Hermana Cassie Joan Gray: Welcome to North Carolina

I made it to the beautiful peninsula of Nagshead! Well I guess Outerbanks. .haha.

What happens with transfers is we receive a transfer call the Saturday before then you will arrive at transfer meeting at the church mission office on the following Thursday. Hermana Sahleen and I drove up because we live close. If you have to ride the transfer van then it depends on if you attend the meeting or not. (you only ride it if your living far aka north Carolina).

At transfer meeting we have the chance to listen to sister baker give a training on the adjusting to missionary life handbook and then we also have the opprotunity to listen to President Baker give his thoughts. He then shows a power point of the mission describing each of the areas/stakes. then from that point he introduces the new arrivals "greenies" to their trainers. We close with a prayer and head off to our new areas! =)

Because I was headed to North Carolina my new companion Hermana Harrison wasn't present at the meeting. I had to ride the transfer van. =) haha. The Assistants drive it and you are in there with a bunch of other missionaries. This happened to be a bigger transfer with missionaries headed to North Carolina so Elder Haderlie (AP) drove the truck (the assistants car. . .i know, why don't I get the truck?? haha.) hauling a trailer with luggage. Elder Jones (AP) drove the van. and someone driving a mission car to an area. There were LOTS of people. There were 8 people in the van, i think 4-5 in the truck and 2 in the car. I was on the first stop. They only do two stops and the missionaries meet you at the chapels. I was in the stop in Elizabeth City.

I met Hermana Harrison there! I also saw Hermana Johnson who I miss like crazy! She is so funny!

I will throw this in because I think mama dearest will appreciate it. An Elder was holding this little dog of the member who was driving us to Nagshead. So he is holding this little dog and Hermana Johnson is giving him crap about it. And he is like, well he might get hit by a car or something. So I am like "or the eagles will snatch him". haha, yes that did happen. Hermana Johnson about lost it. She just looks at me and was like "I missed you!". Too bad I will only see her at Zone conferences and things for now. We are hoping that she gets a "trunky transfer" and comes to me and I can kill her off here. :) She leaves in January. We will lose 10 of the 15 hermanas by January. CRAZY SAUCE! =)

I am loving the Outerbanks! it is GORGEOUS!!

Apparently it is a VERY touristy town. Basically it is just beach houses. .

they topped out this summer at 1.2 million visitors in one weekend with over 7000 cars riding the ferry in one day. CRAZY! =) We do serve on the whole penninsula though, but due to miles we will never have the chance to see our whole area. Which is super sad.

One neat thing, the movie 'nights in roadanthee' (can't spell for the life of me! Sorry!). But the house is actually in our area. So maybe I'll have the chance to get a picture by it. =)

The area is so so beautiful! And I am also the designated driver for this transfer!!! WAHOO!!!! =) after 9 months of not driving it feels good to get behind the wheel again! I missed it. . we drive a ford fusion. . not the same as my mazda but it works. =)

We live in a beautiful home! yes, a home! it is really pretty. Two levels, I get my own bathroom and everything. It is HUGE. it was originially bought to be plowed down to make a bigger parking lot for the church (yes, the church is NEXT DOOR!) haha. But because of licensing issues with the county they had to keep it up. So we live in it! I love it. We live in a kind of forresty area too which is nice. I have seen some deer! =) long time. .

I am really enjoying my new area. it is SUPER touristy. Mom your question about the ocean thing. As of right now due to tourist season we are still in the 2 blocks from the beach rule. But because the road we drive down has little sand hills (it is a protection thing for hurricanes so the houses don't get taken out as easily) we can drive it. It is really nice. We are super lucky. And the rule is basically you can't tract on/near the beach. If we have an investigator there we can go to their home then leave directly after.

North Carolina is so fun! I am loving my new area. There seems to be LOTS of potential. As of now we/they have four people set with a date for baptism!!!

Speaking of baptism: Edilberta from the News is getting baptized TOMORROW!!!!!!!! =) I am so happy for her. I am REALLY sad that I can't go now due to transfers. haha. Lame. If I would have been in the Beach I still could have gone. We just live too far away to make the trip. But I am so happy for her. Hermana Newman told me she would send me pictures since she has approval to go. =) So I will forward those to you when I get them! I am jealous for sure. =) Glad that she finally can be baptized.

I also heard that Juan and Maria both went to church yesterday too! =) So hopefully we will hear about a baptism from them soon. =)

Well, welcome to the area.

Sorry keep getting distracted; I just want to tell you EVERYTHING. so it gets distracting. I think of all the things I need to tell and get them out as quick as I can.

Well. . first off

Hermana Harrison is my new companion! She is a sweetheart. She is from Hawaii (yes, not Utah, although she will be moving back to Utah after this mission, her mom moved while on the mission). She is 22 super nice, very unique. She loves to tell stories. She gets really animated. I think we will work well together. She has been out a while now. She leaves come November which is SO soon! But all is well. =)

I am currently serving in an English ward. Which is definitely different. I miss the little spanish branches. But there are some benefits to serving in an English ward. haha. The people here are really nice. They all have a little bit of an accent. So hopefully I come home with one. =) They are the sweetest though.

And it was interesting. Sister Moore came up to me at church (I had met her previously). . but she is like 'I have a question and it is kind of in appropriate to ask you as a missionary but is your first name by chance Cassie' haha. So I was like yes. She then proceeds to tell me that she is friends with Josh Nelson's mom! =) Small world! But I had forgotten how Josh's mom told me all about Virginia and North Carolina because she is from around here. She apparently grew up here. So that was a small town moment. =)

This ward is pretty decently sized. People come in from all over to go here. It has about 150 active members. (which is HUGE compared to other places!). I think the farthest member drives about 2 hours to come to church each week. They are all so nice. Apparently with the visitors in the summer in gets really packed. One week they had approximately 800 guests. WOW! It was JAM packed. I am excited to get to know the ward here better. I am sure they are all so wonderful.

We ate dinner with the Feikert family. An older couple from the ward. I of course am just a talking away. (I can't blame it though, she kept asking questions) but I tried to turn it around on her. And so I asked about their conversion stories. It was really neat. She told us all about her conversion to the gospel. Her husband was shocked about all the details she was telling. He told me that he hadn't even heard some of the things she was telling!

We had the chance to also visit a less active here (I am still a little unsure how this less active thing works here since most of them are English). there is a set of sisters in the ward too. Anyways. We shared with her this poem about the atonement that Hermana Harrison had and it was really powerful. She starting to tear up. I was so impressed by how easily the spirit can touch a person's heart.

I am super excited to start work here. I know that there will be a whole lot of fun! I don't really have a lot to tell you since I just got here. .haven't really had the chance to get to know anyone. Mostly just tried contacting people. Had lots of lessons fall through. :( Bummer.

Oh I will tell you this: I think it is neat.

We serve in Manteo (Man-E-O that is how they tell if you are a tourist of not). But the mayor there isn't a member but he owns a restaurant called the Garden Deli. He feeds us each Saturday. So neat. He is a really nice guy.

Another funny thing. I came to this area and yet again, first day was a ward party! haha. Well this was more of a wedding reception for the daughter of the bishop. . so basically a ward party. it was funny. =) I got to know the ward real well, real quick!

Today we are planning on going to the aquarium with all the sisters in the area. We are excited. We also are doing Exchanges tonight with the STL's. It will be different because we both stay in the area and work. And it is a bummer too because due to some scheduled things they have we can't do what we originally planned, me go to Manteo. So we both have to work the same area. haha. it will be really interesting. =) Especially since I do not know the area at all yet. We will basically be contacting a bunch of people I do not know! But exchange miracles; they exist! So I will be looking for them!!! =)

Before I left the Beach we had the chance to say goodbye to a less active named Jorge. He is incredible! We shared with him about the sacrament and he commited to come to church. The spirit was strong. He was sad to see me leave, his mom I think was even more so. She started to tear up. I was so touched. She told me to come and visit her after the mission and to remember I am always in her prayers. She is a sweetie.

I also received the nicest text from Presidente Ramirez the day before I left. He told me that I was such a wonderful missionary. That this branch would really miss me. He also thanked me for making a huge impact on his family. And he wished me the best in my new area. And said thanks from his family. And to visit when I go home. =)

Family. . there are lots of people to visit, and since I am also serving in the touristy places of the mission; lots of things to do on our return trip to VA! =)

The weather here is being super crazy today. . HUGE thunderstorm happening. It is pretty though. =)

I hope all of you are doing well. it is so great to hear from you! I love to read about what is happening in each of your lives! =) Be safe, remember who you are and where you come from.

I love you all!

As they say in the 'south' have a blessed day.

Sending love from North Carolina,

Hermana Gray