June?!!? Where is the time going?

Date: June 4, 2012
Area: Flushing, Queens
Companion - Sister Allen


Querida Familia,

Another week has come and gone. I feel like I JUST got here and now in three days it will have been an ENTIRE year since I first set foot here in the blessed land of New York! It is wonderful! I love it here! I am and will forever be Eternally Grateful for the choice I made to serve a mission, to serve my savior Jesus Christ for a year and a half. The time is short, I wish I had more time. This last week has been absolutely marvelous! Lets see.....

Wednesday- We were able to teach English Class. We had two students this time. They started asking questions about Where we came from? Where are we going? and what our purpose was on this earth. Hermana Allen and I had the privilage of teaching the Plan of Salvation. I absolutely LOVE teaching the plan of Salvation. It has got to be my favorite, the reason being because it really does answer ALL of those questions. It also lets us know why we are here, and what we need to do in order to make it back to live with our Heavenly Father. One of my Favorite Scriptures answers this question. In the Book of Mormon ALma 34:32 "For behold, this alife is the time for men to bprepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of cthis life is the day for men to perform their dlabors.". How blessed we are to know why we are here. I know that Heavenly Father has a purpose for each and every one of his children. I know that he loves us and that he wants NOTHING more than for us to return to live with him. I am so thankful for the gospel- the teachings of our savior Jesus Christ in my life and the knowledge that I have to know that he died for me. This knowledge makes me want to be better! To be the type of person that my Heavenly Father would have me be. I am thankful for my savior and am so thankful for the love that he shows me and that I am able to repent every day. I am also humbled to be here on the mission and to be able to put into practice the things that I learn, and am thankful for the lord and his forgiveness.

We were walking going to look up people, when we began talking to this girl. It was really neat to see how she recognized that we were servants of the Lord and she congratulated us on our hard work. We were able to give her a copy of the Book of Mormon and she was MORE than grateful :)

SUPER FUNNY NOTE- Ok so the other day the Elders gave us a refferall. There was this guy that came up to the Elders and asked if they were the Mormons. He said that he had studied with everyone else except for us, and he said that we were next. So we went to go and look up this referral. We knocked and he peeked his head out and asked us if we were the Jehovah Witnesses, to which we replied no. Then he quickly asked if we were the mormons and we said YES! He smiled and said COME on in. (Now you have to understand this man looked like CAPTAIN HOOK! He even talked like him and had looooooong curly hair) Ok so we went inside and quickly found out that he spoke more english. So we asked him if we could come back in like 40 minutes.... He said, " are you going to prepare?" haha something like that :) So we called the English ELders and then came back with them. When we knocked on the door the second time and he answered saying "HI YAAA" and stood there in a NINJA pose :) So we left him in the hands of the blessed elders and we went on our merry way :) They said that they had a VERY interesting lesson with him :)

We were able to teach both Alexandra and Juliana the importance of prayer and DAILY scripture study. I have SUCH a testimony of the power of prayer. It is REAL it works! If you aren't praying I invite you to pray. There is nothing more satisfying that getting down on your knees and offering a sincere heartfelt prayer to your father above. My testimony of prayer grows more and more every day in the mission. As I am able to see the hand of the lord in my life. I know that Heavenly Father Loves each and every one of his children and that he wants us to succeed. That is why he has so lovingly given us the Book of Mormon. How blessed are we? There are people that died for the Bookf of Mormon, and I think to myself sometimes am I taking FULL advantage of the Book of Mormon? Am I reading and searching through its pages to see what I can learn from it? He has given us the FULL ness of the gospel. I know that the fullness of the gospel has been restored through a Prophet Joseph Smith. I know that we have a LIVING modern day prophet today! Do we listen and heed to his counsel? He has given us Temples! The closest place on earth to Heaven! Are we attending the temple as often as we should? There are so many things that I need to do better, and I am SO thankful for the atonement and the opportunity that we have to go to church EVERY Sunday to partake of the sacrament and to renew our covenants which we have made.

This is HIS WORK!
This is the TRUE Church!
I love being a missionary! There is nothing greater :)

I love you all
Muchisimo amor,
Hermana Gray

(p.s. Ill get pictures next week! We are heading to the METS GAME :)

As you seek to live the gospel and doctrine of Christ, the Holy Ghost will guide you and your family. ~ Elder M. Russel Ballard.


Miracle- I found out that this girl that I talked to the other day when I was on exchanges- I talked to her and got her information and then I set up an appointment for the other sisters to teach her because I was on exchanges and not serving in that area.....anyways I recieved a text the other day saying that the girl that I talked to is getting baptized the JUNE 17th!! You never know what seeds you plant :) Talk to everyone! THe lord is preparing the hearts of many :)