Merry Christmas...Merry Christmas...and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Yes, bringing back N'SYNC! ;)

Hello dear family and friends,

It was so wonderful to SEE your beautiful faces on Christmas. I LOVED it. And we are blessed that the only tears I shed were when I told yall I was going to miss my companions. Which is true... I will. They are two of the best missionaries in this mission and I am lucky to have had the chance to serve with them. They have changed my life for the better. I am lucky I have this last week to serve with them and try to bottle up all the knowledge I can from them.

This past week was just CRAZY! Lots of craziness due to the holidays.. we didn't have the chance to teach too many lessons with everyone being out of town and what not. But we did go around and spread the Christmas spirit! :)

We caroled on Tuesday and Wednesday (different parts of the area) to a lot of the members and took around goodies. It was HILARIOUS!!! Imagine 5 sister missionaries showing up on your porch in skirts... POURING RAIN, in ponchos over our clothes... let's just say it was insane.. we had lots of fun. We got pretty wet. but we spread the Christmas cheer which is what mattered most! :)  We even made Hermana Valdez stand outside the car and we drove by and squirted her with the water from the puddle... FUNNY!  There was a bet that was occurring... so she did get a strawberry lemonade from sonic. =)

We tried to contact a few potentials... many of them were out of town because of Christmas. And a few don't even return until the New Year. But it was pretty hilarious when we were contacting this lady named Brenda (the referral from the creepy car situation).. "Nelson" had told us it was his mom... Clearly NO! haha. Sister,  and his name isn't Nelson. So that was an awkward moment for us all and she was like "you think I am that old?" haha. Whoops...

Christmas Eve was really fun! We went and ate with the Feickert's, a senior couple in the ward. After dinner we played 9 card no peeky, then we went home and played around for a bit. We all pulled out the mattresses to the main room and had a massive sleep over out by the tree. It was fun.

Then we woke up to SANTA! He left lots of presents and I was spoiled rotten. I am so grateful for all the support I have received on my mission. I can't express enough gratitude for all that you do for me. We were treated extra special this year and each missionary received three secret santas from the Nags Head Ward. 

I was SPOILED! I love the games I got... we have put bananagrams to some good use. I also received a Rubix cube from Hermana Valdez and a pack of Dr. Pepper. . both of which have also been put to good use. I am going to master the rubix cube. I can do the first two layers no problem. :)  Hermana Juanhijo also made me my next planner and wrote me a really cute note. And within the sisters we drew names and Sister McDonald game me a soccer ball and clothes. I am excited....

Clearly my gifts were fun! :)

Then afterwards we headed to the Maher's home to SKYPE!!! While we were waiting to Skype we played games and did different things. Then of course I talked to you!!!! I WAS SO STINKING HAPPY!!!

It feels like that was FOREVER ago! I am super excited for all the fun things that we have planned to do when I get home and especially for the return trip here. ;)

it was good to see all of you on Skype though and have the chance to tlak to you. I miss you lots but I am glad I am a missionary ( no offense). ;) I am just helping other people have their families for eternity.

Tiff did ask me on Skype what would help me finish out the next five months of the mission.... what support I needed??

Well, this isn't necessarily for me per say but I think it could be fun.

I am doing the "D&C CHALLENGE".... aka, I am reading the Doctrine and Covenants backwards to count down my mission. It started on Christmas actually. I would like to invite all of you to join me. It will be a great way to be united as a family and it would be fun to finish it off together by reading the last chapter the day I get home. ... just a thought. :) The blessings of reading the scriptures are real... they help us to become better and more united. I know many times throughout my mission when my companions and I are reading the same scriptures we have a special unity about us. And it isn't that big of a commitment... one chapter each day until I get home. ten minutes tops. :)

I was also pondering this week a lot of Metas... goals for the year of 2015.

We read the discurso of Elder Holland "Lot's wife" one.... super super good! You are all in for a treat.. READ IT! I love that talk so stinking much! :)

But it reminded me a lot of Laman and Lemuel from the BOM. When they are telling Nephi how much 'better it MIGHT have been' if they would have stayed... their hearts and heads were in the past... when in all reality they needed to enjoy and experience the presence while having bright hopes for the future.

Please take time to ponder this week goals you can set for yourself for the year 2015. I would invite you to all put on the "BIG 3" on your list of goals... Going to church each sunday, reading the scriptures each day, and praying morning and night. I know you will receive many blessings if you do. Those things are what keep members firm in the faith. They develop more fully a love for the Savior and understand more fully the atonement of Jesus Christ.

I hope yall have a wonderful week! I'll see you in 2015!!!

Love yall so much!

SKYPING

I look HIDEOUS but Hermana Valdez fed to my addiction!  Whoot shoot. Love Dr. Pepper

Caroling in the rain

Love, Hermana Gray

I looked at the Skype screen and what did I see??

Hello Family and Friends!

I am really excited that it is the Christmas season and that I will soon have the chance to see all your beautiful faces on the computer screen! :)

We have some fun plans for Christmas.. We are going to spend Christmas eve at the Feickert's (an older couple in the ward)... they are a hoot. I have a feeling we will be playing some type of games with them. Then Christmas morning our Mission President is doing a mission wide phone call to have a devotional! Which is pretty neat. Christmas we will be spending with the Maher family, the bishop, and we will have a BLAST! We are already smack talking about kicking trash in games. ;) I am excited to SKYPE you this Christmas. :) I can't wait to see you and talk to you. Be prepared.. haha.

Mom, Thanks for the package... the Oreos may already be gone... haha. Whoops... ;) I love them what can I say??

Well this week was SUPER wonderful! We had lots of fun, especially getting closer and closer to Christmas. Truly getting into the Christmas spirit.

We started off the week with exchanges. It was my first time being on an exchange and having a companion that spoke Spanish! Whoot whoot. Hermana Valdez and I stayed together and Sister Randall came with us. We spent most of our day trying potentials and former investigators. It was really fun because we are doing a bracelet game to ask for referrals and I ended up getting a Dr. Pepper from Sister Randall! :) yes, that's the spirit! haha. We had the chance to teach Jackie, a potential investigator we met at the Manteo Tree lighting. She was super interested... also made me for awkward moments. We'd passed by earlier at our appointment time and she wasn't there so we left a note... then we pulled in later thinking she'd be home... she was... but she had JUST gotten home so it was really awkward because she hadn't even gotten our note yet. But welcome to the life of the awkward missionary.. :)

I also had a blonde moment... our sister training leader asked us "Blanca means white right??" And so I am like "yeah, Blanca means white..." then I am like "wait... no Blanca is Hispanic, she's not white" (we'd just been talking about our former investigator). So welcome to my life. :)

This week we also had the Christmas Conference as a mission. We drove up to VA Beach to have it. We watched "the Polar Express" and then had a chirstmas musical session in the chapel. it was fun and I loved seeing all the Hermanas. It was a little sad too because it was our last time together as Hermanas. :( The others all leave in a week... and the ones leaving in January leave in 2 weeks. It was fun and sad to be there..

We did all perform as Hermanas though. We sang "cantan santos angeles" and Hermana Johnson even did a little marocka to add to the Spanish flavor. It was a really fun time. The musical performances weren't as good as last Christmas but they still were very special. :)

We also drove to Va beach again on Saturday to get our car state inspection. . it stunk because our car is registered in VA so we had to drive all the way there. haha. But it was nice because we got ourselves a chipotle burrito. We waited for about and hour and a half there and it was fun because the manager ended up talking to us for a while. He is acutally a member who is really less active. He was hilarious because he kept saying how he was surprised the East hadn't made us into rebels yet. But in the end we had a good conversation with him and invited him to watch the He is the Gift video. He was really kind. Then when we were checking out he told us that it was 'no charge'. So kind of him.

We ended up hitting a lot of traffic on the way home.. good times in the car. I learned a LOT about Hermana Johnson and Hermana Valdez. haha. We have too much fun together. I am going to be sad when they leave.

Overall this week was super great! Sorry my mind is really scattered... we just had a really awkward situation happen at the library... So my mind is off track now and can't focus too much.. There is creepers in this world--all I have to say.

This week I am extremely grateful for the time I have had to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. It was neat to have President Baker give us a blessing as a mission. He promised us peace through this season, a clearer understanding of the significance of the Christ child and much more. 

I am truly grateful for the peace that I have felt as I have had the opportunity to repeatedly testify of the Love of our Savior. He is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. I know that He lived. He died for us. This time of the year is for us to reflect on the significance of the birth of the Christ child... a child who changed the world.

I hope you all know how much I love you, and How much I love the gospel. I am grateful to spend this time as a missionary and to have the opportunity to bring other families together for eternity.

I love you very much! 

FELIZ NAVIDAD!

I'll see you on Christmas,

Hermana Gray

Welcome to our lives.

Hermana Newman, she leaves in Dec

Me and all the departing hermanas

Hermana Sahleen, she leave in Jan.

Hermana Brugman, she actually stays!!

brother Kelly 'overdosing' on our prescription for joy we gave him.

Elder Snow...the Candy Bomber...How am I so lucky??

Family and Friends,
I love you all so much! I am so grateful for all of you and the support you have given me.
I know that many of you have received my Christmas card! I am happy that you found some joy in it. . I am a hoot what can I say?? ;) Nah, it is just a classic movie. :)

This week I have been truly blessed to have the opportunity to do some really miraculous things. We were blessed to have a mission conference with an seventy, Elder Snow and his wife. We spent Friday driving up to Virginia and meeting all the other missionaries at my old stompin ground in VA Beach. It was wonderful to see all the Hermanas again and meet the two new ones who are with us.
I enjoyed the conference very much. We had the opportunity to shake his hand before the conference than receive some very inspired training. All the time we had with him was very fun and entertaining. We focused a lot on finding investigators. . the whole mission right now is struggling with that. (From our 26 investigators we are now down to 3... haha. A story for another day..). but it was an inspirational training due to the fact that he related it to a chain and spoke of 6 different parts of the chain and what we need to do to help the "weak links". It was really fun and it is such a different environment to be a missionary with a seventy or an apostle. They are stern with you but they are also very laid back and you realize they are human too. It is neat.
At one point it was really hilarious because he says for the next 20 minutes or so I am going to direct my thoughts to those who are going home.... haha. Everyone's face drops... so many people are going home this transfer though. We lose a lot of people. :(
But he spoke of 6 things that we need to do as missionaries once we get home.
1- Show appreciation for those who supported you on your mission
2- Share a strong spiritual testimony (especially to the youth)
3- Stay ACTIVE in the church
4- Take the next few years to get an education so you can help build the kingdom later.
5- Remember what you have learned on your mission
6- do not unnecessarily delay Marriage!

It was really intense... my companions were hilarious throughout the whole thing... freaking out a little. They are going to be great though when they go home. I just know it.

I think the reason I enjoy my companions so much is that they really remind me of Marci and Collin. It is really freaky.... but it is also really fun! We have lots of fun together. I will be sad to see them go... don't worry I have already cried about it a few times. . haha. But I really will miss them. I asked my mission president about it and he was really funny in his response because he said 'that is how Sister Baker and I feel each time a set of missionaries leaves us.' ... poor them! That is all I have to say! haha.

This week we also had the chance to have the Candy Bomber come to the church and speak with us. He ate dinner with us and then we listened to him give a talk for about 10 minutes. It was really wonderful. He spoke on gratitude and the importance of the little decisions we make in life. I love being a missionary! he was so wonderful. He thanked us so much for the work we do. He gave us a shout out. Then it was neat because we were setting up the sacrament room with the chairs when he was getting ready to leave.. Mostly everyone was gone at this point. Then he came and shook all of our hands again and thanked us individually. He also told us a little bit about his grandkids on their missions. It was neat.
When I was getting my picture with him he was hilarious because he was going to put his arm around me then he was like 'oh wait.... I can't put my arm around you!' He was a really funny old man. He did his last candy drop on the outer banks on Sunday afternoon. I heard that the turn out was really great.

Our investigators have officially dropped off planet earth.. or they aren't progressing.... super sad. We have only three investigators right now so we are working on finding at the moment. We will see lots of miracles though! :) We didn't have any lessons this week.

We visited Eduardo this week, Fernando was visiting family in New bern, so we went to Eduardo's. We watched 17 Miracles with him. It was really a special experience. Our members who were going to have us in their home ended up canceling last minute so we asked him if he had a way we could watch a movie... so he set up a little dvd player (like ones you would use in a car). And we ended up watching this movie with him in his garage. His roommates don't like us so they always have their lessons in the garage. It was just really a humbling experience. We watched our pioneer ancestors on the screen trekking through ice water, and here we were in a garage cold because it was really cold that night. . we had a cold front move in and it was icy water in the air.
I was just truly humbled and appreciative for what our ancestors did for us to bring their posterity the gospel. It was a humbling experience.

This week we also had a Christmas Cantada. we went to Elizabeth city yesterday and listened to musical performances. It was really spiritual and brought in some of the true meaning of Christmas!

My companions and I are hilarious. We keep playing jokes on each other. .
Anyways.. I got this package from the Francom's (THANK YOU!), and it had this HUGE thing of nutella in it... Delicious. Anyways... Hermana Johnson decided to hide my nutella from me. I notice while she is gone find it then re hide it somewhere else. So I ask her 'where is my nutella' and she is like fine fine... goes to find it then realizes it really is 'missing'. Hermana Valdez then gets blamed and chased around the house until the nutella is shows up. it was hilarious. Hermana Valdez was also running around in socks which made it all the more funny on the hard wood floors.. she slips out from under her feet and comes about an inch down from a hutch that we have. . close call! But it was hilarious. . and My nutella is safe. ;)

Hermana Valdez and I also decided to play a joke on Hermana Johnson. Last night Hermana Valdez had been saying how she was super itchy. . so we were thinking... we need to make it look like you have the shingles... haha. So I proceed to use some bright red lipstick with a q-tip and draw little dots on her back towards her stomach. . . then Hermana VAldez acts all itchy and asks Hermana Johnson to scratch her back... and then she lifts up her shirt to scratch it better and Hermana Johnson PANICS! So hiliairous. I about peed my pants laughing. It was so funny.... I should have set up the video camera. We got her good. She books it out of the room to go grab the phone. So hilarious. we got her good... I am sure one day I will get into so much trouble because I keep pulling pranks on my companions. ;)

I really am going to miss them when they leave. . It is becoming more of a reality... their "trunky papers" arrived in the mail this week. :( I am going to miss them.. they really are like sisters to me. I have already threatened them a lot if they don't write or email me... and if they don't hang out with me when I get back.

This next week we have lots of fun stuff planned. Christmas is just around the corner!
I can't believe I talk to you in 10 days! NUTS!! I love you all so much. .
I hope you have a great week...
I have so much to say yet so little time... Sorry!

love you
Hermana Gray

p.s.  I think someone has a better picture of us with him...I will get a better one from the hermanas. ;)

Good ole Caitlin Maher ;)  She is a hoot.

Christ-mas...is coming to town! Christ-mas...snow falling down!!

Okay... there isn't any snow, But that Michael Buble song has been stuck in my mind for about a week now! haha. :)

I LOVE Christmas time... the time to think of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I have truly loved to be a Messenger of the restored gospel during this time. It has been bringing so many miracles!

This week we had the chance to participate in many fun things to promote the "He is the Gift" video that the church has produced and we also have just truly been trying to help those around us understand the true meaning of Christmas and how much God loves us.. It has been a wonderful thing.

This week we threw together really quickly a booth about the "He is the Gift" video. Last weekend we heard that Manteo was having a tree lightening and that there would be lots of people having booths. So since we know the Mayor and all.... okay more like because Brother Kelly and the Maher's have an "in" with the mayor we got us a booth! It was super fun!

We set up a booth, wrapped it up like a present, and shared the "He is the Gift" video. We served some hot apple cider (yes, hot.... here on the E. Coast they serve it cold sometimes.... weird... haha.) Our booth was a lot more successful than we thought it would be! We had members bring their laptops and have the video playing and we truly just had a grand time. We talked... and talked... with EVERYONE! We had the chance to talk to lots of potentials... the sisters received over 20 potentials and we had about 5. :) Which was a HUGE success! It was fun too because afterwards we ate at Garden Deli and had the chance to just realize all the tender mercies that happened to throw together that night! It was super fun... hopefully this week we will see lots of success from it! :)

We also had the ward Christmas party this week! I got my picture with SANTA!!!! SANTA SANTA SANTA!!!!! I am really excited for Santa to come to town! Along with a Skype phone call! Whoot whoot. Who all is going to be there?? We will be skyping from the Maher's home! I am excited. I really love the Maher family... they are so NICE! I just love them. Caitlin and Hannah are hilarious... I heard that I need to prepare myself to be "whooped at some games..." but they don't understand that I am a Gray. haha. ;) I am excited though. We also were invited to the Spencers that morning to open our presents there and have breakfast. It will be fun and exciting. I LOVE CHRISTMAS! =)

The ward Christmas party was a HUGE success! We had lots of Less actives there which was excellent! And also Eduardo and Fernando came! It was super fun. during one part of the program while we waited for the children to get dressed to put on the nativity scene Sister Maher had all the adults who would volunteer to play the chime things... It was super fun! Our trio did it and then we convinced Eduardo to do it with us. So hilarious. He got number 5 which happened to luck out and have LOTS of parts... he was the main part of one of the songs. He was so concentrated in getting it right. He was so serious! I about died laughing.

We also thought of our cool handshakes... we are nuts! But it was funny to do a line of five people doing a handshake. :)

Zone meeting was really good this week. it was a little sad because my companions both ended up giving their "departing testimonies"... what the heck! I am so sad that they are leaving... I cried on Thrusday during weekly planning about it. I really am going to miss them. They have helped me so much. Especially in becoming the missionary I would like to be. They both have influenced my life for the better. I truly am going to miss them. I feel like January is coming so fast! And it scares me a little because I am first off losing two of my best friends, and then basically all my other friends leave too. haha. Everyone that I know leaves in January! Only 4 hermanas survive and I only really know one of them. haha. Which is freaky to think... oh well. Guess I have to make new friends. Buck it up and get on for the ride. :)

Dad I think you would be proud to know that a few of the members think of me as a cow girl here. =) Sister Bruce told me on Sunday that the first time she saw me, in my boots of course, she was thinking "wow... that girl really is from the west.". :) But I am a cow girl through and through. :) Okay... I just really love my boots!

A funny moment for the week:

So we had about thirty minutes before we had to be back in our house... so we decided to go to Nelson's home to try to see if he was there and we could set an appointment. We drive up... Pull into the drive way.. of course.. there is about 5 guys outside the door upstairs. Super awkward. So we are like, we are not getting out of the car in the dark if Nelson even isn't home. Hermana Valdez, being her spunky self, rolls down the back window and yells out the door to ask... So then all these people are now confused, so they are like "un momento por favor" ask for him... then send out this high school kid who lives there who also happens to be named Nelson. haha. We talk to him for a little bit and end up getting a referral out of him. But it was just hilarious because three missionaries roll up in a dark gray ford fusion... I felt like we were being super creeper. :) It was hilarious though.

We ate dinner with the Maher's this week. I love sister Mahers food! She reminds me a lot of mom's style so I LOVE it! I am always in heaven when we eat there. :) It was also funny because the girls started stalking us on face book for a little while. They made me laugh.

Afterwards we went to our investigators home to visit him for our appointment. CREEPY! We get there, he answers but just nods, and opens the door a little bit.... creepy. So we enter then we all three have the hibee jeebies and decide that we need to book it out of there as quickly as possible. It was really freaky. I am truly grateful for the holy ghost. it makes me feel comforted to know that Heavenly Father is always watching out for us. I have had many instances on my mission where I feel like Heavenly Father is looking out for me. I know that the holy ghost is something real. He gives us answers to our prayers and comfort when we need it.

We visited Telma this week and had a short lesson with her. We ended up reading with her from the Book of Mormon. Right now we are in the process of finding investigators. We have been very blessed with asking for referrals and receiving many people who might be interested in learning more. So hopefully we can get a few ivnestigators from referrals this week. OUr members have also been helping us out lots with that! We had two member referrals this week... now we just need to contact them! :)

yesterday we had the opportunity to watch the Christmas Devotional. I LOVED it! I hope you all took the time to watch it and remember the true meaning of Christmas.

I really enjoyed the talk that went through all of the people.. Mary, Joseph, and Christ. It was super powerful to me. I loved when he said "Mary submitted to her divine role". I thought that was such a neat statement. She truly was the chosen vessel to deliver the Christ child into the world. She is a wonderful example to look to. As I have truly tried to ponder on Mary more I have decided that she might be one of my favorite woman roles in the bible. She is just a great example of courage and strength. She is determined and diligent. I truly admire her.

I also enjoyed D. Todd Christofferson's talk, The feelings I received from that talk was the importance of trials. How we must go to the lowest of lows to reach the highest of highs. It gave me comfort in the fact that I feel like as a missionary my life is a constant roller coaster. . minute to minute... everything is changing. But it is the trials that make us the people we need to become. It helps us to reach the highest of highs. :)

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Someone very near and dear to me is having a birthday! I love you Allie Cat and hope this birthday is something special! =)

have a wonderful week! Remember who you are, where you came from, and where you are going. :)

"There is no better time than now, this very Christmas season, for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the principles taught by Jesus Christ." -President Monson

I hope you all take the time to reflect more on Christ during this time of year, and reflect upon his character and try to develop some of those same characteristics. I love you all!

Love,

Hermana Gray

I am grateful for......

A white start to the Christmas season! 

Family and Friends,

This week I had the chance to reflect a lot on Gratitude... the gift of gratitude is something that we all can be a little better at. Remembering how much God loves us and all the wonderful blessings that are bestowed upon us each and everyday! 

During this holiday season the church is doing a promotion called "He is the Gift", part of this promotion includes a beautiful video that was created to remind us of the true meaning of Christmas. I invite all of you to visit christmas.mormon.org and view the video and have the courage to #sharethegift It is something that everyone needs a little reminding of during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. 

This week I am first off grateful for the chance I had to see two worthy men enter into the waters of baptism, accepting the gift. Eduardo and Fernando were baptized on Saturday night. After a crazy start to this week it was a true Joy to see them enter into the waters of baptism. They both were truly happy to enter into this covenant with their Heavenly Father. 

Monday night came and we were still unsure of weather or not they could be baptized. We painfully waited in the relief Society room as they received their interviews and we got the okay for baptism! Then sent into commotion preparing for a baptism the week of Thanksgiving. With the help of the ward we threw together a beautiful meeting. 

They both were a little nervous when they entered the font. . the font that we had just cleaned that morning. haha. The three of us fought spider webs, spiders, and a stinky smell to clean the font, and filled it with some warm water for them. :) They both were so happy to step foot in. You could tell they were nervous but as tehy came out of the water they were so happy! I could see the joy in their eyes. 

Their testimonies were so powerful. They bore them right after they were baptized. Fernando talked about how he was experiencing mixed emotions because his family wasn't here to be a part of it, but that he was joyous at the same time because he knew this decision was correct. 

Eduardo bore a powerful testimony about his conversion. It has taken him a little over three years to accept the gospel. He told of how he had the chance to be baptized three years ago but didn't accept it. Then how now when we visited him agian.. he knew this was the will and way of God. It was really wonderful! 

He also spoke of the missionaries who found him. I received a really great email from my dad this week about the efforts of a missionary. I have to agree with you... I have been lucky enough to see some of the fruits of my labors. I can't imagine not seeing any fruits. I am so grateful though for the many seeds I am planting. With this baptism it was really neat because our dear Brother Kelly kept in contact with the same missionaries who taught Eduardo and so they were sent pictures of the baptism and also they talked to people at the baptism. It was really neat. 

I have heard some other exciting fruits! =)

I'll begin with going to the mission home to explain all the fruits. I had the chance to see my trainer, Hermana Nord, and give her a hug! She is so gorgeous and she was so happy! You can tell she was super excited and nervous to see her family again! I can't believe time has flown and she is now back in Utah! CRAZY! =)

 It was really sad to say goodbye to sister Bassett also! I will miss that sloth mole! She is a hoot and I just love her. I was happy to hear from her today in emails! :)

But seeing as we were at the mission home we had the chance to run into other missionaries who I have served with! I also got a few updates!!! Whoot whoot! That is the best!! :) 

First off... NICO was baptized!!!! 

I taught him in VA Beach. He is a great kid! I am so happy for him. It took him a while to accept it but overall he did and he enjoyed it. Jay didn't... he ended up going back to his country. :/

I also heard that Jose, our ward mission leader in VA Beach, is on a mission!!! He left on November 6 (same day as me... weird right?) to LA California, Spanish speaking. He is going to rock it in the mission field! I am sure he just is changing so many lives! I am glad he decided to serve, he is being a wonderful example to his family who aren't members of the church. I know he was getting some slack but I think now that he is out he is happy! :)

This week we also became a TRIO!!!!

We received our little Mexican Firecracker this week! The Hermana Valdez! She is a HOOT!!! I seriously have just been LAUGHING like a crazy woman.... it has been crazy! I love it though! We are going to have a blast this transfer... It know both of my companions are still in shock that they are on the count down... literally thirty something days is all they have left of 18 months. NUTS! I still think it is weird that that day will come for me one day. .

But with our little firecracker, she brought the news that 

Jesus Miriam and Natasha are planning on being sealed in MAY!!!! =) 

I am super excited for them! Hopefully I can come back out and see it (weird.... I won't be here!) But they are planning to get sealed I think the 23?? I am super happy for them though! They are just on fire! 

This week was fun! 

we said goodbye to Hna Chinchilla. She is going to El Salvador for about four months. So we went and read with her. We also taught the Sisters investigators Melanie and Sky when we were in a trio with Sister Carlson. :) We ate some DELICIOUS seafood this week. . monday we had a feast of crab, clams, sausage, and shrimps! So good! The Parkers treated us well. It does help that basically half the ward does fishing and crabbing for their living. :) Delicious. Then the Bryants took us to  Sam and Omie's this really popular restaurant here and I also got some spicy shrimp. Super delicious! I love Seafood! :) They also bought us a sweet Tshirt! I was so happy! :)

Thanksgiving was super fun! Just a crazy day... 

We played in the Turkey Bowl! We were playing with the men but they got a little too competitive so we made our own little side game. haha. 

Imagine five sister missionaries vs. the little children. Bring it! We ended up picking up some recruits too. Eduardo and Fernando joined us then we also had a few of the adults come and join in. We played hard core. The little kids were making me laugh. Katie was being my little buddy and we were playing how the 'real football players play'. It was hilarious! I also accidentally tackled Fernando. haha. I am a little intense... two hand touch turns into tackle football. Whoops! :) 

In between the turkey bowl and the game we chilled at the house and watched Ephraim's Rescue. I have seen that movie so much... it's a little ridiculous! But it is basically one of the only movies approved. Although 17 miracles just was approved! Whoot whoot! Change of movies for once... now we just need to find someone who let us borrow it. :) But we chilled at the house, Hna Valdez took a nap. I wrapped all yalls Christmas presents! and got my hilarious Christmas card ready to send out. :) Yall get a good laugh at them! :) I am excited. 

The Jacobson's had us over for dinner! It was super delicious! The conversation was good, and we just enjoyed ourselves. 

Surprisingly my favorite dish was the YAMS! I am obsessed.... I think something happened to me on my mission because I am obsessed with yams. haha. I love them so much. I hated yams before the mission so I don't know what has happened to me. But these were super delicious. . they were like mashed potatoes with brown sugar and marshmallows... they were heavenly. :) haha. But the food was wonderful! We were so stuffed we had to take the pie home for dessert.. couldn't even eat it there. :)

This week was incredible! I have seen so many miracles. 

We had a really great district meeting on sharing the gift of Christmas. Explaining a little more about the promotion and what not. The church is buying out youtube's main page on December 7th! super neat.. and Times Square will have some advertisement and what not also! 

I hope you all have the chance to watch the He is the Gift video. Share it with those aroudn you. I know that you will have someone come to mind of who you can share this special message with. Christ has given us everything. He has changed our lives for the better.. He is the GIFT! Share the Gift! 

I hope you all have a wonderful week! I know this gospel is true. I am grateful for the chance I have to share the true message of the restored gospel each and every day! Time is flying... I am having a blast, I love my companionship! The three of us will do some domination this holiday season! =)

Remember the true meaning of Christmas... 

Love you,

Hermana Gray

p.s. Mama Dearest... I will be sending a package home this week (hopefully...or next). Everything is wrapped with names on it. :) I hope you enjoy it. I also am throwing in some stickers and maps, the baptismal program and stuff for the scrapbook. LOVE YOU! I am sending stuff for the married's too in it... I just figured I'd make you stick it in with some of your Christmas stuff for them. :) Tiff.... the 'stuff' will also be in the box wrapped. =) You'll know what it is. Thanks again!

goodbye Hermana Nord and Sister Bassett

Starting off the season right, dressed in white

Hma Chinchilla

Sister Missionaries

We enjoyed having your daughter for lunch!  Julie Metcalf

Home away from home...

hello family and friends!

As you can guess.. this week FLEW BY! Seems to be how I start every email... but it is the truth. :)

This place is becoming my home away from home! :) I will be here another transfer for sure and probably two more after that... so basically I might die here or get 'trunky transferred' out of here. I will love it though! It is such a great place...

With that being said... Hermana Johnson and I are staying together again! I am really excited! She is a hoot and of course it will be super fun! And we will spend our second Christmas together and all three phone calls.  :) Whoot whoot! And then even crazier.... we are in a TRIO! We will be picking up Hermana Valdez on Wednesday! She is a hoot too! Both of my companions 'die' this transfer (go home).. so I will be around two very hilarious hermanas going through a whole wave of emotions... it could be interesting.. :)

I am excited though! It will be a hoot with the two of them, our house will be so full... five of us there.. it will be nuts! :) Crazy times.... haha.

This week we didn't have too much success number wise but we sure had lots of fun and tried our hardest!

We had two really excellent lessons with Eduardo and Fernando. We are hoping all goes well... we had some complications happen so we had to move one of their interviews to tonight and we might have to push back one of their baptisms depending... we will see though. Heavenly Father has been helping us out a lot but it will all go well in the end. :) The interviews should go pretty good though. :) Hopefully we will have a baptism at the end of the week... if not a couple of weeks. :)

Our lessons with Eduardo and Fernando are going so well though. They are just flourishing! They are soaking up the gospel. It is amazing to see how quickly they are both progressing. . We realized that Fernando has only been taking the lessons for a month.

During our lesson Hermana Johnson asked them both the reason why they would like to be baptized, and Fernando gave the most sincere answer, he was telling us how he wants to be a good father and be a good example to his kids right now. How is oldest is fourteen and he wants to give him a good life and this is the way. Then he was telling us how his wife was softening up to this. Originally his wife was FURIOUS that he was taking the lessons... but her heart is being softened. He told us that she has been thinking of having the missionaries in Mexico teach her because she has seen such a magnificent change for the better in her husband. It was so powerful. That is just another testimony builder to me that the church is true. =)

We had a really neat lesson with one of our less active families here. We were talking and shared a message about testimony and conversion... anyways we finish our thought and then the sister says 'can I ask you an honest question?".... so of course we are thinking... oh no what does this mean... then she asked if because she wasn't attending church if she didn't have faith. It was a really interesting question. We ended up baring testimony of the importance of church attendance and how it really does strengthen us. They both sat down and talked with us, set goals of how to better their church attendance. It was a very wonderful lesson. The spirit was very strong...

We also had a wonderful testimony builder that planning is inspired. We had been trying to visit them for the past month and each time we passed by either they weren't home, or they didn't answer the door. . we visit them once a week. So during this time we had been planning on sharing the talk 'which way do you face?' with them. . . we felt strongly impressed during planning that is what we needed to share... anyways we finally get in and then we had switched our lesson plan to testimony nad conversion... but she told us the reason she had that question is she had read the 'which way do you face' talk in the ensign and felt like they needed to change. WOW!!! It hink they just needed to feel the constant missionary/spirit support leave for a little to realize the difference it does make.

This week we also had the chance to help with Sister Shirley spencer's funeral. It was a beautiful service. It was another testimony builder to me that families are eternal. Heavenly Father has presented the plan of Salvation to us for a reason. We will one day have our families for eternity. I felt such a special presence... it made me think a little of how I didn't have the chance to attend Grandpa's funeral earlier this year... and it made me a little sad. But I also was comforted with the knowledge that we are an eternal family.

This week was also fun because I had a little home away from home! Sister Jackie Clark is out here for the holidays and it was so neat to run into her. Although I don't think she really remembers me in specific but she remembered my parents. I do remember visiting her frequently as a child though, especially around the holidays. So it was fun to see her out here! :) Who would have thought the first person I would run into out here that I know from lehi would be a ninety year old lady?? =) haha.

this morning I was reading the talk in conference about Joseph Smith and it made me realize how truly grateful I am that Jospeh Smith had a question that changed my life forever. I know that he is a prophet of God, that the gospel of Jesus Christ is on the earth again. I am truly grateful for him and the sacrifices he made so that we can have the gospel on the earth today, and the guidance of a living day prophet of God. his name will be had for good and evil.. but I hope this day it can be had for a little more good. :)

I love you all, I hope you all have a great turkey day! I am excited to spend it with the Jacobsen family here. . they have a missionary out right now and she sent us the sweetest text about how she feels honored that we can come to her house and how she knows that someone in Colorado will be taking in her son on this day and how grateful she is that she can be that 'someone' for us. :) I am sure she'll send you a picture! :)

I love you all! I hope you have a great week. Remember all those wonderful things in life that you are grateful for!

I am thankful for my family, friends, the chance I have to share the restored gospel, the opportunity I have to be with another representative of Jesus Christ 24/7, and for a new place that I can call home. :)

Just a short little list of things I am grateful for!

Love you,

Hermana Gray

Can you guess which house is the mexican one?

I don't remember if I sent pictures or not last week..but I'll throw in a few from last week too.

The best district the world has ever known

Frigid Weather... :)

Hello Family and Friends! 

It's that time of year. . . time to break out the winter coat yet again! Who thought it would get cold on the East Coast?? NOT ME!!! Okay, I did get to experience it a little last year, and honestly it doesn't get 'that' cold. But it is more a pierce you to the core kind of cold. haha. But the weather here has gone from pretty mild to absolutely frigid in all of about a week. :( I still love it here!! :) 

This transfer has just seemed to FLY BY! I can't believe we are already at the time where transfer calls are coming again. Hermana Johnson and I have been talking about how this has been probably the funnest transfer of both our missions. We have just LOVED it! We have seen so many miracles and just have been having the time of our lives! I am dreading getting a call!!!! It is just a scary thing... haha. Your future on a mission is so uncertain, guess it is just preparing you for life. :) 

Transfer calls are happening this week though, come Sunday we will know our fate. Hoping that because of the holiday season we will stay together. :) I would enjoy that. It would be a sad transfer to leave, right before Thanksgiving, literally the day before... haha. Then we have 2 baptisms on the 29th! 

Eduardo and Fernando are still preparing for Baptism on the 29th of November. They are just so wonderful. We have been having the chance to meet with them three times a week to help them meet their dates. They are so hilarious and are always just so sincere in their desires to learn. 

We have taught them so much in this past week and they are so gracious, they are accepting everything so easily. The Lord truly has been preparing them. 

We has some pretty hilarious lessons this past week. . to start off the week we had a lesson on the ten commandments, the law of chastity, and keeping the sabbath day holy. It was a great lesson. So hilarious! We had a member back out on us pretty close to the lesson, which is NOT a good thing... haha. We have to have a third female so we scramble and fine a member willing to come with us. Then she gets to awkwardly sit through the law of chastity lesson. haha. Pretty great. It does help that she doesn't speak Spanish so she just listened and we'd translate things happening. :) 

My favorite part is to think of this lesson like this..... 

Two twenty year old girls come in and tell two men in their thirties that they need to live a virtuous life style, be morally clean, and have clean wholesome thoughts.... 

The church is true. That is all I have to say. :)

They are great sports though! We have taught them so much new information, law of chastity, word of wisdom, tithing, fasting, and much more. And they have accepted it with ease. They are truly prepared to receive the Gospel. :)

I have also loved to see the members fellowship these two. They are so wonderful! The members are just embracing them with open arms. It is an interesting thing to teach people in a different language then invite them to attend church in a language they don't fully understand. Then when they interact with the members it doesn't really matter, because the spirit is present and the spirit is teaching. It is SO neat! Lately that has really stuck out to me that the spirit is the reason we come to church. To refill our 'spiritual buckets' each week. It doesn't matter what language you attend sacrament meeting in the spirit will always be the same, the testifier of truth. 

Church was really interesting yesterday. We first off had to translate, then by a miracle and some answers to prayers, Torin showed up and could translate the talks. haha. It was chaotic. :) Then it was interesting because you could see some things happening in the crowd... random people bursting into tears and crying... and all of a sudden it dawned on me. The mother of the ward passed away Sunday morning while everyone was at church. It was really sad news. Sister Shirley will be missed. I didn't have the chance to meet her ever, she was super sick when I arrived, but I know that she made such a difference on the ward here. Members talk about her all the time and how wonderful of a lday she is and how that she is a huge part of the reason that the church was brought to the Outer banks. We are all sad with her loss.

We had a really great lesson with a Less active member, Hermana Diaz. She is such a wonderful lady! Bishop came with us and we had the chance to share the 'prepared in a manner that never had been known' with her from general conference. It was heart-warming to see that the less active members are being more open with us. And then when bishop was there it was even better because he could invite them to the christmas dinner and things. It was great to see them reacting. We also had the chance to meet her husband for the first time, and hopefully he will take interest in learning about the gospel! :)

Brother Kelly is our new assistant ward mission leader and he is just the best! He was telling us his conversion story and he is just a hoot. :) Shout out to Brother Kelly! :)

We are still obsessed with Surf N' Spoon, and I have a new found dream of owning a store kind of like it. haha. :) I'll fill you in on the details later. :) but i am obsessed, between that and Duck Doughnuts, life is good. :)

We don't have very much other than that happening, just the normal knock some doors, talk to people. We have been teaching a few other people but nothing too significant happened in their lessons, just the normal stuff. :)

Funny story though. So one morning hermana Johnson and I are sleeping, like that sort of waking up sleep... alarm goes off at 6:25.... I hear, "Mom, do you want to sleep in until 6:30 or get up at 6:25?" I was laughing so hard, so I answer "6:30" (cause, hello I was like dead tired.... dead... haha... never been so exhausted in my life!). You could hear the pure disappointment and confusion when my voice was the answer, Hermana Johnson "oh... okay". So hilarious! Mom, just so you know we still think about you even when we are sleeping! :) And we still do it even if we are both over a year old. haha. :)

Oh and someone hit our car! Lame! We think they were backing out and their mirror hit our car, but it is all scraped up and now we have to file a report... lame! And they didn't leave a note. :'( It's not too bad... we didn't notice it right off the bat so we don't even know what parking lot we got it from. But lame! haha. 

I love you all so much! I have been really enjoying this holiday season. It has been fun to work up to the holidays and now that they are here it will blow my mind how quickly they'll leave us. :) Just think... one month and I'll be talking to you! AHHHHHH!!! 

I love you all. Know I have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for the chance I have to share it each and every day. I know the Savior is there for all of us, time of plenty or times of sadness. Communicate with your Father in Heaven, he wants to hear from you.  

I love you! Have a great week! Know I love and miss you. 

Love, 

Hermana Gray

My disgusting blisters after walk and talk, gross

Waiting for English class, which they ditched us because they were all working...lame.

Walk and talk

Jockey's Ridge