Life as a missionary! =)

Hola familia y amigos!

First off. . . I SURVIVED TRANSFERS!!!!!! =)

I will be staying in Newport News for another 6 weeks with Hermana Newman! We are really excited, at least I am. But we are just seeing the work progress here so much and just seeing exciting things coming!

Where to begin?? This week was really great! It truly seems like time is flying. . .as I was just made aware I have a 100 days until I am half way out. . now that is ridiculous! But exciting too! I feel like I have so much more to do to be a great missionary. . or at least feel adequate as a missionary. haha.

Well excitement we have had this week!!

We went to visit Edilberta. . and no joke she talked for a straight 50 minutes without letting us get ONE WORD IN!!!  No joke. . . she talked and talked (telling the same stories we've already heard) and just kept going. It was pretty hilarious and frustrating. But at the end of her talking she basically said, "I want to be baptized, but I can't do it for about two months do to my health, so I don't know if you want to wait for me. ." haha. Oh goodness! Let's just say she is now set to have a baptism on June 21! =) She is one cute old lady that we just love to pieces. Of course we want to wait for her!!! =) haha.

Also this week we had a pretty good lesson with Maria! The spirit was present but then we found out that she is moving to Mexico (or going back because her visitors visa is expiring this week). . so she leaves on Tuesday for Mexico. But we took her information and hopefully the missionaries down there will find her and keep teaching her! She seems so prepared! =)

And speaking of Mexico, CONGRATS COLTON!!!! You are going to be a great missionary! I can't believe you are that old (or that I'm this old for that matter) but you are going to do great! You will love being a missionary, just work hard and trust the Lord! And good luck with the Spanish!!! (you will definitely speak WAY better than me so feel good about that! ;) )

Jesus, Miriam and Natasha are doing so great! They are just so strong in the gospel! We love to visit them because they always bare such a powerful testimony! We also had dinner with them yesterday and she makes some delicious food! Some tacos durros (which I believe might be my favorite food so far on the mission) and then she made this cucumber water too that was interesting but good. She is so cute! She is always so worried we won't like her food. But we do every time!! =)

One of the neatest experiences so far on the mission. We are teaching a lady named Gissel. . she is a member referral of the Hamilton's. So Sister Hamilton is really great about coming with us to lessons. We went and were just having a great talk with Gissel and just discussing the bible and how the church was restored. Oh my goodness. . . as Hermana Newman was reciting the first vision the spirit was SO STRONG! Then afterwards Sister Hamilton bore her testimony and it was just perfect. Gissel and sister Hamilton were in tears the whole time (surprisingly I wasn't, yes, if you can believe that!). Gissel said that she was willing to read and listen to us but not to expect anything for sure. She basically was really nervous after the spirit was so strong in the room. But hopefully she will keep reading and wanting to learn. I know that if she lets her heart and mind open to it she will be so ready to accept the gospel! =) She is such a wonderful lady!

Yesterday at church we had the chance to do singing time for the primary! It was super fun! The little kids are HILARIOUS! and I just love Primary! =) We are always so entertained. We hid flowers around the room with songs on them and they had to find them. It was cute. We hid this one kind of hard and the poor kid couldn't find it. =) But we helped him out so it was all good. It is amazing to me too how little the primary is here! There was only 15 kids in there! Crazy right?!? Just a big difference from the primary kids back in Utah so it always takes me by surprise. I think that I will probably be in shock when I go home and see all the people at church. haha.

We also had a couple of great lessons yesterday. Not too much to tell about them hopefully they will start progressing and I can give you more about them when they are deeper in the gospel! =)

Okay. . . . Now ready for the best story of your life. . . be ready to almost die of laughter. . .You have to use some good imagination (to see my face! Not for the other things I will describe!) and due to the craziness I will not say who it was. haha.

So we go to visit someone and it's like 8:15 at night. . . So I am about to knock on the door and it starts opening before I knock. . so first off I am taken by surprise, then secondly they open the door in nothing but a shirt (it was long thankfully). and she immediately just starts saying (in Spanish of course) "not tonight sisters, my husband is nuda (yes. . .that is what you think it means). . ." let's just say my composure from that point was pure shock. Hermana Newman wasn't up on the porch where I was but was at the bottom of the stairs and she was trying to ask what time tomorrow we could visit (she had said that we could come by the next day) and in my mind I am thinking "why in the world are we trying to schedule an appointment??? lets just leave them alone" haha. Oh man. . . let's just say that I wasn't able to compose my laughter in the car for a good half hour and I am still trying not to laugh thinking about it. Apparently my face was pretty priceless too!!!! =) Just imagine my face. . oh goodness. . .I hope you all got a good laugh out of that! =)

This week we are really excited as missionaries! We are having Elder Bednar come!!! WAHOO!!! We are traveling to Richmond on Saturday to hear from him, we will be spending 3 hours in the meeting (we have been asked that we are prepared to be there for the whole meeting and try not to leave for bathroom and things). . 3 hours in the same room as an apostle. Yep, I am about to die! =) I am so excited!!! And then we have been given three of his talks to study too! And that just makes it all the more exciting! =)

Then I will also have the chance to listen to him on Sunday for another 2 hour meeting! WAHOO!!! We are excited! =) I can't wait to share my thoughts with all of you this next week about it!

Well, dearest family, I love you all so much and hope you have a wonderful week!!! I can't believe that time just seems to keep flying and that pretty soon I will be talking to you again! I am excited that I will have the chance to talk to you on Mother's Day! (I don't have information on that yet, but I will keep you posted!).

I love you! have a wonderful week! Be safe in your travels and know that I am praying for you wherever you are! =) If you feel the need to send me a souvenir feel free. ;) haha.

Love you, your favorite missionary/daughter/sister/fill in the blank here,

Hermana Gray

I wanted you to experience an Abuelita meal with me, first off the HUGE bowl of soup, full of ingredients...

While eaten in an 82 degree house....

Finished!

Then her saying goodbye like always, waving until we leave the parking lot. haha.  Welcome to the life of an Abuelita meal...got to love this old lady! =)

next the main meal..and yes, you are expected to eat all of it.  My mound of rice is huge, it doesn't look like it but it is half the plate in a mound. a LOT of food.

Me preparing to eat.