This week has been AMAZING to say the least! First off its about 70ish degrees everyday!!!!! Be jealous :) We actually went to the beach today and took awesome pictures which I will try to attach!

The snow sounds SOOOOOOOOO cold. But I do miss it. It really doesn't feel like Christmas without it, but that is actually a good thing because it is a lot harder to get home sick that way. But I want to see lots of pictures! Looking at pictures is so much fun and then I can show Sis Snow the people that I talk about so much!

So this week... Tuesday to be exact we were teaching a guy named Daniel the Restoration. (Dan is in his 40's. He lives with a kinda less active and likes his beer. He is kind of socially aquard because he has some kind of minor disability. But he is awesome!!!) He had been to church the Sunday before and in priests he learned about the Priesthood. He LOVED it and was telling us all that he learned. You could see how much he loved what he was learning and how he wanted to be able to hold the Priesthood. AMAZING! This made us so happy. He Loved learning about Joseph Smith and so we got him a triple combo so he could have the D & C! This made him so happy. So during our Tuesday lesson we obviously talked about Christ and the example that he set for all of us. So at the end of the lesson we invited him to be baptized, like we are suppose to do. AND HE SAID YES!!!!!!! Not only that but he was excited about it! The other cool part was that I got to be the one to invite him to be baptized!!! This was my first time doing it for real! The spirit in the room was insane! We have him working toward the 11th of Jan to be baptized!!!! That will be the week before transfers! I really hope that he sticks to his commitments so that he can make this date! That would be my first baptism!!

Studying the scriptures is my FAVORITE thing. I never have enough time to read and study as I want. It has come to the point that I read as I dry my hair, eat, and any other time I can squeeze it in. I am learning amazing things everyday as I read and I want to be able to share them all with you but that would take FOREVER!! There is one scripture that I really liked. It is in John 15:5 it says, "I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: FOR WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO NOTHING." With out him in our lives we really can do nothing. As a missionary this applies more then ever. We sully rely on our father in heaven and his spirit to guide us, teach us, and testify to the people we teach of the truthfulness of the words. So without him there would be no point.

Christmas is at hand. I invite all of you to take some time on Christmas and Christmas eve to really pray to our Heavenly Father and thank him for all he has given you. We live in a free country because men and women give their lives. We have a house to live in and food to eat. Presents under a tree and family all around. But most of all we have a Savior who suffered, died, and was resurrected for us. He was born in the most humbling circumstances, and died in the most painful. He will come again in more glory then we can imagine. On Christmas take some time and set a spiritual goal for the next year. Something that you will be able to accomplish, but that will stretch you and bring you closer to your Heavenly Father. Pray for those who are without the gospel. Pray for softened hearts for yourselves and for others.

In 3 Nephi chapter one we read the Christmas story from America. Nephi is really worried for his people because if the sign of Christ birth is not shown that night his people are going to be killed. He is crying to the Lord for his people and this is what he gets, vs 13: "Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold the time is at hand and on this night shall the sign be given and on the morrow come I into the world to show unto the world that I will fulfill all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets." He is told the he does not need to worry because Christ will be born. This gift saved his people. Vs 15: "And it came to pass that the words which came unto Nephi were fulfilled, according as they had been spoken; for behold at the going down of the sun there was no darkness..." In Christ there can be no darkness. If we are ever in darkness it is because we put ourselves there. Christ is the source of light that we need to trust, strive for, and SEEK. He is the LIGHT the LIFE and the HOPE of the world. We need to HARKEN unto him. (Harken is to listen and then ACT. Just like faith we have to believe and then ACT.)

I love you all and hope that you have a very Merry CHRISmas. Follow that start and light and you will find true joy in life.

Love Sister Draney

P.S. I want more snail mail and MORE PICTURES! Yes from you all!! If you get this email that means you too! And No mom Pam is wrong. They forward it to my apartment! Sis Snow and I look like little kids on Christmas as we go and check the mail box every night! 

Snail mail = ME SMILE!!!!!!!!!