I can't think of anything to put here....

Familia y Amigos,

Hmmm... if any one has tips on dying hair please let me know. We are experimenting on Hna De La Rosa's hair... Ya probably not the smartest idea to have me do it but... salons are expensive! Prayers needed. 

What a week! Lots of running all over Marietta and Mableton area and enjoying every minute :) 

Families are so important and Edith loved that we focus so much on them! We shared with her the Family: A Proclamation to the World and she agreed on every point! We are so excited to go back to teach her the Plan of Salvation and we have Sister Smith who is a doll to go as the team up with us :) 

Maria and the kiddos :) I just love them. So much. And they came to sports night!! Isaee ran up to me as they walked in (I was goalie at the time) and jumped up and wrapped his arms around my neck and wrapped his legs around my waist to give me his signature hug attack :) Cutest little kid ever and thought he was going to get hit by the soccer ball that came flying at us. But thankfully my blocking skills are slowing improving. 

ZONE CONFERENCE!! Learned amongst many of my fellow missionaries and got to see friends that have since moved to other areas! The coolest part is when we sorta re-enacted a Book of Mormon story when they buried the weapons of war. We wrote down what is holding us back from being more consecrated missionaries on a piece of paper that had a picture of a sword on it. I wrote impatience. Lol. Whoever knows me knows that I am a very impatient person and I like to see things happening fast. But I know that God's timing is the best timing and in that I must trust. So I wrote that down and a couple other things and we went outside and buried all our papers in a hole. It was neat :) 

Maria (the Maria who has a baptismal date) was feeling a little worried about some immigration issues, her working visa will expire in January so she is struggling to figure out what to do. The Elders came by to give her a blessing of comfort and the Spirit was strong! Everyone was either sniffling or crying. After they left, we talked to Maria and she is now getting baptized (fingers crossed and praying hard) October 7th! It is making us run to get in the rest of the lessons, but we feel that it is right! She really needs the help and guidance that comes from having the gift of the Holy Ghost! 

We had Women's Conference in Brockett! Maria drove us over to help us save on miles :) We love that lady so much :) Women's Conference was inspiring and so beautiful! The Atlanta Stake put on a nice night of soup and musical numbers. I loved seeing a few people from Chamblee!! Lots of hugs :) 

We brought Lolita to teach Aracely about patriarchal blessings and she really wants one! Aracely is doing well progressing through the 12 steps of overcoming addictions. She even came to church for Sacrament Meeting!!!

The Primary kids are now getting used to treats and being bribed. But they still do what I say ;) Yesterday was double chocolate cookies and a bag of carrots to give their mothers peace of mind. 

Special moment last night and evidence that God works in His wonderful ways. Our appointment with Maria canceled since she was at a baby shower so we went instead to visit Nancy, a less active member in the same area. Lolita was with us and we crossed paths with Nancy as she was walking inside to the apartment from her car. The lesson we had with her was so full of the Spirit. We read and discussed a chapter in the Book of Mormon and she expressed her feelings. She said that she has been feeling empty lately and she knows it is because she isn't doing things right. She told us that she loved having us there because she could feel the sweet stirrings of the Spirit again. Lolita shared with her about a time in her life when she went less active and what helped her come back to church. Exactly what Nancy needed :) God is mindful of His children, I testify of that.

Today, there were plans to go to the zoo. Then that didn't happen. Sooo... we went to hobby lobby and found posters with lions. 

I love you all and hope life is unfolding beautifully for each of you. That you are looking in each day for the ways God has manifested Himself to you and shown you that He is mindful of you :) I am blessed beyond measure to be out here in the Peach State and can't wait to see what miracles this week holds :) 

Con Amor, 

Hermana Draper

"Hna Draper, what happened to my birthday cake? There is a hole in it."

Buenos dias :)

HEYYYYYYYYY

Hurricane didn't hit us that bad, just some power outages and a few fallen trees. We were instructed to stay inside, but started going stir crazy. The Elders called to ask us to stop by their apartment and grab a thumbdrive they had forgotten before leaving to go play basketball at the church. So we headed over to their apartment with a few things.... We may or may not have dyed their milk different colors, decorated with toilet paper, and written "Ministry of Magic This Way" above their toilet. And a few other things. We did end up eventually picking up the thumbdrive and delivering it at the church too. We played some volley ball with them to pass the time. Once it started to rain a little harder outside Hna De La Rosa and I headed back to our apartment. I spent 4 hours on our map. It now looks beautiful. With every member and less active and apartment complex and key points pinned with different colors and labeled. Ya. Perfectionist problems. 

So all in all, Irma didn't hurt us too bad thankfully. Blessings :) Thanks for the prayers!!!

Been doing a lot of knocking with not much luck, but that's ok, we still enjoy ourselves and the reactions we get when people answer the door :) 

Aracely is slowlying overcoming smoking! Step by step. We have been helping her process through what situations tempt her to smoke and how she can counteract them. Lately she has been painting her house, so with that to keep her busy she has been doing great! 

Missionary Leadership Conference! Ya, Sis De La Rosa and I are still Sister Training Leaders! The conference was great and it was so good to see dear other missionaries who are in different areas. Something that Sister Foote shared about the sacrament really touched my heart. She was telling us about the symbolism behind why we use broken bread for the sacrament. Instead of identical wafers, a loaf of bread is broken into pieces in front of us as we sing hymns. Each and every piece is different. Just as we are. We all have been hurt, we all have sinned, each and every one of us are struggling in unique ways. We have specific needs and different vices. But the Atonement of Jesus Christ heals all wounds, all sorrows, all pains. It is individual. Our Lord and Savior sacrifice and suffered for you and for me and for all of us. 

Just as the Savior loves us uniquely, we must also minister in the same manner. We must strive to teach, serve and to lift one by one as Christ did and does. 

We were trying to find some former investigators with addresses from some old teaching records and ran into a guy that the Sisters had met a few months ago! His name is Steven and he is from DALLAS TEXAS!!! The wonderful place of my birth. We bonded. His brother even knew where Farmers Branch was!! We passed his info along to the English Elders and they called him that night. The next day we got a text the next day saying "Steven is on date" He's getting baptized in a few weeks!!! Miracles. 

Lolita and Yadif got in a pretty bad car accident that was caused by another car crossing the median and hitting them. Yadif got some staples in the back of his head and a black eye, Lolita has some fractured ribs. We called the Elders as soon as we found out and they came to give them a blessing. 

Maria and the kiddos!! Another fun lesson with them about the commandments :) Finally met her husband Diego, he is reallllyyyyy shy. 

A really special moment in my mission happened Saturday afternoon. I was able to Facetime a dear friend of mine that got baptized later that day. (My mission president is that best and gave permission) My heart was SO happy to see her dressed in white and willing to take upon her the name of Christ. We also got to talk on the phone that night and boy have I missed her!! God works in marvelous ways my friends :) 

So, there was a fiesta. Everyone brought food from their country... so of course, I stuck a tiny pizza in the oven and brought that. Merica! They had a program and it was SOOOO cute to see the kids doing dances from their home countries and the parents as well. Us missionaries did the Macarena to a church parody of Despacito. We do what we can. Maria came to the fiesta too!!!! 

Lizbeth, Ricky and Linzy CAME TO CHURCH! Lizbeth hasn't had a full Sunday off of work in who knows how long, but she did Sunday! She finally got to stay for all 3 hours of church and she LOVED it. Sis De La Rosa sat with her during Sunday School and Relief Society and told me about a comment that Lizbeth had made about tithing (that was the topic in Gospel Principles). She had said that there is something that keeps drawing her to the church and she already has a testimony of tithing! After church was over Lizbeth came up to me with open arms (I had been playing the organ for Sacrament Meeting and then in the youth class and then in primary and hadnt had the chance to say hi yet) and said "Mi Hermana Cortinas!!" Sidenote: my last name. Spanish speakers can't say it right so most just opt for Cortinas... which is curtains (get it, drapes?) in Spanish. I asked her how she liked church and she looked me in the eye and said "It's just what I've been looking for." I felt such happiness and hugged her again. She is slowly traveling along the right path, Christ's path. She is finding more light and growing closer to her Savior. 

Also about church, I have become the unofficial Primary music person. I never realized how hard it is to control 10 kids under the age of 12 and to attempt to teach them to sing songs. I must admit, I have resorted to bribing. Cupcakes tend to do the trick. 

Found a cool lady named Maribel who was dying her hair bright pink when she answered the door. Her hands were blue and so I asked about that. "The blue dye didn't stay in, so I'm doing pink." Way to be you girl. 

SUNDAY WAS HERMANA DE LA ROSA's BIRTHDAY. She is a whopping 21 years old. In the morning I read her as many scriptures as I could about growing older, waxing old with age, gray hair. This morning she opened the fridge and asked, "Hna Draper, what happened to my birthday cake? There is a hole in it." She told me she at first thought it had been a rat or something but then figured it couldn't have been, it was in a plastic box in the fridge... "I was hungry. It's chocolate." 

Yo se que esta vida es un poco dificil a veces, pero valdra la pena. Tenemos que ser firmes y fieles en la fe y podemos hacerlo por medio de la expiacion de nuestro Salvador. El nos ama y quiere que cambiemos :) 

Con Amor,

Hermana Draper

Sarah posing with letters and pics from the Corinne 2nd Ward Primary

"Wow. That's a lot of sunshine." ---Isaee

Familia y Amigos,

Oh goodness, weird emailing on a Tuesday! I hope everyone's Labor Day was enjoyed to the max and it was relaxing/refreshing for all :) 

My people update:

Carmen and Pancho. Oh gosh, Pancho is really starting to open up to us (he is 7 years old) and when we taught him the 10 Commandments HE LOVED IT. We showed him how to remember them using his fingers and he kept going through them over and over again cuz he was having so much fun :) Carmen is a different story, we don't quite know where teaching her will go. She is at the point now where she really needs to start coming to church or they will not progress. 

ARACELY is doing so good with trying to overcome smoking! She is hangin in there and has been working through the 12 Step addiction recovery program that the Church adapted from the AA 12 Steps. She is so funny though as she fills out the question and answer portions, but so honest and it's wonderful to see her truly trying to kick the habit. 

Well friends. Let me tell you about Sonia. Lol. She is a hoot. We found her as we were trying to find a less active and she had the same exact address (turns out the less active lived on the opposite side of the complex). She invited us back! Wasn't there at her return apt. But we stopped by a different day and she let us right in :) She talked to us about how her entire family back in Mexico got baptized when she was 12 except for her, cuz she didn't like the Elders who were teaching her family. Well, she has decided now that "God is with the Mormons" and we have been having so much fun teaching this lady! And she cooks Ah-mazing. SO good. We watched the 20 minute Restoration video and she told us, "My old church never told me that Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ! It makes so much more sense!" We like this human. 

Maria and the kiddos!! Can I just say, how GOOD it feels to knock on a door and inside you hear "It's the missionaries! YAY!" and you are greeted with HUGE hugs from all of the children?? Ya, so wonderful. They are all progressing so fast and taking it all in :) Just the bump in the road of a hard shelled boyfriend of Maria (haven't met him yet, though Maria says he is hardshelled). We are going to try to meet with him and see if he will let the Spirit soften his heart at all. The subject line of this email came from something Isaee said as we were watching The Testaments movie about the people who were here in the Americas when Christ came and visited them. At the part in the movie where Christ comes down from heaven in this bright ray of light Isaee shouted "Wow!!! That's a lot of sunshine!!" It brought a smile to my face :) 

Lizbeth. Loved church. She enjoyed the hymns the most :) She started singing like an opera singer in one of our lessons while Sis De La Rosa and I were singing "The Lord is my Light". She wants to come to church this week again!!! The kids are doing so well in school too :)

We had a wonderful time a) eating carne asada and b) reading a chapter in the Book of Mormon with Rosa Isela, a less active member. She has some thoughtful comments and we are looking forward to seeing how the power that comes from reading the Book of Mormon will bless her life :) 

Yadif wants to get baptized :) Just gotta get the permission from his mom! 

Maria (different Maria) finally was there at an appointment! We had a very spiritual lesson as we watched the Treasures in Heaven: The John Tanner Story video and talked about the sacrifices we make. She has sorta hit stagnant in the progress realm of things, and we are trying to get her moving along again. She still loves everything, it's just she works Sundays and it's hard for her to move forward. 

TEMPLE WITH JONY!!! We went with Hno Montenegro, Lolita and Jony :) Such a sweet experience seeing that boy in white once again doing the work for those who have gone on before. He said he felt such peace, very similar to that during his baptism. Baptisms and other ordinances for the dead are just evidence that Heavenly Father is perfectly just and merciful. The same yesterday, today, and forever. 

I love this scripture in the Book of Mormon:
Words of Mormon Chapter 9:9-10, 18-21
9 For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing?
10 And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles.
18 And who shall say that Jesus Christ did not do many mighty miracles? And there were many mighty miracles wrought by the hands of the apostles.
19 And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.
20 And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust.
21 Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth.

Super powerful huh? Also another AWESOME talk that all should read 

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/the-book-of-mormon-a-book-from-god?lang=eng

I am meeting such wonderful people each day and I love this work I am about. I love the culture, almost as much as I love the food :) Watching people light up as the Spirit touches their hearts and enlightens their understanding is beautiful to behold. 

We have also been helping Juan Carlos and Jonathan with role plays to get them prepped for serving missions themselves! Juan Carlos plans on leaving about in January, so we are trying to break his habit of giving long winded explanations on everything and helping him learn to teach simply :) 

Thank you for all the prayers. I love you all dearly and hope you have a wonderful rest of your week!!!

Con Amor, 

Hermana Draper