June 1, 2009

Hey Mom,

Sounds like you had a great time at Aunt Colleen's house. I always had fun when we'd go over.

Oh man, I really miss Aaron. I know he's going to do such an amazing job though! I bet he did awesome on his farewell talk. I wish I had had a special musical number at mine. Actually, that reminds me. I was hoping that if you have time sometime that you could get some of my female friends together (and guys if they want) and have them record some songs for me to listen to :) I know that'd be a lot of work though and people are busy so don't worry if it's not possible but how cool would that be?! Anyway, I'm glad that you gave Aaron a hug for me and told him that I missed being there. I should most definitely be there when he gives his mission report! Thank you for being proud of what I'm doing. I am working hard.

Oh guess what?! We are teaching a lady named Melissa. She is the wife of a less-active member who is the son of two stalwart members in the branch. Anyway, she is progressing really well. We tried to commit her to a baptismal date but she didn't really commit to it. That was Thursday. Then, Sunday she came to church for the third week in a row. She was talking to us and told us she wanted to work toward the June 27th date that we had talked about AND that she wanted to try and get her husband worthy to baptize her by then! How cool would that be?! Anyway, so we have an investigator with a baptismal date! We are very excited. I didn't know just having the possibility of somebody getting baptized would be so amazing! I was doing dances and all sorts of weird hyper stuff last night I was so excited! Anyway, no guarantee it'll work out yet but I'm very confident and have lots of faith. (If her husband can't get ready in time to baptize her then she'll have her father-in-law do it)

That's exciting that you are going to try and reserve the Timp Lodge again :D I'm unfortunately going to miss that reunion (the time that you are in charge of it :P Gosh! lol anyway). Sounds like a pain to try and reserve though. Good luck :D

I didn't remember who was in charge of it but assumed you were one of them lol. You guys will both do a great job. You can just use the thought of letting the family down motivate you right? ;) j/k Anyway, I have no doubt it'll be great. Remember the Davis Family reunion that you were pretty much in charge of? That turned out SOOOO well! I'm sure you'll do a marvelous job with the Johnson Family reunion. The cabin definitely makes it a lot easier.

Yay! Clean carpets ;) Luckily our carpets usually don't get TOO bad, but they definitely have been needing it. I've heard that Bro. Hindes does a really good job. I guess you're right that he couldn't do any worse than the last time. Good luck moving a bunch of furniture. It's weird to think of Kody driving himself to Salt Lake! Wow...I miss that boy...I've been quite emotional yesterday and today...there is a lady in our branch who is not "old" but she is a grandma raising her twin grandsons. Well she's been having health issues so they took her in to the hospital a week or two ago and found out she has colon cancer. Well they got the colon cancer taken out but found out that she also has lung cancer. So she's staying at a branch member's house for now until her next surgery when they'll reconnect her colon. Then we find out Wednesday how bad the lung cancer is and if they'll be able to do anything about it. She has become our mom out here. She loves to feed us dinner and she gives us hugs (she's old enough it's ok lol). She loves her missionaries and we love her and I was having a pretty hard time holding back the tears yesterday as we found out about the lung cancer (we knew about the other stuff). Good thing I'd had practice holding tears back with your situation huh? ;) Anyway, we are constantly praying for her. She has a lot to live for in those two boys. They are the sweetest things ever and they don't have any family that is capable of taking them if Sis. Faught doesn't make it. So luckily they have the Bosworths (the members who are taking care of them for now and having Sis. Faught in their home) who will take them if Sis. Faught doesn't make it. Anyway! We are confident that what the Lord wants will happen and she realizes that too and is being strong. That's part of my emotionalness and then I was reading about Aaron's farewell and that got me going too lol, but I'm doing fine :D

Yep, this was definitely the big week for the school kids lol. Kody told me about it and he seemed to be undecided on whether or not he was excited about it. Anyway, graduation isn't a bad thing to have to go to! Most of his friends were there anyway lol I'm glad it turned out to be a good experience for him. I love spending time with friends that last week of school. Oh man, he has to do chores? Well make one of those chores writing a letter to me ;) lol

Between the months of March and November we only have to wear suit coats on Sundays or in certain meetings. So we are very lucky for sure. Oh man, we do TONS of weeding, weed-whacking, raking, etc. We do a lot of stuff lol. We don't have any new investigators this week but I did tell you about Melissa earlier even though she isn't new.

The cookie dough was fabulous, the cookies were hard to cook because of the altitude difference but I finally got about 3 dozen good ones and had a bunch of crunchy ones. They kind of went flat. I don't think I had quite enough flour in them, I was measuring quickly so I think that even though I put the right number of cups in I didn't have them all the way full and what not. So they turned out ok.

No way! Cade's getting baptized already?! That's pretty cool!

Sweet, another married cousin lol :D That would definitely be a bummer to miss a sibling's wedding but I'm sure he'll deal with it lol.

Thanks for everything.

Love,

Elder Jay Davis

Hi Dad,

The weeks are just flying by. I can still remember the first day I came out like it was yesterday, the MTC seems like it was ages ago. Things are just cruising on by. That's exciting that you are in Budapest! What an awesome experience that'll be. I'm sure things will go wonderfully. Take it all in for me ;)That's awesome that you still have lots of work to do. Probably quite stressful but definitely good in these tough times.

Haha, I'm surprised that things around home have been pretty quiet. Not many people over huh? Ya, Kody didn't seem all that excited to have to go to school this last week lol.

I can hardly believe I've been in California for a full two months either! It has FLOWN by as I said before! I definitely need to tell you more about investigators and stuff though for most of them nothing really interesting is going on. However there is one we are teaching that is progressing very well. In fact, we have a baptismal date set for June 27th! She has some word of wisdom issues but is ready and excited to give them up and she has been to church the past three weeks in a row. She is SO excited and we are even MORE excited for her! I didn't know that just having the possibility of somebody getting baptized could be so flippin' exciting! Wow! I've been doing all sorts of dances out of excitement! PLUS! She wants to see if her less-active husband can get worthy in time to baptize her (if not her father-in-law would). How cool huh?! Anyway, that's our excitement for now :D

We had my second Zone Conference this past Thursday and it was amazing! In fact it's really what led us to getting a baptismal date with Melissa (the lady I told you about above). I really enjoy Zone Conferences even though they definitely wear me out.

lol, I do remember the story of your first stolen bike :D I would have been so ticked off lol. We don't have "New Missionary Conferences" anymore, they are called trainer/trainee and both companions go. That was a while ago and it was good. Haha, and so began the saga of your stolen bikes, man that was a funny line :D

I'm definitely safe and surely happy. Make sure you tell Mom to let you read her email when you get home because hers has some stuff I didn't put in here. I love you back and miss you tons.

Love,

Elder Jay Davis