WAIT... I HAVE BEEN HERE FOUR WEEKS ALREADY?

11 APRIL 2013

Nothing like a new pair of shoes!

Hola Familia!!

Que pasa? tengo gozo en mi alma hoy!
I cannot believe it has been a full month already!! Time has literally flown. It's funny though, we were joking that it feels like we just got here, but we can't remember what it was like to sit on a couch and watch TV... like we have been gone for years… It was even crazier to think that I only have seventeen months left... the more I think about it, the shorter that amount of time seems. Live in the moment though! Make the absolute most out of those few months I have out here!

Well this past week has been quite the week! Conference was amazing! Yes, it was way cool in the MTC. We all watched it in the 19M Gym (where all of the devotionals are held). I'll admit, it wasn't the same as ‘church in your jammies, with Belgian waffles... but it was still pretty good :) I have never gotten so much out of a conference… Oh except for Conference last October when the course of my life changed... but it was so good! I just had never felt like there were so many talks that were directed straight to me. I just want to spew all of this stuff on you, but they limit my time on the computers :) So I guess I will just have to pick some of my favorites. Henry B. Eyring's talk from the Saturday morning session was probably my favorite talk out of everything. Exactly what I needed to hear at that moment in time... I also really liked Elaine S. Dalton's… mostly because of the phrase "What e'er thou art, act well thy part". It reminded me of the Abe Lincoln phrase (I think that is who said it) "What ever you are, be a good one". I don't know. Just if you are going to do something, do it well! And everyone is a child of God... I guess that makes more sense in my head... Okay and throughout all of Conference, I couldn't believe how many talks were about family! It’s true, the adversary knows how important families are!! I can't even express how incredibly grateful I am for the family I have. Seriously. How did I get so lucky? I just loved how in Richard G. Scott's talk he said the home is the place for love to abound; and how grateful I am to have had that. But it was great how they emphasized that if you aren't there yet, then strive for it. Because things like that don't come easily. On Saturday night the sister missionaries watched the recorded Young Women's broadcast, while the Elders were at Priesthood, and President Uchtdorf's talk was amazing! He just gave us three simples tips on how to make this journey (of life... of a mission… of anything!) a wonderful journey. 1. Don't fear- you are not alone. {reemplaze miedo con fe} 2. Love one another (the language of love is universal {even in spanish}). 3. BE OF GOOD CHEER {happiness is a destination... but it is also the path}. How great are those?? OH and obedience was another thing that was extremely emphasized. Here en la CCM the quote goes "obedience brings blessings... but EXACT obedience brings miracles".

Okay. How about that half time conference report on the band of youth?? It was like a high school reunion! And I got to see the Wahlen's... man, that was cool! I guess you all got a little view of what life is like here! It is great! Conference was great and so were both the devotionals! Sunday night they spoiled us and "Vocal Point" came. Then on Tuesday Gerald N. Lund, the famous LDS author came to speak. The thing that hit me the hardest was that we constantly pray for things "if it be Thy will"... but we never really consider that maybe they are His will, it just isn't His time yet.. I thought about the quote "God may not come when you call, but He is always on time". Just realize that God will always do things on His timetable. His will, His time, and His way. And it will all work out exactly how it is supposed to as long as we are humble and let Him lead us.
Well, I will hop off my soap box. I just felt like there was so much learned in such a short amount of time! It really is incredible how much they can pack into such a short amount of time. The language is coming. I love to speak in Spanish. My companion is the best. Life is just beautiful. La iglesia es verdadera. Dios es muy amoroso. Familias son por eternidad.
TE QUIERO,
Hermana Draper

 Hi Ho, Hi Ho..... off to the laundry we go!