Wednesday, September 18, 2013

9-16-13

Hola Familia,
It has been another week full of walking working hard, and running from dogs...

Monday after i emailed we got to go on a tour of the Jerry Allred's
Dairy. It was actually really interesting. I am such a nerd. It was
fun, we got to milk a cow, i am pro.I am trying to embrace the farm
life. It is actually going pretty well.

We have had some great lessons and i have been thinking on the power
of a testimony. As we sit there and talk to people about beliefs and
about how we can grow our faith in Christ, it is reflected back to me.
If I have that faith in Jesus Christ than i can help them increase
there own faith. This week it has been the power of the Restoration of
the gospel. Twice this week as we were talking about the first vision
and telling of Joseph Smith's experience, they were actively
listening. One specific experience as i was telling the story and
holding a picture of the first vision. The lady we were teaching was
shelling green tomatoes, and she was putting them into a bowl. During
this time, she kept missing the bowl because her eyes were glued to
the picture of Joseph Smith seeing God and Jesus Christ. It was
awesome. It just makes so much sense to me that we would have a
prophet now. I love telling the first vision. Ironically i am much
better at telling it in Spanish and to tell it in English i have to
translate it in my head. The gospel is true! We are so lucky to have
the same church that Jesus Christ established when he was on the
Earth. I am so grateful that God loves us enough to let the church
come back to the earth and to call some one to lead and guides us.

One other great thing that is happening is the last few weeks i have
been getting compliments on my Spanish and i feel like i can have an
almost normal conversation. The just as i think that, i am humbled
enough to talk to someone that i can't understand at all. But i love
the Spanish language! Yesterday i became the translator in Relief
society, because there is a sister in the branch that doesn't speak
spanish, here husband has a calling in the branch and she is awesome
and goes to everything in Spanish and knows all of the women pretty
well, but i was asked to translate so she could understand and respond
to questions. It was pretty cool.

I know, i know, the only thing any of you really want to read is about
the dogs right? It isn't all that exciting. This week we just haven't
had luck with the dogs. One day we had one jumping all over us,
nipping at my hands, jumping in and out of the canal getting us all
dirty and no one knew who he belonged to!! ugh.... The next day, my
compaion got bit by a different dog, and it was at a place we have
been many times!! What in the world? Ya, luckily he didn't get her too
good. Then later that night we almost got bitten again! A dog being
chained up here is like being in arizona all summer and not swimming.
(Rare) To top it off, the day my companion got bit we got locked out
of our house! (and we don't get phone service at our house..) It was
such a crazy and adventerous day! we managed to break in though.
Hermana Heninger and i never fail to find adventure.

I also got to speak at church on Sunday in our English ward. Bishop
asked us to speak on how conference has changed our life.... At first
i thought he was kidding. We are both here because of the announcement
made in conference. But while i was trying to figure out what to share
i was thinking about how Grandpa calls the conference Ensign the
urimum & thumum. And then i got into the story of the Liahona. And i
decided that conference is like our liahona because it is guidance
given from the Lord, but it will only work according to our faith and
diligence. If we are actively looking for guidance from conference and
are faithful and obedient, we will find it. If we treat it like it is
just another thing to watch on tv, then thats what it will be. Buckle
up get ready, conference is coming. so excited!

I love you all i hope you are having as great of a time as i am! We
had a crazy storm last night that put all the power out in othello,
which is the neighboring town. It was crazy. horizontal rain and
lightning and for like 3 hours straight! So fun. Love you all, have a
great week and remember to be awesome!

Con Amor,
Hermana Ray



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