September 24, 2012

Hey Guys,

This week has been crazy. Tuesday night we were hit with a pretty big storm. We had a 15 year old with us and were teaching an investigator the word of wisdom then right in the middle when the mom called. This person we already know has problems with drinking so the lesson was kind of important, Anyway the mom starts yelling at me on the phone get my son home now. I tried to explain give us like 10 more minutes but she flipped out so I told her alright. Right now my comp and I are trying to gain more confidence with member.  We ran ten minutes home to drop of her kid. He lives in front of us. By the time we turn back to the lesson it was pretty bad. When we got back the girl left so we just ended up coming home but on the way I heard a huge snap and looked back and a tree fell over in some ones yard. It was kind of cool. The Next day Wednesday we had a Meeting with Elder Viñas. We left the house at 6:30 to take the bus. But as we approached the road it was flooded with water to the ankle.  We were late and the bus was coming so I told my comp we just have to jump. I spent the whole rest of the meeting with soaked shoes, soaks and pants but it was really good. On the way home they told everyone to only leave the house if needed.  So we just stayed home.  I was going to write letters but the family in front invited us over for dinner, so didn't write any, sorry! The storm was kind of cool it was just like it looks like on the news lots and lots of wind with rain. We are all safe don't worry we did have to use candles though.

During the meeting with Elder Viñas the APs challenged every missionary to finish the Book of Mormon in 3 months just before Christmas. We started yesterday, but I thought I would invite you guys along if you want I am starting in 2  Nephi because that's where I am but you should do it. I forgot the list but I can send it to you if you want. Oh also this week we had 2 baptisms!. They were pretty good. We baptized Pamela and Romina the best friends of Eliana Almada. I baptized Romina and Elder Navarro came over to Baptize Pamela. I think I have to talk to Eliana about what she puts on facebook sometimes it makes me nervous but they are a great family. Then on Sunday I did my First.... Confirmation. It was so hard. I was so nervous. The bishop asked who was going to do them before the meeting and my comp said I don´t know you pick. So he let them pick, Pamela picked me. Just when I was thinking alright I can do it the Stake President walked in and I was like no. My comp said I did fine but when it came the the blessing part I said some things and then my mind just went blank like black. It felt like I didn´t say anything for like 10 minutes which isn´t true, it came out alright in the end. That is my second blessing in my life the first was in the MTC and in English. Spanish is so much harder because  I had to change my way of talking to be more personal and less formal. Anyway that's about it. I forgot my camera so I will send pics next week. I am also still waiting for my package I hope it gets here tomorrow. Also today we played tennis. The first time in like a year. It was a lot of fun! It was in this private club and the owner invited us. It cost 15 bucks but a lot of fun! It was on clay which was new, Elder De hoyos from my group. He played tennis in BYU so he gave me some tips. Also I have to be honest I am not a big fan of the porch. I looks to dark for me. But that's just me. Anyway that's about it for the week. We are hoping to have a baptism this weekend but it isn´t as set in stone as the last two. Any way chao.

Love

Elder Wray     

September 17, 2012

Hey Guys,

First Off Happy Birthday Anna! Quiero decirte feliz cumple año, y que te extraño muchísimo. Espero que este bien y su día sea un día muy feliz. 

This week hasn´t been as great as I had hoped. The truth we were lazy and took way to much time in lessons, and houses of members. A lot of times I feel like we are not being as obedient as we should be, and I hoped to talk about it with Elder Rivas but never did. I will do it today. I'm not talking like we don´t get up on time or study or anything like that. But more like wasting time when we are working, instead of doing a contact when I feel like it is needed I throw the idea out because I know my comp doesn´t like them and neither do I, or we spend to much time in lessons just talking. It doesn´t feel like a lot but when I look back on the whole day it shows. It is some thing that has given me a lot of guilt the past few weeks and I hope to make the changes this week. This change has been so weird from my others in the sense of my comp. In past changes my comps have been so different and sometimes difficult to live with on account of our differences were as I have the opposite problem. My comp and I are almost the same person, I know you probably don´t believe it but it is so true. Only differences are in music and t.v. but even then it is not that far off. And to tell you the truth I am really boring. At least when I live with someone like me. We are both really quite and usually only say what is necessary obviously we are not like robots but it has been really different. I think in last changes I have learned what I don´t want to do and this change it is more like alright I am not doing that anymore. One thing he has taught me that has been really hard my whole mission is to not be Machete. Meaning selfish, meaning what is mine is yours and yours is mine. It is something that has been so hard my hole mission but now I think it has clicked. Latinos are usually very not Machete sometimes just a little to much and some take advantage but I think this package that come hopefully tomorrow will be the biggest test. Oh and before I forget, the girl that put up pictures of me is a very good friend she showed me the pics and Uncle Deans comment yesterday because she didn´t know what it said. That also means I saw her page. She does look a little, I don´t know what the right word is but any she is not like it looks on facebook. Her family is amazing also her older sister is a convert of mine. You should except them they have been trying to send a video of me for a couple weeks, of my last day with Navarro. You also have to remember that I am in a big poor part of the city so the girls from this part are different from others. I hope I look happy because i am. 

Anyway we had a pretty good training the other day from the ZLs. We talked about a lot of stuff manly Personal Revelation. But at the end Elder Kellis shared this with us. He said the day previous he got permission to write all our parents and they wrote back then he gave us what you wrote. When I got my letter the first few sentences felt like dad wrote it but I glanced at the elder next to me and saw that his was the same and instantly knew it was not true. But the letter still had quite a punch. I wanted to send you a copy but I don´t have time right now. In it said, That things in life have gotten hard and that you had stopped saying your prayers and then at the end even going to church. That you wanted help that you knew what to do but didn´t know how. It was really sad including the Hna next to me started to cry. I know that you guys don´t have problems at least I hope and I extremely grateful for your examples. Thank you for teaching and molding me into the person I am today. I know the church is true and living the gospel is the only way to be truly happy with our families forever. I have learned many things on my mission, and am trying to live and improve my life in a manner in which my Heavenly Father would be proud. Thank you for your support. Elizabeth, Anna, and Kate please try to read your scriptures and pray everyday. I know you are still young and might think it is silly and something only grown ups do but as you do it you will learn for yourself and you will be more happy. It is really something I wish I had done more almost everyday of my mission I tell myself if I had done things like this before my mission would be easier or I would have been better prepared. A lot of times I feel like I am behind even though it is not true. But Please try. I love you. Tell Grandma and Grandpa Hi! I love them to! 

Love 

Elder Wray

Ps thanks for the pics they were sweat. Also we had stake conference yesterday with Elder Gonzalez (70) Hna Reeves, Elder Anderson and the Profeta. The only one that used a translator was the Profeta. Really good, athough the hna really had problems reading her talk. pretty cool. 

September 10, 2012

Hey Guys,

Things are going really good. I am really happy for my area and our investigators. They are doing really good, we were going to have baptisms this week but due to stake conference and a ward activity they had to be moved to the 22nd. They were a little disappointed but are still excited. We hoped to see more in church this week but due to sickness two couldn´t go. Elder Rivas is doing well and has started doing exercises with me because President challenged him to do it in interview, He is going to be the first comp I have had since Elder Bradshaw to work out with me. All the others haven´t done anything besides Elder Navarro who worked out when I showered. Today we did superstar, were you do like 15 push ups then 15 sit ups then 14 then 13 all the way to 0 as fast as you can. I told him to start at 10 but he said no. Haha he died at 12 which is only like 44 of each. It is a lot more fun when you have someone to push you even if the only thing that pushes me is the fact that he is in the room watching me.

My hump day was really uneventful I made french toast that was only mas o menos and my comp was going to make an apple pie but there wasn´t time. I swear I am going to get fat in Montevideo. In most areas it is a blessing to have members give you food here it is a punishment. One day I ate breakfast then a huge lunch. Next house scones, then homemade bread and milk,  then a member gave us a kind of stew. By the time I got home I was stuffed then our neighbor knocks on our window and tells us she made us a pizza. There is just not enough room in my stomach. Today we played futbol for a couple hours in the morning then half the zone went to a expo that was kind of expensive and it was to buy souvenirs which I don´t really want to lug around the rest of my mission.  The 8 of us in the zone went to... McDonalds. Haha! 4 of us are from the same group so it was more of a celebration. I sent a foto. Left to Right Elder Geshwandtner from Brazil great guy then Elder Salgado came with us on the plane but only stayed in the CCM for 3 weeks. Elder Garcia El Salvador, then Elder De Hoys my group, Elder Rivas my comp, Elder  Vera my group also Ecuador, and then Elder Valencia from Chile. It was really good but really expensive, haha! Well it taste the same as the states but here only rich people eat there which is the opposite. I think that will only be a one time thing. I ate a big mac with large fries and drink and a twix Mcflurry. 1800 calories and $13.25 dollars. Anyway a lot of fun! The other pic is from last change but it was better then mine so I stoled it from Elder Gesh.

Things are going really good and I am really happy, sometimes I feel like my comp doesn´t want to work but he is getting better. Something sad that I have learned and to tell you the truth I really wanted to cry but the things of the world happen a lot sooner here then in the states. I was talking to one of our recent converts an 11 year old girl.  And she asked if my comp or I had ever tasted beer. When we said no she laughed and then said I don´t believe you. She said she has drunk beer tons of times in parties. It is so sad she is so young and innocent and to hear her say she liked drinking with her friends made me want to cry and she wasn´t just saying that to look older I truly believe her. We also have another investigator that has been through a lot more but they are things I dont´really want to tell you about. Anyway the world can be a terrible place. But it is one of the many blessings of having the gospel. Anyway I have to go. Take care!

Love 

Elder Wray

September 3, 2012

Hey Guys,

This week was hard! I realized that I didn´t know my area very well so when things fell I didn´t know where to go. But we are using the Ward Directory and we are waiting for a Lista de los 24 meses. I hope we can find more people this week. We had a lot of people in church which was a nice end to the week. We will be having a few Baptisms in the coming weeks which will be good as well. Elder Rivas is a good guy, I am sure we will get along. I think he is cleaner then I am or at least casi which is a first. Some times I feel like he doesn´t like to work but it isn´t a huge problem. This week has been slow and I hope this week we can step things up. He only has 2 months more then me so we are just kind of share all of the stuff there isn´t really much of a senor comp which is kind of nice it should help me out a lot. We have interviews on Friday because Elder VIñas from the first quorum of the seventy will be here the 18 I think. Then Conference the 6th I can't believe it has already been six months man how time flies. President sent me this which made me feel good about myself if it isn´t to proud to say,  You are a great missionary. I hope Elder Rivas is ready to go to work. That is a good ward and there are lots of opportunities to teach. Elder Navarro is a good missionary and I am confident he will be a great Zone Leader. Thanks for all you are doing as a missionary. Love pH  

It is a good thing you didn´t send gravy I promised never to eat it again in my mission. I haven´t gained any weight still 65 kilos 145 pounds which is alright for me. My comp is 50 kilos 110 pounds. I feel real confident in the street with him next to me, haha not! Only because he speaks Spanish better, but he was really scared his first few days here. When he got here all kinds of things started to happen, a dude on the street was playing with a knife then started yelling stuff at us like z"whats wrong with you, what do you want"? We just walked a little faster that was my comps first day here. Then yesterday he was robbed... Kind of. It was 9 at night and we were waiting for the Bishop out side his house when a teenager came up to us and was like "hey I have no food and need money so... I want to sell you this backpack". I was like, No sorry because he was eating bread obviously a lie and I bet he stole the backpack. As the bishops wife came out I turned to her and when I turned back my comp was giving the guy money. When he left I was like what just happened. He said that the guy wasn´t going to leave us a lone till we gave him something so he gave him all the money in his wallet only like 50 pesos but I was like really we were just about to go inside.  Whatever! I was robbed by the Taxi driver during changes, I had know idea what to do all the members told me I shouldn´t have paid but I am a gringo and an Elder I wasn´t going to fight him. He took me in the wrong direction for a while then got ¨Lost¨. But it doesn't matter I am excited and I don´t know why. It should be a good week.

Pics things I have made in the past few weeks as well as the baptisms of luis. Sorry this letter has been kind of short I am sitting next to Elder Navarro in the cyber cafe catching up on all that has happened this last week. He truly is one of my best friends in the mission. I was really sad when he left. But at least he didn´t go far. My area has a lot of potential. I hope we can us some of it over the next few weeks if we work how God wants. Anyway I have to go.

Love Elder Wray

P.S. Olvide. Hump Day Saturday. NO PUEDO CREER. Nunca pensé que iba a llegar a esta punto. The time is flying. Love You guys! 

August 28, 2012

Hey Guys,

This week was really good. We had a baptism of Luis. He is 25 but has trouble learning. He is a really great guy and we have had to changing our teaching so much for him. The ward is right behind him.  The bishopric has helped so much and are looking for a place where he can learn to read and write. Both his parents are in prison and one of his brothers. But that doesn't stop him from going. All he does is changa which is like odd jobs. So he doesn't make very much money but the members of the ward are helping him with that too. I had the opportunity to baptize him which was a little crazy, he was kinda of excited and acted like a child in the font but it went well.  

This change with Elder Navarro I think has been the best one of my mission, it just disappeared. He is such an amazing person and am happy to be in his zone. This week is changes and he is leaving but not going far just 2 wards over but as a Zone Leader which is crazy. Sunday was a pretty crazy day for him. He was "dear Johned" through a member through a photo on facebook. He was with her six years before the mission. Needless to say he was a little upset. We ran home because I was sick with stomach problems, something I will tell you about later and while I was in the bathroom he burned her pics and letters. Then later that day President called and called him to ZL. We also were exhausted because we woke up at 5:45 to fill the font for the baptism. The Member that gave him the "dear John" said her boy friend is serving in Belen Brazil and I think he might be close to Elder Clark, his name is Elder Mousques. If you get the chance forward this to him maybe he knows him it would be kind of cool.

Man this week has just been packed I have seen to cars stolen, one follow in high speed pursuit by police. We were lucky we didn't die. I saw my first illegal rooster Fight. Also Something strange, a hermano got up to give a talk and said before I speak I want to say a pray to invite the spirit. Then said a pray. The prayer was really weird I had no clue what to do I have never seen something like that before. We also found a huge drug lord. His name is Guillermo O'niels or something like that he was in charge of almost every illegal weapon and drug to pass through Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. He also was in involved in some to the biggest bank heist in Uruguay. But he has spent a lot of time in prison and now is just trying to be someone normal. We had a really good lesson with him he said he is not ready to join a church but he has accepted to listen. Cerro is crazy! 

This week I also decided to make fries and gravy. Gravy doesn't exist here so I played it by ear. It was really good! I kind of screwed up the gravy, the first time I got to the meat juice and cubes when I couldn't remember if it was flour water first or potato water well I think I choice wrong because I picked flour water and it just fried the flour but I saved it and it was all good. The next day a member gave us chicken and mashed potato's so I tried to do it again, wasn't as good. I got really sick I think from the flour. I don't think I'll try gravy again for a while!

Something has been on my mind the last few weeks. It hasn't really been bothering me but the thoughts come in to my mind at night. But, "Why was I called to Uruguay, and why at this time"? I know I was called of God by a profeta but why here. Sometimes when I struggle with Spanish or the culture or the people I think why am I here and not back at home in the states or in Canada. Where I can relate to the people better and we have things in common. Sometimes I think when the kids stop us to play futbol in the street that I could be me playing hockey with some members or kids in Canada and that I could have better success or a better time. I don't know I am not really worried about it, it has just been a thought. I know I am where I'm to be, I am just looking for the why. 

I guess you want to know my change. Well I am going to be with Elder Rivas, I have never heard of him. So I can't say much, he is from El Salvador and has 3 months more then me so it should be fun. I am pretty sure I am junior comp again but they never said anything. Elder Navarro had a special interview with President yesterday and when they left the room President came out with a huge smile on his face and gave me the longest huge I have ever had in my life by a man. Why we were "hugging if that doesn't sound to gay" he told me I was an awesome missionary and that he's so thankful to have me in his mission. Along with a few other things. Then he entered with another elder and 30 seconds later came back out to me and told me I want you to know that you are ready to be senior comp but there aren't any spots open. He then wrote in his letter this week that a lot of big groups came to the mission about a 1 year ago and no one has died (gone home). So the mission is really old right now. Anyway that's a little of what has happened this week. I can't wait for the package! Thanks for everything.

Elder Wray

Also Elder Oaks gets here 27 October, Can't wait! Also 1 year is coming up super soon crazy!