Top Ten List!

Here is the new update on Irma Ray's life in the MTC! She sent me some pictures with my birthday package - So if anyone know how to scan those into here, let me know and I will post them. Hope that everything is going great with ya'll!!!

"November 7, 2008
Okay first order of business...HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRYAN ANDREW AND LINZE!!!!! For some reason I thought the 6th was today until yesterday and then I realized that I wouldn't get an email out before it came and went! muito triste. So, moral of the story is I'm a slacker of a friend/sister and I'm totally bummed out about it.
Item of business #2... life at the MTC is much the same as usual. This week was fun because we have 3 more sister joining the Portuguese Team...pretty much we are going to destroy the Italians, with whom we have a bit of a war going on. The four square courts will never be the same. The wonderful thing about having gym at 6:30 in the morning two days a week is that everyone is too tired to do much more. Now, I know you are all thinking...4 square?!?! I haven't played 4 square since I was about 8. Well, the MTC has taken it to a new level- We have some pretty intense four-square games. The rivalry includes special shoes and everything.
Anyway, the new sisters seem really nice, but since they have only been here for two days we don't really know them yet. It seems hard to believe that it is already time for the new districts to come in. That means the next district to leave is Irma Earley's which puts me without a companion. I guess we will see how that goes. They get their flight plans next week- which is very strange.
The other exciting thing that happened this week is we had our first real snow. That doesn't really affect us since every where we are walking is covered, but it was fun to watch out of our window. Our district won the lottery apparently because we have a great view out of our window of Timp and the temple. YAY! We will probably need it soon considering that we are down to less than a week before everything we do is in Portuguese. SCARY!!! I guess that is what I get for being half way to Portugal. We have been doing our best to prepare- so we play a bunch of games to review vocab and conjugations. Of course, then the Elders decided that I had to play left handed to race in writing on the board...totally picking on the girl. Not nice.
Item of business #3... This week's Top 10 list of moments that made me happy :)
10. Receiving a letter addressed to "the lone woman in the wilderness of the MTC"...Thank you Peachtree Corners Ward Relief Society!
9. The letter from Brother Drake's class with one being signed " I don't know you, but good luck on your mission"
8. Sister Couch recommended a fly swatter to keep the district in line....I'm seriously considering it!
7. Sister Beck was our speaker this week, and it was a really good talk
6. Instead of doing phone calls at the referral center, my district does chats every Wednesday morning. If you get on the mormon.org site you can ask questions on live chat...well those chats come to the missionaries here at the MTC. I had a very interesting experience talking to a woman who's boyfriend has been convicted of murder. She thinks that prayers aren't being answered or he isn't sincere because he is praying to be let out of jail. That was fun.
5. Elder Zabriskie and I wrote a song for a mission wide musical number. He wrote the music, I wrote the words. I'll let you know how it turns out.
4. PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED!!!! I have so many experiences I could share, but they are all summed up in that sentence. I am so thankful that we have a Heavenly Father who knows each of us individually and takes the time to give us exactly what we need. I was fasting for something in particular this week, and I hadn't even made it back to my residence after the Sunday fireside before exactly what I needed came my way.
3. I was chastized for attempting to take my own tray in the cafeteria...go figure. I was told that I had to learn how to use the Elders to their full capacity.
2. TEMPLE VISITS!!! I love going to the temple every week. There is such a fantasitic feeling associated with being there. I also see someone I know every time so that is kinda fun!
1. So, this isn't exactly inspiring, but I totally locked myself in the bathroom stall. Since I am a solo sister the Elders were waiting for me outside and I could not for the life of me get the door unlocked!!!! I was about to lay down and squeeze under the door in my nylons and skirt, but luckily after a about a minute and a half I was able to force it open. The good thing is since the MTC is the opposite of reality, I got out before the elders did!
Portuguese phrase of the week: pelo amor : for the love...it has become a favorite in our district!
Anyway, I love you and I really appreciate your support!! Tell Bev Jones thank you for her continued letters, and I always love to hear from you. Also thank you to Rachel and Grandma for their letters, I am going to respond as soon as I can!!!

Love always,
Irma Ray"

CONTACT INFO:

Sister Sarah Ray
MTC Mailvox #157
POR-PORT 1216
2005 N. 900 E.
Provo, Utah 84604-1793

An alternative way, which is free and the easiest (letters only) is:
1) On the internet go to dearelder.com
2) There is a drop down box on the right hand side down just a couple inches. Enter her mission which is Provo-MTC and then click "write a letter" just below where you select the mission.
3) On the next screen enter your return address and Sister Sarah Ray in the address line, add your email in the email box below the envelope.
4) Write your letter in the text box and then hit the "send letter" box under the text box to send it on.