has been the only thing holding them back and they've been taking the lessons for like over a year. So we know it's happening with us so we need to talk to her about all of her concerns and try to resolve them. We can also have another on the 31 of March, she just needs to come to Church twice in a row, which she already missed yesterday so we had to move her date back a week. We could have another kid and his mom on the 31. He wants to but he has to get Sundays off of work and come twice. And his mom needs to receive a confirmation that this is true which we hope is happening/happened. But yeah that's all for now I think with those!
 
I'm calling my two month mark this Wednesday so yeah. Pretty cray. Going by.....decently speedy...kind of...ha ha. OH before I forget! Next Monday we're having a mission wide conference with Elder Anderson! Apostle! So that's something I'm looking forward to.

We have a few days that are set with families for dinner each week. The Sedillo's, the Calvillo's, the Sanchez' basically take a night each week. We've had amazing food. Everything is so good when it's made by actual Hispanic people! We've had basically everything they sell at Taco Bell...but homemade by a Hispanic man and woman. SO GOOD. I always feel fat when we leave those because they give us so much and then I usually have like two plates. It's a rough life. Lots of rice and meat. But there's like a billion different ways to eat rice and meat. Oh at a dinner on Saturday the Hermanas and Elder Casey and even the family made me eat a serano chile. Didn't think it would be that bad. Yeah I DIED. I couldn't even swallow it because I couldn't stop gagging it was so hot. I couldn't feel my mouth for about ten minutes and a felt like I was gonna barf everywhere. And it was before the meal so I felt like I couldn't even down anything else without puking my guts out. I couldn't stop the tears from coming. It's the life. That was actually the second time I had to do that with that same pepper, just different families. The things we do to be iniciated into the Hispanic world.
 
The weather here has been no humidity and pretty cold, but today it's pretty darn humid and it's only gonna get worse according to Casey. As Summer gets closer, so does deathville. That just happened.

So that's basically all for here! Good luck on all races, life adventures, and all other activities in your totally not as cool as mine lives! Ha ha keep up the good work!

Live Hard,
Love Hard,
Laugh Hard,

Elder Bryson Davies