April 3, 2013 Sister Downs writing here. It's hard to believe we are starting the 8th month of our mission!  The weather is beginning to warm up already and I think we can say that it was actually hot today.  We are trying really hard to remember to bring our water bottles when we go out visiting.  We have gone through a lot of water bottles and have finally found a brand that stays cool all day.  It's called a "bubba" and works great.  We had a wonderful Easter holiday!  This is the first time since the Wises' have moved to CA that we have got to celebrate Easter with them.  Our mission would be extremely more challenging if we didn't get to see their family every 4-6 weeks.  Saturday night we went to the Oakland Temple grounds (which is called Temple Hill) where Amy's stake center is located and had the privilege of listening to an incredible Easter oratorio called "The Lamb of God", composed by Rob Gardner from Mesa, AZ.  There are not words to express the beauty of the music and the power of the spirit that was present.  It was performed by an interfaith choir and orchestra that do many  joint projects in the area.  It was also presented at a cathedral in Oakland as well as San Francisco.  The music touched my spirit so deeply.  I wanted to run to the stage, put on the right dress and sing my heart out with them.  The Easter message is such a message of hope, love and sacrifice.  As a mother, I cannot imagine Mary's pain at seeing her son so mistreated and abused.  I remember when our oldest son would be mocked because of his handicap how it would pain me and I could only hope and pray that those experiences would make him a stronger person.  I do believe that he did become stronger because of those experiences. We participated in a wonderful Sacrament meeting in Amy's ward with great talks and beautiful music.  We took our DVD of the church's "Lamb of God" and watched it with the older kids to help them understand Easter in a more meaningful way.  Of course the Easter Bunny did come and we also has great fun coloring eggs.  Sophie and cousin Emma made a darling Easter cake that we really enjoyed eating. How grateful I am to know of the great sacrifice that our Savior made for me and to understand the power of the Atonement.  The Atonement is one of those doctrines that you understand more and more as you grow spiritually.  In my Sunday School class we have been spending a whole month studying each of the various doctrines that we believe.  It was the Plan of Salvation, the Godhead, and we just finished the Atonement.  Most of my students have been members of the church for less than 3 years so my challenge has been to simplify these doctrines enough for them to get a good understanding and yet teach them how to apply these to their lives.  I only had 2 people come to my "Daily Dose" class tonight but we had a wonderful time.  This is a husband and wife who I have mentioned before.  I love them dearly.  The wife went to an English speaking high school in the Marshall Islands so has a good grasp on basic English.  The husband really struggles but tries harder than anyone I know.  We didn't do the regular lesson but pulled out scriptures and started reading, stopping to pronounce hard words and talk about what the words mean.  There was no one else in the room so the husband was not afraid of making mistakes.  It was a pure delight!!  If I accomplish nothing more than helping this good man feel confident in the English language so that he can become a leader within the church, I will feel that I have been richly blessed and my time well spent.  But, even if he doesn't progress as I hope, it will still be time well spent!!!!!  I am going to try hard to maintain that sweet spirit that I felt at the oratorio and be more consistent in remembering what the Savior has done for us all.