A New Area and 2nd Councilor in the Branch Presidency

I’m in a new area! First and most importantly here’s my new apartment address...(not that hardly any of you write) ha ha, just playin.
Praceta João Alveres Fagunds
Lote 2 11 Dto
2580, Carregado
Portugal

Well so far, this area seems pretty good. It is for sure VERY different from Setubal. No question! Much smaller and basically pretty boring with nothing around, but its okay, it’s a cool place. There are a couple of cities that are part of our area, one that is called Alanquer or something like that, it is about a 45 or 50 min walk that I hear is quite beautiful and then another area called Azambuja, that is not in walking distance so we have to take a bus out there, but I’m excited to see those places cuz they look way sweet. My area here just in Carregado is nothing special; it’s just mostly buildings, that’s it. The people here seem very cool and are very nice. We are in a little Branch of about 30 or so people. I’m really hoping to see this place grow while I’m here.

I’m really excited to work here because its a very different place from my last area and I will be doing more finding of new investigators than I did before in Setubal. I’m excited for it cuz that’s where new members come from! There have been about 2 baptisms in the recent past but sadly they are both pretty much inactive. THAT is why it’s SO important to make sure that the person is for sure READY and you aren’t just getting the baptism for the number. I think lots of missionaries don’t quite pay attention to that. I know that it’s extremely important for that person to be READY and know that they are the elect. One girl that was just baptized I hear just doesn’t even really talk to the missionaries anymore. It’s sad really. And the other guy that was baptized just comes to church once in a while but doesn’t really have "time" anymore. Ughhh...TIME?? Gimme a break! That’s what they all say. There is no way people don’t have ANY time for the Lord. NO WAY. It’s not the fact that they don’t have time. It’s the fact that they don’t WANT to GIVE the time. I am excited to be here tho. Even tho it may be really small and not nearly as many people as there were in Setubal, I just need to keep my head up and work hard!

I am the 2nd councilor in the Branch Presidency. Weird ha ha, but I think it will be a cool and a new experience! I’m not exactly sure how it works so far and what I will exactly be doing yet, but my companion is the Secretary and he seems to like it so it’ll be pretty sweet! Its cool we get this opportunity to have a little variation and a little more to do to help out the Branch.

I had to give a talk yesterday in church for about 15 minutes. My comp said I spoke for MORE than 15 minutes. Ha ha, and I was thinking 15 minutes?? Ahhhhh, but it went really good I think, other than some tripping on the language once in a while, but that’s normal. I talked about the Book of Mormon and the importance there of and that we all need to be READING it every day. I also found lots of real good scriptures to go with it so it was good. :)

My new companion is Elder Jacques, he is a nice kid. He is very respectful to the people and stuff so that is nice unlike my last comp, I just did NOT understand that. Also, he is a CLEAN person, unlike my last 3 comps, so I’m stoked. He is from California; I don’t remember what city...not a big one. So far things are going good with us! He is kind of funny, a bit of a goober, but thats okay. ;) He is also younger, he is at about 7 or so months in the mission. He is a good hard worker too so it’s awesome! :)

So during this week, we only had 7 lessons. In Setubal I was averaging about 20 to 25 lessons a week. So it’s a small number this week. We had about 23 or so hours of finding. (tracting) Crazy! It’s good for me tho, I am enjoying it so far. There are a few things that I really want to get going better here. The Elders in the past haven’t really done a lot of marking for lessons. I have learned that marking an HOUR on the DAY is much more sufficient, so I’m hoping that I can get that going here so the things we mark will go good and we won’t have so many planned lessons fall thru. Anyway, I hope all is going great for you at home! I miss you and LOVE you all!! Have a great week!!

Love Elder Gray

It's a NEW YEAR!

I hope you all had a great New Years! Ours was pretty good. Our ward had a huge party with music and dancing and we hung out till midnight then went home, and right as we left we saw a whole bunch of fireworks going off in the distance so it was pretty cool! But yeah that’s basically it, nothing too special, but we had fun.

This week we got a new investigator! His name is Otavio, and we taught him on Saturday night and he said that he would come to church the next day, but on Sunday, it was raining WAY hard. So he didn’t come. There were a TON of people that didn’t come to church cuz of the rain. It's pretty crazy, but they don’t have cars here like we do in the states so not every single person and their dog has their own car, so they walk everywhere they go, but when it's raining they don’t leave the house. So there were quite a few people home from church on Sunday. But, we still had 2 investigators there so I was happy to see that!! One of which is the girl Ines that we are trying to get baptized but her mom doesn’t want to allow it but we are trying! I know that if she really puts her heart to it, and really wants to be baptized she will. :) I have no doubt. It just might take a little more time than normal.

We had a lesson with our recent convert Andre that was baptized not too long ago, and we taught his mom too, she is not a member, yet. So we had dinner with them and then we left a message, and right after I get done talking, Andre was like "hey wait I have a message too!" He ran out of the room and came back with his Bible and opened up and read in Genesis and left us a little message too! It was AWESOME! I loved it! He is 11 yrs old and to see that was just awesome because he is so young but yet he is reading and loving the Bible and the book of Mormon! Talk about a great example for his mom! Way awesome! His mom, Sonia, said she would give us a date for her baptism on the 13th. The 13th is her Birthday, for some reason she has to wait till then to give us a date. hmm....ha ha, I dunno why, but when we try to mark a date for her she is like no, no I will pick the date. So we are waiting (im)patiently, haha! I hope she plans on this month….but we will see. She is totally ready she just needs to commit!!

I think I will be getting transferred here in about 2 weeks, well about 3, and I’m a bit nervous for where I will go. I would like to stay here one more, but I’m just not sure that will happen. I have been here for a long time! And I’m lucky for it! It’s a great place and the members here are awesome. But we will see. So, if you were planning on sending me mail, don’t, not to my apartment at least, unless you send it like tomorrow, in other words, Jenn and Amber...(cuz they are the only ones who write!!) Send it within this week. :) Hopefully I stay one more transfer, but I am not really counting on it. I have had my share of this awesome area, it’s probably someone else’s turn.

Things are going pretty good. Me and my comp have been sick but are feeling a bit better. I am doing better...my comp is getting worse tho. It always seems to be that way; one person gets sick for about a week and then when one starts to feel better the other gets sick. I tell ya, it’s horrible for the work!! Ahhhh...... It’s Life! Well I hope you all had a great New Years!! And I wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Make 2010 the best yet!! I love you! Miss ya!!
Love Elder Gray

Transferred!

I have been transferred! Too many problems with my other companion. This week’s letter isn’t going to be long so I apologize. I only have 8 minutes left here because I had to write all the big details of what went down with my comp to mom and dad ha-ha. Now I’m in Setubal, and I’m loving it already. It is an awesome place. Please feel free to write!!!

Elder Robby Gray
Rua Dr. Luis Terceira Macedo e Castro
N 6 R/C Dto.
2910-586 Setúbal
Portugal

There’s my new address! Please write!! I hope all is going good for you back home! I will write a much bigger better letter next week for sure, so look forward to that. I just wanted to get my address to you.

I have met about 4 families so far and they are absolutely AMAZING! This place is just awesome! I really look forward to what is going to happen here. There is huge potential. And the ward is huge. A BIG change from Tavira and I’m excited because it will be a great experience without a doubt.

Thank you all!! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! Miss you Tonz!!
Love Elder Gray

(Please keep me updated on Grandpa) My prayers are VERY much so with him and grandma. LOVE YOU!

Transferred!

So the news is in. And I am being TRANSFERED! I am going to the ALGARVE! It is the furthest south of the mission! I hear its way cool down there so I am excited; the only problem is...who my comp is, I met him. He is a huge goober. And I hear from 2 other people in my district now that he is so, so boring and does pointless work. So, I’m kind of sad about that. But I’m going to have one of my favorite people in the mission in my district.

Dad...you were very close! I’m going to Tavira. It’s very close to Olhao. I hear good things about Tavira but I didn’t get my new address. I go down there on Thursday (not Tuesday) so I’m pretty excited.

Everything is way, way hectic right now so this email is not going to be real long and stuff but I just wanted to let you all know I am leaving. I will give you my address next week. So if you have anything to send me, wait one more week to send, cuz I will give you my address to my appt. I know I will be there for a while.

Today we are going to Fatima! I’m not sure what it will be like but I know that it will be awesome! I am way excited. Today is the day where there will be tons of people there too. So I’m stoked for it, it will be way fun.

We had our fast with Elizabete, at first she didn’t seem to know much about an answer. But yesterday, we asked if she has been thinking about her fast and what she needs to do, she said...I got an answer. My eyes just went HUGE!! I was like YES!!! But then we were like what is it....she says, “It’s good,” that’s it. So she doesn’t expound much on stuff, but the news is, she got an answer. She knows she needs to be baptized. But it’s just a matter of when. She is so awesome! I will really miss her. Then, I asked her son Edivaldo, what he thinks and he said, “yeah, I really like it”. I asked him if he wants to be baptized and he said “yup, I think I do.” WOW!! I was amazed! At first, this kid joked about everything, joked about prayer wouldn’t pray, he would laugh at others while they pray, but then BAM! He finds the truth and how prayer is not just talking to your self. He and his mom pray together often. It is amazing. I will really miss teaching them and seeing them progress every day. But I am going to try the best I can to keep in touch with them.

Well I’ve got to go cuz we have to leave for Fatima, but next week I will have my full hour and be able to write more specifically about my new area and let you know how that is. I miss you all and love you all so, so much! Thank you so much for your love and support. It means the world to me! I LOVE YOU!
Love Elder Gray