tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73284948495699306052024-03-05T13:40:09.133-05:00Ray Out There" Do not try to be anything but what you are, and to be that perfectly"
~ Sir Francis de SalesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-61617197779586478942010-11-23T12:18:00.003-05:002010-11-23T13:21:52.253-05:00Being HappyI have the secret! Okay, no secret. You caught me. However, I have had some personal insight lately. I have actually been meaning to write this post for a couple of weeks now, but I haven't gotten the chance (or motivation). So, even though I already posted once today, I will put this one up as well. They just didn't go together... I am actually going to be somewhat serious in this post. I have been thinking quite a bit lately about what exactly happiness means. As many before me have already concluded, there is not right answer, secret recipe or magic potion to create happiness. It is a choice, a choice that has to be made over and over again, often minute by minute. Now this is not to say that if you are not happy 100% of the time, you are failing and it is your own fault. Life is hard, and sometimes that choice to be happy is a very difficult one. There are many factors that play into our lives, and I am in no way an expert, nor do I pretend to be able to comment on them. However, in various conversations and experiences over the past couple weeks I have come to the conclusion that there are two large factors that we CAN control that contribute to happiness!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.</span> Faith. I know, hard right. It is hard to have faith, hope and patience when trials seem to stretch on forever and have no end. It is hard to have faith when the future is scary. It is hard to have faith when there is uncertainty. However, the knowledge that our Heavenly Father has a plan for us is comforting. Sometimes I wish he would give me a bit more of a sneak peak, but even knowing that there is a plan is helpful when it is hard to see my own plan. I just need to have a little more trust, and chose to know that it is all going to work out better than I could ever plan. To borrow a line from Bishop Edgley "Choose faith over doubt, choose faith over fear, choose faith over the unknown and the unseen, and choose faith over pessimism." It is a choice. I chose to be happy and have faith.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2</span>. In keeping with the current season, the second secret is gratitude. Being grateful really does make a difference. We were talking about happiness in one of the group therapy sessions that I was in at clinicals. I wish I could remember who had written the article (a non-LDS affiliated article by the way) but he made an interesting point. The article said that no grateful person is unhappy and all happy people are grateful. This really struck me, and I realized exactly how true it is. When we take time to realize just how blessed we really are, the problems don't seem so big. Life really is Beautiful :) Who knew the song "Count your blessings" was right!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13015560050554864319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-56819333046325513882010-11-23T11:22:00.004-05:002010-11-23T11:45:35.042-05:00Random Thoughts<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Thought #1</span>: I have decided all entertainment actually has some basis in fact. During clinicals this past week we started classifying people's lives as to where they fit. I have known people who literally have lives like soap operas. This is a bit sad, but true. The majority of my friends seem to have lives like Disney movies (at their own admittance). I however, have a life like a sitcom. All of the hilarious coincidences, random happenings, and very funny awkward situations actually happen in my life. Now I know you are thinking, there is no way some of those things could ever happen in real life, it is just too much like the perfect storm. Nevertheless, that is my life. It is pretty funny. At least I always have good stories!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought #2</span>: Going along with thought #1, I have also decided that I am insane. Now before you laugh that off or decide that you already knew that, hear me out. Everyone uses the definition of insanity as doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. I had an epiphany yesterday as I decided that is exactly describes dating. Now for the disclaimer, I am not against dating, I actually enjoy dating most of the time. It was just a funny though that I wanted to share... I personally seem to do the same thing over and over again with people that I am interested in, and always seem to come up with the same result....Insanity :) Now I actually have proof that I'm going just a little bit crazy!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought #3:</span> Why do people who go to the gym worry about parking as close as possible. Aren't you there to exercise? So does it really matter if you have to walk an extra 20 feet? Doesn't seem to make sense to me. Oh well, the world is a funny place. Good thing we all can laugh!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13015560050554864319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-72361375569481342632010-10-21T13:58:00.002-04:002010-10-21T14:02:55.577-04:00Multi-TaskingEveryone says that girls are great at multi-tasking. I would agree with that. However, I have found that my multi-tasking has a limit. Yesterday I was attempting to do an assignment while curling my hair. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">For</span> those of you who have never curled your hair, it can be a dangerous practice waving that curling iron around. While in the process, I received a phone call from a friend whom I hadn't spoken to in a long time. So of course, I took the call. Well, to all of you who doubt that I could curl my hair, do my homework, and talk on the phone at the same time, you are wrong. I was successful. However, my attention was slightly distracted to everything else. So I grabbed my hairspray to make sure that the curls would stay and sprayed it on. Right about then I looked in the mirror and realized I had a problem. My hair was all of a sudden covered in white foamy stuff. After a second of confusion I looked in my hand and realized the bottle I had grabbed from underneath my counter was not the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">intended</span> hair spray, but instead the scrubbing bubbles bathroom cleaner. Oops. Needless to say I had to start all over on my hair, and cut down the tasks I am doing at the same time. Slowly but surely I am losing my mind :)Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13015560050554864319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-19086837063826755792010-10-11T18:23:00.008-04:002010-10-26T17:41:43.551-04:00Good Times!I LOVE FALL! The crispness to the air that comes as it starts to cool down, the fresh feeling all around, and especially college football! It is one of my very favorite times in Utah. Although it only lasts for a very short time, I love watching the colors creep down the mountains. The steady march from Green, to yellow and red to brown is really quite stunning. Then they fall to the earth, and we get to have the fun of stepping on the crunchy leaves.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhALhTQn5hpb7vj_GSVNwNZZzirBHwaDaJMyCQ_T_4A_XlYLtDQNpf6-Hi61o6XnigvsOWG2DFWsC1o34j4eFgtbfhDnOP-KFXBtSuCj54YLHvDqTd8c28LLOInTebiOo3sxt4k_iXxunxH/s1600/DSCN7924.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhALhTQn5hpb7vj_GSVNwNZZzirBHwaDaJMyCQ_T_4A_XlYLtDQNpf6-Hi61o6XnigvsOWG2DFWsC1o34j4eFgtbfhDnOP-KFXBtSuCj54YLHvDqTd8c28LLOInTebiOo3sxt4k_iXxunxH/s320/DSCN7924.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526923229587522402" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcmSpCC4rAPndQCkKoXneAsyL9jSJH1VJaN7IegQAou3jnIwhqc5OV8YTii7aVE3T4JJ9f7BbKkXjlYKH3hVt4mNN1otLfBe-3PfnoCgCFsI6p5Jq4ex13KZprPBMk6ztMvKvbbibcgmU/s1600/DSCN7916.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcmSpCC4rAPndQCkKoXneAsyL9jSJH1VJaN7IegQAou3jnIwhqc5OV8YTii7aVE3T4JJ9f7BbKkXjlYKH3hVt4mNN1otLfBe-3PfnoCgCFsI6p5Jq4ex13KZprPBMk6ztMvKvbbibcgmU/s320/DSCN7916.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526924814329694242" border="0" /></a><br />It reminds one that life is cyclic...that things are always changing, but that the change is not necessarily bad. It is interesting as well to think that something so beautiful comes from the leaves dying. Normally people think of death as a bad thing. With leaves, it is a necessary thing...that might be a challenge to the tree. However, there is always a Spring that follows the fall (after a crazy cold period of time known as Winter...) and everything comes to life again. Kinda like real life...sometimes we have challenges that seem fatal, but we can always find the beauty during that time, and eventually that passes, life goes on, and flowers come again.<br /><br /><br />So enough for my pondering thoughts at the moment.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoESvy07CxVXV31IctaBIIOz3YwPpsxz2LTme0lxGTMbRBWeE4orSwDUVQUIczRih4Fhrmxs6Xbp4L60tDexqKTDscdumUaFZTdt7bDono4mVpLVl4WvNYQ5Cv8lWpBL5B-pjClyuGbj6/s1600/DSCN7923.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoESvy07CxVXV31IctaBIIOz3YwPpsxz2LTme0lxGTMbRBWeE4orSwDUVQUIczRih4Fhrmxs6Xbp4L60tDexqKTDscdumUaFZTdt7bDono4mVpLVl4WvNYQ5Cv8lWpBL5B-pjClyuGbj6/s320/DSCN7923.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526923937418584434" border="0" /></a><br />I went hiking up Logan Canyon and here are some of the pretty pictures! I wish I had a better camera...but at least you get a bit of a feel for how it looked. I was surprised at how pretty the whole canyon was. I had never been there before, but I hope to make it back!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13015560050554864319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-12509811640746342402010-08-23T23:02:00.002-04:002010-08-24T00:20:09.661-04:00Beginnings and Endings"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."<br /><br />A true, and bittersweet statement as I am once again experiencing.<br /><br />Change is a constant in life. If we never moved forward none of us would ever have made it to elementary school, to middle school, moved on to high school, college, or a job. Without change, we would all miss out on a whole lot of good things. Even with that knowledge, change is sometimes hard.<br /><br />As my family begins to move to Utah I have been surprised at how sad I am about the move. I have been away from Georgia for 6 years but it is still home to me! We have been here for the past 20 years and I have lived in this house since 2nd grade. The memories that live in this house would take forever to mention. Countless Christmases, birthdays, parties, my first date-boyfriend-and subsequent break up, leaving for college, my mission call, late night conversations with my brothers, and a million other fleeting moments that will linger here unknown by the next owners of this house.<br /><br />The Peachtree Corners Ward knew me as a Sunbeam, and Young Woman and a member of the Relief Society. I understand a bit of what some people must feel about me when I see the kids I used to babysit going off to college...<br /><br />So now as I am looking at goodbye it doesn't actually feel real. A large part of me feels as if I am just going off to school the same as every other semester and I'll be back for Christmas. Although it won't be Christmas, I will be back eventually.<br /><br />It is sad to say goodbye, but on the other hand, there is a door open for new opportunities. I am excited to see what is around this bend in the road...Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13015560050554864319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-26210548643179738582010-08-15T21:32:00.003-04:002010-08-15T21:58:16.375-04:0032 monthsIt has been 32 months since my family has all been in the same room....<br /><br />I am happy to say that this Friday that was changed! I came home from efy in California on Saturdsay (well really Sunday morning), Andrew returned from his mission in Las Vegas West on Tuesday, Dad and Bryan came in from Utah on Friday. So as of about 1am on Saturday, we were once again gathered around the island in our kitchen. It was so much fun!!! I had forgotten how funny my brothers are, especially when they get around each other.<br /><br />I am so thankful for family! Especially mine. I feel so blessed that I have them, and convinced that I have the best family in the entire world. Thanks guys!!!!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13015560050554864319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-70633738064228307392010-08-09T21:43:00.003-04:002010-08-09T22:48:16.439-04:00Making Up<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxf09wn3G0ZzrdJ2CybP0FtJeKX8itbzsst8uXicsvTYONyirbWh6WyCTbl3ytUjbDW4oaK4wpo4QjZ521kJzJCzsU2G_ktl0_ETlL8tEFBbbT_4Ky_cuHyEiVIhBlfBQ0aagAGPaqWPp/s1600/DSCN7578.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxf09wn3G0ZzrdJ2CybP0FtJeKX8itbzsst8uXicsvTYONyirbWh6WyCTbl3ytUjbDW4oaK4wpo4QjZ521kJzJCzsU2G_ktl0_ETlL8tEFBbbT_4Ky_cuHyEiVIhBlfBQ0aagAGPaqWPp/s320/DSCN7578.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503603131274740370" border="0" /></a>So I have been duly chastised for my lack of blogging in the recent months. I apologize to all those avid readers... the two that I have :)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In keeping with the theme...I will chronicle my summer adventures. I was once again working with the efy program as a health counselor. I was assigned to the California team. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBz4fch6fQF5dxU1-ubd6vJsbuJ7LyH4Ebhrf9bYWnF55GYK-piaArAIBRYplY_ruaS1KpSeQqobUnhoExvey1_lPl4_-5ek5vNvM8WYclospE3iad8blRO3051wPT8-yEYoWC2w3GB3A/s1600/DSCN7705.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 157px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBz4fch6fQF5dxU1-ubd6vJsbuJ7LyH4Ebhrf9bYWnF55GYK-piaArAIBRYplY_ruaS1KpSeQqobUnhoExvey1_lPl4_-5ek5vNvM8WYclospE3iad8blRO3051wPT8-yEYoWC2w3GB3A/s320/DSCN7705.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503603145089086242" border="0" /></a>As a result I also HAD to go to Hawaii, part of which we just had to hang out waiting for our next session to start. As I have been told that a picture is worth a thousand words....I will post pictures. My camera speaks better than I do!<br /><br /><br />However, it was a fantastic trip. We were able to stay after for a couple days and we rented a little house across the street from the Hukilau beach. It was gorgeous weather, and the perfect break in the middle of the efy press for the summer. We were so lucky to be there.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCvk0cKFkw9HBH_3T68_OzU-VbdxMTbLrQ8jyy8CLQrs3G2bHwHS3fd9WGrNnlpWVusXt-ODJ_I585RDa0U59ivOj1gNnfnKSknXb9SCHIyoIrStO8ql-_9GPx8dsJJCPLmJWtVpNmNTg/s1600/DSCN7613.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCvk0cKFkw9HBH_3T68_OzU-VbdxMTbLrQ8jyy8CLQrs3G2bHwHS3fd9WGrNnlpWVusXt-ODJ_I585RDa0U59ivOj1gNnfnKSknXb9SCHIyoIrStO8ql-_9GPx8dsJJCPLmJWtVpNmNTg/s320/DSCN7613.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503603124970996306" border="0" /></a> I have decided that it is a far better option to go to BYU Hawaii during the winter months. Too bad there is no nursing program.<br /><br />Now in an effort to keep this from being overwhelming and boring, I am done. However, I will keep my eye out for the funny stories since i have no more big trips. Hopefully the next post will be more entertaining, but at least I have started again!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13015560050554864319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-46768818795805696852010-03-23T12:36:00.001-04:002010-03-25T07:36:35.489-04:00Irma Sarah Ray's Last Mission Post!Well, perhaps she'll make a POST-mission post (I'm sure she'll make many of them actually), but this is the last one I will be making for her and while she is ON her mission. I am SO thankful for her constant example and uplifting (and often hilarious) stories she took the time to share. All I know is she has shown us all, including our Heavenly Father that she will Return With Honor. She has blessed SO many lives there and back at home.<br /><br />I am also SO thankful for all of you who took time to read about and take interest in her mission, and that wrote and supported her. From one heart to another (as cheesy as that sounds), thank you so much - or danke! Y'all really made and contributed to her mission and the success she had out there. I'm sure she feels the same.<br /><br />Now, enjoy her last post and get STOKED (I know I am!) to talk with her again face-to-face/via phone or internet again! Thanks again for the support you gave my best friend, and this is me signing off...<br />- Ridiculouslygoodlooking<br /><br /><div id=":g" class="ii gt"><div>"Editor Note (Sarah's Dad): Well it has been fun and quite the memorable journey for Irma Sarah and all of us. As she says all good things come to an end and this is the last "News from Portugal". It has been a wonderful experience to share with each of you the experiences that Sarah has been having serving the people of Portugal. Thank you so much for your love, support and kindness that you have shown Sarah. I hope you have enjoyed the journey as well. </div> <div> </div> <div><br />From Sister (Irma) Sarah Ray</div> <div>March 22, 2010<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div> <div>Well, unfortunately eventually all things come to an end. So bummer for all of you, there will be no more incredibly entertaining, spiritually inspiring, (junk taking up space in your inbox) editions of the Chronicles of Portugal. Sad day, I know you will all be feeling the lack very deeply. As a result I will try and make up for that at this moment:</div> <div> </div> <div>Besides the fact that my companion has been singing "you say goodbye and I say hello" to me nonstop for the past week, we have managed to get quite a lot of work done. We found two new investigators that are super solid and Carla started answering her phone again. WOOHOO. She is back on track to be baptized and even agreed to get out a calendar and mark two visits with per week all the way until <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">April 17th</span> aka, baptism day. We are super pumped. We were pretty worried that she wouldn´t show up for our appointment because it was raining. (we have to teach her in the church because even though she is 35 she still lives with Mom and Mom doesn´t like the missionaries.) Of course Irmã Ebeling I and do not understand why a little thing like rain could stop anyone...especially seeing as how we had forgotten our umbrellas that day and were at that point, completely soaked head to toe. So we did a lot of praying all day that the rain would stop, and that we could teach her. As a result two miracles happened.<br /><br /></div> <div>1. A member took pity on us, gave us new clothes to change into, umbrellas and cookies. Life doesn´t get any better.<br /><br /></div> <div>2. Carla showed up! Even though it was raining, and was even invited to Church by the <span>Relief Society president</span> who happened to be in the chapel setting up for the RS birthday party!</div> <div> </div> <div>It is amazing the way that <span>Heavenly Father works</span> through all of his children to answer prayers. I am continually amazed at the love that he has for us, that I am only starting to comprehend. I am so thankful for the opportunity I have had to concentrate, to serve, and to live the gospel in every aspect of my life. The church is true and our <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Heavenly Father</span> loves us more than we can comprehend. We just need to trust in him and everything will always work out....even the impossible</div> <div> </div> <div>Just to go out with a laugh.....</div> <div> </div> <div>So just in case you were worried that we had found normal people, I will introduce you to someone that I will sorely miss here on the Island.<br /><br /></div> <div>Ascenção. She used to be a nun. She is the third person who was baptized on the island and is in some unknown (but very debated and gossiped about) way very very rich. Of course she is also crazy (just like everyone else on Madeira). She has Alzheirmers and as a result some times resorts to thinking she is going to marry Jesus even though she has been married in the temple. She also has this complex that her whole family is trying to kill her to steal her money. She is convinced that her nephew has broken into her house to steal the bottom half of her dentures. So she shocked the whole ward in that she showed up for testimony meeting a while ago in her temple clothes. She was convinced that God had told her she was going to die that day and she wanted to be prepared. We have to go visit her about once a week just to make sure that she hasn´t lost her keys again and gotten locked in her apartment (yes this has ~happened before.....we got to try and talk to her through the door and tell her to call the firemen). Basically she is hilarious and she is also the source of our plague of fleas. However, as a result of this story I am proud to announce that after a week and a half of a hard battle, the sisters have come out victorious in our battle, and our apartment is bischu free. </div> <div> </div> <div>Well, time is up, so sadly this is the end. All who have had the best intentions of writing me but never actually mailed those letters... all future correspondence can be directed to <a href="mailto:ray.sarahl@gmail.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span>ray.sarahl@gmail.com</span></a>, or </div> <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);"> <div>4343 Whittington Way</div> <div>Norcross GA 30092</div></span> <div> </div> <div>LOVE YOU ALL and thank you so much for the continued support.</div> <div> </div> <div>The soon to be former, </div> <div> </div> <div>Irmã Ray<br /><br />Sidenote: Sarah, you will ALWAYS be "Irma Ray" in many hearts - love you bestie... :)<br /><br /><br /></div></div> </div>Linze Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582872576098960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-9423413801896878102010-03-22T12:30:00.003-04:002010-03-22T12:35:51.634-04:00The last month in Portugal!Here's another updated from our beloved Irma Ray! It took me awhile to post as I was in Switzerland last week, so I apologize. Enjoy!<br />- Ridiculouslygoodlooking<br /><br />P.S. THERE ARE PICTURES BELOW!!! :)<br /><br />"March 1, 2010<br /><br />Hey hey...<br /><br />Just to let you know.....in case you were following the weather here, we are fine and we are staying in areas away from our apartments because the weather is predicted to be bad again. We are safe and happy, just frustrated because we can´t do any work.....we are being held prisoners by our members who are taking care of us.... I got to clean up a lot of mud. We actually helped clean out the Funchal theater that had become completely covered in mud. I felt a little crazy spraying a huge hose inside of a theater, but in the end it looked really good. We were pretty proud of ourselves. We also organized a food and clothing drive to help the hundreds of people who have been left homeless over the past week. It was quite the interesting experience, because we really had the chance to see the good in everyone. It is amazing to see the people all come together and to see people who don´t have anything giving to the people who have even less. It has also made me realize even more what is really important in life....like family! I am now a firm believer in <span>food storage</span>. I always was, but now I have other reasons!<br /><br />I wish i had some cool missionary story to tell you, but since we have just been cleaning that is about it. GO figure. We did get some pretty good public relations though as everyone seemed to know us by the end of the week. We even had quite a few people in church this week. Of course half of them happened to be English, so I had the opportunity to translate all the meetings and realize just how bad my English really is now. Uh oh.<br /><br />Well love you lots!!!<br />Irmã Ray<br /><br />March 8, 2010<br /><br /><div>Well, we have officially transferred over to missionary work again. I am pretty glad because I feel like someone is trying to steal my days and the harder I hold on the faster they fall through my fingers. It was a little tough with the transition because the <span>public transportation</span> still is not working, but it was good. We actually had the opportunity to find a bunch of new people, so we are excited. Also we managed to mark Carla for baptism. Unfortunately it will not be until after I leave, but that is okay. </div> <div> </div><div>We had a weird week because President and Irmã Walton were here, but while they were here they received the news that their son-in-law had passed away from cancer. So Irmã Walton is once again in the states for two weeks. It just seems like they are being hit from every side. Last transfer it was Presidents Mom who passed away. That on top of all of the craziness on the Island has really been hitting home how fast things can change and how much harder they are becoming. Signs of the times right.....luckily we are able to help a lot of people still. People are a little more open, it seems that almost everyone knew someone who lost a house, a life, who knows what in the flood. Really makes you want to be a better person always.<br /><br /></div><div> <div> </div> </div> <div>Love you!!</div> <div> </div> <div>Irmã Ray</div><br />March 15, 2010<br /><br /><div>Well, this week was quite the adventure. It started off when we were able to diagnose the problem with our apartment. My companion has a fondness for all animals that also happen to be found in the street. I have put an abrupt end to this as our apartment is now infested with FLEAS. Yes, that is right. I made it all the way to the last week of my mission without getting fleas (of which I was very proud because it is common here), but apparently, there was no way to avoid it completely. <span>Tragic story</span> that has led to an arsenal of bug sprays and a psychotic amount of cleaning. However, I think we are starting to see a retreat in the polginhos and I hope that we have managed to evict them soon.<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>Speaking of cleaning, we have once again put on the jeans and t-shirts and made it into the trenches of the floods. We spent an entire day shoveling mud out of a members house, following which we adapted the Portuguese cleaning method and just pulled the hose inside and sprayed everything down. Luckily everything is <span>Portugal</span> is made of tile, so that is common. You just pull up all the space rugs and put about 3 inches of water on the floor and the sweep (yes, with a broom) all the water out into the street. At this point, you start all over again. After about 3 hours of squirting and sweeping we managed to discover the original floor of the house! MIRACLES!<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>So, what made the cleaning even more interesting is the family we are helping. Alberto (dad) used to be a professional pianist playing in the huge resorts here on the Island. The funny thing is that he is also the ward pianist. He like to take creative license as well, therefore turning every hymn into something that you would be more likely to hear on an elevator. This confuses many of the members, leading to a very out of tune congregation and a very angry chorister. (Augustino, who vaguely resembles a cross between a dwarf and a umpa-lompa, who then starts snapping his fingers at Alberto and will randomly stop the congregation and make him start over again). Not one to let people be confused by the piano playing, his wife( Adelide) has taken it as her duty to lead everyone in singing....outdone in volume and pitch problems only by her son. The entire family is a bit ...okay, completely crazy and really just makes us laugh the whole time. We had used a mop on the upstairs of their house to dry the floor, so while we were spraying out the downstairs Alberto thought it would be a good idea to use it again. As he said " how about we use that thing that does this (as he waves his arms back and forth as if he had a mop)." I. Ebeling and I could hardly contain our laughter. We figured his house hadn´t been cleaned in about 10 years, so the flood was probably the best thing that ever happened to them. Alberto was so excited to be cleaning we just couldn´t help but laugh. Sometimes the missionary life is just to crazy to be real. I think I have walked in on some crazy movie that just doesn´t make sense. I LOVE IT. </div> <div> </div> <div>Anyway, aside from the crazies (of which there are many more here in Funchal-character sketches in the future) we managed to find some new people, teach some old ones and help too menos activos come back to church. It was a great week and this one will be even better. LOVE YOU ALL<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>Irmã Ray<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> PS Today we climbed Pico Ruivo-the highest peak on Madeira....pictures attached."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rYWEp_oYh8clYeqSNf8EUkGHXsyxwfbQC7wUYFFjvdJNHykEoU35FR9wlRU-KvFFfYsp82I56x7k9HobPvFTR5uiiNlLyUY_fuQAIR0RC2OmEAGZ3iduUbXwX81WZCKJSEe2hoz99MI/s1600-h/Sarah&Comp.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rYWEp_oYh8clYeqSNf8EUkGHXsyxwfbQC7wUYFFjvdJNHykEoU35FR9wlRU-KvFFfYsp82I56x7k9HobPvFTR5uiiNlLyUY_fuQAIR0RC2OmEAGZ3iduUbXwX81WZCKJSEe2hoz99MI/s400/Sarah&Comp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451497520028845298" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjc1DnQeiwkGXmaE6GvZCNgIu956KpatcLvMUKTOCIuxzW04-RI5HpG8gVv2TBb69TH59cx9ALrhMZbIdcjuUaVXzHzOIMvs5yuKSFccTH6nDLeFu3cpvIiJ_VsId2gXVl5xihsiIFxnw/s1600-h/Sarah+Over+the+Mys.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjc1DnQeiwkGXmaE6GvZCNgIu956KpatcLvMUKTOCIuxzW04-RI5HpG8gVv2TBb69TH59cx9ALrhMZbIdcjuUaVXzHzOIMvs5yuKSFccTH6nDLeFu3cpvIiJ_VsId2gXVl5xihsiIFxnw/s400/Sarah+Over+the+Mys.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451497510238028210" border="0" /></a>No address for Sarah will be posted as it is now too late to write anymore - I hope y'all made time to do it before!Linze Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582872576098960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-20797538314746784492010-02-22T16:41:00.003-05:002010-02-22T16:47:36.987-05:00Floods & Mudslides!<div>Okay - So, Sarah is fine! I know that some of you might have been worried about her if you had heard about all the flooding in Portugal, but she's okay. STILL, keep her in your prayers please as she pulls through (ands helpls thousands there pull through) this last month of her mission. I know she is working hard and really loves those people - they're blessed to have her there in this time of crisis. I also encourage anyone who would like to join me in a fast for Sarah to do so this Sunday. I know it's not fast Sunday quite yet, but I'm going to fast for her and the people of Madeira. Thanks to all for showing her the love, and her most recent update!<br />- Ridiculouslygoodlooking<br /><br />Editor Note from Sarah's Dad: Sarah is safe, as well as all the missionaries in Madeira. Thank you all who have reached out and shown concern. We got a call early yesterday morning from the Mission President. He said that the main video footage you have been seeing on the news is the street that Sarah is on. You can see her door, if you knew where to look. Check out the following <object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hlWAoxnwuFM&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hlWAoxnwuFM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />Sarah's street is at 1:12 into the video.</div><br /><div>"February 22, 2010</div> <div> </div> <div>Don´t worry, I am fine. All of the missionaries on the Island are fine. President said that he already talked to you today, but we should email anyway because as of now we are at a members house and have internet, which we probably won´t have tomorrow. So here is the deal, from what we understand there is a whole lot of things showing on the news, and it looks super bad. Madeira has been hit by a series of super heavy storms that it was not prepared for. As a result all of the drainoff Ribeiras have overflowed, and flooded a large part of the city, as well as taking out a whole lot of houses in the poorer regions. We also happen to be on an island that is just mountains, so there are a whole lot of landslides and mudslides which have covered and-or taken out of the roads on the whole island. It is pretty rough in a lot of places, but we have enough water to last us a while. We didn´t have electricity for two days, and we still don´t have running water, but it will be okay. We actually live in one of the worst parts because we are right in the middle of the two main drain-rivers so we are still wtihout water, but a lot of people already have water again. We were able to shower at a members house, and if needs be we can kick the Elders out for a couple of hours- the part of Funchal where they live doesn´t have problems. They actually canceled church today and we just went around helping people try and dig out their houses or get things out of their house before it colapsed. Kinda reminded me of tornado clean up....except with a whole lot of mud and huge boulders everywhere, really you would think we were back in a third world country. It is absolutely crazy, but really an eye opening experience. We are starting to understand better some of the passages from Revelations. Today we were able to bring water to some people who didn´t have any ( I know, like anyone wants any more water after being flooded for three days and the whole island falling into the ocean), and it was actually pretty funny. No one had water, and we heard that one store was open, so we went and managed to buy 18 5-liter bottles of water. The problem then became how to move that between the two of us. Well, as I have lots pretty much all fear and shame on the mission, I asked the security guy if we could use the cart to get home and then we would bring it back. Well, the benefit of being in a little place is that he said yes. So, there we were pushing our grocery cart full of <span>water bottles</span> down the streets that are completely flooded with mud, trees and boulders in the rain (yup, still was raining, luckily not so bad). It was pretty funny actually- that little cart was durable, it made it all the way down the mountain (it took both of our weight to keep it from running away, but we managed.) When we got it back later it was super funny to see it in the line with the rest looking like it had lived through a war. We also were able to help evacuate a family from their house, which is going to fall into the <span>RIbeira</span> any second.We only have one member of the church who was injured and it was the house we were helping to try and evacuate today. Their house is the only house ruined I think, but her husband was in the hospital since half the house collapsed and he was hurt. Unfortunatley, there isn´t a whole lot we can do to help the majority of the people. They won´t leave their houses even though they are in super dangerous situations, I think they don´t believe it could happen, even though the majority of houses are trashed all around them, if they still exist. President has told us that this whole week will just be service pretty much so we are trying to help people get their lives back in order. Pray that we don´t have too much rain in the near future. It is supposed to start up again in a couple of hours, so we will see what happens. Who knew that our little island would make it to world news! I guess we are famous now! I would sent you pictures, but I don´t have my camera cord, and unfortunately, the store that had my pin drive (with all of my mission pictures on it) was wiped out, so I guess we did have a casualty. However, I will take it, becase we made it out WAY better than a lot of people. Don´t worry Mom, we are very protected, Don´t freak out, I will show you the crazy pictures and tell the crazy stories in a couple weeks. LOVE YOU SO MUCH. I don´t know if we will be able to email for a while, so know that everything is good and we are being checked on by church headquarters every couple of hours. </div> <div> </div> <div>We are still safe, we actually lucked out yesterday in that we couldn´t get back to our apartment, so we got permission to stay with the members whos house we were in, and now can email again! It was great because we then had running water! Yay for being able to flush the toilet. Simple pleasures. It keeps on raining here, so we are doing our best to help while staying safe at the same time. Send my love to everyone there and thank them for their prayers. </div> <div>Irmã Ray</div> <div> </div> <div>February 15, 2010</div> <div> </div> <div>Okay first things first...</div> <div> </div> <div>Three more thank yous to people <span>birthday cards</span> who have been liberated from the crazy Portuguese Mail service <div> </div> <div>Rachel Weintraub</div> <div>Jon </div> <div>Kevin Sutterfield</div></div> <div> </div> <div>I am actually super excited to be serving with Irmã Ebeling. She is super nice and a great missionary, so it will be a great way to end the mission. This week was crazy with losing Irmã Call to the Continente and getting a new irmã. Because of the flight schedules I got to hang out with the couple missionary on the island since I didn´t really have a companion for a couple hours (Irmã Call left at 6:30 and Irmã Ebeling didn´t get here until 11). It was quite the interesting experience, and one more Irmã is lucky enough to be on the island. She is super happy to not be freezing anymore. Speaking of which....WOW, 3 inches of snow in Georgia! That is incredible. How long has it been since that happened. Good thing you are getting out of town to Florida. I can´t say that anything too interesting happened this week. Sorry that my emails seem to be getting progressively lamer.<em> </em>I will try and remember the funny stories next week. That being said, I LOVE YOU all and I hope that everything is going well!</div> <div> </div> <div>Irmã Ray</div> <div> </div> <div>PS. </div> <div> </div> <div> <div>Wait...I remembered the funny story</div> <div> </div> <div>This week was Carnival. Right. Well, the spectacle and parade happened to be in our area and passing as we were trying to get home. It was quite the theatrical experience, the fireworks were great, the clothing was very little and the dancing talent even less. Irmã Ebeling and I joked that we should have just joined in as both of us took Ballroom classes at BYU our skill would have out shined them for sure. There have also been people dressed up in the streets all week, and the festivities will continue with huge parades that are open to anyone who wants to march in costume. We even did our own dressing up to help out at a party the red cross threw for little old ladies who live alone. We also thought it was hilarious that one of our investigators sent her son to the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">costume party</span> dressed up as an Elder. I think that means we are making progress with her. Now if she would just come to church!</div> <div> </div> <div>LOVE YOU TONS</div> <div> </div> <div>Irmã Ray</div></div> <div> </div> <div>THANKS!"<br /><br /></div> <span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The Best way to write Sarah is:<span> </span>(Ok this is a change, pay attention)</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span> </span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">A) Since Sarah is on the Island, the best way to send anything (i.e. letters, packages, etc) through regular US mail is below. This method requires<span> </span>US $.98 postage for letters. (Better check this out, it should be the same as before)</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" > </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Sister Sarah Ray</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Rua de Ponte Nova</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">nº 12 5P</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">9000 Funchal</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Madeira</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Portugal</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" > </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">B)<span> </span>The alternate way is of course Dearelder that may eventually get to her.<span> </span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">1) On the internet go to <a href="http://dearelder.com/" target="_blank">dearelder.com</a> website.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">2) There is a drop down box on the right hand side down just a couple inches. Enter her mission which is Portugal Porto and then click "write a letter" just below where you select the mission.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">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. </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">4) Write your letter in the text box and then hit the "send letter" box under the text box to send it on.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" > </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">This site does require US $.98 Postage.<span> </span>You can set up an account and it will deduct the postage each time you write. </span></span></span></span></p></span></span>Linze Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582872576098960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-77001653503322992632010-02-10T15:05:00.003-05:002010-02-10T15:11:54.118-05:00Another Week (Or Three) on the Island!Here is another update from our beloved, Irma Ray! She seems to really be working hard (of course) and loving the work there in Madeira. I am so proud of her, as I am sure many of you are as well. Please continue to sen love her way and write her in this last month and a half of her mission. She will definitely need and love it!<br /><div><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;"> - Ridiculouslygoodlooking<br /><br />Sidenote: There IS a picture at the bottom... and I must say, the more selfish side of me is pretty stoked to have her home soon! Haha.... Enjoy!<br /></span><br />"January 25, 2010</div> <div> </div> <div> <div>Well this weeks adventure has been trying to do missionary work without a cell phone. I had never realized how dependent we really are on modern technology until I came here. Okay, so I knew i was bad, but the mission has definitely made me appreciate running water and electricity (the bills the office didn´t pay so that it was cut in our apartment), central heating and air conditioning ( which doesn´t exist), and most recently the cell phone. We don´t actually know what happened, but our phone has taken to going on an every other day strike. It is kinda funny, we have used it to make better friends with our neighbors. Probably because we have to knock their doors and ask to use their phone to let President know. Luckily, we are getting a new phone tomorrow....or at least we hope. </div> <div> </div> <div>We have actually finally been able to find a service project here in <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Funchal</span>. As of this week we are officially part of the Red Cross of <span>Portugal</span> and we get to help do the clothes donations every week. The people there are really great, and even after just one week we have found a couple opportunities to share the gospel with people. No one seems to believe that we would give up our whole lives to come to a place we had never heard of and try and help people for 18 months. When you put it that way, I find it hard to believe too- but being here I know it is totally worth it! </div> <div> </div> <div>We have also managed to strengthen our testimony of prayer this week. We took our ward mission leader and his daughter to an appointment this week. It went great until we got in the elevator to leave. Then Carlos decided that it would be really fun to start jumping up and down. He changed his mind about 3 seconds later when the elevator stopped some where between the 2nd and 3rd floor. Ooops. Needless to say they starting screaming and pushing buttons while Irmã Call and I did what we had decided would be most effective...we prayed. Shortly thereafter the elevator started again. We have decided that next time we teach with Carlos, we are taking the stairs...his daughter is coming with us. I think that about sums it up for the life is Madeira. We are having a blast and are very thankful that we are not freezing. Sorry to all of you who are. I will send sunshine your way. Have a great week and thanks for everything</div> <div> </div> <div>Irmã Ray</div></div> <div><br />February 2, 2010</div> <div> </div> <div>First off I want to send a huge thank you to all of those who participated in overwhelming our post man. Okay, maybe not, but I was overwhelmed at the amount of birthday love. I don´t know if Dad announced over the pulpit that it was my birthday or that a new commandment was revealed that involved sending <span>sister Ray</span> birthday cards, but I am very grateful. Unfortunately I can not send individual thank yous, so here goes the list of those people who I would love to thank individually:<br /><br />Brother and Sister Lee<br />Mark and Leah Geis<br />The Winters Family<br />Paige and Mike (who I am also excited to meet)<br />Paul<br />The PTC <span>Relief Society Presidency</span><br />Brother and Sister Baltich<br />Bev Jones<br />Kathy Higginson<br />Brother and Sister Dean (the drawing was my favorite, how did you know my birthday wishes)<br />Grandma and Grandpa Crawley<br />Grandma and Grandpa Ray<br />Kevin and Janice<br />The Crosland clan<br />The Badham clan (won the funniest card award....)<br />The Gill-Peterson family<br />and especially you mom and dad!<br /><br />THANK YOU to everyone. I felt quite celebrated during the entire week.<br /><br />However, beside all of the love from home I think I received the best present ever in that Eva was baptized, and that our branch had two other baptisms on that day too! It was fantastic. Eva´s Mom also told us that she wanted to be baptized too. I just about died. People asking us to be baptized instead of the other way around.....something is too good to be true here. In fact, it actually was in that Diana still has to get married first, and she doesn´t want to do that. However, she will be baptized one day. Eva is adorable, we went over to see them the day before and she was just running around the house yelling about how she was going to be baptized tomorrow and then receive the gift of the <span>Holy Ghost</span>. IT was Hilarious! Of course then we get to the actual baptism and she was scared to go in the water because there were so many people there. So we ended up having to give her a cough drop to make her happy (thy think they are candy here...weird) and then we shut the doors of the font until she was there, and opened them at the last minute, after she had shut her eyes. Of course the second it was over she said "I want to do it again, I feel so good!" Super cute.<br /><br />Well, that about sums up the week, we did a lot of teaching and a lot of laughing. I can hardly believe how much I have come to love this little island. It is fantastic and the people here are amazing. Love you all and have a great week!<br /><br />Irmã Ray</div><br /><div>February 8, 2010</div> <div> </div> <div>Hey hey....</div> <div> Well, Irmã Call´s time on the island here is up, and I am getting a new companion <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">on Thursday</span>.It will definitely be interesting and very different experience. My new companions name is irmã Ebeling and I think she is from Virginia. Not entirely sure....I will have to tell more next week. However, irmã Walton told me it was my job to lighten her up, so we will see how that goes. </div> <div> This week was fun because President and Sister Walton were here again. We had district conference and all of the leadership was reorganized. It will be a very good thing for the island. Plus, it was a very good thing for us! Why you might ask....well Irmã Walton spent a whole day working with us (<span>poor thing</span>, she got some stellar lessons...seemed like all the crazies were out in force). Well, as we were dropping her off with President she said, oh don´t worry Irmãs, we will take you out to dinner. So we went out to dinner with President, irmã Walton and the 1st counselor in the mission presidency (someone from my Braga ward, so I know him pretty well). It was a lot of fun, and probably the best meal I have had. They also took us on a P-day adventure to one of the gardens we are too cheep to pay for. </div> <div> We also decided that we needed to end Irmã Calls time in <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">Madeira</span> with a bang...which called for another themed district meeting. The theme of the week.....Madeira, obviously! See pictures. We even made the Elders so jealous that in the end they dressed up with us too! Andrew, these are you Portagaly dresses......</div> <div> other than that, this week really hasn´t been to exciting. We have been teaching, finding, packing, teaching, laughing, finding, laughing, teaching....yeah, that about sums it up. Love you all!<br /><br /></div> <div> </div><div>Irmã Ray"<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3gv_TmpeEH4-2t1S3AkvD4xLVh-aH4EcQ9NBw2c8W_mbGMTxCyXddDrxTtWe4h_16MaPMCJgzRs2Ygr647uVCyu2FwdNlZjiLA60TUKNXL-MTnuI1EI8E5JVxTucsj-ATgyVY10cRrA/s1600-h/Sarah.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3gv_TmpeEH4-2t1S3AkvD4xLVh-aH4EcQ9NBw2c8W_mbGMTxCyXddDrxTtWe4h_16MaPMCJgzRs2Ygr647uVCyu2FwdNlZjiLA60TUKNXL-MTnuI1EI8E5JVxTucsj-ATgyVY10cRrA/s400/Sarah.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436709961116987762" border="0" /></a><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The Best way to write Sarah is:<span> </span></span></span></span></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span> </span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">A) Since Sarah is on the Island, the best way to send anything (i.e. letters, packages, etc) through regular US mail is below. This method requires<span> </span>US $.98 postage for letters. (Better check this out, it should be the same as before)</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;color:#000000;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Sister Sarah Ray</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Rua de Ponte Nova</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">nº 12 5P</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">9000 Funchal</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Madeira</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Portugal</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;color:#000000;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">B)<span> </span>The alternate way is of course Dearelder that may eventually get to her.<span> </span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">1) On the internet go to <a href="http://dearelder.com/" target="_blank">dearelder.com</a> website.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">2) There is a drop down box on the right hand side down just a couple inches. Enter her mission which is Portugal Porto and then click "write a letter" just below where you select the mission.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">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. </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">4) Write your letter in the text box and then hit the "send letter" box under the text box to send it on.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;color:#000000;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">This site does require US $.98 Postage.<span> </span>You can set up an account and it will deduct the postage each time you write. </span></span></span></span></p>Linze Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582872576098960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-38376613109562228662010-01-30T17:02:00.003-05:002010-01-30T17:05:31.877-05:00Happy 24th Irma Ray!!!!!!!!!Here's the latest from our favorite birthday girl! That's right, today IS Irma Ray's 24th Birthday, so if you haven't already be SURE and send her some love via mail/package & prayer. Let her know your thinking of her! Enjoy!<br />- Ridiculouslygoodlooking<br /><br />Editor Note (Aka: Dad): Remember it is Sarah's Birthday on January 30th, be sure and send her your cards, letters, love and wishes. Also, bad news, the mission President has reversed the rules and she can now only email parents. Sorry to everyone else, but back to the letters, she will not be able to email any of you.<br /><br />"January 11, 2010<br /><br /><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Well, this week was just another chapter in the adventures of Irmã Call and Irmã Ray. (By the way, I am taking nominations for the film we are making). So, we have been trying to discover a way in which we could become better missionaries. Unfortunately we have not been able to figure out what we were lacking. Thankfully however, we had some inspiration this week and have discovered the solution to become completely <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">Preach My Gospel</span> video worthy sister missionaries. So we discovered a large sack of left over Jody dresses in our apartment, which lead to a theme inspired District Meeting. I don´t know why we didn´t think of it before! Okay, sorry to anyone who actually wears Jody dresses in their mission, but here in <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">Portugal</span> it is not okay. Don´t worry, we changed our clothes again before leaving the chapel. Our favorite responses are included below</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" > </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Wow, I think I just went back in time 40 years</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Dorky Irmãs, really Dorky</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Very strange looks from the Brazilians who didn´t know if we were joking or not</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">WHY?!?!?!</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" > </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Basically we enjoyed it, and we had some good laughs. It was our way of spicing up a very rainy and long week. However, the bright side of the rain is that we saw a whole lot of Rainbows here, and that was cool. </span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Irmã Call and I have decided we are up for the most unified companionship in the world award. Due to the fact that we have so much fun and work so well together. Actually more due to the fact that we can´t seem to remember who is who anymore. Irmã Call had a day that she couldn´t seem to get the you and me with the right person. Shortly following that we were contacting a woman in the street and it went something like this:</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" > </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Me “I am Irmã Call….wait no, she is Irmã Call, I am Irmã Ray”</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">I. Call: “ I didn´t even notice that was wrong!”</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span> </span></span></span></span></p> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Yeah, we are crazy, but ya know, life is good. We actually had Claudia and her two kids in church this week and it was fantastic. Both the kids were so excited afterwards that they already made their mom ~promise to come every week. Filipa wanted to know what she has to do to come every week. They are a stellar family, well, the dad is crazy and Claudia needs a new job but other than that it is great. </span></span></span></div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"></span> </div><span lang="EN-GB"></span><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"></span></div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Irmã Ray<br /></span></span></span><br />January 18, 2010<br /><br /><div>Okay, so good news for the week:<br /><br />Lidia was baptized this week! It was a crazy crazy day! We showed up at her house 45 minutes before and she said<br />"well, <span>Pedro</span> thinks it would be better next week so could we do it then?"</div> <div>-us (inside) ARE YOU KIDDING....DO YOU REALIZE WHAT TIME IT IS!<br />-us (outloud)" everything is already ready...."<br />then she finally said well then, lets do it. However, then she told Pedro and he kept asking why, so we talked to him and said it was already ready and Lidia finally stood up for herself and said she was going, so we went!<br />It was actually a really sweet experience and a beautiful end to a very hectic day. </div> <div> </div> <div>On other news we actually managed to mark Claudia and her children for baptism (thank you Andrew for the advice on teaching her). We don´t think they will be ready for their February date, but they are determined to work towards the goal and change their lives. It is probably the biggest change I have seen anyone make on my mission and it is just a fantastic testimony to the power of the gospel. Things have happened with that family that I never thought were possible, and it doesn´t have anything to do with us that is for sure. The Lord really is preparing people! </div> <div> </div> <div>Well, that is about all the new and <span>exciting news</span> for the week. Love you all and keep up the good work.<br /><br />Love Irma Ray"<br /></div> <div> </div></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="NL">The Best way to write Sarah is:<span> </span>(Ok this is a change, pay attention)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="NL"><span> </span>A) Since Sarah is on the Island, the best way to send anything (i.e. letters, packages, etc) through regular US mail is below. This method requires<span> </span>US $.98 postage for letters. (Better check this out, it should be the same as before)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="NL"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="NL">Sister Sarah Ray</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="NL">Rua de Ponte Nova</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="NL">nº 12 5P</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="NL">9000 Funchal</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="NL">Madeira</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="NL">Portugal</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="NL"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="NL">B)<span> </span>The alternate way is of course Dearelder that may eventually get to her.<span> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="NL">1) On the internet go to <a href="http://dearelder.com/" target="_blank">dearelder.com</a> website.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="NL">2) There is a drop down box on the right hand side down just a couple inches. Enter her mission which is Portugal Porto and then click "write a letter" just below where you select the mission.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="NL">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. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="NL">4) Write your letter in the text box and then hit the "send letter" box under the text box to send it on.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="NL">This site does require US $.98 Postage.<span> </span>You can set up an account and it will deduct the postage each time you write. </span></p>Linze Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582872576098960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-45329446153458059962010-01-05T17:33:00.003-05:002010-01-05T17:43:59.896-05:00Happy New Years from Madeira!!!So, we're gonna start this entry with a note from Sarah's dad! Pictures are posted at the bottom of this entry - enjoy!<br /><div>- Ridiculouslygoodlooking<br /><br />Editor Note: Yes it is that time of year again, it is Sarah's birthday. So, in keeping with tradition, we are groveling for all to send her a birthday card for her birthday on the 30th of January. The best address is to use the one below that goes straight to Madeira. Thanks, she will love it.</div> <div> </div> <div><br />"December 28, 2009</div> <div> </div> <div>Well, this week doesn´t have a whole lot of new news seeing as how I talked to you recently, but it sure was fun! We are a bit bummed that <span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;">Christmas</span> is over because it was a great way for us to be able to contact people. Everyone would talk about Christmas, even if we had to resort to singing in the hospital in order to get anyone who would listen to our caroling. Now we are back to having to find other ways to contact people, such as asking directions( that one is my favorite seeing as how we are able to get ourselves lost quite frequently). One of Irmã Calls methods is asking people what they do for work....this one was a little awkward this week as we contacted someone whose response was that she worked a vida de noite...or life of the night. However, it means that she is always home during the day so we can teach her. It was actually a really funny experience, but we actually had a really good lesson with her and her (yeah get this) Husband and kid. I don´t know if they know what she does for work, but she had no hesitation in telling us. So we have started praying for her to find a new job, and we are teaching her family now. She also asked us to start teaching her mom and her brother- go figure.<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>On other news, we got transfer calls and the dynamic duo is sticking together for another transfer on the Island! We were expecting that but it was still nice to know for sure. I am pretty sure <span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;">the island</span> might explode before the end because we have so much fun together, but we also do some real hard work. It really is a great way to be finishing up my mission- just hope my last companion is this great. Lidia continues to progress and we are counting down the days to her baptism on the 9th. She is stellar and it is really cold to see how much her kids are learning too. She has a two year old boy and he is the cutest thing when he prays now. It is funny because her husband will not listen to us, but he is getting the lessons anyway because the kids always go tell him what he is doing wrong after. Kinda awkward. but kinda funny.<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>Anyway, time is short as always. LOVE YOU and thank you for everything you do!</div> <div> </div> <div>Irmã Ray</div> <div> </div> <div><br />"January 4, 2010<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>HAPPY NEW YEARS 2010- Year of Miracles<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>Wow, I can hardly believe that a whole year has gone by, it seems like yesterday that I arrived in <span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;">Portugal</span>, and now I am doing New Years again. However, this year was definitely a step up! <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Madeira</span> once again made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for the fireworks show on New Years Ever. Seeing as how it is world famous, President gave all of the Madeira missionaries permission to stay out at a members house and watch the show. Well, we were way up in the mountains so we were able to see a good portion of <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">the island</span> since they have fireworks from every point. I will attach some pictures...the complete opposite of Bryan´s New Years....we stayed up super late and have been super tired trying to catch up. Worth it though!<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>It was pretty funny and we joked about how we started the new year off right, outside of our apartment way over time, and then i got trapped outside of the elevator and Irmã Call was inside the elevator....basically New Years day was quite the adventure of mishaps, but we managed to survive. Okay so this email is just a tiny bit lame, but nothing cool happened this week, and I feel lame writing the same things over and over again. I do love you though, and missionary work is awesome. The church is true and the gospel is worth it.<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>Plus I am on an American keyboard right now, so it is taking forever because I keep messing things up.....wow, I´m weird now. Irmã Call has taken to pointing out the weird things that we do and how I am going to be so strange when I get home. Will you still love me???<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>LOVE YOU</div> <div> </div> <div>Irmã Ray<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div>PS - Fotos from the fireworks and our p-day trail today....it actually has been kinda cold, we are using sweaters....then we got caught in the rain without umbrellas...oops. However, I am still not covered in ice so I am counting my blessings."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7N633v3a3Quk5i4GBtj9voTg15M9sCqbLXXfXONDO8u6L9zf2bJ5PEkt6aIrXZKmMABTDXjYwdGi60id9PrENIrhFdiAFTZBdcr1NaTQcCAdsbvdpyYS70JUVtZ3iy6NJRq0aJpkQtE/s1600-h/Madeira+003a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7N633v3a3Quk5i4GBtj9voTg15M9sCqbLXXfXONDO8u6L9zf2bJ5PEkt6aIrXZKmMABTDXjYwdGi60id9PrENIrhFdiAFTZBdcr1NaTQcCAdsbvdpyYS70JUVtZ3iy6NJRq0aJpkQtE/s400/Madeira+003a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423389417776706674" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAYxDEuCbwvgInIFS6fV49E2rjyIJtAubq3qP3VLcHyuCJ-wU9mlykgD7MIe8-l5E9Tl8cmsMvL5et0G2JcQRnydzl8VDOoFr7x-1yF92gM3dtjMRYa0HPqN4YKf0ffrm7AydJco44og/s1600-h/Madeira+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAYxDEuCbwvgInIFS6fV49E2rjyIJtAubq3qP3VLcHyuCJ-wU9mlykgD7MIe8-l5E9Tl8cmsMvL5et0G2JcQRnydzl8VDOoFr7x-1yF92gM3dtjMRYa0HPqN4YKf0ffrm7AydJco44og/s400/Madeira+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423389419897648930" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWe_ZbiAdwOMEDnIKsCGsf741AMQsbQGeiNG_0z7ajpzKHKOSs6zOwoEDxViK5YA8uWaPN0JppG4y1QRyvq9i0pf9tXMVYfJUqE2xufd3QQXrhARl3pOgRmHO4KDyyqRfIcT4IegjL_NM/s1600-h/Ultimo+P+day+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWe_ZbiAdwOMEDnIKsCGsf741AMQsbQGeiNG_0z7ajpzKHKOSs6zOwoEDxViK5YA8uWaPN0JppG4y1QRyvq9i0pf9tXMVYfJUqE2xufd3QQXrhARl3pOgRmHO4KDyyqRfIcT4IegjL_NM/s400/Ultimo+P+day+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423389430141103426" border="0" /></a><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><br />The Best way to write Sarah is:<span> </span>(Ok this is a change, pay attention)</span></span></span></div> <div> </div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">A) Since Sarah is on the Island, the best way to send anything (i.e. letters, packages, etc) through regular US mail is below. This method requires<span> </span>US $.98 postage for letters. (Better check this out, it should be the same as before)</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Sister Sarah Ray</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Rua de Ponte Nova</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">nº 12 5P</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">9000 Funchal</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Madeira</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Portugal</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">B)<span> </span>The alternate way is of course Dearelder that may eventually get to her.<span> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">1) On the internet go to <a href="http://dearelder.com/" target="_blank">dearelder.com</a> website.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">2) There is a drop down box on the right hand side down just a couple inches. Enter her mission which is Portugal Porto and then click "write a letter" just below where you select the mission.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">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. </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">4) Write your letter in the text box and then hit the "send letter" box under the text box to send it on.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">This site does require US $.98 Postage.<span> </span>You can set up an account and it will deduct the postage each time you write. </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="NL"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"> </span></span></p>Linze Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582872576098960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-74984246535169908552009-12-24T05:35:00.003-05:002009-12-24T05:38:37.856-05:00Merry Christmas from the Island!<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal">The best Christmas present ever would be...? A letter from Sarah Ray! Ding ding ding! That is the correct answer - so, ask and ye shall receive! Here's the latest from the island - she only has about three months out, so give her a shout out and WRITE! Merry Christmas and Enjoy! :)</p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"> - Ridiculouslygoodlooking<br /></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal">"December 14, 2009 </p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Okay, big news for the week was that Liliana was baptized <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;">on Saturday</span>! It was a wonderful experience and probably the best day of my mission. She is such a fantastic example to everyone. It was my first baptism that something didn’t go crazily wrong, so we were pretty thankful. Irmã Call and I spent all day really nervous and anxiously awaiting whatever it was that we were going to have to deal with….but it never came. I guess we covered it all with our last baptism together in Coimbra. It really was a great example of the miracles that can happen when the members and the missionaries work together. It looked like a picture out of <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Preach My Gospel</span> during the baptism. She was so well supported by people from both branches; we had more people at the baptism than we usually have in church! Plus she then bore a very sweet testimony about how she knew she was gaining a family in the church since her family isn´t really a family. Her father has passed away, her mother is in a metal institution and her sister is still living with the foster family ( since none of her aunts or uncles here would take them in) <span> </span>that kicked Liliana out when she turned 18. Needless to say everyone cried especially when the closing song was Families can <span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;">Be Together</span> Forever. </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"> </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">We also had a fantastic lesson with Carla, who has recently told us that she didn´t believe in God, because she couldn´t understand why <span>bad things</span> happened. Well, what did we do, we prepared a lesson on the <span>plan of Salvation</span> and prayed a lot. The lesson went really well and we ended up talking with her this week and she said she knows she needs to be baptized; she is just worried about her family now. We are making progress….it was pretty exciting.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"> </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Other than that, we have pretty much become the primary in our ward seeing as all of the kids seem to think it is more fun to follow the Irmãs around. It is kinda funny really, but hey, if it means that their parents have great experiences at church it is worth it. Speaking of primary, the program went really well and I am SO HAPPY it is over. I have a whole new respect and love for those who work in Primary and especially those who had me. Thank you for that. </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"> </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Well, time is up but I LVOE YOU ALL and hope that you have a <span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;">wonderful Christmas season</span> for now. We haven´t really realized it is Christmas seeing as how we are still running around in short sleeves, but the lights and music are proving us wrong. Have a great one, and don´t forget why we celebrate! </span></span></span></p> <p><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Irmã Ray</span></span></span></p><p><br />December 21, 2009<br /></p><div>Well, this week was the Christmas celebration week! President was here, we had the district of Madeira party, and we had the 1st counselor of the area presidency (Elder Caussé) here to talk to just us 10 missionaries for a whole day. It was awesome, even if we wanted to die we were so tired at the end of the week. President had a bad habit of keeping us out way later than we were supposed to be, but it was always his fault. Kinda funny. However, it was great fun. </div> <div> </div> <div>We have also discovered that Caroling is not a Portugese activity. Irmã Call and I attempted to carol to people instead of knocking doors. Unfortunately, not a single person listened to us. Not that they weren´t home, just that they told us to go away. Now, I know we are not the Tabernacle choir here, but we are not THAT bad, and who doesn´t like good old Christmas Carols. Blast. </div> <div> </div> <div>The weather also decided that it couldn´t be sunny and warm since it was almost <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Christmas</span>, so now it is rainy and only kinda warm. The funny part is that we are on a mountain right, so when it rains, the streets become rivers. Now, not just a little bit, we were walking in water that went over our shoes a good two inches. Too bad we didn´t have our cameras. Now I understand why all the main streets have rivers in the middle of them, it isn´t to be pretty, it is to keep the city from floating away when it rains. We had a grand time singing on our way down the mountain at the top of our lungs...good thing I am with Irmã Call, she does crazy things like that with me. </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div>On a sadder note, we had the worst lesson of my life last night. We are working really really hard with a family....the parents are menos activo, the 14 year old son isn´t a member and the 35 year old son (still living at home) is super active, but also a jerk. So we are trying to teach his brother and get his parents to stop smoking and drinking. So we had a really good lesson last night until Nelson (the older son) decided that the end of the lesson was a good time to apologize to his family for the mess he has been creating lately. We were thinking, okay that is good, until he started to tell everyone else why they were wrong, and things escalated in about 2 seconds to where the three adults were all yelling at top of their lungs, throwing things, hitting things, swearing up a storm and there were two missionaries and one member who came with them scared to death on the couch. So we stood up, and walked out the door....well more like ran scared for our lives especially when we could still hear them all they was outside of the building. It made us VERY thankful for our families and for everything that you have done to raise us not to be idiots.</div> <div> </div> <div>Interestingly enough, the very next lesson we marked someone for baptism. Weird how there can be such hi and lows withing one hour! There really are two teams in the world and unfortunately Satan never goes on vacation.</div> <div> </div> <div>Well, hope that everyone has a marvlelous Christams seaons and a great week. Love you all! </div> <div> </div> <div>Irmã Ray"</div> <div> </div><div> <br />The Best way to write Sarah is: (Ok this is a change, pay attention)<br /><br />A) Since Sarah is on the Island, the best way to send anything (i.e. letters, packages, etc) through regular US mail is below. This method requires US $.98 postage for letters. (Better check this out, it should be the same as before)</div> <p>Sister Sarah Ray<br />Rua de Ponte Nova<br />nº 12 5P<br />9000 Funchal<br />Madeira<br />Portugal</p> <p>B) The alternate way is of course Dearelder that may eventually get to her. <br />1) On the internet go to <a href="http://dearelder.com/" target="_blank">dearelder.com</a> website.<br />2) There is a drop down box on the right hand side down just a couple inches. Enter her mission which is Portugal Porto and then click "write a letter" just below where you select the mission.<br />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.<br /></p><div>4) Write your letter in the text box and then hit the "send letter" box under the text box to send it on.</div> <p>This site does require US $.98 Postage. You can set up an account and it will deduct the postage each time you write. </p>Linze Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582872576098960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-60987508824726362482009-12-09T13:12:00.002-05:002009-12-09T13:15:42.252-05:00Life on the Island!So, Sarah succeeded in preparing a Thanksgiving dinner on the mish! She also recieved a black eye from the days events.... want to know more? Read her recent letters below, and when you are done send her some Christmas love via the address below. Christmas is the PERFECT time to let her know you're thinking of her - ENJOY! <br /> - Ridiculouslygoodlooking<br /><br />"November 30, 2009<br /> <div>So first off I have decided that there is nothing like thanksgiving in a different country to make you thankful for your mother. Espcially when that thanksgiving includes being given the responsibility to make the Turkey and Gravy for 10 missionaries in a place that is not accustomed to turkey or gravy. We definitely were missing the great boxed foods of America, but I must say that our tiny little Madeira Zone managed to show our half native group what a real <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Thanksgiving</span> should be like. Unfortunately the only football we had was about half the size of a real football so our Turkey bowl was a little interesting and in compromise we ended up playing futbol for half of the time as well. However, we did not get to play the whole time seeing as how 3 seconds into the game I managed to put myself in between the ball and the goal in a way that currently have a bit of a black eye....Luckily no one scored! I decided I would stick to <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">American football</span> seeing as how our team won that one. Of course it was really just Irmã Call and I against each other since we were the only ones able to defend against each other. </div> <div> </div> <div>In other news we have started teaching a girl who lives in what used to be a convent. She however, is not a nun, is just guarded by one. Funny huh. Luckily the nun hasn´t opened the door yet when we go over there.Speaking of that however, we have been meeting with a member who was the 3rd to be baptized on <span>the island</span>, and who used to be a nun. The only problem is that she is really old and starting to lose her mind, so between showing up to church in her temple clothing and still thinking she is married to Jesus Christ sometimes, our lessons are a bit interesting. </div> <div> </div> <div>However our most exciting news is that Liliana is going to be baptized on the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">14th of December</span>!!! We are pretty excited for that and for her. </div> <div> </div> <div>Hope that the week was great for everyone. </div> <div>Irmã Ray</div> <div><br /></div> <p>December 7, 2009<br /><br />Well, this week was yet another fantastic week on the Island. Liliana is golden and decided that she wanted to move her baptism up to <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;">this Saturday</span> instead. So now we are running around like crazy trying to get everything done and just as happy as ever about it. To add to the good news we were able to mark somone else for the beginning of January. Her name is Lidia and she has 3 kids who are cute, but impossible to manage. Basically Irma Call and i just play babysitters at church trying to keep them from bugging their mom so that she can feel the spirit. However, they are going to participate in the Primary Program next week, and they actually didn´t cry to be left there this week. Speaking of the Primary Program, I have been roped into doing the music since I arrived here....but luckily I was able to knock that down to just playing the Piano and leaving the rest up the the branch. </p> <div>So funny story of the week. <span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;">The Elders</span> passed up a less active family that they are all women because we can enter the house and they can´t. However, they forgot about the appointment we were supposed to have to basically pass the baton. So, Irmã Call and I ended up setting out on our own with the directions of get off the bus when you see this and they should be waiting in the courtyard. Well, goes without saying that we were slightly apprehensive about these directions, but as we arrived in the courtyard there was a little kid on a bike who got really excited, said you are here, and I will show you where to go. That meant that Irmã Ray started repenting in her heart for thinking <span>bad things</span> about the Elders directions. My feeling bad moments lasted until we went inside and realized that it was definitely NOT the family we were looking for, but was a member family who then said "we didn´t know you were coming but we are excited for your lesson." So we taught them and after all sorts of other funny things finally found the people we were actually looking for. So it all worked out allright. Luckily it was not the same day that BOTH Irmã Call and I managed to leave the house without nametags....that was kinda bad, and we both felt super weird all day. It kinda made me realize just how strange I have gotten on the mission. </div> <div> </div> <div>That being said I LOVE THE MISSION. I have really found the reason that I am here at this time here on the Island. It is strange to think that if I had gone on a mission at any of the other times that I had considered serving, I would not have been here now having the experiences that I am having. I have no doubts that the Lord has lead my life so that I could be here in Funchal at this time, because I needed to be. It is a pretty great feeling to know that you are in exactly the right place doing the right thing at the right time. </div> <div> </div> <div>Anyway, that you all for your love and support. Have a marvelous <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Christmas season</span>, and I will talk to you all next week!</div> <div> </div> <div>Irmã Ray"</div> <div> </div> <div> <br />The Best way to write Sarah is: (Ok this is a change, pay attention)<br /><br />A) Since Sarah is on the Island, the best way to send anything (i.e. letters, packages, etc) through regular US mail is below. This method requires US $.98 postage for letters. (Better check this out, it should be the same as before)</div> <p>Sister Sarah Ray<br />Rua de Ponte Nova<br />nº 12 5P<br />9000 Funchal<br />Madeira<br />Portugal</p> <p>B) The alternate way is of course Dearelder that may eventually get to her. <br />1) On the internet go to <a href="http://dearelder.com/" target="_blank">dearelder.com</a> website.<br />2) There is a drop down box on the right hand side down just a couple inches. Enter her mission which is Portugal Porto and then click "write a letter" just below where you select the mission.<br />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.<br />4) Write your letter in the text box and then hit the "send letter" box under the text box to send it on.</p> <p>This site does require US $.98 Postage. You can set up an account and it will deduct the postage each time you write. </p>Linze Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582872576098960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-46297408402095195442009-11-24T14:55:00.004-05:002009-11-24T15:04:25.439-05:00Coming at you from a brand new location!Here's the latest! There's a big change going on for her - there's a picture at the bottom. Enjoy!!!<br /><div><div> - Ridiculouslygoodlooking<br /><br />"November 16, 2009</div> <div> </div> <div>Okay, so big news first....Remember how I said I expected to be in the coldest part of <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Portugal</span> for the winter. I lied. Seems that I have won the transfer lottery and will be sweating out my Christmas on a tropical Island off the coast of <span>Morocco</span>. I am going to the Island to be with Irmã Call again. Weird....and REALLY exciting. So as a result of going to Madeira, my only workable address will be <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">the island</span> address and I would say to direct all mail there, because it will be my last area on the mission. Irmã Draper is loving that because she is inheriting all the clothes that I can´t take since we are only allowed one suitcase of 20kilos. Luckily, I don´t have to bring a coat because it doesn´t get that cold!<br /><br />On other news,we now know what it is like to have a fire in Portugal. Our neighbors left the stove on when they left for the night so Irmã Draper and I were awakened to the sound of the firemen breaking down our neighbors door and putting out a fire that had resulted. Mom don´t worry...the only problem is the lingering smell on our floor. However, we did realize for the first time that there is no such thing as smoke alarms in Portugal....we prayed real hard before we went back to sleep, so I´m not worried :)<br /><br />We have had a bit of a crazy week with transfer calls coming in, because the schedule is way different due to flight times for me. However, we have managed to get a good bit of work done, and we had an awesome lesson with Francisca, our investigator who is going to be baptized in a couple weeks. The only sad part about heading off the continent is that I won´t be able to come back and see the baptism.<br /><br />Well, I am sure there is a whole lot of other exciting stuff, but Madeira pretty much trumps everything since there are only 10 missionaries there, it is pretty coveted. Irmã Draper has been looking at me about every 10 minutes for the past two days and saying something along the lines of.... you realize you are going to Madeira! Funny huh. Thank you all for your support and love.<br /><br />LOVE YOU ALL<br /><br />Irmã Ray<br /><br /></div></div> <div>November 23, 2009</div> <div> </div> <div>Well, this week has definitely been a whirlwind of a week. I had to say all of my goodbyes to the Mainland Portugal and then catch a plane to Madeira. It was quite the interesting experience and all happened a little bit faster than I was expecting. Irmã Draper thought I was nuts trying to take pictures of all of the trains, metro, everything that I am not going to do again on my mission. it was a bittersweet moment to be staying in the mission home the night before and realizing that the next time I would be there was my last night in <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Portugal</span>. </div> <div> </div> <div>HOWEVER, that being said I am now in pretty much the coolest place ever and loving the fact that I can use short sleeves in the middle of November. We live in Funchal, which is the biggest city on the Island and also the place where all the cruise ships come in everyday. It is absolutely gorgeous and we can actually see the ocean from our balcony. Yeah, life is great. We are actually working in two branches and that means lots of names and faces for me. Hopefully I will be able to get them down in the next four months. At least I know exactly what I am getting in to seeing as how President gave me my ticket and it happens to be one of the very few round trip tickets bought by the mission. Very weird. There are no real beaches, it is all rocky cliffs but it is BEAUTIFUL. I already know it is my favorite area, but not just because it is a cool place, but because I have already felt that I have made a difference here and I finally feel that I am here for a reason. I feel like my time is so short, which is funny because in the beginning I thought it would never end. Weird</div> <div> </div> <div>We are currently getting ready for Christmas since we can see all of the lights all over the city, we are very anxious for them to be lit! Sorry all of you from <span>Utah</span>, but Funchal blows <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;">Temple Square</span> out of the water....however, it will help Irmã Call and I feel a little more Christmas-y while we are walking around in our short sleeves.... We also have some fantastic investigators, one of whom I have already become very good friends with, her life is crazy, but she just started investigating the chruch and it is amazing to see the ways her life has changed in the past week. We are hoping to baptize Liliana in two weeks, so keep her in your prayers. </div> <div> </div> <div>Well, time is up so I will attach some P-day hike pictues and then you will know a bit of how I feel, even though pictures never really do it justice. LOVE YOU ALL!<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>Irmã Ray<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvE0U3-Yx5maHkugUEIYCrcSjF4WI5L4cZfVaa3Pl8l5NwfxZg8sXEeeQDGFSOuvjTzEdqD2ceq-jmlCFakNFzd2awUMvs__DHmVIXLIDio97GmoAvRD8v-iPF3NUgeB4nCEgcvsRT728/s1600/Madeira+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvE0U3-Yx5maHkugUEIYCrcSjF4WI5L4cZfVaa3Pl8l5NwfxZg8sXEeeQDGFSOuvjTzEdqD2ceq-jmlCFakNFzd2awUMvs__DHmVIXLIDio97GmoAvRD8v-iPF3NUgeB4nCEgcvsRT728/s400/Madeira+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407762862094160242" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">The Best way to write Sarah is: (Ok this is a change, pay attention)</span></div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">A) Since Sarah is on the Island, the best way to send anything (i.e. letters, </span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">packages, etc) through regular US mail is below. This method requires US $.98 postage for letters. (Better check this out, it should be the same as before)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><strong>Sister Sarah Ray<br /></strong></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;color:black;" lang="PT-BR" ><span style="font-size:100%;">Rua de Ponte Nova<br />nº 12 5P<br />9000 Funchal<br />Madeira<br />Portugal</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;color:black;" lang="PT-BR" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span></span></div> B) The alternate way is of course Dearelder that may eventually get to her.<br />1) On the internet go to <a href="http://dearelder.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;color:#0000ff;">dearelder.com</span></a><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"> website.<br />2) There is a drop down box on the right hand side down just a couple inches. Enter her mission which is Portugal Porto and then click "write a letter" just below where you select the mission.<br />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.<br />4) Write your letter in the text box and then hit the "send letter" box under the text box to send it on.<br /><br />This site does require US $.98 Postage. You can set up an account and it will deduct the postage each time you write.<br /></span>Linze Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582872576098960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-71702623131887050362009-11-09T15:35:00.004-05:002009-11-09T15:40:53.254-05:00Chestnuts for Halloween?!<p class="MsoNormal">Here's another fantastic update from your fave missionary! I thought it was interesting because she said for Halloween there, they roast chestnuts... Um, Christmas anyone? Haha... Who actually does that anytime actually? Ok - maybe you do. Sorry if that was offensive - haha!</p><p class="MsoNormal"> - Ridiculouslygoodlooking<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">"November 2, 2009<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">SO, this week was filled with all sorts of first. Who would have thought that I would be getting firsts this far along! However, we have a recent convert in our ward who is already less active. <span>The Elders</span> have been working with her, but as of this week we started preparing to help. Why would that need preparation you ask? Well, she is deaf so we have been starting to learn <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Portuguese Sign Language</span> to be able to communicate. It is actually kinda fun, but very strange at times. When praying only the person praying closes their eyes because everyone else obviously needs to be able to watch, but it is still really weird. I also get to make up my own sign for my name....Anyone have suggestions? It is actually much easier to speak in sign that Portuguese because you don´t have all of the crazy verb conjugations...there really isn´t any grammer-you just throw all aspects of the sentence in there and everyone gets the gist. Weird.<br /><br />Anyway, this week was the finale of the new student orientation-ish party that the university had, so we had a bit of time where there wasn´t really anything we could do outside of our apartment as it was quite the party in our area of Coimbra, we did have some interesting experiences trying to get home, but it was pretty funny. They have a huge parade where all the Coloiros, freshmen, are dressed up by their madrinhas in something related to the course they are in and then marched from the University all the way to the river where the madrinha or padrinho then baptizes them and they are officially recognized as students. However, they still can´t use the uniform for the first year. Yeah, pretty funny.<br /><br />As for <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Halloween</span>, that isn´t celebrated as much in <span>Portugal</span> except by the tradition of <span>roasting chestnuts</span> , so we had a ward activity in which we did just that. It put me in a very Christmasy mood as I then had "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" in my head all day. I have to admit though, <span>roasted chestnuts</span> are not my favorite and it seems all the fun came from the fact that your hands end up very black with soot and then everyone chases each other around trying to wipe blackness on them.<br /><br />They also have November 1st as the day to visit your ancestors graves. SO, us being the followers that we are...we followed the people. This meant we also went to the cemeteries...armed with a whole bunch of <span>Plan of Salvation</span> pamphlets. It was actually really a great experience all the way up until it started pouring rain. Not too much of a problem except that I had left my umbrella in the house....oops. We had some amazing experiences and it really made me realize what my purpose is and how I have become a different person in the past year and um pouco. Who would have thought that one day I would be standing in a cemetery in the pouring rain praying with a woman in a different language and reassuring her that one day she would see her Husband again. I am so thankful for the wonderful knowledge we have of the Plan of Salvation. Sometimes I think I take it for advantage how I know our purpose here, where we came from and where we are going. It seems so simple to me, and yet it is such an amazing concept to these people who have no hope- to see the marvelous change and the light that comes into peoples lives as they come to know that there is a loving Father in Heaven who cares about them and that there is someone who will always know how they are feeling. How every one of us has someone we can turn to in any instance in our lives.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Well, hope that everyone has a fantastic week and it is great to hear from you. Love you!!<br /><br />Irmã Ray<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">November 9, 2009<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Well we had another absolutely stellar week here in </span><span lang="EN-GB">Coimbra</span><span lang="EN-GB">. Irmã Draper and I have been really praying and working on developing more faith in the ability of the Lord to work miracles, even in </span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Portugal</span></span><span lang="EN-GB">. Well, it has been a couple weeks of planning every minute of every day, working our tails off (more than we had thought was possible) and doing a whole lot of praying. After a couple weeks it has finally started to catch up to us and we saw a whole lot of miracles this week. We also were really able to work with our members (seeing as how we have the greatest ward in the country) and it has been amazing to see the amount of people that have started to change their lives and to see the differences and light that have come into their lives as a result. The greatest thing is that we feel like we aren’t even doing anything. We had a ward record this week in that with us and the zone leaders we had 8 investigators in church!!!! That might not seem like a lot to some of you who served in other areas, but it definitely was a miracle here in our tiny country. Even more of a miracle was that we didn’t know 4 of them before Sunday. I have been realizing more and more on the mission the way that the Lord guides each and every one of our paths. Definitely the master planner of the universe, because there is no way we could get everything to work out so well even if we planned for 10 years.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">On a completely different topic we went to a really old monastery as a district today and it was really cool. Amazing that everything is still hanging around from the 1300´s….okay so it has been restored, but it was still super cool. Unfortunately my camera is now dead, so pictures will have to wait until next week.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">As for the transfer question…calls come in <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">on Saturday</span>, so we will have to see. It is a pretty best bet that I, like Andrew will be relegated to the coldest area on the mission for the winter….I had the second coldest last winter, so Andrew, I feel your pain. We need to work on our luck. I have pretty much given up my </span><span lang="EN-GB">Island</span><span lang="EN-GB"> hopes since you usually stay for 4 transfers, and I only have 3 left including the one that is coming. Weird. Hard to believe that so much time has passed already. Love and miss you all!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Irmã Ray"</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The Best way to write Sarah is:<br /><br />1) On the internet go to <a href="http://dearelder.com/" target="_blank">dearelder.com</a> website.<br />2) There is a drop down box on the right hand side down just a couple inches. Enter her mission which is Portugal Porto and then click "write a letter" just below where you select the mission.<br />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.<br />4) Write your letter in the text box and then hit the "send letter" box under the text box to send it on.<br /><br />This site does require US $.98 Postage. You can set up an account and it will deduct the postage each time you write.<br /><br />2) The alternate way for sending anything (i.e. letters, packages, etc) through regular US mail is below. This method requires US $.98 postage for letters.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br />Sister Sarah Ray<br /><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;" lang="PT-BR">Portugal Porto Mission</span></span> </p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;" lang="PT-BR">Rua de Amalia Luazes </span></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;">No.23 Sala 1 </span></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;">4200-052 Porto </span></span></p> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;">PORTUGAL</span></span>Linze Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582872576098960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-33009954891747027922009-10-26T14:39:00.003-04:002009-10-26T15:33:23.445-04:00Irma Ray and Irma Draper!Here is another note from our amazing Irma Ray! I won't plead with you to write, but rather encourage you to do so... She needs some mail right now. I hope everyone is having a fabulous week - let's continue to keep our friend in our prayers!<br /> - Ridiculouslygoodlooking<br /><br /><div>"October 19, 2009</div> <div> </div> <div>Well I am happy to report that this week was better on the health front!!! Everybody is happy and healthy and we are very excited that the weather has turned towards the fall. Today marks our first official day of fall for sister <span>Draper</span> and I because we have graduated from knee highs to full nylons and three quarter length shirts. WOOHOO. Now we are just dreading the dread certainty that the rain is not to far behind....blast. </div> <div> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">In other news Irmã Draper and I have decided that we should start up a super hero team, or at least a TV show to catalogue our many adventures. Who would have known that in the process of trying to find the house of a menos activo we would manage to find a bridge that crossed nothing and went nowhere except for into a ditch, climb an entire mountain thinking we were on a street, travel to the middle of nowhere on a bus, have a surprise party thrown for me (happy one year birthday to me), and still have time to plan for the next week. Unfortunately we never did manage to find João, but we are going back this week! OH, and don´t worry, we did cross the bridge and when we got to the ditch we did what every good sister missionary would do. Buckled on our bags, gathered our skirts and jumped. Once again we emerged victorious from our fight with the wild in that there were no nylon runs involved!!! </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">However the best experience of the week would have to be <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;">on Sunday</span>. We have been teaching a woman on and off who has been investigating the church for over a year and a half. We ran into her on the street Saturday and I challenged her to read a scripture a day, and we set an appointment for church the next day. Well we decided to pass by and see how the scripture reading was going last night and we actually found the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Book of Mormon</span> open to 2 Nephi 31 on her table. So, I asked her if she learned something about how important baptism was and she said yes, it is very important. My next question was “so, when are you going to be baptised?” I almost had to pick Irmã Draper off the floor who thought I was crazy, but it was good because now she is planning on being baptized next month! We are pretty excited about it, and she already has a different light about her. It is amazing the difference the gospel can make in peoples lives!!! Thank you all for the support and continued love...</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Irmã Ray</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p> </div><div>October 26, 2009</div> <div> </div> YAY for the weather in <span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;">Coimbra</span>.... It hasn´t rained all week and here at the end of October it still isn´t very cold. I am loving being in the South of <span>Portugal</span> instead of the North.<br /> So this week was interesting in that Irmã Draper and I were the representatives of the sister in Mission Council. Turns out our new President has decided this is the time to change pretty much everything and so we were able to help put together the new mission plan. Quite the experience. THe funny thing is that no one knows about the changes yet because zone conference is tomorrow...so it has been a bit interesting for this week.<br /><br />As for the funny experience...I know, there can´t be an email without one...who would have thought that a mission would be so funny- or maybe we are just weird after so long. Anyway, we were walking to church yesterday when we heard the familiar yell of "MORMON"...so we just wave a bit and keep going. However when we decided to wave to the clearly drunk group yelling at us we were greated with a distinctly English "YOU ROCK." Quite unexpected and there for very funny. I am realizing much more how thankful I am that I went to BYU as I have see the afterafects of the huge party that has been going on all week. It is interesting to note that when we leave our apartment to run every morning we are able to see all the people just finishing up and attempting to make their way back home. Kinda funny, kinda sad.<br /><br />Well, sorry that there are no really cool stories this week...We spent the majority traveling, but we did manage to meet some pretty cool people on the trains. Unfortunately they no one lives in Coimbra...darn.<br /><br />Our current hopes and dreams are tied up in Francisca and a new investigator we knocked into his week...name Bonga. Yeah, I had to try really hard not to laugh when he answered. Well, until next week,<br /><br />Love you all!<br /><br />Irmã Ray<br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The Best way to write Sarah is:<br /><br />1) On the internet go to <a href="http://dearelder.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0000ff;">dearelder.com</span></a> website.<br />2) There is a drop down box on the right hand side down just a couple inches. Enter her mission which is Portugal Porto and then click "write a letter" just below where you select the mission.<br />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.<br />4) Write your letter in the text box and then hit the "send letter" box under the text box to send it on.<br /><br />This site does require US $.98 Postage. You can set up an account and it will deduct the postage each time you write.<br /><br />2) The alternate way for sending anything (i.e. letters, packages, etc) through regular US mail is below. This method requires US $.98 postage for letters.<br /><br /><b>Sister Sarah Ray<br /></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial;" lang="PT-BR">Portugal Porto Mission</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial;" lang="PT-BR">Rua de Amalia Luazes </span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial;">No.23 Sala 1 </span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial;">4200-052 Porto </span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial;">PORTUGAL</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial;"></span></b></p>Linze Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582872576098960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-22110594560320304922009-10-15T15:02:00.003-04:002009-10-15T15:14:55.584-04:00ONE YEAR MARK TODAY!!!!!It's that time again - Sarah's email update! Haha! Today is also...<br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SARAH'S ONE YEAR MARK!!! </span></span><br /><br />Yep, our amazing friend and family member, Sarah L. Ray has now been officially Irma Ray for a year now, and been in Portugal for a little over nine months... CRAZY! If you have not taken the time to write her yet, you still have six months (till mid-March for you non-math people) to write her... but you should do it now. NOW! Haha... You can email her now too - see the "Editor's Note" below...<br /><br />Thanks for all of you who have shown her support and kept her in your prayers - I know it means SO much to her! :)<br /> - Ridiculouslygoodlooking<br /><br />"Editor Note: No it is not Sarah's Birthday, you still have a couple months on that one. I did want to pass along the following from Sarah: "Oh, and by the way....We now have permission to email the general public, so if you want to save a stamp, you can email me now! <a href="mailto:sray@myldsmail.net" target="_blank"><span>sray@myldsmail.net</span></a>"<br /><br />October 5, 2009<br /><br />Hey Hey<br />So, hopefully everyone had a marvelous conference weekend, because I know that we did! So, conference in <span>Portugal</span> is interesting because of the time difference. We watched the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Relief Society</span> broadcast and the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Saturday morning</span> session starting at 5 in the afternoon so that we could see conference live. Then Sunday becomes a regular old marathon...Priesthood at 10, <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;">Saturday afternoon</span> at 1, <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">sunday morning</span> at 5 and <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">sunday night</span> at 9. Unfortunately our English TV was not working so Saturday was all in Portuguese. However the faith of 20 missionaries combined works miracles and due to a diligent building manager we managed to get conference English <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">on Sunday</span>. Unfortunately the only place we could get it to work was in the hall...but that worked for us! It sure did seem to be the entertainment for all of the members who kept coming out to laugh at us. We didn´t get to see Sunday night because we have to be home at <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">9:30</span>...but they also cleaned everything up because I guess here in the South no one stays that late. We sure were grateful for the chance to hear the words of the prophets. It was a great experience and we actually had 3 investigators there. It was really a cool experience.<br /> In other news....the calls came through and Irmã Draper and I are going to be staying together for another transfer here in Coimbra! I am also going to be in my very first all American district....provided the greenie we are getting isn´t Canadian or anything. We will see. So life is good...the temperature is starting to fall from the 90´s so we are pretty excited about that. All in all life is good and I am loving being a missionary!It is crazy how fast time seems to be going. Love you all and thank you for the support and love!<br /><br />Irmã Ray<br /><br />October 12, 2009<br /><br />Well, this week doesn´t really have anything to talk about. Due to illness once again, we spent 4 days in our apartment....or really our room. We are both a bit crazy now. I used to be scared to death to teach, but now it is not even a big deal to give a lesson with zero prep in the middle of the street....I actually am getting pretty good at teaching the Law of Chastity in contacts on the street....that probably has more to do with the number of drunk college students who try to hit on us instead of real acceptance, but that's okay. it is kinda funny. In all seriousness though, I used to be scared to death to teach, even in the states for Sunday school or anything. Now we get to church and they say oh, we the speakers didn´t show up- Irma Ray you are talking, or teaching gospel principles. BUT instead of freaking out it is okay, who has a manual, what is the topic. Kinda crazy to believe that it is actually me and it is in Portuguese. But really, it isn´t me, so it is okay.<br /> <br />Irmã Ray"<br /><br /> <p class="MsoNormal">The Best way to write Sarah is:<br /><br />1) On the internet go to <a href="http://dearelder.com/" target="_blank">dearelder.com</a> website.<br />2) There is a drop down box on the right hand side down just a couple inches. Enter her mission which is Portugal Porto and then click "write a letter" just below where you select the mission.<br />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.<br />4) Write your letter in the text box and then hit the "send letter" box under the text box to send it on.<br /><br />This site does require US $.94 Postage. You can set up an account and it will deduct the postage each time you write.<br /><br />2) The alternate way for sending anything (i.e. letters, packages, etc) through regular US mail is below. This method requires US $.94 postage for letters.<br /><br /><b>Sister Sarah Ray<br /></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;" lang="PT-BR">Portugal Porto Mission</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;" lang="PT-BR">Rua de Amalia Luazes </span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;">No.23 Sala 1 </span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;">4200-052 Porto </span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;">PORTUGAL</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;"></span></b></p>Linze Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582872576098960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-73066863100501950852009-09-30T18:03:00.009-04:002009-09-30T18:47:33.930-04:00Snap Shots and Visual Aids!Here are some AMAZING pics of Irma Sarah L. Ray on her mission in Porto, Portugal! Enjoy!!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrVQumYKFhVixaujHDuYVIw8YA0IfcII5aGtGHJySw4jpErfAkFqJxTwvUdBUDAsOxYdXsyLtAK_ZJExJ0ptTI7bHSzcMfankeD11GUOHq9DRrOXDcu1s7I8RVYjgPvlBchv4tlngkNc/s1600-h/Imagem+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrVQumYKFhVixaujHDuYVIw8YA0IfcII5aGtGHJySw4jpErfAkFqJxTwvUdBUDAsOxYdXsyLtAK_ZJExJ0ptTI7bHSzcMfankeD11GUOHq9DRrOXDcu1s7I8RVYjgPvlBchv4tlngkNc/s400/Imagem+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387385184990519922" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9Wr5tz2_4bIvz5ABWqoDwXqIpKE9ObkBlh_xDs0iIJ9Mh-eAuSlWVktUHEWiuVTimyd9FHHXBgXnThk99p9o-Q0GUepq5SPA8zPzXeJn6OEcCH-TqLdhgYl6RZcJ69_1y1hLjBj1o9A/s1600-h/Imagem+010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9Wr5tz2_4bIvz5ABWqoDwXqIpKE9ObkBlh_xDs0iIJ9Mh-eAuSlWVktUHEWiuVTimyd9FHHXBgXnThk99p9o-Q0GUepq5SPA8zPzXeJn6OEcCH-TqLdhgYl6RZcJ69_1y1hLjBj1o9A/s400/Imagem+010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387385260127436674" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_-ESSyz0vI0ZjD4t1_qFEB9z7le5NE7FxQ0d0on8DQf2f45kA7h9p6fRSkoOrbTIbDDzesSzqxVBxvXTKKsvlDAolwmmfVGnrJ8YRu27y7Ej8ICq8sOFmWgErGLDYf7n_QUR1l0jySg/s1600-h/Imagem+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_-ESSyz0vI0ZjD4t1_qFEB9z7le5NE7FxQ0d0on8DQf2f45kA7h9p6fRSkoOrbTIbDDzesSzqxVBxvXTKKsvlDAolwmmfVGnrJ8YRu27y7Ej8ICq8sOFmWgErGLDYf7n_QUR1l0jySg/s400/Imagem+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387385121894435458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqk-bnptouRZQ01bfVYxI_kocxussAh49PD_kUokMUDxf1suYgYRDQqE9LmsSW6XgSWNPbD62qQN2v5K2wbGa2VXcXC-c8Xj4EmDObZnflrfTZD2CGMz96U3Xh311qLjEx3TyYsfK1zxw/s1600-h/Imagem+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqk-bnptouRZQ01bfVYxI_kocxussAh49PD_kUokMUDxf1suYgYRDQqE9LmsSW6XgSWNPbD62qQN2v5K2wbGa2VXcXC-c8Xj4EmDObZnflrfTZD2CGMz96U3Xh311qLjEx3TyYsfK1zxw/s400/Imagem+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387385054892018130" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77__fBADwmXtTaJwStleeRrv4UUuQcpiBzbRz6OW4s9UCzUwjgSHJjbx8mM5q9kGY3dMj0EjHs5KbEy3Kh3AfBV0rZbG8RoZD4bAc35SN8CA6Rla76BeBMVGgR0Hr6DlZGzUzW-OTurg/s1600-h/Imagem+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77__fBADwmXtTaJwStleeRrv4UUuQcpiBzbRz6OW4s9UCzUwjgSHJjbx8mM5q9kGY3dMj0EjHs5KbEy3Kh3AfBV0rZbG8RoZD4bAc35SN8CA6Rla76BeBMVGgR0Hr6DlZGzUzW-OTurg/s400/Imagem+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387384940979298642" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1EwPCNVBJBsC7S0Zrz3ugefT4sG80rE1sS_GXjIevjTZjsTHGBm-3p2QiBe-oBSL1mGR0kODheGHS7MN8euSE0MaU8vs0u1wrhnt4qUbYk2_wghFfbGJ7W0d4H6mZkyh9cllu-qi0xc/s1600-h/Imagem+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1EwPCNVBJBsC7S0Zrz3ugefT4sG80rE1sS_GXjIevjTZjsTHGBm-3p2QiBe-oBSL1mGR0kODheGHS7MN8euSE0MaU8vs0u1wrhnt4qUbYk2_wghFfbGJ7W0d4H6mZkyh9cllu-qi0xc/s400/Imagem+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387384866898810130" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3g70G4ZZWZYqT4aXPNeDz7a4dkyQzp6qs68jgePbx2q88_5smGUDMmRVJ_m484DTlIoI1ktAhiZVfPPdK_gQ3a6VjegGEJhcD-8Pu8kRbh_fyvfu5VlYAzphL9eK-d0WuP4CaR93iULA/s1600-h/Imagem+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3g70G4ZZWZYqT4aXPNeDz7a4dkyQzp6qs68jgePbx2q88_5smGUDMmRVJ_m484DTlIoI1ktAhiZVfPPdK_gQ3a6VjegGEJhcD-8Pu8kRbh_fyvfu5VlYAzphL9eK-d0WuP4CaR93iULA/s400/Imagem+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387384797270467746" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4PYKoQhUgnl9co7yUphwKtGOdInKbcqV2dNe3hDYp6qp4gKPeDCdONPC89yWzStLW2dcBaSbB1DoGGpw0w78O8dRgoFutNlYSNVQ7eujkAgEjHqwnBubu1CGpMXUYBRL2YY2WGWNwM8/s1600-h/Imagem+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4PYKoQhUgnl9co7yUphwKtGOdInKbcqV2dNe3hDYp6qp4gKPeDCdONPC89yWzStLW2dcBaSbB1DoGGpw0w78O8dRgoFutNlYSNVQ7eujkAgEjHqwnBubu1CGpMXUYBRL2YY2WGWNwM8/s400/Imagem+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387384739029964242" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04zGjvzWHdjuQaZS4GA0hVcKJ0qe3NQ7Wd96hnyIVFNlxbkhnseJHSESPMijcR3UmK3dfLBFf6h58RLWUW363q4hImt2D23W9ZRiy8mKJZCqDCQGAuCHxw0tDYLbN6aFfQpoh5PZRL2s/s1600-h/Imagem+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04zGjvzWHdjuQaZS4GA0hVcKJ0qe3NQ7Wd96hnyIVFNlxbkhnseJHSESPMijcR3UmK3dfLBFf6h58RLWUW363q4hImt2D23W9ZRiy8mKJZCqDCQGAuCHxw0tDYLbN6aFfQpoh5PZRL2s/s400/Imagem+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387384656367154850" border="0" /></a> I have the cutest best friend ever! Haha...Linze Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582872576098960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-28407293464859040192009-09-30T17:59:00.002-04:002009-09-30T18:03:01.011-04:00Sarah's Most Recent Account of the Mish!Hey Y'all!<br />Here is another update of your favorite sister missionary, all the way from Portugal! Actually, I am in Draper... So, all the way from Portugal via Draper? Haha! The next entry is all the pictures she just sent - there are a BUNCH and they're way fun!!! Enjoy!<br /> - Ridiculouslygoodlooking<br /><br />P.S. WRITE HER!........... NOW.<br /><br />September 21, 2009<br /><br />"Hey Hey<br /><br />Well, first of all for those of you who are worried sick about the Coimbra Irmãs the good news is that we have water again!!! It is kinda orange at the moment because of the calcium in the piping, but after a couple of hours of Irmã Ray trying to deal with bureaucracy in Portuguese, we managed to get a plumber over! It took threatening to move out of the apartment before the Dona did anything, but we are sitting at a final score of Irmãs - 1 <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;">Portugal</span> - 0. Woo hoo!! We are pretty excited and very much more firm in the reasons that we do not drink the water after seing the inside of our plumbing.<br /> So now that we aren´t camping inside our apartment we decided to search out opportunities in the community. SO we went to one of our areas that is a bit outside of the city and hasn´t been visited in about 4 months. However, since neither of us knew how to get back we ended up hiking through a construction site, the remains of a forest fire and the woods to finally find our way out in the hospital parking lot. We definitely got a couple of strange looks coming out of the woods in skirts and nylons (WHICH may I add we managed the whole trek without running the nylons...miracles do happen in our times!). I think next time we will try and find a bus, or at least a road.<br /> We also managed to find a couple of people who are at least somewhat interested in what we are talking about. Actually, it is better said that they found us. Irmã Draper and I are working on the challange of knowing when we should stop and respond to the people who like to yell things at us, and this time we did. That prompted a large conversation on how God could call a new prophet because Fatima appeared to the three pastorinhos and they aren´t prophets. So, we had a bit of straightning out to do, but in the end they want to come to conference! Point team Irmãs. He is conviced about apostles though because he has the name of an apostle (João Paulo)<br /> Laura has come back to Coimbra too, so we are once again trying our hand at teaching in English, which is surprisingly hard! She is awesome though, and we are convinced that she is here in Portugal to find the church.<br /> <br /> It is amazing how the Lord really does have everything organized. It is amazing how he plans every little thing to work out in the way that is best for us, and we don´t even know until it happens. Nothing is ever by chance. It is really cool to be able to see the Lord working in the lives of the missionaries and the people of Portugual. It is also incredible that they can be the rudest people in the world, but I have this overwhelming <span>feeling of love</span> for even the buildings here, because I know there are people inside of them that need what I have. As our Gospel Principles teacher said this week "Missionaries give up their lives so that they can enter into the lives of those who they are teaching. " Pretty much sums it up.<br />Thank you all for your support and love!<br />~<br />Irmã Ray<br /><br />September 28, 2009<br /><br />Well, one more week on the Chronicles of Coimbra. THis week has pretty much been hillarious. I have learned that <span>House arrest</span> is used in <span>Portugal</span>...it is why one of the less actives isn´t coming to church. We also were talking to his mother about prayer. The conversation went something like this:<br />Cândida: "well, I don´t usually do prayers at night, do you know why?"<br />Irmãs : "no, why?"<br />Cândida "Because I am crazy."<br />Then she sat there, as if that was a perfectly normal and acceptable answer and excuse. Meanwhile we were trying very hard not to laugh at her. We did end up having a pretty good lesson, figuring out the real reasons and coming up with answers to help her family. It turned out to be very cool because her neighbor came over and we invited her to listen as well. At the end we were able to mark an appointment with her and she was really excited to get the <span>Book of Mormon</span>.<br />On other good news, our Canadian investigator is really doing well. Granted I am not any better at teaching in English, but the Spirit is, and we had a really good lesson with her this week. We have a baptism goal of the end of OCtober with her!<br />Well, I think that about sums everything up for our week. It is just more of teaching, finding, and loving life. I have decided that I am pretty much the luckiest person ever to be serving in Portugal...sorry for all of you who think your missions were the best...they may have been, but right now the best place is definitely here!<br /><br />Irmã Ray"<br /><br /> <p>The Best way to write Sarah is:<br /><br />1) On the internet go to <a href="http://dearelder.com/" target="_blank">dearelder.com</a> website.<br />2) There is a drop down box on the right hand side down just a couple inches. Enter her mission which is Portugal Porto and then click "write a letter" just below where you select the mission.<br />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.<br />4) Write your letter in the text box and then hit the "send letter" box under the text box to send it on.<br /><br />This site does require US $.94 Postage. You can set up an account and it will deduct the postage each time you write.<br /><br />2) The alternate way for sending anything (i.e. letters, packages, etc) through regular US mail is below. This method requires US $.94 postage for letters.<br /><br /><b>Sister Sarah Ray<br /></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;" lang="PT-BR">Portugal Porto Mission</span></b></p> <p><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;" lang="PT-BR">Rua de Amalia Luazes </span></b></p> <p><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;">No.23 Sala 1 </span></b></p> <p><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;">4200-052 Porto </span></b></p> <b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;">PORTUGAL</span></b>Linze Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582872576098960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-29442637034169284622009-09-20T21:49:00.002-04:002009-09-20T21:52:39.155-04:00The Latest in Coimbra!Now presenting the words of Sarah L. Ray - It has been down for a bit, but here is the most recent she has written to everyone- Enjoy!!!<br /> - Ridiculouslygoodlooking<br /><br />"September 14, 2009<br /><br />Well, as things have really slowed down in Coimbra we decided to go camping. Or actually the city decided we were going to go camping as we have been without water in our apartment for almost a week now. The city water was cut for construction and when it came back on, our apartment has only managed to dribble out of the faucets. And the hot water doesn´t exactly exist. Apparently it is just us that are suffering from this marvelous challenge, but we are definitely getting better at the sponge bath thing. Actually we usually start the bathtub running and by the time we get done with personal studies one of us can use the 4 inches of water that are in the tub. Then we start again and after companion study the other one can get clean. We are just hoping the massive amounts of calls that we have been making will come to some good this week and we can be normal again. We have been having some pretty good jokes about it at least. We have decided it must be the reason no one wants to talk to us :)<br /><br />Also, this week was stake conference which meant that the <span>Viseu</span> Irmãs were staying with us too. More to party! It was actually really good. The <span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;">temple president</span> from <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Madrid</span> was here and it made me realize just how much I miss the temple. It was also pretty cool because he only spoke in Spanish, but everyone understood him just fine. It was really interesting because he couldn´t understand us. I don´t know why Português can understand Spanish but not the other way around. I have also been able to understand a good bit of Italian and French. Who knew?<br /><br />As for other news, School starts tomorrow and orientation was today...as a result I have started to adjust to living in Harry Potter land. For those of you who are familiar with the movies, the costuming of robes and such was actually taken from the Coimbra University traditional uniform...cape and everything. Luckily we have a member who is at the university so maybe next week I can send a picture. We are still having quite the challenge with the local take on the church, but we are hoping to change that. Due to a lot of working with the members recently we have a couple people willing to teach with us. Now we just have to actually find someone who will let us in the door. Even though it is hard, I am loving the mission. It is amazing to see the difference that the gospel can make in peoples lives. We have really seen little miracles, and we know that they will lead to big ones. Love you all and thank you for the support!<br /><br />Irmã Ray<br /><br />September 7, 2009<br /><br />Well, unfortunately Coimbra was attacked by a fairly vicious round of sickness which resulted in the majority of the week being spent inside of our apartment...or rather shoebox that is sometimes referred to as an apartment. However, we did manage to find one new person who is our saving hope at the moment. She is a good friend of a member who has already given her the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Book of Mormon</span> and talked to her a whole lot. So, Cinda (the investigator) is really excited about the gospel, but moving kinda slow to understand everything. SO, as we are teaching her, Sister Lisete (member) stops us and says....she is going to baptized and it is going to be so pretty!!!! Poor Cinda looked scared to death. We will get there though! Good thing since our only really progressing investigator this week dropped us. Darn. Our excitement sure took a hit this week, but that is okay, it will come back. It is amazing how even when everything is going wrong, we are able to see the miracles of the gospel. We had a family night with a member and we were able to explain a little more about the atonement to her, in a way she had never thought about it. She was so excited to apply our lesson to her life and even called us halfway though the week to tell us the difference it has made. Moments like this that make a mission worth all of the times that we get yelled at, cussed out, things thrown at us....all the craziness of a mission.<br /><br />The other highlight of the week is that part of our weekly soccer activity was used to teach the Portuguese how to play what we all know and love...real football. (in honor of the BYU game...looked like it worked!) I have to say I was able to get royally even for all of them mocking my soccer skills.<br />Well, thank you for all of your support and love...hope that everyone is doing well. Love you all<br /><br />Irmã Ray"<br /><br /> <p>The Best way to write Sarah is:<br /><br />1) On the internet go to <a href="http://dearelder.com/" target="_blank">dearelder.com</a> website.<br />2) There is a drop down box on the right hand side down just a couple inches. Enter her mission which is Portugal Porto and then click "write a letter" just below where you select the mission.<br />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.<br />4) Write your letter in the text box and then hit the "send letter" box under the text box to send it on.<br /><br />This site does require US $.94 Postage. You can set up an account and it will deduct the postage each time you write.<br /><br />2) The alternate way for sending anything (i.e. letters, packages, etc) through regular US mail is below. This method requires US $.94 postage for letters.<br /><br /><b>Sister Sarah Ray<br /></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;" lang="PT-BR">Portugal Porto Mission</span></b></p> <p><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;" lang="PT-BR">Rua de Amalia Luazes </span></b></p> <p><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;">No.23 Sala 1 </span></b></p> <p><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;">4200-052 Porto </span></b></p> <b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;">PORTUGAL</span></b>Linze Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582872576098960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-54208637726877370692009-08-25T21:29:00.002-04:002009-08-25T21:37:47.601-04:00It's almost Fall in Coimbra!Hey Everyone! <br /><br />Here's another update on Sarah and her wonderful mission in Portugal - Quick question for you... Have you told her lately, that you love her? Haha... Seriously. Take out a piece of paper, write two paragraphs to her, and send it - NOW. It will mean the world to her, as I have said before... So, here is her update: Enjoy!<br /><br />"From Sister Sarah Ray<br />August 17, 2009<br /><br />So we did have a great week this week, despite the fact that it is August. We have managed to find a couple more people here in <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Coimbra</span>. Of course they are all really old as well, but that seems to be our population here right now. However, we did develop a new talent. Due to the fact that the temperatures have skyrocketed to over 100, we have become very adept at picking out which are the very few buses in Coimbra that have air conditioning. It doesn´t work very well, but it is better than nothing and we have definitely been trying to take advantage of the opportunities.<br /><br />We have also managed to have some rocking awesome lessons. We have been teaching a woman named Alda for a while now, but she really hasn´t been doing a whole lot. Well, she has two kids so this week we played the game of life, missionary style, which basically covers the 2nd and 3rd lessons. You have to have all the cards of faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the Hold Ghost and Endure to the End to win. So we talked about how that was how we could follow the path that God gave us, and we finally hit home. She has a completely different aspect of the gospel now, was asking questions, wants to know, wants to pray, wants to read, and we are SO EXCITED! Months of prayers that have finally happened.<br /><br />We also had a pretty interesting experience visiting Elisabete this week. So, she has vacation from the crazy bin this week, and all she has missed for the past 10 years is Chocolate Chip cookies. SO, we tried our best with the crazy little easy bake oven that we have and turned out something that resembled Chocolate chip cookies and took them to her. We had to wait a couple of minutes for the nurse to go get her and in that time we became quite the celebrities with the other patients that were there. It ended with us sitting on a bench teaching 8 people who then wanted us to come back tomorrow. While nomally we would be thrilled at that aspect, due to the situations, we will go back next week. It was pretty funny though...we are thinking about just starting to teach up in the front of a bus and see if we get kicked off next. Who knows.<br /> All in all it has been a pretty fun week, despite the frustrations. Irmã Call is awesome and is great at keeping up the good attitude even when everything goes wrong, we are in the heat and want to die. I really am thankful for the opportunity that I have to be here. It is amazing to see peoples lives change. Thank you for all of the support! Love you all!<br /><br /><br />Irmã Ray<br /><br /><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);"></span><br />From Sister Sarah Ray<br />August 24, 2009<br /><br />Well transfers came through this week and I am staying in Coimbra. I have also adopted a small green monster as a pet named jealousy as I am sending Irmã Call off to Madeira. Bum, she is also going to serve with my #1 choice of companion if I could pick. However, the good news is my #2 choice (besides Irmã Call of course) is going to be my new companion. Her name is Irmã Draper and I have yet another American. Looks like I am going to be in the states probably from here on out. Our natives are pretty much all leaving soon, so we will see how it works out. However, people here sure seem to like Americans. We were talking to a guy in the square the other day and when he found out Irmã Call was from Utah he got all excited and said something I never expected to hear in Portugal "I love the Utah Jazz"....What the ?!?! Needless to say as soon as he left we both died laughing.<br /><br />Other than that, this week has been pretty dry....but luckily we are coming up on the end of the feirias!!!WOO HOO! I am one happy missionary with that in mind. We also get to have a spend the night in the mission home, since the plane to Madeira leaves way early...we have to be in the mission home Wednesday night, so that will be interesting.<br /><br />Alda is still doing well. Despite the fact that we have already taught her everything se seems to be taking it all in like she had never heard of it before. Maybe that is why we started over again. So we were talking about Profetas this week and she was worried that not everyone knew that we had a profeta today. She said we should do something to let everyone know to which we answered..."Alda, why do you think we are here." She was pretty shocked to learn that we have over 53,000 missionaries. She is doing really well though!!!<br /><br />Well, stay tuned and hopefully I will have some more interesting stories over the next few weeks with the people coming back to Coimbra! Till next week! LOve you all.<br /><br />Irmã Ray<br />PS Anyone who wants letters back has to let me know their new school address....."<br /><br /><p>The Best way to write Sarah is:<br /><br />1) On the internet go to <a href="http://dearelder.com/" target="_blank">dearelder.com</a> website.<br />2) There is a drop down box on the right hand side down just a couple inches. Enter her mission which is Portugal Porto and then click "write a letter" just below where you select the mission.<br />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.<br />4) Write your letter in the text box and then hit the "send letter" box under the text box to send it on.<br /><br />This site does require US $.94 Postage. You can set up an account and it will deduct the postage each time you write.<br /><br />2) The alternate way for sending anything (i.e. letters, packages, etc) through regular US mail is below. This method requires US $.94 postage for letters.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><b style="font-family: arial;">Sister Sarah Ray</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style="font-family: arial;"> </b><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="PT-BR">Portugal Porto Mission</span></b></span> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;" lang="PT-BR">Rua de Amalia Luazes </span></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">No.23 Sala 1 </span></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">4200-052 Porto </span></b></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">PORTUGAL</span></b></span><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;"></span></b></p>Linze Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582872576098960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-64728231943293931732009-08-17T00:27:00.003-04:002009-08-17T00:30:27.567-04:00August Hits the Portugal Sisters!Here's some love from August - Enjoy and (you know what I'm gonna say...) , Pleas write!<br /><br />"From Sister Sarah Ray<br />August 10, 2009<br /><br />Ói.<br /><br />yet one more week here is Coimbra has flown by. Crazy how time flies when you are having fun...<br />So...as most of our investigators have gone out of town for ferias we have found a couple more...in the unusual places.<br />1. Pedro...Pedro is the son of a recent convert and is totally ready to get baptized. The only problem is he has to get out of prison first. Yes, the lessons have been taught in Prison, but they also get weekends off from prison in Portugal, so we teach him at his mom´s house when he has a weekend out.<br />2. Elisabete: Also a weekend outer...but this time from the psych hospital. SHe was commited for being schitzophrenic (spelling??), turns out she isn´t, but now they won´t let her out because she has no where to live. The problem is she can´t have a place to live unless she can get out. SO, we get to go and teach in the psych hospital which is way out in the middle of the mountains. Quite the experience.<br />3. Francisca: Her son is also schitzophrenic ( I think they really like that diagnosis in Coimbra...every other person we talk to has it.) She is still being bossed around by her 52 year old son who takes all of her pension, spends it on prostitutes and kicks her out of her own house to live in an apartment she has in <span>Coimbra</span> every couple of weeks. She also wants to be baptized but won´t set a date because she never knows when her son is going to call her back home to do his laundry and cook for him. Personally I think a job would do wonders for him, but we are working on that.<br /><br />Well, for all my poking fun at our actually pretty entertaining line up, we really have had some great experiences. Since we do not have so many people we have really gotten to concentrate on some, and it has made a difference. My favorite part of a mission is being able to answer someone´s prayer. We stoped by Francisca´s house and when she opened the door and saw us, she asked us how we knew that she needed us at that exact moment. It really makes everything else worth it to see the gospel change peoples lives. I love the miracles that I can see on a daily basis. Thank you all for everything! Have a great week.<br /><br />Irmã Ray<br /><br />From Sister Sarah Ray<br />August 3, 2009<br /><br />Well, this week was definitely challenging. I never thought that I would hate school breaks so much. Unfortunately the entire city of Coimbra has moved and it pretty much looks like a <span>ghost town</span>. Just means that we get to work even harder, so I guess it is a good thing. We did manage to have some good times anyway though! We actually have a new investigator Laura who is from Canada and only speaks English. I never thought that it would be so hard to teach in English, but our first lesson with her would rough! I kept switching into Português, which I guess is a good thing, but it was a bit confusing for her. The cool thing is that the institute group is being great with her, they are planning an all English night activity, translate everything for her and really have done a great job of making her feel welcome. She is awesome. So we gave her one of the MTC Portuguese books that we had lying around our apartment to help her with Portuguese. We explained that it had a lot about church things in the beginning but also had grammar and vocab in the end. So, she opens it up and the first thing she reads is “will you be baptized” ….it was pretty funny. I still do love COimbra and the church is still true. Love you all and have a great day. I am going to try and attach some ~pictures from the castle!<br /><br />Irmã Ray"<br /><br />Here's another picture in this entry of Sarah! It's a bit dark, but an amazing shot!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLd732twhPhgp99eJ7Mnin1367t8bPRfrJp9a4eID3MWRC6ekMpHELaFNohSdDuKl1rdK1h3CWWl8_l2MgvD4HAacjorsMotvy6lbSd1j_s6ir_B0IxdAsi1OioC04Mx6jR8nmc6As_Cc/s1600-h/Picture+255.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLd732twhPhgp99eJ7Mnin1367t8bPRfrJp9a4eID3MWRC6ekMpHELaFNohSdDuKl1rdK1h3CWWl8_l2MgvD4HAacjorsMotvy6lbSd1j_s6ir_B0IxdAsi1OioC04Mx6jR8nmc6As_Cc/s320/Picture+255.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370785126930091298" border="0" /></a>The Best way to write Sarah is:<br /><p><br />1) On the internet go to <a href="http://dearelder.com/" target="_blank">dearelder.com</a> website.<br />2) There is a drop down box on the right hand side down just a couple inches. Enter her mission which is Portugal Porto and then click "write a letter" just below where you select the mission.<br />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.<br />4) Write your letter in the text box and then hit the "send letter" box under the text box to send it on.<br /><br />This site does require US $.94 Postage. You can set up an account and it will deduct the postage each time you write.<br /><br />2) The alternate way for sending anything (i.e. letters, packages, etc) through regular US mail is below. This method requires US $.94 postage for letters.<br /><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" > <b style="font-family:arial;">Sister Sarah Ray<br /></b><b face="arial"><span style=";color:black;" lang="PT-BR">Portugal Porto Mission</span></b></span> </p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><span style=";color:black;" lang="PT-BR">Rua de Amalia Luazes </span></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><span style=";color:black;" >No.23 Sala 1 </span></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><span style=";color:black;" >4200-052 Porto </span></b></span></p> <span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" ><b><span style=";color:black;" >PORTUGAL</span></b></span>Linze Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582872576098960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328494849569930605.post-25098592315661300902009-08-17T00:21:00.003-04:002009-08-17T00:26:56.562-04:00Back Steppin' to July!Here are her two grouped letters from back in July lettin' you see where she's at! Enjoy and WRITE!<br /><br />"From Sister Sarah Ray<br />July 28, 2009<br /><br />Well, one more week in Coimbra and I really do love it. Irmã Call and I have made some crazy hard goals, and we are actually doing pretty good at keeping them up. It has been really cool to see the miracles that have been happening. One of our new goals is that we write a list of the miracles that happen every day and it really has helped us see how much the Lord is guiding our work here, and that he really does have a plan for us!<br /> Unfortunately we had to go to Porto to renew Irmã Calls visa this week, so we had a fun little trip on the train. Luckily everything went well this time and my companion is not going to be deported from the country.<br /> The sad thing is that all of our investigators seem to be leaving <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Coimbra</span>. The month of August is Feiras in the entire country, so everyone leaves. Yeah, I got sent to the college town during summer break....I guess President figured I could do the least damage here...:)<br /> So funny story for the day. We changed our P-day this week because we had the opportunity to attend a funeral. As a result we decided to go to a Castle and Palace that is not open <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">on Mondays</span>. Well, it is in a different area, so we were about an hour away from Coimbra. We thought it would be really funny if we ran into the Elders that are serving in Leiria so that we could surprise them , but we arrived at the castle without an elder spotting. So, right about the time that Irmã Call makes it to the top of a wall we decided to climb...in a skirt no less...we here, "what the heck are you doing here" in English. Quite surprised we looked up just to see four elders looking over the parapet of the tower. Apparently they had gotten permission to change p-day as well so they could visit the castle. It was pretty funny....Elder Zabriski was making a movie on his camera from the top and it went something like this " so we are here on top of the castle and down there you can see the old ....what the heck are the Coimbra irmãs doing here!?!?" We all had a good laugh.<br /> Well sorry for the short and kinda lame email, but as always time is short. Love you all!!!<br /><br />Irmã Ray"<br /><br />From Sister Sarah Ray<br />July 20, 2009<br /><br />Well, the wonderful LDS mail site just deleted my very entertaining, slighly lengthy welcome to Coimbra letter. Blast! I guess that means that you will not be punished by having to read a long letter. Lucky you.<br /> ANyway, to sum up....I made it to Coimbra in one piece...after a lot of traveling. We are way south right now, so I am having to adjust to a different style of speaking and a whole lot of new words. FUnny how just a couple hours can make such a difference. I am absolutely loving Coimbra though. We have a lot of really good things going on, I think my companion is absolutely fantastic and we even had a baptism on saturday...which is quite the story. As always everything had to go crazy wrong, but we just laughed it all off. I will give you a mental picture...and then I will attach some real ones.<br />1. The chapel doesn´t have clothes for a 10 year old boy. Which was a problem because Hugo happens to be a 10 year old boy. So, the poor kid ended up entering the wedgie of the world compition and using the 8 year old clothes because it was that or my size. He opted for two small, but i felt really bad for him. Unfortunately the Bishop of the other chapel doesn´t think that the missionaries should have access to the baptismal clothing, so we were not able to get him anything else.<br />2. They didn´t actually show up at the baptism until about 20 minutes after it was supposed to start. Of course that seems to be normal and no one else showed up till about then either. I htink that the Portuguese have an even higher standard of lateness than the church.<br />3. We had a member who set the temperature on the circulation system for the font. I am not sure exactly what went wrong yet, but somehow the water managed to heat up in the waiting time to just below boiling. SO; we had the pleasure of orginizing a bucket brigade to dump cold water in the font from the kitchen while we sent everyone else back in to sing hymns. Of course one of the investigators used this as a good time to step outside, leave the door open and have a cigarette break. FInally everything worked out and they were able to actually enter the font without becoming the color of a lobster.<br />4. SO we finally arrived at the little party afterward, and Hugo´s mom(less active) had wanted to take care of all the refreshments. She pulls everything out of the fridge, sets it up, and everyone starts to eat. Well, the missionaries go in and notice that there are two bottles of ice tea that are being served as the drinks. We managed to get it hidden in the other room and later disposed of the bottles, but it sure was an interesting moment. I guess we have a lot of work to do with the family.<br /> Believe it or not we even mangaged to have a very spiritual experience with everything that went wrong. Just one more moment to prove that even though the world is crazy, the Lord is in charge and everything is going to work out in the end...I am really thankful for that knowledge! Have a fantabulous week and thanks for everything!<br /><br />love you all!<br />Irmã Ray"<br /><br />Below is a pic of Sarah, hard at work with one to baptize!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig7cfSINUy4Cot7dLbl_RUr9twvu-eDSawMOIlIbgh5dVIDf4eXpzShAdD3XTWQRnh8JJWOTJks-K15Hu2hxe_R3SiH7CyyqbZB-u1RX19SL8UKDhW7bnWt2n2kFMYdDdT7obQiFrm9lM/s1600-h/Imagem+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig7cfSINUy4Cot7dLbl_RUr9twvu-eDSawMOIlIbgh5dVIDf4eXpzShAdD3XTWQRnh8JJWOTJks-K15Hu2hxe_R3SiH7CyyqbZB-u1RX19SL8UKDhW7bnWt2n2kFMYdDdT7obQiFrm9lM/s320/Imagem+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370784038903881810" border="0" /></a>The Best way to write Sarah is:<br /><p><br />1) On the internet go to <a href="http://dearelder.com/" target="_blank">dearelder.com</a> website.<br />2) There is a drop down box on the right hand side down just a couple inches. Enter her mission which is Portugal Porto and then click "write a letter" just below where you select the mission.<br />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.<br />4) Write your letter in the text box and then hit the "send letter" box under the text box to send it on.<br /><br />This site does require US $.94 Postage. You can set up an account and it will deduct the postage each time you write.<br /><br />2) The alternate way for sending anything (i.e. letters, packages, etc) through regular US mail is below. This method requires US $.94 postage for letters.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><b>Sister Sarah Ray<br /></b><b><span style=";font-family:Arial;color:black;" lang="PT-BR">Portugal Porto Mission</span></b></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><span style=";font-family:Arial;color:black;" lang="PT-BR">Rua de Amalia Luazes </span></b></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><span style=";font-family:Arial;color:black;" >No.23 Sala 1 </span></b></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><span style=";font-family:Arial;color:black;" >4200-052 Porto </span></b></span></p> <span style="font-size:85%;"><b><span style=";font-family:Arial;color:black;" >PORTUGAL</span></b></span>Linze Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582872576098960151noreply@blogger.com1