Week Three

Hola! Week 3 in the CCM!

Saddest thing that happened this week, the Latinos had to leave to the mission field and there were only the 27 North Americans staying at the CCM! It was very sad because it felt like we were all family. It is such a blessing to be here at this MTC because we get to know our mission president and all of our teachers and missionaries that live here. The relationships that are gained from being a missionary are amazing. This week when it was just the United States people, all of the Hermana’s came into our room and we told stories, tickled each other’s backs and just laughed and laughed all night until curfew, which is 10:30 btw. Lol. It was so awesome though. Moments like this are things Ii will definitely remember. I will never be around this many missionaries again for this long period of time. And I love it! Everyone just wants to improve in themselves and in the language while at the same time have fun!

I love it here at the MTC!

Happiest thing that happened this week was...Proselyting!

Of course it was nerve racking at first and my companion and I only wanted to talk to people on the street but the second we started knocking on doors it became a totally different experience. We met a lady named Manuela Rodriguez and she is just beautiful. Her story of her life has its ups and downs but she is definitely a golden investigator. We invited her to church and I was also able to understand her! The gift of tongues is definitely an amazing gift and with the spirit it can perform miracles for sure!

The second person we ran into was actually a very scary experience. This man was on a motorcycle and decided to pull to the side on the sidewalk and speak to us. We asked him if he believed in God and just tried to share a message with him. He then just kept staring at me. FYI there is not many blonde hair, blue eyed people in Argentina. I don’t want to seem conceited but all the Latinos say that I am "Muy Lindo!", I think that is how you spell it. Anyway, this man kept on telling me that and then was upset that he heard we will be leaving after a year and a half back to the United States. Let’s name this man, Rico. Well Rico started to take his shirt off and you know what we were thinking?! RUN! Haha. Well he ended up having a buddha tattoo on his back, we then had a feeling we should leave. The second we started to leave, he said something into his hands, blowing air inside of them, and then blowing the air toward my chest and then reaching his hands toward my chest. Now what do you think I was thinking?! Yes, Rico is creepy. Lol. I then backed away and he repeated to do that spell voodoo thing multiple times but he was aiming toward my name tag. I know that in this moment being a representative of Jesus Christ and that name tag was protecting me from whatever he was doing. Rico said it was a gift but it was a gift that did not give me a great feeling. And that was my proselyting experience! Jk.

We also ran into many lovely men and women that were interested in the gospel. I never knew Ii had that much knowledge of the gospel and of Spanish until this experience. I am so happy I came to this MTC so I can receive this practice. 

Fun Stories this week were...

Buying ice cream at this small little store in the middle of a neighborhood. I got banana split ice cream, which had banana and dulce de leche mixed in with it. It was delicious!

Every Friday is Pescado Friday which is so awesome because if anyone knows me, i love my fish. Haha. 

We got new Latino’s today! It’s so fun and makes the MTC experience different again. 

And Easter! Of course was perfect. We all got chocolate eggs and watched a missionary live devotional that was awesome!

Well I love you all! 

Week Two

Happy Easter Everyone!

All I have to say first is that I love the gospel and the blessings we receive from following Christ’s example. 

This week has been full of fun moments and crazy moments. Ha-ha. Yesterday all of us Argentine missionaries were able to go downtown and receive our visas. That was an experience because I wasn’t able to understand a single word the workers were saying to me! Ha-ha. It shows me that I still need to learn a lot more. The city is gorgeous but old looking; there are many apartments that are very tall buildings with graffiti all over them and kind of beat up. It makes me want to help them all but it gives this amazing country so much character in their lives, comparing it to Vegas. 

Mission life is starting to get interesting here; the walls around this place are kind of barrier between us and the world. The missionaries and I sometimes talk about how much of a change missionary life is compared to what it will be like in the mission field and I know that it is similar but I am so grateful to be a missionary and the importance of following every rule to learn obedience and to follow Christ. Also, this week all of us missionaries were able to walk to the hotel that is the building right next to us. It is on temple grounds and because it is so hard for members to travel to the temple, they have a hotel so families can make a trip out of it. My companion and I spoke to everyone and the love Argentine people have everyone is so amazing. I know that Heavenly Father wants me to serve here for a reason. The Spanish part though...that’s another story. Ha-ha.

My Spanish is picking up though it is hard for me to do casual talk but if you want to talk Gospel and about Jesus Christ! I’m all for it. Lol.

Funny things that have happened this week...

I got hit in the head during Actividad Fisica about 10 times it feels like. Yes I am not great at volleyball or ducking when people say Heads! Ha-ha.

My companion and I say Hi to this little statue of Nephi every time we pass by him walking down the stairs to the cafeteria. Ha-ha.  It’s these little moments like this that make the CCM so memorable and making the days go quickly. 

The temple was amazing last Thursday. I could feel the spirit so strongly. Everything is so white and the spirit overall is just so overwhelming. Sometimes I feel like I feel the spirit so often that I soon start to get exhausted during the day, but that is what is so amazing about being a missionary for this true church. Every Sunday we are able to listen to Apostles talks and devotionals pointing toward missionaries and the importance of following every commandment and not complaining. Because of it being Easter weekend, it is important we remember the love Christ and how much of a blessing it is to have the Atonement and the true gospel here on earth. I love this gospel so much. And I love you all! Happy Easter! Write me!

Love,

Hermana Davis

Week One

The MTC is great and the plane ride was okay. I couldn’t sleep. But when I was waiting to board the plane from Atlanta to Argentina a huge group all from Salt Lake came in and I wasn’t alone! The MTC is gorgeous and is literally right on the temple grounds. I love how I get to see the temple every day and recognize all the blessings that I have received in my life. In the CCM there is a big fruit basket of fresh fruit every day and it is so good and amazing. That is what I always snack on. And there is meat with every meal so Reagan you would love the food here. The only thing is that they don’t have anything spicy. At all! They also always have fresh squeezed strawberry juice, pineapple juice and orange juice always. It is muy bien!

When you see the MTC building it is all white and looks like it is housing for the temple. There are Latinos everywhere at the MTC, There are only 76 missionaries here at the Argentina CCM. It is nice to have a small number because it is more individual with learning and we all see each other every day and it just makes the environment not as much overwhelming. We found out that our MTC changed to this location because the president of all the MTCs changed the way of teaching and he needed fresh Americans that didn’t know much Spanish to be the guinea pigs for this location and it has been great! I love my Presidente Benton and his wife. They are so sweet. 

Every morning I hear these weird sounds because we all sleep with the windows open because though the air conditioning works it is expensive to make it run all day long and night. I hear birds chirping and horses neighing every morning. Haha. It is so fun because I feel like I am in a tropical forest. 

My Spanish is okay and getting better. It is very hard to speak Spanish because I know words but making sentences at the top of my head is what I’m struggling with and all of the conjugations. But I know the more I study, the more I will learn the language. I will be better soon. Today we are going to the temple and it will be my first Spanish session! Yay! I cannot wait to see the inside of it. 

Funny Story. Haha. Hermana Jarvis is my companion btw and she is from Kansas City and is serving in the Nueqen mission. My last day in the MTC will April 19. Anyway on with my story. Haha. Hermana Jarvis asked me if I know what that Hermanas name is and I said La hermana en la verde. And she thought her name was Hermana in the green. I was dying in laughter, it was hilarious. Well I love you all! Have a great rest of your week!
Write me!

P.S. Im going proselyting next Saturday and I am so scared. I’m hoping the gift of tongues is helping me big time next week! Haha. Out in the streets. 

My First Foto is Hermana Barnes and I on the airplane to Argentina. Such a long Flight!

 Second foto is the missionaries that are assigned to my missiion, Buenos Aires Sur!

My Third foto is Hermana Jarvis  and I in front of the temple.  

My fourth foto is Me! You have to have fun on the mission. Lol. 

My District also is one of the pictures. Haha. And then all the rest are lovely pictures of what i see every day. 

Cucumber Trees!  They have ugly fruit! 

 Found our mission on the map!

The spirit is so strong at the MTC. Feeling it every day and listening to Jeffrey R. Holland speak to us in a devotional makes me want to exceed and not cheat myself. You have to convert yourself before you convert anyone else.

She arrived!

I got into Argentina safely! The flight was great. I don't have much time. Love you All!

McKayla's P-Day while in the MTC will be on Thursdays.

Farewell Talk

I’ve been called to the Argentina Buenos Aires South mission and I will be reporting March 10th to the Argentina MTC.

in 2 Nephi 31; 20, it says “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end. behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.”

In this scripture, the most important words used is hope and love. but What does the word hope and love mean? Hope is a,” a feeling of expectation, a desire for a certain thing to happen, a feeling of trust.”

Hope has the power to fill our lives with happiness, it is a gift of the Spirit. It is a hope that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of His Resurrection, we will return to him again.  As with all commandments, we have the responsibility to make it an active part of our lives and overcome the temptation to not lose hope. Hope in our Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness leads to peace, mercy, rejoicing, and gladness. The hope of salvation is like a protective helmet;  it is the foundation of our faith and an anchor to our souls.

The absence of hope happens when the desire in our heart is weak and it makes “the heart sick.” But why is there despair? there is opposition in all things. The feeling of doubt, despair and failure to care for all men leads to temptation and on bad path. these feelings and choices hurt us individually and the precious blessings to come. The adversary uses despair to bind our hearts and minds to suffocate in darkness. it drains the soul of joy and leaves behind the empty remnants of what life was meant to be. Despair is like a staircase that leads only and forever downward. we all experience this at least once in our lives, and in this time you either have a choice to stay strong in faith and hope for something brighter or let go and fall in into temptation and sadness.

in middle school into the early years of high school, the age where you are confused with your feelings, everything changing constantly, and your faith being tested to the highest. this was the hardest time for me in my life during this trial. People used to ask me why i smile so much and why i am so happy and then those questions slowly faded away as i fell into temptation and i was in my own bubble in the world. Looking back now, i wish i relied on my heavenly father and my family. I am so thankful that i listened to my parents and for them believing in me and having hope and loving me to get me out of this despair i was experiencing. back then i never knew i would serve the lord or that it was even in my future. People now ask me again why i smile so much and i know that it is because of the Love of god and the blessings i have been given. Hope, on the other hand, is like a beam of sunlight rising up and above the horizon of our wants and dreams. It encourages and inspires us to place our trust in the loving care of an eternal Heavenly Father, who has prepared a way for those who seek for eternal truth in a world of confusion, and of fear. Hope is not knowledge,  but rather the long lasting trust that the Lord will fulfill His promise to us. It is confidence that if we live according to God’s laws and the words of His prophets now, It is believing and expecting that our prayers will be answered. In the gospel, hope is sure, enduring, and constant. The prophets have spoke of having a“firm hope”. It is a hope glorifying God through good works. With hope comes joy and happiness. With hope, we can “have patience, and bear our own afflictions.

The love of god is something that can change one's faith extremely if they put their heart, mind and life into it. The savior revealed the way when asked to name the greatest commandment. Without hesitation he said,”Thou shalt love the lord thy god with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind.” This is the first and great commandment. coupled with the second great commandment “to love our neighbor as ourselves.” We have a compass that provides direction for our lives. Love is the healing balm that repairs rifts in personal and family relationships. It is the bond that unites families, communities, and nations. Love is the power that causes friendship and respect. Love is the fire that takes over our lives with happiness and hope. Love should be our walk and our talk. When we truly understand what it means to love as Jesus Christ loves us, Our walk as disciples of Christ becomes more joyful. Our lives take on new meaning. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father becomes more profound. If you ask people what it means to have a “love of god and all men”, like said in the scripture. Most people will say the primary answers like pray, read the scriptures and go to church. Praying with a love of God in your heart and wanting to seek him. Is not easy, but it is always there for us or he is always there. We should pray to him with an open heart, talking to him earnestly, about many things that have been on our mind. people may do it crying, or on your knees pleading, smiling with joy and thanks, or asking questions about why certain things have happened in your life. Trying to understand all of the craziness and temptations in the world. Loving ALL MEN is the same way. We have to talk to our neighbors, show them that we care and love them. Doing service is always an act of love that effects the person being served and especially the person serving. The love the Savior described is an active love. It is not manifested through large and heroic deeds but rather through simple acts of kindness and service.

There are many ways and circumstances in which we can serve and love others. In all of our service, we need to be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. The still, small voice will let us know who needs our help and what we can do to help them.

President Spencer W. Kimball said: “It is vital that we serve each other in the kingdom. … So often, our acts of service consist of simple encouragement or of giving … help with mundane tasks, but what glorious consequences can flow … from small but deliberate deeds!”

Loving ALL MEN is what we have to do to make people feel our love and that we care about them. Judgement happens everywhere, everyday and if we focus on the flaws in people and the actions they do that are not right choices, the last thing we should be doing is judging. No one is perfect and it really doesn't matter that they are sinning because the truth is everyone is human and not perfect. But knowing that everyone is human and taking the knowledge you know about that person and helping them grow or even just smiling and giving them a hug may change their life forever. People notice the light of Christ in others and want to be around it and around you when you always have the spirit. people are different, our neighbors our weird, and our peers may decide to live their life differently, but that doesn't matter. When you open your heart and realize that we are all sons and daughters of God trying to figure out how life works and what is the right decision to make. When talking to strangers, neighbors, new friends and children, you hear stories about their life or you may stare at what they're wearing, what they look like or even if someone is being disrespectful to you, still having a love for ALL MEN is very important. Because no one is perfect and no one know how that person feels or what they're going through. making Strangers feel loved even if it is just a simple smile, smiles can change someone's entire day. Dieter F. Uchtdorf stated,” No, God does not need us to love Him. But oh, how we need to love God! For what we love determines what we seek. What we seek determines what we think and do. What we think and do determines who we are—and who we will become.” We are created in the image of our heavenly parents; we are God’s spirit children. Therefore, we have a great capacity for love—it is part of our spiritual heritage and the way all men are born. What and how we love not only defines us as individuals; it also defines us as a church. Since the beginning of time, love has been the source of both the highest bliss and the heaviest burdens. At the heart of misery from the days of Adam until today, you will find the love of wrong things. And at the heart of joy, you will find the love of good things. And the greatest of all good things is God. If all that is not enough reason to love our Heavenly Father and all men,  we can learn from the words of the Apostle John, who said, “We love him, because he first loved us.”God does not look on the outward appearance. 8 I believe that He doesn’t care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely. The more we obey God, the more we desire to help others. The more we help others, the more we love God. As we lose love in God is the more we disobey God and the more selfish we are, the less love we feel. When I think of the Savior, I often picture Him with hands outstretched, reaching out to comfort, heal, bless, and love. And He always talked with, never down to, people. He loved the humble and the meek and walked among them, ministering to them and offering hope and salvation. Christ did not just speak about love; He showed it each day of His life. He did not remove Himself from the crowd. Being amidst the people, Jesus reached out to the one. He rescued the lost. He didn’t just teach a class about reaching out in love and then delegate the actual work to others. He not only taught but also showed us how to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.” Christ knows how to minister to others perfectly. When the Savior stretches out His hands, those He touches are uplifted and become greater, stronger, and better people as a result.

When thinking about the hymn “ Love one another”, the lyrics say, love one another as Jesus loves you. try to show kindness in all that you do. be gentle. and loving. in deed and in thought. for these are the things Jesus taught.

Id like to bear my testimony,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,