August 11, 2014

Dear Family,

This week has been good :) Not to much has happened so this might be short...sorry haha. Randy went through the temple on Friday! That was super good. The presentation really was amazing I had not seen that one yet. I learned so so so much. It really made me think a lot about Korrin. She has some questions that I just wish she could go to an endowment session where all her questions would be answered. I have tried answering her questions and I think she is beginning to understand, but I just know the temple would totally help her to understand.  I have told her that when she goes to the temple things will make more sense haha. Going to Randy's endowment was the first persons I have ever gone to, so it was cool. The best part was just watching his family while they waited for him to enter the celestial room it was just so sweet. His dad and step mom were so happy and teary eyed. Randy is his dad's first child to go to the temple.

      

Yesterday was so great! Elder Russel M Nelson came and spoke at a special stake conference that happened! We got to the church at 7:30. It did not start till 9 and we still ended up on the metal chairs haha. There were so many people there. It was really cool though. It was so cool to see him on the stand, because he literally glows, he has a brightness about him, that no one else had. When he was speaking it was just great..it was not a rehearsed talk, but rather he just talked to us. There were some things that really stood out. 1st he had all the primary children stand and sing I am a child of God. Dallas and Ben were there, and they both commented on how cool that was. The spirit was so strong when those kids were singing. A little cute side note. Ben saw all the kids standing and really wanted to stand, he leaned over to me and said "What does primary mean?" I explained it was kids 12 and under and he looked so sad and just said "oh...ok" hahahaha he is just too cute! During the song, he just kept turning around so that he could see all the kids around him :) and afterward he said "well, that was cute!" haha. Dallas listened and really felt the spirit. Which was awesome cause he doesn't pay attention a lot haha. Elder Nelson talked a lot about how we need to raise our kids...I totally took notes..cause one day it will help me haha. He told everyone to read the book of mormon to your kids. That one day you will not be here and so we need to read to out kids because  it is a way for them to remember our voice and to bond with them. I thought that was really cool. He also really talked about making sure they know they are created in the image of God, that they are sons and daughters of God, they must understand this.

Ok so the 2nd thing that was really cool was he then started talking about Joseph Smith and he had all the 14 year old boys stand up. It really hit me then, how young Joseph was. I have thought about it before, and I knew how young he was, but when those kids stood up I just really felt the spirit. My testimony was strengthened. I was thinking about how honestly a 14 year old boy, no matter how brave, or cool, or sweet he was, would naturally give into peer pressure and adults telling him he did not see God. Any 14 year old boy would deny or not be able to handle all the persecution and peer pressure, unless it was true and he saw God. Which was a testimony to me that Joseph SAW God and just like he says in Joseph Smith History and in his testimony, He saw God and he could not Deny it. He was preordained for that, he was prepared for this in the preexistence also. Joseph Smith is a prophet of God!

     

3rd thing Elder Nelson talked about how the translators they have at the church, that have had every training, and have several degrees and are some of the best in the world, translate about on average only a page a day. But Joseph translated 8-10 a day. Which is another testimony that God was helping him. :)

      4th he talked about dispensations and how ours is different, it will not end in apostasy, but rather the Savior will return. Our dispensation will not be limited to location like past dispensations, but rather the gospel will be spread throughout the world! We have technology to share, and we have over 80,000 missionaries. But he made sure to tell us, that we need more. That there are members in every country of the world now, and so we need more missionaries. Some of the biggest countries are not open to missionaries yet and so we must now prepare and learn languages, to prepare us for missions.

Ok the last really cool thing is that he left a blessing on the congregation. He blessed them with health and healing because he sensed there was illness among us. He also blessed us with a couple other things..but I can't remember what they are..I took notes though.

     

After the meeting ended we waited a while so everyone could shake his hand, and at the end we shook his hand. Dallas was talking to me when I was able to shake his hand, and my mind was going 5 places at once, and so I really did not get to say anything..I asked how he was haha. He is good, if ya'll are wondering...bahahahaha. One day I will shake his hand again haha. He was so sweet and just glowing, I did not want to let go haha. Dallas shook his hand he did not really understand how big of a deal this was. Elder Nelson told him "I think you will be a hundred percent" referring to his injured arm. So Dallas just got told by an apostle he would be ok...that was so cool! Then Natasha shook his hand and she told him she just got baptized. He was so cute! He turned around and told President Zaugg the stake president saying" She just got baptized!" and he was all excited. It was so sweet :) I heard Ben shook his hand also, but he went ahead of all of us with Randy. Randy said that Elder Nelson told Ben how much he loved him. It meant so much to Ben. He wanted to get in line again haha. Ben is so sweet. I am so thankful that Elder Nelson was able to tell him he loved him, as well as to shake everyone's hand, that was very cool :) I can't even explain how happy I am that we were able to see Elder Nelson.  :) It was just amazing!

       

Last night we met a less active, totally not even who we were trying to find, but it was perfect. We went to meet another Less active and found his roommate instead. It was awesome we just sat and read Ether 12 with him and he loved it. We got an appointment for next week also. He was telling us about him and it was really awesome! He wants to come to church but he works every Sunday. We asked him if he read out of the Book of Mormon ever. He said every night. Then he went off about how he reads from Moroni every night because that is his favorite. Which showed me he really does read! Which was super cool :) It was definitely from God that we met him :) last week was really good :) Hopefully this week will be also :) I am starting to get worried about transfers. But I am trying to accept I will go where the Lord needs me, or maybe I will even stay cause he needs me here haha. Either way I want to be where he wants and needs me :)

    
I love you all have a great week! Ps Happy birthday jessica!!!! Love, Andrea / Sister Draudt