Do what you love, Love what you do!!!

Date: July 11, 2011
Area: Jamaica, New York
Companion - 

Dear Family!

This week was wonderful! It feels like I was just at this computer writing you last week! Man I seriously feel so loved and supported by everyone. I am so thankful for wonderful family and friends! So shout out to you all :) I love you!

Alright so hm this week. Alright well we had another training meeting! ( I seriously love these meetings!) We learned again about the importance of Sacrament meeting. A lot of the members/investigators here in NY have a hard time getting to Church. So we learned/ talked about how we can get them to Church. We talked about teaching them about the significance of the sacrament itself. "We cant live a celestial lifewith out partaking of the Sacrament" ~ Elder Doxey. Also he said that we can not be perfect in this life, but we can be worthy. We partake of the sacrament so that we can renew our baptisimal covenants which are

1. To Always Remember him.

2. Keep his Commandments

3. and that we may always have his spirit to be with him

I am SO thankful for this wonderful gift/ opportunity that we have to partake of this sacrament each and every week. We are indeed blessed. I think that it is the coolest thing that I Hermana Gray - Have been called by a Prophet of God to preach to the people of the New York New York South Mission! Seriously that knowledge alone gives me strength to do what I do each and every day.

We had the opportunity to bring with us a 17 year old member whose name is Ursula with us tracking and knocking doors one day. She wants to go on a mission! ( I think thats a great Idea :) I may be a little biased) ha anyways so we were taking the bus to go and visit a less active. I began talking to a guy named Fernando he said that he had met with the missionarys before. I asked him what they had taught him and then began to explain to him about the Book of Mormon and gave him a card. He kept saying over and over again, " Its not an easy thing that you do. Walking and Walking everyday talking to people." ha And you know what? He is right! But I did not expect it to be the least of bit easy. Because like President Holland put it so beautifully " Salvation isn't easy" What the Savior had to do in Gethesame was not easy. However I told him like I have said it over and over again. But its worth it! Every minute is worth it! And I have to make every minute count!

Right when we got on the bus it began pouring!!!!! like CATS AND DOGS :) not like what we "think" are rain storms in Az :) haha Betweeen the three of us we had 1 tiny umbrella. After we got off the bus we figured that we were already SOAKED enough eh who needs the umbrella? :) We looked like we had just jumped into a swimming pool. When we got to "what we thought was a less actives" house to our surprize a member opened the door! He laughed at how wet we were and invited us in. He gave us towels to dry off and some papaya juice :) Anyways then his wife walked in. She just had barely came in from Chile! They have not seen each other in SIX years!!!!! man I can not imagine that! The sacrifice that these people here in NY do and have never ceases to amaze me! I begun to tell them that my dad served in Chile! I ALWAYS get SUPER excited when I hear that they are from Chile and always happily say that my dad served there! They said that you and I dad were more than welcome to go and visit them in Chile! So dad were going to chile :) Plan for it! haha Anyways we had a good visit with them and were able to share with them a brief message and were on our way.

Saturday we had another "Street Sweep" This time in Richmond Hill. It went fantastic! Walking up and down the streets for two hours what we call " Fearlessing people!" That means just going up to them, walking with them and introducing the church. (aka contacting!) I am constantly amazed that within that 2 hours I was able to talk to over 50 something people from ALL around the world!! Ah I love it! Some people accepted some didnt. Just like always :) This one lady from some island (she was hindu) but from somewhere else began telling me her whole life story and how her and her husband had traveled pretty much 99% of the US! We talked for a good 15 minutes (usually hindu people DONT talk like EVER) ha I then found out that her Husband was a member!! THAT NEVER HAPPENS!! ha I invited her to join her husband and gave her the card. Her name was Bibi :)

We had a REALLY good lesson with Jose the other night. We were able to bring with us a member Hermano Marinez. When we got there he had his Book of Mormom ready along with a notebook full of questions that he had about the Book of Mormon. This made me SO HAPPY because that meant that he was actually reading!! We read with his in First Nephi 8 about Lehi's vision and he was very attentive and understood what we were teaching. The spirit was so strong, it was really neat to see his eyes open as we begun to see that light shine in his eyes.

Well my time is up but here is a quote that I LOVE! by Spencer W. Kimball

" God does Notice us, and he watches over us, but it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. ... " Therefore it is vital that we serve each other"

" Often the answer to our prayer doesnt come while we are on our knees but while we are on our feet serving the lord and those around us!"

Find and look for ways to serve! And ALWAYS ALWAYS follow those spiritual promptings! we never know when we are the answer to someones prayer!!

I love you all!!

Till next week!

Hermana Gray