2-24-14

Famlia!

Wow what a week it has been here in Quincy! I can't even express how extremely grateful I am to be about the Lord's work. I have no doubt that he has his hand in it and that he is watching over us. I am also extremely grateful for all the people who help make this work possible. I am nothing compared to the grand scheme of things.

We have really been focusing on trying to talk to more people everyday. Not just talk, but open our mouth and testify of the good news that brings us peace. It has been great to see just how much the Lord is preparing people to hear his message. At the beginning of this week I was looking at how I could better be used as an instrument in the Lords hands. As I started Preach my Gospel over I read, "We challenge you to rise to a new level of commitment" and it hit me. I needed to really see how many more souls the Lord has to put in my path and work diligently to help them. It has been crazy what has happened this week. One of the people we were really excited to teach called to cancel her appointment but we couldn't get her off our minds... Saturday was her birthday and we decided to drop off a card for her birthday. Well, we had a great lesson about what reasons she had to be hesitant to jump back in and by the time we left she told us she  would some to church. So she came to relief society (we have classes before sacrament here) and she loved it. It had answered some of her questions, addressed her concerns, and she realized how many people there were that she knew there. It was a great experience. Some of our other investigators didn't make it to church this week, but they are all slowly moving forward and finding that desire to be baptized :)

That is just one example of the Lord having his hands in everything and finding people that are truly prepared. Last night after dinner we went back to work and we couldn't believe the night we had. 2 of the 4 or 5 people we talked to invited us in and talked to us about thinking they needed to go back to church and that they didn't know how and maybe we could help them. I seriously was blown away! As we had exchanges this week Hna. Larson and I were talking about how often we don't ask for miracles because we feel that we are asking too much of the Lord, and then I found a scripture yesterday in Moroni 7:37 that says, "Behold, I say unto you nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain." That scripture hit me sooo hard! every time as I read the scriptures I am amazed at how much faith they have and how close to Christ they are and the miracles they see, this week I realized that we are entitled to those same miracles, and if we aren't receiving them it is because we don't really believe that Christ truly can do all he says he can. So I started to pray for miracles and thought, man we really can see these happen and they have been! Quincy is definitely prepared and part of the Lord's work!

Another really cool experience was with one of the couples we are teaching, they are so cute and amazing, and their culture background is different. They are Buddhist and the wife doesn't speak English hardly at all. So as we were starting to teach them, they got a call from the sister missionaries in Salt Lake City, who we have been working with (also a new experience) She reexplained everything we were teaching in Thai and we could see the light bulbs going off. Thank goodness for technology. It has been really fun! I can't believe how much I still don't know about this gospel everyday!!

On top of that awesome week we had a great Zone Conference where we learned about helping people grow their own testimonies and focusing the work around them. President Ware is so inspired about what we need to hear. I know that he was called of God. He cares so much and has been really helping us with the way the Lord wants us to do missionary work.

We definitely feel so blessed that the Lord loves us enough to help us out in this work. People are the key. They have such honest and sincere desire. Don't be afraid to answer a question that someone has about the church, as we constantly study our scriptures, the Spirit has answers to draw from and tell you what to say! Pray for the missionaries in your areas, they need your help and your prayers more than you realize! I love you all and thank you for your prayers and support! Let us all go out and be happy servants of the Lord!

Hermana Ray

This is in the town of George (also in my area)... yep I am in George, Washington! So in this lovely town of about 200 people there is this statue to honor him. 

2-17-14

Hola Familia!

You all probably thought i wasn't going to email this week because of the Holiday, well it is actually because we got to go to the Grand Coulee Dam today which is like the largest concrete structure in the world. (i think) It was part of President Roosevelt's projects to create jobs during the great depression. There is actually some really cool scenery about an hour away from where i am. It looked a little like Arizona, minus the cacti and it was more green due to moss. But it was cool to look at that and the Dry falls, which were made when the ice from the ice age melted. It was a great start to the week, and i just know it is a sign that it will be a great week!

This week has been pretty great! There are definitely people prepared in Quincy! We found quite a few people to teach this week and they are not only willing for us to teach them, but they are excited to talk to us! They have all come through some pretty amazing experiences. Maria, one of the fabulous people we met, said that she almost didn't open the door the first day we knocked on her house because it was so cold outside she didn't want to let the draft into her house... Let's just say we were very grateful that she answered the door that day, because it gave us a great start and she was so nice and so ready to hear the gospel. 

Another testimony i received was the power of a Christ-like example. The other day we had a lesson with Tonya and as we left we noticed her mailbox was on the ground and so we asked her what happened and she said that a guy had driven by that day, knocked it down, and then drove off. So we told her we could ask around to see if there was anyone that could help her fix it. At first she was a little hesitant, well today one of the great members of the ward went over to fix it. around noon we got a call on our phone from her and she was so excited that someone had come to help her with her mailbox. it was awesome! She invited us back to her house tomorrow! It is amazing what simple acts of service can do, especially when they are done out of a desire to help others, rather than for personal gain. All of that came from some guy who hit a mailbox. God works in mysterious ways.

A great moment this week was on Saturday! Whoooo! We got permission to go to Josie's baptism!! I was so excited. As i sat there listening to the people i had spent so much time around coming together for this great moment, the spirit filled the room. Josie was so happy and excited which was really cool. She is starting that journey for herself, not because she felt obligated but because she wanted to! I realized that she had soaked in a lot of information even though she is really quite. 

Basically we missionaries are so blessed to be part of his work! Quincy is going great! Yesterday was ward conference and Bishop gave a talk about member missionary work where he shared a story about reaching out and inviting someone to take the missionary lessons. Well that investigator was at church yesterday and is trying to make huge strides in her life to follow the example of her Savior. She has been fighting an uphill battle most of her life, but she is still fighting and has set goals to work towards baptism! The work is really moving along here and everyone is putting in their part to help. It is great to see people working together for this great cause. This is the Lord's work and when we do it His way we will be blessed and the work will progress and souls will come unto him and receive that happiness they have been looking for in their lives.

As i have studied this week, i have been reading into how i can better help others, because if i am not focused on others or helping others i am not fully fulfilling my purpose as a missionary. So i decided to start Preach My Gospel from the beginning again. I felt as if i was searching and as i read, i kept noticing the word HELP and how many times it was used. I realized that this isn't a work to do alone. Missionaries are never alone. We are surrounded by this source of help, but we are also this source for others. We have our companions, we have the Spirit, the Lord, God, and the wonderful members of the church, investigators, and people who give you a smile and a wave as they pass you on the street. We are given this support system so that we can do all in our power to HELP others. Service, service, service. It is something I have been learning about my whole life. That Christ-like attribute to serve others freely. So i am seeking for ways to help other in anyway possible. Trying to truly follow in the footsteps of my Savior!

Love you all. I know the Church is true and that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, and that we all have a part to play in the Lords Army. "We are all enlisted til the conflict is over. Happy are we, Happy are we" Work hard and help others realize that they have purpose and a Loving Heavenly Father. It's about time to get back to work. Have a great week!

 

Hermana Ray

Josie's baptism! Josie is the one in the middle in front of me

Us and the sisters in Ephrata at the point that overlooks Coulee Dam!

 

2-10-14

Hola Familia!

Quincy is treating me really well. it is giving me all sorts of new experiences.. Like shoveling snow. It looks like a winter wonderland. It was tons of snow, but it is to me! I am actually kind of grateful that it actually snowed because the 2 days before were really cold.

Our week started out a little rough because Sam isn't going to get baptized because her parents aren't going to let her. I just know that she will be strong enough that when she has the option and the choice she will follow her Savior Jesus Christ. We can tell that it has already helped her a lot in her life and she has received answers to her prayers. I am amazed at the faith of my new companion as we left Sam's house. I was upset, and I am sure she was to, and she just says, "Well Sister Ray, (Which she says my name in this really funny accent in a way that I wish you all could here) I guess this isn't Sam's time. but she will be strong and join the Church and bring her family" that may not be word for word, but you get the point, she has this amazing optimism about her.

On another good note, we are teaching a family that is super amazing right now. Antonio and Armanda and their 4 year old daughter Destiny. She reminds me of Emma because she is super smart and super funny. The other day we were talking about the ten commandments and I asked her if she knew what honor thy father and thy mother meant. she said no and then promptly stood a few feet in front of my face and waited for an explanation. It was super funny. The family is so ready to come unto Christ. They talked to us the other day about how they had found Jesus and they had found a church. It was a really cool story of how they started talking to the missionaries. The other sisters here were helping set up for a wedding reception and Antonio came into the church and asked when the services were. He said he came on Saturday the week before but that there was nobody there. They told him and talked to him for a little bit and they came to church the next week and started talking to the missionaries! I love it when other people have a desire to learn and you can see the flame of their faith growing, it is the reason we missionaries are out here!

This week we also had an exact answer to our prayers! I have never received an answer that was that clear and that immediate! We got a referral from Debbie Gilbert in Royal City, but she said sisters I am sorry but all I have is her name, I know a little about her, but her phone number doesn't work and I don't know her address, but you need to find her. She needs the gospel. So we didn't know where to start. All we knew about her was her name and that her brother had died a few years back. So Sis. Webley (The sweet lady that we live with, who knows everyone because she has lived here for a long time.) gave us the idea to look up an address in the phone book. We went to look for it and right before we got out of the car, we said a prayer and asked Heavenly Father to help us find her, and that if this wasn't her house, that we could put together the pieces and find her. Well, she didn't live there, but they gave us another clue to where they may live. As we got to this place, it was looking slim that we would ever find it. We finally were at the point of giving up and instead of walking the same way we came we went out to the main road. as we got past like 3 trailers, I turn and see a memorial for her brother... I couldn't believe my eyes. We didn't even think we were in the right place! God answered our prayers. She wasn't home, but God helped us and answered our prayers. I don't know what the end to this story is, but that night I knew that God loved me and this Woman enough to answer our prayers. It was such a faith building experience.

Other than that we had some other good experiences, some lessons and faith building experience that show us God is looking out for us. We also have a few other potential people to teach and They have desires to learn. Questions are one of the best things ever. I love that we are encouraged to learn for ourselves. I don't want anyone to believe me just because I say something, but I want them to get into the Book of Mormon and down on their knees, because that is how I learned and really fortified my testimony in Jesus Christ that has withstood many experiences.

This week we also had another learning experience that I won't forget, we were out knocking doors and it was like 7 degrees outside, and we knocked on a door and the man let us in. As we talked he said he loved to read about religion and that he had grown up around members of the Latter Day Saint faith. We also found out he was the preacher of one of the churches here in Quincy. Looking back on it I thought, "this must be what Joseph Smith felt like, no wonder he was so confused" He was honestly curious about some of what we believed but he asked us how we could honestly believe that the Book of Mormon was true. At that point I could tell that his heart wasn't open to the spirit on that subject but then he asked us about being children of God and as we opened our mouths and testified the Spirit was there and bearing witness to his heart, and that was quite possibly all that was meant for us to do. It was interesting as my companion was talking about the difference when the Spirit was there and we had a good conversation on the Spirit of contention and how when we have that Spirit we won't be able to learn by the Spirit. I am so appreciative of the fact that I know that I am a child of God and that he loves me and has a plan for me to return to him.

I love you all and I love hearing of your missionary experiences. Thank you for sharing them with me! Isn't being a missionary and a instrument in God's hands just the best? I certainly think so! Have a great week and look for opportunities to Open your Mouth and to serve other people, that is the Lord's way of doing things, and when we are able to do things in the Lord's way it has showed him that we humble ourselves.

Hermana Ray

2-3-14

Hola Familia!

Life here in Quincy is going great, i think after a few days i have finally figure out the road system, which means I will spend less time getting lost. Quincy is about double the size of Royal and i am actually serving in town as well. I'm still getting used to all of the people! Wow! Then i remember how small of a town i was coming from. But Quincy is really good. The ward here has lots of strong members! Here in Quincy there is one ward, and like Royal, they all come from the same few families and are all related. And yesterday at church someone asked me if i was related to someone who just moved to Arizona from their ward whose maiden name was Ray... I said, well if she is from AZ and she is related to the Rays, then probably but i would have no idea how! The only difference here is they all know how they are related to each other.

My Companion is Sister Tuigamala from West Valley, UT. She was born in Hawaii, but mostly raised in Utah, and yes mom her name is Samoan. The rugby player you asked about is her dads cousin. She is super awesome, has a really strong testimony and is ready to work! And check this out, she has a twin sister. What are the chances that 2 of my companions on my mission have a twin sister? Then i explain that i have a friend that is kinda like my twin sister...

So far Quincy is going really good, the Elders serving in Spanish in the area were really nice to us and set up appointments for us to meet all of the people the other sisters were teaching and I am really excited to be in this area, there are people who have good potential! They are so humble and trying to make changes in their lives. Plus Yesterday, we contacted one of the people they had been teaching and she accepted an invitation to baptism! She is 17 and really trying to get her life going in the right direction. It was really cool for me to 1. See my new companion invite someone to follow Jesus Christ, and 2. To see someone who has real desire to follow him. I am really excited for her! Her name is Sam! This is a good area with good people. The best part about Sam's lesson was that it was supposed to be at 6:30, but we went over and the super bowl was still on, so we had to ask if we could come back later. Note to self: don't knock doors during the super bowl, we would walk up to a house and the game would be blaring through the door. my favorite was the one that we knocked (and yes we could hear the game) and then after we knocked the tv got turned up way louder... It was super funny, happened more than once. But it was worth it to be able to go back over to Sam's and help her learn more. She already knows a lot and i am thankful for all the other missionaries that put in hard work to help her learn and prepare her to accept an invitation to follow Christ.

Today as I was reading, I read the Book of Mormon and i am going through highlighting every reference to Christ, along with some other things. But as i read today, i was surprised because there was only like 5 reference to Christ in like 3 chapters, which was weird because usually it is like 10 times per chapter, but then i realized that it was a the chapters where the Lamanites go to war with the people of Limhi over a miss-understanding. And how when we let our anger control us and whisk us away into war, we don't look to the Lord and try to live life with forgiveness and repentance. If my life was written in a history like the Book of Mormon, would there be chapters that the Lord will look for how many times he is mentioned and not be able to find any? Do i do what i can to make sure i remember the Lord and all of the many blessings that I have? It was a good learning experience. We have so many blessings and most of them are thanks to the Lord!

Missionary life is going really well, and i couldn't be happier, because i am a servant of Jesus Chirst. Thanks to everyone who supports me! And for the uplifting stories about missionary work. Hearing about friends back home who have acepted Christ is so awesome! Have a great week!

Hermana Ray