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| He may be able to run but he can't hide |
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| Trying not to be obvious |
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
A Week of Weeks and crazy weird conversations
Dear Family and Friends
We had a good week, a
fantastic week. Numbers were not where they could of been, but we were
following God's guidance and he really doesn't care about numbers like I
do. And that is good because numbers are good, getting good numbers and
having a couple good lessons is better, but following God 100% is Best.
That is what I feel we did as best we could with what we had to do. We
are working with Kevin and Manny, two young men, on going on missions.
Manny has the papers and Kevin doesn't, but we are going to change that.
They are growing so much in their faith. Manny has been helping us in
our lessons with Moses, and now Moses is going to come to Church because
of Manny. The power of a pure Spirit and a member present lesson, that
was Sunday
the 26th and ya it rocked. We found one of our Maria's, we taught her
the Plan of Salvation and she had some misconceptions and it was awesome,
because in the car before lesson we decided to have her read Alma 40
and it is about the resurrection, and guess what her misconception and
her problem was? It was the Resurrection! It was a cool little miracle,
if this week could have a title it really should be little miracles. I
am so blessed to be in Omaha, to work with the people I do. If I hadn't
come here I don't think the match would be good as it could have been.
Johnson and I are working together in unity and we are connecting with
the people. We connect in different ways, but between the two of us and
our personalities we cover everyone.
We met with our
crazy anti-Mormon investigator Chito again this week, and it was crazy
we got him to simply text us his questions. And we have nine questions to
answer, some are simple, some are doctrinal points that other churches
have that disagree with us. So we are excited to work with him, since his
sister is a member, but we are going to take it slow, play our
basketball, then have a mini lesson. Another miracle is his nephew, the
recent convert's son, believes us. He is just not ready to act since he is
in his teens, but I think we can maybe baptize him in the next transfer. I
loved what he said, "Chito is crazy man he believes everything he finds
on the internet." Oh how sad and true, but we love Chito. He is a cool
guy and he really honestly wants to find the truth, he is just scared to
be led away by deceiving men.
Probably one of my
favorite people is Hermana Urquidez, she is such a sweet and humble lady
and wants to do everything right. She has given up so many bad habits
for herself, her husband, her children, her membership in the Church,
and Christ. She has done a complete 180 degree turn. She is back in her
house, after the gang forced them out. I have such great love for her and
her husband, they are so humble and willing to serve us when they need
the help. I can see in many ways where God has prepared me to help them.
I love these people and we have had some great conversations with them,
we are going to for sure teach their neighbors. Hopefully we will be
able to baptize them in the next transfer as well, so this next transfer
might explode with baptisms and we are so ready. The only sowing part is
over, and it is time to start gathering in. Father, or Brother, Bruun is
the guy who, I believe, is the Stake Young Men's President and he came up to
Johnson and said, "Have you ever been kicked in the but by an old man?"
Johnson replied, "No Sir," and to which Father Bruun said, "Do you
think you will be today son?" and Johnson smartly replied, "Yes Sir."
Well he basically said to us, "I am coming out with you this week, whether
you want me to or not and I dare you to say no." He is so funny and he
said, "Do you run in the mornings? I don't think you do, Tuesday morning get up at 6:15, run three miles and call me to tell me you did it, and we know what happens if you lie." So Tuesday
morning Johnson and I are running three miles minimum. And it is so
funny, and we are excited to go work with him and with the youth.
Johnson had the cool opportunity to see some of his recent converts at the Trail Center on Saturday,
and it was so sweet for him. I love my trainer, man he really is the
best. We are different ends of the spectrum, coming from different
directions, but we are one in faith, heart, purpose and it is cool to get
back on the same team and see success. So that is my week, it may not
be as organized as week pasts, but it was a much better week with amazing
miracles of things that happened.
Create
miracles in your lives my friends, study the Book of Mormon Daily, pray
about it and find some principle, or principles, to apply everyday The
best manual for life is the Book of Mormon, you just need to look for
answers. How to pray for answers better, how to trust in God more, how
to repent, how to raise children it is all there. I love you all and I
miss you, but I don't. So TWENTY more months it is.
Love Elder Logan Joseph Draper
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
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BIG MONSTER LETTER OF a HAPPY ELDER DRAPER
Dear Family and Friends
To be completely honest
this past week wasn't much better than last, due to lack of success. But
it was better because of my attitude and not having to deal with the
other Elders as much, though we still had to a fair amount. I appreciate
everyone's love and concern for me, and I received my package and it was
awesome. I am now ready for winter and it is going to be fun. I am
preparing for a sweet week! We have our meal calendar full, which makes
Johnson happy. One it saves us money; two, because he was only given forty
dollars this month and he only had twenty to start so now he is down to
14 :( but we will make it until the end of the month. I would have more
but I bought a better Spanish to English dictionary and it has grammar
rules in it to so that makes it so super cool.
To
be honest most of my week was people not being home and then rescheduling
and then it falling through, because they did something or the other
Elders did something. We are still having to play nice with them. Well, I
actually already tried having the hard conversation with Elder Johnson. And it came down to him, in his mind, district unity or fighting over
the, "little things." We are getting along, but we definitely have a bit
of tension at times over that. Because to him if he doesn't have fun he
isn't living the right way, and I said if we aren't working for success
while we are in proselyting time we aren't living the way the Lord wants
us to live and act. If you want to know some of where I am coming from
there is a great YouTube mix of Holland and Eyring giving talks to the
new mission presidents, it is huge about the atonement how it is for
missionaries and investigators.* I bet Travis can find it. We still
haven't come to much of a consensus. I kind of have let Elder Johnson
win for now, because he likes to make me look like a hypocrite when we
fight. He Said, "If you are so committed to building Zion, and you
yourself said that you believe God has established Missions to teach us
about Zion and unity, then why are you so eager to go against what you
said." Well I think I can come up with a good response to that but I am
going to hold my peace. I am sorry for the vent but I need it. I have
been working as hard as I can to make my ward and my area progress. I
have put the nose to the grindstone and I don't feel it is appreciated,
it is respected but never appreciated.
However
I would like to move on and share some funny stories from this week, in no
particular order. First, last night we came out to our car from a lesson
with a part member family ,which was cool we watched the restoration
video and invited them to pray to come closer to God and it rocked!, and
there on our windshield was a flier for a fireside from Mafia to Mormon. Then there was some sticky notes and a pass along card, and in summary
it was Trail Center Sisters telling us to get out of their area. They
were telling us to not area poach, well to put things in perspective of
why this is funny: 1. My area is bigger than their area 2. my area is
bigger than the zone they live in. So the rule 'don't leave your zone'
does not apply to us and we can go wherever we want, so Ha ha ha ha. It
was funny, Johnson and I had a riot.
Next we
had a lesson with a brother and the son of a RC (recent convert) and it was funny because
they really don't know what they believe. We taught them about the Plan
of Salvation, then after he started going into government conspiracies
and how there were once people who were 36 feet tall and were supposedly
half man half angel and they had super powers and were the original
pharaohs of Egypt. Ya it was funny because Johnson and I didn't know
what to do with them then. So we are going to fix that little piece of
blasphemy next lesson.
And finally, and sadly, I
had a conversation with a LA who is very apostate. Basically I
destroyed his position and I can't convince him of why he was wrong, but I
would always try to focus on testifying but he wanted to make
an argument by asking me clever questions which I always answered fully
correctly and flawlessly. So it was funny because he can argue against
everyone but me. So he asks trick questions and uses different interpretations of things that I had to account for, but I won. Go Team
Christ.
So my dear family and friends that is the
big stuff, so here is the boring summary. Today we played volleyball,
and I blocked two balls that were coming over the net as the person
tried spiking it. Sunday, went to church, oh, I spoke on temples and their importance. And I have a runny snotty nose, which just won't stop!
Saturday,
basketball with the Ward and trying to find people who are apperating
somewhere, curse you Harry Potter! (by the way why is being a harry
gardner bad? ;) ) Well that is some stuff. I will need to go now. I love
you all, I am doing much better. We are all getting along and I am
sharing my candy, when they play nice. Thanks for all your love and
support.
Love
Elder Logan Joseph Draper
I'm signing out until next week!
Saturday, October 18, 2014
The Big Letter for this week
Dear family and friends
I have had an annoying
and eventful, and yet uneventful week. Basically I have been along the
whole roller-coaster. Monday we did our stuff and visited with people and
invited the LA, who is now not a LA, (his name is Kevin and he is the
one I help with math) to pray about and prepare to go on a mission. And
it was cool.
Tuesday we had the worst day, in my mind, EVER! We literally got nothing done. We
had to take our car to the dealership for a recall and then it was
supposed to only be a couple hour thing, well it was long but not that
long. And Elder Paonessa is a narcissist, because the world revolves
around him and despite the fact that I said, when they called us to tell
us our car was done, "we need to go get our car, they close at six." He was
like, "no not now." Well later he was like, "so should we go get your car?" Note it is 8:00
at night, and we were like, "no it closed at six" and he was like, "oh
I thought they were open, I guess I figure if I am out working everyone
else is too." So ya that threw us off. We got nothing done that entire
day, NOTHING.
Wednesday
it was better, we stayed over with them so we could go to Zone Training
and it was good. We went to lunch after to a place called HU HOT and it
was good. The funny thing is I was the only one who carried my BoM in
with me, and the lady when paying forgot to run my card even though it
was in its little folder thingy and well she said "you know what don't
worry about it" So I got free lunch and I gave her a BoM, so two birds one
stone. We had a good lesson with Kevin again and he is definitely going
to go on a mission, he is going to pray about it and we think he has
been studying so it was awesome! Then Luis and Juan, less active and they
are twins, we finally had the hard lesson about going to church and
changing your lives around, and it was good.
Thursday we had Exchanges so it was me and Elder Paonessa and it wasn't bad. He slept in until about 10:30,
he woke up the same time as me but he went back to bed once the alarms
were off. We got two pretty good lessons in with our investigators. But
things never work out for some reason.
Friday
sucked but it wasn't really our fault, but it kind of was. It really was
just Crazy. We got a mid transfer greenie named Elder Espinoza, he is
cool and he should have arrived when I did but he got sick in the CCM
and so he went home for a bit. He is cool, and after Johnson he is the
Elder I would like to serve with. The reason it sucked is because we
tried arranging our day so we could pick him up at the appointed time,
but then it got thrown under the bus because time changed. But it wasn't
to bad we were going to go to Meet the Mormons with Luis and our
investigator Roberto, but it didn't work out. Since we had already
gotten tickets for the three of us we went to the movie anyways. It was
so cool, I suggest going to see it if possible.
Saturday
we were going to finish weekly planning after Espinoza left and as we
were leaving to go work the other Elders showed up at our place and were
like, "want to go get lunch?" I was like "no we already ate and I told you
earlier NO" but guess what everyone is a softie and we went. And it was a
huge time killer and it killed our miles a little bit, but it worked out
and we handed over Espinoza later than planned so it also killed our
timing. Johnson and I are at odds with each other because he is trying
to keep "district unity," which is important, but I don't want to lie down
and just do what the other Elders want to do because they
don't freaking want to work. And then it kills us, because I don't want to
go against Johnson and since Johnson doesn't want to go against them we
do things there way, and Waste God's time. Really it simply, in my
opinion, sucks and Johnson is right, we need to maybe consider the other
Elders as LA and help them but the question then is how. I figure making
their only real option work is best, Johnson wants to take the social
friend approach. You could say I don't have charity for them, that is at
least what he said to me but I do have charity for them. I just don't
have infinite patience for them and I might have to "drop them." Well
I kind of did actually because, skipping Sunday
for a moment, today we had a little chat of why we seemed pissed at Pao. And it came down to, I am pissed that we waste time and don't do the
needed things and you just want to have "fun" first then maybe work. So we won't be going to lunch with them anymore, and that pissed Johnson
off at me, but there is only so much we can do. And really he wants to
chill and still work hard, which is why we have P-day. So ya, I am
frustrated with everyone because I can't do what I know to be right and
please everyone. So I have decided if I can't please everyone I will
please GOD.
Sunday,
stayed over at the other Elders' place and then went to church. We had a
good ward council and a good fast and testimony meeting. But Pao was
pissed that we mentioned the Ward Soccer activity during ward council,
because he considers it his activity and he doesn't like not being the
boss. And so that is that, he is pissed at us for that but whatever. I
don't have to deal with him ever again after this transfer unless we go
whitewash an area. So I am safe
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Conference, Investigators and going the wrong Way
Dear Friends and Family
--
Sincerely,
Elder Logan Joseph Draper
I have had an interesting week, the definite highlight of coolness and adventures was Conference. I will
start at the beginning and then go to the present as usual, because I am a
creature of habit so deal with it because you love me and I love you.
We had district meeting early on Tuesday so we could go into
interview with President Weston on time, and they were good, we had a
good discussion. I am only speaking Spanish, or at least I am trying. It
is hard when you have to work with English speakers and stuff so ya, my
goal kind of died but I am keeping it alive. We were told by the senior
couple in our district to threaten a kid who is apostate, who used to be
in their Sunday School classes. So we gave him a note and it was
interesting, he really doesn't care what happens in the end with his rebelliousness. An Alma the Younger wouldn't work, sadly. ;(
Wednesday, the Big day, we had four lessons which is good. We
taught the restoration twice to new investigators, so we got two news,
which rocked. The Really cool guy, who we usually teach on Sundays, we
almost lost him because he doesn't feel that we can or needs to come
back to church and we had the doubts lesson and it was awesome. We are
praying for him.
Thursday we had exchanges
and nothing worked out at all, like nothing.Iit was crazy, oh and I forgot
to mention our car went into the shop the week before so we got it back
on Thursday and it is nice, they even cleaned it for us which rocked so
nice because now it smells good! like really Good. We then got back
together earlier than planned and we were able to go to our appointments
like we liked and we had a cool lesson on reading the scriptures and
fasting and praying for help and answers to questions, and it was cool.
Friday we had weekly planning and we gave out a BoM
without leaving our apartment, because the apartment people finally
sent someone to fix our carpet, and it was cool so we are hopefully going
to track the guy down and start teaching him or refer him to the north
Elders. No one came to soccer, so it was sad, and the one lesson that
worked out the guy just wanted to fight with us. Oddly enough that is
how we had predicted it would go in the role-play we did, so that was
funny.
Saturday we had stayed over with the
other Elders to help save their miles, because we have lots. Well we had
to go get Johnson's shoes because he forgot them and that was funny. Well
we had Elder Maradiaga plug in the address of the closest stake center
which was close by actually it was in Pappillion well he put the city as
OMAHA, instead of being in North Pappillion we were in NORTH OMAHA. And
we were twenty minutes from the nearest stake center before we turned
around, we had said "this isn't right," but then we would all silence them
with "no, we are fine." We all took our turns but ya. We were forty minutes
late, when we maybe would have been ten minutes late, so we basically
missed the first half of the first session so I would like a copy in
English of the Conference Ensign. But it was funny, we are always late
when we are with them, and it is so annoying but what can you do.
Sunday was better, we did it by ourselves since the
other Elders begged their way into member homes and Johnson and I just go
with it and are chill. Some of the members like us better, and some like
them better. Well we have a ton of Extra miles and we could go to Sioux City and Everyone but me wanted to go, so I consented if we could get permission and Elder Paounessa said, "oh I give us permission to go," Well
funny thing is, he doesn't have the authority and we asked the Zone
Leaders because I made Johnson do which he was grateful for, and they
said "NO you can't go to Sioux City." So I was relieved to not be in Sioux
City today. Well Pao was mad, as expected, but ya he is not a God Fearing
man but my week was good.We played volleyball and basketball in Council
Bluffs and it was fun and that sums up my week. I will tell you more in
my box-package-letter thing I am sending to you because I still need to
send the Ipod home, shhh don't tell.
I Love you all
Love
Logan Joseph Draper
Sincerely,
Elder Logan Joseph Draper
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Investigator Hitting on Me
Dear Family and Friends
Don't worry too much
about the title. I had a up and down week with both good and bad,
funny and sad. So the highlight was probably the title, so you will find
that out soon enough.
Last Monday P-day and the
start of the new transfer, and so a nice new planner. We visited with a
LA and he is cool and we helped him with his Girl problem, because his
friend who says he is helping him is more like throwing him under the
bus, but at least his friend is trying to do something.
Tuesday
I gave a training at district meeting on obedience to the order of
heaven, and basically it was designed, as were the orders of Elder
Paonessa, the DL, to say stay in your area. Well I gave a good training
and made it more towards if we are disobedient we can't receive
revelation and I basically laid down the law and stuff, and it was kind
of funny because Pao had the map and he was like boundaries activity and
then the sisters said, well I'm going home and I'm going to Grand
Island Omaha is all yours for two transfers and here is our area book,
don't take anything out of there, and we were like okay ya sure. Went to
dinner at the Pachecos and somehow my tie bar fell off as I was getting
out of the car and I stepped on it and when I pulled it out of my shoe I
bent it and so it is sad because I tried fixing it but I broke one of
the spires. (It was the Brigham City one :( ) so that night kind of
sucked and we looked through the sisters area book when I was on
exchanges with Elder Maradiaga. And well, to put it simply half of the
sisters' people were in our areas! and they even had it color coded and
separated into Elders areas and regular their area! I was annoyed that
sisters would be as arrogant to label it that way and to go over miles
by close to five hundred miles each three weeks when they already had
900 but the other Elders were livid truly livid, but it was kind of
funny to see their reactions. :)
Wednesday
I worked Elder Maradiagas area and it was entertaining. Johnson and I
were happy to be able to go back to being with each other after that.
Thursday, the day of funniness. We had a lesson with our first investigator in her
dress shop and it was good and then another investigator came in at the
end, then we taught her the same thing then their friend who also works
their came in, and we then taught her well this third lady was funny
because she said to the other ladies "I love his hair don't you?! He is
so Chulo"- thought translation as good looking or really nice kind of
like guapo- well then I started teaching her and she was like "keep
talking chulo." Then she said "He sounds so chulo when he talks his accent
is so Chulo", later she was like "Look at his eyes they are so beautiful
he is a definite Chulo." Then some guy who was there, probably a friend
she wants to be his novia (girlfriend) and she was like "I could be his mom, I just
think he is very Chulo especially when he talks," and he said "ya you're
right, they probably just knock doors to find novias" (she had also
called Johnson Chulo) and she said "God rebuke the Devil" and Johnson and I
just looked at each other and chuckled but what really makes this funny
is she is talking super fast and I am understanding everything but I
have no clue what chulo means so I am lost and Johnson is just laughing, I
am lost. Then after we left Johnson decided he would tell me, we are
still laughing about it even today we just chuckle, but that lady is a new
investigator so that will help out we hope. And Travis she used to be a
Bruja so she told us a bit about her experiences and ya it was
interesting. One of our families, in the projects, has to leave because a
boyfriend was beating his pregnant girlfriend and they called the
police and they [the police] came and saved her. And then the gang found out it was
them [the family] so they drove them out and we happened to decide to go back, and it
was the first day they had been back, and we helped them move out.
Friday I got kind of sick and we did service and weekly planning, so it was a good day for that to happen verses another day.
Saturday
we got another new investigators and it will be really cool, he is the
friend of a LA and we are going to get them to quit smoking so it will
be nice to see how that goes.
Sunday
was good, we had to speak in sacrament meeting. I actually gave a five
minute talk like we were supposed to, everyone else was short so that was
good. We are going to be getting some great member support and I can't
wait to see how that goes.
I love you all Love
Elder Draper
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