August 25, 2018

Hey Dad!

Wow! That first half of your letter was really beautiful!  Kind of a wrap it up kind of email for my mission.  This really has been the experience of a lifetime.  I love England.  I love the people here.  I can't believe my time is coming to a close...  crazy!

I feel like we will have a parent/child relationship!  You will always be my Dad.  Of course I will turn to you with questions and council!  For blessings and all sorts of things too!  I will always admire you and respect you.  

This week has been amazing Dad!  We have been touring around the mission giving trainings to the mission!  We spent a few days in the Kent area giving trainings down there.  We have a really cool training we are giving.  I like it a lot.  It's about worthiness, diligence, and following the promptingsif the spirit.  So great.  My companions are outstanding.  This is probably the most unified I have ever been in a companionship.  I love that.  This really is the best way possible for me to finish my mission.  I have been trying to get out of my comfort Zone recently.  There is such growth when we leave the comfort Zone.  I've also been trying to help other missionaries do the same.  So, yesterday, when we were on Exchange, I was with my MTC companion Elder Porter and a great young Zone Leader Elder Lawson and we decided to do a "hat trick" where we did all 3 of the things missionaries are scared to do in one day.  So we went street preaching in a town centre in Peckham, preached on a bus full of people, and preached on a packed tube! WOW! That was quite the experience! Blood pumping and testimony outpouring! It was so fun! We now feel like we have no fear to talk to anyone anywhere! 

Also, we were in Cambridge on assignment from President Checketts and we decided to do a blitz with the Cambridge sisters (what a beautiful city!)  And it was legendary! Another thing we did there to get out of our comfort zones was running tip speeding a park and doing a summersault next to people sitting down! The first question we asked was "Have you ever heard about the Law of Chastity? "  haha (sounds wierd, but it led to a great discussion and they are coming to church tomorrow!) 

Wow.  These memories are just ones I will treasure forever! 

This is the Lords work!

Repentance is a joyful choice!  There really is peace in Christ as we let Him captain our lives! 

Love you Dad! 

Elder Draper

On Sat, 25 Aug 2018, 09:39 Zhaun Draper, <zhaund@gmail.com> wrote:

You have surely grown up. Looking at you pictures you send home, it is clear that you are your own man. It looks good on you. You have been so obedient and diligent. You have changed peoples lives, both members and non members. You have served in hard and challenging circumstances. You have seen the choices of others have consequences that they had no control over, yet they happened anyway. You have seen the example of others, and you have been an example. You have learned much from personal study of the scriptures and the inspired words of the prophets. You have also learned much from experiences that you have had. You have seen the hand of the Lord in others lives as well as your own. You have had whisperings of the spirit to you teaching and guiding you. You have had people serve you and love you. You have had the opportunity to serve others and love others. You have made friends and memories with those friends that you will always cherish. You have been trained and even trained others. You have been able to lead and lift others. You have learned about your Savior and developed Christlike attributes. Well done!

Be grateful, Be smart, Be kind, Be loving, Be humble, Be teachable. Have courage. Know that you are loved. 

It is pretty clear to me that we will no longer have much of a Parent/Child relationship going forward for the rest of our lives. You are your own man now. I see you as that and look forward to helping you any way I can. Whether it be listening, counselling, going to the temple with you, giving a blessing or whatever it is I can do, know that I love you and am always willing to help you.

I know your Heavenly Father is very proud of you. I am very proud of you. Keep up the good work. Change is coming again too soon.

Love,

Your Brother

Wow! Sounds like everyone's doing super well! That's amazing! Tell JD to be careful when it comes to redheads.   I don't trust em.

I also am shook at how close I am to going home.  I don't want this to end.  I love you all, but WOW.  I don't feel ready to come home.  I have felt my testimony grown so much even in this past week.  President has had us repairing hurt companionship, depriving disobedience, and training the mission this week, and I have just learned so much.  I. Love. Saving. The. Lord.

Have an amazing week! Read Dads email for some awesome stories! 

Love

Elder Draper 

August 18, 2018

Hey Mom

Sorry for the late email.

Crazy PDay today.  We went to the temple to do baptisms for the dead with our Recent Converts.  It was an amazing experience.  This is really is what It is all about!  Felt the spirit so strong.  I love my mission.  

Sorry for the lame-o  email.  

Love you Mom.

Elder Draper 

August 11, 2018

Hey! 

No time to email today... so sorry.  

Said goodbye to Elder Aguiar and Elder O'Hare this week... so sad.  Now I am in my final transfer.  I can't believe it.  My new companions are amazing.  Elder Bos is the most Christ like person ever, and Elder Nelson is my step son!  I follow up trained him over a year ago!  It's so good to be back together again!  

We had a great week! Busy! Loads of planning.  Spending time with the checketts is always a highlight! They took us to shakeshack and it was incredible.  I learn so much from them!  

I sure love you all!  Have an amazing week!

Elder Draper

August 4, 2018

Hey Mom,

No worries, I totally understand!  

Glad to hear that so many fun things are going on back home.  Sounds like girls camp was a huge success!  I'm sure everyone is incredibly grateful for everything you did to organize it.  That's why I have no doubt it was incredible... everything you do becomes incredible!

This last week has been wild! 

On Wednesday, we had MLC and that was a really good meeting.  President Checketts gave the coolest training on the Prophet Joseph Smith and how we can learn how to be better leaders from studying his life.  I know that he was called of God.  I learned so much about being a leader.  President Checketts never ceases to amaze me.  I'm so grateful I get to serve so close with him.

After MLC, we got right into transfers.  This transfer is an EPIC one.  Probably the most amount of change that I have ever seen or even heard of!!  We mixed most of the companionships in the mission and where we could put one from the old ELM and one from the old ELSM.  We are excited to see the way these cultures truly embrace.  Before this, it's only my companionship that has had missionaries from both missions.  We spend literally 2 and a half solid days working on it!  At one point, we were stuck and things weren't moving like we'd like, so we went to the chapel and shot free-throws with President Checketts!  It was amazing!  He is pretty dang good for being 65!  Another thing that has blown me away is how decisive and sure he is.  He has a vision of what he wants to accomplish, and he gets it done!  

Something crazy happened!  Elder O'Hare's Dad was in town for business, and President gave him permission to see him early, so yesterday, we were sitting in the office when we heard a whistle.  We all turned around and it was his Dad!  Crazy!  Watching them hug and watching his Dad cry made me realize just how close I am to coming home.  It's weird sending two companions home.  It almost feels like I am going home too!  Haha!  Then the Checketts took us to 5 guys to celebrate finishing such a legendary transfer.

So, today, we haven't really had a PDay.  Elder O'Hare's Dad took us out to breakfast and we have been working on arranging travel and departing interviews.  Lots of admin... But, I have seen some past companions who are coming in for their departing interviews, and missionaries that have been in Zones that I led.  It's so cool to see them and how they have changed.  Crazy.  This really is a gospel of change.

An update on the people we are teaching!  We are still meeting with Katie and she is just the best.  We have been talking a lot about the temple with her and hopefully she will be going this next week.  She is SO excited to go to the temple!!

Andrea is incredible as well.  Seeing how much she has changed and progressed is just astounding.  Brilliant really.  She stopped drinking coffee on her own and so quickly too!  Of course her sisters being recent converts have been a huge support!  Her Mom even flew from Spain to London to watch her baptism tomorrow!  We are so excited for her!!!  It's going to be an amazing day.

I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the Earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith.  Joseph was an instrument in God's hands in restoring so many precious and lost truths.  Priesthood, temples, the nature of God, and the Book of Mormon.  So many things that I don't know who I would be without.  I know this is the Lord's work.  I am so eternally grateful to be anxiously engaged in this cause.  I can't believe that I am going into my last transfer as a full time missionary.  It makes me sad, but I have never wanted more to give my everything while I can.  

Love you so much Mom!

Elder Draper

July 28, 2018

Hi!

I am currently in a trio right now and it is such a great time!  

Here is a miracle from the week!  Please share with the fam!

Yesterday, my companions both went to the departing temple trip (they are both going home this transfer), so I was on exchange with Elder Norman and Elder Smith. We had just got back to the chapel when it started to POUR rain. It came out of nowhere and all of the tourists who were on Exhibition Road were trying to seek shelter from the storm. A few people came into the church to escape the downpour and we got some pretty good conversations going. The real miracle was a few minutes later, when we saw this man walking down in the rain and we felt to go out and invite him in. He seemed a bit reluctant, but decided to come in anyway. His name was Ferdinand. As we got to know him better, we learned that he has been going through a really hard time. He opened up quite a bit. He told us that he hasn't been to church in over 12 years, but knows that he should. He said that he doesn't want to turn to God because he is in a bad situation, but we testified that God just cares about the fact that we do turn to him. We read a verse from the Book of Mormon and he said that it spoke to him. That it was the first time he had read scriptures in a LONG time. He then looked at us and said, "what is the next step." We set some really good expectations with him.  He is so excited to come to church and change! Miracles from a rainstorm in London!  

I know that this is the Lord's work.  No doubt in my mind.

Mosiah 20:11

"And it came to pass that the people of Limhi began to drive the Lamanites before them; yet they were not half so numerous as the Lamanites.  But they fought for their lives, and for their wives, and for their children; therefore they exerted themselves and like dragons did they fight."

Give it all you have this week! Fight like dragons!  Fight for the people you love!  Christ helps us to exert ourselves when we feel like we can't.  I know that and I have felt it.  

We just got back late from watching the Lion Kingon west End with President Checketts! It was legendary!  

Love you both so much!

Elder Draper

Zhaun-Paul's Release Date!!!!!

We just received Zhaun-Paul's release date this week...and yes, I have a countdown going on.

September 18, 2018

July 21, 2018 - Visit from Elder Oaks

(Elder Draper is the AP in London. He was the AP while his mission president finished and went home and a new mission president came, so he helped a lot with that transition. At the same exact time the England London Mission absorbed the London South Mission, so they doubled their area boundaries and the number of missionaries. All while training a new Mission President. Our Zhaun-Paul was a key figure in all of this transition and kept things running, as his two companions got transferred and he also trained the new AP. He has never complained or even mentioned the added stress he has had, but rejoices in being able to be there through these amazing changing times. What a great missionary he has been! OH.....And guess who just happened to dropped by..... check it out...)

Hey Mom!  

I can't believe it's already P Day again!  CRAZY!!

I'm glad you enjoyed the letter.  They should all be really good.  You really deserve to get a good update on what is going on.  

Really?  I remember watching a movie right before I left (I think it was Jason Bourne, but I could be wrong) and there was a scene that took place in London and I just felt so excited to go.  Now, here I am having lived in London for almost 2 years.  It's crazy how quick the time flies.  I am so grateful for my mission.  I say that all the time, but it is true.  I am learning so much.  It's funny to see JD wearing that suit.  It looks good on him!  He does look a bit like me!  Haha!  It's a bit nerve racking to move out.  I hope Maddie does well with the big change.  When does she move out again?

You are going to do great with the Young Women's camp!  You need to tell the Stevens that I love them with all my heart!  Give them a big hug for me and tell them I will visit them when I get back!  You are going to love meeting them!  They are great!  I hope you see some of the missionaries I was able to serve around too!  Hopefully Jacob Parkin and Ralson Lindsey will be there.  I'm excited that you get to go to that!

This week was crazy and exciting.  Last Sunday, we got to see the miracle of Will being baptised.  He has come so far since he was first stopped right outside the Chapel on Exhibition road.  He is such a good man.  He was born in Berma (Myanmar) and grew up in the UK.  He is brilliant.  He codes for a living and wrote an algorithm to predict the stock market... so cool.  His conversion really began to accelerate when he commited to reading the Book of Mormon every day.  Also, a few weeks ago, he moved closer to the chapel which allowed us to see him more and for him to come to more activities, which led to making friends and he just grew in testimony so steadily.  It really was amazing to see.  Now he is looking forward to getting the Gift of the Holy Ghost tomorrow.  

Another highlight is Andrea.  She is the sister of two recent converts.  We have been teaching her for the last week and she is just amazing.  She feels the spirit so strong during lessons.  She is a bit nervous working towards baptism, but we have faith that she will overcome all of those doubts before August 5th.  Katie and Sister Checketts came to help us teach yesterday.  They were both amazing and so helpful to Andrea. It's amazing to see how she is recognizing God's love in her life.  The little things are pointing her to follow Christ and she is listening.  The Lord really is blessing our area as we are MAX busy with President Checketts.  I'm grateful that this is the Lord's work and not mine!

On Monday, we were walking in for a lesson when one of the Senior couples at the front desk told us that President Oaks was here... we then walked and looked into the cultural hall and sure enough, there was President Oaks!  Amazing!  Just a few weeks ago, Elder Holland was here and now President Oaks!  Apostles love London almost as much as me!  We quick taught our lesson and then waited around for an opportunity to present itself for us to shake President Oaks' hand.  The time came and we rushed in there (a pack of like 7 missonaries) and he was sort of on his way out when he turned to us and said "Have I had a chance to shake your hands??"  We said no, and he replied "Well lets change that!!"  He walked over and shook all of our hands and we got some LEGENDARY pictures with him!  We got a proper picture AND a selfie with him!  He was squeezing my arm so tight in both pictures!  He was also holding Elder Tolman with his other arm, and Elder Tolman is one of my mission heroes... so we were linked together by an Apostle of the Lord!  Amazing.  Perks of serving in the Hyde Park Chapel for sure.  It was so wonderful to have the chance to look in his eyes and feel that even though he is a man, he really is an Apostle.  I could feel it in the way he treated to people around him.  He took time to minister to each of us when I'm sure he had other more important things to do.  

On Tuesday, we received and trained two new missionaries.  Elder Lin and Elder Lum Ze.  Elder Lin is from Taiwan and Elder Lum Ze is from Berma.  The diversity of this mission truly astounds me!  President Checketts has really emphasised our responsibility in leading the gathering of Israel here in London.  I believe it!  There are people from EVERYWHERE!!  It's amazing to be a part of.  

We also got the chance to go south of the river to attend the Crawley Zone's interviews.  We got to sit in on the District Meetings and talk with the missionaries in the Zone and get to know them better.  It was so fun.  One of my favourite things about traveling around with the Checketts is just being able to learn from them.  They truly are remarkable people!  They have taught me so much just by their example.  Then the day after Crawley, President asked me if I would drive them down to Maidstone to do the same thing.  I had never driven the mission van befor then... and it was a bit nerve racking.  Big vans on tiny English roads are not a combination made in Heaven... Nonetheless, we made it safely and had a wonderful day with the Maidstone Zone.  I even grew to love driving "Betty" as we have come to call the van.

Then yesterday our Zone had our Interviews AND we had a 3 week training meeting to run, so we weren't able to get interviewed, but had a wonderfully hecktic day running around between Zone Meetings and Trainings!  Good times for sure.  After that crazy day, President Checketts took us out to 5 guys.  It was so fun.  

For our P Day today, we got to bike all around London.  We went shopping at Oxford Circus for Elder Aguiar who had to get some things for a wedding.  It is so fun to bike in London.  You get to weave in and out of traffic and see all the cool sights!  Don't worry mom, we were wearing helmets!

The spiritual thought for this week comes from the New Testament!  I have really come to love reading the New Testament on my mission.  I love seeing the way that our Saviour walked, talked, and treated others.  So.  The verse comes from 1 John Chapter 2 verse 6.  I love this whole chapter.  But this verse in particular.  It says "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked."  I love that!  We are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!  We claim that we know him and it should reflect in the way that we act.  "By THIS shall men know that ye are my disciples, that you show love one to another."  If we rely on Christ and use His Atonement, we can change our natures to become less natural and more god-like.  I'm so grateful for that!  

This really is the Lord's work!  

Love you all so much!

Elder Draper