3 meses em casa

 Exactly 3 months ago today I took off my name tag for the last time and with that started my life as a returned missionary. Needless to say coming home from a mission is a very...interesting experience. In a year and a half lots of things change, including you. So coming home means you kind of have to figure out who you are again.

Some things I've learned since being home...

   1. I dont like being idle. Sitting around is just so boring and its a complete waste of time.

   2. The little things are and will always be important. Like....studying (not just reading) the scriptures everyday, praying through out the day, serving others as much as possible, and just being a friend. These things make a huge difference and I know I need to do these things to keep me happy :)

   3. Heavenly Father has perfect timing at all times. He knew when I needed to get a calling, when I needed to start hiking with an awesome group of friends, and He knows when I need to get married...which is good since I definitely dont. He knows everything, which brings me so much comfort. Someone has my life under control.

   4. Having time to bake again is awesome!...but eating half the batch by myself....not so awesome.

   5. Portuguese and English dont mix very well...I still find myself switching words around.

   6. RM friends are great! I love my returned missionary friends (as well as my other friends!). They have given me the best advice since coming home. I've had a lot of hiking adventures with a certain group and its been so fun!

   7. I can still help people like I did as a missionary. Listening and caring will always be important.

   8. Hugs are awesome! Ha ha

   9. Its important to be happy where we are. I can be happy as an RM...being single...as a student...as a member of the university ward...and any other title I have now :) We should just be happy!

   10. I can always be a missionary! And I plan to always be a missionary, just without the white handbook and name tag. Sharing the gospel brings joy!

Anyways life has been great so far. I am about to start school again and I'll also be working so life will be crazy busy and stressful again, but I'm looking forward to it :) I know Heavenly Father will help me through whatever comes my way and that He really does have a plan for my life that is perfect for me.

Keep on smiling!

Kaycee

week 76 Sexta-feira :)

September 29, 2014


Oi!

 Well...it turns out I have a little time to email today :) But I'll be home on Friday so I will keep this really short!

 Coming home is a bitter-sweet thing. I love my mission and I will definitely miss this a lot! But as I've learned my entire mission Heavenly Father knows what is best for me, He knows me better than I know myself :) and so I will keep singing "I'll go where you want me to go".

 I guess the last thing I want to mention is last night I finished O Livro de Mormon! My goal since coming to Brazil was to finish it and a lot of people basically told me I wouldnt be able to, but I set the goal which means I had to try! I know Heavenly Father helped me to understand what I was reading and I am so grateful that He gave me the ability to finish. I believe in the gift of tongues. 

 Well...have a wonderful week! I love you all so much and thank you for all of your help and support! See you soon :) Tchau, ate mais!

Eu amo voces!

-Sister Kaycee Davis

week 75 Vai com Deus

September 22, 2014

Oi!

 Well this week was definitely not the best week, but I've decided I'm not going to focus on that, and I'll only focus on the miracles :)

 We had zone conference this week and it was so great! We had a few small classes and in one of them we were given 5 minutes to write a  talk on repentance, and we were told that President Young would chose one of us to share our talk. Imagine my surprise when I am called to give the talk! But it went well :) Then imagine my surprise when we walked into church on Sunday and our bishop asked me to give a talk! I was so nervous and worried that no one would understand me. But I prayed and felt so much comfort that everything would be ok. Heavenly Father answers our prayers, no matter how small :)

In case your wondering, I am pretty sure this is my last opportunity to email all of you, because next Monday we will be going to Vitoria. I just want to say how much I love my mission. In Preach My Gospel it talks about how our purpose is to help others come unto Christ. But the miracle of a mission is that as you are helping others come to Christ, you become closer to Him also. You learn that He really is our Savior and also our brother. And as you learn about Him, you learn about yourself too and realize you do need His help every minute of every day. I am so grateful I decided to serve a mission. Its been a crazy, fast, hard, but amazing 18 months and I have learned so much. People keep telling me that my mission is basically over but really its just begun. The gospel of Jesus Christ is true, we have a living prophet, the Book of Mormon is the word of God, my family is eternal, Heavenly Father loves us no matter how many mistakes we make, and Jesus Christ is my Savior and He knows exactly how to help me because He's been through everything I am going through. I am sad to go home but I know Heavenly Father has a plan for me when I get there.

 Well I really hope that made sense :) I hope you all have a great week, I love all of you so much! Keep on smiling :)

Eu amo voces!

 -Sister Kaycee Davis

P.S.- "vai com Deus" means "go with God" everyone here says it :)

week 74 Verao... 17 months

September 15, 2014

Ola!

 Well...guess what? Its basically summer (verao) here which means its is unbelievably hot! Seriously I feel like I'm melting ha ha.

 We did a lot of tracting this week because we dropped all of our investigators last week. Tracting when it is really hot is so hard but I know Heavenly Father definitely heard and answered my prayers. I would pray to just have an opportunity to get out of the sun for a little while to teach a lesson, and with in a few minutes someone would let us in. Definitely a miracle to me. 

 I think one of the highlights of the week was yesterday we had a lesson with our investigator Rodrigo and his family (who are all members). Well all the adults were all talking or cooking and I was left alone for a few minutes with Rodrigo's 7 year old daughter- Isabella. She talked to me for a little while then decided she wanted to sing, so she went and got 2 hymnbooks and then we sang together. The spirit was so strong while we were singing. I am so grateful for hymns and how much they can help us feel the spirit. 

 Well I think that's it for right now. I hope everyone is having a great week! Keep on smiling :)

Eu amo voces!

 -Sister Kaycee Davis

week 73 Luz?

September 8, 2014

Alo!

Well today definitely started a little different...the computer lab we usually use was having problems with the internet, so we tried to find another one close by. Nope...there wasnt one. Then we tired the church...nope. But here I am now, emailing all of you. Being a missionary is full of adventures!

One adventure this week. We were on exchanges with the sister training leaders and around 6 pm we were in the middle of a street contact when all of the sudden all the electricity in Cacheiro went out! But not just in Cacheiro but in the entire state of the Espirito Santo! It was out for about 40 minutes and during that time we walked to visit our recent convert Iago. Heavenly Father definitely helped me to walk in the dark with out tripping over anything. (I just a little bit clumsy ha ha).

I think one of the best parts of this week was in our lesson with Iago. It turns out Iago, his mom, and step dad are going to be sealed in the temple in November! I am so happy for them :)

Another  highlights this week was a less active family we have been working with for 2 months came to church this Sunday! We had stopped visiting them for about 3 weeks but this week we stopped by to see how they were doing, invited them to church, said we would call Sunday morning and then they came! It was so great to see them there and I know if they keep coming they will be so much happier! Going to church every week really does help us through the rest of the week.

Well I hope you all have a great week! I love you all so much and am very grateful for all of you. Keep on smiling :)

Eu amo voces!

-Sister Kc Davis

week 72 Looke-che-me

September 1, 2014

Alo :)

Well we had quite the week...it was a great week! We had interviews with President Young. He said he wishes I could stay longer and help with other missionaries. A part of me wishes I could stay too. President Young interviewed me in English and let me tell you my English was pretty bad! I said the prayer at the end in English and almost couldn't pray in English ha ha. Hopefully this means my Portuguese is getting better :)

 I think one of the miracles this week was we found a family to teach! We really have only taught the wife and the 2 little girls because the husband works. She loved the first vision and read it again after we left. They came to church Sunday and Sister Belo and I got a little nervous when our Bishop started talking about tithing for the 5th Sunday lesson. But they liked it! I am so grateful for this opportunity to teach this family. 

 I am so grateful for the gospel! I know it changes lifes and helps us have so much happiness! The gospel of Jesus Christ is true.

Well I hope you all have an amazing week! I love you and am so grateful for all of you. Keep on smiling :)

Eu amo voces!

 -Sister Kaycee Davis

P.S.- last night we had a lesson with our investigator Rodrigo. Almost everyone in the room tried to speak English. "Looke-che-me"...look at me...ha ha :)

Week 71 Os dez mandamentos...

August 25, 2014


Alo!

 Well its been another week...it went really fast! We were able to teach a lot of lessons this week and meet some of our goals so that was great!

 So this week I found one thing I can teach really well here in Brazil... os dez mandamentos! (10 commandments) In WA I learned some hand signs to help me remember what order the commandments are in. This week we taught Iago (our recent convert) and an investigator the commandments and it went really well. It felt so good to teach! 

 One night I was feeling a little discouraged and I looked at quote on our wall that I've read probably a hundred times. But this time it really hit me- "voce nao e invisivel para seu Pai Celestial. Ele ama voce." -Dieter F. Utchdorf. In English :) "You are not invisible to your Heavenly Father. He loves you." I am so grateful that Heavenly Father will always be there to help me. Sometimes being a missionary in Brazil is very lonely, especially when people choose to not understand you even when you speak clearly. But I know I am never alone. Heavenly Father loves me, and will always listen to me when I pray. 

 Well I hope you all have a great week! Keep on smiling :)

Com amor, 

 -Sister Kaycee Davis