Hermana Cassie Joan Gray: Birthday Week!!!!

Hola Familia y amigos!

Well this week has been pretty wonderful if I do say so!

We started the week off in a trio which was kind of different. I liked it and didn't all at the same time. . a lot different!

Our dear Sister Garvin ended her mission on Tuesday. So due to that much of my last preparation day was spent in the car. I was driving her up to the mission home. About a two and a half, three hour drive. We had lots of fun. Talked all about life and what not, then it was hilarious to get closer to the mission home and you just hear her get quieter and quieter... well everyone did. We said our farewells and then Dear sister Carlson was with us for a few days! Our drive back was silent in the car for a good ten minutes... super awkward. It is just weird to remember that missionary life doesn't last forever... one day I will get on a plane and fly home to Utah. haha. Just a weird thought process was happening!

But on to the week. The first couple of days was just ultimately crazy! We were in a trio with Sister Carlson and it was LOTS of fun, but ultimately it was just a mess. Trying to get everything done, packing Hermana Harrison, doing deep clean (to a gigantic home!). . . it was FUN but CRAZY!

Sister Carlson is just a hoot, So I had a blast! Super glad that she stayed in the area. I am loving both the sisters we live with, sister Carlson and sister Bassett. They are great.

We had the chance to visit Luis this week. It was great! We had a really wonderful lesson with him on Keeping the Sabbath day holy. I enjoyed it. Luckily Torin came with us though because if not I would have basically taught the lesson by myself. Sister Carlson obviously doesn't speak Spanish and Hermana Harrison was abnormally quiet for some reason. So it was me and Torin teaching. It was good though. I think he realized that we may not worship on Saturday (he is a 7th day evangelist). But that we do believe in keeping the Sabbath day holy, etc. I think he felt the spirit strong. He keeps texting us after our 'scripture of the day'. Hopefully we will see some progression with him soon!

Wednesday is the day we are in Manteo all day and I just LOVE it! Such a super cute small town. We are visiting it when we come back. . side note. But it is the greatest. It is also English class day so I am sure that makes my day also! I was laughing since somehow it came up that my birthday was 'next' week (THURSDAY!!! whoot whoot!). and all of them are like... 'we need to have cake, and celebrate.' so maybe there'll be cake there, or pizza. haha. =)

Thursday was mostly consisting of driving to Elizabeth City to get HERMANA JOHNSON! Who is just the greatest person in the whole wide world. I LOVE HER TO DEATH!!! We have Way too much fun together. I think we both are just on FIRE right now. I lived with her in Newport News for about six months. So that was fun. We spent lots of snow days together. And then lots of our companions have been companions so we know each other very well. I will most likely end up 'killing her' off come January. She leaves for home in January... crazy to think. I used to measure my mission time off of all the people I lived with in the news so I am trying not to think of how quick time is flying.

I love her though. We are really goal oriented right now. We are really pumped about this area and are ready to turn it around. There is so much potential in this area but because of some circumstances it wasn't being put to it's full potential. But now WE are going to change it around and makes this successful!!! and we are going to have loads of fun while we are at it! =)

Thursday was spent planning and mostly just planning. haha. And studies. Because of the drive time around here for meetings it is hard to get things done on those days.

Friday we had district meeting. It was really hilarious. We are the only Spanish in our district. But we asked elder muncy a question.... I don't remember what then he says 'el no' I was laughing so hard. It was hilarious. Even the English sisters got a kick out of that one. He also brought some pumpkin pie! So that was delicious. He told me that he'd bring a pumpkin cheesecake next week for my birthday to celebrate. whoot whoot! Birthday week will persist!

Saturday we were down in Manteo for the day! So great!

We do this thing each Saturday where for a straight three hours you walk and talk to EVERYONE! We decided to go to this street where I know Hispanics live. So we were walking and of course the first person we meet is Hispanic! whoot whoot!

We ended up talking to about 25 people.. we had seven lessons! It was really wonderful! there is SO much potential here! we are really trying to get this area on the ball. There were a few decent potentials from that so we will see this next week how many of them are at their return appointments.

I was a little when we first learned of 'walk and talk'. it is just a mission wide thing for a few months. But it was hard to think. Especially because most of the people that we would be talking to would probably be English. But Heavenly Father blessed us and we talked to Hispanics ga-lor!

We met this man named Roberto... full of cowboy. HILAIROUS! We went to the piggly wiggly after walk and talk because we were parched.... and I was dying of thirst. (we were a little dramatic by this point... haha). But then piggly wiggly didn't have our drink of choice so we walked to the gas station next door. But on the way out from piggly wiggly I said 'hola' and Roberto basically ran up to us and was like you speak spansih?!? So we had a good forty minute conversation with him about life and the gospel. He wasn't all that interested. He made me laugh though. He was like 'you girls are beautiful, now I got my apple, she is gorgeous and my wife is incredible, but you girls need to marry a good apple." and then he just made a bunch of other comments that I thought were HILARIOUS! We were just laughing up a storm.

Another funny thing on the walk and talk was we were walking back to our car towards the end and we see a Hispanic through a bush. So Hermana juanhijo goes 'do you speak spanish' so they say yes. . I of course see about 8 beer bottles and am like hmmm... so we walk around and start talking to the three of them. They were real funny. We told them a little about missionaries. Then he was like okay. Pulls out two chairs and lets us sit around the table with them. Then says 'you got five minutes. But first let me tell you that you are two very beautiful ladies'. haha. Oh goodness they are funny. We had some good times on the walk and talk.

We also had a really wonderful lesson with Israel. We talked about the book of Mormon then challenged him to look for the word Christ on the pages. (he can't read). the spirit was strong though. He didn't come to church which was disappointing. But hopefully he will make the effort next week.

We had a really great lesson with Eduardo. He had some more questions about the plan of salvation so we ended up re-teaching him that. it was great though. He seemed to really have a desire to know if it was the plan of God. It was a good lesson.

Life is just wonderful! I think I am just loving the joy that I am feeling. I feel so stress free right now on my mission. . I think the laughter has definitely helped.

I wish I could explain this story in person so hopefully it makes sense. But there is a little hole thing in our closet that is like storage but it's up high. So we wanted to climb in it. But it was too high for a chair so Hermana Johnson decided that I was going to boost her from on top of the chair. And so she is standing on the chair and I boost her then she know she won't make it so she just gives up and falls against the wall. but there was this peg thing. Anyways moral of the story we laughed for a good twenty minutes and she has this huge bruise from the peg. But today she made it in the hole. I am going to climb in it to get my picture so I'll send it to you. :)

I love you all so much! Thanks for all the birthday wishes. . I know that this week will be great. I am excited to see what presents you got me! =)

Know that I love and miss you! Have a great day on Thursday, don't miss me too much! Eat some cake and Ice cream (preferably just some ice cream) and sing happy birthday to me. ;) You could video it and send it to me too. haha. or drink a DP... the choice is yours!

I love you! Have a wonderful BIRTHDAY WEEK!!!! Party hard... but not too much. ;)

Love,

Hermana Gray

"whoever invented DP and AC.... they are my peeps." Hermana Gray and Sister Carlson. (welcome to our hilarious home).