Je suis ici. Je suis nouveux. Je suis content d'etre ici mais je ne comprend pas beaucoup

If you didn't understand the subject for this email, neither did I, and welcome to my life! It's awesome.

Basically. The plane rides were awesome. DC was awesome. Brussels was awesome (all we did was sleep because the airport was huge and empty and kind of boring but awesome) The flight here was awesome. Stepping off the plane here literally felt like walking into a steam room wearing a suit. It smells kind of funny and I'm apologizing now for when I get home and smell funny. When we got to the mission home there was enough water in my shirt to wring a small puddle of water. President and Sister Weed are awesome, but we didn't have a whole lot of time to talk to them before being shipped out to our apartments. Driving is scary.

If I die here. It's going to be during a transfer or when we're taking a taxi to wherever we're going to go. The roads here fit the description of a video game. No rules, no lines, no police. You just get where you need to go as fast as you possibly can without killing yourself. What appears to be the common rule is if you're bigger you have the right of way. Motorcycles yield to cars, cars to vans and trucks, vans and trucks to bigger vans and trucks. The people get to play frogger when they cross the street. If it wasn't so stinking scary it'd be really cool.

Anyway. I knew I was going to be in for the adventure of a lifetime when the zone leaders who dropped me off had this conversation just before they left.  

"Well Elder Gray here is your new apartment. When I was here we didn't have power and the water only worked every once in a while." 

"Don't tell him that! You don't want to scare the poor guy just before he goes in there..."

"Well they don't speak English here! I figure somebody should tell him about it now just in case they can't!"

"Fair enough"

 They were not far off either. The power is off for most of the time, but the water situation is a lot better than what I imagined. It works most of the time, which means we can actually take showers using a shower and not the bucket of water that we prep every night. Showering is kind of fun now. When the water is on you shower. When it dies you brush your teeth and try to shave. It's tricky though, because if you put more shaving cream on that you can shave before the water comes back on then you waste it. It's kind of fun guessing when it'll come back. Sometimes it's ten seconds other times it's it's around two or three minutes, but there isn't any way to tell. 

I'm sorry if this letter seems random or jumps around a bit. The power keeps going off and kills the email. Thank the heavens for the "save draft" button. I figure that's why we have so much time here. Everything is so unrealiable. 

Anyway. My companion is Kefa Milambo. Good luck with the pronunciation. He's from the Congo. We're living with Elder Mary from France and Elder Kouadio from the Cote D'Ivoire. We're working in Cococodji. (you say the cococo part like you would for an extra co in coconut and then add gee afterwards, Co-co-co-gee)

I love Elder Milambo so much. It was a match made way before I got here. He is the perfect trainer. We're so alike in everything we do. Considering I don't speak very good French and he knows very very little English it's scary how well we can communicate. My French has gotten infinitely better in just this first week. I can follow conversations and lessons and jump in with a comment or two. Sometimes he'll just let me at it and then translate the bits that I didn't explain very well. We're so in synch. I almost regret having him as a companion at the start of my mission here, because it's going to be insanely hard to come close to how well and how good things are with him.

Cococodji is the Celestial Kingdom for missionaries. We had 14 baptisms or so this Saturday, with a whole bunch more scheduled for the 6th of April. This week alone with a companion that doesn't speak French Milambo and | were able to bring 17 investigators to church. 17. Five of them we found this past week. Two of the five we found this week have committed to being baptized on the 6th of April.

 Teaching new investigators is pretty straight forward. The gospel makes sense to these people. They love God so much, we just explain that he is our loving Heavenly Father and that the same church and the same gospel that was taught during the life of Jesus Christ. If they have questions about how or why their church isn't true all we do is mention baptism by immersion, the gift of the holy ghost by the laying on of hands, or the plan of salvation and they're willing to come to church and to read the book of Mormon. It's insane.

*sigh* 

I can't believe it's already been a week. It feels like I just got here a couple of hours ago. Despite the fact that we have little to no power, unreliable and not the best tasting water, I've ruined two of my shirts from the dirt and sand that is EVERYWHERE, this place makes hell feel cold, the people here have nothing, I get pointed and laughed at because I'm white, and I'm more tired than I've ever been in my entire life; this is the most fun I've ever had. Being a missionary is amazing. I’m so happy.  

I've already taught people I know I needed to teach. Some of them almost seem to recognize me. It's an amazing feeling knowing what to say or remembering that scripture I read that one time by the power of the spirit. I'm learning French. I'm learning how to be happy. Truely happy and I love it. 

I miss you all and I'll write you again in what'll feel like a couple of hours. I love you all! 

-Elder Cheston Russell Gray

We have a trainer!!

Hey Deena, this is from Elder Christensen, Elder Gray is with Elder Milambo in Kokokodji. It is the farthest out apartment in Cotonou, but he apparently has a really good area, they had 17 investigators come to church on Sunday. That's more investigators than I (Elder Christensen) have had come to church all together in the last 6 months. He's the only American in his apartment, but aparently the French elder speaks a decent English, so he'll be alright.

News Flash!!!

According to one of the Missionary Moms in the Mission Facebook Group, Elder Gray's first area is spelled Kokokodji.  According to Kari Peirson her son Elder Gunderson served there with Elder Milambo and "It's a new area and there are a lot of people there that are ready for the Gospel"  What exciting news!!!

Elder Gray Arrived Safely

Dear Brother and Sister Gray,

Your son Elder Gray arrived safely in Cotonou, Benin last night. The missionaries spent the night with President and Sister Weed in the Mission Home. After breakfast , Elder Gray and his companions came next door for an Orientation in the Mission Office. We explained how to use their debit cards, Sister Weed talked about health and safety, and President Weed had an interview with Elder Gray. It was so nice to be able to meet your wonderful son, he will be a great missionary. Then Elder Gray was driven to his new area called Cococodji about a 25 minute drive. I am attaching a picture of Elder Gray with President and Sister Weed. We are happy to be serving with your son in this wonderful Benin, Cotonou Mission. Elder Christensen says hello, he thinks you have met his Mom. He works with us in the office and is a wonderful missionary.

Sincerely,

Soeur Semken(Office Secretary) 

Nothing is better than getting an email saying your son arrived safely, add a picture and your day just seems to be a lot brighter!! 

Salt Lake to Benin 36 Hours and Counting

Today Elders Gray, Allred, Buxton and Peterson flew out of Salt Lake International Airport headed for the Benin, Cotonou Mission.  It will take them 36 hours, 3 different Airports, and 12 hours of layovers.
 Let the Adventure Begin . . . . . . .

Elder Gray was really taught to chew with his mouth closed I promise!

 

Elder Allred

Elder Buxton

Elder Peterson

 

 

 

 Good Luck Elders, BLUE TEAM HAS MOVED OUT!!!

Blue Team is packed and ready for Deployment

Blue Team is packed and ready to go. We'll have had plenty to eat so don't worry about that. If you could get a hold of some pass along cards that would be amazing. I've got watter bottles and plenty of goods for the ride. I'm just about maxed out on weight so don't go crazy.

IF YOU COULD GET ME A LIFE SIZE COPY OF MY CALL THAT COULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL. (I don't know what happened/if we packed an actual life size copy. All I have is a little one and I've been told I need a copy.......)

I've stocked up on some Books of Mormon from the bookstore here. Hopefully they won't make it to Africa.

I'll see you and talk to you Monday.

Blue Team moving out.

Travel Plans

As for travel plans here is everything. I don't know how all the times are going to work out and how long the flights are actually going to be because of the time zone differences when we land in each spot. Hopefully Dad has some knowledge of this and can figure out exactly when everything is relative to your time.

We leave Salt Lake at 7:48 a.m. on flight number 659 and arrive at Washing Dulles, DC at 1:55 p.m.

We leave DC at 5:55 p.m. on flight 950 and arrive in Brussels, Belgium at 6:15 a.m.

We leave Brussels at 2:05 p.m. on flight 231 and arrive in Benin, Cotonou at 8:35 p.m.

That's a lot of layover time. I'll try to call around one hour after each scheduled arrival time. I'm going to buy a calling card for when we get to Washington for sure, but I legitimately don't know how long I'll have to talk when I get to Salt Lake.

Stuffed olives to those who know what they mean and loves to everybody else. I miss you all so very much and I can't believe that I'm leaving for Africa in less that two days...

I'll talk to you soon enough!

-Elder Cheston Gray

 

 

I was able to get a copy of Elder Gray's travel plans from Elder Peterson, Thanks for sharing.