February 27, 2013

Hello family!

Wow so I didn’t email you guys on Monday because we went to the temple that day and that means that pday gets moved to Wednesday! Well it’s cool! So we went to the temple this week and it was super good I really liked it I had a cool experience in there he respond to some of my questions that I had to ask! BUT this week was good so where do I start off! Well I am getting tired of people telling me that they won’t go to church because they don’t like the members gossiping about them and other members which I completely understand and I wouldn’t like it either! It was like the same thing when some one said that I was drinking and smoking in high school! like this area is hard to baptize because of the members like we are teaching some people that know people that are in our ward and are like, I wont get baptized because they talk crap on everyone so that is really annoying! so I had an interview to do this last week it was super cool I really liked it the guy didn’t pass because he had problems with the law of chastity but I think that I will go back and interview him this week or next week because when some one does that they have to wait 30 days before they can be baptized or unless president lets them get baptized before hand! also this week I gave the training in our meeting and it was really cool I talked about our purpose as missionaries and the people in my district came up to me after and was like that was a really good training it really inspired me to work harder and that made me feel really good! Even the zone leaders were like wow that was good! They said it was good because it was fun and it made people interact and really learn and express there feelings about things! So we will have to see how next week goes I hope it goes the same way! So you heard that the mission is going to divide! It still hasn’t divided yet but it will! so it will divide at Ponta Grossa which sucks because I have a lot of people that I love over there and I would love to go back there as like a zone leader and then be able to go and visit them! But this split will happen the 1st of July so if you really think about it I will only catch it at the end part of my mission so it really won’t affect me that much! president told me like well if you are for Ponta Grossa or further that way then you will be apart of the other mission and that will be called Curitiba north! And if I stay here then it will be the Curitiba south mission! Which will be cool! Hahah we will have to see how things work out so I hope that this week we will have a baptism and we will have to see if I can get the zone leaders to interview this young man then his mom will come a long in a little bit after! So that will be cool! But for me I am doing well! And that is it for this week love you guys!

Love Elder Gray

February 18, 2013

Hello family,

Well this week! Well it was good and it was bad at the same time! Let’s start off about the bad things! Well I got transferred! I will really miss that area! It was a good area it was really fun with Elder Monteiro! I was sent to Curitiba Caiua! And I was called to be district leader! For Elder Monteiro he will train a new missionary! That means that I will be a grandpa here on the mission! Hahaha that’s cool! Good things! That this week was the last week of Elder Black! It was sad to see him go but it is also a good thing! So he had a going way party with members of his ward and because I am like friends with everyone they asked us to go over there and hang out with them and have this party/family night! It was something really cool? So when we were there, they had two girls that went to efy and they were like hey you want to see what we did in the talent show and I was like ya why not we were waiting for other people to get there! and so I watched them do there little dance, and they were like there is other people that are going to be on this same film and then came a girl that sang I was not really paying attention I was just talking to everyone! And then there was a young man that started to do capoheira and I looked and I was like do I know that kid! So I looked closer and what do you know it was Eloim the young man that I baptized in Paranagua! My heart in that moment swelled with joy and I called those girls over and I was like hey do you know him and they were like yes he is such a stud and I was like I baptized him! And they were like no way that is so cool! And their like do you want to talk to him and I was like ya if I can! And so they called him and I got to talk to him for 5 mins! It was really one of the best 5 mins in my time here on the mission, the feeling that some one that you baptized is firm in the church and is doing the right things and thanking you for everything! It was really the best feeling in the world! I loved it! he told me when I get to the of end my mission and get to go through the temple for the last time he wants me to call him and he wants to do baptism for the dead with me! When he said that it hit me so strong it gave me a ton of hope for that day because I know that when I go into the temple with someone that I baptized will be a day that I will never forget! I really hope that I can do that and have that wonderful experience! It was super hard to say goodbye to some families this Sunday! So we have an old couple in our ward that I love to death! So I went over there to tell them good bye and all that the husband says well I’m going to leave the church it’s not fair that they take you away! You did so many things here for us and for the ward! And I was like wait a minute first off you can’t leave the church because I want to see you guys go through the temple and I want to see you guys in the celestial kingdom! And if you guys leave the church you guys won’t be able to do that! And then they calmed down and there were like that is right we got to stay strong this is the thing that is important! And I was like yep that is the spirit! And then the husband gave like a talk that I will summarize he basically told me and my companion about the power that we have to help people to inspire people do the right things and come unto Christ! Then he went on to say that you parents better be very proud of you guys because if you were my sons I would be so proud of you! (and he was crying telling us this) my companion started to cry and I was like ya I want to cry to but I think that my tears have dried up! I really don’t think that I have tears any more! But it was something really cool that he said to us I loved it and it made me really realize what great parents that I have that love me so much! I really do miss you guys a ton! Then after him we went to other families to tell them good bye and all that and it was the same thing in every house that we went! It’s a really good feeling to know that you are loved by the people that you serve! I will really miss all of them!

Well to be a district leader! Well this will be really different! So there is no training for this! They just throw you into it and say good luck! I will be a leader of 7 missionaries which will be interesting! One of the elders is from alpine his name is Elder Rios he knows Jennica he also went to LP! The rest of the elders I still don’t know yet! But it will be a good experience for me! My new companion is named Elder Serrano he is Cuban that lives in Miami! Lets say this He is the 2nd biggest looser here on the mission! He is Elder Bruce’s right hand man! But it is ok I will just work with him and try and help him out with these things and make him a better elder! He only has 2 more transfers here and then he will be in his house! But everything will go alright I know that it will! Well that is it for my letter! I love you guys and I hope that you guys have a great week! Love you guys!

Elder Gray

February 11, 2013

Hello family!

Well let’s start off by saying wow! I was really not expecting to hear all that bad news! Kind of tragic! Obliviously Nanners will be kept in my prayers! Something funny about that was one day I was walking in the street and out of no where I thought of Nan! I don’t know why but we kept walking and I said a little prayer for her and to hear this today I know that was how God told me something was up! Then you have Sydney Brunningf! But that is sad and I will have to pray for their family that everything will go well for them! :) Lets talk about my week well it was not filled with good news either! Well first off I got sick with a nasty cold and the front of my head feels like there is a horn that will come out of it! And I feel super achy! I blame the rain! It has rained every fricken day of this week! I hate the rain as a missionary! I know that all of you know that! But I hate it! It’s horrible! You know those weeks when everything falls through ya this week was one of those weeks! My companion felt super lazy this week I was like out of it because of my cold! All the people that we were preparing to be baptized told us that they don’t want to be baptized anymore! Ya great! Love it! But it is alright, this week is a new week! And things can change! As of right now it is down pouring! I might look at the weather for this week! And see what they say it is going to look like! Who knows we could have sun! Right about now I would like to have sun! But beside all of that I got my package today! I had to pay 5 bucks to go and get it but it was definitely worth it! Hahaha I love packages! I also got some letters from grandpa thanks gramps! So Friday we were in a house of a member! And this family I just love to death! Like there weak but I love them! Well that Friday could have been the last Friday I could have talked to them before I could get transferred! And as we left we were walking in the street and I had a super strong impression that I had to return! I talked to my companion about it and he was like do you know what you got to do? And I was like no idea! And it was in the hour to return to our house and plan for the next day and so we didn’t go! :( And I have been having this horrible like dragging feeling that I need to do something and that I still need to do something and I don’t know what I need to do! I really hate this feeling! Like I have been praying about it since Friday and it still has not come to mind of what I need to do! What do you guys think?? I also talked to Elder Black about what he thinks about things! And then we talked about how he will be in his house next week! It was a good talk we talked for a long time! We really got into it about the goals he has after a mission and how he is going to do it was super good! This Sunday was good! I liked it and yes I did straighten the ward out! Hahaha I burned them a little bit with scriptures hahaha (wicked laugh) but they are doing fine now and they now ask me is that right and I tell them yes or no! Ahahahaha the meeting with the bishop was good we worked things out! So we had an activity this last Thursday (first activity in a long time) and it was going good until that dad of those two boys gets up and starts talking about things and going into stupid things that make people want to leave the church because he is crazy! And I was like crap I got to get this guy out of here! But bishop let him talk and talk! In the end bishop was like hey lets do the activity! And everyone was like yah! So we had the activity and it was alright I thought it could have been a better activity but it seems like people enjoyed it! By the way it was not me that planned the activity! Then when it was all over one brother walked out side and was like someone stole my motorcycle! And I was like you got to be kidding me! I get an activity together that has not happened in a very long time and this is what happens! Then I was pissed off! All the members like left didn’t even help him look for it! Me and my companion set off looking for it for a little bit! They called the police! I will say something if I would of found the person that stole his motorcycle his name would of been mud and he would have had the imprint of my fist in his face! So who ever stole it got lucky! But ya that is it for the week that I had it was filled with stuff! But I love you guys and I hope that everything goes well for you guys and I hope that everything goes perfectly with Nan and Grandpa and Gentry this week! I Love you guys take care!
Love, Elder Gray

February 4, 2013

Hello my Family!!

Let’s start off by talking about this week! So this week was good but at the same time it could have been a lot better! Let’s start off talking about Sunday! So we went to church and we have sacrament meeting last! Which is ok! So in the elders quorum I was baptized 3 or 4 times and then I received the holy ghost about the same amount of times! Hahaha so the quorum they were having a training on how to do the ordinances of baptism and how to receive the Holy Ghost! It was super funny because the quorum is made up of a lot of new members so we had to correct them on how to do it! But after that was done we went to gospel principles! That was interesting because they were just talking about things that is not true in the church I looked at my companion like what the heck is going on here! Then we went to sacrament meeting! Well that was good! Me and my companion confirmed the two young men that we baptized last week to be members and to receive the Holy Ghost! That was a super cool experience! I really liked it! This week we found some people that are good they could be a lot better but we will have just to work with them to make them better! So this week here was hot! I was melting in the street! Like it was horrible then it rained a little bit here and a little bit there and then it just made it even hotter because of the humidity! You could have called me and my companion the walking dead in the street! It is super funny here when its like this there is like no one in the sun they are all in the shade drinking beer or coke! Hahahah you got to love Brazil! Their crazy sometimes!

Wow the ravens won! There was a member that called me at 3 in the morning to tell me that the ravens won the super bowl! I was like yes! Why does all the good things have to happen when I leave?? Haha ya its a little sad that it was the last year for Ray Lewis! I will miss him! He was definitely the heart of the team! But that is awesome I am super excited to watch it when I get back! Hahaha I miss the super bowl commercials! They are always the funniest!

It is super good to hear that all of you guys are doing well that you’re finding great success in your lives that makes me super happy! Mom no I still haven’t gotten my package! But it has been awhile since I haven’t received anything! We will have our transfers on the 18th of this month I am pretty sure that I am going to leave on this one! Ya I will be happy for a change but at the same time I will be sad! Like I really like my companion! HE IS SUPER GOOD! It will be hard to leave him here! But at the same time I have some members that I love that they are passing through some problems and I want to stay to see what will happen to them!

Grandma and Pam thank you so very much for buying my suit! It means a lot to me! I love you guy’s thanks for always being there for me! I hope that everything is good with the both of you! I always remember you in my prayers! Thank you so very much!

Love,

Elder Gray