Temple Day. Great way to celebrate the birthday!
The Fonsecas. I just love them
Birthday Dinner at the Lerdos home.
Birthday Flan
Anita Arviso. She brought the Flan to church for my birthday
Beautiful day in Katy so we had our planning session in the park.
"I am sure this is where we parked..." oops.
Waffle House
2/03/14
Hola Familia!
Thanks so much for the emails!
Already it has been a fantastic birthday. Yesterday one of my favorite members
(can I say that?) that we have been working a lot lately to reactivate showed
up to church... with a flan!! (picture included). It's a birthday miracle!
Last night we had dinner with the
Lerdo's and they made us the most delicious shrimp dinner with a surprise
birthday cake! Hermana Townsend admitted she may have dropped a hint to a few
members because tonight another less active family may or may not have a piñata.
Who would have ever thought that I would be celebrating my twentieth birthday
in the mission field?? Not me! But I could not be more grateful.
This past week has been really
great! Last Tuesday Houston decided to shut down again (no school, no
government offices, no freeways) because of ice hazards, so we had the perfect
opportunity to go out and find because everyone was toasty in their houses! We
had an especially great lesson with the missionaries sister and her daughter
about the word of wisdom and the Ten Commandments. She said that she doesn't
have any problem with them, but she said that if she did, she understands why
it would be important to change so that she could receive those promised
blessings! Also that night we had our English class. Well, we were supposed to…
but no one showed up due to ice. Turns out they canceled mutual and everything
also (it is really ridiculous). So, after waiting for a minute, we decided to
stop by the nearby HEB and see if there was anyone that we could talk to before
we headed back to our area. We prayed before that we would be able to find
someone that would be willing to give us their contact information so we could
visit them. Well we walked in and saw a nice looking Hispanic lady on the bread
isle so we casually walked up and picked up a loaf of the same type of bread
she was looking at. I asked her if she had ever tried it and she explained how
it was very good! Then she looked at my tag. Then looked again. Then lip read
"Jesucristo". Then she asked what we were up to. Well, we explained
that we were missionaries and what we do. She then asked if maybe we could come
over one day and talk with her and her family because she wants for her
daughters to learn more about God. Well. She gave us her contact information
(remember the previous prayer?) and we are just waiting to hear back. I know
that God listens to our prayers! And also, if it is the right time, he answers
them!!
We also received an awesome referral
from the English missionaries this past week. They had knocked into her and
could explain much, but said they had a message about Christ and she said they
could come back. We stopped by one night and she let us right in, we explained
a bit of our purpose and then set up a return appointment. We went back on
Saturday morning and she gathered up all her kids and we taught the first
lesson. Well, the first half of it... she talked a lot. But everything that she
said only showed us more and more of how prepared she is to receive the
restored gospel! She shared that she didn't agree with a lot of the teachings
of her current church, but it's just where she has always gone. When we
explained the apostasy, she just lit up and it made so much sense to her and
her kids. We didn't have time to go into depth about Joseph Smith because we
had another appointment, but we did explain that because we have a loving
Heavenly Father, he wouldn't leave us in the darkness (1 Nephi 13:32) and
that's why He sent us to her that day to share this message! They committed to
read the pamphlet and we have another appointment with them on Wednesday! I am
so excited. I know there are so many prepared sons and daughters of God, and He
has His perfect way of leading us to them, or them to us.
Well, I could keep going on and on,
but just know that I know that this is the work of the Lord. I know that His
biggest desire is for each and every one of His children to return to his
presence and this is why He has prepared us with such a perfect plan, with the
atonement at the center. I am so thankful that I have the privilege to share
this with people all day, every day, and I invite you all to look for opportunities
to share it too! You never know who needs to hear those comforting words.
I love you all so much! I hope you
have a very happy day! Enjoy your American desserts! (I've got the flan and
tres leches covered :)) Replace fear with faith, and say ten things you are
grateful for.
les quiero,
Hermana Draper
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