Smart Phones, Smart Missionaries

Hey fam (And friends)!

This week was absolutely insane! Sorry I couldn't even write a blog post either, last p-day was interesting. I guess the first and most important thing to happen is SMARTPHONES. 

Relearning the technologies

The church is allowing us to have phones sent from home for missionary use, or if we can't get one they will provide one for us. Now that we have phones, paper planners, DVD players, emailing, car GPSs are a thing of the past. We are now allowed to teach lessons over Skype and Facebook, and we've received many trainings on how to do online proselyting. We can even do district meeting over Skype if we live super far away. We've already used them in to show videos in lessons. 

This is going to be a super useful tool for missionary work. My companion and I have already gotten our phones and learned a bit about them, but we're handing out smartphones to the rest of the Zone tomorrow. On Tuesday at 10 am, the Texas McAllen Mission will officially be a part of the future.

Peace out

Elder Gray

Phones

This week we are still helping people movie into new apartments. We moved a companionship today and we're looking to move another companionship and then we'll be done! It's all part of a new initiative by Presidente to move everyone out into lonely single companionship apartments. When there's four or 6 missionaries in one apartment, things tend to get really crazy. So, by separating us we should be able to work more diligently. 

They probably sell flowers here.

Speaking of being unable to work diligently: we're about to get smartphones. We are required to do a ton of training in order to prepare ourselves to be fully ready. A lot of missionaries are unsure or even afraid of the new technology, for a number of reasons; ranging from not trusting themselves to fear of change. After the training, I think it will be a pretty useful tool in missionary work and will help us develop more self-discipline. 

Me and model-lookin companion.

Things are still crazy hectic here, but its a lot of fun. We're doing a lot of family history with the ward. 

Gotta go!

Elder Gray

ZL Life in Edinburg

So this week has been absolutely crazy. Since 3 new areas in our Zone opened up, we were asked to go out and look for apartments and move them in. I didn't work quite as much as I would have liked but now that we got most of it done, I think I can look forward to a regular schedule.

Being a missionary is hard work.

I'm working in a city called Edinburg, its really close to McAllen. It's more of a suburb than a city. Our Zone covers the city of McAllen, Edinburg, Pharr, Mercedes, Weslaco and Donna and contains 30 missionaries. I love everyone in our Zone right now. There's a lot of new people but I met a few in my days in Zapata. 

I found out that at Wal-Mart they have these caffinated energy drink mixes for like 10 for 1.50. I've learned that this is the greatest mission hack of all time. It's like bottled enerygy, we call it jugo de animo (happy juice). It's probably not healthy long-term but it has to be done.

My new companion is Elder Melo! He came out with me, but from the inferior Provo MTC. He's brasilian but moved to Utah a while ago and converted there (kinda like me!). He's a really good musician. We got a bunch of instruments and we have a jam session every day. Sometimes we wake up early to work out and we record some music with the extra time. I can tell that we are gonna be friends. 

Pretty good so far. Love you all!

Elder Gray

Hidalgo to McAllen

Today marks the end of one of the best periods of my mission. After 6 months of enjoying every part of Hidalgo, I'm being sent to McAllen as a zone leader.

The past 6 months were full of highs and lows. Some of the most exhilarating and joyful days of my life were spent here, as well as some of the lowest, most painful days. At one point I believed my faith couldn't be stronger and I couldn't be closer to God than at that time. I also experienced complete and utter loneliness. Looking back I can say that everything worked out for my good, and it was during the hard times I learned the most about myself and about God. I can leave with no regrets, having poured out my heart to my companion, the people, and to the Lord.

I'll never forget my time here. I'm looking forward to whatever comes in McAllen, and I've heard many good things about it.

Love you all,

Elder Gray

21 Years Later and I'm Still Alive

So I had a birthday, and everyone wanted in on it.

I went to the Church where the sisters in my district surprised me with my first party of the day. They made me a shirt, a comic and gave me a cake! Elder Grannis smashed my face into the cake but we all ate it anyway. There was a Church clean up happening at the same time and some dope members took ALL of us to a Chinese buffet.

A cool girl with the same birthday as me got baptized!

It was probably one of the best birthdays ever, thanks to everyone who remembered! My family sent me a bunch of cards and presents as well. if you're reading, thank ya'll! It was a really good way to end the year. Holy cats I go home next year.

Elder Gray