Hermana Cassie Joan Gray: Feliz Un Ano Hermana Sahleen! =)

Hello Family and Friends!

This week just seemed to fly by! I can't believe that it is already Preparation day again! It just seems to come more and more quickly.

This week we had lot of fun!!

Hermana Sahleen hit her Year Mark! Which is just weird since the first time I met her she was only out for about 6 months. . so that is just weird! But we had lots of fun. I made her a birthday brownie, Made her blow out a candle and everything. ;)

This week we also had a branch activity on Saturday called 'sacerdocio en accion' or 'priesthood in action' the branch played soccer. It was a pretty good turn out. All the people that came though weren't in our area so that was a bummer but it was still fun to watch them all play soccer and talk to the members and their friends. Sadly we didn't get approval to play from president so we just had to be watchers. . =(

Although Collin will be proud. . All those years of kicking around outside with him finally paid off! So before the tournament we as missionaries and a little of the branch were just kicking the soccer ball around for a little bit. Trying to score against the goalie. Yeah totally made it. Anyways, afterwards Jose (our missionary leader), was like Hermana Gray do you play soccer? Oh yes. . a Hispanic asked me if I play soccer. I take that as one of the biggest compliments I can get. =)

This week was pretty great!

We are finally seeing success from all our diligent work. We had three member present lessons this week, which honestly doesn't seem like a whole lot I know but THREE! haha. We went from zeroes to a three this week. Yep, amazing.

We had a really great lesson with Jay and Nico, two teenage-ish boys we are teaching. They are so sweet. Always such gentlemen. haha. We had the chance to teach them a little of the Plan of Salvation while we waited for Sister Ingles (their caretaker right now) to get home. Nico had a question about limbo the previous time (and surprisingly I didn't know what that was so then I had to have someone explain it to me! So the plan was the perfect next lesson!). But he really understood the plan after and just was like that makes so much more sense! They both really doubt the love of god which is so sad to me. It is hard for me to comprehend that others don't understand they have a loving Heavenly Father who wants the best for them. That is one thing that I have learned so much about on the mission. I know for sure that Heavenly Father is there and loves each and everyone of us! We were waiting for her to get home to watch the Testaments with their family for a family home evening. It was really fun!

This week we also had a really great member present lesson. We were visiting a less active named Jorge and his mom was there so we talked about the Libro de Mormon and they both participated so much! It was so great. We had originally planned to watch Finding Faith with them but their DVD player wasn't working. So that was a good back up plan the spirit had for us.

We had a crazy experience this week while tracting. We had tried to tract this one trailer park near the beach. Anyways we meet this guy named Dean-o. haha. Okay CRAZY! So we knock, start speaking to him in Spanish, isn't Hispanic, haha. Whoops. Come out and listens a little to us anyways, but he really was just trying to fight a little but at the same time he was trying to flirt with us which made it even better. So we are just trying so hard to share a little of the Restoration with him but he keeps changing subjects.

He then proceeds to compliment our eyes, he really had a thing for Hermana Sahleen (I think he thought I was irritated at him, which he was kind of annoying haha). So he tells both of us that our eyes just remind him of the ocean and then he says, my eyes are brown and they aren't pretty, so then he asks us what we think of his eyes and Hermana Sahleen just looks at him, "Dirt". haha. I about lost it. He was really kind of creeper though. Kept on inviting us on a date that weekend and he would show us a night on the town 'New York style', etc. It was just awkward and hilarious at the same time. So then we try to leave, and he is protesting us leaving. we just stand up stick out our hands. No a handshake wouldn't do, he goes in at Hermana Sahleen for a hug and then proceeds to try to kiss her. haha. Oh man I was dying. It was so funny. Her reaction was HILARIOUS! =) Make me laugh still thinking about it! =)

We also had the most awkward dinner of my life. . a member had taken us out to dinner since his wife was sick. So he takes us to an all you can eat buffet. Then expects us to eat like three plates worth of food to make it 'worth it' but he ordered his meal to go and ours to stay so then he wants to leave so he can eat, and is trying to rush us eating but at the same time wants us to eat like three plates. It was just so awkward. We were like. . . ummmm.. it was good though. =)

This week we have been doing a little bit of tracting but we have started to see some great success from our labors. We had about 13 referrals this week which was a LOT for us! Mostly just helping us pin-point where the Hispanics live. A referral is a referral. We were a little bummed since we went to try to see this lady again and she was home but just didn't answer. Those are always the worst since the first time you meet them they are so excited and then they don't listen the next time. But that is the life of the missionary!

Right now Hermana Sahleen and I have a really intense bet going on with the elders. We are trying to reach our goal of talking to five people each day while going to appointments and what not and if we don't reach it then the elders said we have to sing a duet in District Meeting, which is not a good idea since both of us CANNOT sing. haha. ;) So lets just say we have lots of motivation to get the message out. The elders are now part of it too. So they have to sing if they don't meet it. Yeah lots of motivation is happening right now. =)

I am trying to think. . not too much else happened this week. Just the normal missionary life, I suppose. Getting up studying, preaching the gospel, etc. =)

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Keep up all the good things in life, read your scriptures, go to church, and say your prayers, and always remember the church is true! And that a missionary in Virginia is always here! I love you all and hope you have an excellent week!

Love,

Hermana Gray

p.s. I am in third Nephi as a mission and I am LOVING it! I love the chapter where Christ blesses the little children. I feel like I have come to know my Savior so much better as a missionary. I know that he loves each and everyone of us. He is our Savior and through him we can return to God our Heavenly Father. Come to learn more of your Savior this week! It will surprise you as you read how little we actually know. =)