Monday, April 15, 2013

April 15, 2013


Hello family!!!

Well  from the last time I emailed you guys was like 4 days ago!! Well we had some really cool things happen in those 4 days and it looks like a lot of cool things have happened with you guys to! Well that is awesome about Easton that he scored his first goal on the season that is surprising! I hope that he scores more and that you guys video tape or do something that I can watch his highlights when I get back and you can tell him that I will be totally ready to thump´ on him when I get back! Hahaha Jk love you bro! That is awesome about Gentry going on a date and also had a real spiritual experience this week that is awesome! Well lets get back to me well so after I got done emailing you guys I still had an hour to take a nap so I did! And then we went out to work and what happened we found this guy and his son and we started talking to them and I was like can we share a message and he was like yes! We went started talking some more and I was like alright it is time for the message and so we said a prayer and shared the message of the restored gospel with them and OMG super, super spiritual!! We invited the dad to say the last prayer and he was like me why, and I was like good well 1st off for you to be an example to your son and 2nd off I know that you will feel a ton better after you say this prayer! And so he was alright well teach me how to pray and I was like done so I taught him and he said a prayer and the spirit literally dominated the scene and my comp started crying I got water in the eyes for some reason tears don’t come out any more but we were all kneeled down and he ended the prayer and looked at me with a huge smile and I was like how did you feel and he said I felt great and I said I know that you felt great and I said I know God is super happy and then I showed him through an example we are still knelt down I was like how would you feel if your son was in the united states and never talked to you. He said I would go crazy and really want to know how he is doing and I was like that is the same thing with God we are really, really far away from him and he is sitting there at the phone waiting and waiting for us to pray and talk with him and he was like wow that is so true and I said I know it is true and we marked a date with him and his son for the 28th of April and I know that they will be baptized also they went to church this Sunday and they loved it and they want to go back this week! Then during this week before Wednesday I told elder Stout hey talk to this lady with the baby and he was like alright and we talked to her and she gave us her address and I could not get her name out of my head so one night I was like elder we are going to pass by  her house and we went Friday night passed by there and she is 19 has a little girl that is almost one she lives with her grandparents and her mom and we passed by there and her grandparents are super funny they were talking to elder Stout a lot and I told him teach them then I taught the girl one on one all of us in the same room I asked the girl if she wanted to be baptized and she said that she would love to be so we marked it for the 28th also I know that she will be baptized she didn’t go to church this week because her Grandma had a birthday she is like 73 years old if I do remember correctly! So we went over to the house and sung her grandma happy birthday in English it was super fun she is like even Americans come and tell me happy birthday on my birthday so she felt super special. It was really cool and we were talking and  we have a plan to bring them all to the temple grounds this Wednesday and to the church on Sunday I hope that everything works out! It will be awesome its super cool to see the blessings of God in our work and it does really help that me and Elder Stout are like the best of friends! Just blessings keep falling from the sky for us and it is wonderful!!! Well Family take care have a good week I love all of you guys!!
LOVE, ELDER GRAY


Vinicius Cerqurira, Elder Gray, & Companion

Vinicius Cerqurira & Elder Gray



Wednesday, April 10, 2013

April 10, 2013


Hello family

How are you??? Well I am doing great!! We got out of conference weekend which was so so so good I loved it so very much! It was awesome!!! Wow I liked how they started a second session with Jeffery R Holland and he hit it out of the park like he usually does! That was super cool! We watched it in English it was a lot better from the last one that was all in Portuguese! Which was not cool! We had to watch the priesthood session in Portuguese but I will read it when we get the liahona! But it was super, super good I loved what Thomas S. Monson had to say also! OH Bednar laid it down and called people to repent!!! That was cool that should help a lot of people repent of there sins!!! Oh by the way I did get my package!!! Thank you so much I loved it!! It was funny because when I got that package it was the same day that I ran out of deodorant! So it came just in time! We have eaten all the snickers and Beef jerky that was super good! So ya that is crazy about Jennica with her mission call and Jarrett to that is going to be really, really cool! One leaves one after another I wish I was there to listen to their farewell talks because I know that they are going to be great!!! So I just saw the map of the division of the things and I want to stay in the north part, because if I do then there is going to be a possibility that I could go back to Paranagua or Ponta Grossa either one would be super cool with me!! It was cool this week me and my companion worked are butts off and found some really good people to teach and we are teaching them and will help them come more unto Christ! Which will be awesome as of right now looks like we will have a lot of people in church with us this Sunday! So wow Elder Stout is really starting to talk really well for 3 weeks here in Brazil the people that are leaving the ctm or mtc in his case are coming out really trained and better missionaries I wish that my ctm experience was like that also but I was happy with the ctm!! The members they are still not really really helping us but it’s alright I guess I will just have to do the work with Paulo he is a stud and we will baptize everyone! Well I never asked president why but I thought I don’t need to! Maybe God is preparing bigger and better things for me to do! Like next transfer president told us that we will have 4 assistants 4 secretaries and like 24 new ZL all in time to watch the mission split! It is going to be really interesting to see how things will go and what mission I will be in and the new president and everything! But as of right now I am happy with how things are going and looking forward to the things to come! Hey to remind you mom here pretty soon we are going to have to start looking at colleges for me and seeing where I can get in at! Well I love you guys have a great week and take care!!
Love, Gray


Monday, April 1, 2013

April 1, 2013


Hello family!!!

Wow so last week was rushed and I really didn’t have all the time in the world  to write you guys!!! But that is ok because I will write this week!! So my companion is Elder STOUT he is super, super cool! I love him to death we go really well together!! Hahahaha he looks like superman if you really look at him so that is super funny!! Oh yes about Sister Hess so she will go to BYU in Provo so I gave her our address and the house phone number I think to tell the truth I don’t even remember it hahaha so I gave my old cell phone number so Easton might get the call! I told her that she could call and that my mom would totally take her out to dinner or lunch one day!! So mom I am leaving that for you to do, and when you do, remember to talk me up cuz she is super cute! It would be super funny if she read my blog and read this but oh well it is the truth!! Something sad happened this week so they released  me as a district leader and I was not to happy about that because I was really enjoying it a lot!!! But it’s alright why I don’t know but at least I am still training so I can stay busy!! So with my last companion leaving the ward started to help us, like one morning one family came to our house with a huge tray of sweets and I was like what this is messed up because this has never happen before when I was here!!! Hahaha but the sweets were super good! And yes they celebrate Easter here they go crazy they sale these huge Easter eggs! It’s cool!! No I still have not gotten my package yet but it could have came I will probably call the office tomorrow and ask them if there is anything in there for me!! I really hope it comes because I am getting low on deodorant!! hahaha but if it doesn’t come I can live off the Brazilian crappy deodorant till the end of my mission I guess!! So this week we have shared some really, really awesome lessons even though my companion doesn’t speak very well and that I have to talk the most these lessons have been packed full of the spirit there has been something that is awesome! We walk out of the lesson we look at each other and said at the same time that was sick! And then we laugh and dance a little bit because it was so good! This is going to be really fun to train him! Teaching him Portuguese really taught me that I am really speaking very well and that I am also forgetting English because he asks me questions like what does that mean I know what it means in Portuguese but I don’t remember any more what it means in English so that is super funny!! hahaha you guys are going have to start filming Easton playing lacrosse so when I get back I want to continue filming him and then we can make a sick highlight video of him so that he can give to colleges if he wants to! I really wish that we would have done that with me but it is to late now to do that! Wow so dad is going to travel to Boston hey when he is there he could travel up a state and see Colton Ferre and give a cool care package because here in a little bit he will be coming home!! But that is it for my week it was cool I really enjoyed it! Have a good week family I love you guys to death!!

Love, Elder Gray
Elder Gray & Elder Stout Caiua Brazil








March 25, 2013


HELLO FAMILY!!!

Hey so I got to run so this will be a short email!! So we had transfers and Elder Serrano he left !! What a blessing!!! Hahaha but what happened with elder Gray?? He stays district leader and he will be training at the same time!! Oh how I will love to sleep this one away because during this time I will not receive a lot of sleep which will be alright but it is all for a good cause! So we confirmed Ricardo a member of the church so that was super cool. So we took pictures and it was cool so we were talking to the members and they are sad that Elder Serrano is going away and but in their hearts they are happy! Today I saw Elder Een, Welch, Allen, Morris, Evans, Hawkes, Valdez, Knowles because of transfers in the bargui!!! So new things Allen, Morris, Welch are still DLs and elder Evans became a trainer, Elder Een became a new DL, Elder Valdez and Elder Knowles are zone leaders!! hahaha are group is growing it is super funny how all of us so have what like more 6 months!! BUT HEY I got to run to a meeting I will email you guys more tomorrow!! Love you!!!
Elder Gray








Tuesday, March 19, 2013

March 18, 2013


Hello gray family and others that read!!!

Well this week we had a great blessing so Ricardo was baptized!! But who baptized him was our zone leader I was not very happy about that but he choose our zone leader to baptize him so I can’t complain it is just good that he got baptized!! It was hard work to get it because he has a really strict work schedule to follow and he only has little windows to work with us but in the end it was good and done! And no they don’t have ST, Patrick’s day here. Well let’s talk about this week!! I really am getting sick and tired of my companion like I really hope that I get transferred I don’t want to stay here in this area anymore, I don’t want to be with him anymore! Like it is really starting to get really old with him because everything has to be about him! And I am giving up on trying to help him out like it is ridiculous I really do feel really bad for his mom and his wife in the future because they will suffer. so we found this dude that owns a skate shop and I was like I have never been in a Brazilian skate shop so lets see what is in here I went in and I started looking around and I saw a rip stick and I was like does anyone ride this here and they were like the manager, and I was like I want to see and so they got the manager and we got talking and I was like I would like to see you ride that and he was alright but he can get on top and ride it  holding on to stuff and I was like wow that is cool man and he was like you try it and I was like no, no I am fine (thinking in my head oh I got this so easy!!) but he kept on insisting that I get on and try it and I was like alright so I get on I started to ride it like it was nothing and they were shocked and named me the king!!! hahaha it was super funny we got talking about our church and they said stuff about their churches then I was like dude we got to go and the manager ( Giovan his name) was like dude what size of shoe do you wear and I told him and he comes walking out and was look dude I want you to have these shoes! and I was like no I am alright I don’t have money to buy and I would not be able to wear them here and he was like look they were used once, but they looked brand new, he was like I cant resale the shoe if it was used even once so he was like here take it and I was like are you sure and he was like 100% and I was like alright man so I got new skater shoes here hahaha they are like a maroon color like Lone Peak! so that was cool and I offered them to come and learn English with us on Saturday and they were like ya sweet so we marked in front of the store and then we would all go to the church! so we marked to meet at 8:20 in front of the store and I told my companion look dude at 8:10 we are going to leave the house you know what happened, my companion was so late that we got there at 8:45 and my comp said dude where are they at and I was like they are probably at their house because we didn’t come here on time and I don’t blame them and he was like why is it my problem and I was like yes it is! and then he started to go off on me in the street and people started looking at us and I was like dude this is super not cool that this is happening right now dude like lets go to our house and there we can talk! and he was like no we are talking here so I was like do you want to talk and I told him everything that I was sick and tired of him doing and where he is wrong and I even told him, go home don’t stay here another transfer and do this stuff I really hope that you end with honor! but he got mad and I saw that he put his hand into a fist and I was like o crap we might go to a fist fight here in the street and that is going to be super embarrassing and so I started walking to the house and when I got passed him I put my ring in my pocket just in case he was going to throw a punch! he started calling me a girl and I was like dude that is not cool like lets go and do our studies now since they didn’t come lets go please and he was like no we are going to stay here and I was like alright dude well I am going if you don’t come it will be your problem and he started to follow me and I was walking home and he is still yelling at me and we get into the house and I put my stuff down and he is still spouting off and I looked at him and I was like sorry! he went off don’t tell me sorry and more stuff and I was like dude we are men and we are acting like children here so we can stop being children or we can be men and have a nice conversation or we can end in a fist fight then we can walk away hating one another for the rest of are lives and I was like you pick because I am fine with whatever! Then he stopped and I was like alright let’s talk and we started talking but it didn’t go anywhere because his head is made of steel and nothing works! But ya that was wonderful! So earlier today we went and played basketball with the zone and I really liked it! I was always against my comp which was great because I know how he plays and I know that he is a straight up right hander so I used that to his weakness! I stuffed him like three times and took the ball away from him 4 times! There was one time that he went up to shoot and was like nope I jumped and palmed the ball and threw it the ground and who went also to the ground was him! Hahaha then he got up all pissed off because he got rejected so badly and then he started to play dirty ball and I was like alright its time to end and everyone was just hating on him because he was doing so much crap and saying things! Like I need to be transferred and I can’t take it anymore with him! But a good thing is that we have a lot of good people now that we can work with and help and so that is awesome! But I hope all of you had a good week! I love you guys!
Love,
Elder Gray







Monday, March 11, 2013

March 11, 2013


Hello family!!!

HAHaha  I am so happy that Jarrett got his mission call to go to Japan he will do so well there I know that he will! Japan that is sick I was really hoping for Brazil so that I could come back down here for the world cup and give him a care package!!! Ahahahah so, so happy! It is a little bummer that he will leave before I even get home! It will be like 4 years before I will see him for real! That will hurt a little bit but it’s alright God needs him as soon as possible and who am I to stop that from happening!! So this week was a little hard one I had use my card a lot this week one to repair my pants and to buy food! It is ridiculous I have to use the bus so much here to go to the other areas and do interviews and splits with them!! So this week I only worked 3 days in my area! All the rest of the days I was with other elders of my district evaluating there work ethic and other things! That was a little tough I got super tired! Because I didn’t sleep well in their houses because it was not my bed and I had to buy food for myself because these elders don’t have any food in their fridges! But ya it was a real interesting week! It was nice to take a vacation away from my companion! It is funny because Paulo ( he added me on Facebook he said so make sure you accept!) said to Elder Serrano that he missed me that its not the same without me! But I am back now and it was good because he spent all Saturday and Sunday with us! He is a stud he wants to take us to a Tucanos type restaurant!! So we will see when we go I will take a lot of pictures! Hahaha so Ricardo the dude that brought his daughter to church we are going to have a family night tomorrow with him in his house!! I am 100% sure that he is going to be baptized this week! He is awesome! He is super cool! We just got to teach the commandments! Which he doesn’t have a problem with and then get the interview and its set he will be baptized!! This week in the district meeting it went actually pretty well I taught about the revelation through prayer and how it can help us and the people that we teach! They really seemed to have liked it! About the feel the spirit activity that would be a really good zone activity I think that I will save that one for when I am a zone leader! Talking about being a zone leader I had to divide with the zone leaders this week and it was really good! Elder Arriola one of my zone leaders he was talking to me and I think he was sweet talking me a little bit telling me how he thought I had already been a DL and that when he found out it was my first time he was shocked but he gave me a tie and wrote on the back and it said hey when you are a ZL I want you to wear this tie to the Zone leader meeting with President! I think that he will give a good report for me that could help me become a ZL which would be pretty cool! But that is it for this week I hope that everything goes ok with you guys have a great week!!
Love, Elder Gray



Monday, March 4, 2013

March 4, 2013


Well hello family!!

Well so this week were do I start off????? Well it was a super interesting week! By interesting I mean a lot of up and down moments! I was like to tell the up moments first so here we go! Well we went to church this Sunday and this guy walks in and sits down with his daughter and a member comes up to me and was like his little daughter is baptized and he is not go and talk to him and I was like deal! So I ran over there and sat on his side and introduced my self and I was like are you guys members (playing like I didn’t know anything) and he was like my daughter was baptized and I was like that is great! and I look at him and he was like I also want to be a member and I was like really that is awesome what do you think about for the 17th of March and he was like ya I guess so and I was like sick! Hahah that was an awesome experience! Another up thing was that my district this week really got better and shaped up and got done what they needed to get done which is actually a really good thing! In our district meeting I will tell them all congratulations and they are a really good district! That group of people in front of the temple is my district! Hahaha love them!! And that elder that I have over my head is Elder Valdez! He is not my companion but he is in the same group as me and he is one of my friends he will be on the plane ride home with me! Hahaha no I haven’t gotten your package yet! But I bet here in a little bit I will receive it! Because every week we get letters here so when it gets here I will get it! Alright for some down moments on the roller coaster this week! Well me and my companion almost got into a fist fight! That day was horrible! He was just like mocking me all day and when we go and teach he is not friendly with the people and then he decided to bump into me and that threw it through the roof for me and he came back to bump into me and I pushed and I was like dude stop it and then he was like what you going to do about it and I was like just stop bro your really pissing me off! But because he is a little cocky idiot he kept going so I took my ring off and put into my pocket and when he came back over to do something stupid with me I decked him in the arm and I told him next time it will be in your face! And he just wanted it but lucky a member came (Paulo like the only member that helps) and was like elders get in and so we got in and he knew that me and Elder Serrano weren’t to happy with each other then we all talked and it got better! But I am really starting to get sick with my companion because like the world has to move around him and it is super annoying oh well I could have 3 more weeks with him or 8 more weeks with him we will have to see! Besides all of that I am doing well! I am working hard and God is blessing me with it! That is so cool about Jarrett I really hope that he comes here for his mission! Like same mission that would be sick I would love that! If he came here then I could train him and that would be wickedly sick and I would love to totally do that! Easton bought a lacrosse stick?}? That is cool because he is going to have to practice because when I come back we are so totally going to play against each other! I think that I might have gotten faster here on the mission or maybe it’s been so long since I have been able to play something that I have forgotten what fast is! Hahah who knows! Well I hope you guys have a good week and that everything goes well for you guys! Love you!!
Love, Elder Gray