Best day of my life!

 I love them :)

Angel got a job!! He's awesome... and I probably shouldn't be using gang symbols in Culver City CA... Oh well :)

Family and Friends,

Another great week! I started the week with what was one of the best days I've had on my mission. Richard, Angel, and Stephanie all came to the temple Tuesday night to do baptisms for the dead. It was the first time for all three of them and they each came with at least one family name. In fact we took Stephanie and Angel down to the family history library beforehand to help them get their cards printed. We all talked for a bit and of course made them a little late. I was so happy I thought I was going to burst. There's a statement in the missionary call letter that says something  about how if you serve selflessly you will experience more joy than you had ever previously experienced. I've always felt a little funny about that because before my mission I had some experiences that brought me inexpressible joy. For example the miracles of Isaac and Emrie being brought into our family. I still don't think that I can compare levels of happiness from one life experience to the next, but on Tuesday I did feel a different kind of joy than I have ever felt before. I felt something similar when our investigators were baptized, and then another level of it as I saw them bless and pass the sacrament, but there was something so incredible about being there to see them go to the temple. They came back to the Visitors' Center after and shared what they felt there. It was awesome. We sat and talked and it was wonderful. I had this hard moment where I realized that it wasn't always going to be like this. I won't be in Marina del Rey forever and I won't always be their missionary. Richard and Angel agreed with me that it won't necessarily be easy, but reassured me that even though that will be tremendously difficult we have been given a gift. We've been given this wonderful gift of eternal friendships, and Richard is always quick to remind me that I should be grateful for the hurt because it is just an indication of the deep love that we all share. Does that melt your heart or what? I LOVE THAT MAN! 

Enrique was confirmed just yesterday. He received a beautiful blessing. I think my favorite part was when we all raised our hands to sustain him a member of the ward. Everyone in the ward just loves the Salazar brothers and it was awesome to finally have them both as official members of the ward. After the meetings Angel ordained Enrique! We had to rush to the Visitors' Center so we only heard about it, but I am loving this pattern. From Richard to Angel to Enrique. We joked with Enrique that he would have to fellowship our next convert so he can ordain him! 

Our new investigator Jason came to church yesterday. We had Richard pick him up so it was fault proof. Usually I feel a little bad asking people to take time to pick someone up, but we knew Richard would be perfect for him and when we asked him to do it he responded, "I love doing God's work!" Jason stayed all three hours and I think he had a good experience. He's a recovering Catholic like Richard but for the moment is not sure if there even is a God so we're kind of starting from square one. He started to investigate last year because he was looking for inner peace but he never "did the stuff" ie. reading, praying, coming to church. So hopefully this go around will be different. He kind of just fell in our lap this week. I heard one of the elders say that we don't knock on doors to find investigators, we knock n doors to show the Lord that we are ready for investigators. True statement! I feel like we work and work and try with all these people who just flake and then out of nowhere get someone who's totally ready. 

Oh my goodness! Do you remember the guy that was going to pay his girlfriend to meet with us? She didn't take the money!! I'm so glad because it would be so much more awkward that way. Anyway, she's agreed to meet with us five times in order to "understand his beliefs." Or it could just turn into eternal bliss for everyone involved!! Originally he wanted to wait until an Asian sister was transferred here since she is Vietnamese, but as we've been talking he decided he'll let us teach her. He is constantly telling us how intelligent she is and wants us to be really sensitive. Pressure! He just wants her to be the one... Kinda cute, but pressure! He basically told us that if she doesn't accept the gospel they probably won't get married... He was nice though and said that he thinks she will like me because I listen well and I'm real *hair flip* Anyway, that took a little pressure away, but still. I'll let you know how that goes.

Ok random Visitors' Center story:

This man whose name I still am unaware of walked in the other day and when I went to shake his hand he sniffed it, yes you read right, sniffed it... Quite vigorously actually and then kissed it three times... Ah!!! Then he spun me around and asked me to call him Antonio Banderas, What?? Yup, that's real folks. I don't know what happened to him after that. Obviously I ran away. 

And on that note I gotta run ha ha. I love you all! 

Sister Davis