My MTC Christmas

Christmas was pretty awesome! Thank you for the package, I loved it! We had Elder David A. Bednar on Christmas Eve and Elder Holland on Christmas day. It was so awesome! When Elder Bednar walked in we were singing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," and when we saw him everyone started singing louder and the spirit filled the room like nothing I've ever felt before. I got the chills for what felt like 2 minutes! I just stood there singing full of joy and happiness and just really felt the spirit. After his amazing talk, we all got to shake his hand! How cool is that?! When I shook his hand I was just like...WOW, that's one powerful dude! Seriously, it was so awesome! Elder Holland was really good too, and I felt very good and I'd say we were really lucky to have them both come. I liked the Christmas card you sent, it was funny! I'm glad you had a good Christmas. I thought about you all a lot but I got thru it, and thank you for so much support. It really helped me to keep going.

Today we are going to the temple to clean. It's closed for cleaning till January 2nd so this will be our last time to be in the temple before we leave. We are supposed to get our flight plans today, so I will send you that info soon, and then I'll get to call home from the airport and hopefully get to chat with a few of you!

I'm glad Christmas was good and in 2 christmases I'll be back there with ya again. I miss you, and I love you!

Elder Gray

Merry Christmas!

Ola Familia!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! This is my Merry christmas family letter. Be sure to read this to Jeff, Jenn and Jase since they don't live there, and tell them Merry Christmas for me!
We get our flight plans this week! WOAH! Holy Cats! Santos Gatos! I can't believe it! I don't know portuguese! Who do they think they are sending me out in the middle of NO English!??! Aaahhh Freaky! I can't believe it, and it's totally insane and I'm freaking out, but then again, I'm ready to get out of this spirit prison and start the real work! It's gonna be WICKED SWEET!

Tonight we had a fireside and it was really good. He told tons of scripture stories and I wrote them all down so I can look them up again later. I love looking up scriptures! Oh, and guess what!? I finished the Book of Mormon this week!! That felt so good! I read all of Alma in ONE week! Pretty crazy huh? Pretty sweet huh?!

This last week was pretty good, kinda frustrating but not too bad. It was fun getting out of here to go to Costco to get my contacts and glasses. We got newb's this week so we get to know them better because we are the zone leaders and get to show them around. It's time for me to go do our service project for the day. We got the best service project in the whole place! We love playing on the big mat we're supposed to put away after we stack chairs. Muito divertido!

Have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Elder Gray

We did Temple Sealings!

I got some nice cards and treats from some of the ward members and Mike and Amy. Please tell them thank you so much. I wish I had time to write everyone, but time in here is short. So Please express my thanks.

The speaking "no English" is going ok for me but this week was actually really tough, and I did not do very well when I taught the first lesson. I was really frustrated yesterday.

We got to go to the temple today though, and I felt much better after that. We did a sealing session for the first time and it was awesome! Elder Bell and I were very lucky to sit with a family, a mom, dad and son, and his new wife of about 3 months, and the dads mom. It was so cool and they were such awesome people. Then we found out the son went to Brazil and speaks Portuguese! So that was awesome to talk to him. He gave us some good tips and pointers. The temple sealing is so awesome! I seriously just felt at ease and happy the whole time we were there. :) It made me way excited to get married! I can't wait to be able to take my wife to the temple someday! I just know thats going to be the best day of my life!

I know now more than ever before how important that little picture is (in my room that mom gave me) that says: "I will make the choices today that will take me to the temple tomorrow." HOW TRUE! I just loved today!

SEND ME PICTURES!! I want to see my family!
Love you all!

Elder Gray

My Hamper, ha ha ha

So far this week has been really good! One of my best friends is here and I got to see him last night! It was so good to see Devin. I was so happy, it was the best night ever!

The week has flown by and we've been speaking strait Portuguese, and I don't feel any smarter! Ha ha! We had to teach the first lesson in Portuguese, talk about tough! I feel like with just the casual talking I'm doing ok, but when it's time to teach...Nao Bom! (not good)! But I'm pushin thru doing what I can to get by.

So...my hamper broke! It was a "piece" to begin with, so I had to buy a new one. It's AWESOME! I never thought that happiness could come through a hamper, ha ha ha. It's on a hanger, so it hangs up and its got a "dark" section and a "whites" section! It's totally WICKED SWEET!!

Everything's going just great...feel free to send peanutbutter bars, brownies, more goop...:)

Elder Gray

Scriptures

I can't believe I've been in the MTC a month now! It's crazy, but awesome. This last week went by so fast! Yesterday we started speaking Portuguese only. It's so cool, but hard for sure! The zone leader calling is going just great! A few more meetings and stuff, but good so far.

Dad, I liked the stories about your mission and learning the language because I can relate to it all. Thanks for the scriptures to look up. I am really growing to love the scriptures! I look forward to morning MDT (missionary directed time) cuz I love to read my scriptures. I'm just about to start in Alma. I feel like I'm learning a lot every time I read. I just love it. I wish I had even more time to sit and read the scriptures. Thanks for all the inspiration and words of wisdom.

Elder Gray