"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