Happy Days in Rego!!!


Date: September 24, 2012
Area: Rego Park, Jamaica

Dear Familia,
Another week el tiempo esta volando!!I can not believe that September is almost over! Its officially Autumn here and the weather is BEAUTIFUL! This is my Favorite time of the Year in NY! The leaves are starting to change colors :) So Monday night we went to go and look up Carmen. She is a Domincan investigator who I had not met yet. Anyways she let us right in. We were able to read with her from the Book of Mormon in 2 Nephi 31 about the doctrine of Jesus Christ. It is SUCH an amazing chapter and it does not matter HOW many times I have read it before I always learn something new. I love this chapter because it talks about the importance of baptism. It talks about about how everyone needs to be baptized and recieve the Ghost. We invited her to be baptized and she said yes and that she wants to continue learning. We invited her to come to church and she said YES! I am So excited to keep working with her :)
Tuesday night we were able to go and see this Lady Mirium. I fearlessed her in Target on Monday. She is from Honduras and she had the missionarys over in her country 10 years ago. So she was in the other sisters area here and so we were all able to go together. She is so prepared! The entire time that we were there she kept telling us about how she wanted to learn more. She was anxious to start reading from the Book of Mormon. We talked a lot about baptism and she was MORE than happy and felt that it was right. We invited her to church and she said that she would come :) The spirit was strong and it was really neat to see how the gospel filled that hole or gap and was able to meet her needs.
We were able to have a lesson with Freddy and Maria. They are recent converts who were baptized a couple of months ago. I love love teaching recent converts because they have this fire about them and it is so neat to see the change that people have because of the atonement and the gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ. They have such a desire to do good and to continue to stay on the path. They each were able to share with mesome of their conversion story and it all had to do with someone opening their mouth and sharing the gospel with them. We never know what a difference we can make in the lives of our loved ones, family and friends. We need to get over that fear of what people will think and open our mouths and share what we believe. Because it is TRUE! That is the beauty of this Gospel is that it is TRUE and it is being proclaimed All over the world!
Sunday was a beautiful day! We had studies and then we went to go and pick up Carmen. I was praying hard that she would still be able to go to church. When we got to her house we called her and told her that we were there! She then said, " I am ready." p.s. whoever is reading this, I hope that you understand how funny Dominicans are! Anyways so we were able to walk with her to church! She was so excited! I asked her if she had done her reading from the Book of Mormon. She said yes! I then asked her if she prayed and asked God to know if it was true. She said," Well I know it is true! I am here coming to church with you aren't I ?" haha She was so happy the entire time! When I got to church you will never guess who I saw?! Marina Sterling! From Highschool! We ran up to eachother and hugged! She just moved up here with her husband! I have not seen her in a good 3 years! Small world :) So Carmen loved church! Also Yenny was able to come to church as well :) It was a beautiful day! Not to mention there was a 8 year old getting baptied so we were able to take Carmen downstaris to go and watch the baptism. It was such a good day and all of the members were very friendly and welcoming. A member invited her over for dinner this Thursday and so we are going to be able to teach her a lesson and foster that friendship :)
oh I totally forgot to mention that we had a member of the Quorum of the 70 Elder Bowen and his wife come :) We had a Mega Zone Conference with him and he was AMAZING!!! I do not have any other words to describe it! He talked a lot about the priesthood and exercising it. He also talked about the importance of the Abrahamic covenant and what that really means. He talked about identity. When we really truly understand who we are, then we act accordingly. If everyone really truly understood that we are All sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father then there would never be any violence. The reason why we brake commandments is because we forget who we are. I am thankful that we have that knowledge of who we really are and what we can become. Heavenly Father sees us each as Gods. with divine potential. I love this gospel more than anything! I find strength on those hard days in the Book of Mormon. I find such comfort in getting down on my knees and pleading to my Father in Heaven and asking him what I need to change. I feel comfort in knowing that Heavenly Father has given us a tool called Repentance. The power to change and become more like our savior Jesus Christ. It is only through the atonement /sacrifice of our savior that we can get back on the path if we have fallen away and start over new.
I love you all! Thank you everyone back home family and friends for your love and support it means everything to me! There is NO greater Calling than serving a mission! If you are thinking about serving a mission....dont think anymore JUST DO IT :)
1 Nephi 3:7
Lindsay Olsen Happy Bridal Shower
Courtney Burford Happy Wedding!
Love you both!
Love Hermana Gray
P.s. I hope that you all enjoy Relief Society Broadcast! I am EXCITED!!!
"As we offer unto the Lord our family prayers and our personal prayers, let us do so with faith and trust in Him. Let us remember the injunction of Paul to the Hebrews: “For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” 5 If any of us has been slow to hearken to the counsel to pray always, there is no finer hour to begin than now. William Cowper declared, “Satan trembles, when he sees the weakest Saint upon his knees.” 6 Those who feel that prayer might denote a physical or intellectual weakness should remember that a man never stands taller than when he is upon his knees." President Monson

Rego it is!!!

Date: September 18, 2012

Area: Rego Park, Queens

Companion - Sister Gonzales

Querida Familia,

This week flew by! Well I left you all hanging with Transfers :) I was transfered to REGO, back to Queens! Queens is definately way different than Brooklyn. In Midwood I had to search for the hispanics....amongst the Jews and Russians, however here in Queens they are everywhere! My new companion is Hermana Gonzales, and she is half Mexican. She is a convert of 4 years and has a strong testimony, and a big heart. I am so thankful for the lords hand in this work for without the Savior and our Loving Heavenly Father, none of this would be possible! We are so blessed with the knowledge that we are children of a loving Heavenly Father and to know that just as our parents....he wants nothing but the BEST for us. I have truly seen the lord bless me as I seek him in earnest prayer. I know that Heavenly Father really does answer our prayers and that he is just WILLING and WAITING to bless us. All that we have to do is ask!

There have already been SO many miracles here in Rego! Miracles happen everyday! you just need to look for them :) So we have been doing a TON of fearlessing and talking to EVERYONE that we see. Wednesday we were doing look ups and talking to everyone. We got lost quite a few times. This one time in particular we had gone the wrong way and then proceeded to turn back around and walk the opposite direction. As I looked in the distance I could not believe my eyes! I saw JOSE Martinez! He was the first soul I was able to bring unto Christ through Baptism! I had not seen him in over a year since I left Jamaica. The missionarys ever since I left have not been able to get in contact with him, due to the amount of work he does. My heart swelled with Joy! I then began pondering about our Savior Jesus Christ, and how if he had 99 sheep and 1 was lost how he would leave the 99 to go and find that 1 sheep. It was really neat to be able to talk to him, I then called the elders and made an appointment right there with the Missionarys to go and visit him. That was miracle #1 here in Rego! I then told Jose where the new church was located and he said that he was going to start going back to church. :) I couldn't be happier!

We have been able to go and meet a few of the members this past week. I am trying to get to know the ward. That is one of the best things about being on a mission is getting to know and LOVE the members whom we serve with. They truly are amazing and have such strong testimonys of the gospel. It is just another testimony to me that this church is true! So we were able to see the Arguello family on Thursday with the other sisters. ( They opened another pool of Sisters here in Rego Hermana Simplicio and her "kid" Hermana Chipman) funny note- Mom So you know how everyone says that you and I know EVERYONE? ha well when I got to transfers meeting and I saw the new missionarys I paused when I saw Hermana Chipman...I said I know you, as we both looked at each other. She said the same thing. We were trying to figure it out, then we remembered that we were study buddies in our BYU Geology Class) haha love it! Anyways so we were able to eat with the Arguello family and get to know their conversion story.

Thursday night our appointments fell through so we felt like we should go and visit this lady named Martha. We rang her doorbell twice and then she came down. She was as full of energy as ever and said, " Are you here to teach me?" To which we replied yes :) I then asked her if she had 10 minutes and she said yes. We then followed her up to her humble abode and she was so excited and wanted to start the lesson right away! We then were able to teach her the restoration, she was all smiles and so happy that we were there. After we explained about the Savior and his earthly ministry, I felt impressed to invite her to be baptized. To which she GLADLY and immediately accepted. We were then able to explain to her about the Book of Mormon. She then interupted us and said, "How much does that book cost? Tengo Ganas ( I just have this URGE) to read it! I wish you could have seen her face when we told her that it was free and that it was hers. She said that she was so so excited to read it and accpeted a baptism date for the early part of October. She is So excited! Pray for her :)

Friday we had a really cool ward activity- where we were able to teach the plan of Salvation and there were certain auxillarys were in charge of the 3 kingdoms of Glory. Each person was able to draw a number at random and then was sent to one of the
Kingdoms of Glory" -
the celestial kingdom, the terrestrial kingdom, and the telestial kingdom. The glory we inherit will depend on the depth of our conversion, expressed by our obedience to the Lord's commandments. It will depend on the manner in which we have “received the testimony of Jesus” (D&C 76:51; see also D&C 76:74, 79, 101).
The Members were then able to bear testimony of their experiences that they had. I am so thankful to know that our Heavenly Father gives all of us a fair chance to either accept or reject the gospel. Heavenly Father loves all of his children and he wants us to return to live in his prescence, but we have to be clean through obedience in order to do so. That is why baptism in his church is so important.

Saturday we were invited to go and eat at a members house named Elizabeth. To our surprize she invited 4 of her co-workers to have dinner with her as well. This was so wonderful and it made everything so "natural" to share the gospel because the member was able to bear testimony about how the gospel has changed her life. We were able to share the message of the Book of Mormon with them and they said that they would look into it. It was really neat to see the power of the atonement and how their attitude towards "mormons" and missioarys completely changed by reading passages from the Book of Mormon. It truly has power to change our lives, because it is God's word. It is NOT like ANY other book. If you have read it, I invite you to start another serious study of the book and if you have not read it yet, I invite you to Read it!

Sunday was another wonderful day! Church- I am so thankful that the lord gave us sundays as a day to rest from our labors. I have seen so many blessings at home and on my mission from always obeying the Law of Keeping the Sabbath day Holy. I was able to meet a lot of the members and feel the spirit that they bring. Sunday night we went to go and look up someone that my companion had talked to on the street. When we got there we quickly found out that we had been given a wrong address. So we decided to go and knock on the doors upstairs. When we did this man named Pedro opened the door. Right after explaining to him who we were and what our purpose was as missionarys he paused. Then he knocked on his brothers door next door and told his brother Regoberto to listen. We were able to have a lesson with them both and were able to watch the restoration video. They are both SO humble and loved the message. They were both willing to pray and ask Heavenly Father what He wanted for them. They felt the spirit, they were edified and at the end of the lesson we were all able to kneel down in prayer. It was such a powerful lesson and it made me so incredibly grateful for the spirit. I am not the perfect teacher, however with the Spirit- who testifys of truth it can change people.

I know that our Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us Individually. He knows our needs and is always there with open arms. If you do not feel your Saviors love, get on your knees and pray to your Heavenly Father. Always remember your worth. Your father in Heaven loves you and wants you to be happy! All that we have to do is trust him. He knows best. He knew us before we came to this earth and he knows what will make us the most happy! I am grateful for commandments, because really they are nothing more than guide posts to make us happy! I know my savior lives, I owe everything to him.

Thank you so much for you love prayers and support. I can feel it.

Let Heavenly Father direct your paths!

Love you mucho!
Go and serve someone :)

Hermana Gray


Heavenly Father Still Answers

Does Heavenly Father still hear prayers today? Does He answer prayers? President Monson says that in response to such questions, he promptly replies: “There is no expiration date on the Lord’s injunction to pray. As we remember Him, He will remember us,” noting that “most of the time there are no flags waving or bands playing when prayer is answered. His miracles are frequently performed in a quiet and natural manner.”

                Come What May and Love IT!


Date: September 10, 2012
Area: Brookly, NewYork



Querida Familia,

Como estan?! Espero que todo este bien con ustedes! Este semana fue fantastico!! I hope that you all had a wonderful week! On Monday Night we had the Hawaiian Lu'au I felt at home :) Hawaii still has a huge piece of my heart! Anyways so on Monday was awesome! The Lu'au was a great success! There were a lot of people that came! It was neat because Tonya ( that french girl that we met at the statue of liberty) came and she loved it! It was so neat to see how the members were able to fellowship her. It was sad to see the Senior Couple the "Jones" Go, it was their last activity. It is amazing to see how close your really get to everyone that you meet on the mission. That is something that I have enjoyed the most on the mission is meeting and learning to Love people. I have truly learned to LOVE. It is no wonder the second greatest commandment is to love our fellow men. I can truly say that I LOVE the wonderful people of NY. It is neat to see how you meet someone and then the next second you have this love for them. I think that the main reason is because as missionarys we get to see the slightest bit of the potential that our Heavenly Father sees in each and every one of us. I love being a Missionary!



We were able to go and look up people and members that Bishop wanted us to go and look up. Well it ended up that the person he asked us to go and look up no longer lived there. So Hermana Delong and I were wondering what we should do, because there was not ONE person in sight. So we quickly said a prayer and I am not kidding two seconds later I turned around and there was a hispanic lady standing there with her umbrella right behind me. I honestly have no idea where she came from! We were able to talk with her and set up an appointment. I just love the way the Heavenly Father works, he works in mysterious ways. I am so thankful for our Heavenly Father and his help in this work, because none of this work would be possible without his help. This is just another testimony to me, that this truly is the Lords work.



We were able to visit a member for dinner on Friday night, Hermana Jimenez. ( She is Dominican so that makes he ten times cooler) :) We were able to talk to her about the importance of missionary work and obedience. In the middle of the lesson she decided to give some of her family members a call, to invite them to the open house that we were having the following day. So the next day we had the open house. It went very well and the members were so involved and they all made amazing posters for their presentations. Hermana Delong and I were sitting there waiting for people to show up and lo and behold Hermana Jimenez walked in with almost her ENTIRE family. It was so neat, because they are all less active and some of them are not members. We were able to take them all through the tour. When we got to the primary room, Hermana Jimenez stood up and bore her testimony to her family. It was so powerful and the spirit was there and able to touch each and everyone of our hearts in that room. I love Hermana Jimenez, she is such a great example. You know many people really ask me why I am here on my mission. The main motive that I have is really LOVE. I love my Savior Jesus Christ, and I love everyone, they are truly children of God. You could truly see the love that Hermana Jimenez had for her family. When we really love someone we are going to help them to change. Change is hard, but it is apart of life. We all have a lot of changing to do, I know that I have a lot to change. That way I can become more like my savior Jesus Christ. I am so thankful for his example of perfect love and service.



Well I recieved the call and I am being transfered. I am sad to leave Midwood Brooklyn. It has truly been an amazing two transfers here. The people here are amazing and so supportive. I am eternally grateful for the people that I have been able to meet. Each and every one of us are truly here on this earth for a reason. The lord has great plans for us, we just have to trust him. If we give ourselves to our Heavenly Father he can mold us into the kings and queens that he sees each of us as. I have learned on my mission more than anything not to judge one another. We all have so much potential. I am grateful for my own weaknesses, because I know that if I turn to the lord he can makes those strengths. I am thankful for each and everyone of my companions that I have had the opportunity to serve with. I am thankful for those people that have humbled themselves before the lord and had that mighty change of heart. I work my hardest everyday that I might be able to bring one soul unto Christ. For even if it is one soul its all worth it. I have truly seen the lords hand as people have planted that seed of faith no matter how small it is. When we exercise our faith in the lord we show that we are trust him. We all know that Heavenly Fathers way is better than our own way so we ought to trust him. I love my Savior and am more than thankful for this atoning sacrifice that makes Everything possible. I love this work! It is the best work in the world! Family, stay strong and stay on the path, for that is the only path to happiness.



les quiero mucho familia! Thank you everyone for your love letters and support!



Hermana Gray



Quoting from Elder Marvin J. Ashton: “We do not have to worry about the patience of God, because he is the personification of patience, no matter where we have been, what we have done, or what we, to this moment, have allowed ourselves to think of ourselves. …

NY is crazy and I LOVE it!!!

Date: September 5, 2012

Area: Brooklyn, NewYork

Dear Familia,
Its HURRICANE Season! Right now it is Storming like CRAZY :) It reminds me of last year. Maybe we will get some cool surprize :) jk I would rather not...but Hey it makes things interesting :) I hope that you all had a fantastic week! Mom,Dad,Kyle and Chelsea I am so glad that you all made it home safely. Sounded like quite the adventure! Mom always seems to have the best luck. Chelsea I wish you the best of luck in Nursing School, I know that you will do amazing!!

This week was fabuloso! So poor Hermana Delong has been rather sick...but she is a champion and has worked through it :) So Tuesday we went to go and look up this lady named Guadalupe Vasquez. When we knocked on the door she opened it, excused herself and went to turn off her Blaring music Avril Lavigne haha that was funny. ( you would maybe expect that from a teenage girl, but not from a Mexican lady.) pero ni modo....So we went into her tiny little room where we barely fit and taught in her humble abode. Her little baby named Angel laying on the bed, he is adorable! At the begging of the lesson we asked her what she expected from us. She then replied, " I expect you to teach me something that I have NEVER before heard." :) Well she was indeed right on the spot. The Restoration of the gospel is the very distinct message that we have to share. It is something Very different from ANY message that anyone has ever heard. We were there able to teach her the message that us as missionary's have. We know that God us truly our Loving Heavenly Father, and so he has reached out to us in love and given us Families. He has given us families so that we can learn and grow together. He has since the begging of time called Prophets- to lead and guide us and to let us know what his will for us is. Time and time again people rejected the prophets and disregarded their counsel. Then finally our Heavenly Father did one of the greatest acts of love and sent us his ONE and ONLY begotten son Jesus Christ, to see if we would actually listen to him. Christ when we has here, he established his church, and his gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, which included having faith in Jesus Christ, Repenting of our sins, Changing and becoming more like our Savior, baptism- baptism by immersion in the water representing our death and rebirth, by the proper priesthood Authority from God. Giving us another chance to Start over fresh! To be Born again, become new Creatures. Then another gift we are given after baptism is the Gift of the Holy Ghost- a gift to help us all stay on the Path. Then Enduring to the end. Striving our hardest to keep the commandments for the rest of our lives and BE HAPPY! I can not tell you how blessed we are! His plan is PERFECT! Unfortunately people even Rejected our Savior Jesus Christ, and we know that he was Crucified. His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the Cross and his resurrection is known as the atonement. The atonement is one of the greatest gifts that we have. So that we can repent and be baptized by that authority to be made CLEAN. Christ gave that authority to his 12 apostles. However we know that just as the people did with Christ, the people rejected and eventually all of the apostles were killed. Therefore leaving us in Darkness....without the authority of God on the earth. Many people were lost and sought for the truth. That is why they began to change gospel principles and began to rely more on the knowledge of men than from God. This is the reason why SO many different churches started to form and many translations of the bible came about. People saw the need for a "Restoration"- in other words for Christ ONE AND ONLY True church to be restored. The lord when he saw the time was right, he called another Prophet to lead and guide us. In the year 1820 there was a young boy by the name of Joseph Smith. He was 14 and he began to worry about his own personal salvation. He read in the bible that there was "One Faith, One Lord and One baptism." ~ Ephesians 4:5 He knew that he needed to be baptized but he did not know what church to be baptized in. He then was reading one day in the Bible and he came across a scripture that he said touched his heart more than any other scripture. He read in James 1:5-6 which reads


5 a"If any of you lack bwisdom, let him ask of God, that cgiveth to all men liberally, and dupbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

6 But let him aask in bfaith, nothing cwavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."



He then decided to Pray and ask God the Father which of all of the sects were right. So early in the Morning of the year 1820 he went to a grove of trees that was near by his house, and he knelt down and offered his first vocal prayer. Something beautiful and beyond words happened. In his own words he said,



I saw a pillar of clight exactly over my head, above the brightness of the dsun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.

17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself adelivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon meI bsaw two cPersonages, whose brightness anddglory defy all description, estanding above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling meby name and said, pointing to the other—This is My fBeloved gSon. Hear Him!




We know that at this time he saw God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. They told him that NONE of the churches were true. That they only had a part of the truth, and they told Joseph that he had a GREAT work to do. God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ told him that he was to RESTORE - in other words bring back the SAME EXACT church that Christ had established when he was here on the earth. Joseph smith was called as the Prophet of the Restoration. Knowing that people would not believe Joseph Smith, the Lord revealed NEW Scripture. The Book of Mormon- which is the convincing evidence of what Joseph Smith saw, because he translated it by the power of God. We now have more of Heavenly Fathers Word. How blessed are we? Very! We can read this book and ask God in prayer if it is true. Just like Joseph Smith did. I know that the Book of Mormon is the Word of God, because I have read it. It has been a source of happiness and helped me more in my life than I can describe. It is Truth! I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet. I know that this is Christ's Church restored and that we have a living modern day prophet today. I know that I can be happy through following the gospel of Jesus Christ. This truly is the lords work. I couldn't be happier!





To make a long story short Guadalupe felt the spirit, we invited her to be baptized and she gladly accepted. It was a wonderful lesson and the spirit was really the teacher. Thursday we were able to teach Richard again. He had not read so we were able to read out of the Book of Mormon together. We read 1 Nephi Chapter 1. ( probably the most read chapter ) haha I think that before my mission I may have taken for granted the beauty of 1st Nephi 1. There are SO many KEY principles in this chapter. We read with Brenda (Richards Husband) Richard and Maria Jose. It reminded me of home and how everyday as a family we were able to read together as a family. Some of my treasured moments. ANyways it was really good and everyone understood what was going on. We asked Richard at the end of the lesson to tell us something that he had learned from the chapter. He then proceeded to tell us for a couple minutes some key things that he learned. It is just testimony to me that the Book of Mormon is true. It really changes lives once we take the time to read it and APPLY it in our lives.



Missionary Work is the BEST! I feel so honored to be able to testify of our Dear Savior Every single Day! There really is nothing else like it! I feel blessed to be a member of this Church. I feel blessed to know that I am a daughter of My Heavenly Father. This know that God has a plan for mefar greater than I can comprehend and that if I continue doing what is right that Heavenly Father has a place prepared for me!



I love you all!


Love Hermana Gray


P.s. if anyone feels like sending me some chocolate carnation instant breakfast packets I would happily accept them :) hehe


P.s. Please Read the talk "Go ye Therefore" ~ Silivia Allred Its SO GOOD!


“Few men on earth,” said Elder Bruce R. McConkie, “either in or out of the Church, have caught the vision of what the Book of Mormon is all about. Few are they among men who know the part it has played and will yet play in preparing the way for the coming of Him of whom it is a new witness. … The Book of Mormon shall so affect men that the whole earth and all its peoples will have been influenced and governed by it. … There is no greater issue ever to confront mankind in modern times than this: Is the Book of Mormon the mind and will and voice of God to all men?” 2 We testify that it is. ~ Ezra Taft Benson