Elder Draper with President and Sister Archibald

Dear Brother and Sister Draper,

What a pleasure it is for Sister Archibald and me to welcome Elder Ryan Tyler Draper to the Canada, Calgary Mission! Receiving new missionaries is one of our most enjoyable opportunities. We are grateful for his desire to be a dedicated servant of the Lord.

After we met him at the airport, I had the opportunity to interview him, so I could get to know him better and determine his first assignment. His companion, Elder Joshua Joe Rudd, from Garland, Utah, is a superb missionary with very special attributes. Elder Draper's training and development are very important during his first weeks here. He will be serving in the Calgary Crescent View North area of the Spanish Zone.

Thank you so much for your love and sacrifice in sharing your son with us. We will take good care of him and will do all we can to make this experience a positive one. The work here is so important, and we know he can contribute a great deal. Your son's mission here is a marvelous preparation ground for his future education, career, family and Church leadership.

Sincerely,
Alan L. Archibald

Mission President

Week #3 in Calgary

Hello favorite family ever!!!

Thank you all for your emails! I read them and respond the first 30 min it looks like, so I get 30 to write this one. I would print them all up but it costs a quarter per page so I can't really print up too much but I will try.

This week was another slow week, but we are staying diligent!!! Yeah we taught Cesar on Monday. His wife was sick and didn't participate. We taught the restoration. He had heard it once before and it had been awhile so we decided to refresh his mind. He turned down the baptismal commitment though. He said he is going to read the BOM and pray about it, so that was one positive thing. We invited them to church too and he said they were free, but they didn't show. We have an appt tonight so we are going to get to know the wife Angelica then teach the Plan of Salvation. We really have been praying hard for them and feel they are ready to accept this gospel. We just have to trust that if they really pray to know, the Holy Ghost will confirm it to them, and we know that will happen. I will keep you in the loop with them. They have a 5 yr old boy and 2 year old girl. They are both so cute and I could totally see them in primary.

Last night was the baptism of Penelope. Another set of Spanish elders taught her and helped her to the waters of baptism. All of the Spanish elders get to go, and what a treat it was. It was so cool to see a convert baptism, rather than just an 8 year old person. I just saw a change in her after the baptism. What a confirmation of the priesthood and the atonement and this Church! The change is even physical! It was so neat and I hope I get that opportunity to help someone like that very soon. We are working hard to have a baptismal date set before the 19th of August.

Yeah Dad we have a credit card from the mission. First of every month we get 200 bucks for food and things like that. So I have about 120 left for this month. If I ever get through that in a month I will use the personal debit card. Shouldn't happen too often though. I will use my personal debit card for snow gear and clothes and things like that.

Saturday was the ward picnic and that was pretty fun. Spanish parties are crazy!! They brought about 75 lbs of raw meat no exaggeration. The elders helped cook it. My job was to take the raw meat and slap it on the grill. So nasty haha. Blood and fat all over my hands for 3 hours, so that was pretty legit.

Church meetings are all in Spanish. A lot of the younger members speak English so that is a relief haha. It wil be weird going back to an English ward after 2 years for sure. Bishop Obispo is awesome. Very powerful man. We have tons of malls. We will go today. No Target, just Wal-mart haha. We do all our shopping on pday. Not much sight seeing yet. We will go to downtown one of these pdays. I don't really need any bedding, have plenty of blankets and all that. But yeah I have what you sent up. Thanks for rubbing Cafe Rio in my face haha. No really thanks for the pics!!!

Yeah not much else this week haha. Don't really have an amazing missionary stories to tell haha. I know they will come though. We are just trying to have a ton of fun and working hard. The members are just the funnest people ever. Tons of funny things and good times. Hopefully next week I will have some good news with Cesar and Angelica!!! Hope you have a sweet time in Hawaii!!! I love you all!!

Elder Draper

Blake, Dude thanks for the music update!! Ugh yeah that is one of the hardest things right now, no music. It is so tempting to turn the radio on when we are driving around, but I don't do it obviously haha. Sounds like you are working hard and having a fun summer. Sorry this is so short but I am going to start writing the big family email now. I love your emails so keep them up! You can bet I will email you a ton on your mission too, so be stoked about that. Emailing is one of the highlights of the week. Take care Blake and have a fun time in Hawaii. I love you!

Hey, hey thank you Madison!! You are so cute I miss you :) Well I have read the Book of Mormon once and I am almost done with the second time! I have taught 3 different people the gospel so far. I need to work harder to find more people to teach huh!? Have a great time in Hawaii Maddie!! I love you!!

Nick!! Thanks for the update man!! Dude by the drake album for me and save it!! That's crazy about Peyton. Wow Shaq just needs to retire haha. He is crazy. Thanks for the sports update!! Keep them coming! Have a great time in Hawaii!! I love you!! Ryan P.S. Hawaii is WAY better than Calgary haha. Enjoy the fun times for me!

Haha thanks DAD!!! Sounds good! Thanks for the update, I will try to answer your questions in the family email. We had that exact lesson in priesthood too, obviously in Spanish though. I bought the Principios del Evangelio book so I am good to go for that class. I am loving it up here. Thank you for your emails and great advice. Hopefully pretty soon you will see an email in Spanish from me. Yeah I bet I will have to get reading glasses too. But I think they make you look legit anyways. Thanks again and I love you!

Oh the wonders of modern technology!

Home sweet home - Casa dulce casa - Mi casa es su casa

In Ryan's email this morning he gave us his new address. We decided to scope out Google Earth so we could take a peek at his 'hood'. After we downloaded the software it zoomed right in on 24 Huntley Close in Calgary, Canada. How did Missionary Moms survive before email, SD cards and Google Earth? Glad I'll never know!

*Ryan confirmed in his email that he does live here in the bottom left apartment

Second Email from Calgary

What is up family!?

This was another solid week! OK so I will answer your email first Mom. I got my address so you can look it up. 24 Huntley Close I think. We live next to a little park if that will help you. Yeah the Zone Leaders told me I have 2 letters so I am guessing one of them is from you. It stinks I don't get mail until Mondays because the ZL's have to go pick it up at the mission office. But I will get used to it. We are in the Crescent View Ward. It is from 1:00-4:00. The members are absolutely awesome. I am already loving them. Spanish countries have such a neat culture and because there are people from all over the world here, I get to experience all the different cultures. For example, Saturday a Colombian family had their daughters birthday party in the cultural hall. We had to stop by the church library to get a DVD for a lesson. We walked in the cultural hall real quick and there was a full on huge jumpy house thing and Spanish pop music just blasting. Ummm don't think I would see that in our ward building. But they are so much fun and I had a random thought about how cool it will be to come after my mission and let you guys meet them!

So I cannot use my iPod Nano here. It plays videos so I can't use it. It would be legit if you could send some of the church music cds that we put on it up to me. Every apartment has a cd player plus we could use them in the car driving. Thank you!!!

We heard about Prop 8. We were walking and ran into some members who were visiting from Texas and they told me. The people have voted twice now. Ridiculous. Yes I still get a little fired up sometimes about that stuff but the Lord will take care of the situation no doubt.

Yeah Elder Rudd and I are doing great. We are having so much fun. Yes I won't lie, basically every day is pretty hard on me. Especially the afternoons, the hardest time to fill with work. I am just tired 24/7. Sometimes I don't know how I keep going, but I do. I know the harder I work and more obedient I am, the more I will be blessed and the more I will learn important life lessons. But let me tell you, missionary work is the funnest thing ever. When you step foot into investigators home, the adrenaline and spirit start to flow and its at those times when the most fun is had.

This week we got to go downtown. A member needed a translator for his court appt (for a traffic ticket). So we got to do that which was cool, but also got to walk through downtown. I took some pics so you will get those soon. It is such a clean city, packed with sweet cars (Audi R8!!!). Embarrassing moment this week. We were teaching in a members home and they asked me to say the opening prayer. Now I really am bad with names and especially with Spanish names so two times during the prayer I called them the "Alvarez" family, although they are the "Jiminez" family. I am going to call her Hermana Alvarez just to keep the joke going!

Tonight is going to be sweet!! We have two investigators lined up. One is new: Cesar and Angelina. They are from Mexico, and have lived in California and Utah before. They are a referral from a member. We are so excited and have an awesome plan lined up for them. We are committing them to baptism tonight, so I will let you know how that goes.

Anyways that is about it from Canada. I am happy as ever and healthy. Serving a mission is so so so much fun I wouldn't trade this time from anything else. I am learning so much about myself and this gospel. Have a great week everyone and I love you all!!!!

Love, Elder Draper

Rachel you are too old!!! Holy cow that driving comment really through me for a loop haha. That's too bad about the movie. I guess I won't see it after haha. I hope you and Alexa are still posting the movies I should see on my facebook haha. Well thank you so much for the email Ray I love you hard! Thanks for your support and remember that you are awesome! Keep doing what you are doing girl! Enjoy your last few weeks of summer! Love Ryan

NICK!!! Good job buddy!!! You are a stud!! Don't let your injuries keep you down. Be like Kobe and just play through them. Sounds like you are having a fun summer! Wow I can't believe you might be taking spanish! I hope you get into the class so you can tell me everything you are learning! I love you bro keep doin work and remember to make mom happy haha. Take care Nick! Ryan

Thanks Blake for the update. Yeah even I don't feel like a missionary it is so crazy. I just feel like I should still be in high school or something. The mission has not set in yet, and I don't think it will until I come home. Sounds like you are having just too much fun at work good to hear. Any music updates? Drake's album is coming out soon right? And what are the good movies out? Yes I am still a human and want to know these things haha. But seriously man you have an amazing 2 years in your future. Walking around and just talking to people is so fun and a rush of adrenaline. Keep your mission in the back of your mind always. I am already having experiences that will change my life forever. Hope you have a good week and remember I love you!!! Ryan

First Pictures from Calgary

Elder Draper's first yummy home made dinner at the Mission Home with new arrivals and President and Sister Archibald

This picture is of Ryan's Young Men President's grandparents President Talmage Jones who served in the Canada, Calgary Mission

Pictures of all the past Calgary Mission Presidents

In the basement of the Mission Home where Ryan spent his first night in Canada

The beautiful Calgary Mission home

This is the view of downtown Calgary from the chapel grounds where his ward meets

This is the chapel where the Crescent View Spanish Ward meets

New Elders and Sisters arriving in Calgary

New companions Elder Draper and Elder Rudd doin' work!

First Email from Calgary!

HELLO FAMILY!!!!!!

I bet you think I didn't make it through my first week huh!? Well I did!!! Yes my p-days are Mondays, however because of the Canadian holiday the libraries were closed yesterday. So every Monday at 11 AM roughly I will log on to email. We have an hour which is legit! I can email anyone in our family so hit me up with emails!

I cannot express how excited/stoked/happy am I am to be here! It is so, so sweet being out of the MTC and in the real world! It is so nice to walk down the streets here even if people cuss at you while driving by and flash inappropriate signs. I am so happy right now. So let's see if I can remember everything that has happened this week in Canada!!

Ok so my first area is the Spanish North Zone! My area is directly north of Calgary. From west to east, my area covers between that big green hill north of downtown and the highway, Deerfoot. Then the most southern part of our area is the Bow river, which is north of downtown. So that's it! My companion is Elder Rudd from Northern Utah. He is a farmer and very cool. Thursday is his hump day!! He has been out for a year and is way good at Spanish, makes me look so bad haha. We are having a great time here together. We live in an apartment towards the north part of our area, Hunt something I forget the name. They suggest you send all letters and packages to the mission office and they will get to me just fine. Sending mail directly to the apartment is hard to do.

So President and Sister Archibald are awesome! We had a great time spending the first day with them in the mission home. I sent a postcard with my picture with them. I don't know when you will get it. Then the next day we picked up some food, unpacked, and began to work! Elder Davies went to the south zone, south of the city. There are 190 missionaries in this mission, that is so many! There are 15 elders that speak Spanish, however 4 of them are leaving this week, so that will lessen our numbers. I will be teaching basically 0 lessons in English for the next 2 years. There are tons of Spanish speakers here that need the gospel! I am in a Spanish ward, the Crescent View Ward. There are about 200 members and there are 6 missionaries that are in this ward, so that's cool. The location of the chapel is amazing, I will send some pics to you.

This first week after transfers was tough. Many people are on vacation and things so the work has not started rolling the way we wanted it to. So far I have taught one investigator with Elder Rudd, whose name is Francisco. We have one other potential investigator, but that is it right now. The Spanish program English speaking missions are a little different, because we are trying to find a small population to teach. There are lots of Spanish speakers here, but obviously harder to find them. We basically work with members 24/7. We do not tract door to door at all. There are a set of English missionaries in our same area who have that responsibility (no golf ball needed Dad haha). We build the faith of the members, and get referrals from them. For example, this week we have set 16 lessons with members of our ward. We will teach all of them, and extend commitments to invite their friends. We do lots of role playing with the members too, like what Elder Zant did it sounds like. That is how we get investigators, and that is why it is definitely tougher for us. But we are working our tails off and the Lord will help us find those Spanish speakers ready. Another thing we do is while we drive around we are on the lookout for Spanish speakers. Flags of Spanish countries in house windows, Spanish looking people, and things like that. It is hard to find people to teach, but once we do, expect some great things from us!

Not too many members feed us. This month we have only about 6 dinners set with members, so we are mostly on our own for that. And because the members are from all Spanish countries, we eat some pretty intense Spanish stuff haha. There are people from Columbia, Mexico, Chile, El Salvador, and Chile. Those are the most common. So I will have to learn all the different accents and phrases/words from the different countries. SO the grossest thing I have eaten so far is crickets. Yes that is not a typo. Cooked crickets. I definitely must have had the Gift of Stomachs to eat those. EWWWW. But basically every meal with members is some sort of beans and rice. Looks like I will have a similar experience with food as Dad did. SO it is way nice to eat American breakfasts and lunches. They have bagel bites here Alexa!!! Those will save my life.

The weather has been so crazy. It has rained everyday since I have been here, usually just for a few minutes though. You will see a crazy flash flood video soon. But is it so pretty here in the summer. In 2 months, the snow will come and I will freeze haha. So I am trying to enjoy the nice warm weather.

I can't really do much in lessons yet. It is hard for me to understand all the native speakers, so basically I just bear testimony and teach a basic principle or share a scripture. Elder Rudd takes the bulk of the lessons until I can keep up. But I am seriously enjoying this time of sharing the gospel. Whenever we walk around we definitely can contact English speaking people on the street. I can do that just fine. We hand out tons of pass along cards, and just refer those people to the English missionaries. Canadians are super mean to Americans and Mormons though. I have been called every name you can think of, but it is way fun just to smile at them and wave. The Lord is most definitely working through me with street contacting. I just am trying to have as much fun as I can walking around talking to everybody. We have a 2010 Chevy Malibu which is pretty nice, so we actually don't do much walking. We have a phone (sweet!) It feels normal again to have a phone in my pocket.

Sounds like you all are having an awesome summer!!! Keep up all the fun stuff!!! And yes tell me everything you do, I have plenty of time to read all of your emails. Sorry if I forgot anything, just email me and ask any questions you have!

I love you all and pray for you every day! Thanks for the love and support! Being here is the absolute best decision I have ever made. I am already learning things that will stay with me for the rest of my life!!

Do work and I LOVE YOU!!

Elder Draper

9 weeks in the MTC = A Lifetime of Memories

Saying last goodbye's to friends in the Zone before leaving MTC life behind...

Elder Draper with his maestro favorito - Hermano Zundal from Oregon who happens to be related to our stake president, President C. Michael Zundal.

Hermano Zundal with his Spanish Scholars!

The District posing for a few last pictures together before leaving for the mission field.

The District doing their best impression of the Beatles "Abbey Road" album cover in front of the Temple.

The MTC Statement of Purpose:

"In an atmosphere of love, trust, confidence, and respect, we will help missionaries draw nearer to God and develop greater converting power so that more of Heavenly Father’s children will accept the gospel, receive saving ordinances, and come unto Him."

Elder Draper with his Zone on their last night in the MTC before leaving for their various missions around the world

Quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley:

"‘God be with you till we meet again’ … , my beloved associates. I have sung those simple words in a thousand places across the world … with love and affection. I have sung [them] in English when others sang them in a score of languages. I have lifted my voice with those wonderful and simple words on memorable occasions on all the continents of the earth. I have sung them in bidding farewell to missionaries, with tears in my eyes. I have sung them with men in battle dress during [times of] war. … In a thousand places and in many circumstances over these almost numberless years, I have raised my voice with so many others in these words of parting. God bless you, my dear friends.”