Friends and Family,

Hello again. I think the best news of the week is the fact that Richie stayed for Sunday school! He was very apprehensive, but expressed that he knew he needed to. After sacrament meeting we went outside for some fresh air so he wouldn't get overwhelmed and when we went back in he ended up loving it. He still left before priesthood, he'll get there one step at a time. He always says "baby steps" and he means it genuinely not as an excuse or anything, but it always reminds me of "What About Bob?" if you've seen that you'll know what I'm talking about. I was a little worried at first because the teacher for gospel principles was out of town so we joined gospel doctrine. The teacher is an extremely fast-paced intellectual and I was praying that Richie wouldn't feel out of place. At one point we both missed the scripture reference. He of course looked at me wondering and was a little surprised when I was looking at him wondering if he had heard it. We both shrugged and laughed. We figured it out after a second, but it was just a good moment where I became human rather than just a "missionary" and I think it made him feel less out of place. I kind of want to experience a new area, but I don't want to get transferred just yet because I feel like Richie is getting to a point where he really feels cared about, but he hasn't quite made the full transition from just feeling that from us to feeling that from the ward. I guess I don't know because I've never been transferred, but it seems like it would just feel weird handing people off. Anyway, back to Sunday school. There was a really humorous discussion going on about how the world is telling people that they shouldn't teach their children what they believe, but rather let them grow up and choose their own beliefs- be their own person kind of thing. Essentially they are saying that teaching your children to believe what you believe is brainwashing them. That concept makes me a little sick to my stomach to be honest. We all laughed when someone commented, "So they're saying that rather than brainwashing my children I should let the media do it? Genius." The teacher pointed out that most of the people he has met with this opinion don't actually have children yet, but still. Satan is sneaky. Craziness. Is all the world this crazy or just Southern California? Don't answer that. It will just depress me. Anyway, it made me think about a tour we took with a great family with 3 kids and a fourth on the way. We kept asking the four year old boy questions about the importance of families and he would respond just as I might expect Isaac to saying something about various body parts blowing up... Later when they were about to leave he raised his hand so I of course called on him, and he asked, "Why is the temple so important?" I asked him why he thought it was important and his answer was priceless. He said, "I don't know... I don't know a lot about Jesus, but I like Him!!" His mom shook her head and I just laughed. I was so glad that his parents had been making an effort to teach him about the gospel, I was grateful to my parents for doing so, and especially excited to teach my own children. I think to brainwash someone you have to convince them to believe something that's false, which means that teaching one's children about the gospel can't fall under that category because it is absolutely true! What a blessing it is to have parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins,and friends that teach and emulate those truths! Thank you :)

Sister Davis

P.S. Happy Birthday Grandpa Dorman! I hope you are getting well.