10-7-13

Hola Familia!
Well, it was a short while since we all spoke last, but it has been a good few days. especially conference (that goes without saying). Life here on the Royal Slope is good. Busy because harvest is coming to a close and everyone is working to get their crops done. As a result we stay busy contacting people and trying to offer the help and service we can to this community.

Conference was really really good. I seriously just sat and absorbed the words. I loved that we had the chance to listen to the prophet and all the apostles. I honestly don't remember all of the talks, but what I do know is i can't wait to get a conference issue of the ensign to really study them and learn even more.

One specifically that i remembered was the talk on meekness. I don't remember everything that was said but i do remember that it was about being meek. Meek is one of those words that i hear often at church but it has never really sank in. as a result, i am going to start to study it. Hopefully as i study, it can sink in and start to become a part of me. I can't think of anything better.

Honestly i enjoyed seriously everyone of the talks at conference. I sat and enjoyed them scribbling a few notes. Everyone seemed to touch on various topics that related to almost everyone i know including myself.

I also remembered in a talk about imagine if the Savior were personally walking there beside you and put his arm around you. I think of how many times a friend or family member has put there arm around me and how it just makes you feel so good. Now to imagine the Savior of the world, someone so well known to the world and someone that i have a personal relationship with to put his arm around me. It made me smile just sitting there thinking about it.

Elder Nelson- "A child is never to young to learn and an adult is never to old to change" 

Family i love you all and hope that this conference you were able to hear answers to questions and receive a witness of the truthfulness of prophets and the inspired messages that were delivered. God live and he has sent those messages because he loves us and wants to help us out in this world.

The area is going pretty well, one really cool experience. We were outside making  some phone calls in between sessions of conference and we got a phone call from a number we didn't recognize. Answering made our day. Pedro, the man on the other side of the phone we someone we had run into probably like 4 weeks ago. It was really late one night, our plans had fallen through, it was too late to go anywhere else, but too early to go home. We didn't know what to do, we found a house off to the side of the road so we stopped. Outside we found a man (Pedro) who was carrying in some food. We sat and chatted for maybe 5 or 10 minutes and he said that he never knew where he was going to be because his work changed his location every couple of days between the 3 cities. He told us to try and call him later. He then walked us out to our car to make sure nothing would happen to us. Well we called him the next week and he was out of town. We told him to call us when he was in Royal. Well when he called us the other day it took us a while to realize who he was. He then said, I do really want to learn from you and change, work is just so crazy. It was really cool, after all that time, he had called us. His desire to learn and change had not faltered over that period of time.

Thanks for all of your love and support. Keep working hard in whatever you are doing. Don't forget that God is there and that he loves you. And as Elder Holland said, "If the bitter cup doesn't pass, drink it and be strong." I love you all and pray for you!

Hermana Ray

The other night we got home and my sheet had just gotten out of the dryer. When my companion came back into our bedroom this is what she saw!!!!

10-2-13

This week and a half has been awesome. we had a temple trip today so
our pday was changed to Wednesday. Suprise! But it was all really
good! I love going to the Temple. We had to drive through Pasco to get
to the temple and i couldn't stop thinking of the memories and the
experiences there. It is no joke that your mission becomes a part of
you and every area you serve. I am definitely becoming a better
person.
This last week has been really good. We had a lot of work to do and
that is a good thing. There has been some crazy storms up and so the
work schedule of the farmers has been changing a lot. Anyway, one day
we had such an amazing experience of getting to show 3 guys the church
building and talking about Christ. Every single one of them talked
about feeling the Spirit and have been very accepting of many of the
things we teach. I hope they can start to see that taking action and
trying to change will help them. It was just a really cool experience.
Along with that, we have really been working hard to have members in
the missionary work. And every time we have had a member with us the
Spirit has been so strong and it has been a really great experience
for me, i hope it has been like that for them as well. The power of a
personal testimony from a "real person" is just so awesome. They
instantly have a friend who has shared one of the most important parts
of their life with them. It has been really good.
General Relief Society Meeting was pretty awesome. The importance of
promises is huge, especially when they are promises with God. But one
part that really stuck out to me was when the story was told of the
hike and how the girl was so excited to hike to the top and ended up
being the last one up. For me that was a huge girls camp flash back. I
remember being put at the back and wanting to be up front running up
the trail but it has been recently that i have recognized the
blessings form being in the back of the group. Never before would i
have thought that being in the back would have helped me to grow and
be a leader. but that is exactley what it did. it taught me how to
observe and look at others to see how i could help. So, mom, thanks
for helping me be the person i am by putting me at the back of the
hike. that talk was like a reflection for me, and it was really cool
to hear.
I also had the awesome opportunity to talk with a man, who turned to
me and said, now i have a question. then he asked me a question and
about faith in Jesus Christ. He talked about his saving power and if
it was more of a solution than modern medicine. It was and interesting
question, but luckily i have seen the blessings of faith combined with
action. I know that whatever is Christ's will could be done. no
questions asked, but i also know that faith usually requires action.
It is hard to explain, but to be able to open up and express what i
know to be true, with no fear. I know that it was Christ who has
helped me to this point in my life. God loves us. He wants what is
best for us, but just like parents, that doesn't mean he will just
give it to us. Don't give up, continue to work for it, He won't let
you down. have a great week.
Hermana Ray
I know this has been short but I love you all

9-23-13

This week has been a pretty good one. The storm that we had last week was a lot bigger than we originally knew. I guess during the seahawks game on tv that night there was a tornado warning watch and we found that out like  or 4 days later... But there wasn't an actual tornado so that is good. the accompanying town had winds up to like 80-90 miles an hour.
This week was pretty good! Can't complain when i get to have so many spiritual experiences and help people grow faith in Christ.
I have been reading in the Book of Mormon (surprising right?) and I finally got to the point where Christ has come to the Americas!! So excited, i will soon get to read about Christ's teachings in the Book of Mormon that testifies of what he taught in the bible. I love looking up cross references that take you to verses that are almost word for word in the bible and the Book of Mormon. I have especially been focusing on the blessing of having the ability to understanding what i am reading. I have run into many people who can't read here or people whose reading skills are very minimal, and although i can't say reading is my favorite thing, i am say that i am grateful for my ability to read an now can see it as a great blessing. Something i think i definitely took for granted up to this point in my life. But slowly by slowly i am learning from the Book of Mormon.

Also cool experience form the Book of Mormon. Today was when Christ came to the Americas. When he came there was a voice that came and it came 3 times before the people understood it, but it wasn't the voice that changed. Every time, the voice was the same, it was loud or thundering, but it says the third time the people did open their ears to hear it. So, the Lord and Heavenly Father are always willing to answer, sometimes we just need to be willing to listen and "opening our ears" to be able to receive the answer.

We have had some really cool experiences here. During Harvest we do a lot of acting on faith because honestly it is hard to have set appointments because work schedules are totally dependent on the crops and the weather. The Lord is on our side and leads us along. The people here are super humble. Especially a lot of the field workers. I look at many of the people here and see their humble circumstances and am grateful for my parents who provide for me and encourage me to go to school and chase my dreams. Yet i have also been taught to work hard. Which is good, because the missionary work here is a never ending adventure.

We had a really cool experience this week with a church tour this week. We met Elario when his firend Eleno brought him to a lesson. He had many questions and opinions and we had a great discussion. We invited him to come see the church and come to the English classes there. He agreed and although we didn't actually get into the church, we had a great discussion with him. Our branch President told him about the Book of Mormon while we went to go grab some things and even though we were outside being eaten alive by mosquitoes (seriously my legs look like i have chicken pox.) we had a great spiritual experience. He said that since the last time we visited with him, about a week, he had had 4 dreams about our church and he figures that means something. He is excited to learn more and is super awesome. he even said if we ever needed help cleaning the church or is our car broke down and we needed help to give him a call.

Life is full of these little miracles if we are looking for them. i know that to be true. Thanks to all who send their love and support. it all helps. I love the Gospel, i Love our Savior and i Love all of you!! Have a great week!

Con Amor,

Hermana Ray

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

9-9-13

Hola Familia!

It again has been another great week of learning and growth. The Lord has helped me out more than I ever could have imagined.

The work here is slow but steady. Harvest is in full swing. It is a great thing, you are all welcome for the apples that come from here in Washington. Crazy thing happened the other day. We have been having some good storms this week, one of them had thunder and lightning like an Arizona storm and i was in Heaven... except when we were running down a hill full of puncture vine (like the thorns we get in our backyard, they are everywhere here!) being pelted by dirt. Good times, laughing the whole time we are running. Anyway after this rain storm, the next morning we woke up and were going to go for a run, until we looked outside and couldn't see all the way down our driveway! Granted our neighbors houses aren't super close, but we couldn't see anything in any direction. it was weird... surrounded by a white mist rather than being able to see farms for miles.

As i am learning the ways of rural missionary work, the Lord has surely blessed us. We find ourselves working and working and a miracle or spiritual experience always follows. sometimes we don't recognize it right away, but it always happens.

We have continued to get to know everyone here in the ward as we are here. Even people who aren't members of the church recognize us a new and ask us what happened to the Elders. It has been a good experience being in a town where everyone knows everyone. We were knocking doors in pretty much the only neighborhood there is here and many of the people who talked to us knew exactly who the 3 members of the church are in that neighborhood, where they live, and how nice they are. It was cool to see that the light of Christ and their example can help others see that light.

It seemed like everyone we talked to this week was talking about how the world is in a very sad place and all the wars and unfairness in the world right now. They said that if everyone was like us and out doing hat we are doing that this world would be a much better place and that more people need God in their life. DING! DING! DING! winner! i just want to tell them they are exactly right and we have a message that can help them do that! They don't quite connect the dots yet but they are moving in the right direction.

Yesterday was really good. we had a regional broadcast where Elder Hales and Elder Perry spoke and i got the important parts. Everyone that spoke stressed the importance of Family Home Evening and tithing. It was mentioned in all 4 talks. I sensed a theme, and if i am picking up themes in Spanish, you know it must be important! And it is true, we can receive blessings for doing these things in our lives. I can't say that i was perfect or that i was always happy to be at family home evening, but looking back up to now i can see how strong our family is and i bet it has something to do with always growing up knowing how important family is.

Later we taught a lesson in English and Spanish... At the same time. Owen, Darone, and Andres met up for a lesson and Darone is like the middle man. Andres understands maybe 30% English and Owen know maybe 3 words in Spanish. Darone speaks a jumble up of both so we took turns teaching parts of the Restoration in English and Spanish. It was definitely an interesting experience. 

We also go to teach the Plan of Salvation yesterday, and I Love the Plan of Salvation. It is a different view on the world, but to me there is no other way to view it. It really does give me hope for what happens after this life and my purpose here on the Earth. TO learn and grow and try to be like Jesus Christ. The man we were teaching had lots of questions, you could tell that he was thinking and evaluating his life as we were teaching him. it was so awesome. God is seriously like the ultimate puzzle master. to look back and see how our day was planned and how things literally fall into place and give us the strength and encouragement in our efforts. I am grateful for the opportunity i have to serve him and learn from people from all over.

The last little experience i want to share is about the power of a question. We had the opportunity to sit and talk to a girl about our age and as she began to ask us questions and we were open and honest about our answers (even if that meant that we had to say we didn't know) she began to open up and both chances we have talked with her, the questions get more and more gospel related as she becomes comfortable with us. I never would have thought that answering a question as simple as what i did before my mission or where i have served or simple questions about the missionary life could open people up to asking questions like how can i have a desire to go to church or how do you know what is actually right or what is just a belief and what you should follow? It as an awesome opportunity that kept me on my toes and caused me to reflect on what i know to be true.

I will leave you with a quote that i fell in love with this week. probably because i lifeguard or something.... "If you are drowning in the events of life, do not fear because your lifeguard walks on water"

I love you all! Have a great week! Love the Lord and Always Smiling!

Hermana Ray

9-2-13

Hola Familia!

Things here in Royal City are going pretty great. I have been so blessed and have definitely been counting my very many blessings.

The members here have continued to be awesome, every other day we have someone new coming up to us and asking us to tell them when they can come out with us. It is truly amazing! Members are becoming so active in the missionary work it is awesome.

Funny thing that happened this week, we were driving home the other night and i felt like i was in the star wars ride at Disneyland when you are going through warp speed. why? because that is what it looked like. There were a crazy amount of bugs! Not kidding!

So this week i have learned something that will likely impact the rest of my mission. We were having a training on talking to people outside of their door and how when we introduce ourselves people become really closed off really fast because they think we are trying to convert them. Well we talked a lot about talking about being representatives of our Savior Jesus Christ rather than being missionaries from a church. It totally changed the way i view talking to people. It opens up the conversation to Jesus Christ and it has really been awesome. As we were talking to people, we tried to make sure that they knew we were there to help. One man after we knocked on his door was very reluctant to be talking to us (as most people here right now are because of harvest, very busy) and as we were leaving, i asked him if there was any questions that we could focus on the next time we came back and reluctantly he answered and asked us about heaven and how you could know whose view or ideas about heaven were right. It was so amazing, it was one of those little miracles. Also on Saturday we found a neighborhood to knock!!  It was awesome! As we were going through, towards the end of our journey we knocked a door and a lady answered and as we told her about sharing messages about Christ she was very closed off, right after my companion asked if anyone she knew neeeded service and she said no. Jokingly (sort of) my companion said that we were really good at pulling weeds. She asked us how much that would be and when we told her free she thought we were kidding. It gave us a great opportunity to  talk about service and trying to be like Jesus Christ both in word and in action. By the time we left her door the entire attitude of the conversation changed and we were able to testify about the thing that is most important and that is Jesus Christ.

We had interviews with President Ware this week. It is always good to talk with him and have an opportunity to receive strength and guidance from others. We had a great chat and he motivated me to continue to learn and grow and be a better missionary in every way. We talked about talents and how we could use ours to become better missionaries and how the gifts of the spirit that they talk about in the scriptures are some of the spiritual talents that we can develop. And i don't think it is any coincidence that i ended up teaching gospel principles this Sunday on talents.

Another cool thing that has happened here is that our ward just sent off a sister missionary last week, and everyone knows this girl. It has been a huge opportunity to talk about missionary service and open up everyone to talking about Jesus Christ. She has been a great help to us here and she doesn't even know it! Plus in general, people ask us questions about our life as a missionary. People have been asking us questions, and it has been fun to talk with them and get them thinking about what is important in life.

The event of the week: Owen's Baptism!!! He has been working with the missionaries for quite a bit here and was baptized and confirmed yesterday. I think i have mentioned him in emails before, but he is really awesome. He was so ready to be baptized. His baptism was amazing, there were so many members there supporting him. The spirit was there and strong the whole time. The closing song was The Spirit of God and Owen had never heard it, well, i hope he made the connection to that song and what had just happened. There are almost no words to describe it but amazing. After, we were talking to Andres, one of Owen's friends that we are teaching and he said he only understood about 30% of it, since he speaks mostly Spanish, but he could feel it 100%. He said after he learns more that he would want this too. He had gone to both Darone and Owen's baptisms plus one other and every time his desire to learn has grown a little stronger. I imagine that when i am looking back on my mission that this will be one of those nights that i will never forget.

It has been a great week and I feel very blessed to be a servant of the Lord. Thank you all for your love and your prayers. Hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Ray

8-26-13

Hola Familia!

Life here in Royal City is going good.Happy Birthday MOM!!!!!!! You are the best!

Life is full of adventure. Last night we were eating dinner and when we left the house it was pouring! turns out they get crazy random rain storms just like we do.

Some fun facts I have learned since being here:

1. I live with one of the Pioneers of Royal City. She was one of the first five families to move up here to farm. Her name is Doreen Iverson and she is just the sweetest lady there ever was. Grandma, she actually reminds me quite a bit of you!

2. We know we have found the right street when we realize it as we are passing it.... Everytime. This is the conversation between me and my companion the other day.

Me: "Oh, i think that was it."

Comp: "Of course it is, i just passed it."

It is very fun and exciting and we are slowly but surely becoming masters of the area. My favorite thing is that almost every road we turn on say warning: primitive road no warning signs.

3. The value of writing in Pencil. Learning to roll with the punches and the changes thrown our way. Writing in pencil just makes our lives so much easier.

4. I am learning all about different crops. Yesterday my directions to dinner said pass the bean field and then turn right. (luckily he described what a bean field would look like)

5. It is Harvest season/Apple picking season = very busy people in Royal city and... wait for it.... FRESH FRUIT AND VEGIES!

Overall we are having some pretty good success here. I really like it. THe members here are nothing but helpful and encouraging in every way. They have showed me what i want to be like toward the missionary effort after my mission.

This week was pretty solid. We are teaching some great people. We are working with a girl who is really awesome. She was baptized a number of years ago and we are there to be her support in the church. So the other day we asked her to read the intro to the Book of Mormon. When we came back she summarized paragraph for paragraph for what she read and told us that before we came over that she had set a goal for reading the Book of Mormon all the way through and that she wanted a stronger testimony. She is 13, what an example it is to me that she was able to find the truth so early in her life and want to be strong in it. Being a great example to everyone else in her family.

Also we will be having a baptism next week! His name is Owen, he is from Jamaica and i think i talked about him last week. He is such a good example and basically follows everything that will make him a good person. He calls everyone younger than him his children and so to us, and Darwin (his friend). He is just a crack up. But he really does know that this is what he should be doing and everyone in the ward here already loves him and have been more involved with his conversion than any missionaries. I am excited to see him make this step in his life.

As well as with investigators, we spend lots of time right now getting to know members and i have had the opportunity to learn so much from them. This week i learned a lot about having compassion for other people and how we can learn to know and serve other people better. Everyone has a different background story and that leads everyone down different paths and we need to learn to help those people in whichever way we may need.  I also am learning everyday about following the spirit and trying to be more and more in-tune everyday so i can fully be an instrument in the Lords hands. Right now i am reading the chapters in the Book of Mormon about Moroni and the wars between the Nephites and the Lamanites. Almost to the Stripling Warriors but not quite yet. And I never ceased to be amazed at the difference of having the Lord on your side. He is never failing . Everything we do with him happens for a purpose. Moroni cared about his people and did everything in his power to protect them and help them be prepared for what was coming. That is what President Monson does too. Last conference his talk was on obedience, and right before that he gave thousands of more young people the opportunity to serve a mission. And obedience plays a huge role in missionary work. Let me just say i am glad to have the Lord on my side, and i will work everyday of my life to keep him there.

Yesterday and today so far have just been pretty awesome. Yesterday we had a huge chunk of time where there we didn't have a specific plan and we were knocking doors in one of the three place there is to knock here and we ended up both finding people who were interested in the gospel as well as having an opportunity to share the message of Jesus Christ with them and bear testimony of him. It was huge proof that the Lord is on my side and i am so grateful for that experience.

Last little spiritual pick me up for the day. we were getting gas at the station in town and as i am washing the windows a car pulls up by our car, rolls down the window and asks us if we are from a church. We of course smiled at the opportunity and shared with him who we were. He told us that he had just moved from California and was looking for a Christian church to go to. Luckily we happened to know of just a place. He was from a neighboring town, but it was a short and simple way that i could do my part in sharing the gospel with him.

The Church is true. I love you all and hope that this email is finding you happy and healthy. Until next week, hope you will join me in finding joy in our journeys where ever they may be.

Con Amor,

Hermana Ray