Email - Crazy Winds And Storms (Just as we thought it was getting warmer)

Weekly update for feb 27th - March 5th, 2018 

Well this is Elder Moulton writing this weekly email since Elder Davis is driving. 

This week was pretty incredible. It was the last week of the transfer, and so we decided to set pretty high goals. However, halfway through the week we already had accomplished most of of goals, so we had to reset our goals. The best part was that we found 2 really cool families, both through Facebook. One of them, Bertha and her daughter, came to church, which was something we had fasted for that day. 

We had a pretty good sized storm come through here this week, but it wasn’t too crazy in Paterson. (Outside of the high winds with everything flying around). Just as we thought it was getting warm too. 

We had transfer calls last night and we found out we are both staying here. We also found out that the zone will have almost all sisters, with 6 companionship's of sisters, and 3 with elders, including us. That will be a bit different, but hopefully fun. 

Elder Mason Davis

mason.davis@myldsmail.net

Email - I Want Clear Days With Sunshine

  Weekly update for Feb 19th -25th

      This week nothing spectacular happened but don't think that this week wasn't amazing! Every week as a missionary is amazing with all its ups and downs! I love being a missionary so much and I love sharing the joy that this gospel has brought me with others.

      Well, one of the people we have been working with is named Melissa and she was progressing really fast but now Satan is really starting to work on her and through many challenges and problems and she is slowing down a little with her progression. We will probably move her baptismal date to March 10th. So I'll ask you all to keep her in your daily prayers and ask that she will be able to work through her problems and doubts and get baptized so she can receive the holy ghost. She is amazing and will make such a strong member.

      So I don't remember if I told you or not but there is a section of our area where almost every person and every store are from the middle east. They only speak Arabic and other languages like that. It's so cool. I gotta go try some of their food sometime.

      This week we got tons of rain. I just want clear days with sunshine not this foggy, cold, rainy, days haha but in a month or so when summer comes around I'll be wanting the cold days back. New Jersey summers are brutal. I want dry weather again. But I guess while I'm here I might as well enjoy it because the mission is flying by.

      Also I went on an exchange with Elder Kelly (he was my comp for 1 transfer in Bayonne) and I went to his area which was one of my past areas. Short hills Area. I got to see lots of my members and tons of the people I was teaching. They had never taught any if them but while I was there we passed by and most were home and willing to receive missionaries again and were happy to see me. I drove the whole day without a GPS because I have that area memorized still.

      Well that's about it for this week but I want you all to know that I love this mission and the people here are great. I know the book of Mormon is true and if you aren't reading it daily I strongly invite you to do so. It will change your day, week, life. Have a great week of sunshine. Love you all. 

Elder Mason Davis

mason.davis@myldsmail.net

Email - I Love Snow, But The Week That Follows Is So Muddy

Weekly update for February 12th -18th, 2018

This week was great even though I don’t really having special to talk about... I mean we did tons of teaching finding and all sorts of missionary things! 

I went on an exchange with Elder Layton from Thatcher Arizona and I went to his area which is a very hard area. Probably the hardest area in the whole mission. They haven’t taught a lesson to an investigator in 3 months... that’s rough. Well anyway their area is beautiful. They live in an area with hills. I haven’t seen hills in so long. It was just the middle of the forest. I saw so many creeks and lakes and I just wanted to just go fishing so bad! I saw some deer too. 

Also, on Sunday night my comp and I had to give a training to all the leaders of the stake like the bishops and their counselors and it was good. I like teaching people and helping people out. It was kinda odd for me, a 19 year old teaching bishops and stake president how to use Facebook and technology to share the gospel. I went good tho. 

We also got like 6 inches of snow so that was fun. I love snow and it’s so beautiful but I hate the week that follows it because it just makes ice and parking is so terrible and it just makes everything so muddy. About a month from now it will be time to take out the short sleeve shirts and pack away all my winter stuff for good. 

Sorry this week was pretty basic but that about all the stuff worth talking about. Read your scriptures. Love you! 

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

Email - Week of Miracles

Weekly update for Feb 5th -11th

Week of miracles!

Wow this week was amazing in every way. (Except for the weather)

       So I’m just gunna list a few of the reasons why this week was so good: 

       #1: The family of Dominicans got baptized!!! Thanks so much for all your prayers. The fathers heart was softened and he allowed them to be baptized and he came to the baptism and stayed for sacrament! I was blessed to baptize the mother! The 4 missionaries who taught them got to take part in it. So there were 8 people in white. Such a great sight to see. I’m so grateful that they made the decision to be baptized.

       #2: Our new investigator Melissa came to the baptism. She was found during 2 hour power. She has been in America for a short time and has no family here. She is 19 and has never been baptized in any church. She wants God in her life and she is looking for the truth. She came to the baptism and LOVED it! She said she can’t wait for hers. We don’t have a specific date but she will be baptized soon. She was asking us what she needs to do to go to the temple and what she needs to do to become a missionary. She is so prepared. It just makes me so happy when people want to be righteous. She is amazing.

       #3: We met a lady named Bianca a week or 2 ago and she is just progressing so fast. She is reading the Book of Mormon and loving it. She also hasn’t been baptized which is super rare here. We were able to share the restoration with her and she absolutely loved it. The spirit was so strong. We feel she will also follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized. We honestly have just been so blessed here with people to teach. The blessings of obedience are real. We are seeing the blessings every day. I could go on and on with blessings we saw but i don’t wanna make it too long.  I love the mission so much! I’m so grateful for this amazing opportunity that I have been given to serve the Lord for these 2 years! I’ve still got plenty of time to work hard and give him everything. They say the harder you work on the mission the cuter your wife is right?! ;) So she’s gunna be beautiful! ;) But, in all honesty I love the mission so much! Any of you who are wondering if you should serve a mission, stop wondering and do it. I can promise you there will be no regrets. You will be so thankful for the mission. I love you all and have a great week.

Here are a few random pics from this week.  

Elder Mason Davis (Paterson New Jersey) Alma 34:32-33

Email - I have PTSD now (Post Tostones Stress Disorder)

Weekly update for Jan 30th - Feb 4th, 2018

       Ok so I’m gunna start off with a story. On Monday night after P Day was over, we had a member invite us over for dinner. She is the one I talked about last week who's house is infested with roaches.   The whole way over there I told my comp that he was gunna eat roaches and we were cracking all sorts of roach jokes. As we got in, it was still infested with roaches. She made us fried chicken and tostones which is fried plantains. I was about to start eating when I saw a couple little “hairs” on my plate, so I wiped them off.  I continued eating, just minding my business when about half way through, I lifted up my tostone and yes, I found a ROACH under my tostone!!!  Let me tell you, it’s one thing to talk about getting a roach in you food. It’s a whole new world when it actually happens. My heart dropped, it started beating a million miles per hour, and I thought my life was over. So I just calmly looked at my comp and then back at the roach and he just died laughing but on the inside. He mostly kept it in. I had to just move the roach and that tostone to the side and not eat it. That’s when it hit me that those little “hairs” I saw at the beginning before I began to eat were the legs and antenas... it was horrifying but I made it through. I think I have PTSD now. (Post Tostone Stress Disorder)

       On Tuesday we had zone conference and I had to lead it. I was a little nervous but I like doing stuff like that. We talked about how the mission is so short and we need to make the most of it and help people understand their “why”. Like why are you here in the mission? We talked about how we need to do revelatory finding and make sure we are doing what the lord wants us to do.

       I also went on an exchange with the APs and I went o Elizabeth with Elder Merritt. It was great! I got to spend the night with Elder Rios my trainer and Elder Fletcher. Elder Fletcher is from Mesa, AZ and went to Mountain View too. He is a stud. I hope I get to be his companion. 

Elder Merritt and I pretty much only taught Haitians and had to bring members to do the translating for us.  I could understand a little bit of the French but not much.  Later, while we were knocking doors someone opened their door and a huge pitbull walked out and I was sure it was gunna eat me.  But, God was on my side and it just jumped on me and walked around.

       Also this area is amazing. We are going to baptize a Dominican lady and her 3 daughters this Sunday at 9 AM! We are so excited. We also met a super cool Peruvian named Melissa and many other people who are just so prepared! The whole mission fasted that people should be more willing to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and act on the answers they get. I know it will happen here in Paterson. We see so many blessings here.  If you could all pray for Oscar (the father of the Dominican family that is supposed to be baptized this Sunday). If he won’t sign the baptismal paper the whole family can’t get baptized so pray for him to have a soft heart and allow them to follow their Savior and be baptized! 

       Well that’s about it for this week! Make sure you be an example to those around you! They watch what you do.

 I love you all so much and have a great week. Read the BofM!

Elder Mason Tanner Davis 

Patterson, New Jersey

mason.davis@myldsmail.net

Email - First week in Patterson, NJ

Weekly update Jan 22nd - 28th

       Wow this week has been great. Also super busy. Every day that I have been here in Patterson I have come home completely tired and ready to sleep, but we still have to keep working when we get home.  My companion is Elder Moulton from Boise, Idaho. He has been out just over a year and is the greatest. We already get along super well. I know it will be a good transfer. 

      Monday last week was my last night in Passaic. So, we visited Patty’s family and we had a good time. When I told them it was time to go and I said goodbye, they all began to cry... it was so sad! 

I will miss them so much. It was sad to say by to my greenie Elder Williams. He was a great companion and friend. 

      Let me tell you a little bit about our area. We have 11 people on baptismal date (I believe it is the most in the mission).  We have put 2 on date while I have been here and I think this is the dream area.

 So much work to do along with all the new responsibilities I have been given. We drive a 2017 Nissan rouge. I love having a car. We also live in an amazing house.  It just needs a little tidying up and organizing and it will be like new. We even have granite countertops. The only catch is that we live right next to a rail road, so we have the train pass by like 25 feet from us every 30 min or so.  Good thing I’m a light sleeper haha. 

       My first appointment in Patterson was with a less active Dominican lady.   For a moment I would like to draw you a visual in your head to describer her house.  Imagine you are sitting on a couch looking as all the floors and walls are just moving with roaches. Well, there you go. I don’t think I ever saw less than 25 roaches at any given time. One fell on my comps tablet.  The member casually hit it off the wall and it fell on him haha. Great time! 

       So we had a meeting with all the zone leaders and the APs gave a training and a question session.  

One of the questions they asked, that I really liked was, “What would Jesus do if he was in your area?” I want to do exactly that! He would work this area better than anyone, because it is his work, His church. It puts a whole new meaning to WWJD ( what would Jesus do).  I invite you all to think about that seriously in your lives and make a change. I love you all and hope you have a great week. 

(Some other pics from this week)

Fish Market

Gourmet Dining at Mi Casa

Random??

Elder Mason Davis (Paterson New Jersey) Alma 34:32-33

Email - Finally a Zone Leader!!

Weekly update for Jan 15th - 21st, 2018

       Well this was a roller coaster of a week. First off, I wanna say sorry about last p day. Every once in a while our WiFi is weird and won’t let me get my emails until a few hours later or even 2 days later for a couple of you. So, sorry if I didn’t get to respond to some of your emails. There were lots.  

       About 2 months ago we had a 23 year old guy randomly show up to church. I sat by him and it turns out he had been taught by missionaries about a year ago and just felt like he needed to come to church. His name is Jasson. Yes it has 2 S’s haha.  Anyway, it turned out that he lived in the sisters area, so they were the ones that got to do most of the teaching. We were great buddies tho. Whenever he came to church I would sit with him and talk with him and stuff. This week he got baptized! He asked me to baptize him. I was so honored to do so. He is a very strong guy in the church and will continue to be active.  Hopefully be will able to serve a mission. 

       On a sad note. My amazing grandpa Mason I. Davis passed away. It was a hard couple days for me. I wasn’t ever able to say good bye or spend as much time with him as I wanted. But being here on the mission really helped me truly know that he is in a better place and I will see him again. God needed him in the spirit world more than this one. He will be missed. Love you Grandpa. 

      This is my last week here in the unique Passaic NJ! I will miss this place and Elder Williams! I have been called to serve as a Zone Leader in Patterson NJ. My new comp will be Elder Moulton. That’s all I know about him. His name. I heard he’s pretty quiet so I’ll be helping him with that. ;) I’m super pumped to help lift and serve this zone. I’ve always wanted to serve in Patterson too. I know it will be a great time. I’m gunna have a car for the first time in 9 months! YEET! 

       Well that’s all the super interesting things for this week that I can remember... I love you all and have a great week. Read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. Your life will change for the better. 

(Here are a couple other pics from this week)

Sister missionaries cleaning the font before Jasson's baptism.

A few of the other families we are currently teaching. 

Another pic of my amazing cooking. 

Elder Mason Davis (Passaic New Jersey) Alma 34:32-33