So about my week! So right now I'm focusing soley on reviving my area!! I'm working so hard to find investigators. I have to admit I have never been shut down so many times in my life... and I was stressing every day about what I can do to find my investigators (I know that we can contact only if we feel the spirit ) but this week i just prayed for the spirit all the time so technically I can contact all the time right?? haha I contacted every menos activo and ancient investigator we had, but this week we met every single mark. Had 30 plus leccions and had 20 new investigators!!!! It was the hardest week, but I saw how God does bless us if we do everything we possibly can!!!! Gosh God is awesome. He pushes me to the limit everyday, and I am slowly watching him make me a better missionary. My mission is really strict and for good reasons the amount of good missionaries who work hard are few. My goal is to help this mission into a mission that works hard and becomes a machine for bringing people into the fold of Christ. Gosh I love this work. It is the work of ALL. not just us missionaries!! but I can't wait to see what more God is going to make of me, and how I can help the people here in oaxaca :)I love you guys!! You are always in my prayers! (another thing i learned this week is that prayer really works!! :) )Love, Elder Davenport
Monday, December 30, 2013
Email From Elder Davenport December 30, 2013
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
A Christmas Video for Elder Davenport
Another Christmas Video - from Aunt Kim and Uncle Jeff and baby Boone from Spearfish, South Dakota.
Monday, December 23, 2013
December 23, 2013 - First Christmas Week in Oaxaca Mexico
So a little about this week!! So this week a member of the 70 came and talked to us and put these new amazing goals for the Oaxaca mission!! We have to try for 40-60 lessons (our goal was 30) and one baptism every week!! Its a little nuts because here in Oaxaca it's really hard to put 30 lessons because the people here are not very receptive.. but It was awesome because I was talking to my companion the day before about how we could have a complete resurrection of my area (my last comp didn't work it in a way that there would be future baptisms after he left) so we were throwing around all these ideas about more effect lessons that are a little shorter so we can find more people. And then I was throwing these ideas around to our district leader and then Elder Valensuela basically said that we need to start doing all my little ideas about being more effective and finding more people! haha So i was way pumped for this week!! And we had an awesome week!!! We found two really good prospects who could possibly get baptised!! WOO!!! With my favorite investigator Jacobo and is wife they prayed about the Book of Mormon and they know its true!!! It's awesome because I'm watching them change there lives!! :) Gosh I know this church is true and can really change lives!! I LOVE YOU GUYS thanks for your prayers and for your emails!! Im so blessed to have family like you guys :)
love Elder Davenport
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Monday, December 16, 2013
December 16, 2013
This week was especially good. I got a new comp who actually wants to work hard!! and I am in the same area so I am basically running my area and I love it!!!! One of my prime investigators just agreed to a baptism for Dec 28 so I'm way excited!!! That will be my first baptism that I hope I can be here for! (don't want to get special changed again) haha but he was talking to us about how he prayed alot about the Book of Mormon and how he knows its true. Gosh I'm so excited for him!!! I also realize how blessed I am to have been given this little piece of the lords kingdom to bring as many people as I can into the fold of Christ!!! :) I'm pumped as always!!! Can't wait to go find and teach the people God is preparing for this message!!!
Love you guys always in my prayers!!! Love Elder Davenport (probably climbing hills and eating bugs somewhere in the Oaxaca :) )
December 9, 2013
This week has been pretty good!!! My comp was pretty sure he was getting transferred and let me take control this week which was nice, because I love my comp and all but he just didn't like to really be the most effective as possible. haha But anyways it was a little sad because one of my favorite investigators who lived in the United States tell he was deported.. he has lots of problems because he can't find a job and has three little kids ( he was the one we helped slaughter a pig with which was nasty because they used every part of the pig, and then I realized I had been eating cooked blood mixed with a bunch of other gross things for 2 months...) we found him out of his mind drunk on the road, and then he opened up to us about how much harder to live here then in the United States and a bunch of other horrible stuff.. I mean I see why people would want to come to the United States especially here in Oaxaca.. some of the people we visit have houses, but usually just a tin box and then they work 16 hours a day EVERY DAY. Gosh it's aweful. I mean I don't want to be like, let the Mexicans in, but I think there can be a better plan then the one we have. and also this week we added another routine to the trees.... now we dance and sing.. but the thing is no one knew the dance or the song so we just looked like a bunch of stupid trees.. I forgot why I didn't do plays ;) haha anyways being a missionary is awesome because every day i get to feel the spirit and help people become closer to God! So to be a good missionary i want to remind you to read the scriptures and pray every day!! :)}
With all my love
Elder Davenport
Monday, December 2, 2013
TIme a Flying - December 2, 2013
This week was awesome, but it was awesome because we had a "choir play thingy" haha. Maybe it's on face book don't know!! I got to be a tree!! haha. Yeah I am now officially "that guy"... hahaha, but it was fun! I didn't have any cool lessons, or actually hardly any this week because my companion volunteered to help run the coro so we barely taught any one... but I got to help slaughter a pig!!! :D. I'll send some pics some time!!!! Anyway I am loving the people here, and I am loving watching these people who have nothing, learn to draw nearer to God and become better people :) I love my mission, and I love the people here!! :) and I love you guys. You guys are always in my prayers!
LOVE, Elder Davenport
Monday, November 25, 2013
Email from Elder Davenport November 25, 2013
So this week was rough! We are doing this massive choir thing in the city of Oaxaca, and we have to practice on my pdays.. haha I love the choir thing and stuff, but I missed a week of doing laundry, and had to wake up early and wash all my clothes by hand which took like 3 hours.. by hand is not fun.. hahaha I'm so thankful for washing machines like I didn't think I could ever imagine. hahaha Nothing really happened this week besides alot of walking and alot of fallen appointments.. but last Saturday I went on divisions with one of my friends from the mtc, and we had a bunch of ho hum lessons. But one lesson, we taught this family and last time I had given them a Book of Mormon, and the little 10 year old had read the whole introduction and 5 chapters!! I was pumped!!! We also taught this guy so addicted to drugs he wouldn't stop shaking, but we are working with him to help him improve! But that is all the main points!! Love you guys and you guys are always in my prayers!!!
Love Elder Davenport
Monday, November 18, 2013
EMAIL FROM ELDER DAVENPORT NOVEMBER 18, 2013
Anyways about my fechas. Three go to their meetings and do their commitments, but that is out of 10 fechas as of this week . So I'm way sad because I want these people to become closer to Christ. It's really sad. :( Anyways I love it out in the field. I mean its way hard, like we grind it out everyday, but then our hard work always pays off!! In some way! God really blesses us when we grind it out, and give our all. Things turn out :)
LOVE YOU GUYS!!
LOVE ELDER DAVENPORT
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Email from Elder Davenport November 10, 2013
A little about my week!! We had three more people accept baptisms!! I'm SO excited and one of our investigatores with a baptismal date is really putting forth the effort to getbaptized. So hopefully I will have my first baptism on Nov 30. I'm pumped!!! But besides that my life is kind of the same everyday, but i love it so much!!! This church is true! God is preparing his children to receive this gospel. One of our baptismal dates Jose was not interested in the church for 5 years, but then his kid was born prematurely, and it was a miracle that she survived! and now he trying to become closer to God! Then we showed up and started teaching oh gosh it was awesome!!! Anyways that's about it!!! I love you guys so much and i keep you in my prayers!
Love, Elder Davenport
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Elder Davenport's Mission Facebook link
Like Misión México~Oaxaca Tierra de milagros on Facebook | ||||
| Tona Wengreen Davenport invited you to like Misión México~Oaxaca Tierra de milagros. | ||||
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Monday, October 28, 2013
Hola, October 28, 2013
HOLA FAM, anyways, a little bit about my week. It was way good, and my companion is really helping me become a better missionary. He is a lot more helpful, and is actually helping me instead of me having to help my self!! We found only three investigators, and we committed every single one to baptism. It was awesome!! I also gave a talk in church!! I thought it was hard in English.. plus I only had 20 minutes to prepare!! ah! I was shaking soo bad!!! But after I had started my talk, I stopped looking at my scribbles on my paper, and looked into the crowd and talked for 5 minutes straight in good Spanish!!! and I only couldn't remember one word haha, stupid, respuestas! People told me that they thought I was fluent, haha. Anyways my Spanish is not fluent I can teach and almost understand everything, but I still have a long way to go, and, think of this, I had I think a 170 lessons these past 6 weeks. haha I still can't understand everything!! haha ;) This area has a lot more success then my other area, and big ward of 200 active members!! It is way diffent from my last area. ANYWAYS LIKE my bro sounds awesome. Wish I could watch! I MISS YOU GUYS and I hope everything is good with you guys. I love you guys lots,
-Elder Davenport
Monday, October 21, 2013
Hola - October 21, 2013
This week was awesome. I and my companion were really hitting it off, and got some new golden investigators who were really excited to get baptized!! I was really pumped to start esta semana, or this week but then on Saturday at 10pm I got a call and got a special change to Oaxaca . At first I was devestated!! because this area was really starting to bear fruit, but then I got changed.. but it was ok because President Leyva personally came and got me and two other elders, and I got to have basically a one on one with him for 3 or 4 hours! My new area, in Oaxaca City called Indepencia, is an awesome area, and my new companion Elder Tovar seems way awesome!! So I'm way excited to start this week!!!! Anyways that's everything for this week. Love you guys! Thanks so much for the emails. I love hearing from you guys,
with love Elder Davenport
Monday, October 14, 2013
Email from Elder Davenport October 14, 2013
Dear family,
The past two weeks I have been really busy!! Anyways everything is going way awesome! We don't go door to door because apparently missionaries get abducted and stuff, so we teach by referrals, unless we are led by the spirit to do other wise. The problem here in Mexico is that alot of people get baptised because of this church being true, but then what used to happen is once the missionaries baptised someone they stopped teaching them. They didn't know anyone at church because they only had to go one time so they all become inactive. Our goals in this mission now is to reactivate the menos activos or less actives. The wards here are small. There is only about 30 people who come every week but 200+ members.. but since I got here we are up to about 60! Another problem is that the investigators have a hard time going to church because they are super flojo lazy and don't want to have to take a taxi (everyone gets around by taxis because there are not alot of cars), alot of our investigators work on Sunday so that is rough. All of our investigators rarely go to church no matter how much we call, text, or teach them, and get them to say, "Yes they will go!" It is so frustrating, and the new goal of the mission here is that we need to have investigators go 5 times before baptism which I think is awesome. But it also means that with some of my favorite investigators, that work every other Sunday, I probably won't get to see their baptism. which is sad. But I will just be happy if they get baptized! All our days are way long and hard, and everyday when we get home I am dead as a rock haha, but I love it!!! It feels good to work hard! and I'm way pumped because the two hardest goals to reach (some missionaries only reach them 4 times total a mission mainly because ALOT of missionaries waste alot of time at member houses) which are 30 lessons and 10 new investigators! which I and my companion reached! even though it means nothing and numbers don't matter, still feels good that we know we are trying our hardest and bringing people closer to Christ! and we reactivated about 4 families! so I'm pumped! I have had a lot of spiritual experiences, also. We gave this blessing to an almost about to die Catholic woman, and by the end she didn't hate us, and had a new found respect for the Mormons. I have loved seeing how even though every person seems like they are happy with their lives, that they ALL need help with something, and God is preparing everyone to receive the gospel!! and everyone even stout members need to improve their lives in some aspect! This church is true. Share my love with everyone!! I love you guys and I hope the US doesn't fall so I can take a clean shower when I get back ;) haha Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Friday, October 4, 2013
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Monday, September 30, 2013
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Sept 23, 2013 Email
September 23,2013
This week has been CRAZY!!!!! So I get to Mexico and some security guards (because I had to take another flight from Mexico city to Oaxaca) threw away all the weights in the weight vest, because they said I could use them as weapons.. hahaha and then at that moment I went from thinking I was pretty good at Spanish to realizing I knew nothing, and that Mexicans talk so fast!!!!!! hahaha I bet you guys just imagine me standing there holding these weights as some Mexicans start yelling at me in Spanish.. I felt pretty stupid hahaha oh well it was probably for the better and hey I got them all the way to Mexico haha. Anyways my first day I get here I realize I had no idea what Mexico is like haha. I and the other 22 missionaries get shoved into this run down hotel.. after this night I realized just how spoiled I was in the United States haha. So I get there, and we get thirsty, and go to turn on the sink wáter, and (I kid you not) straight yellow piss wáter comes out, and then we get notified that we all need to shower in this stuff, and that there is no hot wáter haha. Anyways so we start filtering wáter so we can drink wáter and since none of us have towels we shower in this stuff and then used one rag between the all of us haha. Yeah it sucked haha. Anyways the next day I meet my companion, and he knows almost no English which sucks haha. I really like him though he seems really cool! and he can teach lessons really well!! Anyways since my área is 3 hours away, and my zone was going to the Oaxaca temple the next day, we sleep on these nasty mats on the floor of a companionship's house, and all I get to use is my single towell because they didn't tell me I needed sleeping stuff haha. Anyways I and my companion share this mat and we layed on our towells because the mats were so gross anyways we froze, got bit alive, and didn't even sleep. It was the worst night of my life hahaha, but anyways the next day I travelled to Huajuapan (Wahpen) which was three hours away, and I get there and I realize that what they said about Oaxaca being the poorest state in Mexico is true. There are people packed everywhere, and everyone is poor. It is really sad, and they are also all Catholic, and aren't very receptive to the góspel.. but we do still find people, and we already have two dates for baptism :) I am pumped!!! my dorm isnt too bad, and I'm starting to like it!! The only problems I have are the filthness because the walls have mold that you can't get rid of and the bugs... I hate them haha I didn't use to mind them, but now I hate them haha. I have killed so many stupid cockroaches the size of a small child I could die (that's a joke- they aren't that big but they are the biggest bug I have ever seen) I also hate the spiders, well actually only the ones that cause me to wake up with giant bites.. haha. The other 100 or so spiders that are in every corner of the ceiling that are all the biggest spiders I have ever seen!!!! but they leave us alone so we leave them alone too. Hmm I think thats all about my new life haha. I love it here, and I love serving the people and teaching the gospeL PS oh and I'm proud of Landon, and i love you all :) I only get 45 minutes to email...
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Happy P-Day - August 14, 2013
HEY FAMILY,
I have had an amazing first week! I love it here. The first three days were really hard. I had to to preach to someone in Spanish that first Friday I was here - so my third day! It was way beneficial because my companion didn't help at all so I was forced to teach with the little Spanish I knew, and I actually did ok . I was understanding what my pretend investigator was saying, even though my Spanish was mucho greengo, and he understood me. The next time I taught (Saturday) I had studied alot so when we talked to him again (my companion didn't talk again, kind of too scared to embarrass himself. I taught the whole lesson and got him to go to church!! It was so awesome! Being here at the MTC is sooo fun!! I feel the spirit, and am challenged almost everyday!!! It is insane to think about how the Lord's rules he puts in place are so important here as a missionary and in life. The rules make you happy. They don't restrict you. When I was forced to stay up late past the scheduled 10:30pm lights out my first night, I didn't sleep as long as I needed to. It made feeling the spirit hard, and well staying awake in class hard as well, haha. Now that I am following the rules and getting to bed by 10:30 pm I have so much more energy and enjoy my days so much more. The spirit is a wonderful thing. I have always looked at it as a language that just has to be learned and I can honestly say that I am beginning to learn it. and I love it! before now I didn't realize how much happier and successful the spirit makes you feel then any other feeling in life. We had Elder Richard G Scott come and speak to us with all the authority from God, and he told us some spiritual insight that only someone who almost has the spirit with them at all times could have. Yo se que el evangelio es verdad. En el nombre de Jesucristo Amen. I love you guys and if you have any specific questions email me and I will email you individually :) My best friend here who happens to live in the same apartment. He likes to workout in the mornings with me, and played highschool pointguard. He is a straight up g from Idaho . He is in rodeos and stuff, and is a cowboy. Acts exactly like me haha. He is one of my best Mormon friends.
I love you all and hope to hear from you all soon! (I suggest dear elder.com )
Love, Elder Davenport
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