7-21-14

Hola Familia!

Life is well, literally crazy here about now. So i don't forget to mention this later, i will do it now. Not sure how many have seen it, all i know is it is the only thing on the news in Washington. Washington is like number one in the nation right now for forest fires. Don't fear, Manson/Chelan are not in danger. It is up the valley quite a ways. But some people in our stake have been affected by it. A couple have lost homes. It was cool to see the whole stake pull together in a special fast for these people. The church is already on board to help provide relief to these people. We have had the opportunity to help out a little bit doing some translating and just visiting and playing with people who have been evacuated from their homes into the highschool in Chelan. But no worries we are safe :) Just keep these people in your prayers :)

Other than that this week has been good. We have found some new people to teach and Heavenly Father blessed us to have a little contact with all of our investigators. Lots of them have been working in the cherries and we don't always see them every week, but this week we saw ALL of them! It was really fun :) They are all doing well and i think being prepared for the gospel. The Lord always has a way of putting into our minds what the people need even if it wasn't something that we were planning. We are focusing on helping out the second generation. Everyone we are teaching is concerned for their kids, and as they see their kids changing their heart is more receptive to the message. It is really cool. Because the kids are also the ones who are being proactive. In one of the famillies, when the kids learn the aren't going to church, mutual, or a ward activity they complain. (And they are 15 & 13) Mom i bet you wished we were like that. And the other family. the 13 year old daughter is the one who always does her reading! it is amazing!

Irasema is still set to be baptized this weekend and we are so excited!! This is the families first step towards being able to be together forever. We are trying to set a time for the baptism that the Dad can come. Abigail told us that he has softened up a little and wants to be there but has to work at the time we had it set for, so we are trying to change that. It has been really cool to see them changing and growing in the gospel. They are currently the most active members of our group and they aren't actually members yet. Irasema just makes my day because she always talks about going out with us and being a missionary someday. What more could you ask for when you are helping someone come to Christ's gospel?

The gospel changes lives. that's it, it is that simple. For investigators, members, missionaries, anyone. No matter who we are if we begin to LIVE the gospel of Jesus Christ rather than just learn it, we change. We apply repentance and the Atonement. We Believe Jesus Christ. Commiting myself to serve a mission has been one of the greatest blessings in my life because i began to learn, aplly, and use the Doctrine of Christ in my everyday life. We got to have a training on the Doctrine of Christ again this week. I have been to this training 3 times now, and everytime i leave thinking, i have read this chapter so many times and still didn't get that out of it. As we learn of Christ, we want to be like him, and because he is merciful, one day we can be. We CAN be perfect, we CAN be happy, we CAN receive all the blessings Heavenly Father has for us. BUT those are all our choice. We have to choose to follow him and we are promised to recieve these blessings. 

I hope you all have a great week! Talk to ya next one! 

Hermana Ray

Smoke coming into town, not the best picture, but the only one i took.

 

 

7-14-14

Hola Familia!

It has been a fun filled adventurous week. I don't even know where to begin. Well lets start with the heading of the email. The member we live with is out of town, so we had to find some living arrangements for while she was gone. So they put us in a lovely little camping trailer for a week. It has been good fun and no complaints. it was one of those times where life is more fun with a little adventure. From the pictures i took this week it looks like i did nothing but eat... I did do missionary work, but you wouldn't think it looking at the pictures. But i did learn how to make spanish rice this week as well as try tamarindo for the first time. (don't ask me what it is... I have ask like 5 or 6 different people and no one could explain it, so a group member just went and bought it for me so i could understand.) Lots of missionary work as well is taking place.

We had a baptism yesterday in the ward for one of the 8 year olds in the ward. And we had Irasema come so that she could see a baptism. She really liked it and is getting more excited about her own baptism that will be coming up shortly :) We sat while they were playing music after the baptism and talked about what we were going to do for hers. Then she asked me if one day she could come with us to teach some one and bring her Book of Mormon and her notebook in a backpack. Basically she is my favorite and I love her and her family and can't wait til they can make promises with our Heavenly Father.

The rest of the week we talked to a lot of new people. it was fun. We had some lessons with people of many different beliefs, but had good discussions with them and helped them understand what we believe. Yesterday we had a really good discussion with a lady name Kristen. she was probably a little older than I am and she is a Jehovah's Witness missionary. we sat and answered some questions and shared some beliefs and by the end they wanted us to stay and eat pizza with them, but we had already eaten some big meals pretty close together (i told you i felt like all i did this week was eat.). All in all, it was a cool experience of seeing how religion can get along as long as they are asking questions with a sincere desire to know.

But as we talked to people, it was interesting how many of them were excited to see sister missionaries, they say, "that is so cool usually we only see the boys, it is fun to see you girls." It makes me laugh every time. 

As i have been studying this week i have been reading in Acts. In the past when i read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John i had stopped after John because that is all my institute class had required of me. But as i have started reading I love how much i have learned from just the first few couple chapters. They truly went around teaching by example and doing all that Christ would have done. They were dedicated servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even to the end of their lives at times. 

I also finished reading the conference Ensign. It was really good. if i were to sit and write out all the things that i liked, i would run out of time and just have a lot of Random thoughts. One of my personal favorite talks was on the Savior. (because i have studied so much on the Atonement lately) Elder Christofferson sure has a way with wrods, i wish i could understand him better sometimes, but i loved this quote, "Having satisfied the demands of justice, Christ now steps into the place of justice; or we might say He is justice, just as He is love.²² Likewise, besides being a “perfect, just God,” He is a perfect, merciful God.²³ Thus, the Savior makes all things right. No injustice in mortality is permanent, even death, for He restores life again. No injury, disability, betrayal, or abuse goes uncompensated in the end because of His ultimate justice and mercy."

Also i liked this statement that he made. the If-Then of the reality of Christ,

IF...

"Consider for a moment the significance of the Resurrection in resolving once and for all the true identity of Jesus of Nazareth and the great philosophical contests and questions of life. If Jesus was in fact literally resurrected, it necessarily follows that He is a divine being. No mere mortal has the power in himself to come to life again after dying. Because He was resurrected, Jesus cannot have been only a carpenter, a teacher, a rabbi, or a prophet. Because He was resurrected, Jesus had to have been a God, even the Only Begotten Son of the Father."

THEN...

"Therefore, what He taught is true; God cannot lie.²⁵ Therefore, He was the Creator of the earth, as He said.²⁶ Therefore, heaven and hell are real, as He taught.²⁷ Therefore, there is a world of spirits, which He visited after His death.²⁸ Therefore, He will come again, as the angels said,²⁹ and “reign personally upon the earth.”³⁰ Therefore, there is a resurrection and a final judgment for all."

"Given the reality of the Resurrection of Christ, doubts about the omnipotence, omniscience, and benevolence of God the Father—who gave His Only Begotten Son for the redemption of the world—are groundless. Doubts about the meaning and purpose of life are unfounded. Jesus Christ is in fact the only name or way by which salvation can come to mankind. The grace of Christ is real, affording both forgiveness and cleansing to the repentant sinner. Faith truly is more than imagination or psychological invention. There is ultimate and universal truth, and there are objective and unchanging moral standards, as taught by Him."

I know Christ lives and loves us, I have felt his hand in my life. Love you all and have a great week!

Hermana Ray

"May we realize how close to us He [God] is willing to come, how far He is willing to go to help us, and how much He loves us.  -Thomas S. Monson

Elva teaching us how to make food.. i am behind my companion, you just can't see me :)

Me eating said food

 Oh also we have transfers this week, but I am not going anywhere, neither is my companion. one of the Elders in our area is leaving which is sad, but other than that we don't see anyone.. So we have transfers, but life won't really change

7-7-14

Hola Familia!

Honestly it has been a great week! I have so many reasons to be happy! It has been weird not to be doing 4th of July activities, but that is ok. Town was really busy on the Fourth! All weekend actually. It was kind of nice. our chapel was filled to the brim and they had to open it up more than normal which was fun.

Congrats Jenny on the Call!!!!!!!!!! Welcome to the force :)

We had lots of lessons this week and the Lord was definitely watching out for us. The first experience that really helped me grow my faith was on Thursday. Up to this point everything we had been trying to accomplish here had been cancelled hours before it was to happen. Whether it was a member having to tell us they couldn't come or an investigator, we hadn't had a very successful week to this point. But thursday we had good plans. The spiteful side of me was like ya... we will see. Luckily my Faithful side was stronger. We called to confrim our appointments, and one of them wasn't home and we had no way of contacting her... So as a last resort, we dropped a note of at her work and I just thought, "well Lord, i have Literally done everything in my power to let this happen." The outcome wasn't looking great. But we left and went back to work hoping for the best. That night we had dinner with Abigail, one of our investigators. She is the sweetest soul on Earth and will hopefully have the chance to get baptized soon. After dinner, the conversation changed pretty quick when Abigail asked us what Irasema (10) needed to do to get baptized. Well we set a plan with her to be baptized and it was literally God answering so many of my prayers and lifting my spirit all at once. Then was the moment of truth. to see whether or not Jasmin got our note at work. I seriously was on such a high from the lesson before and a whim hoping that she was there that i wasn't even sure what to do. We knocked and she answered the door and was ready to go. it was a miracle!

Then since it was fast and testimony meeting and my companion is newer in the area we were going to bear our testimonies. But we were hoping to see Dioci who is one of the Less active YW we are working with. We started doing personal progress with her once a week to help her build her testimony. (I know those who know me really well are laughing right now. oh personal progress) But i am now starting to appreciate it more than i ever did as a young woman. And her experience this week could be checked off by bearing her testimony about Jesus Christ in Sacrament meeting. we had been studying about the Atonement. Well, sunday came... and so did she! We sat in the more full than usual chapel and she was super nervous. But when she got up she sis awesome. it was very short and started by saying that she was nervous because she had never done it before. She did awesome. And it was a really cool experience. To see someone taking such an action to increase her faith.

This week more often than not has fallen back on the Atonement. It is at the forefront of my mind and everything I have been reading has come back to that. I wish i could understand/comprehend it more fully, but i am also grateful for the knowledge that i do have. I am so glad that Christ chose to be obedient and do the will of his Father. It really hit me this week that everything that we do as missionaries will come back to the fact that Christ is our Savior. It is the center of our teachings and always should be our motivating push to help other people! I love the testimony that i have of him and would love to share it with anyone who would let me.

Oh ya Fourth of July. We had a good fourth of July. We had a BBQ with the Englands including steak and chicken and whatever other things you can imagine! My companion wasn't feeling very good so after dinner she headed off to bed to try and beat whatever it was before it came. So it was a rather lonely one.. Haha the family we live with went to they beach to watch the fireworks. So i went out to watch the fire works at like 10:15 when they finally started and i could only see about half of any given fireworks. Not quite as good as stadium of fire, but i'll take it. I love the fourth. Sarah rockin job on the earings. all the England grandchildren loved them!

Have a great week! Hermana Ray

The second photo is for your birthday Sarah! this was the back view off of our porch at about 9:15 on your birthday :)