Temple trip

Dear Family and friends

       We have had a crazy and fantastic and sad week, but to the beginning.

 Tuesday we had some good lessons with people in the care center, and some investigators who would go to the Pioneer Ward. We talked about many topics in these lessons but the big thing that always came up was the Faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement. All the scriptures and all the teachings of the prophets all point back to that one central theme: that we have a loving Heavenly Father who sent us His Son as our Savior and Redeemer. All other teachings are appendages to that profound, but simple, idea. We have been trying to help our investigators read The Book of Mormon because it is the third witness of Jesus Christ, and through it we learn more about who the Savior was and is and his atonement, which we all look too. We count down to his birth and up from it, B.C. and A.D.

  Wednesday we had a fantastic lesson with an investigator family who said they would watch the Restorations movie. They are such a sincere and sweet and simple couple. The wife just got her citizenship and the husband already had his. We then had to go to another appointment to teach English and that was with the Tallez Family, they were so happy to see us and so kind. They had us try some of Sister Tallez's Mole which was very delicious. Well our English went well and we talked about the gospel a little bit. We gave them the Restorations video to watch, since they had questions about the church. I wish our story with them ended there for the week but it doesn't. 

     Thursday we saw a girl named Rashell and we talked with her, and her only real concern as of right now is she doesn't like to read. Everything we have shared and taught  has made sense but she can't and won't progress because she doesn't like to read. So we talked about that. She said she would read. We went and saw another investigator and that was good. We talked about the Plan of Salvation, baptism, and The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Ya it was a lot. He is pretty accepting about what we teach and share. He just has a couple of concerns about baptism, as we talked about it is our purpose in this life to complete the ordinances of salvation. He is more accepting now. Later on that day we went and saw our recent convert and taught her a brief lesson outside on her porch.

Friday we got up early and did service for an investigator, helping him get stuff of storage so he could have a garage/yard sale at a friend's house. That was fun. We then went home and got ready and went off to Lincoln to go the the temple! It was fantastic, we had a nice ride up and a nice ride back. I had plenty of time to read and ponder my scriptures and the things I learned in the temple, which prepared me for the rest of the week because with Brother Beck, our ward mission leader, we went and saw an investigator and we were  talking about the Plan of Salvation. He mentioned a friend of his died and we know many people, and we asked who. He Said Hermano Tallez had died, we had been informed he had had a fall but that he was doing okay. But he passed away and we were shocked.

   Saturday we went and did our usual Foodnet service and we then went and supported the Tallez family at their funeral. They were shocked to  see us there, I think, but I think it touched them to let them know that we are sincere missionaries. I was interested to hear what was said by the minister of the church. I was more confused than comforted by his words and I can testify that we have a living prophet and The Book of Mormon to help us understand the purpose of this life, which as this preacher said "the Bible does not answer the questions where we came from why we are here and where we are going." The Book of Mormon does and it completes the Bible to give us the fulness of the Everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that MY REDEEMER LIVES! We will all live again too. Well after that we went and did a follow up visit with our recent convert. We talked with her about the temple and how the gospel does bless every part of our lives and changes our hearts.

Sunday was a special day, we had some good lessons with Sandi,  Dustin and his wife Jesse. It was fantastic. We talked in both lessons about the Plan of Salvation With Sandi we covered only part of the Plan of Salvation, the pre-Earth life, it went really well and she said she would read! Then with Dustin and Jesse we had a member with us, and it was so cool. We went through the entire Plan of Salvation, and we covered so much. Dustin said, "I really like The Book of Mormon, it fills in the gaps the Bible leaves open. I am actually going to read it." So we have two investigators committed.

 I love this gospel and this work. It is hard and it is trying.

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Sincerely,
Elder Logan Joseph Draper