What a wonderful week :)

Date: July 18, 2011
Area: Jamaica, New York
Companion - Sister Alavardo

Dear Family,

This week was just absolutely.....hm not sure how to put it into words besides FABULOUS :) I do not really know where to start...so I apoligize for random thoughts :)

So... Tuesday we had the awesome opportunity to go out tracking with President Nelsons Wife Sister Nelson. She is just an incredible lady with such a drive for missionary work. We were talking to everyone that we saw! We contacted SO many people that we were in. The area that we were tracking in was not highly populated with hispanics but on the contrary many African Americans. She said that she loved knocking doors here in NY, because honestly we NEVER know what we are going to get :) There are some of the funniest- god loving people here. She treated us to some Lemonade from this little lemonade stand, I gave a mormon.org card to the guy selling the juice and he wanted a picture with us. He was the funniest guy.

Monday Sister Alvarado and I were tracking and well we looked a little bit lost, so as we were passing a house this lady asked us if we knew where we were going. ha Well to answer you honestly no. lol We then got directions from her and then I told her who we were and how we were missionarys. I gave her a mormon.org card and she said, " oh the Mormons?" ha I am on your website all the time chatting with them mormons. ha REALLY!?! She then asked me if I could help her interpret her dream. She proceeded to tell me her dream and how in her dream the savior came down to the earth. Ha I told her that I was no dream interpreter but I then pretty much explained to her Alma 34:32-34 about how now is the time to prepare to meet God, and how he is coming sooner than we think, and that we need to make sure that we are doing those things that we ought to, reading our scriptures, going to church and that we also need to be baptized. She then said, " I want to be baptized in your church!" haha ( I can take care of that :) ) haha I gave her info to the English Sisters :)

So....about two weeks ago we were tracking and just about finished to go to the house for the night. We saw a man struggling to carry his ice cream card along with another. We then offered him some help and he said that he was fine and that we were so nice to offer. He then said that, " Since you offered help, you deserve some ice cream." haha fine by me. We then asked if there would be a time that we could come by and visit. We had our first lesson with him and his daughters this week. His name is Guillermo and he is from Guatemala- just the humblest nicest guy ever. They LOVED our message and accepted our challenge to read the Book of Mormon. We pass him everyday walking down Jamaica Street and he always gives us shaved ice :) haha but the thing that was really neat is that when we pass him he says that he is reading the Book of Mormon with his girls everyday! And that he is SO excited for us to come over again- he said. " I want my girls to learn good principles" He is solid. When we talked to him/invited him to come to church we talked about how he had a job on sunday and that we knew that it might be hard for him. Right in the middle of all that he said

" I can find a new job!" AH That made me SO happy! His girls are 10 and 12 and just the cutest things! We meet with them on Thursday :)

So... We had two lessons with Jose this week. He was SO happy when he came to realize that his prayers have been answered. He is SOLID and knows SO much! We had given him the homework assignment to read 1 Nephi 11 and to find out what everything symbolizes in Lehis Dream. He had his little notebook ready and answered everything PERFECTLY! He is amazing! So we have been teaching him for a while now and he has not come to Church yet. This time in the lesson HE brought up coming to church! ahh! When we showed up to his apartment for Church we went down stairs and he then informed us that we were going to wait for his brother. He invited his Brother Saul as well to come to church. ( Look at that! He is already doing missionary work!) haha they both LOVED Sacrament meeting, I was praying hard that Jose would stay for gospel principles. and he did! The members were all so wonderful at making him feel welcome. Unfortunately his brother had to leave but Jose stayed and he LOVED gospel principles. He said that everything was"mas clara" ~ clearer! We are having a family home evening with him and his siblings and another ward family this week :) He is SO excited!!

Something that has been really neat this week is my next couple thoughts. When I think about offering the gospel or this sweet message to others- we get rejected um...well A LOT! However something that has helped me and perhaps can help many if we look at the sharing the gospel in this manner.

Everytime I offer someone to listen/partake of this gospel I just think of it this way. I just pretend that I am offering someone a $100 dollar bill. And if they do not accept it, then I just go and offer it to someone else :) The gospel is oviously SO much more than a $100 dollars and can ultimately make us happy for the ETERNITYS and not just the simple gratification of that 100 bill. People are being prepared at different times in this life to ultimately someday recieve that 100 bill in a sense :)

We had 5 new investigators this week and we also got 2 refferals from ward members! (Which is AWESOME!) Its the first we have recieved in months! Member work is the key!!

I just loved this week! I am excited for this weeks adventures! I love LOVE this gospel! and I love you Family VERY much! Thank you Whitings for your package! I LOVED it!! Thank you for everyones support :) You are all in my prayers!

Shout out to Stephany Goit and Courtney Burford! I love you! And Kayleen Sanders you have some writting to do :) I need to know some details! haha p.s. Summer Lewis I met Elder Hall From BYU Idaho he says hi and Congratulations :)

I love everyone else too :) Dont have time to write all your names down but I love EVERYONE :)

And Happy 12th Birthday to my little Miss Courtney! I love you!!!

I love you!!!

Hermana Gray

P.s.

" When we truly understand what it means to love as Jesus Christ loves us, the confusion clears and our priorities align. Our Walk as disciples of Christ becomes more joyful. Our lives take on new meaning. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father becomes more profound and obedience becomes a joy rather than a burden." President Uchdorf