Week 2 at the CCM

Wow family! It is so great to get all of your letters! I can’t believe how wonderful letter writers or at least email writers you are! Dad, get on that! ;) I am your favorite child remember, I expect at least one a month. . . that is only 18 letters! :)

Wow what an INCREDIBLE week at the CCM! I am not going to lie it is HARD work here! But it is so rewarding. And the spirit is so strong within the CCM. Everyone is so amazing and kind. It really is hard though. Lots and LOTS of studying! But it does pay off. I still feel like I know absolutely no Spanish, at least no more then I came with but a lot of high school Spanish has come back. It really is a blessing. And it is incredible to start to understand some Spanish. I do okay when they speak slower but I still struggle. Hermana Leslie, our teacher, I think worries for our district. She was playing a video yesterday and we were all like I don’t know WHAT that said.  She was like oh no. . . do you understand me?!?! It was hilarious! We WILL get the gift of tongues though! It is a promise from God to us missionaries! It really is great though. WE learn so much Spanish!!! More about the gospel then anything though. I figure at least I am getting really great at praying in Spanish! =) EVERY DAY!!! ALL SPANISH!! it is great! 

As many of you know my Spanish isn’t so great to start with. . .But I did promise great Spanish stories so here is a great story that is hilarious! AT least to me it was. .  haha. 

So we were teaching Eugenio about church. And we challenged him to come with us to church on Sunday. . seeing as he already is a member it is kind of funny to ask them to attend church but it was great. So then he was asking how long it was, so I replied 3 hours. And I was telling him a little about each hour of church.  So I’m like we have Sunday school and priesthood. . And then we have sacrament. Anyways,  I was explaining how the sacrament is to remind us of the sacrifice of the savior and the bread and water represent the cleansing of our sins. . . Anyways I was like la pan y aqua cleanse our pescados. .. .then he about died laughing! Yeah PESCADOS=FISH, PECADOS=SIN! Go me! AT least I am trying though! I was laughing pretty great at myself! Another lesson with Eugenio I had to talk about chastity and right before we went into the lesson he told us his girlfriend was pregnant!  Oh man! Great great lesson! Eugenio is no more though. We are done teaching him. Now we have the chance to teach 2 investigators. We teach Jorge tonight which will be the same teacher playing that part so it will be funny. Then Hermana Leslie will act as Aurora. We teach her tomorrow. Then Saturday we’ll teach BOTH of them. AHHHHHH!!! it is so intimidating! Sometimes I wish I was English speaking. . . okay a lot of the time! It would just be so much easier to explain things but I really am grateful for the challenge of Spanish! So great! And it really will be a great blessing! 

For those of you who’ve asked the weather is WONDERFUL! I LOVE IT!!! I am really at home.  So great surrounded by palm trees. Makes me so so happy! Although last week it was FREEZING!!! It was like 60 or something. Hermana Leslie was like it is the coldest it has been in like 6 years. So LAME! But I love it. So much better than snow! ;) I will definitely enjoy it while it is warm. Although it doesn’t feel like November and it definitely won{t feel like December when the time comes! 

This past week no new American missionaries came because they would have left the week of Christmas so it has actually been a LOT less people. We lost tons of people and didn’t gain anyone! Although today we should be getting Americans. The Latinos only stay 2 weeks while Americanos or AKA me stay 6! So I’ll be here until the 18 of December! The mail takes a LONG time though! I have yet to receive any hand written letters. :( But I have heard lots of you have written hand ones to me they just have yet to arrive! Can’t wait to get them! =)

Me and Hermana Williams are the BEST companions ever! We totally think alike which is a blessing because some people here would drive me CRAZY as companions! haha. So I am glad I feel like she is normal! She is awesome and we have so much in common! We find out weird things about each other everyday! Like we can both touch our tongue to our nose! How cool is that!?! LOVE IT! 

We had the chance to hear from Brother Vanuezela yesterday at our Tuesday devotional! So wonderful! He talked about hastening the work of salvation and how the lord is hastening his time now! And how as a missionary and members we get to be a part of it!!! SO SO GREAT! I seriously LOVED it! 

And he told us about the new things happening in the church! CRAZY!! LOVE IT!

First that the YW, relief society will now be combined and how it will be one meeting each conference! CRAZY! So great that 8 years and up will now participate in this event. IT will be so unique. 

The Stake conference night session will now hosts ages 12 and up! Wow what a blessing and impact our youth will have on the meeting! It will be such a great experience for them to grow! 

SO SO COOL! The Lord is definitely hastening his work! I really like this quote he gave, "it{s inspiring to witness it, but you are to be more than just a witness, you are to take an ACTIVE part to hasten the work."  I had been reading Alma 4:19 about baring pure testimony! That is the only way to reach the heart,  is by baring pure testimony to the hearts of the people! Read D&C 88:72 through 81! So impactful and worth it! All about hastening the work! Be a missionary! We missionaries NEED you as members! We need to get your referrals! Be an example!!

I feel like I am peter pan! I always have my "shadow". It really is great though! There are many benefits to having a companion!  No getting stranded on the toilet without >TP for 18 months! Go me!  

I sleep on the top bunk! This is great and bummer at the same time! Tiff, yes, I still pop my back EVERY morning! My companions are amazed that I can pop it like that. And yes Katie Hoggan. . I am an overachiever! Working out in the morning is so nice though cause during gym it’s like our break time from studying all day so we don’t want to intensely work out. . . we just want to play! haha. =) LOVE IT!! 

Hermana Sewell who is in my district is one of the most hilarious souls in the world! I freaking LOVE her! I about die laughing every night from her! She is wonderful! She is from Hawaii, so Tiff I already told her we would go to her wedding in Hawaii. .  Allie cat and Moo can come too. ;) But I am so in for Hawaii! And according to Elder Reed who is our district leader who is like the most serious person in the world was like Sister Sewell you will be married a month after the mission. So Funny! Apparently Hawaii right after the mission?? ;) I am IN! 

I am so glad my letters made everyone’s day! The food is getting better! I am so so happy! I love lunch because it is actually great! And every once and a while there is American food! Well sort of American food, definitely not the same but it{s close. They try to please us missionaries. . haha. =) They did have this chicken finger thing that tasted like the spicy chicken nuggets at Wendys! Oh my goodness was I in HEAVEN! I about died! I got seconds that night! Don’t worry the food really isn’t that bad though! It is pretty good just not Americanized, that is what I miss! 

I love you all so much! ALLIE I AM SO SO JEALOUS ABOUT CATCHING FIRE!!!!! I WANT A PLAY BY PLAY!!! I AM DEAD SERIOUS! WE HERMANAS HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT!!!  AHHHH!!!! I am so sad! But really it won’t matter cause I will watch it with you in a year! ;) Jealous though!

I LOVE YOU ALL SO SO MUCH! Each day is getting easier! But it still is amazing to me how much I think of you guys! I honestly think of you all the time, just random things will bring up stories of you! I miss and love you all so much! But I Am LOVING the mission! It truly is so wonderful and I feel blessed to represent my savior in this marvelous work! 

Oh a tiny miracle this morning that happened this morning, just a little reminder to me that prayers work! Cause clearly when you pray every day about language and still have no idea what is happening you start to doubt, but not really! I was missing my watch after I was getting ready and I was super bugged! Cause it{s not like I have anything to look at for the time besides this watch! haha. So I said a prayer and within literally three minutes I remembered I had stuck it in the pocket of my jacket, which was in the washer! But it}s okay I have the watch and it works! But heavenly father answers prayers! DONT FORGET THAT! If you are doubting anything at this moment please get on your knees and ask heavenly father! He will help you! 

I love you all so much! MOm and dad have so much fun on your cruise! I love you both so much! 

Family and friends your support really is incredible! I am so blessed to have all of your support! So many missionaries including a lot of those in my district do not have the support of their families and I couldn’t even imagine. You all are so wonderful! I LOVE your emails and letters! I seriously bawl the whole time for no reason just because I am so happy! I love hearing the little things! Twister sounds like it’s hilarious! 

I love you, 

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Cassie Joan Gray!