Oh Georgia.

HEYO!!!

This week was filled with many precious moments. I am a pretty blessed person. We spent a lot of time this week going through our Branch Roster and figuring out who some people are. Lots of learning that phone numbers are out of service, or people moved. Like two years ago. Oh the joys :) 

We had district meeting on the Positivity that Starts us Finding and the Patience that Keeps Us Finding people who are searching for Christ. There are oodles of ways to approach people and if you focus on charity you'll be able to follow the Spirit's guidance and know exactly what to say. I invite each of you to share your beliefs with at least ONE person this week. It doesn't matter if it is as simple as telling a friend about a time that God has answered a prayer or sharing your knowledge that Christ LIVES. Focus on the LOVE. We have a beautiful message. A joyful message. It is meant to be shared to all the world. Everyone is needed in so great a cause.  

2nd time teaching Bible Class. SUCCESS. So much better than my first time teaching it 8 weeks or so ago. Wow. The contrast is really huge. The lesson was on Preordination/Foreordination: In the premortal spirit world, God appointed certain spirits to fulfill specific missions during their mortal lives. It does not guarantee that individuals will receive certain callings or responsibilities. Such opportunities come in this life as a result of the righteous exercise of agency, just as foreordination came as a result of righteousness in the premortal existence. Anywho, getting to expound on the books of Abraham and Moses and learn more of Christ and his divine mission as our Savior was edifying. Elena, a sweet member in our Branch said my Spanish was getting so much better. Gracias a Dios. 

Gio. Love her so much. She is a member from the Chamblee Spanish Branch that went to the temple to receive her endowment on Saturday. It was basically an incredible day. Getting to see her receive those blessings was AMAZING and the entire thing was IN SPANISH (my brain didn't hurt too bad understanding everything). Seeing her so happy warmed my soul. 

Out walking around this city, we were walking through a church parking lot that is close to our apartment. Well. The maintenance guy must not have seen us and he drove his little white truck over to the gate and locked it. So we were locked into this parking lot. We found a slightly lower than average part of the fence and hopped it. In skirts. Oh the adventures. 

So, special special special moment happened this week that I pray continues to be apart of our lives here in Chamblee. The Elders that cover the area of Sandy Springs were on MARTA (the bus/train/transportation system) and they felt prompted to talk to a woman that was on there who was heading to the airport. Her name is Lily. Turns out, she used to be taught YEARS AGO by the missionaries and then who knows what happened. She asked if missionaries could come visit her again... but in Spanish (her preferred language is Spanish). The Sandy Springs Elders sent over her address to Hermana Ewell and I. A few days later we stopped by the address. As we pulled up and parked, there were three women chatting on the steps of the apartment number of the address the Elders had given us. One woman just stood out. I don't know how to exactly describe it. We walked up and asked if there was a Lily who lived there and that same woman who had caught our eye waved and smiled at us. Talking with her, I was filled with this love. The light in her eyes. Seeker of truth right there. Wowsers. She told us she was SO HAPPY we came and that she has so many questions. We set an appointment with her for Wednesday while her kids are at school. I am so excited. She is so prepared. 

Elder RUSSELL M BALLARD of the QUORUM OF THE 12 APOSTLES came to the Atlanta Stake to SPEAK FOR STAKE CONFERENCE. CAN YOU UNDERSTAND HOW EXCITING IT WAS????????? IT WAS AWESOME. HE SHOOK MY HAND TWICE AND TOLD MY COMPANION AND I "LADIES, BE GREAT". It was incredible to hear him speak and give us counsel. His talk was basically the most incredible lesson of the Restoration of the Gospel in the history of ever. 

I pray for y'all every day and love you all! I hope your week has been filled to the brim and overflowed with goodness. 

Yo SE que Jesucristo VIVE. Y Gracias a El, podemos tambien. 

Con Amor y Muchos Abrazos,

Hermana Draper