One week down 2 to go

Dear Family and Friends

        This is another crazy week and moment in the life of a missionary when you have less weeks than your companion has months even less days (sort of) than your companion has months. However time does not determine effectiveness nor love of the work of the Lord. So I will inform you of our crazy semi productive week.

         Monday we got hair cuts as I mention So needed my hair was gross, now it is fantastic and awesome and it will be that way for when I come home. Well we did our lazy and somewhat normal preparation day activities we got things clean though! that was nice we then did shopping and  went to see people, all of our plans like to fall apart and that was sad so we went and made some Flyers for our English class and copied them so that was good, the rain has destroyed a couple few.

          Tuesday we had some good stuff planned. We had exchanges and I was in GI with Elder Jones and Elder Porter was in Hastings with Elder Howell and Elder Madsen. They had fun they got lots of lighting and tornado warnings but nothing beyond be alert. We however got nothing, absolutely nothing in Grand Island. We had a good day of work trying people and contacting referrals. We got two other Lessons one just outside with some teenage boys they were fairly receptive and that was cool. The next was with our investigators Rogelio and Anna they are awesome we haven't had much time to teach them but they have been reading from the book of Mormon! That was amazing and we then went out to Saint Libory to plan our lesson with Brother Leal for Thursday with Eugenia and Pepe and that was good. He has a lot of crazy stories. 

            Wednesday we switched back and it was good we went and jumped straight into teaching or trying too. People flaked out on us and it was super sad. but we did service at the multicultural Coalition mainly just sitting there. They don't have to much for us to do, we are hoping to get to talk to Steve, our boss more about his travels in Africa, he apparently has spent more time out of the U.S. than in it which is crazy. we then swung by Eugenia and Pepe's house and they were doing good we had a quick 15 minute lesson with them and reminded them of our appointment on Thursday. We then went to our English Classes and we had two people who I think will be consistent in coming because most people want to learn English and find it useful to learn it even though it is hard. though there are many who are content with just knowing Spanish.  that was the extent of our Wednesday adventures.

             Thursday we got two lessons almost a week record we taught Eugenia, Pepe had to go help a friend fix an air conditioner and so we taught her with brother Leal. It was a good lesson She really is starting to get the Gospel. Then we saw Rossy she is one of the sweetest ladies and we also met her husband and he is a really cool guy he is from El Salvador and she is from Mexico and they are both super sweet they have amazing hearts and we taught them a bit about our responsibilities as God's Children it was awesome!

         Friday we just saw the Xec family and that was great they are struggling Brother Xec is still in Guatemala with immigration papers and she is here as a single mom so it is hard for her the kids are great but not the most helpful bunch. then we did service again at the Multicultural coalition and it was the same as last time not much to do. we also did our weekly planning

          Saturday we did service at the Grand and it was fun (The GRAND Theater). We run concessions and clean up duty afterwards and so that was very amusing to see all the different people there I really liked it we got to talk to the bosses who run the theater since it is actually owned by a board of directors of local store owners not a company or single family franchise. I we also just talked to the other missionaries since we had to be on duty during the movie. we then had a lesson with an investigator then we ran over to a ward party that we were invited to since both the English wards use us as extra man power and so that was fun we got food and watched the other wards members interact with the the sisters. Sister Hall injured her foot so all the girls were wanting to be her helper it was kind of cute and funny, us as Elders we were relegated to a corner. 

           Sunday we went to the GI 2nd ward and listened to President and Sister Gardner speak as well as hear Sister Hall Sing in sacrament it was a great meeting very reverent and very orderly we planned our day for seven lessons and then we only got two it was sad and sacrament had very poor attendance which made things sad too. but it was a good week

Zone Conference, Exchanges, and the Get Trunky Quick Plan

 

May 23, 2016

 

Dear Family and Friends,

        This is another one of our exciting weeks here in the Nebraska Omaha Mission. We just completed our Zone Conferences in the areas not in Omaha, It was a really good week and so here is your report day by day 

      Monday we did our Usual Preparation Day relaxing and Visiting with the Other Elders nothing too crazy or exciting and we had some good times and took care of business such as cleaning then we had a member Dinner and FHE (Family Home Evening) our message was a quick scripture because me mainly helped her and her family get the computer figured out because it had some issues and we showed her how to download the Gospel Library app and get to it and that was good, then we went and found one of our investigators home and taught him from the plan of salvation how we are children of our Heavenly Father and how we lived with him before this life in Heaven as his spirit sons and Daughters and his Sister showed a bit of interest and we set  return appointment

       Tuesday was our Zone Conference I got to see some of my missionary friends before I go home. The Lincoln North and South Zones came to Grand Island and the rest of the Kearney Zone was here in GI as well so there was I think 73 or so missionaries it was cool. We talked a lot about how to be more effective in working with our members and being worthy Conduits for the Holy Ghost and then sister Gardner gave a great training on the Lies of the Devil the things that he throws at us to distract us, and she said we need to say when he sends those to call him out and remind him that he is being a Lying Liar Lieface! so that was funny I had never thought I would see sister Gardner say that, but she did and she got it from Arthur! that is what made it cool we sadly didn't get to watch the clip but that was okay. Well we also had the Housing people from the mission office install a carbon Monoxide/smoke detector combo in our apartment and it was funny they liked our little room but they did think it was kind of crazy that it was so small but it was nice they wanted to steal our book shelves but they were the Abshers so Ha ha ha we won Member Housing is sweet! then we went and saw an investigator and he had started reading in 3 Nephi 11 like we had committed him too and it was sweet because he had a question about why the people didn't understand the voice when they heard it the first time and then we taught about how the Holy Ghost works and how often times we don't listen but we still fill his influence and then we slowly realize that God is trying to get a hold of us. Like when you get a phone call and the phone is on vibrate but you're walking so you don't feel it until you sit down and have that quiet moment you realize someone is trying to call you but you were just to busy and preoccupied to listen because you thought what you were doing was more important etc... and it was a sweet lesson!

       Wednesday We drove to North Platte to have exchanges with the Zone Leaders we just did work in their area we saw some nice people, I don't remember every bodies names but it was good it is just a smaller version of Grand Island so that is fun I guess.

        Thursday we came back had lunch with a member and that was good we are going to be helping her pick out some toys for her grand kids next time she takes us out to lunch because they are little boys and so we were like okay whatever you say but that will be fun I guess. We saw one of our returning members she was doing very well she is a super sweet lady, we had a fun conversation with her and invited her again to church so hopefully she will get back in the habit of coming she needs the blessings of God, we all do, but her husband is in and out of the hospital with a heart condition so we are going to have to go see her and visit with him too to see what we can do to help. We then went to see an investigator Eugenia and Pepe they are such cool Cubans I don't know why but they are so sweet, It think it is because they have had such difficult things they have had to rely a lot on God. we had a good lesson about the Book of Mormon because she has been doing good at reading!

          Friday weekly planning it was good but not the best like usual but it was very effective and that is what makes things happy! we also had a great lunch appointment with the Rubio's where we introduced the new pamphlets to them yes we have new pamphlets so call your missionaries and get them to give you a copy and then you can introduce it to people because it answers lots of cool questions! We then did some service at the Multicultural Coalition translating a thing or two for them and then we just talked and that was good we then went to a lesson with a Less active named Angel he is so cool he is coming back to church and we are going to have him help us with an investigator or two and then we saw Eugenia and Pepe again with Brother Leal and it was a sweet lesson, I am going to have to get some of his story written down I think it will be best shared in person but basically he was Cuban special Forces and he got hurt pretty badly but he came out okay and he also was an Olympic athlete for Judo but ya long story. but Eugenia and Pepe are starting to grasp more the need for the gospel and why the restoration. we are going to have to go visit with Brother Leal and plan out our next lesson to keep the momentum with them.

                  Saturday we saw our Seventh day Adventist investigator who has read the Book of Mormon 4 times and knows its true and also has read D&C and the Pearl of Great price. that went very well. He knows the book of Mormon is true but he still has hang ups on the whole Sabbath day thing and that was kind of the majority of our lesson was that doesn't matter as much and the law of Moses was fulfilled.

      Sunday was great I spoke in church and I didn't find out till 12 and I didn't get time to prepare until about 1 and then I still was mainly pondering not studying, but I got complements from Eugenia and Pepe who came to church!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that I spoke very fluidly and they felt the spirit and I spoke on how the lord always fulfills his promises and the greatest promise is salvation and how God fulfilled his part of the Deal and that it is now our job to obey the commandments out of love and we will receive our rewards! so it was good I felt good about it and the other missionaries came as is our custom, to support each other and Also President Kearl came to so we talked to him and that was nice talking to him and he gave me a few compliments in front of the other missionaries but ya I did do a lot of work with President Kearl in the past. So ya it was good.

          That is my week really we got some good lessons and are making progress and will hopefully be hearing of success from Grand Island in the Future!

Zone Training, Crazy, Then more crazy

May 16, 2016

 

Dear Family, Friends, and Furry creatures who are adorable (IE cats dogs squirrels and other R.O.U.S.) 

         This has been another eventful week in the lives of us missionaries here in the Nebraska Omaha Mission.  So to get to the details, and to not leave you pondering and confused here it goes

       MONDAY, Monday Monday MADNESS!!! So lets see, we emailed and then went and had food, did shopping and went to try people around 6 well that didn't go so well people don't like being home or letting us in, 😢 but we decided we would do some knocking in a part of town I hadn't really been in to knock or teach people and in doing that we saw this house and I felt I should knock that house but it looked dark so I walked past and partially I got distracted talking to Elder Porter (A.D.O.S.) and then the spirit told him hey knock that house so we did and a lady named Christen answered and she was a sweet old lady and her husband is a member who is less active right now, (health issues) and she had visited with the sister missionaries and she said she knew she should get baptized but she was concerned that she didn't know how to swim and that the water would be to deep and all the sudden, we realized this sweet old lady had felt the spirit of the lord in her life she knew this was the path she needed to take but she was scared of going forward because she didn't understand the actual ordinance of Baptism and so we resolved her concern and she agreed to meet with the sisters again and the sisters are starting the lessons and I hope to hear of their success soon!

            Tuesday we had some crazy stuff happen we had a normal service at the Stuhr Museum it was fun we used weed Whackers to trim some things the lawn mowers couldn't get and it was good and we just walked around whacking stuff for an hour or so then we got to answer one of the workers questions about our church and what we do as missionaries because everybody wants to know they just don't want to be pressured into stuff so we just kept it simple and it became a very spiritual conversation despite being covered in grass and smelling like lawn mower. We then went to an appointment and the lady was like I am busy and we were like well can we have five minutes we started teaching the restoration to keep our promise of a fast lesson then she made it longer and at the end it was twenty minutes but it was a super good lesson and hopefully she keeps her commitments. We then had lunch with the other Elders and went to see a less active member named Rossy, she is one of the sweetest ladies we have taught and she has a great testimony she stays here in grand island to take care of her mom with Alzheimers disease so she has a really good heart and we committed her to come to church, she is still reading and praying and doing pretty much everything you could and should do as a member but she just stopped coming to church and she wanted to come back and we told her make it a goal, God wants to help you so he will make a way for you to come and she said okay Elders I will make a goal

                Wednesday That was a crazy day we went to Kearney for Zone training and it was good President Gardner came and the main focus was keeping the momentum we are not allowed to slack off and do nothing, also that we have a support group together as districts and as a Zone and that we never should let ourselves become depressed because we are all part of a family the family of God and that was a great part of the meeting we also talked about the light of Christ and the light of Christ is basically just Virtue PMG chapter 6 virtue change virtue to the light of Christ it makes so much sense. It was awesome we shared that. Then we came and had dinner/lunch at a Chinese restaurant and it was good it was a buffet and I was happy I was hungry and we didn't have a dinner appointment so it all worked out.  We then went to a house of a family who invited us back it was the bible study thing we sat through last week if I didn't mention that. Well we were going to share something at the end but they asked us to go first while they waited for some others who were going to be late so we took a smidge of time and shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ and showing a little bit about it from Hebrews and how that is the foundation and if we don't understand that we can't understand anything else and we won't comprehend the scriptures. The Spirit filled the room and they had never looked at it that way and they were wowed which surprised me but  then we went on to have an hour discussion on why The Latter-day Saints even exist and it was sad because they would ask great questions and then they would refuse to let us answer them. I avoided all possible bible bashing I could I began to just teach the restoration and to bear testimony and they felt the Holy Ghost, there was not one person in the room who didn't feel it and that was the crazy part but at the end the People refused to Pray about it and we left on good terms but it was sad but super cool. I know this is Christ's True church the Holy Ghost could not have been their had I been telling lies and falsehoods it is an impossibility.

                    Thursday  We got three lessons it was great we saw our investigator we taught Tuesday and she was like I don't have time then she started ranting about how her husband is getting into trouble probably drugs and prostitution and we have heard this rant before and I was like okay Mrs. we can teach you, or you can vent to empty air because you are just angry and hurt and that isn't going to help you, we then testified of how the Gospel has helped us to overcome difficulties especially disappointment and sorrow and heartache and how it can do the same for her if she'll let it. And so we testified of that and we are going to read with her Alma 32 and go from there in order skipping 35 to read 36 that is our long term lesson plan it'll be great. We then saw the Xec family who is struggling to be active sister Xec's husband is out of the Country for immigration paperwork and she is basically as single mother right now and it is hard on her, but she is so strong and she has overcome so much. We later had a team up with Hermano Leal to see Eugenia and Pepe they are so sweet and with Leal we taught the plan of salvation while including the Great Apostasy and he made it so simple it was amazing basically the great apostasy is the Devil's mist of darkness to keep us from realizing who we really are as spirit Sons and Daughters of Our Heavenly Father. When they grasped that they were like oh ya and so we are ready to help them to really progress it was great we just have to set a return appointment.  

                    Friday our day went down the drain with mowing our lawn it took longer than planned and then we tried seeing people and that just went crazy as well but we did get to see the Arviso Family With Rosa Jesus and Xavier, it was a great lesson and the kids are so funny and we hope they keep being that cute forever but sadly they'll still grow up like everybody else.

                  Saturday fell apart with dong an unexpected service project. Helping somebody disassemble a shed, it was weird because they bought it but don't have a place to put it. Some people's Kids then we Had a good lesson with a man named Luis, and he knows the church is true he just doesn't want to admit that he needs to get baptized again but he wants to help his friends join our church and so that is super funny

                       Sunday was Branch conference and apart from the stake leaders us the branch presidency we had three people in sacrament meeting it was sad but we still had good meetings hopefully we can get more people to come this next Sunday. 

              

Transfer Week

 

 

Monday May 9, 2016

 

Dear Family and Friends

         This week has been a bit crazy and also very good with transfers etc.. we are doing well here in GI and we are having fun so here is the official update for the week.

         Monday we hung out with the other missionaries and had lunch with them we then went to a park to play Frisbee golf and it started out pretty well, I was enjoying myself then on the third hole there was a water hazard and it was fine I tossed mine across and I was shooting for a gap in the trees on the other side, and well the wind caught the Frisbee just a little bit and then the Frisbee went up and over just enough to hit a single branch and bounce back and fall into the water I scrambled around the waters edge to get it before it floated away, but luckily with they way it hit it went into the shallow water at a steep angle and sunk so I had to wade to get it and my tie got wet as I bent over to grab it but it was alright but then two other elders proceeded to follow my example. So that was sad because I was used to fetch the Frisbees. However I got par on that hole, the cool thing was there was a tree between me and the hole and I tossed the Frisbee around the tree and sunk it into the hole and it was amazing everybody was awed because the water hazard had gotten them good. Then we went home did our shopping and got cleaned up and then went back out and tried people we tried this investigator named Luis and his sister Anetsa answered so we taught her and part way through our conversation Luis pulled up with his friend and they saw us and drove away. 😢 but that was good.

           Tuesday we got transfer calls and that was crazy because early we got a call from Lincoln Spanish and I was like why are they calling us and I answered and Elder Porter was like I'm going be with you Draper, so that was fun Elder Davey was super excited to leave and go to a new area so that was good he is in Norfolk Nebraska in a trio with Elder Barton and Elder Philips so that is crazy all my old companions are in the Sioux city zone and three of them are now companions! We got a couple of lessons in despite it being crazy packing day so ya we taught Eugenia and Pepe a little bit about missionary work and it was good they are surprised that we don't get paid but it hopefully will click in their brains that this is the true church.

            Wednesday was transfers and that was great and sad at the same time we had to mow the lawn so that took lots of our time once Elder Porter got here since it had been raining during the week, we met this guy named Michael he was white and we got an appointment with him but we did teach a brief restoration on the street, and it was great.

           Thursday we did service for the Leal's helping them move the people they bought their new house from furniture out and that was exciting and because it was more crazy than we had planned we gave the other missionaries Aloe Vera Drinks as compensation for their patience. We also saw Eugenia again and read with her a bit from the book of Mormon and then we dropped an English book of Mormon off to Michael since we didn't have one then we knocked on a former investigators door and caught them in a Bible study and we asked if we could join and being good Hispanics they let us in and it was more of a church service sermon rather than a bible study so that was sad, but they invite us back for next week for their actual bible study so we are going to share something simple and powerful and give them a run for their money I think maybe the gospel of Jesus Christ 😇 

            Friday we did weekly planning and saved miles since we use a lot with our service project and I got my SD card from the sisters since I gave it to them to record their Guitar skills/singing skills, they sing and play the guitar very well especially the Hymns so those were great to listen to

             Saturday we got stuff ready for the video chat home. Then we taught Michael the restoration and he was like I like learning but I am going to stay Baptist and I asked him some very pointed questions about what God desires and I testified of the unity and love of God and the restoration and Elder Porter says he looked scared, like he recognized he was feeling the spirit but didn't know what it was and I could feel the spirit filling the room and I agree Michael didn't know what to do but he doesn't want to progress so we are going to leave him for a season, he didn't even consent to pray at the end of the lesson he was like okay it is time for you to go boys..... ya.........

             Sunday we did the video chat and that was the week love you all.

--

Sincerely,
Elder Logan Joseph Draper

Pictures

Sister Kelsey, Sister Hall, Elder Geis, Elder Davey then some part of Ferguson (sad cut of not paying attention Elder)

The Sistrict

Baptism for Jesus

Hi North Platte, more crazy RAIN, Baptism by immersion not sprinkling!

 May 2, 2016

 

Dear Family and Friends, 

         This has been a crazy week for us in the Nebraska Omaha Mission if your names are Elder Draper and Elder Davey.

         Monday we got off to a good start, we hung out with the other Elders and ate food & had a pool party (like the game no water was involved). Then we mowed the lawn and went off to teach people! We were able to see Eugenia and Pepe which was amazing! We helped them get rid of Junk mail mainly scams of, If you donate money to this charitable organization we are going to enter you into a contest to win a prize and the fine print was on the inside of the envelope so that you wouldn't read it. Then there was a scam (or at least that is what it seemed to me) from a church (I won't say which). They said write down three wishes you have and then after writing each wish say sweet Jesus then enclose $20 for each wish and your prayers will be answered! REALLY?!? I can pay to have my prayers answered? REALLY?!?? and we told Eugenia, that is a scam, Christ said thy faith hath made thee whole, and Peter and John told Simon the sorcerer that thy money perish with thee for thou has thought that the gifts of God can be bought with money and then she promptly ripped them up all the papers and tossed them in the Garbage and she declared that she would not be the victim of a scam again! We then saw the Arvizo family to help make sure that Jesus was on track for his baptismal date on Saturday

           Tuesday we did our studies and then before Lunch headed out onto the road for our two-ish hour drive to North Platte to do exchanges with the Zone leaders. It was a really good experience and it has been my only real exchange this whole transfer and that was cool because it meant I got to spend more time in my Area! However we did good work and we taught a lot of people between street contacting and contacting potentials so it was fun and I enjoyed myself. And we also had a little presentation of dating tips from Elder Davey then the ZLs realized that wait Draper you need these more than we do you go home soon and I responded no I don't I have been out a little over a year.

            Wednesday we had a mission wide conference call where President Gardner shared some miracles from the mission from teaching more about Christ from the Book of Mormon. It was super cool and it as great for us. Then we drove home to Grand Island we had lunch with our Branch president and his wife then later his wife came and met us with a sister who has been less active she has six kids and her husband isn't a member so that is hard when the kids are difficult in the mornings so we haven't seen her for a while. We also saw Rossy one of our other less actives and that was fantastic she is doing super well, we had only two people at our English classes which was super sad but it was raining really hard and they were probably all like ah never mind.  So I hope we can get more people to come this week. Then we saw the Arviso Family again and we solidified the baptismal date he was and is on track to make it.

            Thursday was also great we had district meeting and that was fun and nothing too crazy other than forgetting the DVD of the District that I needed and rushing back home to get it but luckily we had enough miles and so we were fine then we had a lesson with Juan, which Juan ha hah ha, but it was a good lesson so in teaching him about prophets we read 2 Nephi 31 and showed how Nephi testified of Christ many hundreds of years before his coming and that Lehi did the same and we left him with 1 Nephi 10 to reinforce that so that will be awesome! And next time we will review Christ's ministry and the apostasy (Today Monday!) Then we got an appointment with a lady named Araceli who asked us to come back and she hadn't been available then we took lunch and talked with our friend Sandra at the Taco Truck and she is Golden she said, I hope my kids can grow up and be like you and do what you do, I want to see them dressed up wearing a name tag representing Jesus Christ. 😇  We then rushed off to Sutton which was a crazy drive trying to get there in time but we did it we then came back and saw a member who just ranted about how churches are built up to get gain and we then showed her how our church isn't, it was kind of funny actually

           Friday was all service and the Baptismal interview of Jesus and he passed it was funny we did lots of crazy running around 

            Saturday we did service with the Red Cross installing smoke detectors and then we did service at the Grand Theater for their free Matinee which was good, and then we had the baptismal service of Jesus and then we went back to the Grand theater which was good there was a lot to do on the clean up end, and that was sweet we got to do stuff then we went and had dinner at a Chinese restaurant Buffet and that was good then Elder Davey and I came home and crashed then did weekly planning and that was pretty much our week just rushing to and fro never stopping for to long

       

--

Sincerely,
Elder Logan Joseph Draper