Sister Davis CLAM News

Six month mark! With Sister Cole

Me and Sister Baeza. We also did a few chores in the VC

Me and McCall

Our ward mission leader and his wife

Friends and family,

Things have gone really well this week, but I'm anxious to see what will happen with transfers. The VC is at a turnover point right now, which means that all the older sisters are going and new ones are coming in just a few transfers. My group was kind of the first of the "new generation" and we feel a little bit of pressure because we still feel new and yet we are quickly becoming some of the oldest. The temple has been closed for cleaning, but the center has not been as slow as it was at the last closing AND we were able to spend a few hours helping out this week. I was able to clean the chandelier crystals in the sealing rooms adjacent to the celestial room so needless to say that was a great day. I have to tell you all about my new friend McCall. She came in a few weeks ago because she is studying religions and needed some information for a paper she was writing. We hit it off immediately and ended up talking for over two hours(I think to the dismay of my companion- ha ha :s). Anyway, she said that she would come back to visit and bring me some classical music. I thought that was sweet, but didn't necessarily expect to see her again. Long story short she has been back twice and become a very dear friend. She laments that we can't actually do anything together for another year, but we show her a little more of the visitors' center each time she comes which she always enjoys and she said that she would read the Book of Mormon. I'm praying that I serve in her area at some point. We had a good lesson with Richie this week. He chose the topic when he asked the question, "So what exactly will be expected of me once I'm baptized? Do I have to go on a mission?" Ha ha, it was a good segway for talking about enduring to the end, and I think he was relieved to know that he is past the cut off age to serve a mission... After his lesson we met a woman(Helen) just sitting on a bench who seemed very happy to talk with us! She didn't speak much English, but we made an appointment to bring her the Book of Mormon in Farsi. A few days later we went to see her and ran into another Persian woman(Parvin) walking her dog. When she introduced herself I tried not to visibly react because I recognized her name. She is a potential that Sister Olsen and I had tried to contact. She invited us to her home and once we were inside she insisted that she feed us. Our dinner appointment had fallen through and we had JUST eaten out. I was dying. She wasn't very interested in our message, but she did say that she was feeling lonely and then we showed up! We will try again with her. As it turns out Helen and Parvin live in the same apartment complex and know each other. when we invited Helen to church she said she would come if Parvin does. I hope, I hope! What would be really wonderful would be if Parvin could translate so we could really teach Helen. Helen was very happy to see us again, but she is Jewish and I worry that if we are able to get someone to translate she won't be interested once she knows what we're actually saying. Not really. I have faith! She did say that she loves to read, so I'm praying that she will feel the spirit as she reads the Book of Mormon. I don't feel like I'll be transferred this go around, but i have been in Malibu for nearly six months now so you never know. We joke that I won't until I've taught a lesson in Young Women. I had done everything else in the ward but Relief Society which I taught yesterday. It was my first time ever and I was nervous, but it ended up being really fun. A mission is good practice for future callings among other things. Like everything in life... I had a funny phone call in the teaching center this week. I finally got ahold of a referral I've had since basically the beginning of my mission. Unfortunately he wasn't interested in meeting with the missionaries, and when I offered to mail him a Book of Mormon he said, "Oh I have one of those. I had a big crush on a Mormon girl once and when I asked her for a date she gave me a Book of Mormon." Ha ha I couldn't help but laugh. Go team! Well I love you all. My favorite six year old is turning seven this week! Love you Isaac. Watch for my letter.

Sister Davis