Birthday

Video from Science Museum

Well. :) Got some wonderful "Spoiled Birthday" moments this week.  No Birthday packages, but they should be getting here soon.  :)

Hermana Hill showed me the email she sent you and what you replied back.  I am so thankful for the blessings I have out her in Uruguay.  My birthday was more than I had anticipated.  I had all the COOLEST elders and Hermanas sing to me, all the zone leaders and Hermana training leaders.  They all spoiled me all day long. President and Hermana Newsome were quite nice and made sure I knew I was loved, elder and Hermana Hill cooked up some amazing cake and a meal fit for a king!  I am glad that my birthday fell on a leader’s conf.  Everyone there was trying their best to make it the best day possible.  :) My comp woke everyone up five minutes early and woke me up singing, (I had told him that’s what you guys do, so he made it happen. ha-ha) Things just went smoothly all day, no problems with the conf or with finances.  I got an email from my family, Grandpa and Grandma Richard, Joni, Mashayla, and a CCM instructor named Hermana Melerio.  He was a great guy.  Love him to death!  He remembered to email me for my birthday!  Super capo.  

Answer to some questions, Yes, McDonalds tastes just as good here if not BETTER!  :) Ha-ha. not to mention that they have dulce de leche that makes Milk Shakes a bijillion times better. :)  The next transfer day is November 6th.  That is the day I will PROBABLY be leaving the offices.  I had a meeting with president yesterday and he informed me that there is a possibility that I will be asked to stay an extra change because there just isn’t anybody that sticks out in the mission as a replacement.  He ensured me that he wants me out in the mission field just as much as I do and that for now the plan is to have me roll out in November, but he wants me to know that there is the possibility that I will be here for an extra change. :) So it is what it is. :)  I am currently working with the South America South Head of Finances to balance our mission budget, lots of graphs and analysis that I have to do, but I am learning a FULL!!!  President and I are excited to sit down together and have a short lesson on "Opportunity Costs" so that I can not only use it here in the mission, but also in my work after the mission.  He wants to teach me as much as possible.  After all he did run a multi-BILLION dollar company before coming out to serve with us.  I am excited to learn from him and take advantage of this time.

I am learning quickly how to be a district leader, there is lots to do.  I am now not ONLY in charge of my own prociliting area, I am called to help out with the other two in my district.  I help them with their companion problems, investigator problems, and just all around help them be better missionaries.  It is amazing to see the progress in them from the changes we have put in place.

I can’t wait to see the pictures of the cabin and the fun time you spend with the Grams.  Send lots of pictures.  I have plenty of time to download them and look at them later.  I want to see EVERYONE and as always, the classic "After a long ride" pictures. :)  I hope you guys enjoy the cool air, the fun rides, the family time spent together, and the all around happy times that come from one of my favorite places on earth. :)  Weird to think that when I leave Uruguay, it will be BURNING hot here, and when I land, it will be FREEZING cold there. :) Ha-ha.

I wrote a poem in the CCM and finished it the other day:

"Upon my Knees"

His hands were pierced with cold hard steal,

His eyes saw souls that did not feel,

His bright, warm heart they could not dim,

My hands now washed and clean through Him.

His back was whipped and laid in mud,

His garments rent and smeared in blood.

That through his pain, my sins washed white,

So I might bear my burdens light.

His fists clinched tight as pain pulsed though,

The bitter cup Christ drank for you.

His pleading prayer reached high above,

Upon my knees, I show MY love.

I am hoping to improve it little bit by little bit.

Thank you so much for your prayers and all your missionary work you are doing back home.  Sweet family of mine.  We played basketball a bunch today.  I played SUPER good!  Loved it!  

Love you all!

Love Elder Reay

Piano

Logan is learning to play the piano on his mission.  Here is a video he sent.  The end of the song cuts off and has some sound issues but it is neat that he is learning a new language and music.

Letter Today:

Well, what a crazy p day. :)  We started off cleaning the house... (Suppppppepr messy) After which, we came over and played basketball, junior companions verses senior companions. :)  Feels great to get some good exercise in. 

Ok, so this week was pretty darn full!!!!  I’ll share some of the more spiritual parts first:

Last night we had one of our less active members call us (once again).  She calls us about once a week and just blames US for her inactiveness.  Missionaries before us would ALWAYS visit her and try and get her to church, but even with YEARS of missionaries passing by her house, she remained inactive.  So elder Powell and I have stopped visiting her and had more members pass by her house throughout the week and the weekly call from her.  Last night she was quite angry, mainly because she knew what she was doing was wrong and couldn’t stand hearing us testify so directly and powerfully, she is an interesting lady... But anyways, last night was my companions turn to answer the phone with her (Yes we take turns with her.)  As the conversation progressed, my companion COMPLETELY filled with the spirit and out right told her that the words leaving his mouth weren’t his, rather the Lord Jesus Christ’s.  She was taken aback and it finally seemed to "Click" in her head that Christ wants her to come back to church.  It is so amazing to me that God has truly called us here to be His servants, His voice of warning, and His utile tools.  

This week, we have found quite a few new investigators!  You must all be praying really hard for me!!! :)  Thank you all for helping us...  Today I have three baptismal interviews to do, SUPER crazy to me.  I am the DISTRICT LEADER and can’t believe it.  I gave my first District Meeting yesterday.  I talked allot about the importance of bringing the spirit more into our charkas.  I am so thankful for all the inspiration that God has blessed me with this last week.  I have learned so much from the bible this last week, I really wanted to find some good scriptures to share with my district out of the bible and man did God ever bless me with the references we all needed to hear.  My favorite is probably one of mom’s favorites as well. Matt 19:29  WHAT A SCRIPTURE!!!!  I can’t wait for conference tomorrow!  We will all be watching at the same time.  Yesterday we also had a great charla with Pablo, He is a recent convert as well as our ward mission leader.  He is super spiritual, but has a problem with Bi-Polar so he is sometimes down in the dumps.

Just finished my three interviews with the baptisms :)  So I only had a half hour to write.  Sorry.  :)  It was SUPER awesome and I can’t believe how ready these people are to get baptized.  The Dad was completely eaten before meeting the missionaries.  He didn’t believe in God at ALL!  He now is committed to living the gospel, paying tithing, and all the rest of the blessings we have in the gospel.

09-28-13

Well, one more change under my belt, ;)  This last change was quite a success.  Elder Powell and I are still working on getting out in the field more. :)  It amazes me that even though we aren’t able to leave and yet the Lord sees it fit to put people in our way and prepare them for the reception of the Gospel.  

One of the COOLEST experiences happened last night!!!! We were leaving the mission home around 7:15PM and we got a phone call from the Pugmires.  (Senior Couple) and they informed us that Elder Pugmire is going down hill quickly.  He had a horrible back spasm the other day and had to make a trip to the doctors.  The doctors gave him some meds and he accidental overdosed and was quite loopy when we showed up.  He could hardly remember my name.  When we walked in the door, he was sitting at the computer trying to remember his password to his email.  He is a temple worker here in Uruguay as well as a missionary.  My companion was the one to anoint and I was privileged to give the blessing.  Now the interesting part is the following:  I had to give the blessing in English... The last English blessing I gave was in my own living room right before leaving for my mission.  That was only the SECOND blessing I have given in English in my LIFE.  The rest of the blessings I have given have been in Spanish.  The power I felt during the Blessing was incredible.  To know that God was present during that blessing overpowers me.  I am so thankful that I hold the priesthood and that I are able to serve the Lord in such a FULL capacity.

I am so happy to have received a letter from Grandpa Connolly.  I believe that is the first card I have ever gotten from him.  The rest of the cards have been written my grandma and signed by grandpa. :)  It was so sweet to hear his stories and feel his love for me.  I wish I would have spent some more time talking with him and just picking his brain about the stories he has.  Here on the mission I have really learned the importance of talking and understanding where people come from.  I have gotten to know so many of the people here in Uruguay and been able to get to know them on such a personal level.  I wish I had a much closer relationship with all my grandparents. Grandpa Connolly especially.

Oh how I feel the separation as strong as I sat studying on the 27th reading the little insert Chelsea wrote in my quad.  It amazes me that I have been gone for so long!  10 Months is so stinking long!  Josh Stewart has been out for 18 months already!!!!!!  My twentieth birthday is sneaking up on us, as well as my one year mark.  November will be here before you know it and we all know what comes after that don’t we??  CHRISTMAS!  Time has moved so quickly!  I honestly can’t believe that 10 months have flown by so fast.  I am just overwhelmed that there is so little time in what seemed to be a long two years.  I started my mission what seems like yesterday.  After Six companions, 10 months, two areas, two mission presidents, and a whole lotta work, I am now looking at the fast approaching events to come with hesitation as I wish to stay where I am and work harder and stronger to accomplish more with each moment I have.  Two years is nothing compared to the life time of service I signed up to when I passed through that sacred Veil?  I am so thankful for the experiences I have had thus far and am ecstatic to see what God has in store for me.

I love you all.

Elder Reay