The Temple Trip Week

Dear Family Friends and other interested Parties

         I am doing awesome because I get to hear from all of you, and tell you about my crazy week.

         I had a good day last Monday, lots of craziness. I had one of my free crap pens die, which was kind of sad but not really, just frustrating

          Tuesday we got a lesson with our people in the dress shop. We are going to hopefully get some member presents with them soon, and get out of there because I am honestly tired of women's underwear and prom dress. It feels wrong and it is so awkward at times, especially the other week when we had a member walk in. We had another lesson with our girls, and it was good. We don't think that two of them are really committed, so that is sad for us but it will all work out. .

           Wednesday we had Zone training and this meeting was focused on us, how we can be better missionaries. We had a big thing on changing our studies to make them better, and with that Johnson and I did find ways to improve and we have been studying like studs. We got another lesson with the girls, and it was good. Then we got another lesson with our one of our part member family, and that is always a fun one. Elder Paonessa was very angry at the ZLs and President Bartlet of the mission presidency, who used to be in our stake presidency when I first got here, because they basically ruined his perfect mission life. And Johnson and I are being more obedient. I feel bad about how I have acted before, so as Johnson and I have talked about. I will do and let Pao talk (or in other words I stay silent and be obedient while Pao talks).

            Thursday was kind of disappointing because we only got two lessons with MA (menos activo, translated as less active) and I, but it was still a good day of work.

             Friday we got to go to the temple, which I have missed because I haven't gone since before my mission. And I have only done two endowment sessions in total, so it was really nice and I love the temple. I am so glad we have a temple here in Nebraska, in my Mission! We cut it close on miles. We only had two left over for our three week period, but it all worked out even with there being a huge accident blocking our path so we had to take a huge detour.

              Saturday we had lots of things go weird. We did some service, and while Elder Paonessa was at a meeting we went with Maradiaga to a lesson. We just were basically a trio and quad thing all day. We did service for these members, whose daughter kind of took some liberty to feel me up by falling while I was holding the door and some stuff. So it was weird but we survived, and ya that is why go two by two! We got a lesson with one of the girls, and it was good. We taught the Word of Wisdom. We just need to figure out the Law of Chastity, we are talking to her mom before we even say anything.

                Sunday we had dinner with a member, and that took forever. Then when we got to our one set appointment we turned into marriage counselors, and no normal 18 and 20 year-olds could have handled that lesson. So I am so glad God and Christ are on my side. "I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and I have been called of him to declare his word among his people that they might have everlasting life." (3 Nephi 5:13)

Love,

Elder Logan Joseph Draper

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Sincerely,
Elder Logan Joseph Draper

Pictures

picture perfect, the sun (Son) is on my side

Top: Elders Taggart, Roberts, Hansen, Johnson, and Pao; Bottom: Elders Elison, Draper, and Maradiaga

Left to Right: Sister and Elder Coleman, Elders Pao, Draper, Maradiaga, and Johnson

Left to Right: Sister and Elder Nelson, Elders Draper, Maradiaga, Pao, and Johnson

Tracting in a winter wonderland (well sort of)

I'm going to proselyte the snow.

Catch up time!

      Okay, well I forgot where I left off, but I will go with Friday of last week. So we had a fairly normal morning until we got a knock on the door and we both almost did front-flips, and crazy ninja moves, trying to get to the door for a package. And guess what, we were both disappointed at first when it was just the Jehovah's witnesses but we soon decided, why not. So we had a little door step lesson with them and they tried to catch us in our words, in Spanish none the less(!) (dirty tricksters), because they were trying to get us to fall into the trap of "there is only one way, fighting or not fighting in wars." And we pulled Book of Mormon Captain Moroni on them, and said "ya but I will do what God wants me to do. You can't trick me, we have a Prophet y'all," but we didn't get into that yet. So that will be our next lesson that we teach to them.

      Then Saturday we had a couple get sealed in the temple. We didn't get to go, but it was still cool. And we were like "ya free food" at their wedding reception, which we helped a little bit with. And we ran into our sister missionaries for the first time since they got back, and ya it was interesting. Then 

Sunday we did an area redivide, and that was good. And we got instructions for our ward plan as missionaries, from our stud of a bishop. He really gets the gospel and the importance of families, which are ward struggles with. 

     Then last Monday we visited with one youth, helping him with going on a mission 

     Tuesday we got two member present lessons, and it rocked. We are really on a roll here: one with a part member family; the other with a little white girl, who wants to go to the Spanish ward.

Then Wednesday we had a sweet lesson with an investigator family that has been struggling to progress and we have figured out the problem, and our starting over the lessons and more about that later. Well, we are now teaching two white girls and a black girl that want go to to the Spanish ward! Ya wow, my first baptisms won't even be Latino! It is so weird, but we will catch up in the Latino baptisms soon after. 

      Thursday was unproductive. as I was on exchanges and we only tried to see two people. I am learning what type of missionary I should not be, not what type of missionary I should be right now. So we only visited with one person, and it was a great lesson. I rebuked her on her marital problems and handed them the solution The Family: A Proclamation to the World; and be who you want to be married to; and work as a team; and do you like something about him, or do you love Him? So it was awesome in that aspect. 

      Well Friday was the mission tour, where we had Brent H. Neilsen of the Quorum of the Seventy come and teach us and uplift us and rebuke us all in the same day, and it was good. I took tons of awesome notes, I am going to refer back to for the rest of my mission. I was so excited for it and I learned so much, but one huge thing that was brought up. He said, "Disobedient Missionaries Baptize To Their Own CONDEMNATION," as was taught him by David A. Bednar. So I never want to be disobedient. We also got to see many missionaries from all over the mission. I forgot to mention that it got cold on Tuesday, so it was frigid Friday

      Saturday we decided to go and do some service at the trail center setting up some stuff for Christmas, and IT SNOWED. And it was fun to see it snow, but it didn't snow a lot. And after, service, we went and taught our investigator family The Restoration, and it was amazing. The video is just what they needed. And then we went home and the ZLs came and did an apartment inspection, and after they left and after we ate dinner, we grounded the cars because of the road conditions. So we walked thirty minutes to our appointment luckily, and sadly, we got a ride back from the family. But it was fun, we have awesome pictures to send soon, so that was awesome! 

     Sunday we went to church and did weekly planning, and that was boring but very needed. I love my snow clothes, especially when night comes and temperatures are about to drop. Ya it is biting cold with humidity, so that is my week 

Love Elder Logan Joseph Draper 

Oh P.S. as per advice from my companion, send all packages to the apartment and letters to the mission office, because packages don't get forwarded but letters do and that ensures safe delivery but whatever works no worries until I leave Omaha then my apartment is a must for perishable items 

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Sincerely,
Elder Logan Joseph Draper

Jehovah's Witness, Baptismal Dates and The Return of the Sisters

Dear Friends and Family and other interested parties

         I am doing so awesome, it is FANTABULOUS!!!!!!! We had some great lessons, but we must start from the beginning.

         Tuesday we taught some great lessons and we got a new investigator the nephew of the Anti-Mormon. He soaks it up and he is so ready to learn. He is just a teenage boy who, sort of, can't focus on one topic. It was awesome, and we are getting him to pray more. We rebuked, or more like I rebuked, one of our less actives for saying 'I'll come to church' then never does, and he for the record still didn't come. So ya, he never keeps his commitments but we are trying to do baby steps. Then we are helping anther less active see God more in his life, and how that God is giving you these trials to help you be stronger. We know he has faith, he just is overwhelmed. 

           WEDNESDAY!!!!!! We set two people for baptism and it was so Cool, and one was a member present! To be honest, the one that is solid set is actually a little white girl who is going to come to the Spanish ward with her neighbor,s since they are her friends. It is so exciting! Both of them are like sponges, they soak up what we teach them, and they really want it. We are trying to, maybe, get the parents of the kids involved so that we can teach and baptize them as well, which would be so AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!

            Thursday we had tons of great lessons and we reaffirmed one baptismal commitment. It was an awesome lesson and we just, awesomeness it was so cool!!! WE got anther new and we are going to start baptizing soon! We are working with another member with a drug/guilt from drugs problem and it is sad to see what drugs do in peoples lives. I can't stand it! They are so stupid. I want to simple smack the people that gave that person the drugs, and be like 'you moron!' But, alas, that is not my job. I need to go, I am sorry I did not finish. We have to go to a dinner appointment. I am going to finish the rest in a letter. I love you all

          LOVE Logan J. Draper

--

Sincerely,
Elder Logan Joseph Draper

Big Cold DARK Weird/Scary Halloween weekish stuff ya

Dear Family and Friends

       I am doing well, as is my companion and the rest of my district. We are just to say the least a little crazy, but I will get to that later in the letter. (Suspense!) 

       So Tuesday was departing testimonies and District meeting, and this one sister who asked Johnson to write her sister while he was in his first area after writing her a while then told him that she was no longer going to write him. Well Johnson was like okay fine if that is how it is, so at the testimonies he and I avoided them to not make it awkward. Well, it just so happened as we were leaving Johnson got stuck holding the door and out came an AP with the Sister and her sister and ya it was funny because the sister GIGGLED and Johnson was confused, until two days later we had to drop a Bill off at the Mission office because they send it to our apartment, and guess what Sister Nelson gives him? A letter from the sister of the Sister and it was funny because the APs were there and one was like oh from _____ and the other was like WHAT? because he likes the Sister that just went home, there are predictions that they will marry. So who knows and cares, I'll still be here. Well we took Kevin to the departing testimonies and he will probably serve a mission, the testimonies really touched him. Sister Carlson, who used to be in the area, came and talked to me about how Omaha was doing and, since it is doing well, she basically went on a compliment trip with Kevin standing right next to me, and then he asked, "can missionaries flirt and go on dates?" and I was like NO but after yes now NO. So it was amusing. 

         Wednesday we worked, I forgot my planner so I forgot what we did but everything was good the big thing was on...

           Thursday that is when Johnson got the letter and he was going crazy. I was laughing at him, at the girls, at him again. It was simply just, WOW, funny ,we were still laughing. That night we went on a team up with Father Bruun, our Stake Young Men's President. He is a very funny and serious guy. We went and visited some people with him, he calls us son all the time and basically everyone loves and trusts him even our investigators. We had some funny moments with him. He is prideful, but it is more accurate to say 'if you aren't doing your job right he gives you crap'. We ran our three miles and we have to run three miles twice this week, so we can get free dinner on Thursday! It will be awesome! And possibly ice cream on Wednesday. Well at the end of the Team-up we went to our apartment because he needed to use the facilities, and then he said "okay we are going to do interviews, Elder Johnson Sit down Elder Draper go into the Bedroom." And I was like "okay." So he grilled Johnson, and then he grilled me about how we thought the night went. So it was pretty amusing.  

            Friday we did weekly planning, which was good and we did some stuff, but we had to be in by 6:00 unless we had a specific appointment. Halloween is scary as a missionary, because we can feel the spirit but you can sense a form of evil in the air that is not normal. We finished our appointment then drove like the wind to the other Elders apartment to stay, since Saturday was Elder Johnson's birthday! 

             Saturday Elder Johnson turned twenty, we opened presents and then went to breakfast. Then we came back, played some games, went to work and then came back for cake and ice cream, during dinner, so it was fun. We had some great lessons, and on Saturday we went to a devotional at the Church. And it was so cool, it was the Mafia to Mormon guy, it was neat to hear his story and how he changed. 

             Sunday we went to church then to the house of the Urqidez family for dinner and we had some ceviche-which is a seafood dish of raw fish cured in citrus juice and spices (Travis should know what it is, I would like some when I come home from my mission if you are down Travis).

              Monday we went to the California Street Stake Center for volleyball, then we went to the Zoo. And it was cool, I will need to send pictures but my camera is basically dead, so next week. Well the Big Highlight of crazy stupid is the ZOO. At the Zoo there is a Gorilla called the Silverback Gorilla well guess what its silver is kind of like, a white shirt. And guess what is extremely offensive? Putting your back to them. Well the zoo personal actually encourage missionaries to get the Gorilla angry, to keep him more in his natural state. So while we are there we put our backs to the glass and this little gorilla comes up and knocks on the glass and runs away, and when we don't move the Big one Charges and pounds on the Glass. Well we did that, in total, probably for about an hour. We would go and come back an hour later. We then went in as a big group of 10 elders and he was so mad he didn't even let the little monkey warn us he just charged. Elder Roberts, an English elder, charged the gorilla and basically riled the gorilla up. It was cool, only Mormon Elders can really do that. So it is super stupid but they actually encourage it, so I didn't do anything bad.I am sorry I do not have a video, because my camera is close to death, but if I go with my next companion I will have a sweet video of a Gorilla trying to beat me through the Glass. So that is my week 

                           Love Elder Logan Joseph Draper