Merry Cristmas December 22,2014

I am sitting here, and honestly I don't remember much of what happened this week. All I know is that we worked... HARD. We are really trying to help the members get exctied about doing missionary work, and understand the meaning of 'every member a missionary'. I kind of have this awful feeling in my chest, because I was able to help 6 wonderful people be baptized at the first of my mission, and now 2 months without seeing much of anything, but I know I need to see the bigger picture. One of my converts is really having a hard time, and doesn't want to come to church, and that has been super hard for me. My sweet Fernandez family is doing well, and Ignacia is now the president of her beehive class, so that's awesome!

 

Being a trainer is very... interesting. I don't feel new anymore. That came and went fast. I've gotten to the point in my mission where I finally know how I would love for everything to be, and it's hard to make everything happen at the pace I would like it to. Patience. 

 

Can I just tell you all how important it is to go to church each week? Dad, here is my public apology that after my talk that Sunday we came home to take care of the peeps at the house. Never again. Church is always more important. 

 

I felt super grateful and happy this morning as I was studying, and I made a list of the spiritual gifts I have been given or that I would like to develop more. I didn't have time to finish the list........... that was extremely humbling. I thought to a phrase in my partiarchal blessing where it talks about that my talents and gifts will develop through being willing to serve the Lord. In this short time I have already seen how willing the Lord is to bless me when I am willing to be obedient. 

 

We are really trying hard to activate members so that we can have more leadership in the ward... it's coming... I think. It just teaches me so much that the offense is in the heart of the offended not the offender. We can choose if we are going to take offense to something or not. Forgiveness... it's what the Lord does best. And if we want to be like Him we better get good at it. 

 

A ver ver very merry Christmas to everyone! I am soooooooo excited to talk to you guys Wednesday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish you a merry Christmas! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I'll call around 6:00 in the afternoon here. I think I'll call Jennah's first, and if that doesn't work I'll call Age's.

Love you!

Be good so Santa brings you something.

And remember the reason for the season!

 

Looooooooooove Sister Coray

December 15, 2014 Pictures

"He is the gift" December 15, 2015

I hope you have all seen the 'He is the Gift' video. We love watching it with families. We had a zone conference this week, and I got grandma's present. It is beautiful and I love it. I love reading the little story books. So cute! Our zone conference was amazing, and the presidency has made a change in our mission where we aren't going to use key indicators or anything anymore. All we do is track church attendance each week and the people we baptize. It's hard to have to literally go out and call people to repentance to get them to be baptized or come back to church. We are starting by going to find all the Melchezidek Priesthood holders, and getting them active first. One of every 30 people in Chile is already a member. We have a lot of activating to do. Mari Luz, the cute young single mom with the two kids wants to get baptized, but there's a lot of preparation and committment to help her learn how to LIVE not just BELIEVE the gospel.

 

Oh my goodness fam.... the commandment to keep the sabbath day holy is so important. If nothing else, I will come out of this understanding why we offer each Sunday as the Lord's day. There are soooooooooooo many blessings that are lost from not keeping it holy. I don't think I ever realized, because we have always lived that way, but for people who don't sanctify the Lord's day will find that they actually will have less time if they don't make time for Him. Also, I am so glad that I know to read my scriptures and say my prayers every day. The commandments bring us so many blessings and keep us happy. Tithing, the day of rest, fasting, honoring your mother and father, love the Lord first, treat others like you want to be treated, read the scriptures, pray. It all helps so much.

 

It's hard to build the church. It's a hard thing. And sometimes I feel like it is so unfair that I am benefitting so much from this service, and there are so many people who choose to miss out on those blessings. My mission is supposed to be to bless OTHERS, but I am the one who gets to see the miracles and be blessed. It doesn't make sense, but when you think of how much Heavenly Father loves us, it actually does. When you're helping you're happy. 

 

We had a few awesome lessons with that young boy Michael and his family. He really wants to get baptized, but his dad isn't sold on it yet, and so it has been great to finally have his dad in town to be able to teach him too. When we taught about the first vision the spirit was so strong, and I loved it. 

 

I love the gospel more each day. I don't ever think it's possible, but somehow the Lord keeps this seed of faith growing in me. The other day I was wondering/worrying that I don't have enough faith. That maybe if I had more we would have more baptisms, and more people would come to church. Sometimes just when people start to be reactivated or want to get baptized, something gets in their way and it doesn'`t end up happening haha. ahhhhhhhhhh. And I think 'well, if I had more faith they would follow through.' But I think that faith means obedience. If we have faith in the Lord and that He really will bless us, we will be obedient. I am obedient to the max, so I guess what we're doing is the way the Lord expects it to be right now. Even though we can always give more. Because He has given us everything. He is the gift. I love The Savior so much. I am so grateful to be a missionary. It's hard. It is rarely fun. But it is very worth it, and I wouldn't change it for anything. 

 

It will be fun to talk to you all the 24th! I think it will be sometime in the afternoon. And we can Skype!Love you! Have a great week! Be good so that Santa can bring you presents:)

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Hermana Coray

Angels, December 8, 2014

This week I got to see the blessings that come into people's lives through missionary work. In three different houses we heard people pray and thank God for sending two angels to their house to help them. Two sisters with so many family problems, a lady who has had cancer for four years and lives all alone, and a single mom who told us that the first time the elders came into her house, since that day her children have never gone without bread. It is so hard to help people see past their problems to start living the gospel, but it is easy to see that we have something great. It is the best.

It takes a lot of getting used to being a trainer. Sometimes it feels a little bit like you walk alone, but I know I never do. The work of the Lord is never about statistics, it's about love. 

I can't imagine being a single mom with two tiny little kids, so she's not able to work, and her ex husband doesn't pay to help take care of the kids like he should. She was in the middle of giving her kids a bath, but wanted us to just kinda follow her around the house so she could talk to us. I started sweeping, and when I asked her where the dust pan was she smiled and told me she would get me one in just a second. I started hanging up the laundry, and when I looked over she was scraping us the garbage with her hands and putting it in a little bag. My heart broke in an instant, and I can honestly say I have never seen any other kids in chile that love each other so much and have such a good mom. But she started bawling as we were teaching her, and told us that her kids have never gone hungry since the Elders came into her house. It will be hard for her to change her life to live the gospel, but I told her that it would be harder not to do it. 

The gospel really is the easier way. I got the birthday cards from Adee and Taylee, and they were so lovely. Have a great week. Keep being missionaries.
It all reminded me of this talk by elder holland

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/the-ministry-of-angels?lang=eng
Love Sister Coray

 

 

The Book fo Mormon, December 1, 2014

This will be so short.

This week was hard. It just was. I don't have the energy to explain all the reasons why haha. I want to change people's lives, and I want them to want it too, but it is sooooooooo hard when they don't even know what they are missing. Some days I felt like I was talking at a wall, and even when we try our hardest to help people, they don't want to be helped. That's the whole agency part of this life I guess. I've felt it before, and I'll feel it again, that sad feeling when I know that the gospel is so sweet and so good to me, and I wish other people could feel how good it is too. The 'natural man' thing is going pretty strong here in Chile... ahhhhhhhhhhh. I can feel the spirit when we talk and I know that the people here are recieving the opportunity to feel it, but sometimes the knowledge of knowing that it will take commitment and change and strength to accept it is a lot I guess. But there really isn't anything easier. The gospel is the easy way. It only looks hard from the outside. These are the days when I know I'm growing. Remember ALL those investigators we had? well...

The happy times always come though. 

 

I have found the magical remedy for all of life's problems. Every single worry, stress, problem, heartache, grudge, all of it - can be solved with the Book of Mormon. Because it's a book of personal revelation. If every member read it every day............ I dream. 

 

I love you all so much. It's weird to think that I will be talking to you soon! 

Talk to you next week

Sister Coray

Emotions in extreme opposite directions, December 1, 2014

Here is a piece of the dialogue Sara and I shared this week:
Mom to Sara:  I'm glad you are where you are and doing what you are doing.  I didn't realize how torn I would feel to actually be sharing you with other people, I feel so happy and miss you all at the same time. It's a weird phenomenon to feel so torn in two extreme emotions opposite directions.  It's a good feeling that is character building.  I know you are doing the Lord's work and that this really is His true church on the earth.  I can feel the urgency for the kingdom to grow in these last days. I see two ways it has to happen, caring for those around us, our families and friends and neighbors, and missionary work.  So I pray for you to go "do your thing" everyday.  Help those people feel the Spirit so they will know how much the Lord loves them.

Sara's reply: thanks mommy. I love you so so much. I am so proud of our family. I thought a lot about how much of an influence we can have on our extended family, and I have great plans for when Amanda and I get home. The blessings from our missions will never stop growing. What we see right now is only the tip of the iceberg. I understand the opposite emotion thing... this week was so hard mom. So hard. I do a pretty good job of remembering how much the Lord loves the other people, but sometimes I forget how much He loves ME. I'm a part of the process too. He wants me to change too. And I know that even when other people seem to not be changing... I AM. And those changes will bless many more people for the rest of my life, because we never stop being missionaries right? I love you so much. I am doing well:) there's just some of those days. But it's how I grow.

Trainer, November 24, 2014

Dear Coray Family,
 I am pleased to inform you that your missionary, Sister Sara Marie Coray, has been assigned to serve as a Trainer in the Chile Vina del Mar Mission. One of  the most trusted responsibilities in the mission is to teach and to train a new missionary.

Sister Coray , has prepared for this responsibility through strict obedience and faithful service. She has demonstrated Her willingness to serve the Lord by the example she has set for her companions and leaders and by the progress she has made in her own personal development.

 I know that Sister Coray will magnify this assignment and will be a credit to you, to the mission, and to the Lord.

 Thank you for supporting your missionary throughout the course of her mission. I pray that the Lord may bless you and your family as this great work continues forward.
 Sincerely,
 Federico M. Kähnlein
 Mission President
 Chile Vina del Mar Mission