Farewell Northampton

Dear Family,

Well, I'm leaving Northampton and dear Sister Karyan. I'm going to miss it so much, and Sister Karyan and I are bummed because we had such a great past week and we had such a great week planned for this coming week, but she's training again and we have great things set up for her new companion. Everyone, minus the zone leaders, in the Northampton district are training brand new missionaries! There are so many new missionaries coming. It's amazing!! I'm going to Gillingham (in Kent, near Canterbury) with Sister Greenfield. She is from England (so maybe I'll pick up an accent;)) and she jsut finished her 12-wk training. And some sisters from my MTC group are serving together and finishing up their 12-wk together, so that shows how many new missionaries are coming in. And new areas are opening. It's great! My new area will be a big change though because Sister Karyan and I haven't taught too many lessons; we've mostly been finding, but in my new area President Jordan said we have 3 on date for baptism and they teach 20+ lessons a week. So I guess it'll be a good opportunity to learn how to teach and hopefully I'll be able to learn quickly. Even though I'm really sad to leave, it is so comforting to know that this is the Lord's work and he knows what he is doing. I have complete confidence that I am going where I need to be. 

Sister Karyan is finally doing a little bit better, but is still making mends. HOpefully this new sister will take good care of her. This week has been fun. It's been a little discouraging because every potential appointment we had set up fell through (People just wouldn't so up or wouldn't be home) but it has also been so fun! Sister Karyan and I are really getting the hang of tracting. Yesterday we had an amazing day and got 8 potential appointments (Which is usually what we get in a whole week). It was so good and made it hard to hear I am leaving, but all is well. We had a talent show and cake auction in the ward on Saturday. It was kind of sad; there was only 2 performances of talents. One sister sang and us missionaries sang (I played the piano). My piano abilities are definitely improving. And then they auctioned off cakes taht the priesthood leaders had decorated (some were really good and others you could tell had been decorated by someone with little talent in decoration, but they were great!) It definitely wasn't like the Sun Valley ward's auction. Most went for just a couple pounds and I think the highest bid one was around twenty pounds.

Funny story- Sister Karyan and I were tracting this week and we went to go visit a former investigator, but they had moved so we just decided to tract in the area. We knocked on this one door and a man just started talking to us through the door. We were having a hard time hearing him, so he got down and started talking through the mailslot in the door. Apparently he couldn't find the key to his door, but we taught and testified all about the restoration through the mailslot and got a return appointment (which he wasn't there for) but it was hilarious! Another time we were tracting and this women started mowing her lawn (they call it their garden here) we offerred to help, but she said she was ok (for some reason people think sisters can't give service; they never want our help), but Sister Karyan would not take no for an answer and just took the mower from the lady and started going. So I started talking to the lady and had a lovely conversation with her. Her sister actually used to be a member of the church, but after some tragedies in thier family had stopped going. It was a great conversation and we got to pray with her. And it was funny because sister Karyan told me after we left that she had finished mowing the lawn earlier than she stopped, but wanted to give me more time to talk with this lady so she just kept mowing over the spots she had already done. She's so great!

This work is so great! I love being a missionary. It is really hard, but it's so wonderful and I wouldn't choose to be any other place. The Lord's work is so great and I am so thankful to have this gospel. It breaks my heart to see how some people are living and yet they reject what we want to offer them because I don't think they fully understand what they are rejecting. I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is restored on the earth today. I know that we are led by a living prophet. I know that if we are on the Lord's side we will always come out conquerors. And I am so grateful to be on His side! I love you all and hope you have a fabulous week! I can't wait to tell you about my new companion and new area next week; I'll head there tomorrow!!

Love, Sister Davis