Monday, June 24, 2013

A New Vision for the Work of Salvation:

Oh man... I swear I keep on saying that this is the best week I've had in the entire mission.... but really, it has been the best week in my entire mission. Dad was right when he said it is stressing to be a zone leader... There are so many new things that pass through a ZL´s head that I never even thought about. But wow... I´ve been ZL for a week now. I'm sure Ill learn quickly. But really, I have loved this week.

Thank you for the package!!! Beef jerky is awesome!! Elder Gonzalez has never tried it and he loves/hates it. He loves the flavor, and hates how spicy it is.... hahaha but he´s a wimp so its ok :D. Elder Edmondson is soooo legit. I can see why he´s been ZL for 6 months now... He is such a great leader. He is always organized with his agenda and he always tries to have an impact with the time that he has. I think we make a great team!! He is the brains... and I'm the mouth :D I don't want to say I'm a sweet talker.... but hey, We have an asado this weekend :D yeah yeah!!

Really we are trying to have a big impact with the new vision that the prophet has put out... the last year and a half in my mission I have been preaching that I was not called to "find", but I was called to "preach the gospel". So I'm glad that this stake has the same vision as the prophet. all of the members are trying to find a family that we can teach.

Us as ZL´s, our responsibility is to give this vision to all of the stake. We want each organization to find, and baptize a family.... and to help them let the elders just teach. There was an awesome talk that I loved by elder Perry in 2009 during conference.... "Viewed in this light, member missionaries—both you and I—are the shepherds, and the full-time missionaries, like the search and rescue team, are trying to do something almost impossible for them to do alone. Certainly the full-time missionaries will continue to do the best they can, but wouldn't it be better if you and I stepped up to do a job that is rightfully ours and for which we are better suited since we know personally those who are lost and need to be rescued?"

I'm glad that we have our backs backed up with the words of the prophets. I really am so excited to start his new wave of missionary work. I can promise that it is going to continue even when I get home. Man I am so pumped!!!!

This week in the zone we had one baptism.... Which is not that great. This week we should be having 7 or so.... which would give us 17 as a zone.... our goal is 20. We are going to be working a ton this week to make sure that everything goes through so that the other people we are working with can receive their beginning steps to salvation as well.

I invite all of you to visit the new website to see how you can participate in sharing the gospel.

http://www.lds.org/training/wwlt/2013/hastening/a-new-vision?cid=HPL1P01W01031&lang=eng

there is the website. Watch the videos, make cards, share a book of mormon... share a FHE.... do anything!!

I just want all of you to know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real. He is our Savior and our redeemer. There is not any other "way" through which salvation comes... only through the redeeming blood of Christ. The book of mormon is true. READ IT! LOVE IT! SHARE IT! the book of mormon combined with the spirit is the strongest weapon that we have as missionaries to share the gospel... prophets exist! Believe in their words. trust their words. have faith in everything that they say.

Acaso, no es esto la iglesia verdadera??

This week we have a baptism. We have been working a bit with a girl named Maria Diaz... she is so cool!!! it was her birthday on saturday and we took her over a cake that we made her. We also activated her brother so that he can baptize her. Hes going to be a future missionary.

This week i also got robbed.... hahah We were walking to a family that was recently baptized and we stopped in front of their door when two guys came up to us with a knife and started yelling at us to give us our bags and stuff.. I was just like dude.... I don't have anything, do you want a little jesus card??? a book of mormon?? a pamphlet?? we can pass by your house and teach your family.

So yeah. They didn't take anything.

This week we should be having a lot more members helping us in the work. we are hoping to have 30 lessons with member which would be an all time record for me. But I know God is a God of miracles and that the only way we can have miracles in our lives is through our faith.

Start sharing with everyone!!! don't be afraid to share what you know is true!!! DC 6:32-33

BAPTIZE THEM ALL!! :D

I hope you have a great week. Keep up the great work!!

Elder Gray


D&C 6:32-33

32 Verily, verily, I say unto you, as I said unto my disciples, where two or three are gathered together in my name, as touching one thing, behold, there will I be in the midst of them—even so am I in the midst of you.
33 Fear not to do good , my sons, for whatsoever ye sow , that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward .

Monday, June 17, 2013

Activity, Baptism, Unexpected Text Message

First of All............. HAPPY FATHERS DAY DAD!! :D

Wow... this week was super aweseom!! we had a ton of miracles happen this week in our Barrio of La Rioja. We ended up having a pretty good activity with another branch. They did a couple of skits, had a canasta, and played some music. We also watched the Joseph Smith movie. The flia Rodriguez went and they got to know a couple of people. Lets just say that they have a tond of friends now :D

The flia rodriguez gt baptized!!! and so did ivana so it was a wicked sweet week. There were a couple of other baptisms as well so we did a huge combination  of all of the baptisms. In total there were 13 people in white i think. It was defnintely one of the best baptisms i have had. There were a couple of investigtors there as well. Raquel invited her friend maribel, and then randomly the oldest sister showed up to support them as well. So yeah!! it was way good.

We also ended up having transfers this week.... Ill tell you the story,.... I got the call at about 10:40 that night from the zone leaders... they were like, "ok ok.... Elder Hill is going to his house!!!" well yeah, I knew that.. haha then said asked me, "did you get the other news??" i said, "what other news?" they answered, "you´re goign to be zone leader in The Sierras Zone!!!" ..... So yeah, here i am in a new area called Villa Allende. It is in the Sierras stake.... really close to unquillo and rio ceballos so i feel right at home.

this area is going to be great.... a huge difference between how many people go to church... in La rioja, 45.... here in Villa Allende, 160..... so yeah, im pumped to have tsome members :D

I also had a nother suprise when i got here. Elder Goates said bye to me!!

So yeah, thtss about all that happened this week.. Hpefulyy you got all of my photos!

Love you all, be safe!

Elder Gray :D








Sunday, June 16, 2013

1 John 4:16,18

Wow... Another week has flown by.... And its my companions last week!!! So crazy... I feel like it is still 3 months ago when I first got here and when I first met Elder Hill, but now he is leaving me in a short week.

Hes a great missionary. I sure will miss him.

This week we had a lot of success. We ended up teaching a ton to the Rodriguez family. They are sooooo cool. We are trying to get the dad to open up a bit more to us. He told us why he doesnt like churches and its because of tithing... he doesnt think that God needs tithing... but after we could explain a little bit to him about Abraham and how they had tithing back then, he opened up to us a little bit more asking about Joseph Smith and stuff.... He understood really well about profets and hes goign to read the book of mormon to ask if its true. He also gave us permission to baptize his daughters so we should have 3-4 baptisms from the Rodriguez family this week. The girls are super excited!!

This week Ivana Rios is finally getting baptized... she has been out of town the last couple of days so we havent been able to find her that much. but we finally found her and she said that she has had a change of heart and wants Elder Hill to baptize her as the last baptism of his mission.... SICK!!!! He was way pumped to hear about that.

So yeah, this week we should have transfers. hopefully i can stay here another transfer to end the mission and that they dont send me to a random different area... that wouldnt be cool... haha but hey, whereever the Lord needs me im cool with it.

I sent a couple of pictures.... hopefully you all got them. Its of last week when we went to see elder Cook and then when I saw elder Michalek and a couple of pictures of the FHE that we did with a couple of members.


The ward is getting more excited to start doing its own missionary work. we left with a couple of members to go do dsome home teaching and to start wroking around some differente parts of the ward. It was super fun. I had a blast. We also got permission to have a FHE in the church. I think were goign to watch a movie as a ward and share some stories and such... then on saturday the quorum is going to have an activity and they invited us to come as well... im pumped!!

Today we have an asado with one of our converts so that will be pretty sweet!!! :D

wellp. I dont have much more to say other than I know that LOVE is the most important thing we can have in this life and in the life to come. Love is what makes us move. If we didnt have love, life wouldnt have purpose. Pure love casts out all fear!!!

I hope you are all great!! be safe and take luck.

Nos vemos muy pronto

Elder Gray










Elder Cook



SORRY THESE ARE LATE! BEEN A BUSY LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS! ENJOY!


This week was super awesome!!

We had the chance to see a living apostle here in Cordoba. He ended up coming on Friday and the whole mission was there to greet him.

I was actually really excited to see all of my mission friends that i havent seen sinc ethe beginning of my mission but after all the ruckess of taking pictures, greeting, etc. We all sat down and started to study. The best part of my entire mission until now was watching 170 missionaries stand uup in reverence as one of the 12 special witnesses of Christ walked in escorting his wife alongside....... Lets just say that I know the church is true.

He talked about a lot of things. He talked about faith, committments, helping others have faith, Helping others know that baptism is the right thing to do. etc.

I also got to shake his hand :D

His wife also talked, she spoke about the hymns and how the missionaries are good singers... then she made us stand up and sing for the next 10 minutes...

We also got to hear the last testimony of our mission president, president Salas... I sure am goin to miss him....

This week in church we has the flia rodriguez come to church again!! Raquel also sent us a cool text during the week saying that she praye dand she knows that the churh is true. She is even sharing mormon messages on facebook with her friends and today she invited a couple of friends over for a FHE. She is super legit!!

The ward is looking a lot better. they finally got home teaching all organized. I have a comp named Hno Romero... he is a future elder and hes wayyyyy humble. and way legit. such a strong testimony for being a recent convert. we ahve 2 familes that we have to visit.

This week we should be having a baptism if we can find Ivana... she went on vacation and she should be back already. so we will have to see if she can be baptized. :D

Then next week we should have 3 or 4 baptisms from the rodriguez family. hopefully they all can make it!!

I really love the mission and i cant believe its coming to a close... hopefully I can make the best of these last couple of weeks!! I know I will.

Be safe everyone and dont forget to write me!! ;D

Keep your prayers goign for the investigators!!

Lots of Love,

Elder Gray