July 16, 2013

Hey Guys,

Well this week went really well. ¡We had a baptism! Ah it was so good!! Almost the whole branch was in attendance which really isn´t that many people but it turned out really well. Olga is happy. My district had 3 baptisms which is really good. I went to Cardona to do an interview up there. It was with a 15 year old girl probably one of the funnier interviews I have done. When we started she explained she was really nervous. so nervous she wrote all the ¨answers¨ on her hand. Then felt bad so tried to wash it off but it didn´t come off all  the way. But she got nervous again so she brought a cheat sheet in her pocket. She did fine and they had a great baptism up there in Cardona. Elder Robbs last, as he goes home in 2 days. It is weird to see someone I met in the CCM go home. I guess I'm next... Juan Lacaze also had a baptism. I dont´ know if you remember the women that couldn't pay tithing. She was baptized. After she said she didn´t want anymore with the church. She showed up a few Sundays ago and said I changed my mind I want to get baptized. The other district leader interviewed her. I'm glad! 

This week a family we found a few weeks ago started to show more interest so we really have to take care of them. It is a father a mother and their 2 daughters. They haven´t come to church yet and it might be a challenge due to work but they are a really good family. We also had a really good lesson with another family we found this one of 7. They told us the missionaries have been teaching them for almost 18 years on and off and they have never gone to church. They are really good, we will see if we can find there doubts. 

It is changes as I am sure you now realize. It is my last... Que lo tiró. My comp and I are staying together for Another Change. I´m excited for this change, I will admit I was a little nervous Elder Arriola really tests my patience sometimes(alright a lot of times) and I was looking for a change. But while I was praying last night I got a strong feeling there is something yet I have to learn with him and someone is waiting for us. We will see what happens. It is kind of weird because he has been here for 4 1/2 months and I have been here for 3. I go home and he will stay meaning he will be here for 7 1/2 months which is a lot more then normal especially Colonia. But it was like this in the whole mission. Just some really strange changes. New President. But that's when you just have to trust that it comes from God. As for my return date...? Jaja no se todavía. President told me today to call him this week so we will see. Haha Sorry mom it looks like I might never come home.  Well that's about it. Oh and I am DL again. My District the Sisters and the Zone leaders. It is going to be really weird. Anyway

Love You!

Elder Wray

P.S. Foto 1 my district Left to right Back Elder Johnson(on divisions not in my District) Elder Muhlstien Hna Toone Hna Zabala. Bottom Elder Draper, Durand Me Robb Millan My comp Arriola

Foto 2 Olgas Baptism with La Rama

July 8, 2013

Hey Guys,

Things are going well here in Rosario.  We are excited for the baptism of Olga. She is the aunt of our new Branch President Danny Rodas.

 She has had a lot of trial up to this point, her husband died one month ago today and then someone stole all her money but she has always looked forward and is now get baptized. There is always trial when helping someone get baptized always. This week we saved again tithing and fast offering for last so we could teach it with Danny. She accepted tithing and then fast offering and I thought it was golden then when we told her about her baptismal day she got really nervous and said I'm not getting baptized. At first I thought it was a joke but then Danny got kind of upset/mad and they got into an argument. Apparently there was some misunderstanding and the reason she didn´t want to get baptized was because she thought there was going to be a party afterward. In reality the branch had planned a surprise party for after(First time in my mission) but not anymore. She is kind of timid but is turning out to be one of the stronger converts I have taught. We are all just excited! 

Yesterday for fast and testimony meeting we finished at 11:45 because everyone that wanted to give the testimony did. First time in my life. 

My district is kind of struggling this past week especially the Hermanas but hopefully I can motivate them this week in my District Meeting. But in my district there are 3 people getting baptized on Saturday so they are pretty excited.

So I imagine you want to know about the new Mission President. Well let me start out by telling you. He is so cool. On Tuesday I got the church early in Nueva Helvecia to set up everything while the ZLs went to get the mail and got stuck doing the dishes and helping the Hna Bingham a senior missionary cook lunch. When president showed up early. So I missed him walk in (I guess it was kind of weird). Anyway I ran to meet him. He gave me a hug and then his first words to me where, ¨Elder Wray so your the best looking Elder everyone has been telling me about, man look at your eyes they have an amazing light¨ I was a little freaked out to tell you the least. We were the first elders to meet him in the mission besides the APs and Office elders. Anyway he began introducing himself and family( he came with 2 kids a daughter(11) and son(16)). And the truth is I thought he was really weird. His wife blew us a kiss and he caught it and but it in his pocket. jaja Iguess he is weird. He is a convert, he was baptized when he was 19 and then left on his mission, to Uruguay! (he also served in Cerro but I guess it was really different then) He then started his own business from what I understood which teaches CEOs of the Fortune 1000 Companies how to reach there goals and how to change there company culture quickly and efficiently. He also has written quite a few books I guess. Really, pretty cool. I told him in my interview that dad was a cooperate pilot to which he said that's awesome I love traveling in private jets.

Anyway So I was thinking he was kind of weird and thinking of how grateful I was to have Pres. Heaton but then he started teaching. It was incredible. It started out as if he was trying to sell us something but then the spirit started to testify and it was crazy. By far one of the best trainings I have had. Then he interviewed us. It was one of the most motivating interviews I have ever had. He has this amazing talent to make someone happy and motivated. Almost everyone who had an interview left on the verge of tears and all the hna's left crying. He is going to change the mission. He said of the 147 new presidents (around there) 10 served in Uruguay that is crazy. 

Tell everyone The Work is Going Great - President Smith in my interview

I wish I could stay in the mission longer.

Anyway next week I will have a set date for when I come home sorry it has taken so long. But that is really about it. Love You!

Elder Wray

P.S. Elder Perry told President Smith, ¨The year 2013 will be referred back to like we refer back to the first vision or the Restoration of the priesthood¨ That is so cool! Love you     

July 1, 2013

Hey Guys,

Everything is going great here. First off I had forgotten to tell you guys that if Ben can arrange for us to fly home together I am down for it. That would be the sweetest thing in the world. I don´t know how he would do it but would like too! I don´t know when I get home yet but tomorrow we have interviews with the new president and I will talk to him about it there. Also that last pic of Elizabeth is not funny.

Anyway for this week all went pretty well. My DM went alright I was really short on time but it things weren´t going as well as I wanted but an elder bore a strong testimony of what I was teaching  and things went really well. As for Olga the women whose husband died. She is doing really well she is getting baptized the 13 of July. The first baptism since April 22 1012. Needless to say the branch is excited and so are we. The RS is already talking about a party they are going to throw her. It has been a long process but she has gone to church every Sunday for the last month. Her life has changed a lot in the last month and a half. She seems more at peace and things just seem to be going better. She is pretty happy. I am getting along better with the members now it took a lot longer then usual, but things are fun now. 

Half of my district is still struggling. The sisters are just depressed it looks like but I have one companionship that is just mad at me. I had a baptismal interview with them. For that old women whose house smelled like grandma´s. Two seconds before I walked in her door one of the elders said wait elder Wray can I talk to you? So I stepped aside and he told me ¨You might need to help her with tithing. I was like you have to be kidding me. Every interview I have had from someone that wasn´t a zone leader was like hey you need to help them. I don´t know if they don´t realize that they need to be ready for the interview before they schedule it or what. This elder is really young less then 5 months and his comp is bobo(?) but still. So I did the interview and when I got to tithing she was like that is what I wanted to ask you about. I can´t pay. I tired my hardest to get her to understand but she wouldn´t accept. It didn´t help that she cried a lot. 30 minutes later she told me I want to get baptized but I can´t pay tithing right know. I talked about faith, but she said maybe in a few months then said she didn´t feel ready to get baptized. I told her that baptism was a big promise but also a huge blessing but if she wasn´t willing to keep the covenant she should probably wait a little till she was. She agreed. So she didn´t pass I guess you could say. The Elders were kind of mad at me but I didn´t know what they wanted me to do just pass her or what. One told me my comp told you to help and you didn´t do it. I was like I tried she said no I can´t just let here get baptized. She is your investigator why didn´t you figure it out before hand. Now she doesn't want much to do with the church. It is really sad but I feel like I did what was right. The next day I had another interview with the ZLs of a young 16 year old. He was a stud but a little shy. 

Today I threw a District activity to try and animate my district. It went well I cook a oven roasted chicken with sweet potatoes and potatoes and onions. Also sausage. It was really good and really easy. I liked the idea because you just through everything in the oven then we played futbol for 2 hours till it was ready. The sisters just showed up to eat which bugs me but what ever. It went well.

Also this week and elder in my district has Ab ripper X and on divisions this week I did it. It was so good but I was hurting a few days later. He is going to give me a copy this week so I can go home in a little better shape. But yea that is my week, fun fun. I hope all is well there. Be safe, you guys don´t be trunky!  Love you!

Elder Wray

June 24, 2013

Hey Guys,

This week has been alright. It has gone by fast but the work was kind of slow. Lots of door knocking. I didn´t get to go to the broadcast even though I really wanted to. It was in another city and I didn´t think we would be able to make it home. And we had a lesson with a menos activio. I heard it was really good though. I guess in a few months they will be using Facebook to work that should be interesting. I think the obedience will go down with some elders, but the apostles know what they are doing. 

The Branch is going pretty well. The new branch president has changed the attitude of the work and is happy, so that is good. I had to speak again on Sunday. Third time this month including my testimony during fast and testimony meeting. It was not that great of a talk. I talked about faith and more then anything else the ways Satan tries to destroy our faith. Doubt fear and sin. It had the potential to be a great talk but I didn´t give myself to much time to prepare. I can give good talks if I take the time to prepare but if I don´t write it out or at least practice it I get nervous when I get up there and jump around. It also didn´t help that the district president was in attendance AND got up before I did to tell us that they might close the branch of Rosario in about a year if we don´t have 15 tithe paying priesthood holders. Right now we have 5. But I can only come up with about 8 in total from the menos activos.  The branch is going to have to put in the batteries. I must have been inspired because the branch pres. didn´t give us a topic nor do I think he knew the District Pres. was coming. I feel like my talk calmed the nerves/fears of the members. I spoke for like 20 minutes and for a first wasn´t on clean up. Usually my comp goes first then me but this time no. 

 

What else, oh yea this week I ate Homemade liverwurst and blood sausage(Morcilla). Surprisingly enough I liked the blood sausage more. I like liverwurst but this one not that much. I also had never had blood sausage before it wasn´t that bad. Here they have a sweet blood sausage haven´t tried it yet. 

My district is struggling so am I, I guess. Tomorrow I have to really animate them, the sisters haven´t had anyone in church in a month and we haven´t been having many lessons. I don´t know what I am going to tell them. I have thought about talking about better planning but I don´t know how to present that in a not boring way. We will see what happens. Anyway that's about it. I am going to watch part of the broadcast on line. Have a good week. 

Love you!

Elder Wray