Knock Knock... Who's there?... The Missionaries!.....*no answer* <---my life

Family and Friends,

Time is honestly starting to fly by. This week was SO packed and SO busy with appointments and teaching and talking with EVERYONE. I feel as if my cup is overflowing with the goodness of God. SO many tender mercies abound and I feel absolutely spoiled.  

ZONE CONFERENCE AT THE TEMPLE!!! I was able to do the temple work for my Grandma who passed away many years ago. Wow, it was so special to just let my thoughts rest on her and how I was able to do the work for a loved one. I thought about our mutual love for playing the piano and how I wish I could've heard her play. I'm told by my dad she was quite the talented pianist. The rest of zone conference was AWESOME TOO!! Applicable techniques we can take into the field and use to better enhance our missionary work! 

We have a cute little girl named Kimberlin (she's 10 years old) on date to be baptized the 8th of July! She is so much fun to teach :) 

Wednesday had 7 appointments one after the other. Holy cow it was so busy. BUT IT WAS SO GREAT. We saw so many members and less active members. Getting to strengthen Christ's church here on the earth is a marvelous opportunity. 

For all you to get to know just how WISE my companion, Hermana Barroso is, here is a quote from her.  "God stretches out His hand towards us, He doesn't limply wave it about and wait for us to catch it. Rather He stretches it forth and asks for us to clasp and hang tightly to it as He tries to hang tightly to us." ---> reference Jacob 6:4 "And how merciful is our God unto us, for he remembereth the house of Israel, both roots and branches; and he stretches forth his hands unto them all the day long; and they are a stiffnecked and a gainsaying people; but as many as will not harden their hearts shall be saved in the kingdom of God." Ya. Ella tiene mucha sabiduria. 

HEY FOLKS I BUILT A HOUSE!!!! 

well... I helped build a house. With like 20 other people. My main responsibility was to hang out 10 feet in the air on a ladder and nail up siding. Habitat for Humanity was building a house for a lady named Kellee and a lot of us missionaries got to take part Saturday! Oh, and since my name tag says Hermana Draper (Sister Draper) people thought my first name was Hermana. That was fun. And it was neat to wear jeans for a day instead of a skirt. 

How do you quite describe the blessed feeling you get when you find out that you were the answer to someone's prayer? 

 President Thomas S. Monson said:   “The sweetest experience I know in life is to feel a prompting and act upon it and later find out that it was the fulfillment of someone’s prayer or someone’s need. And I always want the Lord to know that if He needs an errand run, Tom Monson will run that errand for Him”

Sunday night, Hermana Barroso and I had an experience just like that. As we were out knocking doors, doing our best to open our mouths and share the word of Christ with those who are prepared and willing to hear, we both felt prompted to walk toward some certain apartment complexes. We head over and no one wants to talk to us or open the door. We go to the complex next to it, and same thing for most of the doors we knock on. Then a sweet older lady (her 60th birthday was Saturday) named Ann answered the door. She looked at us with a funny look on her face and tears came to her eyes as we said we were missionaries for Christ. We went into her living room and sat down as she plopped into a seat across from us. We talked for a while about how much God loves each of us and how she is trying to find the path that Christ wants her on. Ann shared that she had sent up a prayer asking for guidance and help from God. She wanted to figure things out with her life and follow Christ. A COUPLE MINUTES LATER, we knocked on her door as representatives of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Yup. Talk about a neat experience. And talk about how happy we were that we had followed the prompting when we felt urged to head toward some complexes. 

I pray for y'all and hope that your week has been PEACHY ;) 

In the words of Elder Jefferey Holland: "Hope on. Journey On."

Con Amor, 

Hermana Draper

PS: Ok, I have become a forgetful person. I finally bought a micro SD adapter at Walmart today and.... ya I forgot to bring it with me to the library to send y'all pictures. So, sorry, but THERE WILL BE PICTURES NEXT WEEK! 

Side note: When setting goals, think about what God's goal is for you. Moses 1:39

TRANSFERSSSSSSSSSS

HEY FOLKS :) 

Another week here in GA and boy oh boy was it packed with so much! Still here in the Chamblee Area and I love it so much. The people, the sights, the food. All of it. Ups and downs, yes, but wonderful blessings abound. 

I keep getting emails about y'all finishing up school and such! WAY TO BE! Glad you survived another year in the education system :) 

There was quite a few switcheroos among all of the Spanish Areas in the mission!! Sister Ewell went to go open up a new Spanish sister area in the Shenandoah Branch (Fayetteville, Peachtree City area) with a missionary who is going home at the end of this 6 week transfer! Sister Barroso is my NEW COMPANION AND GUESS WHAT MY HUMANS???? She. Loves. Star. Wars. AND she is probs one of the best artists I know. SO EXCITED TO WORK WITH HER!!!

We had another lesson with Lily! She is the sweetest woman and has the kindest heart. She opened up to us as we talked about the gospel truth that God is our Loving Heavenly Father. Usually that point is taught along with about 5 other points, but this time we felt to just really focus on that one topic. The spirit was so strong as Lily expressed her love for her children and how everything she does is for them. We related those feelings to not even being able to imagine how much God loves us and how He has prepared a wonderful plan for us to grow and to learn. Can't wait to continue meeting with her :)

If any of you remember about Kirkland, the one who showed up to church, a friend of Branch President Madsen's, said he wanted to learn more. ANYWHO, HE IS GETTING BAPTIZED MAY 28th!!! So excited for him. The other Elders in our branch are teaching him and they say that his questions are so deep because he reads everything beforehand and researches/studies on his own. They say the lessons are just FILLED with the Spirit.  

MARIA AND ASHLEE GOT BAPTIZED!!!! First off, Sister Barroso and I showed up early to the church building to get everything set up. We found a big spider and a centipede looking bug in the baptismal font.... So being the brave missionaries we are, we "took care" of those quickly so we could sweep and mop out the font. Arranged the chairs, copied off baptism programs, and moved a piano into the room. When the Ramirez family got there, we took some pictures and the girls wanted to see how hot the water was in the font (They were terrified it was going to be cold :) 

President Foote and Sister Foote (my mission president and his wife) showed up!!! Sister Ewell and her new companion did too!!! Sister Ewell had to translate for them cuz they don't speak spanish :) Good thing the Spirit can speak in a way that all hearts understand :) The Spirit was so peaceful during the baptism program and everything went smoothly. Ashlee and Maria were all smiles.

My heart was filled with so much joy for this family. I didn't know my heart could hold in that much love! They are in no way picture perfect, but they are trying to live in a way that brings them closer to Christ. They have their faults, but so do we all. Each of us are beloved Sons and Daughters of a Heavenly Father. 

Patriarch Garcia, the elderly gentleman who baptized the girls came up to talk to me afterwards, (in spanish, so here's a loose translation) "I'm evidently not that good with math. Why I say this is because I have participated in the baptisms of many people and always feel so much joy. I have never baptized two people in one day before though always only one. It didn't occur to me how I would feel after two baptisms. It surprised me. Double the joy. Double the happiness. My heart is about to burst." My eyes started to tear up. We stood there simply soaking in the spirit that was abundantly present in the room. Double the love with Maria and Ashlee. 

Sunday was MOTHER'S DAY!!! So you want to know what that means for missionaries across the world??? WE GET TO TALK TO OUR MOMS :) And the rest of the fam, but especially our mom's on that day dedicated to the women in our lives that sacrifice so much for us. Sister Barroso and I each got some time to call and FaceTime our families. Surprise: My fam is still as weird as ever. It was SO good to FaceTime and talk with them. Josh even was there! He took a last minute trip from Colorado to surprise my Mom and get to FaceTime me!

I pray that your weeks have each gone splendidly and you are finding the tender mercies in each day. This life is much too beautiful to only life halfheartedly. 

Gracias a Jesucristo podemos progresar y llegar a ser mas como El. Yo se que esta vida es dificil por cada uno de nosotros, pero necesitamos luchar. Perseverar hast el fin. Estamos en una batalla con el diablo y con pecado. No podemos sentarnos y hacer nada mientras otras personas (nuestros hermanos y hermanas) estan perdiendo sus luchas. Es necesario que ayudemos a los demas! Podemos compartir nuestro conocimiento de Cristo en todo lugar. Somos los manos del Senor aqui en la tierra. 

Con Amor, 

Hermana Draper

I hope the Force was with you on May the 4th....

Familia y Amigos,

This email is coming to you from Dunwoody, Georgia where the weather cannot seem to make up it's mind lately! We have been getting buckets of rain dumped on us, this weird misty phenomenon, wind, sunny skies, chilly spurts, and everything in between. 

May the 4th! I drew Star Wars quotes and pictures on lots of sticky notes and stuck them above Sister Ewell's desk. She rolled her eyes and laughed :) 

WE GOT TRANSFER NEWS: I'm staying as a Spanish sister missionary in the Chamblee Branch!!!! My companion/trainer Sister Ewell is being transferred out Wednesday and I will get a new companion then! Excited/nervous to find out who my new companion will be. Either way, God's got it all figured out :) 

District meeting was given by the Elders who serve in Dunwoody. The topics were "Love as the Motivation" and "Be More Healthy". We all can love people more. The process to develop Christlike charity is a lifelong pursuit and does not come over night. It takes WORK. A lot of patience. And simply trying to see the good in others and their potential. When you look at a stranger, see them as God sees them. A child of God. Filled with divine potential :) Elder Turner's training on being healthy was pretty much a testament to the fact that I am the least healthy person on the planet. He was giving ideas for healthy meals and I am just sitting there... "Um. I eat chocolate Chex cereal. With milk." 

Maria and Ashlee are getting baptized Saturday!!!!!! OH MY HECK I AM SO EXCITED!!! We had two lessons with their family this past week and they are progressing so much, not just the two girls, but the entire family. We were able to have the parents in on the lessons and have them bear some pretty powerful testimonies and help us explain doctrinal principles. Their parents are so concerned about making sure the girls are ready, and that it is something they are choosing to do and don't feel pressured in any way. I love that family sooooo much!!!!!!!

Juana. Juana. Juana. Our dear sweet less active member who is a little bit "out there". She is HILARIOUS and always boosts my self esteem (or inflates my ego, either one) by reminding me and everyone around me how "hermosa" I am. I quite enjoy my "princesa" and "angel" nicknames :) SHE CAME TO CHURCH! Made my heart happy to see her in the congregation :)

Dianne, a member who is starting to come back to church took us out for breakfast Saturday morning to an adorable spot called Le Petit Marchet. Frenchy sounding right? AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS IS WHAT IT WAS. Gosh oh goodness I ate so much. Parmesan biscuits. French toast with bacon and eggs in the middle. Rosemary potatoes. We seriously ordered half the menu. And ate pretty much all. We only boxed a couple biscuits. Dianne has a heart of gold. She cares. So much. She is so real. Genuine. She just wants to do good in this world and enjoy life. She has blue and purple hair and it makes my heart happy :) She is pumped to get more involved in church and help bring her special flare to things :) 

Visited the Aranguren family for lunch one day and little Valentina ran out in a...... MULAN COSTUME. She started pretending to do some type of karate looking fighting while yelling in Spanish at me. My heart melted. 

I INVITE YOU ALL TO READ THIS TALK: https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/ces-devotionals/2014/01/what-is-the-blueprint-of-christs-church?lang=eng&_r=1

So amazing. It's been a part of my personal study for the past 4 days. Ya it takes a while if you go through it and read every single one of the scriptures. Or I'm just slow. BUT SO WORTH IT. 

Mother's Day is this Sunday. I invite each of you to show an extra dose of love to your mom and to the women in your life that have made an impact. I know so many women in my life who treat me as a daughter and love me for who I am. We are blessed with the best! 

I pray each of you are well! Love you all! 

Yo se que Jesucrito estara alli cuando usted lo necesite. No importa la cosa. No importa el tiempo. Jesucristo es nuestro amigo y hermano. 

Con Amor, 

Hermana Draper

Sometimes I feel useless, then I remember I breathe out carbon dioxide for plants.

Fam and Friends,

The weather is currently doing this weird thing where it is pouring rain, but also at the same time super muggy and humid. And hot. Georgia. The weather and me have a love-hate relationship here. I never do my hair anymore, the humidity just makes it a poof ball anyway. Braids for dayzzz.

I hope all is well for each of you as we enter MAY!!! Holy guacamole, it's already May. That basically means its summer. I hope for my FFA folks, conventions are going AWESOME and you are livinit up in the blue jacket! For everyone finishing up finals or school, SI SE PUEDE!! You can do it :) Hang in there.  

We had Zone Training and President interviews Tuesday! Learned loads of great things and am excited to apply them to the work. I am so grateful for a mission president who is truly inspired of God and magnifies his calling. 

Language wise: I gave a talk in church. All in Spanish. People LAUGHED AT MY JOKES. That means, they understood me. SCORE. Honestly, it is hard going from fully being able to express myself and have fun speaking in front of large groups, to having a difficult time figuring out the words and it taking a while to get across my point. But through the strength of the Lord, weak things can be made strong unto us! Ether 12:27 reads,  "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." It doesn't matter where we are at on the path. The only thing that God cares about is which direction we are heading and if we are MOVING towards Him. The pace we go is not important. Just as in life, sometimes we are capable of flat-out sprints. Other times, baby steps with a railing to hold on to is all we can manage. Christ is there every step, no matter how minuscule or wobbly. And if needs be, He will carry us. 

We got to see Lily this week! She is so open to the Gospel and loves to learn. We are so PUMPED to continue teaching her and I am super excited for our lesson on Wednesday that will be about how much God loves us :) 

We had a lesson with the Ramirez family about the Plan of Salvation! The two oldest girls, Maria and Ashlee, now HAVE A BAPTISM DATE for the 13th of May!!! We are so excited for those beautiful girls to make covenants with their Father in Heaven and take upon themselves the name of Christ. 

My odd homemaking skills came into play and I baked a couple dozen cupcakes to take to members :) There is just something soothing to the soul about whipping up a batch of yummy, unhealthy goodness and seeing people you love enjoy them. 

Saturday brought a beautiful sealing of a precious family in our Branch. The Arangurens were baptized a little over a year ago and have continued faithfully ever since. The joy of watching their adorable family walk out of the temple was priceless. Seeing the joy written all over their countenances was inspiring. This Gospel unites families for eternity :)   

I love you all. Your prayers are felt. Sigue Adelante :) 

Con Amor, 

Hermana Draper

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

Learned how to wield a sword at our Spanish Branch Easter Egg Hunt...

PEEPS!

Oh my goodness it was EASTER yesterday! I hope and pray that all of you found time to ponder on what significance the beautiful message of Christ's resurrection has for you. I love that Easter is in the springtime. I love how the landscape changes from shades of dull gray and plenty of barren trees to vibrant shades of green, full of life. The knowledge of Christ and His gospel brings new life to people. Just as winter turns into spring with the help of the sun, so do the lives transform of those who come unto the Son. Sometimes people think that since Christ walked the roads of Palestine 2000 years ago, it has nothing to do with them. It has EVERYTHING to do with each one of us. We have the same decision to make as did His disciples of old. Will we choose to follow Christ? Will we leave our nets (sins) and follow the One who is mighty to save? 

Guess who had the blessed opportunity to teach a training in District Meeting? Yours truly. I got to talk on my FAVORITE TOPIC THOUGH!!! POSITIVITY!!! So much fun to get to train on a theme that I loved sharing with FFA members across the country last year #LookUpLookOut and now to fellow missionaries!

This week we had exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders in our Zone! Super fun. Sister Hepworth went to high school with me back in Utah and it was so much fun to catch up with her! This is her last transfer before she heads back home! We went and did service at a cemetery in Decatur for part of the day. Joking about finding a dead body the whole time cuz this cemetery was a wee bit sketchy. There were about 8 missionaries and a few other ward members there helping clean up some branches and tidy up the lots. It felt good to do some heavy lifting of branches :)

During the exchange I got to help teach a lesson with Sister John-Griffith (she is from England and has the most LEGIT accent ever) to an investigator named Roy. He is a Christian gentleman and loves learning as much as he can about Christ. I noticed his bible sitting on his table and how used it was. As we were teaching the first lesson, which is focused on the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we taught about how Christ established His church 2000 years ago, with His authority and priesthood power given to His apostles, and how that exact same church has been once again restored to the earth through latter-day prophets. A church with Christ at its head and apostles, prophets, seventies, priesthood, baptism by immersion, the gift of the Holy Ghost, temples, baptism for the dead, just to name a few. The spirit was so strong in that lesson and at the end Sister John-Griffith invited him to be baptized by one having priesthood authority from God and he accepted! Such a neat experience to have not only us testifying but also a sweet slightly more elderly member from the Sister Training Leader's ward there as well. Her thoughts and inspired questions were wonderful throughout the lesson!  

Sidenote that just came to mind as I'm typing up this email: I love you all no matter your religion, faith or creed. I respect all people's beliefs and rights to worship how, where, and what they may. Our beliefs make us who we are. That being said, I share my beliefs very openly in these emails as you've probably come to find out. Please don't take offense, I share everything out of love :) 

We set up an appointment last week to meet with a referral, Isela. When we showed up for the appointment Thursday she ANSWERED THE DOOR. (I only put that in all caps because people hardly ever answer their door here in these parts). We had a simple, sweet lesson about the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how much our Heavenly Father LOVES us. She wants to grow closer to Christ and we are so PUMPED to help her progress and learn more :)

We have been working with a family who doesn't come to church that often in our Branch over the past couple months and we had dinner with them this week! During the dinner the mom brought up her 12 year old daughter Maria's desire to be baptized. Sister Ewell and I turned to Maria and she was smiling real big and nodding. We asked her what she thought and Maria expressed her desire to make that step!! Her younger sister Ashley (age 9) is considering baptism too! WE ARE SO EXCITED!!! I am so grateful for the joy that the gospel brings families. 

Saturday brought an Eater Egg Hunt at the Chamblee Church Building. My heart could barely handle the cuteness of Latino kiddos running around and tossing eggs into their baskets and sacks. Whoever hid the eggs were ruthless, I occasionally stepped on some that had been buried deep into the grass. After that hallabaloo, our branch president, President Madsen, showed us missionaries his training swords. Yes, I am talking medieval knight swords. He showed us a few moves and techniques on how to actually fight with one. Army of Helaman getting prepped LOL (Book of Mormon story about a small army of young men who went to battle and none were killed because they obeyed God's laws and remembered what their parents had taught them) link to the story : https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/53?lang=eng

We had a lesson with Stephanie Sunday night! So everyone has been mentioning the delicious food they got for Easter... I GOT REHEATED PIZZA. Beat that. Our discussion with Stephanie was so much better than any kind of food. The Spirit was so strong as we watched the Easter video (the Prince of Peace one that y'all were supposed to have watched) and then chose one of the principles to watch as well. We watched the Gratitude one and oh goodness, tears were spilling. I was touched by Stephanie's trust in the Lord and how she unfailingly relies on Him for the health and safety of her family. She is such a courageous woman. 

The sisters that live with us found a baby turtle. Named him Moroni and kept him for a day. 

I hope all those who are having FFA state conventions are embracing the nerves and excitement of competing or running for state office! Best wishes from your biggest fan out here in Atlanta!!! Buena suerte!!! Philippians 4:13

Con Amor,

Hermana Draper

Check out the Prince of Peace video on Mormon.org! SHARE IT :)

Familia y Amigos :) 

Well. There were tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings a couple days this week. Thankfully, we didn't get sucked up in a tornado or transferred to Oz.

Each week we have about 2 hours of Family History time. We go to the library and using a combination of FamilySearch.org  and Ancestry.com we have the chance to learn more about our ancestors and make sure that the temple work is being done for those who didn't have a chance to hear the Gospel and participate in saving ordinances, like baptism, here on earth. I have been finding names and linking people from censuses like crazy!! I invite you all to learn more about those who have given so much for you to be here :) 

On Wednesday when there were all the flood/tornado/thunderstorm warnings, we were stuck inside for most of the day. We had quite the entertaining time decorating Easter eggs! Sister Welch, one of the other sisters who lives with Hermana Ewell and I, drew all of us on one of the eggs and it actually turned out pretty cute! 

ZONE CONFERENCE  Oh goodness, I can't even begin to say how much I loved the multi-zone conference we had with President Foote! Because of the crazy weather warnings our zone conference combined with 5 other zones. So it was AWESOME :) I got to see a lot of familiar faces and meet the Elder Draper that everyone thinks I'm related to. Turns out, we think we are 3rd or 4th cousins. 

There are so many things that clamor for our attention. Sports, shopping, hobbies, the news, work, school, the list goes on. But it is absolutely essential for us to be focused on Christ. 100%, 24/7, simply and plainly choosing to follow and learn of Him. Our loving Savior hasn't moved on to something more important, He remains focused on us. Let's do the same. 

I was asked to play the piano for a member in our Branch whose son was getting baptized. Dathen just turned 8 and he is quite the ball of energy. It was so special getting to see him smiling so big as he chose to take upon himself the name of Christ and covenant to follow Him. He gave me the tightest hug afterwards to tell me thanks for playing the piano. Made me so happy :) 

Before church started we spent about an hour and a half going over the ENTIRE 16 page Branch roster to divide up the names of Less Active Members and unknown people so we can figure out who they are and fellowship them on their journey to come back to church. Highly productive meeting with a ton of things to do :) 

In Sacrament meeting there were so many people we didn't recognize! People had come to investigate the church and less active members had shown up! One of those who had come to learn more got up and went to the pulpit during the Testimony part of the meeting. He introduced himself and expressed his knowledge of God and his interest in learning more about the restored Gospel! Sister Ewell and I just sat there grinning from ear to ear (we were in the choir seats because I play the piano for the meeting and Sister Ewell leads the music) and the Elders sitting in the congregation were pretty excited to meet with him after too. We gave him a Book of Mormon in Spanish and English and we are excited to help him learn more!! Also, a woman who hadn't been to church in ten years showed up! Diann has blue hair and is from Guatemala---basically the sweetest human ever. We have an appointment with her later this week to get to know her and her story better. My heart was so happy throughout all of church. Hearing the sweetly bold testimonies of our dear members and feeling the Spirit testify of the truthfulness of their words as they spoke of their Savior and God's love for us. 

Stephanie Q (a less active member) finally wasn't way busy and had us over! Her little boy Bradley made faces throughout the visit and wouldn't talk to us because he had just woken up. His grumpy scowl was so cute :) The lesson with her was a review of the Restoration and hearing her conversion story was powerful. Stephanie is the sweetest :) 

Sidenote: to keep Spanish fun, because sometimes I feel totally helpless and like I will never learn this language, we do Spanish tongue twisters! If you have a random bit of time that you don't know what to do with... look up some and try em out :)

I love you all. So much. I pray for you and hope that each are doing well. 

Yo se que Jesucristo vive. Que El es mi Salvador y por medio de Su gran sacrificio expiatorio, podemos ser limpios y regresar a nuestro Padre Celestial. 

Con Amor,

Hermana Draper