Hey Everyone ! How are you guys? Mom are you and Nate still out of town? Im assuming so cuz I didn't see any emails from you this week. How is your vacation? How is San Antonio? Hows Austy? Emily sent me this picture of her sitting on a tree....soo cute ! Shes growing up !! So how has everyones week been? Anything new and exciting going on? Emily, did you take austyn to the neurologist? Is she still having seizures? Hows Daves leg? Ashley mentioned that you got the boxes I sent home. Do they keep raising the prices of those flat rate boxes? I didn't know they cost $15 to send ! I couldn't fit that stuff with me so I had to send it all home. I hope you guys enjoyed it all ! Make sure you don't throw it away :) I got the shirt you got me nate ! Thanks so much , I really like it !! It was at Sis Randalls but I just had my roomate bring it to leadership meeting last Monday so it worked out just fine. So your probably all wondering what life has been like for me the past week..... Well here it goes. My first week of Zone Leader consisted of 3 things : Day one I found a tick in my leg...it was really weird and was the first time Ive seen a tick or ever had one. I burned him out of my leg with a lighter then pulled him out slowly so I didn't rip the head off. Hope I don't get lime disease. Day two I got bit by a freaking pitbull. It wasn't a bad bite at all but it drew blood ! Day three I had to speak in church....not only did I speak but I found out like at 10 on Saturday night via text message lol. Needless to say its been an interesting week ! No but really it has been good. Its been tough, but good. I miss Garrisonville a ton. Like its been really hard to have to leave that area and that ward and start fresh. I struggle with change so its been a very difficult transition. The new calling as Zone Leader hasn't been tough , just the change. Ashburn is completely different from garrisonville. Its a whole different feel up here. I serve in the Brambleton ward. I was able to see some families on Sunday from the wards I was trained in so that was good. It is nice to be able to be in a car. Ofcourse the week I get in a car is the week the temperatures go from 105 to 85. Its all good though. Ive enjoyed the new calling. Its fun to be on this side of the spectrum and see how things go ya know? Its fun to have the ability to make decisions that I wasn't able to make before. We have zone conference I think like next week or something...I get to conduct so that should be interesting. It will be fun. We had a baptism on Saturday for this guy named Joe. He was investigating for like 10 years so it was neat. We are on the hunt for new gators now though. We found one yesterday while tracting. I think thats all of the new and fun and exciting things that are happening here. I love you guys and miss you all ! Hopefully I will hear back soon ! Love you guys !!

Elder Davie

Zone Leader

Hello ! Well today is a very difficult day. I got a call from President Albright and I am going to be transfered. Its very very hard. Garrisonville has become my home. I could have stayed here another 9 months and loved it just as much ! I am almost in schock because I thought for sure I was going to be staying. It caught me off gaurd. I know this was bound to happen and I know I had to get transferred sometime so why not start the adjustment now right? So your probably wondering where im going and who my new companion is. Well I got released as district leader. Guess I didn't do good enough job. Haha j/k. The reason I got released as a district leader is because I got called to be a new zone leader. My new companion is Elder Wallace. I have met him before. He is nice. But ya we are going to be zone leaders in the Ashburn Zone. Back to where I started. I actually will be living in the same apartment complex I was trained in. Not the same apartment but the same complex. Its bitter sweet. I am absolutely scared to death to be a zone leader. Lots of responsibility. Lots of assigments. Lots of hard work. It brings me comfort to know that the lord makes us equal to our callings. I can do this right? I hope so. I was not expecting this at all. I was hoping to stay here another couple transfers and stay district leader so I could get the hang of it. I am ok with not planning district meetings though :) It will be the most challenging yet rewarding time in my mission. These experiences I am about to have will be difficult but fun. I will let ya know how it goes ! I am going to visit some families today and take some pics and say my goodbyes. It still hasn't hit yet that im leaving, its really weird. The next few months are going to fly by. My mtc roomate larochelle is also a new zone leader so thats awesome ! At least I will now be in a car and the zone leaders all have blackberrys...that wont be to bad :) Im anxious to hear how you are all doing ! Thanks for the package mom ! I especially love the jesus the christ book....amazing ! Thank you so much !!! I love you guys !!!

Elder Davie

Hey mom ! It was good to hear from you ! I did get your goodie package! Thank you so much. The chips ahoy hit the spot. I also got your wal mart gift card you send which was awesome. I should have used it on groceries but I REALLY needed a little boom box to play some music on so thats what I used it for :) Our ward has been taking care of us really good. All I need to survive is bread and pb and j. This week has been really good. We had transfers on Thursday. My new companion is Elder Sean Peterson. He is from Richfield, UT. He is a clone of Brad Dixon !!!! He doesn't look like him but his personality, the things he says, the things he likes, everything. Its awesome. Its like being companions with brad !! We are going to have a great time. He is a VERY hard worker as well which is awesome. He has that greenie fire. I have loved the experience of training someone new. Its been awesome. My roomates from the MTC are all training to and 2 of them are District Leaders. I am blessed to have started out with such a good group. We haven't found any new investigators this week which is sad. Keep us in your prayers to help us find people to teach !!! Our homeless investigator James moved down to Fredericksburg to stay in the homeless shelter. He found the church down there on Sunday and showed up ! The elders down there called me and said " Hey this guy came to our ward and said you have been teaching him ..... " It was awesome ! He has such a desire to learn more. So they are going to take over and teach him while he is down there, im not sure if it is a permanent move or not. I will definatly be at the baptism though. Hopefully it will still happen on June 26th. My bishop helped me get my bike to the shop last Saturday. I had a "Bad wheel hub" or something . Kind of ridiculous since ive only been riding it for 12 weeks. So we go in the shop and bishop tells them to fix it and tells them to put fenders on it and tells them to put 2 new tires on it. $200 later ..... my bike is fixed...and my bishop paid for it. I have such gratitude for him. What can I do to pay him back? What can I do to make sure he knows how much I appreciate it? Any ideas? I am going to write him a letter expressing my thoughts but I want to do something more for him. So my first week of being district leader hasn't been to bad. Its weird calling my district every night and trying to help them because I still feel like im the one who needs advice and help. But I have great people in my district ! I have a senior couple, sisters who go home this transfer, and some elders. We had a mission conference yesterday with Elder Hinkley. It was weird because his voice sounds like President Hinkley ! He doesn't look so much like his dad but he sure sounds like him ! That was fun though being able to meet him and to see some of my buddies. Since we had that we don't have district meetings so i don't have to prepare that this week which was a relief. Its been a busy calling. Its been raining alot here. Like almost every day. It just rains for like 10 minutes then stops, then gets hot and humid. Well I can't think of anything else exciting that happened. Well actually something funny..... Last week we had a dinner appointment, it was my comps first dinner. When we were eating desert he was trying to cut this brownie and it flew off his bowl onto the floor, it was hilarious. Then he was going to reach for his glass of water and the dog started barking and it startled him and he spilled the water all over the table. We were all cracking up. Good Times. I attached a picture and will send some more here in a second. I love you guys ! HOpe you all have a wonderfull week !!!

Elder Davie

District Leader

Hey How are you guys? Ash mentioned she went to the bees game yesterday...did you go with her? Also how is austyn doing? I know you said she started having seizures again, that worries me. How has your week been? Any new and exciting news ? We have had a pretty good week. We got stuck teaching the first part of our class again because our ward mission leaders wife is the new relief society president so she was getting set apart. I think thats all the new and exciting news that happened this week. Last sunday we had a tornado warning, isn't that crazy ! I have never seen it rain that hard in my life ! It was nuts. I love this ward. It is the best ward ive ever been in. I have met some awesome people. So now your probably wondering....what was my transfer call? Well.... I have been pleading with everyone including the lord to let me stay in Garrisonville ! I could stay here the rest of my mission, I really could. Well the lord bargained with me.... I am staying in Garrisonville. My companion is going to Vienna. This will be his sixth time getting transfered out of 6 transfers that hes been out, that is nuts ! I was really hoping to stay with him, we have had some great times and we got along really well. So whos my new companion? Good question, I don't even know. I know that he's been living in Provo the last few weeks and will be flying out here today. Ya im training..... Im scared to death. Im getting a brand new greenie. Feelings of inadequecy overwhelmed me when I talked with president last night. But thats not all..... I am the new district leader down there. Are you freaking kidding me?! I can't believe it, im scared to death. There are so many other missionaries that would do 100 times better than me. Im not ready to be district leader, but I have to take it head on and do my best. So training and district leader, this will be a growing experience for me. Keep me in your prayers ! It will not be easy... But its another chapter in my mission. Well I love you guys ! I am excited to hear back from you !!! Love you !!

Elder Davie

Email dated June 2, 2010

Hey mom How are you guys doing? Did you and Emily do anything fun? What were the results of the MRI? Im dying to hear ! This week has been really good for us. Last Monday we got a referral in a text. It was from church headquarters. His name is James Allison. He referred himself by requesting a Book of Mormon. We call him up and he tells us he's homeless.....so were like sweet were at walmart come meet us here ! So we gave him a Book of Mormon in the wal mart parking lot and talked with him for a few minutes. He has a truck and a cell phone and thats it. Hes probably in his early 50's. A couple days later we schedule a time to teach him. We taught him at the church. We gave him a tour of the church then sat down and taught the restoration. The lesson went pretty good. At the end I felt like we should invite him to be baptized. He accepted. He will be baptized on June 26th. We are having another lesson with him tonight so it should be fun. We have a couple solid potentials. The area is growing. Im happy here. I could finish my mission here. Bishop Garvin is absolutely amazing. He is one of the most influential people ive ever met. Theres something about him. I hope you guys can meet him one day. Our whole ward is amazing. I have formed some life long friendships here. Last Sunday we were in meetings with our bishop and ward mission leader...it was about 11:15....church starts at 12:30. Someone knocks on the door and its the bishops wife...she says " So and so just called and is sick and cant speak today." My heart did a couple backflips when I heard that. Bishop looks at us and smiles and says " Elders can you stay after the meeting for a second, I have an assignment for you" We only had to speak for 5 min which wasn't bad. I was nervous as all get up and was sweatin it up. I talked about dad. I felt impressed to. I talked about how the gospel can bring happiness. Then jsut bore a quick testimony. Then we go to Gospel Principles class. We walk in and the teacher (our ward mission leader) says " Elders I have to meet with the bishop for a couple min can you start the class " I was like ya sure. 25 min later he comes back ! It went ok though, just have to get the class involved and ask questions . It was a stressfull day though. One of those mentally draining days. I wish I could speak without freaking out. Oh well though. Well that was my week ! Oh ya, there was an insane lightning and thunder storm last week. Ive never seen and heard lightening and thunder like that before. It was nuts ! Its been extremely hot here. I love you guys !!! Hope your all having a great time in Utah !!! Stay happy !! Love you !! Elder Davie

P.S. The picture was taken at the Reids house. They are a part member family. We go there and eat there quite often. We were having spaghetti so sis reid made us wear bibs so we didn't get our shirts dirty haha. It was hilarious ! Love ya guys !

Email dated May 26, 2010

Hey Mom ! Hows it going? That is awesome that Emily is coming into town today ! I was wondering when she was coming ! This last week has been pretty good for the most part. We had interviews with President last Thursday which is also a treat. We don't get long with him but its so nice to sit down and talk. Then on Friday we went and visited a few people. Saturday we had a barbecue at Bro Randalls house. It was fun ! Sunday went really well. They have "Family Weekends" here once a month which means no meetings except for the 3 hour block. We still met with out bishop to go over some needs of the area. It was good. Then we had District meetings on Monday. I gave a lesson on " The Dangers of Counterfeiting the Spirit" . Then yesterday we did alot of tracting. We also had dinner at the Mccartys. She is being induced today, im so excited for them. We have got to know them really well, its been fun. I will send you pics of the little baby when I get some. I gave sis mccarty a priesthood blessing about a week ago because she was struggling with the pregnancy. A couple days ago when we saw them again she told me that I said some things that really hit her and she was thankfull for it. I don't tell you that to boast, but it was a testimony builder for me and it strengthened me. It is a good feeling to know that you have an impact on people. Today we have a zone activity. We are going down to some park and having a barbecue and playing "games"....boring. :) So me and my roomates and my comp are leaving early ....guess why? .....Were going to the Quantico Marine Base to go check out the FBI Academy !!! Sweet huh?! Theres a member of our roomates ward whos in the FBI and hes gonna take us in and show us the academy where members of the FBI train for missions and what not. Im excited. We have had a good week. I have to do District meetings next week....That means I have to conduct and prepare everything...im not looking forward to it but it will be a growing experience. I better not be a district leader next transfer....that would be bad news. :) Well mom I love you. The other day at lunch I was laying on my bed just pondering . I felt the warmest gratitude for my family. You nate ash em brandon dave austy and dal. Im gratefull for you guys. I love you guys !!! I hope you all have a safe week !!! God be with you till meet again :) Love you mom