It's Raining, it's POURING!

Dear Family,

It's grand to hear you all are doing well and I wish you the best of luck starting school!

my address: Flat 13 Trafalgar Court, Trafalgar Street, Gillingham, Kent ME7 4RQ England

So... this week has been a bit hard. I am so grateful for the wonderful companionship I was able to have with Sister Greenfield and I sure miss it! Sister Som is wonderful and so sweet, but it just isn't the same. I will be honest and say it is very difficult to have a companion that comes from a very different cultural background. And then on top of that someone who doesn't really understand everything you say. We are plugging along though and the work is going forward. I struggle to know how much I should lead and take over and how much I should give Sister Som chances to get out of her comfort zone. It's hard because she is very soft-spoken and slower with speaking and everything in England is fast paced and people aren't very patient. Often times I have to jump in and help her out, but I also know she needs opportunities to learn and grow. I know Heavenly Father will help me to know how to help her. However, it is amazing to be able to see how much I've grown as a missionary since I've been out and how much more confidence I have in teaching and finding situations.

the lesson in Relief Society yesterday was just for me. It was on marriage. Before you think anything crazy it was in regards to relationships in general as well. As I've been struggling with Sister Som a bit I have been saying many prayers to know how to help our companionship work better, and then the lesson in Relief Society on marriage talked about how to resolve differences and how you can make companionships work better. Although it is a little different as missionaries, there were some wonderful principles I was able to learn and be reminded of to help Sister Som and help our companionship work better. Hopefully as I apply those principles I will be able to feel a difference.
Sister Som really is great though and has a strong testimony. She comes from a buddhist family, but her family joined the church when she was 8. I know I have much that I can learn from her.
Shayla is still doing amazing! She is going on holiday to Greece in a couple weeks and I pray that she continues to stay strong while she is away. Please keep her in your prayers. She was able to see a baptism yesterday (one of our investigators, Daniel, that we had passed to the elders got baptized). She loved it and said she was feeling better about her baptism. And thankfully, the elders cleaned out the font!
A wonderful miracle yesterday. WE have been working with a wonderful less-active, Irene. She has been pretty hesitant to come back to church and last week had said she would come for just sacrament meeting, but then didn't. This week she said she would come for sacrament meeting, but then right before church (sacrament meeting is the last hour) she called and said she was going to come for all of church!!! So she did! It was great! Our ward mission leader was gone and had asked me to teach gospel principles. I was glad because that meant the class would for sure happen. It was on prophets and I think it went well. Irene also stayed for the baptism and enjoyed it and the ward was wonderful at welcoming her back.
Other than Shayla we don't have any progressing investigators so we've been doing quite a bit of finding so hopefully we will find wonderfully prepared people, especially families! I'm excited for the miracles this transfer will bring!
This week we have zone conference! I can't wait. I love going to Hyde Park and I always learn so many great things. Also Sister Karyan is in my Zone now so I'll get to see her. I was able to talk to her on the phone last night for a bit (we can only call missionaries in our Zone) and that was really good. She's doing great and I'm excited to get to see her and all the other missionaries.
We've had lots of sunshine for the past few weeks. Well this week all the rain that didn't come during that time decided to come! It was POURING!! And worst of all, because it has been so sunny and not raining at all, I didn't have my umbrella with me so I got soaked! It was slightly awesome though I will admit. Sometimes you just need to have some good fun getting wet in the rain. And it wasn't too long out in the rain before we could go back to our flat and I could get dry. Also it was a warm rain which I was very grateful for. I am not ready for winter to come!
Dad, I especially loved the reminder that we all come on missions to convert different people, and sometimes even if we just convert ourselves in the process then we have accomplished a great work. In a talk I read recently Brent H. Nielson said somethings similar,"Had I labored all my days and converted only myself, the experience would still have been worth it to me." I know that is so true. Thankfully I have already been able to see the spirit touch the lives of others, but I know that the real miracles the Lord is working are in me and I'm so grateful for this opportunity to strengthen my testimony while getting to share it with many others. I know that I truly am the greatest beneficiary of my mission and the Lord is shaping me into the person that he needs me to become. "Missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy... How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him?"-Elder Holland. I know that it's my salvation that I'm working towards and the Lord in his great mercy allows me to assist others in their journey in the process.
I know that Jesus Christ lives and that he is my Savior. I am so grateful to him for the sacrifice that he made for me. I know through him that salvation is possible and that we can all return to live with our Heavenly Father and with each other again. Thank you for being the wonderful people you are so that I can look forward to living with you all forever!
I love you!!! You are all in my prayers and I know that the Lord is watching over you.
All my love,
Sister Davis