Tuesday

So here is the deal i have 15 minutes to write this email because that is all the computer will allow me to do.

Oh and Happy Early Birthday Kenley!!

Thanks everyone for the pictures and emails although i just kinda skimmed them today it was great to have them.

So my first area is Pasco it is right next to kennewick and it is west pasco and all of Richland, but there aren't very many people for us to teach in Richland. My Companions name is Hna. Pierce and she is pretty awesome. We are opening our area for sister missionaries in this branch. THey used to have some but the branch split so they don't anymore. So we are it. There is lots of work to be done. I have spent most of my first couple days here tracting and trying to find people to teach, thats what happens when you get to a new place. I will likely be staying in the kennewick misison as well.

My interview with my misisonpresident was good, he talked a lot about Charity and hope and how they can help us in missionary work. We get along cause he is from AZ and played basketball. So thats cool.

We are learning to look on the bright side of life. We were walking in a neighborhood and not having much success talking to people when we were invited into a house and offered a drink and a popsicle, awesome right?

My first week, ya i don't know what language they taught me in the MTC, butit sounded kinda like spanish but it was sooo clear. here people really mumble. But it is going good i really like it here, beautiful weather!! People say wait til it gets 95 degrees and you won't be saying that... i just kindly smile and nod to them but laugh to myself cause that sounds awesome. Although the day we got here it was raining. I didn't think anything of it until someone said it doesn't really rain in Kennewick and it had been like a month since they got rain... It has rained 3 or 4 days since i got here so i don't know if i believe them.

Church my first sunday just made my head hurt. I didn't understand hardly any of it but thats ok. I am sure it will come.

Basically, serving the Lord is a blessing and Although at times we may face challenge we have the most powerful 2 people on the earth on our side. I love you all and there will be more next time.. hopefully, if i can figure out these computers.

Oh and i took a picture with the graduation announcements showing i wanted to be there.

The Gospel is great, We are so Lucky so remember that!!

L:ove,

Hermana Ray

Pasco

21 May 2013

Dear Familia!

Welp I made it to Washington!  The flights went really smooth.  I sat by all missionaries both times, so no people to talk to.  It is OK though.

My mission President and his wife are awesome, I am sad they will be leaving.  (There mission assignment is completed the end of June).

First day was great, pictures and such, get to know you's, interviews, info about everything.  PDay (preparation day, the day missionaries go shopping, do laundry, write emails, and such) will be Monday so you will hear form me next week.

But my first Area is Pasco, WA (one of the Tir-Cities) and it is with the Pasco 5th Branch.  My trainer is Hna Pierce and that's all I know to dayte.  We will be the first sisters in that area, so I am starting on a fun, new assignment.  I just hope Hna Pierce speaks good Spanish.

Dad, sorry for the awkward phone ending, we didn't have a great connection and I have your genes I was in the airport, I loved our conversation! (Rachel got to make calls to her parents from the SLC airport while waiting for her flight to WA so she had conversations with her Dad and Mom).  I think that is one of the longest phone conversations we have had.  I LOve You, thanks for your example.

Mom, I love you and I love my mission.  You will love the Greer's (Rachel's Mission President and his wife).

Sarah, I love your face.  Thanks for being a good example to me.  I am so proud of you.  Sarahy, what summer camp did you get put at?

Dan . . . one Legally Blonde Quote "We Did It!"  Congrats Bud, I'm proud of you!  Know I will be there in spirit Thursday (graduation) and Saturday (work).  Have fun and try to enjoy Stapley.

Grandma and Grandpa were officially my first letter out in Washington.  I got more excited about it than I did my mission debit card.  Give them my love.  Does Grandma Blog stalk me now?

Also, pretty much all the sister areas in my mission have cars, do that is cool.  I hope I don't get fat.  Apparently there are some pretty cool waterfalls in my Mission, but none in my current area right now.

It is fresh crop time here in Pasco, Who is excited?? This guy!  Oh, guess what they fed me for my first meal out of the MTC?  Ham and yummy potatoes, today felt a little like Christmas.  (The Ray's have ham and yummy potatoes for dinner on Christmas).

Oh, and I also think I am related to an Elder Ray here in the Mission.  His name is Dallin Oakley Ray, so I am assuming he is Oakley Ray's grandson (Oakley Ray is Rachel's grandfather Dewey Ray's first cousin) and that we are related.

I Love You all !  The Church is true, and the Mission is awesome!  Hugs and kisses and all email Monday!

Love,

Hermana Ray

P.S.  Ironically the Tri-Cities haven't gotten rain in a month and it rained today.  Un Chiste Padre Celestial, Gracias. 

Sorry for the phone screen shot. it was the only way the blog would accept it

Hola Family!!

What a week it has been. First, Mom I would love if you would send my conference ensign to the MTC. You don't need to send cookies to the MTC, they serve them to me everyday, everything else you are sending can go to KEnnewick. But i would like the Ensign to read on the plane (or as grandpa calls it, my new Urimum Thumum). Sad to hear about Sis. Black she was so awesome. She offered to read all my books to me in high school, i should have taken advantage of that.

So first fun fact, they updated the misison maps, depending on where I am on July 1 i could stay in Kennewick or i could be in three other possible missions, nuts right? So we will see... new adventures!!! OHH and ya i got my travel plans. I leave tues, May 21 at 11:15 and we are flying to Seattle and should get in around 12:30. Then we get to drive all the way across Washington so that should be an adventure. Yes mom i am allowed to call from the airport. (that is if time permits) SO if you want me to call can you send me a dear elder tonight or tomorrow with numbers like yours and dads (just to make sure i have them right), or however you guys want to corrdinate it, that way i will also know if i need to buy a phone card. I can't believe it has been 5 weeks already, it is pretty mind blowing.

Oh my gosh this week was just so great i don't even know where to start.

We have talked a lot this week about the power of words and how we need to use our words wisely and that negative speaking comes from negative thinking. Let's just say we listened to a talk by Jeffery R. Holland called the Tongue of Angels. I have made a goal to try and be less sarcastic because sarcasm will not bring people happiness in the mission field... Let's just say that one is going to take some work.  But something was said by a wife of the MC presidency that hit me. "Imagine that every harsh word said to somebody showed up as a physical bruise." Can you imagine what our world would look like. So i encourage us all to try and think of the words we are saying.

On Saturday i got to skype and teach a lesson to one of my teachers investigators from his misison. The connection was pretty bad and if you combine that, bad headphones, and people talking I felt like an old lady that only heard every 5th word. But it was amazing we got to hear their testimony of the gospel and share ours with them. That is now the third time i have bore my testimony in Spanish, it is getting better, still a little rough around the edges.

No, Mary Edmunds was only here for the one Sunday, for Relief Society we have a different guest speaker every week. Mom i know last Sunday was Mothers Day and i shouldn't be making you jealous, but my Sunday was AWESOME! Music and the spoken word was pretty great, the Relief Society happened, and i couldn't picture anything better.... Have i got you excited enough yet??? You sure? Ok our guest speaker was Janice Kapp Perry. It was so amazing. We started with Sisters in Zion as alwayas but it was different because we got to sing it with the composer of the sing witting right there. And she had us sing a melody of all the Childrens songs she has written, they are like all the classics. She talked about the power of music and the spirit it could bring into a room. Music could bring it fasteer than we can and we should use that to our advantage. Music is an easy way to learn simple truths. After i got to shake her hand and tell her thank you.. But now i will tell you the best part. They are making a CD especially for sister missionaries and for it the had the idea to rewrite the lyrics to As Sister's In Zion and make it "The Sisters of Zion" and we got to sing it as a group in the MTC as sisters which is the first time it has been sung outside the recording studio. I don't remeber the lyrics but as soon as the CD comes out, buy it, listen to that song then send it to me. It was so powerful, i dont' knwo if there was a sister in that room that hadn't had a tear streak down their face. It was a really powerful experience. Also during the Sunday devotional there is one line that stood out above the others for me "Be the kind of missionary your mother would want you to be".... I dont' think they know you mom haha but i will try everyday to act as you would do and be the best missionary i can be.

Monday not my favorite, we had our first investigator drop us. Ya apparently that can happen in the MTC. I guess the Lord knows i need to learn how to deal with rejection here. It is hard though when it is being acted out in the MTC, but overall not a horrible day cause i got to learn about humility and our other lesson went really really good.

Just when you thought my letter couldn't get any better.... Tuesday Night Devotional.... Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I have been so spoiled. 2 apostles while i am here and Elder Nelson is one of my favorites. Fun fact: did you know there are 15 other MTC's besides Provo, i didn't. It again talked abouut angels and that we have help from both sides of the veil. People are praying for us to help their descendents so they can be helped in return. Also that our converts will be like our fmaily, they will be our children of the Lord. He gave lots of advice on how to be a good misisonary. And he actually had a pretty funny sense of humor. one of my favorite lines, "It says in the scriptures that Adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have joy.... So show it!" It was just so cool. A great experience. Remember, "Having Character is better than being one." Smile, be happy! Life is good even when it doesn't seem that way. Even when times are rough we have so many blessings to outway those hardships if we look for them and dwell on the positive. Remember that you are a son/daughter of God and he knows everyones name individually and cares about us all. Love you all, pray for ya!

Here is a fun quote that i got in a conference talk that i wathced in SPanish yesterday (i only understood like 1/4 of it. no big deal) "Cualquiera se tu arte, haz bien tu parte." or "whoever thou are, act thy part." Be yourself and people will love you.

Con Amor,

Hermana Ray

P.S. about the picture, we went to the temple this morning and my compaion wanted to get a picture by the fountain. as we are standing there my comp says "eh, it smells like cholrine" the following picture is my reponse (summer withdrawls...)

It might not attach, i will try another computer if not it is a picture of me smelling the fountian

Oh the little things that amuse us on the mission, we realized we were wearing primary colors and that makes it necessary to take a picture. this opicture has elder brown in the corner, hermana robison in red, hermana villalobos in yellow

 

Hola Familia!!

 

This week has been another good one, suprise suprise I know. I like everything about the MTC, and I can';t believe I only have 2 more weeks left. At the same time I am really excited to be able to plan my own meal times. Thanks Jannae for helping mom out with the blog.  And GOODLUCK Dan Man, teach that High jump bar who is boss.

 

I guess I will just jump in, This week again was a great one for learning. I time and time again learned, and was humbled by my Heavenly Father. SOunds like life is going good back home, it is weird that Dan is almost graduated. Congrats Dan Man, if i don't get a letter sent out next week. Love you buddy. As of right now my mission assignment hasn't changed. i will probably be out in the misison field for a transfer before I find out what mission will be my permanent home. But i should be recieving my  travel plans at the end of this week. I'm really excited!!

Just a few thoughts from the week, we had a fireside with Elder Eduardo Gavarett of the quorum of the 70 yesterday. Something his wife said was great, first of all she spoke in English, Portugese, Spanish, and French and then she said, what ever it is that is worrying you, especially the language, "Don't  Worry, only Believe". And all i know is that if people can learn to speak English, I can learn to speak Spanish. He talked a lot about focusing on the things in our mission, focus on study, focus on people. After when talking about it, an Hermana made the comment, "Just remeber that we wear two names on our badges, and neither of them belong to just us.  We represent our family and Jesus Christ." I think that is way cool, I love how when we devote our time to the Lord he will call us his servants and use us for good. I also have gained a testimony of turning to my savior Jesus Christ. I was always trying to explain why we couldn't call our parents of why we could only write letter, or now email, and now I know. By doing this we have few people we can turn to in those times of need. My companion and my Savior Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father is always just a prayer away and willing to help as soon as you ask for it. I have spent more time on my knees here than I probably have in my whole life. And that is a great thing. Elder Gavarett also said, in this life, the test is always the same, are we willing to yield our hearts to the Lord. And i know that yes i am, cause he knows the people i will teach way more than i do.

 

So one of my inverstigators, Jose reminds me a lot of Dad, he is hard working, cares about and for his family, and just a good guy. Well right now he is struggling cause he is out of work becuase he got a bowl of hot sugar bumped into him and got burns all down his legs. What are the odds right? I was able to share your experience about the burns on the legs and it was cool, because it began to open him up to our message.

 

Our other investigator, Lindsey is  strong catholic so we were visiting with her as a friend and we were able to build a good enough foundation with her that she began to ask us questions. The one she asked us was, "why do you go around and visit with people, even though i didn't want to hear your message you sat and talked with me. i then explained to her that my purpose on a mission was to act as Jesus would, to follow in his footsteps, and Jesus would want to visit with everyone and leanr about them. and that we wanted to help people come to know Christ. Lets just say the only way that came out like that in Spanish had to be with help from the Spirit, after that she opened up to us about her belief  in God and are better able to figure out how to help her. It is seriously the coolest thing. President David O. McKay said " What you sincerley in your heart think of Christ will influence your actions." i know this is true. People can see the light and happiness in your eyes and begin to look for it. Don't ever be afraid to share who you are.

 

I also bore my testimony for the first time in Spanish this week, it was maybe 30 seconds long, probably sound about how mine did when i was five, but i did it. It was way fun. Testifying happens to be one of the only things i know how to do in Spanish.

I didn't realize how much i knew until we were helping the younger district plan a lesson. It was a relief to see the progress that is being made.

 

We also got to hear friom Chad Lewis the football player on sunday. He spoke of a lot but, what i really got from him was to not take for granted any opportunities. During or after your misison and i am going to strive to follow those words.

 

I love you all and pray for ya everyday!! Remember that you are a child of God and that the He loves you.

 

Con Amor,

Hermana Ray

P-day Switch

 

What better way to start out the day than an email from me? On the wrong day.... So on Sunday our schedule was completely changed because of semester for BYU. So my Pday is now Wed. Sorry mom. So mom and dad, if you would send my eamil through Dearelder this week i would really appreciate it. otherwise i won't get it til next week. 

 

Anyway my weeks have been a little crazy here. A completely new schedule that has been kinda nice cause I get to sleep til 6:30 everyday but Wed. and i don't even care cause Wed i get to go to the temple, so it is all made up for. Plus both of our teachers were supposed to be changing, but only one actually did. She was my favorite, but i guess it's ok, i obviously need to learn something from it. I love classes, even though somedays it is hard to have class that many hours a day when you have to think twice as hard cause your teachers talk in Spanish. But i love it, i have learned so much since i have been here. I can finally talk to people and sound like i didn't learn my spanish from a 3 year old.

 

It is finally warming up in Utah.  (thank goodness) and we get to go out and use the field for gym time. Our group usually goes and plays kickball which is fun. Except i got really bored after like 2 innings cause everyone stopped kicking it tome in the outfield (aparently they were mad i could catch). But i love being outside, it is amazing what 50 mins of outside time can do to help me let out energy and refocus for class.

 

Sunday was definately my favorite day this week. We got to listen to music and the spoken word, Relief scoiety was good, and for our fireside we got to hear from the managing director of the missionary department. He brought a fun message at the MTC is was nice to be able to sit back and relax a little bit. Just to give you guys an image of how many sister misionaries there are at the MTC, we have hit about 50% of the mission force. We had over 1200 sisters at relief society.

 

Spanish and teaching is coming along really great. I love it. I love getting to know people. It is crazy the connections you can make with people all over.

 

One last thing. I just want to share a little bit about what i know has help me here. I can sum it up in 1 word. Prayer. I seriously would not be able to do this without having my Father in Heaven to talk to. Even though he already knows everything, he wants us to tell him, he wants us to trust him enough to pay attention to what he is trying to tell us though feeling the Spirit. He is our Father and that is all he wants from us, for us to talk to him as we would talk to our fathers. I know that is true, i know God hears my prayers. I think you should all go watch the mormon message (it is like the only form of media entertainment here in the MTC) Earthly Father Heavenly Father, it is so good. I love the quote at the end of the video. I could seriously watch it over and over. tp get to it. go to lds.org and type mormon messages in the search bar. click on the link and it should be one of the ones to pop up.

 

People i saw this week: Elder Garrett Turley, Sister Morgan Heywood

 

I love you all, thanks for the love and the support. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. Sorry the emai this week is short.

 

 Always remember to try to be the best person you can be. "Real change may require repeated attempts." - Todd D. Christopherson