05-19-14

 More playa and the coble stone roads. :)

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More playa and the coble stone roads. :)

 This is classic..... Many uruguayans take a broken car, pull out the cars transmission and attach a box to it... then pull it around with a horse.   haha.  There are signs on many roads "Prohibited: Horse drawn carts!" haha...

 

Walking though a short cut... really just for fresh air. :)

 

The Uruguayans are short... walking in the street is easier than on the side walks because their trees are cut about the highth of my chest...

 Car for sale, can you see it? :)

 Advertisements BLARING in my ears!!!

I found the Rotary Club

Hey there family! :)

I was thinking a little about what dad asked me when we skyped, "If we went to Uruguay, what would be some of the big cultural shocks?"  SO this week, I looked for them!  When dad asked me I really couldn’t think of anything, because all the customs have become "Normal" to me.  That is what I have lived with for a year and a half... it is no longer normal to see a "For sale" sign on a car or motorcycle, because I haven’t seen one for a year and a half, here in Uruguay, instead of placing a sign on your car, they place a jug of water on top and park it where ever they want.  Every Uruguayan knows that when a car has a jug of water on top, that means it is for sale and you just knock (Clap) the door of the house in front of it.  Ha-ha.

There are SO many things that you would find weird about Uruguay, there is an "Almacen" every half a block, that’s where someone has taken their living room and turned it into a Mini-Market.  Where they sell the basics for the neighborhood, TP, Alfajores, Bread, Cleaning supplies, Sodas, etc.  The only time that I go to a legit Super Market is on pday when we go to stock up on stuff. :)  They also have SO many motorcycles here that almost nobody listens to the radio, so radio ads are basically pointless, so many businesses advertize by paying someone to attach a trailer to their car or moto and drive around everywhere with big stadium speakers on the back, playing their advertisements.  Things like that are now common to me and yet would be so foreign to you.  There are lots of things, like every house having bars on their windows, Everyone (Except missionaries) saying hello and goodbye with a kiss on the cheek, Everyone jay-walking because its easier and not enforced, The majority of their mailboxes are just a two liter cut in half and taped to a tree in front of the house or the fence, or the fact that there are SO many old cars here, all running on diesel and missing half their parts.  Ha-ha so many things to explain. :)

Yesterday was such an amazing day!  I was blown away at the guidance that I felt...  At three, we had a charla with a new investigator named Karina that we had found on Friday.  We set it up with a married member couple because karina knew them.  The charka went AMAZING and the members helped us in EVERY aspect that they could have.  They made Karina feel secure and important, asking questions and testifying so well.  We ended up inviting her to be baptized and she accepted!  We were so blessed.  After that charla, we went to one of our recent converts named Sandra.  That was a HUGE downer... We showed up and she wasn’t home, the only one home was her son eziquiel who was just watching over the house because his mom wasn’t home,  We started to talk to him and i noticed that he was REALLY different.  After talking a while, I asked him how he really felt and he broke down in tears as he told me that his mom (Sandra) had overdosed Saturday night and was currently in the hospital...  She almost KILLED herself.  She suffers from depression and just about abandoned her kids two weeks ago.  We helped him feel better and acted like the two big brothers that he needed at that time, along with teaching him about the gospel (He was baptized about 6 months ago) and finished with a prayer, after that, we went to a less active member that gave me some good news, she pulled out her tablet and showed me some photos of Elder wilson.  He was in the offices when I left, and he was married on Saturday!  It was so funny to see him kissing a girl and in normal clothes!  He is a lot like Travis roskie, haha, reminds me allot of him.  Buy it was great to see him doing well after the mission... it kind of sucker punched me in the gut too, because I thought "Man, he got hitched QUICK!" but the less active member reminded me that he left a whole YEAR ago!!!!  Way to make me feel old in the mission! Ha-ha.  After a short charla with her, we went to one of our old investigators Roxana.  She wasn’t baptized two weeks ago because she didn’t feel ready.  But yesterday, there was such an amazing spirit as we stood in her doorway and talked about baptism.  We helped her understand the fact that she REALLY HAD received an answer from God.  That she really could do it!  It was amazing to see the change on her face when we helped her see the big picture.  She will be baptized on the 14th of June.  :)  Super excited. :)

I love this work and I love the results that we are seeing.  

I love you all!

Love,

Elder Reay

 

05-12-14

So many mixed emotions yesterday!  I can´t believe that my last scype call has come and gone..........  It truly amazes me!  

It was wonderful to see you all again!  Grandma and grandpa are the only ones that still look the same as when i left!!! haha.  The rest of you are changing!  haha.  It was pretty funny to see grandma and her glass of Mountain Dew!  Man that will be one of the first purchases in the US: :) haha.  I can´t believe how things are changing and how time just keeps on moving... today i was thinking about how crazy it is that the mission is ONLY two years...  It truly amazes me.  I have learned so much in these past months that i can´t even believe that it has only been a year an d a half!  

I  Had a beautiful experience yesterday.  After the Skype call, elder Brown and i went to visit a recent convert that didn´t go to church that day, we had a good charla with her but it was pretty stressful because she didn´t want to go because of some drama ind she doesn´t like the relief society.  So by the time we left, elder Brown and i had kinda taken a beating trying to defend our little ward knowing that things AREN¨T really as they should be, but trusting that the Lord will help us fix things.  We left the charla and started talking with people in the streets, looking for new investigators.  We found a few but had some real tough contacts with some real rough people, trying to keep our heads up after a trying evening in our area, we returned home to gather our weekly inform sheets about how we did this week.  As we were going though our week, we saw just how trying our week had been. haha.  Just another sucker punch. :)  So elder Brown and i were not in the greatest condition after the calls... but after planning, i began to see an increase in my attitude and began to prepare my district meeting for tomorrow.   I received SO MUCH REVELATION as i sat there and prepared my lesson.  It was amazing.  To say the least. :) so, with a new burst of excitement and encouragement, i verified and then realized it was time for bed!  So i went into my room and found a very... very difficult situation.  My comp had had enough... He was curled up in a ball on his bed crying from the pressure of the day.  I took a few seconds to think about what i was going to do, then quickly got ready for bed.  I said my praye3rs, asking for guidance and then hopped in bed.  I then searched for guidance to know how to talk to my comp and help him in any way that i could.  It was AMAZING to witness the conversation unfold.  It was something so beautiful and full of love.  I layed in my  bed and listened to his feelings, giving him advice and telling him about learning experiences i have had in life.  I basically imagined what my dad would do if he were in my situation and if i was in the situation of elder Brown.  The entire time i was talking, I felt as if i had stepped into my father´s shoes and slipped into one of the many "Father-Son talks" on the way to a hunting area or something.  As i asked him questions and told him stories, i realized just how meaningful all those talks with my dad had been.  Not only did dad teach me the importance of taking a chance and being bold, he taught me HOW to TEACH it!  As elder Brown and i concluded the conversation, i told him, "I´ve never felt so much like my dad before..."  and he thanked me for the help.  I am so thankful for the many trial-some times my dad went though just to teach me a life long lesson though a daily trial i was going though.  I love the Gospel that i am preaching.  A Gospel that teaches change, that invites others to follow Christ.  We as members of the church have to remember that always.  We believe that through Christ´s atonement, we can change.  Don´t ever let yourself say, "Thats just the way i am"... Christ DIED so that you have the chance to change... don´t let His sacrifice go to waist.

I came up with a good quote last night and thought i´d share it with you.

"´Do one thing EVERYDAY that scares you.´ -Author unknown. Life is not meant to be lived beneath the Government of your won fears... Rather, Fear are God´s way of teaching you how to Govern your own life and Place your Confidence in HIM."

That is going to be a lot of what i talk about tomorrow in my district meeting.  :)=  Wish me luck!  Love you so much!!!

Love,

Elder Reay  

05-05-14

This is Eduardo, his grandma, and his sister!  What a great baptismal service that it was!  :) haha.  Can´t think of a better way to spend a week, planning and stressing over big baptisms!  :)

I can´t believe that The missionaries are no longer going to be living in grandma´s house!  Haha.  It is interesting to view it from my point of view having been the mission financier... looking for a new house, telling the president that the greatest house in the mission is now no longer available... haha.  don´t know if you understood that but oh well.  I always liked to tell my comps that the missionaries live in my grandma´s home, but from now on it will be stories int the "Past Tense" haha.  

There are so many Happy memories of back home.  haha and many of them came to mind as i rummaged through my PACKAGE!!! haha.  full of easter goodies and wonderful REAY love!  Almost all the goodies are already gone.... the states sure knows how to make things taist good. :)  puts all the Uruguayan foods to shame!  Funny to think that that was the kind of food i ate regularly before the mission.  

I am so stoked to hear that Chelsea is getting so close to "Flying the coop" haha.  I remember our christmas Skype when she showed me that she got a laptop for christmas and that she was going to be going to NAU!  Seems like just yesterday right??  Seriously... i don´t know where the time has gone... i suddenly realized i am the oldest financier in the mission now, where before it seemed like i was so young and new in the mission!!!  I loved the beginning of the mission when people would hear my spanish and ask how much time i had in the mission, i would proudly reply that i only had a few months and they would go CRAZY because my accent was good or because i looked like i had more time, but now i am just one of those other missionaries that is close to the end... haha.  i now have less time left than i have completed.  Super weird!  Is this what it feels like when a person gets old?? haha. :)

Things in the mission are so beautiful.  I wish you could just live the life i live as a missionary. :) haha.

Love,
Elder Reay

04-28-14

Mom!  Sorr... the sisters wrote me novels today and i loved every minute of them :)  haha.  Short on time for my mom, so next week i promise to read and write you first. ;) haha.  I am staying in Rocha as district leader, my new comp is named elder Brown.  He is from Arizona and he was in my last district as well as lived with me for two changes.  I hope that i can help him grow and hope that i can learn from him.  ;)  I was kinda bummed to find out that elder Alder is leaving... but it had to happen. haha.  He is going to Canelones.  Pretty hard to send a great comp off... but elder Abbott is staying as my Zone leader, so thats good news. :)

I loved all the photos you sent. man.  I love grandma´s house!!!  tHOSE pictures brought back so many memories.  I miss those family get to gethers so stinking much!  haha.  JJ made me pretty trunky when she gave me a detailed description of her first kill. ;) haha.  I miss hunting and i sure do miss spending time with my dad out in the woods.  Just hearing JJ´s take on the hunting experience filled me with love for my dad.  Dad, you do so darn well at giving every kid great father-child experiences.  I love it.

Love you all!

Love,

Elder Reay