This week was a really good one, because we had some amazing lessons filled with the Spirit with our investigators. It was also a lot of fun because the rainy season has started and we have had some crazy storms!...I mean crazy. One night, we were trying to sleep but couldn't because of the lightning and thunder. I could see the flashes of lightning through my eyelids and the thunder was so loud that I could feel it in my chest. It even shook the apartment a couple times! The rain flooded most of the streets, and there are now even more potholes than usual because the roads aren't built for the rain and just sink when the water washes away the dirt underneath. Also, there was a little tornado that touched down in the ocean not very far from the beach! Sister Hardy and I could see it forming when we were riding our bikes, and then a member showed us a picture of it actually touching the water a couple days later. Crazy! But it's been really fun :) By some miracle, we have only been caught in the rain once, when we were riding our bikes home from an appointment one night. But we got absolutely soaked! We were freezing when we got in the house, which was a weird feeling. We don't get cold here much in the Caribbean. 

Other exciting/ really sad news from this week: We got transfer calls! Good news first: I'm staying in Aruba! I'm so happy, I love the area and our investigators and the members. Bad news: Sister Hardy is going to Bonaire :( And she will be training a new missionary, so she has to go to Bonaire early to learn how navigate it before her companion arrives, so she is leaving on Tuesday (tomorrow). My new companion will be Sister Woodbury! I've heard really great things about her, so I'm excited to work with her. 

David and Melissa have been progressing really well, and we are still preparing them for Dec. 2. Only Melissa was able to come to church this week, but she brought their 2 daughters who are 6 and 2. The older daughter, Angelika, was so excited to come and absolutely loved it! This week was the Primary Program (cutest thing ever) and when she saw them all sitting up on the stand, she told her Mom, "Are they going to make me go up there? I'm not ready for that yet." She's so cute!

There's another great family that we are teaching right now who are progressing really well. They are Ingrid and Segundo, and Ingrid's son Steven (they are probably in their 50s and Steven in his early 20s). We taught them the Restoration yesterday and we started by asking what they remember about the last time. Segundo totally remembered about prophets and the Priesthood and why they have to have the Priesthood (this is amazing...people don't usually remember all that). And Ingrid talked about apostasy and how we need a prophet so that we don't go astray. It was amazing! When we shared the First Vision the Spirit was really strong, and we committed them to praying about Joseph Smith. They had some really thoughtful questions and they seem really genuine. At the end of the lesson they thanked us for coming and said they always learn something new when we come. I'm really excited to meet with them again next week!

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving week! We will be celebrating here as a district :) I'm so thankful for all of you and your testimonies! Mi ta stima boso!

Love,

Sister Davidson

1. Do you come across a lot of people from the US/Canada?
Not too much, only if we're down in Playa where all the tourists are. But even then, they don't usually want to talk to us because they can tell we're missionaries. But we've seen some LDS people who are here on a cruise before and they always yell out to us and come over to talk to us, so that's fun!
2. Have you done sightseeing things on Aruba?
Most of the sightseeing things are the beaches, so kind of yes. We had our district activity today and we biked the whole island! It's 31 km long, so it wasn't too long and it was beautiful! There's a lighthouse at the top where we took some pictures, I'll send them. It was beautiful! And now I can say I've biked across a country...that sounds pretty cool.
3. Do you eat out much? If so, where? Fast food?
When we eat out, it's only on P-Day, and it hasn't been fast food so far. We usually go to sit down restaurants (not super fancy, just not fast food). There's some really good restaurants with food from all over!
4. How is your island split up with languages/Elders & Sisters?
There are 4 areas and every missionary here is a Spanish missionary. 2 areas are elders and 2 are sisters.
 (I won't include these in the big email to everyone on your list):

5. Do you sleep well? How has your health been?
I sleep like a rock! I'm so tired every night, I haven't had a problem with it yet. My health has been good. I've been kind of sick once, but I got a Priesthood blessing and it never got bad enough to where I couldn't work. It was just my throat and my head.
6. How do your crocs fit?
So well! They're super comfortable and I love them! Thank you!
7. Do you have a microwave?
Yes, thank goodness :)
8. Why did you ask for no bake cookie recipe...too hot to use oven?

I just love no bake cookies. We don't have an oven though...we have a microwave oven, and I don't really know how to work it, so that's also why no bakes are a must.

​Cruise ship! I can't wait to take one of these here with all of you :)

​We ordered Domino's on weekly planning day! Sister Hardy gives it a thumbs up

​Thanks for the nail polish Mom! It really brings out my tan lines...