Hiroshima (East) - Countdown, 37 weeks!

This past week was very stressful. Pretty much all of our appointments didn't happen. People called and canceled, didn't show up, or said they were just too busy. We taught a few recent converts which are all doing very well, but other than that, things have been crazy. 

As for me, I am doing well. I have been out on my mission for a little over a year. The Japanese is.. well.. it still sounds like jibberish. But my testimony for the gospel has come a long way. Each and every day it grows. My love for the Savior and His Atonement increase each and every time I study or use it. Recently I have been reading Jesus the Christ (really slowly), but I have learned so much about Him, and what He did for us. It truly is amazing the sacrifice that was made. I hope all of you are remembering to do the little things to remember Him each and every day. 

Hope everyone is doing well. 

This week is transfer week. 

Love you!

Elder Davies

Hiroshima (East) - Countdown, 38 weeks!

Hello,

Monday - Just Dendou.

Tuesday - Same, Elder Pettit in my apartment got called to AP so I am now taking care of the zone training 2 missionaries, and taking care of 2 areas by myself for the next 2 weeks. It is very busy, but a lot of fun at the same time.

Wednesday - Just Dendou then Eikaiwa

Thursday - Said Bye Bye to Elder Pettit. Had Weekly Planning as a 3 some, and learned about all of the inv's in the Hikari area. We then went and started dendouing, and visited members. The Tanaka family. They are the best!! When we visited them, they gave us referrals (which are rare in Japan). Then more dendou. 

Friday - Dendou

Saturday - Saturday was CRAZY. Right when we woke up, we went and ate at the Kunz (Americans from Utah working in Japan) family's house. DELICIOUS. then at 10:30 we had a lesson with the Komarus. I had the 2 new missionaries teach it to them, and I helped just a little. It went well. Then at 11:30 we had to bike real fast to the mall, and ate with a Vietnamese guy named Pham. He was an old investigator, but was suddenly dropped. Right after that, we got on a train and rode 45 minutes up north, to a way small town. We taught a lady named Irene. She is from the Philippines and has a sister who is a member. She is 30 and has 2 kids. Her husband is 60, and Japanese. She really wants to quit smoking and drinking, and when we promised her she could quit, she was very happy. We set a baptismal date with her for April 2nd. So we will see how that goes. We then came back to Hiroshima, and went straight to a Chinese member's house to eat at 5. That was amazing as well. We shared a message and asked each one of them to bear their testimonies on how they came to know that Jesus Christ was their Savior. The spirit was felt. We then went to visit the Tanaka family's referral. They invited us in, and we just built a strong relationship with them. Went very well, got their contact information, and they agreed to hear the lessons even though they "dont have interest". then more dendou.

Sunday - A guy named Kimu, who elder Pettit taught, got confirmed this past Sunday. It was very good. Attended ward council after church.. then dendou. 

All in all it was a good week. Saw lots of little miracles, and met a lot of cool people this week. 

Hope everyone has a good week

Love

Elder Davies

Hiroshima (East) - Countdown, 39 weeks!

Hello. 

This was a very CRAZY week. 

Monday - We had a good P-day. Pretty average. Went to Costco, ate pizza, went home, napped. Pretty chill. We did have a lesson with the Komaru family, which went way well. They accept everything, and are excited for baptism. 

Tuesday - We had a junkai (splits) in Hamada, which is 3 hours north by bus. I got to be with an elder who is from our MTC district, so that was cool. It is a small town up in Hamada, and the hail and snow hurt a little bit as we rode bikes, but we saw some crazy cool miracles and set up a return appointment with tons of people. 

Wednesday - Went and met up with a guy who went to school in Utah up at the U. He played soccer while he was there and had met tons on Mormons. He was fluent in English and a way chill guy, but as of right now doesn't seem to interested in the message. 

Thursday - Another lesson with the Komaru family. We finished up the lessons, and focused on temples. They are excited to go to the temple in a year, and we will be making that a goal soon. 

Friday - Went to Fukuoka to hear from Elder Yamashita (area seventy). He talked a lot about being happy, studying the language harder, and having more faith. (I think he was trying to tell me something haha)

Saturday -  We had a baptism. The KOMARUS GOT BAPTIZED AND IT WAS AWESOME. I will send pictures of that later. 

At night we had a talent show. Which us elders did a dance, and... Well I don't want to talk about that too much. It was bad. 

Sunday - The Komaru family got confirmed, and are doing very well. They are going to help this ward like crazy. We are really going to work with the ward on getting him the priesthood, getting them callings, temple, and so forth. 

As of right now, we don't have too many other investigators, so this week we will be getting to do lots of dendo :)

愛しています。

デイビーズ長老

Hiroshima (East) - Countdown, 40 weeks!

Hello everyone,

Hope everyone had a good week. We did as well. Time goes by too fast.
Nothing much has changed here.
The Koma Family is still on track to get baptized this Saturday.
They passed their interview, no problem, We are meeting with them twice
this week, and are doing way good. I am so grateful for the
opportunity I have to work with the Koma Family, and be able to
teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm so thankful for missionary
work, and the joy I get as I do it.

This week we found a lot of new investigators, so I will fill you in on that

next week!

Love you guys
Elder Davies

Hiroshima (East) - Countdown, 41 weeks!

This week Elder Pettit and I had the opportunity to go to Fukuoka to get some training on our zone. We learned a lot from President and the AP's on what we can do better this transfer, and just felt the spirit so strongly. 

We also got to do Zone Training Meeting with the zone. It went way well. We tried to make it a lot more fun than last time, and just got the zone more involved. 

On Friday we also went on splits and brought some elders into our area for training. They did very well, and improved like crazy. Hoping this week they can apply what they learned and start tearing up their area. 

The other elders here in Hikari got a baptism. His name is Kimu. He is about 37, and his family lives in Nagoya. He works in Hiroshima though, so he is here most of the time (happens a lot in Japan). Anyways, he works for Doterra and so he visited Utah a few months ago. While there he talked with one of the Salt Lake Temple missionaries, and had a lot of interest. He then got referred to Elder Pettit, and got baptized! It was a way cool experience, and he was very ready. 

That's pretty much it. My new companion just came from the MTC a week and a half ago. His name is Elder Baxter, he is 18, and from Payson Utah. Way good kid. Good at Japanese, and is improving really quick. 

Hope everyone has a good week. 

Love,

Elder Davies

Hiroshima (East) - Countdown, 42 weeks!!

Hello everyone!  
Sorry I've been really busy lately and haven't been
able to spend very much time on it.
Anyways, since last week, we had transfers. I got a new missionary
named Elder Baxter. He is from Payson, and a way good kid. He really
wants to do the right thing, and has a lot to learn.
I will teach him lots :).
Honestly, lately I have been overly tired, the bags under my eyes are
digging in. I'm looking worn :)
But other than that things have been going really well. Our zone is
doing awesome, we have been seeing tons of miracles, and are improving
a lot. The Koma's are doing really well. We have a lesson tonight and are
teaching them the Law of Tithing. Little nervous, but it should be
okay. They are coming church this Sunday and will meet the bishop.
Their date is on 2/20th now, and are progressing well towards it.
Love you
Davies 長老

Hiroshima (East) - Countdown, 43 weeks!

This week was awesome!

The koma family is progressing really well. We taught them this past
week before Eikaiwa. We taught them keeping the sabbath day holy. When
we committed them to talk to their bosses about getting Sunday's off,
they said they already had, so they can come to church more often! Way
sick!!

We went on splits with some other elders In the zone. They live very
far away, and it was very small town.. It was very fun though!

Transfers are this week. I'm going on transfer 10, and my mission is
going by fast. I'm training a new missionary this transfer. Other than
that, not too much changed in our zone.
My love for the Japanese people has grown so much. My testimony has
also grown as well. I know that this is where I'm supposed to be and
that my mission has changed my life forever. I know that Jesus Christ
is my Savior, and I'm doing His work. I hope everyone gets this
wonderful chance of being able to grow so much.

Love you guys!

Elder Davies

(Photo courtesy of a traveling missionary mom!!!)