Hi hi ! ! !

Hey Family and Friends!

      Once again I have to start another letter off by apologizing about my inability to write home every week. Today's been the first time that the power and the connection have both been working at the same time in a while.

     
These past couple of weeks have been really solid. For starters we had a small hiccup in the district over a change in the sector limits, but things have calmed down now. Our companionship basically lost everything. Investigators, Recent Converts, and Members. When the dust settled we found ourselves basically opening up a new sector. So we rolled up the sleeves, girded up our loins and went to work. 

   
  I really have to bear a simple testimony that when two missionaries can set aside the little things, get over their pride, and put their shoulders to the wheel they WILL have success. The Lord smiled upon our efforts and took pity on his poor servants wandering around in the sun looking for people to teach and led us to the door of Papa Victor. (Saying Papa Victor is just a nice way of calling somebody old). 

   

  Papa Victor was prepared to receive the gospel. During our first visit he told us that he'd been watching missionaries pass near his house for months, but never actually had the courage to search them out. He said he felt like we had something important but he was a little hesitant about what he knew he was going to have to commit himself to. He told us that when he saw us walk into his yard he knew he needed to hear us out. 

 

      Because Papa Victor is retired and always home we were able to work with him multiple times a week. These past weeks have been some of the most testimony building moments of my mission.

 

      Papa Victor was one of the first converts for the new Branch of Calavi. It's been more than a rewarding experience to watch the light of the gospel enter into his life. It's people like him that make the mission worth it. It really is worth it. 

   
  I know that people, members of the church, and especially missionaries are far from perfect; but the gospel is. God knows what he's doing. 

     
I love you all! I want you to have the bestest of the best weeks ever! Happy happy happy birthdays to Cassidy and Camrie! Stop getting big!

   
 -Elder Gray

   
 P.s. Camrie; You can go ahead and drive Dad's car, but you can't drive Sheila until I teach you myself. Got it? :P

Blue Team Checking In

Hihi

We had a couple of appointments fall through and we found ourselves
with a couple of minutes to kill before we needed to go home. I was
able to read through some of the emails.

Things have quieted down and smoothed out with the companionship.

The whole Ebola thing really isn't all that big of a deal... don't
worry about it. The President has been keeping us up to date on it and
we've gotten "sanitary intstructions" from church security to follow.
It's pretty simple. Don't touch dead/dying people and wash your hands.

We're headed out right now, so I won't be able to see anything until
next Monday. Love you!

-Cheston (AKA. . . Elder Gray!)

**Since we haven't heard from Elder Gray since the 28th of July and then it was only the previous shown random pictures we were VERY excited to get this little tid bid of information the day after P-Day**

Random Pictures

 



Random Pictures Elder Gray sent on July 28th there were no descriptions just pictures, we waited for a couple of weeks hoping Elder Gray would send descriptions but he never did so I posted them with my own descriptions.

 

Elder Gray and his ever present tongue

Apparently Elder Hawkins has the same ever present tongue!

 Elder Gray and Someone?

 

Breakfast

 

Baptism...Notice that the font is outside and the amount of water in pretty low.  They usually have to haul water from a well to fill the font up.

 

Hey Family! (and Friends)

Hey Family! 

      Well. I've been fiddling with the settings and sizes of the photos for the past forever. Hopefully they all make it through safe and sound and big enough to actually see anything. A quick summary of the photos...

 

1. Members, recent converts, missionaries, and investigators gathered for a good ol' game of Football. 

2. We scored

3. The aftermath of the football game and the basketball activity the following Monday. Words could not describe the horror of my face as I realised I would be walking around on those skinned piggies.

4. Elder Lala went home this week, Elder Seidl replaced him.

5. Crazy Primary. It's been a very interesting experience so far. We've learned how to sing "I'm a Child of God" and "Choose the Right". So far so good.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyway. 

 

Things here are still going really well. My companion and I are still pounding things out and working hard. We ran into a slight hiccup with some of our progressing investigators, but thing'll work out. 

 

You guys are all awesome! Read your scriptures, say your prayers, do your best, the weasel runs at midnight, remember who you are and all that stuff. 

I love you all! 

-Elder Gray

 

The Team

 

SCORE!!!

 

**CAUTION! The next picture is N.A.S.T.Y! ! !***

 

Gross Toes after the games

 

Bye Bye Elder Lala

 

 

Primary children picture did not make it through cyber space....maybe next week

 

HELLO !

Dear Family, 

      Well things are still gong fantastically. This past week had a few appointments fall through but we were able to visit some members and recent converts. One of the families in our sector is in the District Presidency. He served a mission in the Ivory Coast and is sealed to his wife. The first of the month rolled around and his wife gave birth to the most adorable creature ever! Her name is Light.

      Other than that we try to keep ourselves busy and bump up potential investigators into progress. Our efforts were smiled upon and we had three investigators come to church yesterday, one of them has a baptismal date for the 26. We'll see how things go. 

      Uhhhhhh.... other things worth mentioning would be the Football (soccer) activities that we try to put together to build unity between the members and investigators and hopefully pick up some contacts. So far we've actually had quite a bit of success. Last Saturday we had a good 15 people there. I proudly wore my Argentina jersey in hopes of them taking the World Cup... but.... oh well. 

 

      Today we had a basketball/soccer gathering in Menontin and it was lots of fun. (I left my camera home which is why I wasn't able to send any pictures this week.) I am one very very very tired little missionary. 

 

     Anyways... I hope you all have the bestest of the best of weeks! 

-Elder Gray

7/7/2014 and 17 Months

Dear Family and Friends, 

      Things are going really really well here. Thanks for all the incredible emails and support! Last week the power went off around 11 o'clock and stayed off until late that night. It really puts a damper on P-days when I don't get to check up on y'all. 

 

      I'll try to give a quick summary of what all has gone down, how the sector is doing, and what the companionship is like. 

 

      I'll start off with the companionship. I'm working with Elder Rakotoarison. He's an awesome little dude who was trained by Elder Garza. He started his mission with Elder Bulunga and Elder Brou (other missionaries I've worked/lived with) last October. He's climbing up to celebrate his year mark soon. 

 

      The companionship rivals one of the best I've ever had on the mission. Things are fantastic. In the mornings we jump out of bed, slap on our world cup jerseys and plastic cleats, run over to the nearest patch of dirt and play some good old football. After a good warm up we jog back to the apartment, whip up some breakfast, shower, and are ready to go for personal study. When companionship study rolls around we start with a hymn or two and then plan out the day. We end with another hymn and a prayer and we're out the door. We talk to EVERYBODY. It's awesome. 

      We work in the "Calavi University" sector. It's kind of a deceiving name because we don't actually go out to the univeristy... yet. Our area is pretty villiage; mostly dirt roads and small brick houses. It's a relatively new sector so we land a lot of potential investigators by people just wanting to know what the big white guy is doing walking around Benin with a white shirt on in the blazing sun. 

      The branch is super new too. There are eight missionaries working to fill up our new branch. I also have the blessing (ha!) of being able to play the piano for sacrament meeting. I'm hoping my prayers of converting a piano player carry over from Gbegamey... I've gotten a little bit better, but I still have no idea what I'm doing. 

 

      Elder Merril (another American working with Elder Malowe in the other Calavi district) and I have been unofficially called as the nursery leaders too... THAT is something I wish y'all could see. They put two big white guys who can barely communicate with the grown up natives and expect us to teach a bunch of kids. However, with a little bit of patience, cookies, and a LOT of patience we can actually string together a half decent lesson. 

      So... yeah. That's just about that. Things are fantastic. The Gospel is true and the Priesthood power is restored. I love you allllllllllllllll oh so very very very much and hope you have the bestest of weeks!

-Elder Gray

 

Elder Gray eating Atcheke

 

Elder Rakotoarisan easting Atcheke

 

 Germany World Cup Soccer Uniform

 



Argentina and Brazil World Cup Soccer  Uniforms (He is looking  for the Netherlands so he will have a set of the finial four)

*He said he paid $4.00 for the uniform $5.00 with socks and $3.00  for the cleats... go figure

 

dddddddhhhhhhhh

(Elder Gray's caption not mine!)

Pictures ! !

June 23, 2014

Hey Everybody, 

 

      Well. Things have finally settled down. I got a call from the Assistants just a couple of minutes after sending last weeks letter. I was shipped up north to the "Calavi University" sector. I replaced Elder Brou and will now be working with my beloved new malagash companion Elder Rakotoarison. (Raw-co-toe-are-ee-son. Co=coconut. Ee=T'ee'th.) I'm living with Elder Lalahariniaina (A.k.a. Elder Lala - He's a frenchie with malagashian parents) and Elder Yamapia (yuh-ma-pee-a. He's congolese). 

 

Good luck with the names!

 

Our sector is relatively new, and our Branch is only a couple of weeks old. 

 

Also.... Pictures!!

 

I'm still getting the hang of things in the new sector, but things have definitely turned around for the better. We're working 100% and having a blast. 

 

Loves!

 

-Elder Gray

 

 

 

 Cleaning up the Church at Menontin

 Elder Garza and the Young Women in Menontin

 Elder Gray and Garza doing dishes in Menontin

 Elder Gray and the Youth from Menontin

 Calavi

 Elders Gray, Brou and Rakotoarisan

 Elder Gray and Elder Konduah

 Football Blister

 First time walking in grass in a year and a half !

 Four pounds of Chicken, Four Pounds of French Fries and probably Four Pounds of oil, salt, and ketchup....

Mashed Taters 'n Gravy

 

Mmmmmmmm......Yummmmy

 Baptisms in Calavi

Elder Gray, Stanicias, Prince, and Elder Rakotoarisan

 

Sister Weed, President Weed, Elder Rakotoarisan and Elder Gray

 

**Sorry about the size of these photos, Elder Gray was having a hard time in the Cyber and this was the only size he could get them to download.  I was just grateful to have pictures, of any size.