Hola Everyone!
Happy Valentines Day this week!! Hope you all have a wonderful time and remember how much Love I have for you and that the Savior has for you! And it will be even better because Valentine's day is my 100 day mark (well technically it will be my 101 day but it will be I have completed 100 days!) Crazy! A day of Love! I never thought that 100 days would come. haha. It always seemed so far away especially at the beginning of the mission. The first day I remember talking with Hermana Williams about how 100 days is so far away and now we are here! So crazy sauce to me! =) I am 1/5 of the way done. . time goes fast!
Well this week was pretty good. . had some downers but it was mostly wonderful and incredible as per the normal in the life of a missionary.
I am loving the mission! You meet so many wonderful people each and every day! No joke I have met all types of people and I am loving to see the different ways the Lord prepares each person!
Well this week was a WONDERFUL start!! We started with Hermana Nord's birthday on the 4th!! WAHOO!!! So wonderful to celebrate her birthday! And the other hermanas also had a baptism on this date, for Jose Ortiz! =) It truly was a wonderful day!
It started with Hermana Nord opening our bedroom door to balloons falling on her! We got her good! She was so happy to have them, and they all had cute little messages to her! =) We are the best! Then of course we did studies and all that wonderful stuff. Then we did deep cleaning. (on the first Tuesday of each month we do a deep clean for the apartment and clean the cars). So we did deep clean. Then afterwards we tried to visit a few people before the baptism but had no success so we went to meet the other hermanas to set up for the baptism! =) It was really wonderful! Jose was SO SO HAPPY!! He was glowing and smiling ear to ear! He is the greatest guy in the world. Just so happy to have found the gospel. He is one of those you truly can't take any credit for because he was prepared by the Lord so much. It was so great to see him be baptized.
The baptism was REALLY long though. haha. whoops. It went for about an 2 hours because it started late. . and then the talks talked literally for about 20 minutes a piece. haha. It was good though. All that matters is that Jose is baptized and that he is happy! Hermana Nord played the violin at it and did extremely well. She has so many wonderful talents. Jesus and Miriam attended though so that was really great! Miriam loved it thought it was really neat. She is still planning on being baptized on March 1 if they can get married. =)
Afterwards we went to Chili's to celebrate Hermana Nord's birthday and also the baptism! (and to have dinner because we were all STARVING!). haha. We had a great time talking and chatting and eating delicious food! P.s. Chili's changed their menu a tid bit! And it looks delicious!
But it was super great. . we were eating and we were waiting for our checks. Then our waitress brought our Hermana Nord an ice cream and they all sang to her. And then it was so nice because our waitress said someone had bought all our meals. WOW! What a great gift. It truly was just so nice of whoever did that. We were all so grateful to the people who bought our dinner. They are wonderful and they deserve some carpet installation in their mansion in Heaven. ;) It was such a nice act of kindness! We surely appreciated it! =)
Wednesday we went to Abuelita's for lunch like normal! On the way there we were blown a kiss from a car to the side of us. haha. I seriously love people. They make me laugh all the time. =) And it was even more surprising because at Abuelita's it was the least amount of food I have ever eaten there (it was still a lot of food but I was shocked! haha). It was really delicious though. She is just the sweetest old lady ever. Always just wrapping you up and kissing you on the cheek. She is adorable. =)
We also visited Yami this day. The Hermanas had visited her before but she had a baby and asked us to come back in a few months. So we are back! She is a YW leader in her church and seriously is so nice. She was babysitting and autistic child when we got there (he was sick and couldn't go to school). He was a cutie. But we taught her the Restoration again and just talked about what missionaries do. She wants to have us back and she said she would read the book of Mormon so we will see what comes from this! =) She is nice.
Oh my hilarious story of my life. . haha. So we had tried to visit Marta before Yami's home. Anyways. . Marta lives by Arelis (the one we dropped but she still loves us, and her mom is Ilda who I Love so much.haha). Anyways as we are driving to Yami's, Arelis calls us on the phone and no joke chews us out for not stopping by. She is like "I know you are missioanries and have a lot of things to do, but Jesus would still visit me." so of course we went back and we had a game plan, cause she can talk for hours if you let her. We were like okay in and our in thirty minutes. haha. yeah no, an hour and a half. BUT it was great because right when we get there Arelis has like 5 friends over. haha. And they were getting their coffee and of course offered us some and we said no. Then we had to explain the W.O.W to them. =) GREAT opportunity. And of course one of her friends is a Mary Kay sales lady representative, and yes family, you guessed it she wanted to wash my face. haha. (I feel like ALWAYS whenever we are at the mall they always want to wash my face and do a makeover on me. haha.) So she was determined so I gave up and just let her. It was actually pretty hilarious. I love her so much. I was dying the whole time. But from this lovely makeover we received 3 contacts! Wahoo! And we are trying to visit them all this week! And we are hoping that if they start to get interested and join the church maybe Arelis will open her heart a little more to the message! Miracles can happen! =)
Makeover night wasn't the greatest though. We had a lesson with Esteban and it ended up being okay. . not the greatest in the world. I truly gained a testimony of member presents though. Members truly make a difference in investigators! (SO GO OUT WITH THE MISSIONARIES!!!!!). ;)
We had brought the Hernandez family, Rosolio and Melina who were baptized this past August. They are the greatest and cutest family ever. Anyways, we are sitting in Wendy's waiting for Esteban just talking to them. anyways Esteban shows up and the look on his face was DETERMINED to tell us something then when he saw the members he was in complete SHOCK! haha. He was like "hey". haha. But he did get his feelings off his chest and basically told us he doesn't want to be baptized until his dad approves of his decisions because it is causing so much problems in his family. It was a hard lesson. We read Alma 20 with him though about Lamoni's father. And it was really great. Then the testimonies of Rosolio and Melina seriously made the lesson. In the beginning of the lesson Esteban wasn't really participating and just playing with his thumbs and then by the end he was almost in tears because of how powerful their testimonies were. Esteban was like I wanted to not listen because I know what you are telling me is the truth and I can't do anything about it yet. He is really stuck on the commandment Honor your father and mother and we are trying to explain to him that honoring and doing what they say is something completely different. It is your salvation on the line. It was good by the end. And we had the opportunity to fast with him on Saturday. It was neat. We saw so many blessings from that! =)
Thursday I think I about died. . . I was so FULL!!! I had the biggest bowl of soup in my entire life. . it was seriously like a gallon of soup. haha. It was thick too. Had a HUGE piece of chicken that was all whole. And then like a whole potato a person and carrots, and rice and beans and just so much stuff. I about died. I was like I can't do it. Then we had rice pudding too. haha. Oh man I was about a gonner. . . but I ate it all! GO ME! Point in heaven. I was dying the whole time though. But it truly is humbling that they want to feed us all the time. We ate with the Florres family who is seriously so sweet. And we know they are struggling finiancially so I truly just humbled myself and tried not to think of how much food it was but tried to think of what a sacrifice it was for them to feed us. So I ate it all. =) haha. And tried not to complain about it. ;)
They are so sweet though. We are going to teach Hermana Florres to make cookies this week! =) I am excited. I love doing service!
We also visited Miriam, Jesus and Natasha this night. They are so prepared. They are just the cutest family in the world. Miriam also told us that night that we are the reason she was supposed to come to Virginia and come to the United States. They also every time are always like this gospel is uniting our family more than ever before. And are always just talking about how wonderful it is. Theya re the greatest! I am hoping they can get married and all goes well with that. =) We are having a family home evening with them tonight! We are going to talk about love and how we can show service to others. It will be really great! I am so happy to have found them and be able to teach them the gospel! The Lord truly prepares people and puts them directly in our paths. =)
We had Zone meeting on Friday! It was fantastic. I really enjoyed it. One of the Elders talked about the difference between fisherman and hunters. and how some missionaries are fishers, where they seem to always be bringing in loads and loads in huge nets. But others are hunters and have to take the time to prepare and track their prey and stuff. It was a really great comparison. I truly enjoyed it. Thought his lesson was the best of the whole day.
I also like a quote shared. Our theme for the month is finding through faith so a lot of talks and lessons were on faith. But this quote was by President Monson and it is "Your future is as bright as your faith". And that truly is true. Your faith in all the things that Heavenly Father has for you is what determines your happiness and the brightness of your future! Have faith that things will be better, that you can do hard things! =)
The cute sister training leaders also made all the hermanas a valentine. haha. they are adorable. make me laugh all the time!
Saturday was really great, had the opportunity to fast with Esteban and truly see immediate answers. I was having a rough day though, I think it was mostly I was hungry cause once I got food I was fine.haha. But we decided to visit Osmal and we talked to him for a little bit. Didn't really get to teach a lesson because his aunt had to leave so we just shared a quick message. But basically all our plans were falling through and we were having no success and then we had the feeling to go see Walter (he lives with Esteban's family). And we were like that is weird, he works Saturdays and we just don't see him really progressing (we were doing a DTR with him). So we go and we are talking to Walter and we are like saying what we do as missionaries and what not. Then a miracle happened! Esteban's dad was leaving the apartment and we talked to him! He was very firm that he is catholic and not changing but he did accept a plan of salvation pamphlet. We truly think that the lord wanted us to meet his dad. The best part was Esteban came home in the middle of us talking to his dad and he truly looked petrified and furious that we were talking to him. But then we explained we had been talking to walter and his dad came out and started talking to us and he was fine. haha. Esteban truly is hilarious. He make me laugh. He was so cute, wanted to take us out for pizza to end our fast. But we had dinner with the Richies so we couldn't. esteban though is truly incredible! he is the greatest!
Yesterday was great! Esteban came to church again! Which we were truly shocked because his dad was FURIOUS last week about it. So we were happy he still came! our cute little family didn't come though. Her sister was in town from Tennesee so we just went and visited them last night. They are the greatest. We talked about following the prophet and about a revelation from the prophet was family nights and then asked if we could do a family night with them. they are so wonderful. Natasha loves us. She is so stinking adorable. Always wanting us to be there and share messages with them. She is the greatest! =)
jesus was awesome too. He was explaining how one day he can't wait for Jesus and God to wrap their arms around him into a huge hug. I was like you are seriously so wonderful! I am so happy they are progressing in the gospel!
Well this week was wonderful! I am so happy to have this chance to share the gospel with others! The church is so true! I see so many lives changed everyday by them coming to the gospel! =)
I love you all! Remember I love you this week, especially because it is the week of love! =)
Love you, Happy Valentines day! Enjoy the Olympics! Family be safe in all of your travels! And don't have too much fun because clearly I am not there and you won't have that much fun without me. ;) Love you! Be safe, Remember who you are and where you come from and that Heavenly father and I both love you! =)
Love,
Hermana Gray ~Your favorite~
The choices you make now have eternal consequences!
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