Week Twenty Five!

Hola!

Nothing huge going on, just the work of salvation. Oh! Before I forget! Watch the Rays game on August 3rd! It's Mormon Night and all the missionaries are allowed to go to the game! So we might be shown on the tv! So that'll be awesome right there. MLB game.

So like really don't know what to talk about. We biked all the way to Ellenton which is like two cities away because we figured nobody had actually gone finding there before since it's so far away. On the ride there and the way back we were constantly being pelted like NONE OTHER in the face and body with the tiniest little fly things that I are only in Florida. They all decide to fly 5 ft. off the ground exactly where our eyeballs and faces are. And you would brush off one shoulder full of flies, then the other, and then look back and the shoulder would be black again with bugs! Annoying! And then I carry a sweat rag with me, so after I wiped my face and head and the towel was just black because of all the bugs I just scraped off with sweat from my face. We were very annoyed and so done. So we went and got a Large Frosty at Wendy's and it made things better. Eating problems away! I think I still have some bugs living in my shirt pocket.

Oh...and in response to your question...I read my pat. blessing like 72 times a month. So I basically got it memorized! It's way good and helpful. And I could read one thing one day and get revelation, and then a different day read the same thing and get different revelation because of my situation and attitude. It's like the scriptures. Way awesome things. We actually gave like 3 lessons on those this past week to members and recent converts. Awesome stuff! Ya'll best be putting time to reading those! If not....wo unto thee! No but really we should be reading those and receiving revelation and guidance AT LEAST once a week. Some people with them complain they don't receive revelation after praying a ton, but they don't read that blessing or the scriptures. ANSWERS RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. We just have to be smart enough to open that which we already have to receive the answers we need.

So we had interviews with Pres. Cusick the other day. And he talked with our zone a bit afterwards. He told us how important that Broadcast was. And is! So go and visit the "Hastening the Work" website the church has! Study it and love it and live it and share it! Do everything with it! He told us that during that time of the broadcast was the new mission president seminar and training. At that training they had every member of the quorum of the twelve and the first presidency talking to them. That doesn't happen! He compared it to the time of the coming of the Book of Mormon because in those times when those events happened nobody really understood the true magnitude of what just happened, but now looking back those things changed the world and the lives of everyone in it. So it's a HUGE focus for us with members to teach what that website has and spread it through the world.

But besides that nothing huge has happened...........

Live Hard,
Love Hard,
Laugh Hard,

Elder Bryson Davies

Week Twenty Four!

Hola!

Yep still here in B-Town. Staying here for 4 transfers.......is a long time! That'll be six months in the same area. I love the area, love the people.

Oh! Before I forget. All mail now is supposed to be sent directly to my apartment, not to the mission office! They want it like that because of the upcoming holiday season...even though there's no holidays coming up...? But yeah so any and all mail is supposed to come straight to my apartment. And to #3111 now, because for some reason we only get mail in that box, not the one we live in....?

210 3rd St. W. #3111

Bradenton, FL 34205

The baptisms were nice for Zamarit and JJ. We had 5 confirmations yesterday! We didn't do them during Sac. Meeting because it would've been Sac. Meeting. So we did them in Presidente's office afterwards. I confirmed Aide, Zamarit and JJ! They were all in English (whew). They were all completely different and personalized. It was interesting doing three right next to each other, but they were like the furthest away from the same! And I couldn't have thought of all those different things by myself. So that was way cool and good.

Elder James is awesome! He's from Arizona. Been out for about 7 and a half months. So we're both on the same board spanish-wise. Yay! Even more fun!

Have a stupendous week!

Live Hard,
Love Hard,
Laugh Hard,

Elder Bryson Davies

Week Twenty Three!

Hola!

So.......Elder Davies is definitely leaving from Bradenton!...............Probably next transfer because it's not this one! I'm staying! Weird right? And guess what else...Elder Evans is leaving! He was only here for 1 transfer! He's way bummed about that. He's going to be zone leader down in Ft. Meyers. I guess I just breed Zone Leaders. I'm staying another and I'm getting Elder James. He was Evans' companion before me! So Evans said he's way chill. So hopefully that all works out good with him! The switch is on Tuesday. Kinda a bummer for Evans to go because it's finally after a transfer that you actually start to build and strengthen the relationship with a companion and find common ground and get used to them. Now I have to do that all over again! Should be exciting. Back to making all the decisions for every little thing!

We met President Cusick on Friday! He had his wife and daughter with him. They're way cool. He'll be way good though once he gets more experience. Interviews and stuff with him will probably be this next transfer. He let us know a lot of the new stuff that's coming. Like IPADS!! That'll be awesome! And how we're going to be using Facebook in our areas and the building tours and such. There's gonna be a lot of changes coming up in the next few months. Change is good! OH! Did you guys know it's a new rule that missionaries are like absolutely not supposed to wear backpacks or even like have them or bring them on their mission??? They say it's because it makes us look unprofessional and people always wonder what we have in our hiking packs. So now it's the side book bag things that we're supposed to use. And we don't even have to carry around scriptures since we have ipads, but we'll probably still have to do it to prove to people that we have a bible and stuff. 

We had two more baptisms yesterday of Zamarit and JJ! I baptized JJ and Evans baptized Zamarit. There was SO many people there! Like 12 circle tables worth of people! There's usually like 3 tables worth. It's because their grandma is an awesome member whose daughter (jj and zamarit mom) is inactive but they've been associated with the church and this branch their whole lives so all of the adults in the branch knew who they were and the grandma made sure there was like ten thousand pounds of food made and it was insane! But it was so cool to see that many people at a baptism! Instant support right there. That's how EVERY one should be! They literally know they have the whole branch supporting them as new converts. It was way cool to be a part of. There'll be pics from that. 

4th of July! Yeah we didn't do anything.....except watch fireworks!! We watched them at the Riverwalk, since we live on it we just walked basically outside of the parking lot and were there. So they shot them from right behind the green bridge and we were on the Riverwalk watching them and they were all reflecting off the river and stuff! Got some sweet pics of that too. Oh man! But walking up and down that Riverwalk made me and Evans want to be in Utah! In Utah before fireworks there's people playing games, throwing a football, doing little fireworks, bbq'ing. Here....there's just a smoke cloud above everyone's heads the entire night because of all the smoking from...everyone.

And yeah. 6 months. WEIRD. Technically it's considered my "6 months" like...today because I've been out exactly 4 transfers including the MTC and each transfer is a month and a half...so I like the earlier one! So I'm at 6 months! Something weird is the transfer after this one is going to only be 4 weeks long. That'll be a short one for sure! But yeah 6 months on a mission! I met up with Elders Hall and Booth at the President meeting thing and we were talking about how insane that is. It seems like we were just barely in the MTC together, but then it seems like it's been a long time! Pretty weirdy.

Oh so this next transfer is going to be so much knocking doors. Unless we amazingly start getting referrals from people. Because as of right now, we have NOBODY that is progressing that isn't a recent convert. That's like all this transfer will be is recent convert stuff because there's like a billion. So that'll be exciting.

Alrighty well have fun with everything going on this week! Tell everyone I say hi!

Live Hard,
Love Hard,
Laugh Hard,

Elder Bryson Davies

Week Twenty Two!

Hola!

Welcome to the heat! Global warming......or end of the world........or both.......or it's just Summer. HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!! Yep. That's about it.

We have those transfer call things this Saturday. Tal vez I'm staying? Tal vez no? I could see it either way! Don't really know right now. We had three baptisms yesterday! The three girls from "The Crew"! I'll send pics. Lizbeth, Aide, and Janet. Aide and Janet are sisters and their all cousins. It was pretty great to finally see them reach that point in their progression! Especially since it's been a decently long process and I've been here for the whole thing. It was AWESOME. I baptized Lizbeth and Elder Evans baptized Aide and Janet. They know they're making the right decisions and changes to their lives. And the two baptisms of JJ and Zamarit next week are on schedule and going perfect!

I don't even know what to talk about for this past week...........It rained a lot. A LOT. Oh and I'm sick. I've been sick with cold or whatever for like 5 days. The thunder wakes us up every 37 seconds during the night. And the lightning since it brightens the whole world. The thunder here is scary loud. Like I cry a lot. Sometimes. Not really. It rains a lot. It's actually raining right now. And it's still 90 degrees and 171% humidity. Nothing really crazy happened this week. But then when I look back in my journal there's been a lot of crazy stuff......just never remember it! that's why I write it down. And then forget it. Eh.

Live Hard,
Love Hard,
Laugh Hard,

Elder Bryson Davies

Week Twenty One!

Hola!

Okay...the meeting last night! None of our predictions came true...but it was still way spiritual! It's awesome to hear and watch Apostles and Prophets of God out here. It's like a boost of spirituality. That broadcast is exactly what every ward and branch needs to implement immediately. It stuck out a lot to me and Evans that they said that we as missionaries are here to assist the wards and branches with missionary work. They are supposed to be filling our planners with lessons and dates.

Oh...we set a date with Zamari and JJ!  Their date is the 7 of July! And their way super solid now and willing to follow all the commandments and make the changes so that's SWEET! So those will for sure happen. The Crew...it's pending. They didn't come to church yesterday so we're going to talk with them tonight to make sure they understand the importance and stuff of baptism and actually living the gospel and baptism's not the end, but the beginning! It's the door!

We had our last bye byes with President Summerhays. It was in the form of just a specialized training which included like two zones at a time and he just traveled on down through the mission. We had a tiny training and then a slide show of the mission and then a big Q and A thing with them both! That was pretty cool to do. Just get a lot more relaxed and ask questions about life, the gospel, their spirituality and stuff, oh and marriage! Yeah they gave us a lot of marriage advice! That was the part that everybody whipped out their notes for. And it was perfect worthwhile advice that I'm totally gonna follow! And so they leave next Monday and that's the day the new one starts! President Cusick (I think that's how you spell it) seems way cool. Pres. gave us a background on him and his family and stuff. Their kids are all grown up and moved out or on missions except their 15 year old daughter will be living with them. It'll be interesting! Hopefully a smooth transition. The assistants said that there's gonna be a ton of changes in the next few months, with how we do things and everything, but also with the technology! IPADS AND IPHONES! Ah man that's gonna be insane. We're excited for that. No more lugging around fifty pound backpacks with two sets of twenty pound scriptures and such. So they're doing two conference things next week on the 3 and the 4 I think, north and south, to meet the new Pres.

But everything else is good. It's hot like the dickens, but that's norms. Sweating like a hog is fun on the daily. Something I'm totally used to now! Constant wetness.

Oh! And we moved! Across the hallway....the other apartment was beyond disgusting so we had to move across the hall to a vacant apartment. But yeah our new apartment's the exact same, just not as disgusting and homier and has hardwood floors and painted walls and such. Good stuff. It's week 5 of the transfer! So two more weeks until transfer calls! Find out if I stay here or peace out!

That's all I got for now. Probs gonna think of more stuff later that I forgot. Normal.

Live Hard,
Love Hard,
Laugh Hard,

Elder Bryson Davies

Week Twenty!

Hola!

This past week has been pretty good. Hot but it's been car week so not bad at all! This week however....gonna be hard on bikes. But hey I'll lose the five pounds I gained last week. And more! We reset a baptism date for those girls we call The Crew! There's only three of them now that are actually progressing, Liz, Aide (who we call Bring-Bring), and Janet (who we call Sasha). 14, 17, 13. They are awesome! They've been coming to church and we've been reviewing the lessons with them so they actually understand everything. Their date is the 30 of June! And it's gonna happen for sure this time! We also found another group of three women/girls. It was a referral from a member, her daughter and two granddaughters. The daughter, or mom, has taken the discussions and everything a long time ago and thinks she knows everything we're going to tell her. And she says that we're closing our doors to people so they can't get to God by not allowing everyone to go into the Temple. One of her daughters, or granddaughters of the member, is 21 I think and the father of her baby just got killed, we think shot?, like three weeks ago and that's why she moved back here to her mom and little sister. So right now she's just mad at God and blames him for everything and doesn't get why bad things happen to good people like her and she says God has never given her a break in her entire life. Yeah....but the other sister, 16, is pretty solid and wants to learn more and will probably get baptized really easily! 

So this next Sunday is a broadcast of a meeting from the First Presidency! They're saying it'll be the most monumental impact or meeting or whatever on missionary work in the history of the church!!!! So all missionaries are required to go along with mission leaders, and members are invited as well. The meeting is titled "The Work of Salvation".

So last Monday we were eating at a members house and we were teaching them a short lesson afterwards. The wife is pregnant and she's due this week. So we finish the lesson and we get up after and tell them to call us to update us on their baby and when it comes. And then she tells us it might be coming tonight because she's been having contractions since we came over!! Me and Evans started freaking out! (horrible future husbands) But she told us she was fine because she had been, and I quote, "swallowing the contractions"...............what in the heck does SWALLOWING a baby contraction mean??? 

So yeah nothing else really going on differently here. We totally ate at Little Ceasars twice this last week so that was a wonderful Utah pasttime. We've been making Nitta Bar's for days. Elder Nitta invented them. Best thing of my life. Normal american tortilla. Peanut Butter on the tortilla. Blueberries everywhere, cut up strawberries everywhere, oatmeal or granola everywhere, (able to add nutella or banana if desired), roll up like a tight burrito. Eat. LOVE LIFE. It's pretty amazing and wonderful. Make it. Love it. 
Nitta Bar. 

Live Hard,
Love Hard,
Laugh Hard,

Elder Bryson Davies

Week Nineteen!

Hola!

What the flippin Taiwan?!? That's basically like the coolest thing ever in the world. Basically. Hey I had tripe last week too! It was pig stomach though. Nasty texture like chewing on rubber! Cool fun stuff. We eat a lot of weird things here too and it's the same thing where we just have to eat everything! Can't say no to anything and have to eat ten and a half plates of it. Or we just go to Hungry Howie's (pizza buffet place, the place everybody goes to) and we just eat pizza for days and get fat on purpose.

Welcome to the life of not understanding everything and being a total minority! Fun right? It's a humbler that's for sure. Except you guys don't have to be expected to speak the language! Lucky ducks.

Tropical storm for days down here in the boonies! Nice. Did you know they can't have basements where I'm at because like 12 feet underground is water?? Fun fact. But yeah it rained for days here. Thursday we couldn't leave our apartment....ALL DAY LONG. We had to stay in and do NOTHING because of the tornado warnings and flooding warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings that were happening all day. There was a couple tornadoes that touched down but like an hour away from us was the closest one. Our whole mission was on lockdown in our apartments. We were so bored! The weather radio we have would go off like a siren every like half an hour when another update came in on the tornadoes. But here in Bradenton it just rained and poured all day. We've been caught in like a five minute storm every now and then on our bikes, which means we got completely soaked and then the sun came out and we just sat in our wetness for the rest of the day. FLORIDA! And you guys get to experience the weather aspect too over yonder in Taiwan!

That's way sweet you guys get to talk to the missionaries yonder. They probably love you guys! It's always a relief to talk to somebody that's just solid in the church and has no problems with it....I have yet to experience that, but I'd imagine it'd be pretty cool!

The work is slowing down...a lot. We had to drop three baptisms that were this Saturday because they didn't come to church. We're really just trying to make progress with the people we have and our recent converts so they stay active and finding new people. Every week we have about 95% or whatever attendance of recent converts which is good! Me and Evans are getting along way good! No problems so far and he's chill enough to not ever have a problem with anything.

Oh I saw Casey last week! He came to pick up his bike and drop off Evans'. Talked for a little bit. He's up yonder in Tampa doing that ZL thingy. He says it's good, not as awesome as this area!

So....don't really know what else to talk about...life's just the same! Getting hotter and wetter! SWEET BEANS!

Live Hard,
Love Hard,
Laugh Hard,

Elder Bryson Davies