We wear pink on Wednesdays

I'm thinking pink! Elder Johnson and I wear pink every Wednesday.

The Big letter for this week

Dear Family and Friends, other interested parties are advised to stop here

I had an interesting week it went from great to okay to Hell 

It began when we got home from P-day stuff the DL (District Leader) was like "I want to start exchanges now" and I was like "what?" and yep so I was put with the DL's comp who is okay. He really doesn't like to work, he really just sits around and doesn't have great motivation. He really didn't want to study with me, just do his own things and that is good but he just made really annoying comments. Then when tracting, he didn't want us to stop and talk to people because he didn't want to bother them. Well I forced him to on one and it turned out this person was a Transvestite/Transgender thing and it looked like a woman, but you know it was simply weird. I taught and bore my testimony beautifully and I could feel the spirit telling me "great job you are speaking the truth you just rocked that" and then she/it was like "no I don't believe that". I was like "what?" and basically the spirit was like "it's her choice buddy don't worry about it we did what we could". So I am going to pass her as a referral on to the English Elders and say Good Luck. This actually was a really good thing because we were able to actually find a former investigator because of this other meeting, because if we had not talked to it we would not have found him because he didn't get home until five minutes before we knocked on the door. So God guided us in that effort, what looked like a dead end was really only a door. So we found some great potentials for English Elders but the real work of my area nothing got done. Well then we had zone conference on Wednesday and that was good and I really enjoyed it and I love the mission mom, Sister Weston, because she is super nice and fun. Well it was really nice because I was back with Elder Johnson. We didn't teach anyone that day. 

Thursday we worked and we had very little success as usual, because it is a hard area because you have to track people down and they are not always home and the area has been up and down, existing then not, because of odd transfers and so we don't have a lot of traction. 

Friday we did service for a LA (less active member) and that was awesome and exhausting then I went on exchanges but really just splits with the ZL (Zone Leader) and that was okay. He does not like me because I don't get along with the DL and his comp well. He chewed me out for giving them a correction the night before and I was not appropriate in how I went about it, but I didn't say anything wrong. I could tell he was, "doing his job." to the letter of the law but the spirit was missing. I don't trust him and really like him unfortunately. He said some other things to me which are down right rude, blunt, and shallow, and narrow minded, and it sounded exactly like talking to my DL. So he cares more about appeasing his friends than appeasing God. I really didn't like it because I humbled myself but he quite nearly killed my missionary spirit. Luckily my comp is silently on my side and he defended me from the other ZL and the DL and his comp so I still have a friend though pretty much I made enemies, which is hard but I will be okay I am doing my best, and I vaguely addressed it in my letter to president. 

Love Logan

--
Sincerely,
Elder Logan Joseph Draper

My first week in Nebraska

Me with my mission president and his wife, President & Sister Weston

Studying with my companion, and trainer, Elder Johnson

Now we are studying (look down, look down don't look him in the eye, oh wait I'm studying :)

Here is the living room of my first apartment

More of the living room

Onto the kitchen, a bit blurry and messy

Lastly, my bedroom. I think you can tell which bed is mine.

My first full week

Dear Family and Friends

        This week has been great I can't give the best run down because I forgot my journal but I will do the best I can. Well we have a couple more pretty solid investigators now. Though it was an interesting process of finding them, the first is Angel he isn't new but I think we might be able to make some progress with him. Second is we have two ladies named Leti and Maria and we teach them in their dress shop/women's apparel shop, basically if a girl wears it it is on a manikin, so ya it is definitely the most interesting teaching environment I have ever been in because they have people coming and going and my comp and I are the only two guys in the shop. So it is definitely an interesting experience to say the least, however it helps to have the companionship of the spirit because when we are focusing on the investigators we have super powerful moments and we have been able to give them both baptismal commitments but we still have work to do and luckily my greenie fire is paying off, though Johnson thinks it is just me and not necessarily the fact that I am a greenie. We are working with a man named David but he has been hard to catch at home, but we have had the opportunity to talk with his son and he has two sons who are old enough to be baptized and this is super cool because it went from having one investigator to having 3. And it really is cool because we know a family that has kids about their same age, so we will be able to help fellowship them into the ward nicely. And we have Saturday night soccer which is really fun and important, because our ward struggles with unity and so we are helping, as missionaries, to build ward unity and to be unified with the ward. And I love the members they are so awesome and we are seeing some amazing miracles that really are rather simple. So next investigator is a man named Rigo and it is funny because when we tried to contact him earlier it is when we bumped into that preacher. Well we tried to contact another potential and his friends answered the door and were like ya he left ten minutes ago which was weird to them because he never leaves at that time and we had no one left to try but Rigo and it wasn't quite time to go home and we both felt lets go see Rigo. Well we pull up and we talk to the man outside and he is Rigo's roommate and it just so happens Rigo is there and we teach him and we discover Thursdays are the ONLY day we can teach him and if our other potential had been home it wouldn't have worked out. And wow it was so cool to see the Lord's hand in that because it simply would never would have worked for us to ever find him but we also are next lesson going to hopefully teach his roommate as well. So that is super cool because we have more investigators and which means more things for us to do, and we also have less actives so now we can focus less on finding and more on finding while we teach and teaching when we find and not trying to knock doors all day which we practically have done and ya. In general things are going well, my mission funds card has not been working so I have been using my debit card. So it should be working now, which I am super excited about, I just feel bad about how often I had to call the mission office and talk with Elder Nelson. So I can't think of much else, oh we got a reference from an English member in Council Bluffs for this man who was super prepared and asking for the missionaries and super humble and prepared and "golden", he is not the "Golden," he sounded like. However, we are going to see if we can work with him because he has great questions he just doesn't sound super interested, but I'm sure we can change that. That is the summary of my week. We did have one other thing, Zone Training, it isn't bad it was rather interesting but one thing that sucked is: one of the Elders in my district, who we do lots of carpooling with because they only have 550 miles these three weeks instead of 700 so we have had to help them. Well he got us with some other elders in another zone and got us free lunch at Golden Coral and that was really nice, except we can't leave until he wants to leave and we lost track of time and if we had left when we said lets go we could have made it but being a butt he didn't leave with any haste and we missed it and so whenever they say exact obedience it will be that way and we are not going to let him mess us over with dinner appointments because every time we are with him he messes us over with being a sack. He is always you better be early so we get to this on time then he is always the one late. But I am working on loving him and encouraging him to do better, but unfortunately I am fighting a battle practically on my own my companion supports me but he values the other elder's friendship. I can't judge him because I don't know his story but lets just say from what I have gathered it is a miracle he is on a mission. I just wish he wouldn't drag me down with him but I know I am doing my best and that is all that counts. 

Love Elder Logan Draper 

P.S. The small and simple miracles are the best in missionary work because they can and do happen everyday.  

--
Sincerely,
Elder Logan Joseph Draper

The first big letter in Nebraska

Dear Family and friends

       Wow what a crazy week I have had. So we finished out Tuesday with the greatest devotional I have ever heard on obedience it made me want  to be obedient, unlike others which the MTC presidency gave which made me want to rebel. However I stayed obedient. Well we had a sad little district of five and then we went back to our casa and we got ready for bed and pack everything away. 

         We woke up at 3:50 so we wouldn't be late but we were because Elder Drennan was slow but it was okay. In the end my bags were crazy, my big suitcase was fifty pounds and my second bag was 25 and my carry on was 10 kg because it couldn't be heavier, so ya. We got to the airport and we said farewell to each other then they drove Elder Jensen and I to another terminal. We got our bags, checked in, then we got through security had a gate change. I tried to call home but the machine wouldn't take my card so that sucked we talked to different people and I gave out a pass along card to one gentleman. We got on okay and I got a window seat and I left Mexico. I gave a lady a Spanish pass along card for Mormon.org. It was cool. I got off the plane and tried to get through American customs which I did okay but we first got in the wrong line because all of the signs telling us where to go was pointing the wrong way! And I was trying to not speak Spanish while going through American customs. Well I got through okay and I went and got my bags finished going through customs and rechecked my bags and while doing this the Man (very much black and super cool said) Jensen we've been waiting on you, you got a word? And Jensen was so lost, I got what he meant, and then he clarified for Jensen you were sent from the big man upstairs and then Jensen was like ya but we don't have time and I was like here is a BOM and a pass along card so we then ran to security! and I got through Jensen had WATER! So ya that was no good and that slowed us down. We then had to hurry to get to our gate, Jensen refused to run or even walk fast! He is 4ft 11in, if that, so we got to the gate with about 9 min to go. So we get through, I check my carry on, carry it downstairs, and I force Jensen to run and we get to our gate with 5 minutes left before the plane is set for takeoff. I check my bag then we have 4 min. and we get on with 3 min. to spare! So that was great.
I talk to this girl and I give her a pamphlet about the Plan of Salvation and a pass along card. I give this Hispanic lady an ELdM (Spanish BoM) and a pass along card I also passed out another pass along card to a family. We get to the airport and our bags our the first off the plane and we meet the APs and we load up and go the mission office, which is in my church building so it is convenient. We meet the mission mom, she is really nice. And then we eat food, go into some meetings, and they are like CCM all over again except in English. We got to the hotel I got my other suitcase by the way and it was at the office I wrote in my journal and set my alarm and went to bed.

           I wake up and someone is pounding on my door I hop out of bed run to the door and it is Elder Colman, the guy in charge of the cars and he works in the Mission office, he says "how fast can you be dressed?" I look at my watch it is 8:10 and I say "five minutes" I wake up Jensen and we are out the door in five minutes. Everything went okay but it was a tad embarrassing. We went to the Trail center then the Kanseville Tabernacle. We went back, had lunch, went with some Spanish Elders-I got put with Elder Johnson for some door knocking- then we went to a lunch appointment. Then we went back to the church and then to the mission home for a class thing, which I had the CCM so I am farely set. We had dinner and then a nice testimony meeting. I found out at the end Elder Johnson would be my trainer. He is such a cool Elder I love him. I forgot my camera so I will send pictures next week. 

           Begin  the first day wake up on time, though some other Elders did sleep in, HA!. So we go to the church, we get together, I get my luggage out of the trailer and put it in our car. We go to our place, I unpack. We then get my comp's stuff from the other elders place, since he had to stay with them part of the time before I got there. We went and did some work, we got food and then we went to a birthday party of a child of a reactivated family. 

            Wake up, first real day. We study, exercise, and then we go to work. We knocked some doors and tried to find some of our less actives and former investigators. We were walking back to our car from trying a house and a man yelled "Stop where you are!" We looked up the hill to see him and then he did the cross thingy and said "God bless you in your work, I am an ordained minister, but God Bless You in your work." Well then we went and did more contacting and we had a great conversation with this Catholic man, named Jerry, who knew we were different and he said he was going to pray for our success. So who knows, some good may come from his prayers and we may have success. 

            First Sunday and it is nice a day of rest, and a day that is apparently hard to stay awake on. I used up all my war heads trying to fight off my sleepiness, which came from nowhere. We had dinner with the Torres family and I helped their son Jesus with his Algebra homework and I felt like I was doing a Travis and it was awesome. 

         Today we have been playing sports practically all day. We played volleyball in Council Bluffs and basketball on Martha Street and did laundry and now we are here. So that was my week. 

--
Sincerely,
Elder Logan Joseph Draper

Pictures with my district, selfies, and much, much more

My district with our teachers

My District with our Teacher, apparently there is a purple theme

My District with our teacher

District with our teacher
, there is a bit of awkwardness. See if you can find Elder Fletcher

Selfie with Sister Hancock, seriously like a sister

Selfie with Sister Cannon

Selfie with Sister Collins

Selfie with Elder Drennan

Selfie with Elder Hixon

Selfie with Sister Brady

Selfie with Elder Gessler

Selfie with Elder Romney

Selfie with Sister Garner

Selfie with Sister Hueffer

Selfie with Hermano Martinez

Selfie with Hermano Juarez

Scripture case I bought in Mexico with Captain Moroni

This is the back of the case with my name and mission (that way I won't lose it)

This is the side of the case

Elder Manning and Elder Draper

Selfies that got photobombed by the pretty sister

Photobombed selfie, I think that hand shouldn't be coming out of my neck.

Cucaracha in our classroom

Spider I found in my closet (I'd much rather a person, I think)

Last time with the District before everyone leaves

My district with our teachers

My district with Hermano Martinez, there's a bit of a leg problem

Now the teacher switches sides. "Don't go to the dark side Hermano Martinez!"

Now he's back and you can see all of us

Escaping from the CCM!

Escape from Alcatraz, oops I mean the CCM. See if you can find me

The official letter part 2

Dear family and Friends and other interested parties

        I am doing well. We have had an interesting yet very boring day in the CCM. There are now only five of us from our district. :( It is sad because we are best buds, we got up at 2 and 4 to help our elders get everything to reception smoothly, and it was weird saying good bye because the CCM feels like eternity and you are really conflicted because you want to go, but you really don't because you want to stay because if things work out right it feels like a second home. Well, we did laundry and we started packing and everything is pretty good and I am pulling out my jeans to pack and lo and behold the most massive spider falls off my pants from right next to my hand. It was in my closet, it scared me half to death. We did some frantic getting stuff out of my closet before we sweeped (swept) it into a dust pan and took it outside. We then proceeded to have fun taking pictures of the monster. We killed it lo siento, NOT! but it was great fun. Oh and a little while ago one of our hermanas got a huge spider bite that blistered and I don't have pictures but pictures do exist and it is not pretty, but she is doing great now that she is in San Diego, or at least we hope. We are going to pack I don't have the Oly Elders picture but I will get it soon that is about all I can think of for now. 

Love your Son, Brother, nephew, cousin, grandson, whatever other relative I may be. friend, and potentially stalked person  

Elder Logan Draper

--
Sincerely,
Elder Logan Joseph Draper

A little about my week and other stuff I remembered

Well I ran into an Elder Poulson I think he is the grandson of Joe and Barbara Christensen and He is here in the CCM. I also ran into an Elder Kirkham, he is a friend of Elder Tatton and he is dating McElle Thorton (that is all spelled wrong so please correct it.) Tonight our district is having a party with sparkling cider since seven of them are leaving tomorrow. I know not to be prideful, but I seriously not even joking I have the best district in the CCM! We get along well, which is kind of uncommon from what I hear, and we are focused on studying and doing what we have to do. All of the other classes have to be babysat. Elder Manning arrived Wednesday I didn't have the opportunity to see him because we got the most freaking huge rainstorm of the Century or the six weeks we have been here. I did get to see Elder Manning he is doing well, he hasn't gotten sick yet, and he is doing well. He will be emailing tomorrow and hopefully we will have a picture of all nine of us from Olympus that are here. Oh just to assure you Elder Manning has a fantastic teacher his name is Hermano Martinez, if the name sounds familiar go back to my previous letters. He actually will be coming to the states in the next couple of weeks to go to LDSBC, so that is cool. I think he and Travis would get along well. Um, what else is there, oh ya I got my scripture case engraved with my name and Nebraska, Omaha, I was told they would add mission but they didn't and it is okay. We have had two cucarachas in our classroom the past couple of days and that has been an adventure to try to catch and kill them, luckily we succeeded. They are so freaky how they can climb any surface. Again I will send you a picture of one of them. We are so sad to leave each other. This is like my second family. What else is there to say? Um we played mafia in the street, which was a first, and we have played some other crazy games. We really are going to miss this place, it is a serious bubble even though the outside world seeps through in the sounds of cars and music, the spirit is so strong. I just hope and pray the other missionaries get it because our district is seriously the best. We are focused, but we do have fun. We sometimes we have a little to much fun during our breaks, but we focus right in when we need to and our progress in the language is phenomenal and I hope I can keep going until I am fluent. I love this gospel and the Book of Mormon is the BoM so ya it is awesome and I can't wait to go to Nebraska. Travis I am working on applying your advice daily. Oh I love the Latinos here they are so cool especially when they talk in their bad English and I speak in my bad Spanish it helps everyone. That is it for now I will send more tomorrow.  

--
Sincerely,
Elder Logan Joseph Draper