I know those days when you are the one waiting at home and than realize you won't get a letter/email because it is a Monday holiday and ALL the libraries and everywhere your missionary can write is closed. Yep, sorry! The libraries were all closed. :( But at least it makes today a thousand times better! =) Happy Tuesday! haha.
Well wow oh wow did I absolutely have the WORST week of my whole mission. . . It was incredibly sucky. haha. But I am in a LOT better spirits as of today. I seriously feel so horrible for Hermana Nord. I am probably so psycho to her. I am just so happy one minute and sad the next. It is a serious problem. haha. I have some serious emotional issues happening right now. I seriously bawled for a good hour yesterday cause I was just having a crappy day and she was like I get it. She gave me lots of great advice. Let me read a journal entry where she literally said EXACTLY what I was saying. haha. I just don't feel like myself some days and it scares me SO much. It freaked me out so bad. After my emotional breakdown, she asked if I wanted a blessing. and I definitely did. =)
The elders came over, okay and get this, so I am already embarrassed a little bit cause it is kind of stupid to me that I miss my family so much that I am having this breakdown to begin with than we have to call the elders to get a blessing for me. Then so they can come in the apartment to give the blessing the Zone leaders now have to come so then I am super embarrassed even though I definitely shouldn't be because I have a right to use the priesthood. It was just stupid and I realized how dumb I was acting. But it still was embarrassing to me. But it's all great now and truly the priesthood is SO real. I have NO DOUBT that my blessing was directly from Heavenly Father through the mouth of his servants. Because in it it talked about like my sleeping habits. I have literally woken up probably 5 out of 7 nights since I've come on my mission. Which is HORRIBLE but true. and it said that my sleep would be better. and it also just talked about how my mind would become clear so that I could focus and think clearly (which is nice because it is SO hard to focus on a lesson in a different language when you are having an internal battle. haha) But it seriously was so comforting and I have been on a spiritual high ever since! =)
And this morning I read D&C 6 which is probably my favorite chapter ever at the moment. It helped my out SO much! So read it! Katie hoggan and Kinz I suggest you mark it in your mission scriptures because it helps so much in life on the mission! Make sure you have your favorite passages to read often. It definitely helps. =)
Yesterday was also the best day ever because President Chamberlin literally randomly called Hermana Nord and I and was like we want to take you to lunch. haha. Him and his wife are seriously the greatest in the whole world. They took us for Chinese food and we just talked. It was good. He kind of reminds me of dad a little bit so it was a good day. I think he may have talked to the elders that morning though but who knows maybe the spirit told him that I needed it. =) I definitely loved it either way! Free lunch is free lunch! ;)
This week wasn't all that bad really besides the homesickness. Which I think started because It started to freak me out that everyone at home is changing and progressing so much during this time and I am too but just me coming home it'll be so different. Especially it freaked me out that I won't meet Lexi until she is already one. haha. So I had a panic attack for a little while. haha. But It is good to realize that everything is changing but that I am changing too and helping others to come unto Christ and make their lives better! What other time in my life can I dedicate 18 full months to the Lord?? NEVER! (besides like when I go on a mission when I'm older but even than it will be way different work). =)
But this week wasn't bad at all! I also received three great letters that were all about homesickness and what not! I loved them! haha. I will forever cherish them. I especially loved what Moo said about someone holding the Gray name in high regard. and they better! it will make all this emotional trauma worth it. =)
Well we have a new investigator! His name is Osmal and it is really intense because he is a Jehovah's witness and used to be a pastor when he lived in Cuba. He is 27. And we had a really intense lesson with him. President Chamberlin came with us and it truly was just intense. Especially because I only knew half of what was happening. He was really argumentative for a while but he was open a little to the message. But it was neat because once we bore testimony he stopped arguing. President Chamberlin told me at lunch. He was like I was going to help correct you with your Spanish but I decided not to because when you started to bare testimony is when the environment of the lesson changed. Because you are learning the language and they just stopped and listened to you. Even though it wasn't perfect Spanish they could understand and than after they couldn't even argue with you. =) It was great. And after my testimony his aunt and uncle also joined the conversation so that was neat to me. We are hoping to see him again this week on Wednesday. =)
We took arelis to the doctor. Apparently as Spanish missionaries we get asked to translate a lot for doctors appointments. =) But whe was super awesome. Afterwards we went to her house and talked for a while. And she showed us a slideshow this week of Cuba. and it was just great. And it was hilarious. So we gave her a lesson and we were talking about like the prophet and just a bunch of stuff and she was asking questions. Anyways Ilda her mom, we had said we have hymns in our church and she no joke stood up ran and got her hymn book and literally sang to me while Hermana nord finished the lesson. It was HILARIOUS! She sang me like 5 or 6 songs. it was great entertainment. =) (imagine grandma yodeling. . that is what it was like!). And it was hilarious because before this just randomly in the lesson she just started touching my hair and playing with it. She was a little amazed that it is it's natural color. =) I just laugh. everyone is amazed by that. But it makes for great conversation apparently. :)
We also visited Zuley this past week who is a less active 15 year old. SHe is so interesting to me because the whole time we are there she acts annoyed we are there but everytime she lets us in. So who knows. We are getting to her in some degree! ;)
Angel and Judith are the GREATEST in the whole world. . I LOVE them so so much! I am so sad! This also made the week rough!
Angel is leaving for 5 months to go and work. =( So sad! But he is doing well so far on the alcohol situation. and he truly is trying so hard to straighten up his life. We are a little nervous for him because this is excactly what got him into drinking again last time. So hopefully he can stay strong!
But we also think this could be a blessing. Because Judith isn't a member and we are going to try and teach her while he is gone. We think she is ready and interested so hopefully this can be the time where she will want to accept the gospel. Angel will always just cover for her during the lesson and answer questions for her but truly. . it will be a blessing in a way! I think she will for sure join if Angel can conquer his addiction.
Angel is the greatest though. He always calls us his daughters. =) He just loves us so much. He has also told us that we are the missionaries that have made the difference in his life. He tells us this EVERY time we go over there. So that definitely helps me to want to be a great missionary! =)
He also made me laugh. So I know dad will appreciate this:
So I was wearing my boots and he was like Hermana Gray what does your dad do for a living? I was like he's a doctor (so this had happened like last week)
So yesterday no joke he was saying he was like Hermana Gray I was convinced your dad was a Rancho (Rancher) because of your boots. And he was like I was going to tell you I would work for your dad for free just so I could go to Utah and leave Virginia and get away from all my friends who try to get me to drink with them. But he just made me laugh so much. He was so convinced that I was a daughter of a Rancher. My boots definitely still make a statement. I have had lots of people approach me because of them. They are definitely a great missionary tool! =)
Thay also fed us Mexican corn this week! Which I think allie will approve of! She was a little obsessed with it wherever we were. =) But I had some for you Allie Cat no worries.
I literally feel like I probably eat three dinners each day because everyone is like eat some. I ate so much yesterday. Cause we went to lunch, we had dinner at a member's house than angel fed us again. I ate so much food and Spanish portions are not normal. haha.
But I did weigh myself at a member's home this week and I was the same weight as when I left! I think that was part of the food thing in my blessing before I came on my mission! =) go me though! If I can maintain I would be okay with that. :)
Another random cool thing. I had my signature analyzed by Hermana Garcia. It was really fun actually. You sign a paper and she basically tells you what is up about you from your signature. It was pretty neat because I think she did pretty well. =)
She had me as closed off. Hard to read, friendly and open but people have a hard time getting to know the true me because I don't let people in easily. They don't gain my trust easily. I apparently have distance between me and my family (I personally think we are really close but maybe the mission in and of itself is DISTANCE literally. haha) I am apparently super smart because I write my signature small. And I don't like others to tell me what to do. =) haha. This was like a two minute read because we were out of time but wanted her to do it anyway. It was really neat though. I thought she did pretty good. :)
interesting to me that she got that all from a signature. Who knows. haha.
We had interviews with the president this past week and that was great. Had lots to say to him. We also taught him the Restoration as a companionship in five minutes. It was really good. And super easy because it was in English. Although it may have been easier to do it in Spansih because I kept lapsing into it. haha. =) He said some things I really needed to hear though so it was great.
We also had District meeting and They shared a quote that I like a lot: "If I were given 10 hours to cut down a tree, I'd spend 5 hours sharpening my axe."- Abraham Lincoln.
It is so true! It is ALL about planning. If you can learn to plan well you will be an efficient missionary because if you plan well you will have success because you will always know what you will be doing. And you can always have the Lord direct you when you are done or run out of your back up plans BECAUSE you planned and showed him you were dedicated. It's ALL about planning! So plan!
We also did FHE this week with the Hernandez family. We did Nephis bow story thanks to our FHE ideas at home! =) We had them "hunt their animals" throw balls at cups and then we'd give them animal cracker cookies. haha. They are so cute the little girls are adorable! =) So stinking cute. One thing that is a bummer about a mission is you can't hold the kids. But if I could man, I would be all over holding their little baby boy who is one. He is so stinking adorable. SO much hair and just the cutest smile. =) This FHe was seriously the greatest though.
Last week someone asked me what my biggest goal was for the year:
And it is to become the best missionary I can become. By learning Spanish and by bearing testimony each and every day that I know this gospel is true and that we have a Savior and the restored gospel on the earth today. I want to MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the lives of the people here. And I know I can if I work hard.
I'll end with writing my testimony in Spanish for you. Short and sweet cause I don't have much time:
Yo se que esta iglesia es verdadero. se que el evangelio de jesucristo establicio en la tierra es en la tierra otra vez. Jose Smith es un profeta y mediante orracion el recibio una respuesta. su respuesta fue no iglesia en la tierra a este tiempo fue verdadero y porque esta razon es necesario por una resturacion. Yo se que esta restauracion fue y porque esta hombre tenemos el evangelio otra vez en la tierra. Yo se que el libro de Mormon es las palabras de Dios. Que Dios quiere nos tener la verdad y la oprotunidad vivir con el otra vez y mediante este Evangelio tenemos esta opprotunidad. =)
I love you all. Have a great week! I know mine will definitely be better because Last week was so horrible! haha. But If my week can improve so can yours!
REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU CAME FROM! GOD AND JESUS LOVE YOU AND SO DO I!!
I love you, keep up the things you are doing in your life to improve!
Love you,
Hermana Gray
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