October 15, 2012

Well hello my family!!

So this letter is going to be fricken sweet so I am leaving Parnagua and I am going to Ponta Grossa to be companions with Elder Morris! Hahahaha this is going to be awesome I love that kid and I am ready to work with him! I am sad to leave here I made such good friends here! But it will be good to have a change! So this week we had a baptism of a young man I baptized him, sad thing is that when we went to take pictures  my camera dies before I can take one! That was a joke and a half I was like cursing the stupid thing! It was funny! But the baptism was really good! So before that I had a division with Elder Schmidt my buddy from Germany which I will visit after the mission! He really is like my best friend that I have in the mission! He gave me a tie that is hot like I look good in it! Hahha well what was so good was we went to teach a mom and her child we sat down asked them what they believe if they have faith or not and they said that they had faith but now they don’t!! We thought alright we teach a 3rd lesson about faith and the rest! Well we got done with that lesson and I had a strong impression to share with them the story about Joseph Smith! So I started and said everything it was so cool the spirit was so strong there and the spirit made it that I said everything perfectly! In the end the mom and the child were crying it was such a great experience! It has been such a long time that I have the felt the spirit in that way! I loved it so much! Wow after that I was so excited to go and teach more people! Well that is the story for this week! I will say this I hate transfers because I really don’t know how to put everything back into the bag mom and dad you guys are master packers! But I put everything in some how! Love you guys! And no I have not received anything from Sharon or Grandma & Pam but this is it for this week! It is so good to hear that you guys are doing great that everything is working out for you guys! Love you guys so much take care love you

Love,

Elder Gray

October 8, 2012

Well hello my family!!

Well let’s start off by talking about conference wow! What to say about that! That is cool that the age got moved down for both the men and women! But I do see a little problem in that! They will start putting a lot more younger people into the mission field and they will miss home more! I know it was hard for me at 19! ALSO they have tried this here in Brazil for the Brazilians and did see that a majority that went out that were 18 years old did come back and did not fulfill a fulltime mission! So that really will be interesting to see how long this well last for! But I loved the talk of Jeffery R Holland Sunday morning! Like wow I loved it a lot! These past days I have been reading that part in the bible about when Christ asks Peter do you love me! And when he talked about that it was like revelation 101! Because I really applied it to me and thought if Christ was in the front of me and said do you love me! Well duh I love you! But the answer is so much more than this how do you love, well first you need to really show that you have faith in him and that you have faith to really repent of your sins! After this you need to have this love and charity for others! In the end of the talk when he said I love you something like this I had to watch it Portuguese and it was annoying I really didn’t get all of the little details that I wanted to! But I will be really excited to get the liahona this next month and read all the talks! Conference was really good I really liked it! It’s weird to think that it is my 2nd conference here in the mission! Wow 2 more to go and then I am home! Wow time is really passing by so fast! Well about that baptism well it didn’t work out that kid wasn’t in his house so that our leader could interview him so this week we will talk with that kid and try and mark it for this week! The other date that we have for this week she is good but I don’t think that she will follow through with it! This week really nothing special happened at all but oh well that means this next week something will work out in my favor! We will have a transfer here this next Monday!" So we will see if  I will stay or will go it will be really interesting to see what will happen I could stay but I would be fine with going too! I know I need something new! I would like that! But only God knows when my time ends here in an area! Well that is it for the week! I love you guys I hope that everything goes well for you guys! Take care.

Love,

Elder Gray

October 1, 2012

Well hello my family!!

Well this week was pretty interesting! Let’s start off with the bad stuff well like in the middle of the week my companion like shuts down starts not talking to me and starts like dominating the time when we are teaching he really started to be a butt! Well I was dude what’s up and he is like its nothing! And I was like dude this is not like you to shut down and be like this something is up!! And he just continued saying nothing is wrong! Well I was alright dude if you say so! Well after that he was still being in his little girl mode but oh well if he doesn’t want my help than that is his fault! I think that is the only bad thing that happened today! Well besides that the week was pretty good it was a little bit normal I wouldn’t lie! I feel like I need a change of areas but at the same time I don’t want to change because 1. I hate putting things in to my bag! It’s like playing tetras every time I have to put stuff in to my bags! 2. WE are starting to find some really good people now to teach which is awesome! We have one kid that we found in the street and the first thing he says to us that an anti-Christ will emerge out of the Mormons! He told us that it is in Revelations and so I told him that he is 100 percent wrong and gave him my Bible and I was like I want you to show me! So I gave him my Bible and he was trying to find it and in the end he couldn’t find it and so I was like well see you were wrong! Well we shared a 2nd lesson with him and this last Sunday he goes to church and says Elder Gray can you baptize me on the 7th I was like what like my chin smacked the floor but I was like sure I can and he was like sweet and so I think we will have a baptism next week!! hahaha well at church also I found a girl that was 15 years old I thought she was less active well it turns out to be that she is not baptized so I asked her would you like to be baptized and she was like yes I want to I was like perfect and told her well you want be baptized on the 14 and she was like ya.  I was like wow that is awesome and so we will help her get baptized and then after that it will be pretty cool! I think it is funny I know a ton of people here in every neighborhood and when we walk down the street you have people yell hey Elder what’s up dude! Or they honk or they get our attention some how it’s really cool because after my companion asks hey do you know them and I was like ya I think so! And he says that’s cool! But that is really the only thing that has happened! Well about the letter situation I am really good at writing people back its just I haven’t received any letters from people I don’t know if it is because the mail system here in Brazil is on strike or these letters are lost or they wrote my address down or if they are still sending them to the CTM! It has to be one of these things! But I will write everyone back with out a doubt! Well that is about it for this week! Nothing super cool happened but we will have a transfer on the 15 so here in a little bit! So I think I will go! About general conference I watch over satellite transmission I think it starts at noon to 3 then like 5 something then Saturday night session! I am really excited I love conference I really can’t believe that it has been six months from the last conference time is really passing fast! Well prepare for conference have a question that you want an answer for then find it in the talks! Well love you guys I hope that you guys have an awesome week filled with fun! Love you guys!

Elder Gray

September 24, 2012

Well hello my family!!

Well about Facebook! No I didn’t enter in to face book to clear that up! I was with one kid that is in the ward and he was dude do you have Facebook and I was like ya man! And he is like I will add you! I was alright and then after that he was like put your stuff in and accepts my friend request and I told him I could put the email and the password in but I can’t mess with face book personally! And he was alright did that and he add himself and then he asked me hey you want me to add these others and I was like sure why not! Ha-ha so that is how they all got added! Hey they are posting stuff on my wall like getting into my account?? But ya I tell a lot of people to add me! So just add everyone on Facebook and when I get home the people that I don’t know I will delete! But that is how the story goes! But this week for me was pretty good! I had to talk in a fireside about missionary work! It was really good I felt like I burned some eyebrows but I finished it with love! A lot of people liked my talk so that is really good! This week I had a division with Elder Schmidt that is my district leader! I fricken love him! He lives in Germany! And we made plans that after the mission I am going to go to Germany and kick with him and then I will return and we are going to go to the world cup together! Hahaha it is going to be epic! Well this week was the week of the drunks! I talked to more drunks this week than I have ever talked with before! it was funny because we left with a member and all of these drunks start coming out of no where and start talking to us the member turns to us and says does this always happen to you guys and we said yep it usually happens a lot but today it is happening more than usual! And we all started laughing and it was good! Hahaha we found a lot of good people this week that we marked dates with and so we are going to wait and see what happens with them! But besides that this week was pretty good! I wont lie I like that a lot of time is really starting to pass by so quickly and I can’t believe that I have almost been out for a year! Well it’s good to hear that everyone is doing well! Love you guys and I hope you have a great week!
Love Elder Gray

September 17, 2012

Well hello everyone!!

So what’s new with Elder Gray?? Hmmm well really nothing! Hahaha it was really cool this week we had interviews with President and it was really good! I always leave thinking he really didn’t ask me how I was but oh well I am good! Hahaha but this week was kind of slow I am not going to lie! About fleas no I have not had a problem yet which is really good! the only thing here is the mosquitos because we have to sleep with the window open because our fan has been broken before I even got here and the price of fans are ridiculous here! Well about this week we have taught some good people that really could be better but they don’t want to do anything! Which is sad! But I can’t force them to do anything! But really our only problem here is that we are finding some really weak people to teach! Well something funny that happened this week! Well we knocked on a door and there was a drunken man that came out and was like I am going to kill my grandson and we were like what the crap! And he goes on to explain that his grandson broke his window and when he finds him he is going to kill him! It was really funny! Because I was like sir how are you feeling right now, I am mad and I am nervous and I said to him well wait a minute sir these feelings are of the devil not form God! and he was like no and I started to show him where he was wrong in all of this and after wards I gave him a piece of gum and told him this is a present for you and he was like I get it now and I was like perfect! And I said what do you get for me to understand?? and he was like the devil he wants you to do bad things and suffer, but you just showed me that I need to do good things like give presents and etc. and I will do things of the Lord and I was like yep that is it exactly! Me and my companion left there laughing so hard it was so funny! But besides that things are getting really hot here like holy crap! But it’s all good it will be my last summer here so I can wait it out! Well the members here are really good they love me and I love them but they really don’t want anything to do with missionary work which is a little bit difficult! I am eating really good so no need to worry there!

Hey I am going to cut my hair today and I am going to start styling it! I will try the side fowhawk that I use to have but shorter! I have seen a lot of missionaries with it and it looks good so I will try it out! But that is about it! It’s good to hear that all of you guys are doing well that things are going good! Hey Easton that is awesome that you made The Jolly Rogers lacrosse team that is so cool! Hey when I get back we are going to have to play some lacrosse! Well love you guys take care and have a good week!

Love, Elder Gray

September 10, 2012

Hello my Family and friends that read!

Hahaha well this week was pretty good we left with some members to teach some lessons and that was really good! We really didn’t find any really good people!! Its funny I really want to loose some weight but they feed you here like none other and I am too lazy to run in the morning! it was funny we were working out one morning in our house and I looked at my companion and he was sleeping and I was dude work out and he was like I don’t like to and I was like what would you like to do and he said usually I go running and I was like lets go running then tomorrow! And he was like are you good at running and I was like no I haven’t been in like forever! And I was like are you good and he was like ya I am pretty good and I was alright tomorrow we will run! So we got up the next and went running to the church and back about a mile and a half I think! I killed him like he was eating my dust!  We had to be in our house at 7 and it was like 6:55 and we were like 7 mins out and I was like elder you need to hurry and he was like I can’t! And I was like you can! So I thought to myself what can I do to help him run so I told him look if you can tag me before the house I will buy you a huge pizza for your self! And he was like I don’t know! And I was like deal or no deal and he was alright deal he didn’t tag me! So that is good! But this week was ok it is starting to get really, really hot! It was cool we were driving down a street with a member and I saw a man in a wheel chair trying to get over the curb and I was like I am going to help him and so I yell stop the car and the member did a skidding stop and I jump out and help him this man cross the curb and walked back to the car! And when I got in the member looked at me and said you really do represent Christ! When I heard that the spirit just hit me it was awesome! The member continued I would have never stopped to help and all that! It was a good teaching moment!" but that is about it nothing else is really new! But every day I am learning to love Brazil even more! I am learning how to be a better missionary! Really a mission is where you learn so many things!

Well dad I love you and I am sorry I didn’t have time to write you a letter last week telling you happy birthday but if it makes you feel better I prayed for you and sung happy birthday! Dad I love you so much! I am very grateful for everything you have done for me in my life! I am so lucky to have a dad like you so next year I will be able to watch football with you! Love you!

Love Elder Gray

September 3 2012

Well hello my family!

Well about this week we were running and running this week! Because we had do a division of the group and that took a little bit of our time away! So we had transfers today and I and my companion will stay in this area! So it will be good I think! hahahah but besides that everything is going pretty good we really haven’t been finding any really good people to teach lately they have been kind of crappy they don’t fulfill all of the compormissios that we give them! But we will find some new ones and help them out! but about this week nothing really, really cool happened but something was really funny!" hahaha so there was a homeless person on a side of a store sitting there and me and my companion had nothing to do so I was like I will talk to him so I sat down on the side of him and started talking to him and he was drunk because they only buy beer with the money that have! and I was talking with him and his smell was horrible like I was dying sitting next to him!" there were flies that were landing on me and him and I was like hitting them, then he blows in my face and was like did that help?? It was so funny that I started to laugh because his breath was terrible, terrible, terrible and he blows in my face to see if he can kill some of them! Hahahaha I was laughing so freaking hard! I couldn’t stop laughing that night! But it was good after that we were invited to eat some steak and cake at someone’s house so that was good! The two guys that I baptized are really firm. One left with us to go and teach and we gave him some room for him to teach and he just lit it up, it was awesome!  The spirit there was so strong! And we dropped him off at his house and he was like when can I go with you guys again that was so cool and I loved those feelings and we were like tomorrow and he was like Tuesday next week and we were like alright! But that was an awesome experience I loved it! But that is about it for this week! I love you guys and I know that you guys are being blessed!
Love Elder Gray