With the Pingrees
ADIOS! Hemrana Townsend
My artsy Blue Bonnet shot
4/14/14
Hola Familia!
Well... I truly believe this has
been the fastest three weeks of my life... I've gone from Westgreen to Waller
to Aldine and training... and now my baby is off to Mexico already!! I will be
getting a new companion later today. Through all the madness, it has just been
non-stop miracles and this past week was no exception!
So our dear friend, the one that
came to conference? Well he is just progressing like crazy! You can already see
a new light in him, a new hope in his eyes! He is so happy, and he is
"hungry" as he explains to us to keep feeling this feeling. This past
week we had two awesome lessons with him, unfortunately for both of them our
member cancelled on us just before, so we had to teach out on the porch, but
the spirit was still so strong. One of the lessons we taught the Plan of
Salvation, and like I've said a
million times, it's my favorite to teach because it just gives everything
purpose!! He said that he no longer has a desire to drink, and he is looking
for a new place to live to separate himself from his current environment. He
just wants a fresh start following our Savior Jesus Christ because he knows
that's the only way he is ever going to be TRULY happy. He is still super
excited about preparing for baptism! Also this week we were on exchanges with
the sister training leader, which did I mention is Hermana Miller, my other
daughter?? Well it was super fun to be with her and we had a crazy day full of
miracles! All of our appointments fell through for the morning, so we were just
walking through an apartment complex to see if there was anyone outside to talk
to. Then we turned left and a door caught both of our eyes. We decided to knock
it and the lady let us right in. We taught the restoration and she accepted a
baptismal date! It all just flowed and at the end we asked why she even let us
in and she said it was like God was knocking on her door. Wow. He is truly
preparing the hearts of His children! Then as we left her house we ran into a
guy who seemed quite frazzeled, and we asked him something about if he believed
that Christ could help him in any situation. He ended up opening up about a lot
of time that he spent in jail and how he really started believing in Christ and
how much happier he was, but then he left and got back in with the same crowd
and everything has gone down from there. We talked with him a lot about the
Atonement and he said he really wanted to learn more, he is American so we
referred him to the Elders, and when they visited with him they said it was one
of the most powerful lessons they had had. The Atonement is so real. Christ
always has his arms of mercy extended; he is just waiting anxiously for us to
take hold of them! Then later that day we had a perfect example of why it is
sooo important that the members and the missionaries work together!! So a few
weeks ago one our members brought her neighbor to church, we got her
information and set up an appointment. When we went she wasn't there, but her
sister was who was baptized nearly twenty years ago, but wants to come back!
Well we set up another appointment and this time brought the member along with
us. As we were waiting out front for the member, she stopped to talk to one of
her other neighbors and waved us over to introduce us. We stated our purpose
and shared a bit about the Book of Mormon and they seemed really interested,
and we set up a time to go back! Then we had an awesome lesson on the purpose
of the Book of Mormon and how it testifies of Jesus Christ. We read together in
Mosiah 3 and it was so amazing to see how these women have always
"believed" in Jesus Christ, but as we really read about the Atonement
and how through His grace we can find true peace was really beautiful.
Sorry this email just seems a bit
boring and all over the place. But this week was amazing. Oh, and I also got to
speak in sacrament meeting yesterday! Bishop called me on Saturday and said
their speaker just decided to go out of town... so let's call the missionaries!
Well at least I got a heads up! The talk was on humility and it connected so
nicely to my studies lately on sacrifice!
With Easter coming up I have been
studying a bit about the feast of the passover and all of the symbolism,
because interestingly enough "easter" is used because
"eastre" is the pagan goddess of spring and with time the two
holidays merged... but in Spanish they say "pascua" which means
passover. Well we know that every sacrifice that they offered before was
symbolic of Christ's ultimate and perfect sacrifice. But then what is it that
we sacrifice now to show our gratitude? "And ye shall offer up unto
me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings
shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt
offerings. And ye shall offer for a asacrifice unto me a broken heart and a
contrite spirit." (3 Nephi 9:19-20) So now we don't offer up our perfect,
firstborn sheep, but we sacrifice our heart; our will, our desires. We
humble ourselves. So with that and this up coming week, remember why we
celebrate Easter. Remember the Atonement of our Savior. Remember that with the
enabling power of the Atonement we can literally do anything.
I love you all so much! Have a
wonderful week! You better enjoy the egg hunts this year, because next year I'm
going to reign again :)
REPLACE FEAR WITH FAITH!!
las quiero demasiado,
Hermana Draper
The Katy Prayer Room, right next to the liquor store... oh, Texas!
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