ELISA SE BAUTIZOOOOOOOOO

Hermana Glauser, Elisa and Hermana Draper

7/15/13

Hola Familia!! Buenos Tardes!!

WHAT AN AMAZING WEEK!! Seriously. It was so so great. It is pretty clear that one of the highlights is that Elisa is now a member of the True Church of God!!!!!! She has entered the gate to LA VIDA ETERNA!! (Eternal life…) I know that I talk a lot about her, but she seriously is the most amazing person. On Sunday when they had her introduce herself more officially in Relief Society she said "Tengo mucho fe en mi salvador, Jesucristo".. "es nada mas de la fe!". She is SO great. Man, that lady has my heart. But really, helping her prepare for Friday was the greatest experience with all of the miracles, big or small, that we saw. The service was so great, and I got the opportunity to give a talk on the gift of the Holy Ghost, and one of the quotes I really liked that I shared was from a talk from this past conference. Elder Kopiske (or something like that) said that to have the Holy Ghost with us is one of the greatest indicators of God's acceptance. Yes, I gave a talk, in Spanish! Also, it was super cool because President and Sister Pingree came, so he gave a really nice talk as well.

Besides Elisa's baptism, we also saw so many awesome miracles this last week. We have an investigator that we haven't been able to meet with for nearly a month, and the last lesson we had taught was the Word of Wisdom... so we thought this may have prevented him from wanting to continue the lessons... then we finally got to meet with him again yesterday. We asked him how he has been, keeping commitments and such and he told us he hadn't had a drink or cigarette since our last lesson!!!!!!!! Can you believe that??!! OH man. Also, we had a really awesome finding experience. We were knocking in a trailer park that we hadn't been in before, we talked to a few great people, but no one really was interested, then we knock on the door of Abel. Yeah like from the Bible! Well we start talking and he said that he and his wife have been wanting to find a church to raise their kids in, ages 7, 9, and 12. So we shared our message. He said that he remembered when he was young that the missionaries used to come over to his parents house sometimes and teach his parents. Also, he had just quit one of his jobs, because before he was working from 3 am- 10 pm.. (yes, the people we work with TRABAJA DURO). So we had stopped by his house just at the right time because he was actually home!! We are planning to stop by and visit his family this week. I am so excited!! Then, right as we left his house it started to rain... and I mean rain. I realized this is what people meant when they were talking about Houston storms. The day went from 100 degrees to rain so heavy that you couldn't see fifteen feet out.. Stuff was flying through the air... It was crazy! We were quite a distance from our car, so we hung out on the porch of a house for a while, but then decided to make a run for our car. By the time we got there, it felt like we had literally just jumped in a pool, you could wring out our clothes. Well, eventually it lightened up enough that we could drive! We went on visiting people, but you can always leave it to the hispanics to tell you the truth. We had dinner at a members house and when I gave her a hug she said "huele mojado"... basically, "you smell like wet dog"... I just thought of when Erin would always tell Scott that he had to brush his teeth and wear deodorant because no one wants to hear the gospel from a stinky missionary... ay... OH well. Another great thing this past week was zone conference! We talked a lot about obedience and faith, as always, but it was really great. Then we had a brainstorm of the adversities that we might face on a mission. People said things like discouragement, homesickness, impatience... I wasn't sure where they were going with this, but then they went on to read in Alma, and how the missionaries there received so much support, especially from the prayers that they couldn't even see, and then they surprised us with those letters from home that you sent :) It was really great, and really the point was to prove that although the mission can be so difficult sometimes, and we can only see the difficulties, there is sooo much more support to outweigh it. And it is true. We definitely can't do this work on our own, but we receive so many blessings from those who are praying for the missionaries. It is from the prayers of the faithful that miracles are wrought! So thank you thank you for the support.

Well, this Wednesday is the end of the transfer and I will be done "training"! I can't believe it. It has gone by so fast!! We really don't know what is going to happen, lots of speculations on who might be training, staying in the area, leaving, all sorts of things, but you know what, I'll go where He wants me to go! I would absolutely love to stay with Hermana Glauser, I wish I could even express how amazing she is... She is such an example to me but in addition to her outstanding faith, she is so nice and hilarious! It has been a real adventure, but you know, God will do what he knows will help us grow the best! So onward we go!

Well, I love you all so very much! Thanks for the love and support. This is an incredible work that I am so grateful to be a servant of the Lord. We just keep on keeping on. Reemplace miedo con fe! con Dios, TODO es posible!!

Les Quiero,

Hermana Draper

HOT OFF THE PRESS!!!

We received this email from Sami's Mission President on Friday evening.

Exciting news from Elisa'a baptism! Yeah!

Sent: Friday, July 12, 2013 7:22 PM
To: Suzie Draper
Subject: Sister Draper
 
Suzie,
Anne and I just left the baptismal service for Hermana Sanchez. Your daughter and Sister Glauser taught her the lessons. Your daughter gave a fantastic talk on the Holy Ghost. Please find below a picture we took five minutes ago.
Warm regards,
John

(President Pingree) 

I LOVE AMERICA!

JULY 4th

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

7/08/13

Well my dearest family, another great week en el campo misional!

This past week has been really great! We had training with President Pingree, and he is just the greatest. We talked a lot about how we have to set our goals with faith; and really how it applies with all goals, not just setting your weekly key indicators. We have to pray when setting goals so that we can come in accordance with the will of God. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and he has great things in store if we are willing to be subject to his will! And it was also the 4th of Julyyyy! I love America! It was a really great day! We did all the normal things that missionaries do, but holidays are really great to go out contacting because lots of families are together!! Also, for our dinner appointment we went over to the Hales, who are such amazing people, and had an all-American BBQ, well more or less. Mexican style hot dogs (which are super good, and believe it or not, I really have acquired a taste for jalapenos...), but all the rest was super 4th of July traditional. It was great.

We also had exchanges which are always an adventure. I stayed in the area and Hermana Rowe (the sister training leader) came and was my comp for the day! It was weird being "in charge" of the area for the day!! But next week are transfers... so who knows what is going to happen (well God knows....) but I could have to get used to that for a while..

But of course one of our main focuses this week has been with Elisa!! Getting her ready for her baptism this Friday!! She is amazing. Seriously. Her testimony is so strong and her faith in God never ceases to amaze me! She is so excited and so prepared for baptism. She has truly been a miracle, and I am so thankful that we were able to be guided to her. Her favorite phrase whenever we talk about commandments is that "es nada mas de la fe" which basically means "it is nothing more than faith". Giving up coffee, preparing to pay tithing, and various other things that are changes for her life, she is so willing to do, because she knows that obedience to the commandments of God brings so many blessings! I love her so much, and I am so, so excited for her to take this first step on the journey to la vida eterna!!

I love you all so much! Seguir adelante. Reemplace miedo con fe.. porque con Dios TODO  es posible.

les quiero muchisimo!!

Hermana Draper

Probably the best Happy Meal prize EVER!!!  He laughs just like my old ring tone!!!

#ILOVEMINIONS!

WHAT A WEEK!

7/01/13

Hola Familia! como estan??

This week. Wow. It's been really great. It is interesting because I feel like sometimes there are weeks with these themes, like we will have one principle that seems to be focused on with multiple people that we visit. Well, this week was the incredible topic of temples. This was particularly special, because this past Thursday was also our temple day! So we got to go out and do a session. It was great. And I also met Robyn Neilsen's cunyada! She works there. But temple days are just great days. You can just feel even more the love of God.

Well, one of the special experiences we had was teaching a lesson to our 'most progressing' investigator, by the way here name is Elisa. Well, we visit her usually three times a week. She has always read multiple chapters between each visit, and always has great questions, and even better commentary on what she learned from the Book of Mormon. Well, as we went through her progress record we had taught almost every principle, but the law of chastity. Well, this isn't necessarily a challenge for her, so we just wanted to focus on why it is important that we have it. And mostly, that when we are worthy, we can go to temples, and what a blessing and responsibility that is! (I promise that it flowed). Well, we started out singing the song "oh esta, todo  bien" (Come, Come ye Saints). And you could already tell that it wasn't just us at that lesson. As we talked about how loving our Heavenly Father is that even those who don't have bodies anymore, still have the opportunity to receive those saving ordinances, it just affirmed how blessed we really are that we have temples on earth! But also as we talked about the responsibility that we have to do family history to help our loved ones who are waiting on us to help them! Elisa shared a very special testimony and how grateful she was that she could help her mother. Really, I wish I could just record all the lessons that we have with her. She is so in tune, so humble, and so full of faith. I can't even express what my heart feels like when we have lessons with her, but we all know (Elisa included) that it was her antepasados that led us to her.

Well, that lesson was on Saturday, then she came to church on again on Sunday! And it was really awesome because what are the chances that the Houston Temple President and his wife spoke in sacrament meeting! Well, the Matron didn't speak Spanish so she had a translator (I have to admit it was a relief to hear English in the chapel for the first time in three months) but she told a lot about pioneer stories (Pheobee Draper Palmer Brown included! What a small Mormon world it is!) and how eternal life is to live with God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, and our families! And this is only possible with the blessings of the temple, and how they are gifts of love from God. Then the temple president spoke a lot about how temples are as important for the living as they are for the dead. How we learn there how to be the best possible people, parents, children, spouses, everything. Then, after the meeting the obispo introduced Elisa to the temple president and his wife and he said to her (in Spanish) "I look forward to seeing you in the temple someday". Well. What an experience is that for an investigator!! There were just so many little details that I wish I could include. God is truly an intricate God of miracles though.

Well, there is so much more I want to talk about!! But my time is short today, gotta run, but I love you so much! I am so grateful for this wonderful gospel. I know that this Church is true and that we have the authority from God on the earth to seal our families together for time and for all eternity. Trust in the Lord and Reemplace miedo con fe!

Les Quiero,

Hermana Draper