Tuesday, December 14, 2010
This is the Dad of our mission!
This is the Dad of our mission! He is about 89 years old and this is the tree we decorated for him. Things are just not the same as back home. But he was happy. Check out my cute 'little' companion. I am the giant.
Monday, December 13, 2010
SUPER HARD!!
Hello all!
First of all I just want to say thank you to the Davis family and the Hawks family! I love to read letters from anyone and I felt a piece of home when I heard from you!
This week has been super hard, SUPER HARD!! I feel like I heard bad news, after bad news.... but we made it through. When you go through trials, you really learn a lot about yourself, and your testimony grows, because sometimes there is no one else you can turn to other than the Lord. Hermana Batty, she is like my sister, she had to go home because she lost the use of her arms. I was so heart broken, but I know that she will get better! Pray for her.... also Eva, she is so special to me. She is one of my investigators... Her whole family is members, but we have been waiting for her papers so she can get married. We finally got them this week, and it was final, we set the date and everything, and her "husband" finally knew that it was really going to happen so he decided to tell her that he has another family that she never knew about, 2 children with another woman! It was heartbreaking. She told us today through tears, and I just didn’t know what to do. So now it’s all off, but she can’t live without him because she doesn’t have any money. Her children are the cutest things! It kills me.... her sons are the ones that helped us with Hermana Digna, and she gained her testimony from theirs! Anyways, through the trials, I am also learning how much I love the people. Charity really is the hardest attribute of Christ to have, but I am realizing the importance of it. If we could all just love everyone and treat them so special, the world would be such a happier place.
Other happier news! Brian was baptized yesterday and it was great! He is so wonderful. I hope that he will serve a mission! I really have been so blessed with the people I have come to know here in the DR and I know that by helping to change their lives mine has changed as well! Love you all!
Hermana Reay
First of all I just want to say thank you to the Davis family and the Hawks family! I love to read letters from anyone and I felt a piece of home when I heard from you!
This week has been super hard, SUPER HARD!! I feel like I heard bad news, after bad news.... but we made it through. When you go through trials, you really learn a lot about yourself, and your testimony grows, because sometimes there is no one else you can turn to other than the Lord. Hermana Batty, she is like my sister, she had to go home because she lost the use of her arms. I was so heart broken, but I know that she will get better! Pray for her.... also Eva, she is so special to me. She is one of my investigators... Her whole family is members, but we have been waiting for her papers so she can get married. We finally got them this week, and it was final, we set the date and everything, and her "husband" finally knew that it was really going to happen so he decided to tell her that he has another family that she never knew about, 2 children with another woman! It was heartbreaking. She told us today through tears, and I just didn’t know what to do. So now it’s all off, but she can’t live without him because she doesn’t have any money. Her children are the cutest things! It kills me.... her sons are the ones that helped us with Hermana Digna, and she gained her testimony from theirs! Anyways, through the trials, I am also learning how much I love the people. Charity really is the hardest attribute of Christ to have, but I am realizing the importance of it. If we could all just love everyone and treat them so special, the world would be such a happier place.
Other happier news! Brian was baptized yesterday and it was great! He is so wonderful. I hope that he will serve a mission! I really have been so blessed with the people I have come to know here in the DR and I know that by helping to change their lives mine has changed as well! Love you all!
Hermana Reay
Monday, December 6, 2010
19 Days!!!
Can you believe that in 19 days I will be calling home? That is such WONDERFUL news! I just can't express right now how happy I am! I am staying in my area with Hermana Garcia!! This is the first time that I havent changed companions, and I am sooooo happy! We still have so much work to do here, and we have the best baptism coming up on Sunday! Today I got to spend part of the day with Hermana Haggard as well because her companion went home, so she needed someone to be with! It was great!
The best part about my week was that we completed all of our goals. I learned this week the importance of goals and that you really can reach them if you put the effort into it and try and try so hard. If you do your part, the Lord will do His to help you complete your goals. We set goals every week, and a lot of times it´s just like they are numbers, but they really arent. They really are to help us progress. So every week we have a goal to find 10 new investigators...so on Saturday morning we reviewed our day and our goals and we only had 4 new investigators so far, so we decided that we were going to either come back to the house that night with 6 new investigators or we were going to come back with 6 new investigators. We totally did it, and it was amazing! Because the whole day we were searching for new people, we completed 2 other goals that we had, we had lessons with members, and recieved references. It was great! So now we have a new drive to look at our goals every day and to have a special drive to really reach them! I loved learning all of that because not only does it apply to me right now in the mission, but I can use it for the rest of my life!
I really am so happy right where I am and I know this is where I need to be, this time of the year is really hard, especially with a few things that are going on at home, but just know that I love you all and you are all in my prayers! Never take for granted the things that you have, and especially your family! Your parents and your grandparents, because they are the foundation and where we learn everything. Without them we wouldnt be anywhere, I love you all so much!
Hermana Reay
The best part about my week was that we completed all of our goals. I learned this week the importance of goals and that you really can reach them if you put the effort into it and try and try so hard. If you do your part, the Lord will do His to help you complete your goals. We set goals every week, and a lot of times it´s just like they are numbers, but they really arent. They really are to help us progress. So every week we have a goal to find 10 new investigators...so on Saturday morning we reviewed our day and our goals and we only had 4 new investigators so far, so we decided that we were going to either come back to the house that night with 6 new investigators or we were going to come back with 6 new investigators. We totally did it, and it was amazing! Because the whole day we were searching for new people, we completed 2 other goals that we had, we had lessons with members, and recieved references. It was great! So now we have a new drive to look at our goals every day and to have a special drive to really reach them! I loved learning all of that because not only does it apply to me right now in the mission, but I can use it for the rest of my life!
I really am so happy right where I am and I know this is where I need to be, this time of the year is really hard, especially with a few things that are going on at home, but just know that I love you all and you are all in my prayers! Never take for granted the things that you have, and especially your family! Your parents and your grandparents, because they are the foundation and where we learn everything. Without them we wouldnt be anywhere, I love you all so much!
Hermana Reay
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Feliz Navidad!!!!
Feliz Navidad!!!!
Well the people here have been celebrating Christmas since before Halloween, but I know that really it should start after Thanksgiving! (Because it makes me miss home!) I hope that you all had a wonderful thanksgiving, and that you found many things to be grateful for, and also that you all did a lot of shopping on black Friday! Haha before I forget shout out to my 2 birthday girls, BRANDA AND HOLLY!!! Love you guys, sorry I am not there to throw you a wicked surprise party again, haha that was the best ever! Well this week was not really exciting at all, so I don’t have much to tell you.... We didn´t really do anything for Thanksgiving, we have just been working and working, a lot of walking because for some reason almost all of our appointments fell through this week, but it was great because we had a lot of opportunities to find new people. My companion and I also grew a new love for sugar cane! Haha, I was always afraid to try it because it looks so weird, and who wants to eat sugar only? But it’s actually really refreshing in the hot sun! We are soon going to have some baptisms (hopefully). I am praying for a Christmas miracle. One of our investigators, that is already a member but needs to be married, we are trying to get her papers this week! I am praying and praying for this, and another investigator Bryan that is completely ready but just is scared. So we are just trying to help them both! I have been reading a lot from the Bible because I wanted to read John before Christmas. (I am already done) So now I am reading Jesus the Christ, it is intense, but I am learning so much, like that Mary and Joseph were cousins, yeah I didn’t know that, eww. It is great to learn more and more every day, I love that we can read all of these books in the mission because you are more spiritual and enjoy them so much, and they really do help to teach our investigators. Sorry I don’t have anything more exciting to share with you! I love you all! I really miss you in the season of the year, but I know that I need to enjoy my time as a missionary because it is passing by so fast. I only have 7 months left in the beginning of December! But just know that I love you all!
Hermana Reay
Well the people here have been celebrating Christmas since before Halloween, but I know that really it should start after Thanksgiving! (Because it makes me miss home!) I hope that you all had a wonderful thanksgiving, and that you found many things to be grateful for, and also that you all did a lot of shopping on black Friday! Haha before I forget shout out to my 2 birthday girls, BRANDA AND HOLLY!!! Love you guys, sorry I am not there to throw you a wicked surprise party again, haha that was the best ever! Well this week was not really exciting at all, so I don’t have much to tell you.... We didn´t really do anything for Thanksgiving, we have just been working and working, a lot of walking because for some reason almost all of our appointments fell through this week, but it was great because we had a lot of opportunities to find new people. My companion and I also grew a new love for sugar cane! Haha, I was always afraid to try it because it looks so weird, and who wants to eat sugar only? But it’s actually really refreshing in the hot sun! We are soon going to have some baptisms (hopefully). I am praying for a Christmas miracle. One of our investigators, that is already a member but needs to be married, we are trying to get her papers this week! I am praying and praying for this, and another investigator Bryan that is completely ready but just is scared. So we are just trying to help them both! I have been reading a lot from the Bible because I wanted to read John before Christmas. (I am already done) So now I am reading Jesus the Christ, it is intense, but I am learning so much, like that Mary and Joseph were cousins, yeah I didn’t know that, eww. It is great to learn more and more every day, I love that we can read all of these books in the mission because you are more spiritual and enjoy them so much, and they really do help to teach our investigators. Sorry I don’t have anything more exciting to share with you! I love you all! I really miss you in the season of the year, but I know that I need to enjoy my time as a missionary because it is passing by so fast. I only have 7 months left in the beginning of December! But just know that I love you all!
Hermana Reay
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
THANKSGIVING dinner!
So last night was a little interesting, all of the people around us were drunk, we didn’t end up teaching 3 of our appointments because the smell of alcohol was really strong, Then we got home and our neighbors were just wasted. They were singing horribly at the top of their lungs! Wow, if they only knew when they were sober, what their actions were. Its’ kinda sad. All that I can say is that I am so glad to have the gospel in my life and to have grown up in a family that has rules, and high standards, and that I have never had a desire to do those horribly worldly things. Anyway....Today I just want to tell you all that birthdays in the mission, really are normal days. A little disappointing, but we did have a baptism! That was the best part because Saulo was so ready and so happy! That was a great present for me. The ward wasn’t there though, no one showed up, there were only women there (It was the only time in my life that I wished that I could have the priesthood) we had to wait for two hours, 3 for Saulo to be baptized! I felt so bad, but luckily we have great zone leaders, that just ran over to our chapel to help us out! Haha But it’s all good, he was baptized and it ended up to be a good day! Today was great, we had THANKSGIVING dinner! Minus the turkey and the gravy and a lot of things, but it was fun, we even had pumpkin pie! I made most of the food, I needed to do something to feel the Thanksgiving spirit. We did it as a zone, but only a few showed up, so we have LOTS of leftovers, but I loved it, I was thankful that we got to do it, and have a little of home here in the DR. We didn’t go around and say what we are thankful for though; so I am expecting all of you to email me what you are thankful for ok? haha I love you and miss you all, thanks for the birthday wishes and the wonderful packages I got, I love you all.
Sarah, or Sister Christensen, if you are reading this I love you and you are in my prayers, I hope that all goes well with your hands! I love you Cohen!
Hermana Reay
Sarah, or Sister Christensen, if you are reading this I love you and you are in my prayers, I hope that all goes well with your hands! I love you Cohen!
Hermana Reay
Monday, November 15, 2010
Gotta love the DR!!!
Hello!
Can I just start out by saying that I am totally going to have a baptism on my birthday!!! That is such a great gift! We have been teaching Saulo for a while, and he actually works for a member family, so he has known about the church for a while, but like Digna, it wasn’t his time yet! But now is, I am so happy for him! He is going to get baptized on my birthday, and then leave that night for a camp that the single adults are having! I am so happy for him! Digna´s baptism was amazing. I spoke, and was so nervous, but it was good, and I loved that I got to be a part of it, there were soooooo many people there though! Her family came from all over, and it was really special, a lot of tears were shed! And Sunday was ward conference and they asked her to share her testimony! It was great! I wish you could all see the huge change that we have seen in her, when I first met her she never smiled, and was always cranky, and now she is just soooo happy and already sharing the gospel with others! I love it! We also finally moved this week. I love our new place! It always has water!!!! yay!!! One thing though, is that I thought that I was getting away from all the dogs howling at 5am but I was a little mistaken, here we have roosters, that start around 4am and then the dogs howl because of the roosters....haha. Gotta love the DR, but my comp has ear plugs that she gave me, and they work like a dream! I am loving it here, and can’t believe that the transfer is already half way over! Time is going by soooo fast! But it’s all good, as long as I live up every minute! I also can’t believe that I am going to be 22 this week, soooo weird! Hopefully we will do something fun! (Probably some fun contacts or something!) I love you all so much, and want to tell you how grateful I am for you in this Thanksgiving season!
Con amor,
Hermana Reay
P.S. The ward had such a great activity on Friday. They had a dance and karaoke party and it was so fun! We went for just a few minutes to see how it was. I loved it; I am so coming back here after my mission to learn to dance like them! The best was the bishop and his wife, and one of my favorite members, Delia that is like 70! They were tearing up the dance floor!
Can I just start out by saying that I am totally going to have a baptism on my birthday!!! That is such a great gift! We have been teaching Saulo for a while, and he actually works for a member family, so he has known about the church for a while, but like Digna, it wasn’t his time yet! But now is, I am so happy for him! He is going to get baptized on my birthday, and then leave that night for a camp that the single adults are having! I am so happy for him! Digna´s baptism was amazing. I spoke, and was so nervous, but it was good, and I loved that I got to be a part of it, there were soooooo many people there though! Her family came from all over, and it was really special, a lot of tears were shed! And Sunday was ward conference and they asked her to share her testimony! It was great! I wish you could all see the huge change that we have seen in her, when I first met her she never smiled, and was always cranky, and now she is just soooo happy and already sharing the gospel with others! I love it! We also finally moved this week. I love our new place! It always has water!!!! yay!!! One thing though, is that I thought that I was getting away from all the dogs howling at 5am but I was a little mistaken, here we have roosters, that start around 4am and then the dogs howl because of the roosters....haha. Gotta love the DR, but my comp has ear plugs that she gave me, and they work like a dream! I am loving it here, and can’t believe that the transfer is already half way over! Time is going by soooo fast! But it’s all good, as long as I live up every minute! I also can’t believe that I am going to be 22 this week, soooo weird! Hopefully we will do something fun! (Probably some fun contacts or something!) I love you all so much, and want to tell you how grateful I am for you in this Thanksgiving season!
Con amor,
Hermana Reay
P.S. The ward had such a great activity on Friday. They had a dance and karaoke party and it was so fun! We went for just a few minutes to see how it was. I loved it; I am so coming back here after my mission to learn to dance like them! The best was the bishop and his wife, and one of my favorite members, Delia that is like 70! They were tearing up the dance floor!
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