July 24, 2017

This week has been amazing!  One of the most wonderful things to see this week is just how much Elder Angeiras has grown in this transfer.  He truly has become a Christlike missionary.  His desire to be obedient is what I am most happy about.  He has come to love life as led by the Holy Spirit and he understands that that comes by obedience.  This week I really saw the progress that he has made with Planning.  He conducted weekly Planning and most of he daily Planning and seriously is amazing at it.  He truly has a desire to serve.  Part of our transfer Vision was to have him ready to lead the area by the end of the transfer, and honestly he is.  It is such a joy serving with him.  It was also an incredible experience being able to have Senessie's baptism this week.  To have Elder Angeiras really come to know and experience the fact that if we work hard, and if we are faithful and obedient people are there.  They are prepared.  What an experience to have in your first transfer.  His future is so incredibly bright! 

We found someone called Michael this last week, and he is one of the most amazing people I've had the opportunity to teach on my mission.  He is so sincere and excited about learning the gospel!  Exciting things happening in Romford!  

I have been studying the doctrine of baptism a lot this week.  Such a simple principle, but when explored, you can really learn so much.  I learned that "baptism" comes from the Greek verb "baptiso" and means to "immerse."  Of course we are immersed in water when we are baptised, but more than that we immerse our lives in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  What an amazing purpose we have to help others do the same.  I know that this is His work!  He leads it and guides it, and I am grateful to be a part of it.  

Love you Mom!

Elder Draper

July 17, 2017

Hellllllllooooooooooo Mom!

Thank you for your testimony and your love!  I can feel it from way over, across the pond!  Seriously.  You rock. It's good to hear about Brother Newman!  I still can't get over how cool it is that he served in the same mission!  

Mom, I am doing so great!  I love my area, my companion, the district, and the people we are teaching. I feel so blessed.  Seriously, I am just so humbled to be in the Lords service! Please sit down with each and every one of the kids and let them know how much I love them. Please know how much I love you.  I pray for you and I just want you to be happy every day! 

Have an amazing week!

Elder Draper

July 10, 2017

Letter to Mission President

What an amazing experience it was to be at Zone Conference this week.  It seems that each time we have a Zone Conference I leave thinking "that was the best Zone Conference of my mission" they just keep getting better. 

I loved discussing the Devine gift of repentance, and hearing what stood out to missionaries and how they planned to apply it to their work.  I loved the trainings we received about working with members.  By the end of it I had a whole page full of ways to be better with working with members and I have loved trying new things to get them involved and excited about the work!  

The training by the assistants was incredible as well.  I loved the power and simplicity.  I have found so much joy in taking every chance I get to testify of my Savior.  It has brought a renewed sense of purpose and power to the conversations I've had.  Then to top it all off with the testimonies of missionaries that I have come to know, love, and respect so much.  It was such a powerful experience.  I have already seen the positive impact it has had on me as a missionary.

Elder Angeiras continues to leave his comfort zone and grow each day.  He has such a powerful testimony and he shares it with everyone who will listen.  He is really doing amazing.  His desire to be obedient and his love for the people make him an amazing missionary.

I am loving every day President.  I am absolutely loving the mission reading of the Book of Mormon.  I have learned so much!  There have been times when I have just been touched by something that I read.  I love the focus and I love the unity it brings to the mission! 

Love

Elder Draper

July 3, 2017

It is so great to hear that you guys had a crazy-awesome week!  I am so grateful for the fact that Maddie is okay!  My goodness!  It sounds like she really loved girls camp and that her testimony really grew from that whole experience which is amazing!  

I am doing so good!  My companion is so great!  I have learned so much from him and from going back to the very fundamentals of missionary work.  Seeing him grow and develop into a diligent, faithful, and obedient missionary just fills my souls with great joy.  I can almost imagine what it must feel like has a real parent, not just a mission parent!  

We are working with this guy called Senessie who is so a,among, but struggles with a bit of mental health. The gospel has really helped him feel peace and joy and it is amazing to see how the Gospel of Jesus Christ truly is for everybody.  Man, we are working so hard.  I have always had the best sleep of my life on my mission, because I always go to bed knowing that I did all I could that day... that is the best feeling ever!  I'm sure you have felt it a lot as well recently!  

Man, I have just absolutely loved reading the Book of Mormon.  I read 2 Nephi 2 today and WOW... IT IS AMAZING!  Lehi is a great teacher.  Well, I hope you have an amazing week Mom!  I sure love you!  This truly is the Lords work!  

June 18, 2017

Hey Family!  

This week is kind of hectic because it's transfers time yet again.  Man!  They keep going by so fast!  I can't believe I've been out for so long!  Well the news is that I am staying in the blessed land of Romford!  I seriously love it so much here!  We are being so blessed and the work is hastening here.  Both in our area and in the district!  Romford is just booming with miracles and tender mercies!  I look forward to this coming transfer to do even better than last!!  Some more exciting news is that I don't know who my next companion is... which means that I am training a brand new missionary.  I am so excited and humbled by this opportunity!  I will meet whomever I'm serving with tomorrow at the trainers meeting!  Ah!  So exciting!  

It is so great to hear that you are all doing so well!  Maddie!  Congratulations on your golf awards!  What the heck?  That is so cool!  You look so happy!  Love you Maddie!

JD!  You are doing X Country?  That is so sick!  Man, I wish I would've done it looking back on my High School experience, you are going to do so great!  Love ya JD!

Sydney!  Sounds like you are becoming a piano master!  I can't wait to hear you play your awesome songs for me Love ya Sydney!

Sounds like things are going well and there's lots of family time being spent which is awesome!  

It sounds like you are doing amazing things Mom!  Enjoy the time you have to spend with the kids! Love ya Mom!

Is it hot over there??  Because it is BLISTERING hot over here!  It is a very humid kind of heat and I pretty much sweat from the time I get out of the shower to the time I go to bed.  It's one of the hottest June's that England has had in a while.  It was 34 degrees (Celsius) which is pretty toasty.  

I am departing my little Brazilian companion.  It has been lots of ups and downs with him, but I love him and I'm sad to see him go.

On Friday we got to hear from President Stevens, Elder Kearon, Elder D. Todd, Christofferson, and their wives and it was the coolest experience ever.  All 200 missionaries in the ELM were there and it was amazing to see all of the amazing missionaries that have helped me in so many ways.  Then to hear the testimony of a special witness of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ... it was amazing.  I learned how the spirit is pure intelligence and can teach us things even our 5 senses can't.  It was amazing.  I am going to apply what I learned and be the best missionary I can be.  I am going to help people come to know that the Book of Mormon is true.  That is the key.  It really is so simple.  Elder Christofferson explained that it really is as simple as that.  If they are willing to read and pray about the Book of Mormon, they will gain a witness that it is true and become converted to the Gospel, and if not, they won't progress.  Simple.  I also want to apply something I learned from Elder Kearon which is to "let go of all your inadequacies, and instead look at how you can help those around you and be a light to them."  That's what I'm going to apply what I learned and now you (my beloved family) can keep me accountable!  

Now for an epic shout out!  Happy Fathers Day Dad!!  I love you so much!  You are so great.  Thank you for being an amazing father and an incredible example of hard work, magnifying your church callings, and leading by example.  I will ever be grateful for you!  The talk I gave went really well.  Lots of people came up and told me they loved it.  I told the story of your epic rescue when Kyle and I were freezing to death in a swamped canoe, and then related that to the context of our Heavenly Father.  It was fun to write and remember all those awesome memories!  

Lastly, it seems that you guys are pretty concerned about how I am feeling, but I want you to know that I am happier than I have ever been.  My mission has been the greatest experience of my life, and I have grown so much because if it.  Rest assured that I am doing well!  

I love you all so very much!  Have an amazing week!  

Elder Draper

A Brightness of Hope

Heya!

Zone Conference this week was incredible.  There was such an amazing spirit as we gathered together as representatives of our Saviour.  I absolutely loved the focus on faith.  The fact that faith is the power that makes things happen that need to happen!  

Elder Gato!  What a legend.  It's his birthday today!  He is continuing to grow in confidence both in the language and in his own ability.  I love his testimony.  Great things ahead for that lad.

The Romford area is so great.  The work is moving forward in an amazing way!  We saw one of this capital "M" miracles this week.  Right after sacrament meeting we went out to mingle with members when we saw this woman dressed in pink that looked lost.  We  went over and spoke to her and she explained how she had just moved in to the area, and she googled which churches to go to.  She scrolled through the list saying to herself "I'm not a baptist, or a catholic" until she came to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  She decided that is where she wanted to go.  So her and her daughter came to church and LOVED it!  She participated a ton in gospel principles and her daughter loved primary!  They are excited to come again next week.  What a Miracle!

I have been studying hope a lot this week.  I read an incredible talk by Neal A Maxwell that is entitled "A Brightness of Hope" and have loved learning more about how that kind of hope relates to faith and motivates is to act to the best of our ability.  Here is a really cool quote from the talk:

"Genuine hope is urgently needed in order to be more loving even as the love of many waxes cold; more merciful, even when misunderstood or misrepresented; more holy, even as the world ripens in iniquity; more courteous and patient in a coarsening and curt world; and more full of heartfelt hope, even when other men’s hearts fail them. Whatever our particular furrow, we are to “plow in hope,” without looking back or letting yesterday hold tomorrow hostage (1 Cor. 9:10)."

I know that if we place our hope in Christ we will find joy.  He is at the helm.  

I look forward to hear from D. Todd Christofferson.  What a blessing.  I am so excited to hear from an Apostle and learn how to improve as an instrument in the Lords hands! 

From his letter to the family:
I hear that Maddie gave an amazing talk!  Maddie... you are awesome and I had no doubts that you would knock everyone's socks off and make Mom cry!  Well done!

To answer some questions:
Yes!  I take public transportation everywhere!  We take awesome double decker buses and preach the gospel on the bus!  Although, president asked me to do my 3 hours of driving this week.  So, on Thursday I will be driving on the LEFT side of the road!  Pray for me :)

The Romford Ward is great!  It's not very big though.  Around 20 active members.  We get fed maybe once a week.  Which is really good. We are working in building this great ward and are working with some really cool people!

It rains a bunch over here!  It's pretty bipolar weather.  Either blue skies and nice weather or hurricane speed winds and pouring rain. It's awesome and I love it!  Look up and drink it!  Haha! I am having a wonderful time!  Hope you have an amazing week!  Take care!

Love you all! 

Elder Draper

Watch this video on London Rain!!!

Helping someone quit smoking by stealing their tobacco:

The Power of Sincere Prayer

Heya!

This week has been crazy!

We spent a lot of time in Ilford this week.  Mostly for District Meeting and Exchanges.  One time, we were doing a TTI to a man and he was explaining the Sikh religion to us.  Then all of the sudden he was like... "I'll show you!"  So he took with his chauffeur and took is to the Sikh temple.  It was quite the experience.  We had to take our shoes off and cover our heads.  We looked like pirates... but that's beside the point.  It was super interesting!  Sikh people are super peaceful and a lovely people.  In the temple it felt calm... slightly awkward, and I could tell the Spirit wasn't there.  So I just prayed and thanked Heavenly Father for having the Restored Gospel in my life and that I know for myself that Sikhism is not for me. Other than that, we are doing fantastic here!  Our friends Senessie,
Katie, and Maxine are doing well.  We got to do a mission wide fast. It was incredible.  President Stevens is just amazing.  It blows my mind how in tune with the Spirit he is. We also found out that D. Todd Christofferson is coming to visit our mission!  That is exciting! Something I really have felt this week is the power of sincere prayer. I know that as we diligently and sincerely seek our Fathers council and guidance he will give it to us.  He loves us SO MUCH! I know that Jesus Christ Lives!

Have an amazing week!

Elder Draper