Feliz Dia De Pavo! aka Happy Thanksgiving!

Date: November 21, 2012

Area: Long Island

Companion - Sister Lewis

Querido Familia!

I love you so much! Man the mission just keeps getting better and better! I am able to learn new things every day. I am so thankful for each and everyday that I have on the mission and for the chance that I have to better myself and to apply the atonement daily in my life. I love the people here in New York, I have learned so much. I feel like I am in school like summer school like super speed!

Well this week was amazing just like the others! So much is has been going on, I do now know where to begin. Perhaps we can begin with last Monday. So we had a Family Home Evening at the Bishops house with Wendy Rey and their family along with Mirna and her Cousin Denis two other of our investigators. We were able to talk about Eternal Marriage, Eternal Family's and Temples. That through temples our family's can be sealed together for the eternity's. I showed Wendy a picture of a temple and she loved it! I am so thankful that we have the knowledge that through temples is the way that a Loving Heavenly Father has provided for us so that we can be with our family's, not only in this life, but through the eternity's.

We went over to Wendy's this week, and we were asking her how she was doing, and she said Bad. We then were trying to find out what was wrong and she had told us that earlier that day she had gotten in a car accident...she then said that it got her thinking....she said," If I were to die today, then I would not be ready to meet God, because I am not baptized!" she is SO ready! She knows what she needs to do and is so willing to do it. She is so humble and knows that there are some changes that she needs to make in her life and she is more than willing to do what the Savior has asked her to do. We shared a quick thought with her and then assigned her a chapter in the Book of Mormon to read for the next time that we came. We assigned her Alma 22. The next time that we went over there she was SO excited to talk about the chapter that she read. She said that she read it three times she loved it so much! She also said that she read it to her kids and her boyfriend. She loved that this king was more than willing to give up EVERYTHING to get to know the Savior. It made me think about what things in our lives can we give up to get to know our savior a little better. What things can we do to better align our will with that of the lords will. Her little girls are so cute! she said that they kept asking, "Is today Church? When are we going to go to church? I think that is adorable!

We received a referral from the English Elders earlier this week so we decided that we were going to go over there to meet her on Wednesday. Her name was Rachelle, when she saw us she invited us right in. She said that she wanted to know more about our Church. She said that she was actually on her way to the church, because a friend of hers or family member was going to receive a priesthood blessing. She said that she had just been on the phone talking to her sister about our Church when we knocked on the door, she said," I do not think that it is a coincidence that you came over here today!" She wanted to know what made our church different than all of the other churches. We then explained the Restoration, and then showed her the Book of Mormon. She said Tell me more about that Book! I want to know more! Rachelle has a lot of potential, she has a desire, and having a desire is the FIRST step, just like it talks about in Doctrine and Covenants 20:37 we need to be humble and teachable.

I am so extremely thankful for the opportunity that I have to grow. I love that we are able to make our weaknesses strong just like the lord promises in Ether 12:27

27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their aweakness. I bgive unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my cgrace is sufficient for all men that dhumble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make eweak things become strong unto them.

The lord wants nothing more than to help us. I am so thankful that through the healing power of the atonement we are able to become more and more like our savior through the sacrifice of our Savior. I am thankful for the positive and silver lining in every situation. Really there is always a positive to a negative. Look for it! Try it! The lord gives us trials so that we can be made stronger! It is amazing how much happier we can be if we would just look for the good in things. Look for the good in people! If we choose to focus on the good in people then that is what we will see. No one is perfect, but we are all striving to be better. I love that everyday we can strive to become better than we were yesterday. We are so blessed to know that through the cleansing power of the atonement that we can become our best selves.

I am SO thankful for the scriptures and for the opportunity that I have to study out of them in the morning. I am so thankful for the words of the prophets both from times of old and from our modern day prophets. They are truly inspired. I am so thankful for this past conference and that we are able to read and study from the talks that they have given. It is really neat that we can apply the teachings of the prophets in our daily life. We are so blessed to have a Living Prophet President Thomas S. Monson and to also have 12 apostles just like the Savior had when he was here on this earth. The lords knows us better than we know ourselves and so if we turn to him we can become better. We can do what he wants us to do.

I know that I am supposed to be here in New York at this time in my life. Meeting the people that I am meeting and teaching the people that I am. I am so grateful for all of my companions and they chance that I have to learn. I am grateful for a loving family who supports me. I am grateful for my parents who have raised me with the knowledge that I have a Father in Heaven who loves me and wants nothing but the best for me. I am So grateful for the knowledge that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored through a prophet Joseph Smith. I am grateful for the Book of Mormon, a book that has changed my life for the better. I am so thankful that I can turn to it and it can lead me to an answer of a question that I had, it brings comfort. I am so thankful for the Holy Ghost that helps me understand the truths and principles that are found in the Book of Mormon. I am grateful for a Living Modern Day Prophet who is here to lead and guide the Church Today. I am grateful for a Father and Brothers who have the priesthood and are living worthy to have it. I am grateful for all of the wonderful people that I have been able to come in contact with in my life. Whether you know it or not you have made an impact in my life! So thank you! I am thankful for all of my friends, who have helped shaped me into the person that I am today. I am grateful for my testimony and for the testimony's of everyone else, who have helped strengthen mine. I love this gospel! It is is TRUE! It is the ONLY way that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father again someday.

I could go on and on about what I am thankful for....but I am afraid this emails would never end....Thanksgiving always makes me think about what I am really thankful in my life. What are you thankful for?

Well Family, its that time. But may you always remember how much your Father in Heaven loves you, and how he wants only the BEST for you! Keep being amazing! Look for the silver lining in every situation. Look for what you can learn, I promise you, its there! Heavenly Father loves you, He has created a plan for you! I love you!

Love,
Hermana Gray

Eat some Turkey for me! Ill be eating some rice and beans haha jk!

"A grateful heart … comes through expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around us for all that they bring into our lives." President Monson