December 17, 2012

Hey Guys,

I felt like we had success this week even though our numbers don´t show much improvement. We doubled the number of lessons we taught with member this week which really wasn't that impressive of a number but it was hard.  We lacked in church again.  I guess we need to work more on our commitments, we also didn't find many people. But I am happy, I am enjoying my time as a district leader and am starting to get the hang of it. I hope I am being a bless to my district. One thing I have noticed more then anything is that Missionaries at least senior comps know how to work or how it should be done. Si sometimes you have to teach them something knew. But most of the time my calls and DM are used more to motivate the members of my district. It is like General Conference. They really don´t say anything new but you leave feeling refreshed and more excited to do what is right. I just have to work on doing that. As well as keep myself motivated which sometimes is harder then my District. I need to be the example in all aspects of the work. One thing I wish there was more training on was Baptism Interviews. I had my first two this passed week. One was super awesome really prepared said he was going on a mission. Luckily he was my first. I thought a lot about how it was going to go, what I was going to ask etc... when it came to it I forgot everything about what I thought would make the interview good and ended up being really short. It was probably not that great an interview but he is a super stud as Elder Navarro would say so, it was good. 

          The second interview was horrible. It was someone from another district which probably was why it was harder. I was covering for the ZLs meaning I was interviewing another DL's investigator. Elder Navarro trusts me a lot which means I do a lot of stuff to help him out. Which is alright I enjoy it. But anyway I was just kind of pushed into a room with a Baptismal Candidate from Elder ?.... District and was not informed anything of her situation. Turns out it was her third interview. The other 2 she failed something I should of know. She had a smoking problem (which I felt like she had repented of) and was living in the same house as a man but they weren´t together just friends but they had been together before. At that point I politely stopped the interview and went to talk to this Elder. He goes home in a month and half and was an Ex-zoneleader. He said it was no big deal and that she had only fail the other interviews for smoking. So I went and finished. Like an hour later I still wasn´t feeling good about it so I called the ZLs and told them about it they said they didn´t really know so I had to call the Assistants. They said they didn´t think it was a good idea. They called President and after a while he said no.  It wasn´t handled very well and I hope she can still prepare to be baptized. I feel really stupid the assistants said don´t worry about it wasn´t my fault. 

Anyway that's about it I am trying to work hard. Thanks for everything!!! 

Love Elder Wray

December 10, 2012

Hey Guys,

I was feeling good about last week till yesterday. I woke Sunday morning thinking that we were going to have 6 people in church, but when it came down to it no one came. I don´t know what happened, our ward had low assistance as well like 20 instead of 60-70. We worked hard this week and was a little discouraging to have no one in church. It is hard not to get discouraged after so long with such low numbers, but I am trying to stay excited. I did divisions this week with Elder Geschwandtner and Castor. It went well but I had to teach Elder Gesh how to use the Area Book. He had never touched one before a little sad seeing as he is training and has almost a year in the mission, but he is using it now. I also found all the directions of the lista de 24 meses for him because he didn't know where to look. But now he knows and he is using it. 

On Wednesday I witnessed my first wedding in Uruguay. It was kid of lame, I hope the reception was better. It consists of the witnesses signing papers, the couple then a judge comes in and says some words then a short kiss. Then they throw you out of the building and throw another couple in the room. We did get to throw rice though, which was kind of fun. Then to eat they went to McDonald's, we went to Burger King. Kind of Funny! We have found more people to teach this week, but they are pretty duro (hard).  This week we also had a ward activity it was super fun. The four of us missionaries sang Jingle Bells in English it was pretty funny! We put on these really big foam ties as the three Latino missionaries and I sang.

A phrase I am starting to hate is "Well I'm not the senior comp where are we going". My comp is starting to get on my nerves a little bit, he as a little bit of all of my past comps in one. Anyway I have to go. Sorry this letter is so short I need to pulled Elder Navarro aside to talk to him he looked like he was about to cry. We will see what happens to him.  Love you! Cant wait to talk in a bit. 

Love 
Elder Wray
P.s. I think Elizabeth should stay away from cars. It is like every week she is in an accident.

December 4, 2012

Hey Guys, 

This week has been pretty good. It really doesn´t show in our numbers in that regard I guess it was a hard week. But our area is looking much better, we have more people to teach and someone with fecha(date) for this month. Now we are trying to figure out how to get the members involved. It has been a struggle to get members to lessons this week as well as the last 5 or 6 weeks but we have more to work with this week. My area only has about 7 active member families in it and most work 2 jobs so it is hard to schedule lessons. My district is doing well I think, this past week I did divisions with the Zone Leaders, Elder McCraney is really helping me out. Elder Navarro not as much but I think he is really stressing out about the Zone now that he is ZL1. This week I have divisions with Elder Geschwandtner, he and his kid are doing really good. They are having a lot of lessons. We are teaching another friend of Eliana and her family from my last area. His name is Johnathan Denis. He is a pretty good guy, he is 13 but has been going to church by himself since his family let him leave home on his own. And now he is going to ours! We have taught him two lessons. I want to meet his parents but he says they are duro(hard). Anyway things as a District Leader are fun! At times stressful and you don´t have much free time but it makes things go by much faster. I only wish my district had more people in it. Elder Muñoz is doing well. He isn´t as obedient as I thought he would be. I think his last two comps might have killed him. I know if I didn´t push him he wouldn´t get up on time or he wouldn´t study etc.. So that makes it kind of annoying but I guess that is what happens when you are a Junior. A lot of times I feel like he could do more, but then I stop and think how much did I help my comps. I still feel like I did more but that stops me from getting to annoyed with him. A lot of times he plays with me like Elder Rivas did. I can never tell when he is telling the truth. Like on Tuesday I got out of the shower and he said, ´I just got off the phone with President, he says he is going to your District Meeting so it better be good." I obviously starting stressing out a little and then he started playing around. Saying he was just kidding then he wasn´t then he was. In the end, yes President did go to my DM thankfully it went really well. The beginning was slow but it picked up as people started talking more. I shared Obediencía con Exactitud, Regocijad en la obra(exact obedience, rejoice in the work). President said it went well, didn´t give me much critique which I wanted but oh well. This week is Zone Meeting which will be nice. I just lack confidence and energy in my meeting I think. That's about it things are going well. Talk to you guys soon in like 3 weeks, crazy how time flies. Also dad not a huge fan of the shirt it makes you look like a biker but maybe it was just the pic.  I can´t wait to read your stories. I hope you sent me a Christmas card.  Anyway got to go. 

Love  
Elder Wray  

November 26, 2012

Hey Guys,

This week has been a long and interesting week. I wasn´t able to find a Corto Plazo so I was with Elder Navarro for all of los cambios(changes).  I didn´t get much sleep but he really needed the help, he was really stressed out. Thankfully things went smoothly. This week I woke up at 4:45am Monday, 5:30 Tuesday and went to bed at 3 in the morning mas o menos(more or less) then was up again at 4:45. Most of the time was spent in 3 cruces(crossings) the terminal of Buses. It was really a lot of fun, different from the normal routine of being a missionary but as you can imagine super tiring.  And as a result I have a bit of a cold. My new companion Elder Muñoz is a super great missionary! From Puebla Mexico but he is a little down right now do to some things that have happened in the last two changes. We spent a good amount of time in Paso(step) 13 during weekly planning, and we have set a lot of goals for the week as well as the change. I am excited for this change a little stressed about being a District Leader because my district is doing so well when my own area is not but Elder Muñoz has talked to me about it and it will be a good learning experience and opportunity to serve. My first district meeting was not as good as I had hoped. In my district I have the Zone Leaders Elder Navarro and McCraney, and Elder Geshwander? and his new kid Elder Castor also from Coahuila Mexico. My first meeting Elder Geshwander wasn´t there because he was picking up his kid. So it was just me and my comp and the ZLs. I was kind of stressed because I didn´t know what to teach seeing as the zone leaders teach us things to talk about and plus Elder Navarro has already been my comp for 2 changes. I talked about Finding with Faith. It went all right I guess, Elder Navarro said he learned things he is going to start doing but I still hope tomorrow goes better (direction from the zone leader, they want us to use Finding with Faith and Obedience, I guess I wasn't that far off the first time). But we will see what happens I also want to talk about desire which I guess ties in nicely. 

This Sunday was good. There was a lot crammed into sacrament so my talk I kind of threw half out the window but it went well.  I spoke about sacrifice and especially toward anyone with a calling, and the joy you receive. It was a be proud moment as I spoke right after Romina a convert of Elder Rivas and I. She did pretty well for being a 12 year old and only a member for a month. I felt like they gave her a weird topic ¨Tithing¨ but her dad a non member came. 

Senior comp is a little more stressful but really not that bad. It just means I take lead role in most times. Like we walked into a reactivating members house and there was a man there I didn't know. It is at times like these when I would watch and listen as Elder Navarro would bring the conversation to the Gospel. But I knew he wasn´t there it was my first day and all that was going through my head was well I want to share the gospel with him and I know my comp is waiting for me. And it came I was praying a lot and he began to open up until He said that a few months ago he had gone to another church. Then he asked "why are there so many Church's"? the perfect set up for lesson one. It was a good first lesson but sadly he doesn´t live in our mission but we sent the reference on. This week was the first time I have really knocked doors in Deo, man it is so much different from the inland. The people really are a lot more cold. But it is good.  I am really happy with my comp it should be a great change! And don´t worry about the "Rocks" they aren´t that big of a deal. 

Love you all!

Elder Wray