Email - 8 Days Left Until I'm Home

Weekly email for June 25th - July 1st, 2018

- A Week Away From Stepping On A Plane Homeward Bound - 

Hey everyone! This week has been so cool! And by cool, I mean it's been hotter than the devils armpit up in here! Holy smokes, I've never sweated more in my entire life.

 We taught this one lady this week who lives on the third floor, in the attic, without AC! So literally, we went from 100 degrees outside to this apartment, and it was insanely hotter. I literally have zero idea how she survives in there. We convinced her to come outside with some chairs in the shade. That was the first time this week I liked the outside weather more than the inside. Hahaha. Just cuz her attic was so horribly hot.

But, I tell you what. This area is also cooking. We've got some progress ladies and gentlemen. Maria is still reading in the Book of Mormon, but ran into the problem of wanting an angel to tell her the Book of Mormon was true. She has told us so many times she has received peace and happiness when she prays, but she wants a sign. It was cool for me to testify that God doesn't want to shake us into having a testimony. He wants us to reach for it. To show that its something we truly desire. And with the help of a member, she accepted to pray again, and try to recognize peace as the spirit telling her that the Book of Mormon is true. 

Also Claritza and Rafael are doing so well. We have been teaching them English class on Saturdays, but they always end up talking about the church. They've come to church 5 times now and absolutely love it! Before we even started our class this weekend, they asked us what the requirements were to join our church! 😀 I love it when people ask that question. Hahaha, it's so nice. We explained that we would have to teach them and they'd have to continue reading in the Book of Mormon and going to church. They could see that they had pretty much been preparing for it already. Haha so crazy. So even though their English could be some of the worst English I've ever heard, its all worth it in the end. 🙂 Plus she makes really good Muri Soñando, which is a Dominican drink that pretty much is the cause of all cavities and diabetes cuz its so sugary but so freaking good.  So, double score with this couple. Oh and they're also married. Triple score! 

This week the New York, New York South mission split and half of it joined ours. It's so awesome. One of them is our new AP and he is incredible!

- No notes on this picture he sent home, but it had to be added to his blog - 

***Well, this part is actually written by Elder Davis (myself) since I had no time to email today I had to borrow my comps weekly email again. Today we went to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and it was super great but super hot! I’d love to hear from you all this week and share your testimony with me! Have a great week. Love you all. 

Elder Mason Davis (Paterson New Jersey) Alma 7: 11-13

mason.davis@myldsmail.net

Email - Time Is Going Too Fast. I Just Wish It Would Slow Down.

Weekly update for June 18th - 24th

Wow this week flew by! 

Today has been super busy. We took our suits to the dry cleaners, did laundry, got hair cuts, went shopping, and many other things. I just wish time would slow down. 

Well anyway, the work here is cruising along. We have a lot of cool investigators and most of them we found through English class. We have been inviting EVERYONE to come to English class. A lot of them have even been coming to church too. 

This week we got to go out to Main Street and contact a ton of people with some recent converts, future missionaries in the ward, the ward mission leader, and the sister missionaries. We ended up getting 51 numbers and over 10 return appointments. It was so awesome seeing the recent converts sharing their testimony with random people on the street. Man! I love this work and I love these people! 

Also, this week we ate tonssss of food. The members here are trying to get me fat. We had a Father’s Day party and it was tons of fun to be with the members and talk with them. I love the Spanish culture so much. 

I’m going to keep working hard and doing all I can to make the most of the time I have left. Also, I’m sure many of you have seen that we now have Instagram!  

I love you all and have a great week! 

Ps. I don’t know how much emailing I will be able to do next week because I will be in a trip to visit The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island with all the other 20 departing missionaries. But, please feel free to still write me something and I will do all I can to respond even if it is short. 

Have a great week and read the Book of Mormon every day.

Elder Mason Tanner Davis

mason.davis@myldsmail.net

Emai - So, Who HAS Been Writing His Emails Every Week?

Weekly update for June 11th - 17th 

       Hola! So this week I’m finally writing my whole weekly. I’m not taking half of it from my companions weekly only because all of his weekly was about his exchanges and things that were personal. So, lucky you! 😉

      First off I want to give a shout out to the greatest, most Christlike man I have ever met in my whole life. Mason Allen Davis. My father is such an example to me and has taught me how to respect women by the way he is always to kind, loving, and patient with my mother. He is one of the hardest workers I have ever met and is always willing to help anyone he can! Also he has been such an example to me of how to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ by honoring his priesthood and magnifying all of his church callings. I could give a whale of a letter with all the memories I have with him and all the things he has taught me through my life, but I’ll save you all from reading until you pass out. I would just like to simply say, I love you dad! Keep being amazing and the Superman of our family! 

- Picture taken at the airport the day I left - 

      So this week flew by. A couple weeks ago president Nelson asked all the youth in the church to do a 1 week social media fast (not any specific week). So this week the whole mission was asked to not use Facebook at all so we could have a little reset and remember our purpose of having Facebook. We are asked to only use Facebook to find people to teach and post spiritual messages. We are asked to never scroll on the feed for obvious reasons... we are missionaries. Well sadly some missionaries have just not been able to let go of old habits of the ways they have used Facebook. So this week we were all asked to not use Facebook at all. Only messenger. So we did it. It was great. It was so nice to not have social media for a week. Well, I guess now that I’m on the social media subject.... drum roll please.... our mission has been asked to be a pilot mission to use INSTAGRAM in missionary work! We are one of 2 missions in the whole world and only the leaders in the mission are asked to use it... so starting on June 22nd I will also be using Instagram for missionary work. It will strictly be used for finding people to teach and sharing the gospel. So please feel free to send me friend requests and all to see what I have to share but I will not be able to message anyone on there until I get home. PLEASE send me any ideas of how I could use Instagram to share the gospel and help bring people unto Christ. Any ideas will be appreciated. 

      We had a couple table stands on Main Street and again saw plenty of crazy people. I love the diversity here in Paterson. I’ve met people from every Spanish country in the whole world on my mission. How crazy is that!? I love the people here and I will forever be grateful that the Lord has called me to serve the people of New Jersey. I love the mission so much and I’m so glad I still have more time on the mission. That’s about all I can think of for the week so I hope you enjoy. The work is amazing and the ward is progressing. I love you all and hope you have a great week. 

Elder Mason Davis (Paterson New Jersey) Alma 7: 11-13

Email - Last Fishing Excursion in NJ. Just Look At These Beauties!

Weekly update for June 6th - 11th, 2018 

    

      Hey everyone! Let me tell you this PDay was so calming. We didnt have to shop cuz we have way too much food, so that made it a lot more relaxed. So, basically we did laundry, took our car in to change oil, and we fished! Hahaha last week we were driving by this BEAUTIFUL park with a pond and rivers on the way to set up and appointment for our oil change and we were like, "this is in our area?" hahaha cuz we figured we only got Paterson, but nope! We have a beautiful park and as you know... I love fishing! So, this week while the oil was getting changed we went out there and caught about 10 fish. Hahaha. It was a party. And the pond had HUGE turtles! It was so crazy. I wish I got a better picture but they'd run away, and the biggest one was about 2 feet long. It was so sick.

      As for being fishers of men, the work is still moving forward! Kinda slowly in some aspects, but you know what? It's a good patience builder. Julio is our Dominican buddy who's 19. He has been a slow goer and couldn't come to church this week. But we taught him the Word of Wisdom and he's down! We also found this girl named Cindy who has had the hardest life ever. Like oh my goodness. She was on the streets of Guatemala at age 8 fending for herself.  And there's more to it, but let's just say she hasn't had it easy. But she wants to learn more about the gospel. Let's hope it works out.

     This week we had soooo many people lined up to come to church. They told us straight up, "Yes we will be there." and then the morning of we got a ton of messages saying they couldn't. Like what the heck? We were so bummed. So we just said a prayer asking for God to send some people to church. And when we got there three of our English class students came and our RC Noelia brought a friend. We were so grateful to God for sending us those people. And I still am.  Miracles like that happen so much in the mission it's amazing.

     Honestly God gives us what we ask for. Like, 4 people at church, or a Mexican who has met with missionaries, or more peace. Whatever it is that we may want, he can give it to us! Maybe with time, and of course if it's his will. But if we have the faith and courage to ask him for what we want, he will respond.  

     Thank you all for your prayers in my behalf! They are working. And I ask that you keep them up. Pray that we can find people to teach, and who will actually progress. I know that as we do, we will find those who are prepared. 

     These weeks are flying by and I’m doing all I can to make the most of the mission. I love the time I have here and I never want it to end. I love the Book of Mormon and I know it is true. So we also had zone conference this week and at each zone conference the missionaries who are going home at the end of the transfer get a couple min to give their testimony.. so I took some time to think about what I would want to say in the 2 min they give us. I spoke of the importance of the family, keeping the commandments, the priesthood, and bore my testimony of the Book of Mormon and Jesus Christ. I know he lives and loves us. Have a great week and look for ways to have the power of God in your life! Be worthy of it. I love you all! 

Elder Mason Tanner Davis

Morristown, New Jersey

mason.davis@myldsmail.net

Email - Met A Man Who Speaks To The Dead.....Ehhhhh

Weekly update for May 28th - June 3rd 

Happy Monday everyone! It's funny how Mondays for me mean I get to talk to my family, rest a little bit, and play some sports while for everyone else it's the most dreaded day of the week. 🙂 hahaha just a weird thought.

Oh man here's what happened this week:

On Tuesday, we had transfer conference and I got to see so many missionaries I dearly love and many of them I won’t ever see again! So sad! I got a pic with my mission homie Elder Marz! 

Later in the week, we were working super hard on getting our English Classes growing. We have been inviting literally everyone. Everyone on Facebook, on the streets, at table stands, everywhere! It's crazy! And people have finally started showing up. This week we had a whole class of... (drumroll please).... 4 people! 😀 haha yeah it seems like nothing compared to when I was in Bayonne and we would get about 25 people every week. But you know what, it's progress. We have been working English class super hard. So I'm just super happy our class has grown this much.

And we were doing a table stand for English class and this super weird guy came down the street. Hahaha I'll send a Pic, he said he was connected to the dead so he was dressed like some old guy? Kinda like pirates of the Caribbean outfit. It was super weird, and nobody stopped to talk with us with him there... So kind of unfortunate but something I'll never forget. Hahaha. He was nice though.

Anyways we definitely have had some cool miracles. We found a family that is really just so kind. It was fun talking with them and everything their kids like doing, we like to do. As you can imagine we connected super well! We are visiting them this Friday. Wish us luck.

This week we also fasted and prayed that some unexpected people would come to church, and 4 people came that we really weren't expecting. Yes, another huge miracle. And two less active families came as well. It was soooo cool. There is some definite progress being made here.  Noelia is sharing the gospel everywhere she is. She's a legend! I just got a message from a random person I talked to on Facebook a long time ago and she asked me if I knew this lady (Noelia) who was teaching her about the Book of Mormon on the bus (she knew about the Book of Mormon because I gave her one a couple months back). She is teaching everyone about it. 

Sorry this is long, but I wanted to commit you all to pick some things to improve on, whether it be writing in your journal, or saying better prayers, or reading in your scriptures every day, listening to conference talks in the mornings whatever. But don't choose too many! Choose 2 if you want, and then just go little by little, and I promise you'll see huge changes! By small things come huge miracles! 🙂

So my comp always adds quotes of the week that he thought were funny and it usually is the things I say so here is a couple quotes from this week. 

Quotes of the week

1. There is no rebuttal for someone who testifies. - Sister Hess

2. Nothing you say is going to change my mind on what I know. - Sister Hess

3. There's a flipping guillotine on the ceiling! - Elder Davis after hitting his head on a corner of the ceiling that was like 5 1/2 feet tall. 

4. Hey look! There's a drunk man! With a weed Wacker... On a bike... With a flat tire... - Elder Davis

Well anyways, I love you all and hope you have a great week! 

- A fox in the parking lot -

Elder Mason Davis (Paterson New Jersey) Alma 7: 11-13

Email - My super cool "Action Shot"

Weekly update may 21st-28th 

Buenas tardes a todos! Como les va? 👨🏽‍🌾

Well for my last 6 weeks I will be staying here with Elder Risenmay. We are going to work so hard The word Trunky will not even be in our vocabulary! (Trunky pretty much is a missionary slang for wanting to pack up the trunk and head home or just getting lazy and not doing missionary work). I know we will see so many miracles this last transfer. I’m super excited to see what will come. Also< I’m curious to see who reads these emails.... soooo if you read my emails, send me an email so I can know! :) thxxxx

We finally found Bianka! But she has been anti-mormoned by her dad and some catholic pastor lady. 😞 so sad! The pastor said that our church was too strict! Seriously? Bianka literally was changed by the gospel so much! Like, how? How could she go back against what has brought her so much happiness and peace? Something that she used to know was true? She wanted to get baptized so bad! And now nothing. Aw man. We left her apartment a little let down.

Although we were super sad, had no other choice but to pull up our boot straps and immediately get back to the grind! Honestly, we left that apartment with nothing but the future ahead of us. I know that sounds so cheesy, but honestly we just left and kept going on! Are we still sad she doesn't want the gospel? Yeah. But there are so many people out there still looking for the truth! There's a whole area full of potential. And we aren't letting anything stop our energy! 

- Photo taken of me, proselyting in the street - 

I call this my cool "Action Shot"

Later this past week, we found a super cool lady named Maria. It's crazy cuz you can easily recognize with some people if they truly understand the Restoration of the Gospel. Like, some respond like this. "Wow that's cool. God always answers prayers." but they end up saying, "Well I've been catholic my whole life, and I have God in my heart."... First of all, so what? Second of all, that makes no sense. Hahaha. Then there are people like Maria who say this "The true church of Christ is back? Really!? Where is it? Oh my goodness. I need to go! I need to preach this to everyone I can! Can I bring other people next time you come? You're giving me this book for Free?! Oh my gosh! Thank you so much!"

Do you see the difference? Hahaha. So we found such a prepared person and we are meeting with her soon! So we are so excited for that! 

Moral of the story? Don't let anything stop the work of the Lord! Don't let any hiccup, trip, mistake, bump in the road, detour, obstacle, sin, or trial get in the way of your Eternal Happiness! We are all in this road together! And while we all have different experiences, we all fall. We all feel crappy sometimes! But like Elder Uchtodorf said "Success isn't based on how many times you've failed, but how many times you rise back up!" So rise up everyone! Receive the help of Christ and get over whatever you're going through. And I promise you'll be able to do it.

So lots of finding this week. And it looks like a lot more this week. Will people shut us down? Probably. But I'm sure there are people who will accept us too. And honestly, I like thinking about that more. 🙂 

Elder Risenmay and I bought matching ties too! ;) 

Also, Noelia was finally confirmed with her daughter this Sunday and right after she was confirmed she had already been assigned to give a talk and it was amazing! She did so good and didn’t write down anything! At the end of her talk she was inviting all the members to talk to their friends and do missionary work and she said. "Sure the missionaries have badges, but really, that's the only difference between us and them. We all need to do our part to bring others into the fold!” 

Love you all! Follow the council of our recent convert Noelia and Christ and bring others into the fold. Be an example. You don’t need a plaque to invite others to Christ. Have a great week sharing the gospel! 

- Weekly Random Picture Below -

One of the treasures you can find on the streets of NJ

Elder Mason Davis (Paterson New Jersey) Alma 7: 11-13

mason.davis@myldsmail.net

Email - Baptisms and A Trip Into NYC

Weekly update for May 15th - 22nd

      Wow time is flying and I need it to slow down! I love the mission soooooo much. 

      This week was a great one. On Tuesday I got to go on exchanges back in Passaic and it was neat! I got to see my recent convert family and they were so excited! Also while we were there, a huge storm came through and we camped out at a random persons house while we waited for the worst of the storm to pass. They now want a Book of Mormon ;). 

       Alsoooooo Noelia and Paula got baptized. We are so excited for them and know that they will be of so much help to the church! The baptism went very well and so many of her friends came to watch and now want to learn! 

       While walking down the road the other day we walked by a young boy who reached his arm out to shake my hand as we passed. He then told me that him and his whole family were members from the Dominican Republic and had been looking for the church here! We are so excited to bring this family back into activity after 4 years out of it!. They have already been sealed as a family. 

       So today we got to go to the temple and we were supposed to do endowments but sadly the room was full so we got to do sealings instead. It was amazing to see how families can be sealed together for time and all eternity. I can’t wait to also have an eternal family! New York is so crazy. It was so nice and calming to be able to get into the temple and out of this crazy world. 

       Well I don’t want to make it too long but I just want you all to know that I love this work. I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I’m trying to be like him. I love you all and invite you to make time to get to the temple. It will be worth any sacrifice. 

- Weekly Random Pics - 

     

Elder Mason Davis (Paterson New Jersey) Alma 7: 11-13