Wow, I can't believe this is my last CCM email! I'm super nervous for the field, but I know it'll be amazing to finally get out and start teaching and doing hardcore missionary work! How are you all? I love you guys so much!

This week was really good, but there wasn't anything super amazing for me to talk about. It was just a normal week with classes and Spanish and reading the Book of Mormon and learning how to be a good missionary...which means it was a great week!

Yesterday we did service at some really cool theater/museum grounds. We usually go to the park across the street to pick up leaves, but this week we got to walk through the city to this museum area and pick up trash on the grounds! It was super fun! And hot...it's always hot. I'll be outside for 5 minutes and be drenched in sweat! It's pretty disgusting but that's how everyone else is too, so I guess it's not that bad. It's actually way better than dry heat, I've gotten to really like the humidity! My skin definitely loves it after living in Utah, it's never dry!

On Sunday, we watched a devotional from Elder Bednar (he has become my new favorite apostle, his devotionals are my favorite). He talked about the character of Christ and how He would always turn outward and serve other people. He said that in order to put off the natural man and become a saint, we can't be thinking about ourselves. He used a really good and funny analogy of the Cookie Monster. He said that Cookie Monster is the epitome of the natural man ("I want cookie now!"). Many times in our lives, we are so focused on what we want or what we think we deserve and this is the natural man. But if we are to obey the Lord and put off the natural man, we need to think about others and serve our brothers and sisters. He used the example of after Jesus had fasted for 40 days and Satan came to tempt him. Jesus never once thought about himself and what he needed, but instead stayed focused on His ministry and purpose there. Elder Bednar referenced Matthew 4:11-12. The scripture in the Bible reads that angels ministered to Him, sounding like they ministered to Jesus. But the Joseph Smith Translation clarifies that Jesus sent angels to minister to John the Baptist who had just been put in prison. So even after Jesus had fasted for 40 days and been tempted by the Devil, he was still thinking about others and their needs and how He could serve them, instead of how He could serve Himself. It is so important for us to serve others! When we are doing that, we are doing the work of the Lord and we are truly serving Him. I encourage you all to try to turn outwards and serve others when the natural man would have you turn inwards and focus on yourself! It will truly make a difference in your life. Matthew 16:25- We can only truly find ourselves when we are focused on others and losing ourselves in the service of God!

We also watched a great Mormon Message this week from Elder Holland called "Where Justice, Love and Mercy Meet". He tells a great story about a couple of boys who go rock climbing. I don't want to spoil it for you, because it's really good and you should all watch it! It's one of my new favorites.

I love you all so much! Read the Book of Mormon!

Love,

Hermana Davidson

P.S. I got my itinerary for leaving to my mission. We leave at 4:30 a.m. on Monday morning! We go from here to Panama and then to Trinidad. I should be in Trinidad on Monday evening! I also got flight information saying that I'm flying to Curacao on September 7! I'm not sure if that's my first area or what, but I have a ticket to fly there!

P.P.S. Fun fact that I learned this week: Roosters say something different in Spanish than in English! If you were to ask a kid who speaks English what a rooster says, they would say "Cock-a-doodle-do!" But in Spanish, roosters say "Cucurucú!" Which is way more fun to say :)