Merry Christmas Season!!!

Hey there freinds and family of Irma Sarah Ray! I recieved the weekly email today as well as a letter from here on Saturday - so, needlesstosay, I was a happy camper this weekend! Haha... She is doing really well and would, as always ask, love to hear from you - especially during this Christmas season. I know she will be missing home right around now, so any contact will bring her a lot of Christmas JOY! She's only got about three weeks left and then she will be off to Porto, Portugal to teach the people there. I am very excited for her!

Anyway, here is her weekly email - posted and ready for you to read right here, right now. :) In the words of Sister Ray, Merry Christmas season!!! - Ridiculouslygoodlooking

"November 28, 2008

Hi Family and Friends!!!! Merry Christmas Season!The lights here at the MTC are officially turned on and the nativity scenes are all over now. I know more than to hope it is that way at home since I'm not there to do it! I hope that your thanksgiving was grand and that everyone had some awesome opportunitites. Thanksgiving at the MTC was definitely a unique experience. It was my first thanksgiving that involved no football or pie. BUT, we did have the opportunity to do service. We worked with the Humanitarian projects from the church and put together 10,000 first aid kits to send to Cuba and Haiti. It was very similar to the kitchen kits we did. (Was that last year?- our stake actually made it into the humanitarian presentation for the Katrina stuff. The movie also talked about the wheelchair program which of course made me cry remembering my wonderful people from Ecuador.) It was pretty much the best Thanksgiving ever as far as not thinking about myself went. We also had a whole bunch of devotional speakers and spent most of our time doing that.

As for the top 5 of the week
1. Funny Portuguese moments courtesy of district 54-B: Elder Terry in recounting the first vision dropped an E out of a word so that along with a little bit of mispronunciation told the investigator that God the Father said to Joseph Smith " This is my Beloved Son, Egg" oops. We all had a pretty good laugh over that one. Of course- since i'm perfect, I don't make mistakes....okay so thats a lie, I just get to control what goes out from my email...so I don't share my embarrasing moments. I'm sure that I will have many more coming since I leave the MTC in 17 days.
2. My roommates gave me a Swedish name this week. Unfortunatly I can't type it because it has cool sweedish letters in it, and I don't know how to get them on the computer. Triste
3. Um, my companions all left me. I'm not sure that is a happy thing, but it took up a big part of the week. They are all in Portugal now...and there wasn't room in the suitcase for me. It was a cool site to send them off though to see the bus loads of missionaries headed off (at 4:30 am) to different places all over the world.
4. I got a new companion. Her name is Sister (yes, she is a sister- going to Brazil) Hunter from New Mexico. She is great, but watch I bet she gets her visa and leaves before I do!
5. Thanksgiving was great...I already mentioned that we had a great time, but I have been constantly reminded this week of how important it is to count your many blessings. Not only will it make you realize how wonderful life really is, it makes you more willing to help others. I would include a list of things i'm thankful for, but I don't get 10 hours on the computer- SO, to sum them all up. I am super thankful for my family and for the gospel in my life! And all of you great friends!
Have a fantasic week everyone and I Love all of you!!!!
By the way...I get travel plans this week- SCARY!

Irma Ray

P.S. I have gained so much more of a testimony this week that our Father in Heaven knows each and every one of us and what we need. I know that prayers are answered and that all we have to do to receive help is to ask. We are so blessed to have that opportunity. Don't take it for granted!"


The following is Sarah's contact information while in the MTC. She is scheduled to leave for Portugal on the 16th of December.

The best way to write Sarah, which is free and probably 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.
Again, this is free and is valid during her time at the MTC.

Her contact information for US mail (letters and all packages) is:
Sister Sarah Ray
MTC Mailvox
#157POR-PORT
12162005 N. 900 E.
Provo, Utah 84604-1793