DNEPRZONE CONF 5.

Dear Davis Family,
We are sorry to be late sending this picture out. I'm sure you have been waiting to see what your missionary looked like on that day. I had a very nice conversation with him recently. He and his companion seem to be doing well. (The smile is pretty representative of his present status.)
Thanks again for lending him to us here!
Love,
Sister Nielsen

THANKS FOR ALL YOU GUYS DO!

Hey Everyone,
How is life? It's great here, My birthday was awesome!!!! I have got to say that it was a little weird, but I might even like it better than a regular birthday. Well we are working with Victor and since I have gotten there we have had our ups and downs, He is really struggling with the quiting smoking but as we discuss the gospel he sees more and more that he needs to be himble and change, before he was just reading the Book of Mormon, but I felt that he wasn't understanding and appling what he read, we now are stuying Gospel principles, He Loves it!!! The gospel is new to him so he gets suprised sometimes , but with explanations and talking it out, in the end he understands it and grows closer to what he needs to do and be. He was already baptized, because missionaries wanted a baptisim but we will get him to where he needs to be.
My companion and I are teaching two families and things are going good, they are slowly progressing which is amazing, one is actually reading and has legitimate questions and the Jehovahs witness family actually listens and doesn't just want to prove us wrong, of course there are the downs but I can't do anything about so I don't worry about it, it is not worth it.It is in the Lords hands. I don't talk in Church much, I really don't want to so I look at it as a blessing, I teach two different english classes, one in the big part of the city, and then one in our area, we are trying to use it as a finding tool, we will see what happens with that, I like teaching it is fun and I always have the oppurtunity to tell stories. Mainly we cantact on the street with a sign that focues on the Book of Mormon, Tracting is useless because the all have a call system to the peoples apartments, we rarely go tracting. I have had a couple of experiences to give blessings they were neat experiences, but not as often as I would like.
I finally got my package on thursday it was great, THANK YOU, i loved the letters and the cake I will make later!! Thanks!!! :)
Funny Story: So on January 7th in ukraine, It is Christmas here, Santa doesn't come on Christmas but it is actually a celebration of Christ, santa comes on New years. Anyway We were having district meeting at my apartment and the door bell rang, I ansewred it kinda confused, wondering who would knock at my door, I opened it and saw a little boy, and his dad sitting in the backround, he said something that I didn't understand and instead of trying to figure it out, I assumed he was like the missinoaries, of trying to sell someting, so I straight up told the Kid "No! Don't Want anything" and shut the door, still wondering wht it was all about, later that night when we were eating dinner, same thing but two little girls, I asked what it was all about and the just giggled and ran away. I finnally got it, they were Trick or treating on Christmas!!!! WHAT!!!??? I DIDN"T KNOW UKRAINIANS TRICK OR TREATED ON CHRISTMAS!!!! I went and bought some candy after I called a couple of missionaries and members to find this out. I was determined to make up for telling a kd flat out NO! that day. More peopl came to our door and I still didn't know what to do so this time I said yes and they sang to me and I gave them alot of candy. anyway that is a funny story about how I almost was the grinch.. . .:)
I love you all and hope you are ok, Be healthy and Choose the Right!!!


Elder Shane Forest Davis

"Walk Slow, and Drink lots of Water"

I SURVIVED WOW!

Well family,

It doesn't even feel like a birthday is coming up, it's surreal. This week was a good one, we were really busy and got to teach alot of people, but to tell the truth, We as missionaries only teach and talk to 4 types of people. First, Drunk people, second Crazy people, Thrid Religous people, who also can be drunk or crazy or both. Fourth the elect.. haha but it is true and we primarily deal with the first three looking to the fourth. well we are teaching some jehovahs witnesses, the won't read the book of mormon, because their beleifs say if they are not sure if it is "another" gospel they won't read it, I'm pretty sure that if I can get them to read it, they are sincere and when they read it, it will all be apearant.
Anyway Right now we are struggling with Victor, our member who was baptized. He won't quit smoking and I don't know want to do with him. Well we will continue our praying and fasting, pleaxe pray for him and for the people on predenprovsk.
Well i'm glad that you found out all of that information about the asthma before you did the sugery, God really has blessed us. I love you tons, don't have alot of tim this week, but I hope that the letter was good enough, byt the way, the weather is cold but I have everthing to keep myself warm, my companion and I are taking names and kecking butt. . everything is good I'll talk to you later when I'm twenty. .:) hahaha



Elder Shane Forest Davis

"Walk Slow, and Drink lots of Water

OK OK

Everyone,

This was a pretty good week, I came and I don't remember if I said that the area book was a mess, the area book keeps a record of everone we teach, what they have been taught and when, where they live their phone number and information about the area. WEll this book was a mess so the first part of the week we went through the entire thing and sorted them and picked some former investigators that we wanted to follow up on. It's actually kinda cool, we have a bunch of appointments with families this week, on thursday we will meet with two jehovahs witness families, they are quite nice and will feed us borsch. I've learned if you aren't teaching for conversion, teach for understanding, as the understanding comes so will conversion. Right now we are teaching for undrstanding. We also are teaching this family who really wants to learn english and it has really gotten in the way before and have straight out told the missionaries that they only want english but when we stopped by them, I told from personal experience how the book of mormon and the gospel helps, then testified of the blessings, they now read with us constantly at their home so we can help them understand the scriptures, That was one of the reasons they didn't like it, they didn't understand.
IN my new area, we are doing an enlish practice, aside from the one we do in the branch building, our area is about 30 minutes away from the branch by care so we are doing one in our area and we will see how that turns out. Victor is a character, he still smokes and so we tried to get him to quit yesterday and it didn't even get close, he gets mad, but I'm going to keeps pushing the issue. It's one thing that I am good at being blunt and pushing the issue. haha not always a good thing huh?
We have a sweet member in our area who was baptized 8 months ago and he is helping us a ton he is a total stud, his name is Yaraslav, His family isn't members yet but we will see about that. Also when I was in the office, There is a member that works for the church, she will move to my area and we will start trying to covertly teach her husband and slowly convert him, he is a really stand up guy and just needs to get baptized.anyaway we have alot of pontential and just needs to be worked hard, we'll see how it all pans out, with that thing we call agency. .haha Sure is a two sideded sword.I love you tons and thought about you on new years. . .Keep yopu in my heart...


Elder Shane Forest Davis

"Walk Slow, and Drink lots of Water"