Life as a Missionary... =)

Oh goodness, Family! I love you all so much and miss you all so much!

I cannot believe another week has FLOWN by! This week was seriously so stinking fast. I have no idea why but it just was so fast. I can't believe it. The mission seems to just be going more and more quickly. I can't believe I will be at 5 months next sunday!! (Happy anniversary TJ and Meg!) and conference for everyone else! =)

Well this week was a welcome to the true life of a missionary. . . TRACTING..... haha. Oh goodness are we such an awkward people. We basically go and knock on someones door. . introduce ourselves as representatives of the Savior and then ask if they have interest in the true church! What a WEIRD concept! But it is so wonderful to bring others to the gospel! Even with all the awkward moments we go through as missionaries! And believe me.. .. there are MANY! =)

Oh something I forgot to mention last week. . . when we had transfer meeting I knew two of the Elders from Lehi! =)

Elder Unatoa! =) And also Elder Black! (he played football with Colton!) So that was neat but I wanted to tell Colton that he says hello. And that he had a great time in California with your family!

So that was fun to see people I actually know.

Last Monday night we went to the home of the Hamilton family with the Ramirez family too (jesus Miriam and Natasha). and then they also had a friend over there her name is Gissel. And we had FHE with them and they did it all and it was so fun! We watched a video about temples. Asher gave a short talk/lesson on it. Then we played the candy bar game! It was super fun and simple. They are the greatest family ever! Always spreading the gospel! We have an appointment with Gissel this Wednesday so hopefully something will come from it! =) Member referrals are the greatest! And the ones who are most likely prepared to hear the gospel and join because of their friends influence and example!

One of the funniest moments of the week. . .. Hermana Johnson spilled it out to me:

So on my desk I have Grandma Gobles little biography she wrote to us. And I read it every so often when I have time. So come to find out Hermana Johnson was like I have something to confess to you. . . Hermana Sahleen and I started reading it and thought it was super great! They would steal it while we were finishing companionship study or during lunch when we were still out and about and read it out loud to eachother. =) I love them. They were like. . . WE HAD TO KNOW IF IT WAS ANOTHER GIRL OR IF IT WAS FINALLY A BOY!!! haha. I was dying. They got like 60 pages in before she got transferred. I just thought it was hilarious. I didn't care that they were reading it. =) So funny though! Glad my grandmother could provide entertainment for the hermanas.

We have been doing some tracting actually false. . .LOTS of it! haha. But we are knocking doors and visiting formers and we have a few potentials this week to visit. We visited a former named Eliberta she is probably in her 60's. She is super nice. She was falling asleep during our lesson though. She had just gotten back from her night shift at work. . haha. But she lives with a guy named Antonio and he was really listening intently. He was super interested so we are excited to have another lesson with them on Tuesday! Hopefully they will be there! =) He was really interested though and was intrigued about a living day prophet.

Esteban isn't coming to church anymore. . . =( Basically he just had a crush on Hermana Nord so that is a bummer. But I think he felt the spirit at church. He called us trying to get her information (which I don't have and if I did I would NOT give it to him on my life). . But it was the scariest feeling when I was talking to him. I just had to restate our purpose as missionaries tell him if he wanted to learn again to call us and we would start teaching him again (the elders to be exact). So that was a hard phone call but a good one to know. It is sad that people misunderstand the purpose of missioanries and mix their feelings too. I know he's felt the spirit but he needs to choose to accept it.

WE visited VAllerio this week (MA) and learned all of his story. He is incredible. He came to America once.. . didn't make it. Him and his family new he needed to be here. So he had a pastor come over and say a prayer and he said he would make it here. He left his wife and three kids behind, came to America. His youngest child was 1 when he left. He hasn't seen his children in 6 years!! CRAZY RIGHT!?!? He is the greatest though. Always so happy and working so hard to provide a life for him and his children. He talks to htme all the time and works so hard. He cleans a movie theater at night for a living. He is so dedicated and persistent. He is one of the happiest people I know and the gospel truly changed his life. It was incredible. =) He also makes me laugh because he was jamming out to some awesome Spanish music when we got there. And he has a mexi stache which just makes me laugh. I will have to get a picture with him one day just so you can see how cool he is. =)

This weekend was the baptism of two of the cutest girls in the branch! EMily Castillo and Brandy Farfan! They are so adorable! I just love them. It was above and beyond! They made so much food, chicken, rice, beans, three types of pasta, stroganoff, potato salad, and then the desserts. . brownies and cake!

Wow was it intense food and décor and all of the above but it was super special for it! =)

Emily is like a little sister to me. She is so cute. She was super nervous when I got there and was like Sister Gray hold my hand I am NERVOUS! (she was getting her hair done).

But she was super excited by the end and it was interesting because the baptism was half Spanish half English. So they did half the talks in Spanish and English. It was neat. Brandy was baptized in English and Emily in Spanish. Emily's dad isn't a member so that was neat to have him there too. And see her take this step in her life.

That night we also had the chance to go to the womans broadcast! WOW oh wow did I enjoy that! Makes me that much more excited for conference! =)

We watched it in English. I missed the first talk though because I saw Miriam show up during it and we had to go and make sure the Spanish tv was working in the RS room (it wasn't) so we had to get the stake guy to come and help us and we got it working for her and Laura (another recent convert). They were so grateful! So I missed the first talk although I heard a little of it while we were setting up the stuff. I was SHOCKED how quickly the primary children caught on to the song! Wow that was neat!

My favorite talk of the night was probably Eyrings. His was fantastic. I also enjoyed Linda K. Burton's. But my favorite quote of the night was "You are more alike as daughters of God than you are different!" How true is that! I was so happy to feel the spirit that night so strongly and just feel of the love of our heavenly father. It also was neat because I knew all my sisters and mom were watching it at the same time (ours started at 8-9:30). So it was neat because I could feel you watching it too and knew how happy this was making you and the revelation and feelings you were getting. AHHH!! Chills! I just love it!

Sunday was incredible! Testimonies were so great. The cute Hamilton family announced they were returning to the English ward which was so sad for the branch. They are truly loved. But they are needed elsewhere. Abuelita bares her testimony each month and it truly brings me joy. She says the same thing each time and always makes a comment about our "handsome leaders". She cracks me up. One of the greatest old ladies ever! =) 

Oh another funny moment of the week was Hermana Newman and CAmps first Abuelita's. Hermana Camps was STRUGGLING... it was Hiliarious! I had to help her with her Quaker. She couldn't finish it. So great!

The Mueller's also had us over for dinner along with 4 other families in the branch so it was so fun to get to know all of them a little better! We had some delicious carne asada.And then HORCHATA which is like drinking a cinnamon roll. Yep, heaven in a cup! I need to get the recipe to make that. It was SO delicious. haha. I will definitely be making you all some delicious Mexican food when I get home. =) Already have a couple of salsa recipes and just normal recipes too! =)

Well family! I am SO SO SO excited for conference! We as missionaries will be watching it in English! (I guess I could watch it in Spanish if I truly wanted too). In our emails from President today we were told we could watch it in a member, LA, or non-members home if we would like to. As long as we can feel the spirit and not be distracted. So that will be interesting if we have that opportunity. Although we might watch it just at the church too. Who knows!

This week was so wonderful though! I can't believe I have been out almost five months! Time flies as a missionary. I am so weirded out by the passage of time. I can remember so vividly saying goodbye to all of you it feels like yesterday, but I cannot believe it was 5 months ago. It boggles my mind. And I know that our reunion will come so quickly and I just want to become the best missionary in the world! Conquer all! =)

I love you all so much! General Conference is so amazing and I hope you all take the time to watch it and take a question with you to conference. One of my favorite talks of conference was by Robert D. Hales last conference when he talked about the IMPORTANCE of General conference! If you don't remember it go and read it! And if you do remember it read it again! We all can receive so many blessings from watching general conference. This is the only time we have to listen to a prophet of the lord! How significant is this opportunity!!!?!?!? LISTEN with all your heart. You will be blessed!

I love you all so much! Have a wonderful week, Be safe in your travels, and don't have too much fun without me, and if you do be sure to take lots of pictures and act like I am there. ;)

Love you,

su favorita Hermana,

Hermana Gray