August 20, 2012

Hey Guys

This week has been good.  It looks like we are not moving for now. Our land lady finally cooled down. President shot down my 6 elder house idea he said if truchos get in a 6 elder house it would be a huge problem. So for now we will be in our little house. I can't believe Ann died, she was a really nice person, I thought about asking her on a date once.  I really hope you put that roller hockey blade in my package, I need it!

This week was Zone Conference, which was really a lot of fun!  I saw my CCM comp Elder Crawford, he had to give a talk. It wasn´t that great because it was kind of a surprise but it was a lot of fun, during lunch we had a ping pong torney.  It was great, in front of everyone.  I did pretty well. Today we had a District activity. We cooked 3 chickens and like 2 kilos of rice, 10 churisos and like 4 kilos of potatoes and yams it was amazing. Our district is probably the best in the mission. Anyway during we played ping pong and cards. I am the only Gringo in my district besides and another Elder who moved to Florida from Honduras when he was like 3 but it is a lot of fun.  

On Saturday I was in the shower when all the lights went out and the music turned off. Then I hear Elder Navarro yell no. When I got out of the shower he told me he tried to hang his towel up to dry on a wire. Which happened to be the wire from the outside to the master circuit breaker. Anyway he didn´t know what to do so I had to go outside, remember it has poored here since last Monday, turn off the power and then take off the panel to see which wire came undone. Which was a quick fix and for some reason now the lights work in the kitchen, they have been broken since before I got here. Anyway it was kind of fun, like working on the house again. I know you guys probably hate me for saying that but I really miss that stuff.  

We might have two baptisms this weekend we were planing on 5 but we kind of changed plans yesterday with a few of them who aren´t ready. This is the last week of the change already. I can´t believe I have already been here 5 weeks fa. Not much else has happened in terms of the work. After a really cool lesson with a brother of our conversos I felt this really strong love for him. It was like all of a sudden I wanted to be obedient not for myself but because I knew if I was more obedient the more I could teach him with the spirit and he will be more likely to get baptized, anyway I wanted to say that better but I have to go like right now.  Thanks for everything! Send the hockey stick. Love you.

Love

Elder Wray

August 13, 2012

Hey Guys,

This week has been good. We couldn´t get as many people to church as we wanted but we worked hard and we both feel exhausted. As always I feel like our biggest struggle is finding people ready to be baptized. We have talked about how to find ready people but when it comes time to do it we never seem to get it done. I feel like that is one of the keys to missionary work if you can continually find ready people to teach you will help more people make covenants. We have the promise that there is always someone ready to listen and if we follow the spirit we will find but the trick is in doing it. Anyway our investigators are many but most of them don´t want to progress. Gabriel our smoker, drinker, life taker, we only talked to once this week because we thought he wasn´t progressing so we thought we would leave him for a bit then come back so he can see the changes in his life as he lives what we teach. But he came to church on his own Sunday so we stopped by last night and he committed to live everything we taught so we will try again. He can´t get baptized till he repents but hopefully we can help him out. Stella our golden girl didn´t come to church and didn´t show up for a lesson but she excepted to live the word of wisdom even though she drinks coffee and tea, hopefully we see her tonight as well. I don´t know if I told you about Luis yet. He is a reference from an investigator a while back. He lives by himself in his mas o menos shack. He is really cool! He has a few mental problems. They aren´t serious only that it takes him time to learn things but not much more then that. We taught him all of lesson one then when we asked him questions at the end found out that he didn´t get anything. So Elder Navarro taught Prophets and Joesph Smith with drawings. It is a lot of fun! He cant´read but in one week I can already see he is learning faster then before and can read some words now. But he has a problem with porn. His friends told us about it. So we told him to go home and get rid of all his movies. The next day he came in, we ask him about the BOM.  He said I broke it. I was like what, how? Then he said "I broke the other things so I started thinking he watched a movie or something. But then he confirmed that he snapped his DVDs in half. But when we went to his house I guess he didn´t understand that magazines and posters and fotos are the same so that day with his help and a bit of fire we burned what was left. And from that experience I learned that porn truly burns seeing as Elder Navarro got burned and we both reeked of smoke. But anyway he is doing great! 

What else this week. Oh the the people here don´t seem to understand the difference between Ice hockey and field hockey. The hermana told us she knew the difference but it was a lie. The closest Ice hockey stick to me is in Argentina but I have an idea. You should send me a roller hockey plastic blade, I can easily find a stick. This isn´t something trucho seeing as everyone else can play football and basketball, why can't I stick handle at night in my house. Also a roll of hockey tape would be good. But I am not joking about this I really need one! So send one. The Mail problem. I can send mail but can´t receive the only way to get a package to me is through FEDEX. Any other way and I wont get it. But I did get a letter from Katherine the other day, she is doing good, she went to Whales for a while and now is in California for the summer which I guess will end soon. It is already getting warm here. But Sunday we were hit by the tropical storm Santa Rosa I think it was. We were asleep for most of it but we were drenched going to church and almost no one went and the Bishop told me I had a talk/testimony 5 minutes before with another Elder. I think it went alright. I found my one year goals from the CCM the other day, I have already completed some but others no, so I made some new goals for the next year.  Crazy Right! But I don´t think there is much else to say. Life is good, just tired. Zone Conference Wednesday. Anyway, Chao.

Love 

Elder Wray

 

August 6, 2012

Hey Guys,

Sadly this week has not been like last week. But first of I can't believe Brooke got married and to who? Also help me with my bank card please. Anyway Today we found out that Elder Oaks will be here in October it is going to be sweet! And Someone from the area Presidency will be here in September I can´t wait. Also on Wednesday I will have 11 months and I think Ben will have a year, crazy how fast time flies.

As for our investigators we have really only one and she is gold but she doesn´t want to accept fecha (date) until she knows everything. She has already told us on many occasions that she have received answers to her prayers about the BOM and Joseph Smith but she thinks she need to wait be baptized. We had a long lesson about it but the situation remains the same. She told us she will get baptized she doesn´t know when. She was one miracle from the other Sunday. The other man who wanted to change his life is really complicated. First he is living in the street again because he can't stand his brothers for this his life got ten times harder and we can't see him all the time and 1000 problems mas. Also he recently told us something more.  We had to know more to see if we could teach him, As he told us the experience his whole character changed. Elder Navarro and I could tell he was reliving the experience in his head and his adrenaline was pumping it was really kind of disturbing. He was young when he did it but he told us he hasn´t completely repented. We don´t know what to do with him. I wasn´t really faced by the story but I am starting to lose my love and faith for him. He isn´t keeping his commitments and he hasn´t improved in a while. I don´t know what to do it is really sad. Anyway it stresses me out when I think of all I need to do here. In part of my personal study I am reading the BOM in Spanish. I never realized how much I love that book. I also have started using my Study Journal better and it has made a world of difference.

It looks like I have the greatest luck in the world our land lord said we need to move, so look who gets to take care of that mess again. The senior couple laughed when I told  them.  I have gotten to know them quite well. I think they will just move us in with 4 other Elders, there house has room for 8. It should be a blast. But I will be the only Gringo with 5 Latinos. Also I am starting to have girl problems here. I get a lot of comments like "oh your eyes are pretty or i like your hair". Today on the way to the bus which was packed like sardines a girl ran up to me then into me, I was like woe what is going on. When I didn´t do anything she said oh choa and then ran away and Elder Navarro yelled sorry he can't kiss you we are Elders. Supper weird! Then Friday night waiting for the bus to go home, two girls started giggling when we got there, one yell hey blondie do you want to confess which is like you want to get a room I guess. When we didn´t say anything she came up and said my friend wants your number, thankfully I didn´t have the cell phone that day and could say with confidence I don´t have a phone. When she went back to her friend she started pole dancing with the bus sign. We kind of laugh about it now because of how stupid they were and probably drunk but she was so ugly. Anyway those are some of the crazier times.  Sorry this letter couldn´t be as good as the last. But we hope to have a good week this week. Enjoy your vacation, school starts soon. 
Love  
Elder Wray

July 30, 2012

Hey Guys,

It has been a week full of work. And end on a high note with the Baptism. I thought it went well even though there were problems to take care of that always seems to happen. Probably the most spiritual baptism I have been in which was good because President came (the luck of living in Deo - (Montevideo). The missionaries sang 2 special numbers. Afterwards the father of the girl told us he has been thinking of learning more, we might have a NDH with him tonight. We were planing on two more people being baptized but one was sick and the dad said he couldn´t go till he is better and the other, the mom said yes but the dad said no so we have to work with them. The miracle we found last Sunday who has problems with smoking and drinking is going well, I guess he is going to have a hard time because of the environment he is in but he has a lot of faith and is really make an effort. He is also already sharing the gospel with his friends. He knows everyone and so when we walk to church he stops his friend and says stuff like "hey I am with the Mormons you should come to church with us it has changed my life". He is great! But he is also struggling. This past Sunday he came to church and he was good till the second speaker when he had to leave. I think he was hung over to tell you the truth or maybe because he stopped drinking and change to water he got sick because he didn´t reek of alcohol like he did before. Anyway we gave him a blessing and then helped him home. 

Something interesting that happened to me the other day. To tell you the truth for the last 6 or 7 months I have kind of been counting down the months to go home. To tell you the truth I wasn´t really happy. But the other night I was thinking to myself in bed "wow I only have 13 months left that is not very much, I don't want to go home". I don't know these past two week I have been really happy. I think because my comp and I are really working and because we are working good we are always busy and seeing blessing and success. I don't know what it is? Obviously I can't always have comps like Navarro but if I could the mission would be sweet. I also am loving my area! It is truly dangerous and scary at times. Our chapel is in the neighborhood Cerro Norte which is the most dangerous part of Montevideo so sometimes it can be scary the other elders when leaving the chapel from the baptism last night were stoned with rocks by teenagers, lucky they weren't hit but that can happen here. People have yelled stuff at me like well bad words then "I am going to Kill you" but they are always playing soccer so it isn't a problem only at night. But a lot of times I feel like I am in Sodom from the bible. At least that is what I picture it like. There are a lot of condoms in the street, people on drugs and drunk and everyone is poor. You hear stories about terrible things. I have only heard a few gun shots but they were really far away. Thankfully we live in the safest house in the zone I think. But the amazing thing is it is in places like this that the gospel really is like a light in the dark and I know there are people here that want to change. I don't know if you can tell but I am really happy to be here. Anyway we are also out of money. I sent a pic of my lunch today it is all that was in the house noodles, mayonnaise and a can of ground sardines. It was supper gross. I would have been good if it was tuna but Ground sardines are terrible and I like sardines. Can't wait for money to come in Wednesday.  I am sending a story that was given in my baptism by Elder Marmol who was here before me. I thought it was really good. It probably is a Mormon myth but I could feel the spirit as he read it. So I thought I would share.

The following event took place in a ward in Salt Lake City in 1974. It occurred during Sacrament Meeting and was told to me by a Regional Representative of the twelve, who was in the meeting. A young man, just before leaving on his mission, stood in Sacrament Meeting and bore, in essence, the following testimony. "My Brothers and Sisters, as you know, during the past few weeks I have been awaiting my mission call. During the time I was waiting I had a dream I was in the pre-existence and was awaiting my call to come to earth. I was filled the same excitement and anticipation that I had before I received my mission call. In my dream, I was talking to a friend. He was a very dear friend, and I felt a special closeness to him, even though I've never met him in this life. As we talked, a messenger came and gave me a letter. I knew it was my call to go to earth. In great excitement my friend and I opened the letter I gave it to him and asked him to read it aloud. The letter said: You have been called to earth in a special time and to a special land. You will be born into the true church, and you will have the priesthood of God in you home. You will be raised with many advantages and many blessings. You will be born in a land of plenty-a land of freedom. You will go to earth in the United States of America. "My friend and I rejoiced as we read my call. And while we rejoiced, the messenger returned. This time he had a letter for my friend. We knew it was his call to earth. My friend gave me the letter to read aloud. The letter said: You have been called to go to earth in circumstances of poverty and strife. You will not be raised in the true church. Many hardships will attend your life. Your land will be fraught with political and social difficulties which will hinder the word of the Lord. You will be born in Costa Rica. We wept, my friend and I as we read his call. And my friend looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, "when we are down on earth, you in your choice land and me in Costa Rica, my friend, come and find me." Then this young missionary, with tears in his own eyes, said, "Brothers and Sisters, I have received my mission call. I am going to Costa Rica. There is a special sequel to this story. About a year after this Sacrament Meeting, the Bishop to this Ward received a letter from the Missionary in Costa Rica. The letter had one sheet of paper in it, and on the sheet was written in inch-high letter four word: I FOUND MY FRIEND.

I hope I can find my friends. I know I have been called to Uruguay by God and that President receives the Revelation that put me in the area I need to be. Now I just need to work. Thanks for your support, Love you!

Elder Wray