Hermana Cassie Joan Gray: Happy Easter! =)

Dearest family and friends,

Thank you all so much for your love and support on my mission. It really means so much to me that I have so much support behind me and my decision. I cannot believe how quickly time goes. . Mom was telling me that one of my temple spheres was filled up already and that time just seems to be going so much faster than it ever did when Collin was gone. I am thinking it's because she misses me more. ;) No really I just know that the time we have on a mission is so short and it amazes me how much little time I have left to make these biggest changes in my life. I want to do so much more but it is crazy to me that I basically have a year left. . . That is CRAZY!!! Does anyone else feel like I just left?!?!? Because I do!

This week was truly wonderful! I had such a great time reflecting on the death and resurrection of our Savior. I hope you all took the opportunity yesterday during the Easter ruckus to focus on the Savior and the significance of his life and death. And that because of him the bands of death are broken and we have the chance to live again. He truly does LIVE! And I am so grateful to have this knowledge. It is incredible to me how many people in the world do not know this. . and that is why we need to share the message of the gospel with others! =)

Easter Sunday was a little interesting. It was actually unique and special in it's own way.

The Easter bunny came!! =) It visited my desk and left mini kit kats and a note. Then it also made me breakfast, pancakes and eggs! It was a pretty great Easter bunny if I do say so!

We also had the chance to go to church! Which of course is so great! We had an investigator at church and it was so wonderful. Eliberta (which we found out her real name is Edilberta the previous missionaries had wrote it down wrong but I have trouble pronouncing it. haha. So I stick with Eliberta). But she was there and she loved it! Her fellow shipper actually spoke so that was wonderful. And it was just great. Then during Sunday school/Gospel Principles a member comes in and announces that the rest of church is cancelled because they are having issues with the plumbing and the toilets aren't working and legally they cannot hold church. So church was CANCELLED!!! How does that work?!?? Satan works in mysterious ways. . that is all I have to say. =) I never thought as a missionary we would have to find a back up for church but we did.

We also dropped by the Hamilton's yesterday. They are so wonderful. They showed us the new video for Easter than also a bible video and we just had a good little conversation with them about Christ and the significance of his life.

This week we also had two member lessons in members homes with their friends!! Now that was NEAT! We are so grateful for our members and their efforts. The Self family had a friend from work that came to dinner with us. She was super neat, she is from Germany and she speaks 4 languages, 3 fluently that she uses EVERY DAY. She spoke Dutch, German, English and French. Now that was just neat. She was super nice. Brother Self has been sharing the gospel with her and it is interesting. The message was in English and it was a lot more difficult. She has some GREAT questions but they were really hard to answer. She was wondering about the woman holding the priesthood and things like that. It was a nice little lesson though. And hopefully she has the missionaries in Germany come over to her home (she was going back the next day).

Then we also had a lesson with the Hamilton's friend, Gissel. Now this lady is so wonderful! She is Catholic and is just the sweetest. She had a rough last month due to some health reasons so we had went over to visit her and just tell her that we lived close if she needed help. And then we went over the week before and shared a message with her and she said that she wanted us to come back and have lunch with her and she would invite sister Hamilton too. She wanted to thank us for our kindness.

We go there for lunch and I was immediately intimidated. . . this lunch was intense. haha. There was nice plates and silverware and like three cups and actual linen napkins and it was really intimidating. Then as we were talking with her waiting for sister Hamilton to arrive she says that she found some bible verses she'd like to read with us a little later. Yep, intimidated. But in the end it was a really great time. We had the chance to give her a book of Mormon and she accepted it and said she would read a little in it before our next visit. So there is high hopes for her! =) She is such a great lady and shares some wonderful stories about her life. It was also interesting because we did the message in English yet again, (she speaks both but sister Hamilton only speaks English) so we shared our message in English which is just difficult. You wouldn't think it would be because my English is still WAY better then my Spanish is. haha. But it is just weird to talk about the gospel in English now. Everything related to the gospel should just be in Spanish from now on. =)

Another promising investigator we have right now is named Laura. She is so sweet. She is married and has two little girls (5 and 1). So we drop by to see if we can have a lesson because we had went there for our scheduled one and she wasn't there. So we just randomly stopped in to see by chance. So as she was talking to us she was saying a different day would probably be better so we are like that is fine a different day then. So I go and back out the car and as I am getting in from backing Hermana Newman out her little girl (who is ADORABLE! She has the most gorgeous hair in the world, so think and just ringlets, her name is Perla and she is a doll!) come running out and is like wait wait! My mom says you can come in now! So we are like are hearing what I am hearing so we pull back in and we are both like okay. . this is odd. So then we enter the house and she was like as you were leaving my little girl asked why I didn't let you in and then she wanted you to stay so I said she could go get you. =) So stinking cute! And it was great because we had a wonderful conversation about life after death and the resurrection. . we had just been talking and that came up due to some things she told us. So then it was neat too because she told us that she thought she had one of out "bibles" and she goes into this cupboard and sure enough she had been visited by previous missionaries. And she said that she didn't remember much about them just that they gave her a video that she LOVES and thought was so wonderful. =) So that is great. And then she pays us one of the most sincere compliments ever. . . she is just talking and she says. . "so I told my husband about you, how sincere and honest you are. And how you are both just so loving and are very young but are so polite." and just things like that. Then she told us her husband now wants us to visit when he can come and be there! YES! We were excited! We have a lesson with them this next Sunday so we will see how that goes! =) They are just wonderful!

This past week we also did Exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders, so I stayed here yet again and Sister Caldwell came with me! It was SUPER FUN! A LOT better than I thought it was going to be. It was neat. So Hermana Newman and I had been avoiding this apartment complex to tract. . it is a little sketch and we just both weren't feeling like tracting, and so we made a deal that whoever stayed had to tract it. haha. Which is better anyways because all the English people the Sister Training leaders do and the Spanish we do. So we made this deal. So no joke. . . we go and tract for a straight three hours at this apartment complex! It was so FUN! Knocking doors you meet some interesting people. . .let's just say that! But it was nice too because I got a good amount of compliments on my Spanish that day so I was a happy person. =) haha.

We have 5 lessons scheduled this week from our tracting and about 8 phone numbers to call and make appointments. So it was a good experience. =)

I met Hector, who seems so interested. He was asking all about what time church started and everything and just was super interested. We have an appointment with him and his family tonight so we will see how that goes. =)

I also had a HILARIOUS experience. .

So we are talking to this random guy outside (I don't even remember his name because I didn't care to after this point). So I start taking down his phone number and he starts giving me a bunch of digits in doubles. . so I reach the limit of a phone number and he gave me two extra digits. . so I know it is fake but than I don't know what to say. . haha. So it was hilarious. Then sister Caldwell also recognized that it was longer than normal so she whispers to me as we were walking away. . "I know I don't know Spanish but that was a LONG number". haha. I was laughing pretty good.

We also had no joke the most awkward hug ever. .. it might beat the one off Harry Potter.

So we tracted into Tony and Tara and had a lesson with them for a good forty minutes. So afterwards Sister Caldwell goes and gives Tara a hug and no joke it goes on for a good 3 minutes. . sister Caldwell is dying and trying to pull away but every time she does Tara just pulls her closer. her face was PRICELESS. I was laughing for a good while.

This past Saturday we had the chance to help with the Bishops storehouse. The truck dropped the items at the church and we had the chance to help the different people "shop" and fill their orders. It was really fun. It is still so incredible to me the different levels of gratitude the people have. But I was so happy to see that they were receiving the help they needed. I think it is wonderful to see the direct effects of what your fast offerings go to. This program is INCREDIBLE! I was so grateful for our church and all the efforts they give to help those in need.

A couple of great food instances. . . I ate a HUGE plate of mole enchiladas (which are ten times better than regular mole but still not my favorite in the world), and then we had orchata. . which is normally delicious. But this one was a strawberry mix in and it seriously tasted like drinking bubble gum. Like the bubble gum ice cream flavor. . . it was a GINORMOUS glass too! then sister Caldwell was with me and she couldn't do it so I had to drink hers too. haha. Oh the sacrifices we make as missionaries.

Well family. . . Not too much else is happening in the mission life! Just studies and the norm. I am so grateful for all the chances I have to study and learn more about my Savior and especially the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have all this knowledge before us we just have to put forth the effort to receive the blessings.

I am so excited for the upcoming events in the mission life. =)

This week is transfer calls. . . so who knows maybe my life will be changing a little bit, at least the area. But then again maybe not. I see so much potential and great things coming for this area that I would be sad to leave. . we will see what happens though.

So this week is transfer calls and then fast sunday.

the next week is Elder Bednar and we get to hear from him twice (as missionaries than in this stake).

Then three weeks from yesterday is mother's day! And I get to talk to all of you! =) AHHHHHHH!!!!! This is so weird. I feel like time just flew. . I seriously spoke to you not too long ago and now I will be speaking to you again so quickly. Just craziness!

Well I love you all so much, Please make sure you take the time and reflect a little more on the Savior this week! =)

As mom always says,

Remember who you are and where you come from!

And my little adder, and who loves you! =)

Love you all,

Hermana Gray