Hermana Cassie Joan Gray: Happy Half Way Hermana Nord!!

Today is a big day for us missionaries! Hermana Nord has officially reached her half way point on her mission!! CRAZY! Time really does fly! haha. But she is super bummed she is already half way done. But to celebrate we are heading to Williamsburg and touring downtown. . the candy store, the cheese shop. . etc. It will be really fun! I am super excited to see it. She is also CHOPPING her hair off. haha. She is donating it. A lady that lives down there is cutting it for her. So it will probably freak me out for a couple of days to see her with short hair. We'll see though! =)

This week was pretty great. Nothing too crazy happened. . or exciting for that matter. haha. Just the normal life as a missionary. Going around spreading the gospel! :)

We found another family! That was exciting and actually really neat too. There names are Carlos and April and they have two little kids (3 and 8 months). They are so stinking cute. It was really neat. . so we were out and about and an appointment fell through and we literally had like thirty minutes until we had to leave for our next appointment. So we said a prayer and we both got the impression to go to this house on the other side of Hogan's and knock that door. Which was really neat because it was kind of out of the way. But we decided to go there anyways. And so we end up talking to April and she is interested but was like come back tomorrow. We went back the next day (we were a little late because an appointment went over) and we met Carlos and he was like she isn't here but come back tomorrow. So third times the charm right?! We get there and they both are there. We do a CCE and then we went into the Restoration too. And they were just eating it up. It was a little weird because April prefers to talk in English and Carlos doesn't really understand English all that well so we did a Spanglish lesson. haha. But it was really great. And April told us that they had been talking as a couple about church and how they needed to find a church to go to. And low and behold we knocked on their door that day. And it was neat because during the whole lesson they were just like, this makes SENSE! and it just was clicking in their minds. . you could just see it working! They didn't come to church yesterday but we are hoping to have them there this Sunday.

Our cute little family is adorable. :) haha. Jesus, Miriam and Natasha are just the greatest. So stinking cute! Natasha had her baptism interview yesterday and we are assuming she did wonderful! We haven't had the chance to talk to them yet. Her baptism is on March 8! We had it for the 1st but a family in the branch is getting sealed that day so President asked us to move it back a week. But she is just so cute. In her prayer before our lesson one time she was saying "Heavenly Father please bless that everyone in the world will want to be baptized like I want to be baptized!" Doesn't that just melt your heart?!? She is so stinking adorable! And Allie Cat, I gave her a Rapunzel doll and she LOVED it! She was so excited! =) We also did a fast with their family this week but we had to write a note to her teacher because their school makes them take a lunch so we just were like, please excuse her from lunch. . our church is having a fast. And Natasha was saying "so my teacher asked me what church I belong to and I said I am a Mormon. And she gave me a surprised look and I don't know why!" haha. I wish you all could have seen Jesus's face. It was priceless, he just gave this like "you will get that your whole life" kind of look. haha. It was hilarious. =) They are doing really well though! We are doing an FHE with them tonight!

Esteban is doing okay. . he sounded really bad on the phone Saturday night and we both felt something was wrong and he wasn't telling us. He came to church though (probably because we were like are you coming. . . are you coming?!? WE are like those annoying people that don't go away until you do what we want) . haha. But he was really glad to come to church and he was telling us that he really was feeling satan trying to get him and tempt him in his life this past week. His prayer was really great though. He was like "thank you for getting me to church today even if I didn't want to come originally heavenly father. I know it was where I was supposed to be." He did text us last night and said he might drink a cup of coffee. . we aren't sure if he did or not. We are sincerely praying and hoping he didn't because then he can't reach his date for the 8th of March. . You have to live the commandment for two weeks. So hopefully he didn't and can still reach his date. If not we will have to keep working with him and reset a date. . :)

I had a jackpot mail day this week! haha. I literally got FOUR LETTERS AND A PACKAGE!!! What is that!?! BEST DAY EVER as a missionary! haha. It was really nice to feel so loved! I got your valentine's package mama dearest and I LOVED it! The other Hermana's also say thank you for the sweet valentines and note book and pencil! Hermana Johnson was truly like your mom is the greatest. . my valentine says "valentines day to the rescue" and it was so true. Her valentines package was way late. So she was like I needed this. haha. Allie cat I also got your package! Thanks! I loved the hugs and I definitely and STOKED for Pitch Perfect 2!! (marci, I'm excited for Spiderman 2 too) haha. Do you know the actual day it comes out Allie? Will I be home in time for the premiere? ;) (sorry. . .this is not missionary appropriate but I NEED To know these things! :) I will now focus on more important matters and not on the worldly things in life. . .)

Angel is . .. well Angel! haha. He was hilarious. He apparently met a "member" of the church down there in South Carolina that has multiple wives . . haha. And it was funny because he was telling him about us missionaries who visit him and how he loves us so much and how we are like family to him. (but the thing is Spanish use love in a different way. like amor is for only like family or like your spouse kind of love. . and if not you use more like I care for them a whole lot kind of love instead). Anyways, but angel always says te amo to us because he considers us his "ninas" and he seriously is just awesome. But he was trying to explain this to the guy and the guy was like I don't understand why you don't just marry them and all this stuff. And Angel was like (he is telling this to us over the phone) he was like. . "hermanas do you want to know what I told him? You won't be happy with me. . but I told him ******.(put in your own words here like lovely flowers or something. . ;) ) I was LAUGHING so hard though. He was so mad. Then he was all worried that we thought he loved us in like an inappropriate way or something. It truly was just a funny phone call. We are still working with him on quitting drinking. He had two drinks the other day. But he is still improving a whole bunch. We try to talk to him everyday. And share a scripture or something with him.

So yesterday I am in charge of sharing the scripture and my thoughts. So of course I am reading the scriptures and expressing my thoughts but hello my Spanish is far from perfect so I am trying to correct myself. Then after. . .Angel goes on for like five minutes "Gray, you don't need to correct yourself. Have confidence in your Spanish. Even though it's not perfect I get what you are saying." No joke he seriously went on for five minutes. He truly makes me laugh! He is the greatest person though. I want him to be so happy in life and come so much closer to the Savior! =)

One night this week our dinner appointment forgot they were feeding us dinner so we just shared a message and left. But we were starving because we had been fasting all day. Anyways we decided to stop at this little Mexican restaurant. . and seriously this restaurant was HEAVEN. I was LOVING my food. It was like authentic Mexican food too. It was so super delicious. And the burrito was HUGE! I only ate like a third of it. haha. =) When we visit my mission we are going there. It is called las paisas locos. DELICIOUS!! =)

So Saturday was just plain interesting. . . haha. we had an appointment at 10 in Hogan's so we are driving there. . in the entrance to Hogan's is a police check point (police are smart. . . go where all the illegals are and make you show a license. genius. .) anyways we get through the checkpoint and the police officer even thanks us for wearing our seat-belts. ;)

We are on our way to Marta's and we see this truck that is literally stuck on this hill and we are like we should stop even though we can't really do anything. So we are talking to this guy and we are like we have friends that could come help you (elders of course! Elders to the rescue!). So we call the elders. . haha. Oh my goodness I wish you could just see this mental image that I have in my mind right now at this moment. So the Elders all pull up in their white shirts and ties. The Zone leaders came too. so just imagine four elders pushing on the front of this truck and me and Hermana Nord sitting on the tailgate trying to put weight on the back. haha. I seriously felt like I was on a ride at Lagoon! It was so funny though. Anyways we get the truck unstuck. And it makes it even funnier is that all these Mexican's are just standing around watching and then this white guy redneck person pulls out his camera and starts taking pictures. It was hilarious because one of the neighbors had been talking to us and was like I would help him but he probably is in trouble with the law, he's trying to cut through the back way to avoid the checkpoint. And we were all confused. But then the one guy starts taking pictures and this guy books it and is like I'm not being in no picture!! I was laughing for a good while. But our appointment fell through so we are thinking we were probably meant just to talk to this guy. He is a firm Baptist though but in my mind I am just like remember. . .the Mormons are the ones who would help you. haha. ;) It was truly entertaining.

We also had district meeting on Saturday because Hermana Sahleen was sick on Friday. District meeting was hilarious though cause we were all kind of out of it. And at one point elder reymund fell off a chair. =) I'm telling you we were out of it. But it was really great and we talked about talking to everyone, and it was interesting because that night at correlation Hermano Garcia shared the same thing we talked about in District meeting. Weird! He did that last week too. . he is inspired for sure! ;)

Hermana Nord and I had an encounter with some people from a different church. They knocked on our apartment and asked if they could give us a flier. . so we were like sure and then they were like it's for our church. . okay. . .haha. So we were like can we give you something too?. It was hilarious because she started to explain the Resto pamphlet and he was like well you see I'm a guy and your a girl. . so I need to go. haha. I was dying with laughter. Seriously people make me laugh all the time. Funny moments make my day. =)

Yesterday was pretty fabulous too because Hermana Johnson accidently threw their car keys in the dumpster. So Elder Bradshaw was nice enough to dumpster dive for them. haha. It was a great phone call to get though cause they needed us to come back and pick them up for church.

Church was fantastic! It was branch conference. They had the temple president come and speak and it was truly amazing! I miss the temple so much! It truly was so wonderful to hear all the blessings of the temple! (p.s. I heard another new temple video is out??? True?) And I seriously want to go to the temple every week when I get home. Priority!!! =)

President Hamilton also spoke for a little bit. And he said that over 40% of the church is of the Hispanic culture. In latin and central America is where they mostly come from! Isn't that crazy sauce! 40% of the church!!! Now that is just amazing! =) I am definitely glad to be learning Spanish right now. ;)

Well, not too much else is happening in the life of Hermana Gray. . ;) I am hoping this week will just be incredible! And for sure the week after will be marvelous!

Keep me in your prayers! You are all in mine! And keep the investigators in your prayers. . they need them! I love you all so much! Remember you are wonderful and perfect!

Love you, Have a wonderful week!

Hermana Gray =)

"Try a little harder. . to be a little better" -Gordan B. Hinckley