1-27-14

Hola Familia!

If you could guess by the title I am getting transfered from Royal City. I have such mixed feelings about leaving. I am excited for a new transfer, but sad to be leaving my people here. The announced it in Sacrament meeting and the first two people who left the chapel were glaring because they were mad I was leaving. It was rather commical. But it will be a new transfer full of many adventures! Why do you ask, well I am heading to Quincy, to serve only in English, while training a new missionary! I am really excited to see what new experiences this will bring me and pray everyday that the Lord will give me the strength I need to do his will.

Royal has been pretty good, we hit a few rough weeks, where i was convinced that someone was paying people to avoid us, but other than that it has been pretty great. People here are pretty happy right now, partially because the Seahawks are going to the superbowl. As one member explained it to me it goes harvest, hunting season, Christmas time, then football, and then the new year can begin, so he is getting ready for the new year well into February. 

I got over the Stomach flu pretty fast, it just so happens that the last time i got to email was the 1 day i had it bad. It hit me pretty hard though. I lost like 7 pounds in 2 days. No really my preferred method of losing weight, but what do you do. The other days we had a few solid lessons with people who i think have a lot of potential! I am really excited for Hermana Pullens to continue teaching them. Plus the other day we had a lesson and my Spanish got complimented, it was so cool, my companion was talking about how hers wasn't very good and the lady said, "Well don't worry, with her you will be able to learn, she has really good spanish" Victory! I am for the most part understanding everything said. I am sad that i won't be speaking it as much, but i won't let it die down for when i jump back in.

Last night we had a really cool experience. Josie, the 11 year old girl we are teaching decided to get baptized! We went over all the questions with her and she was ready, and she said she wants a small baptism, which is her choice, but i am really excited for her! That family is awesome! 

Royal is doing really well right now, yesterday the branch was so full that they had to bring chairs into their room, and if they have a few more weeks like that, they will have to move into the chapel, how awesome is that? I am really excited for them! 

Looking back, i have so many great experiences here in Royal City, ranging from spiritual to funny, to rediculous. The adventure that a mission brings is truly amazing and not easily forgotten. It is funny because as you get ready to leave a place, the members all ask you your first name so they can add you on facebook.... I just laugh and say, "i will tell you, but you won't be able to find me" They ask why i then proceed to tell them my first name and then i feel like the times before my mission when they realize after all this time that i have a famous name. It really gives me joy as a missionary. And after all these years who would have thought that it wouldn't bother me when people brought up that my name was Rachel Ray.

We had a really cool lesson in Relief Society yesterday, it talked baout being prepared for times of Chaos, and how to react when we are there, and it really helped me reflect on the fact that the Lord will never leave me alone, he will not fail me, nor forsake me. But he will "fight for me" as it says in the Old Testament. I am glad to serve him. I am currently reading Jesus the Christ and it amazes me the life of the Savior, even before his birth, the humble circumstances. It shows that we don't need all the fancy things, but that we are all of Noble status in the Lords eyes, and it is how we react to our circumstances that really show who we are.

I love you all and hope that you are doing fabulous, i love hearing stories from home and every thing that is going on, I love being a missionary and servant of my Lord Jesus Christ and i can think of any better year and a half than now to spend all of my time dedicated to him. Have a Great week and i will talk to you all from Quincy next week.

Hermana Ray

These are 5 of Wendy's 6 kids, They are so cute!! And have a whole lot of energy! After that picture they literally like tackled me.

The next one is Hermana Pullens, i figured i should probably at least show you what she looks like now that we have been together for 6 weeks.

 

 

 

 

1-22-14

Man it has been a weird week and a half here in Royal. I am emailing today because we got to go to the temple. Well... My companion got to go to the temple, last night I got hit with a pretty nasty stomach flu and wow it took me out. I was super sad because we only get to go to the temple very so often. It is something I always look forward to. Dad remember those drugs that you bought in California when we went to six flags and I had the flu? Well they got put to good use again today as took some so i could make the hour a a half drive to try cities so that my companion could go to the temple while i chilled at the mission home. They had success once again. Although i was super bummed that i couldn't go, i am looking forward even more to the next opportunity!

So besides this crazy flu that has me off a little bit I have been busy doing missionary work. Apparently this flu has been hitting pretty good everywhere. some of our investigators have had it too. It has been fun to receive pictures from Jannae's wedding. It looks like it was a blast! 

On other news, Ed and Beverly won't be coming down to Arizona for the temple open house because Ed got sick, but hey maybe they will come for the Phoenix one. She is so curious about so many different things. She is really sharp. She is in Mosiah in the Book of Mormon and she said it had started to get boring but then Mosiah started! The power of the Book of Mormon never ceases to amaze me. Everytime someone sits down and actually starts to read a power comes with it that i never imagined. Another cool experience with the Book of Mormon is we were teaching a lesson to Dallas, a really smart investigator that knows a lot about the bible, and we were talking about faith. Well, his homework had been to read Alma 32 and 2 Nephi 31. So as we were talking about faith, and we asked him what it was to him, his response, "Well for this answer i am going to reference to the Book of Mormon, in Alma, chapter.. 32... verse... 21. Wait right?" and it was so awesome, not only does he read but he comprehends, we were dying laughing it was so funny as he said it in his most studious voice. 

Another great story, I sang in church to weeks ago. You can all stop laughing or pick your mouth off the floor now. We were trying to get an investigator to come to church so the four of us sister missionaries decided that was a good way to do it. We did have quite a few people come to church because we were singing which was great. 

Other than that we are working really hard to find people to teach. As we set out to do this we try and talk to everyone. Which has lead to some adventure in its self. While trying to avoid some dogs the other day, we passed by this hay stack and i thought man i should take a picture, as I go running to the haystack, i pass the first one and am headed to the second and bam! there was a guy sitting right there. So what do i do i naturally start talking to him about the gospel and invite him to an activity at the church that day. But with the good very often there are two sides to the scale. That was a good one, the other we knocked on the mans door and he basically told us to get off of his porch, as i began to walk, my companion decided to try and talk to him, it is amazing to me some times how people are so far past feeling to not be able to be a kind human being. Hopefully someday something will soften that man's heart. Oh the adventures to be had!

As i have been studying this week, I have been looking up lots of specific scriptures for investigators. And i am learning so much from it! I have found so many things that are talked about in the scriptures. From baptism to Priesthood blessings, to temples. It has been really fun to go exploring in the scriptures.

Well i hope you all have a good week. And choose the right! (not the left like Emma) That story cracked me up. Thanks for all that everyone does for me and for your sacrifices. Keep looking for ways to be a missionary and they will be given to you! Love ya all, have a great week!

Hermana Ray

Hola Familia!

Another great week here from Royal. It never ceases to bring new surprises. Like finding places that you would have never know existed behind the corn stalks. All that type of adventure. 

We have had some pretty cool experiences lately. This past week there was a change in our ward mission leader which will be interesting to see the changes in the ward missionary work. Every person brings something completely different to the table. It has been cool to see how different people try to apply the call from our prophet and apostles. 

We found a new group of houses the other day and finally decided to go knock it. It was interesting because we set to do it the night before and then we woke up and it was really windy. Not wanting to ruin our plans for the rest of the day we decided to go ahead and knock doors anyway. Well, it was good, the wind ended up being about 50 or 60 miles an hour (but it was warmer like 50 degrees so it wasn't freezing!) and we couldn't even really walk in a straight line. Although looking back not much came from the doors that we knocked, it was showing the Lord our dedication to do what we knew we should. That was something I have really learned recently from Daniel. He is a 19 year old that recently got baptized in our branch. He got called to be a branch missionary and has been awesome. The other night he came to a lesson with us and the person wasn't home, so he asked where we were going next. After 1 or 2 more people not being home, he said, "Well this is just some days of missionary work right? it is preparing me for my mission, where are we going next?" Now every time i have an experience where things aren't really going as i planned i think of Daniel and how he has only been a member for 2 months and already is preparing to serve the Lord. 

This week, although we didn't have as many lessons as we planned, the one that we did have made up for it. We have been able to contact people that we haven't seen since October and teach and testify of the Book of Mormon. That was in a house where they have a missionary leaving this week and it was super awesome the Spirit that was felt there. 

This week my testimony has really grown that it all goes back to the Restoration. Every doubt or question in some way, shape, or form leads back to it. We had people telling us that they knew that Joseph Smith was a prophet called of God and that the Book of Mormon is true. We have been focusing on making sure people have the essentials of a testimony in the Gospel. With a testimony of these four things, their testimony will be solidified. 

1. That Jesus Christ is our Savior

2. Joseph Smith saw God the Father and his son Jesus Christ 

3. The Book of Mormon is the Word of God

4. The Priesthood was restored to the Earth

Elder Richards said without these 4 things no one can be converted to the gospel, they are all essential to our testimony. I thought back to an experience that we had this week, we were teaching one of our older investigators and she has been reading the Book of Mormon and is in Mosiah. As we talk to her, we help her discover for herself the true doctrines. She told us she believes that Joseph saw God and Jesus and of the simplicity and the divinity of the Book of Mormon so we began to use the Book of Mormon to help us teach other doctrines. She says she really needs to study some of these things our for herself, but with that testimony that she has I know she can find true answers.

This week as I have been trying to help some of the people we are teaching i stumbled upon an activity that helps me be grateful and find scriptures that show people what God has in store for them. It told me to go through Preach my Gospel and study about the promised blessing of keeping the different commandments. And i barely started but it is amazing the blessings that are in store for us if we are willing to keep the commandments of God. The first and foremost is our Freedom. When we CHOOSE to obey the commandments of God, we do not become bound to the evils of Satan and are blessed with the continual ability to choose. It is truly amazing the plan that God has for us. And i realized that yesterday as I was asked if Adam and Eve partaking of the fruit was really God's plan.

During that lesson another miracle happened. That investigator was actually related to another one of our investigators and we found out that he really did want to get baptized, but then he disappeared! Well, we found out that he still live in our mission area and we are working to get the Elders to his house to teach him. He has helped this other investigator along the way so much and i hope he just finally finds what he was searching for.

It has been a good week as I reflect on it and although i hadn't really thought that so much during the week it is amazing how much more you can appreciate things in retrospect. I hope we can all try better, myself included, to be more grateful in the moment. I love you all and I hope that you have made some goals to strengthen your relationship with Christ this year, as well as do you part to help build his kingdom here upon the earth. As we do this we, through promise, become heirs of that kingdom, joint heirs with Christ.

Love you all, Have a great week!

Hermana Ray

Ready to go tracting in 50 mile an hour wind with my trusty "walking" stick

 

1-6-14

Hola Familia!

First off, Happy Birthday Grandpa!!!!!

Great things are happening here in Royal City. It warmed up a few days and the sun even came out to play. Those days were proof that i would never survive on the other side of the Washington mountains. I think Sunshine is a part of me. But other than the weather the area has been pretty great as well. Now if we could just get rid of the dogs... Man this place would be heaven. They definitely had it out for us this week. Dogs that are usually nice were even turning on us. So bizarre. We carry around a walking stick to fend them off with!

The members here are amazing, I am pretty sure i say  that in every email.But it is because it is true. They are super involved and everyone here wants to help. I feel like a member of the ward.

Anyway we had some cool experiences this week! Letty read and came to church and fasted. I hope that means that she is looking for her answer. We talked about baptism earlier this week and she just isn't sure on a time line. She is waiting to have the Spirit testify to her. And so we talked about how we need to be doing things to help that happen.

We also just had some great spiritual lessons, people are starting to progress and be excited about the Gospel. We had a lesson with a boy named Miguel and he is awesome. We were actually teaching his mom and as we were leaving Hna. Pullens asked him if he had been reading the Restoration Pamplet. He said he had but it was hard because reading in Spanish took him longer. So we gave him and English one and he read it all and prayed about it before we came back the next time. The he volunteered to say the prayer pretty much and it was so good. He was so grateful that we were there. I just hope his parents will let him take the lessons!

Then we had a really cool experience with Wendy. She had been pretty sick and the doctors can't figure it out.  Toward the end of the week, we talked to her about getting a blessing and so last night we went over with bishop and brother Anderson and it was such a cool experience. As we taught her about blessings and the priesthood power, I could tell, after all this time that things are starting to sink in! Then they gave her a blessing, and not a single one of her kids ran through during the lesson (Pretty sure that was the first time ever) and it was very peaceful and very spiritual. After all she could say was how thankful she was and how good she felt. Bishop invited her to church and confirmed what she knew about the spirit testifying of the truth. It grew my testimony!

Sorry this one is short, but i love you all and remember that nothing is possible without our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Love,

Hermana Ray

12-30-13

Hola Familia!

I have been sitting here trying to figure out what to write you. It was really nice to see you all and Glad we got to chat. Oh and shout out to Andrew!! Nice touch on the Christmas present! Picture attached, i will say i wasn't really expecting it!

Life has been good since Christmas, we had a good Christmas and I have sweets coming out my ears! It is crazy!

This has been a really good week, Hermana Pullens and I have been working really hard. Out doing the Work of the Lord. It has been interesting trying to find new people because one day it was so foggy we couldn't really see anything off the side of the roads. That was interesting. We haven't seen the sun in a few days. 

High points of the week:

 Josie came to church this week! I was really excited. She has been taking the lessons for a month and finally made it to church with her family. She is 11. Anyway she talks to her friends about getting baptized but hasn't told us yet. When we saw them after church i gained a testimony that going to church makes us happy, their family dynamic had changed and they didn't even seem to notice how much  happier they seemed after just one week at church. I hope they can keep that momentum. At our lesson yesterday they gave us these walking sticks, which Hna Pullens and i call our dog beaters. I got bit this last week (it was more like a nibble) and so they said we don't have any excuses to get bit because now we had something to fight them off with. 

On saturday, we had a lesson with a 14 year old girl and she was interested. We told her that if she had any questions to ask them. And by the end we asked and she said that we had answered them about the many different churches and other things, and that seed got planted by the elders coming by one day and asking if they could show the restoration dvd and they didn't know we would later sit and teach her and that at 14 we would be able to be able to relate the feelings of Joseph Smith to her because they are the same age and in the same situation. We told her she could have that type of expereince and that God would let her know if it was true. It really sunk in! It was a really cool experience and i am excited to go back! truly no effort is ever wasted. 

Right now i am reading a book i got for Christmas called, "Believing Christ" and i love it. I am not very far, but on thing that i already know that has changed me is the common ring of every person saying as nephi, "Oh wretched man that i am" and focusing on our imperfections. We have many and we need not focus on them. Feeling that we don't belong in the Lord's presence. Well I know what Christ taught and i am learning to believe him, not just in him. I am learning to be patient with my imperfections. 

I love you all and have a great week! 

Hermana Ray

Well played Andrew

Christmas Waffles with "grandma Doreen"

..... Frozen outside

 

12-23-13

Hola Familia!

Merry Christmas! And Happy Birthday Lisa! I hope you are all having a great week. This past week has been a little crazy, we had transfers and Hermanan Heninger went up to Cashmere, WA and i have a new companion. Her name is Hermana Pullens from Sandy, UT. She is great and we are having a great time here preaching the gospel and sharing with people why we have this wonderful Christmas season.

This week we had some good lessons and we still have some people who are working towards baptism. It is exciting to see people want to make that change in their lives. One really cool one was with a lady named Guadalupe. She was really shy at first and we couldn't get her to say much, but towards the end we were talking about the experience of Joseph Smith and talking about knowing for yourself and she asked us how she could know. Then we got to teach her that pray was a 2 way communication and that God would listen to her prayers. She had never really heard that before and then she prayed with us. it was so awesome!!!

Other than that we are busy finding and teaching!! Sorry this email is so short, but i will be talking to some of you very soon. I love you all and hope you take the time to read more about Jesus this week and start the year off and decide to learn of him everyday by opening your scriptures. It is unbelievable how close we can get to Christ when we are learning of him!

To close i am going to share the word of I Heard the Bells on Christmas day. The message it brings is so awesome.

Although it may seem like there is no peace on this Earth sometimes and that hate has overtaken us. Verse 4 is my favorite and that is why we are out hear as misionaries. To share the message that "God is not dead, nor doth he sleep:" and i know that indeed the wrong shall fail, the right prevail through Jesus Christ our Savior. Have a great week everyone!

Hermana Ray

12-16-13

Hola Familia!

Sounds like all is going well in Arizona. Mom I am glad you finally conquered the Christmas tree, because it isn't Christmas without one. Our house currently has three up. And I get to stay in Royal for Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am super excited, but sad because Hermana Heninger is getting transfered. She is Heading up to Cashmere Valley, WA. It is up North, i don't think she will have to worry of having a white Christmas. But oh well, it will still be fun. I will just have to spend it with my new companion and I have a week to make Royal feel like home before Christmas. Challenge accepted.

Overall we have had a really good week, no complaints. Had many of the people we are teaching are continuing to grow and learn and accept. As we continue forward i have no doubt that they will accept the gospel, now i am just working on the Lord's time table.

As a missionary, Christmas time is an interesting thing. We spend so much time focused on Christ that it feels very similar to normal time, yet everyone else too is more focused on Christ. That part isn't quite as normal. It is amazing to see the change in people just because it is Christmas. One family we were visiting said he wished that people had the spirit of giving year round rather than on Christmas. Yes that is our ultimate goal, that Christ like love and Charity, but every little spark of that helps.

We had our Christmas Conference and it was filled with fun! We had some great musical numbers that helped us feel the spirit of Christmas. One that hit me, was an Elder sang "O Holy Night" and besides the fact that i was sitting in a church building in church clothes, it was like a Sunday night at Grandma's house around the Holidays. We had good spiritual uplift in some of the stories and then music and of course later some fun. They told a story about the importance of teaching children the true meaning of Christmas and then related that to us as missionaries teaching God's children the importance of Christ. It was so interesting how it applied to us. I want nothing more than everyone to understand the true meaning of Christmas, he was born that we could live! Even his birth was for us. Not a single part of his life was selfish. After the devotional we watched a picture slide show from the mission and then they fed us some "Christmas Dinner" it was sooo good. Then, we watched "Monsters University" it was really weird! but fun. I thought it was a pretty good second movie. Then for Christmas we all got a big picture from when Elder Ballard came to the mission. I forgot to take a picture to send. maybe next time. And a book. Never have I been so excited to get a book for christmas! The real story is this picture...