Monday May 30, 2011

The Calgary Spanish Zone! back row left: Elders Walker (Ryan's 3rd comp), Brandon (Ryan's current comp), Rudd (first comp in Calgary), Nielson, Chunn, Draper, Soliz and Davies (Ryan's MTC companion) front row left: Elders Dunlap, Galloway (last comp), Walker and Harker
I asked him to send me a picture of where he lives now...LOL

Nice, another church is quoting President Kimball!

Hello!! Mom I think our address is 2418 16A St. SW. Wow I can't believe Trevor's generation is heading out for their missions...that means I am old! He emailed me and gave me the update on everybody, so that was good. Yeah I play ball almost every p-day, at least shoot free throws to keep my form good ha. I also have 35 lb dumbbells and perfect pushup and a medicine ball...I am all set to go as far as that stuff goes. Elder Brandon and I also run every other day so that is good.

I am glad that Blake will have a few buddies up there rooming with him, although you really hang out with people you meet up there, at least that is what happened to me. I am excited for him to start his adventure! Once you graduate from high school, it's over (sorry mom!) Life starts so quickly and you start doing your thing.

Saturday we are going to the Cardston Temple. We get to go to the temple every 6 months, so I have 2 more trips here. Plus if you have converts going to through for endowments, you get to go with them. Rocky just got his Visa extended, so he should be around here next Feb. so I can go through with him! This past week was just insane, and this week is only going to be that much busier. The training was good. SUPER long but I learned a lot of course. We taught Alberto on Monday and he said he is getting baptized...he would not commit to a date because of his situation...he is still looking for a home. We have been praying hard that the Lord makes it happen so he can accept a date tonight at 8 PM. He will be dunked veryyy soon ;) Then we had 2 sweet miracles yesterday. There is this potential gator named Luz Marina from Colombia. She slipped on ice in the winter and hurt her leg really bad. She knows a member and the member sent the elders over to give her a blessing, and she improved dramatically! So this member (who goes to an English ward) had a spiritual prompting to invite Luz to church, and she came! She was participating a ton in gospel principles and is anxious to talk to us on Wednesday at 5...she is totally getting baptized! Then the other miracle: There is a man in the ward from the Dominican Republic, but has been attending an English ward. Yesterday he showed up to our branch with his mom Roxanne, a nonmember. She is visiting from Toronto. Her son told me that she is ready to accept the gospel after years of hearing it! We have an appointment with her today at 3. The craziest part about this that she is leaving to go back to Toronto on the 11th of June! That means today we are going to extend to her the 10th to be baptized, which gives us like 12 days!!! We are stoked and believe that there has to be a reason she is here...uh to gain entrance into the celestial kingdom? Yeah I think so! Plus we have 5 other investigator lessons set up because a bunch fell through last week. It's crazy I really have no time to think! Plus there is a companionship in the district with low numbers we are trying to figure out how to help them.

Life is so busy right now, but I am loving it. Teaching the gospel is so sweet and gratifying! Wish us luck! I love you all and hope you have a stellar week!

Thanks Dad! I'm already loving the new area, downtown is crazy! Already have some pretty interesting stories. I will update you on all our investigators (in the family email)...I have never had this many at one time I don't know how to balance the time! I'm sure this is what a Mexican mission feels like seriously. I am stoked that Blake will be ordained an Elder soon and is doing so awesome. He will be great. I am so happy that all the boys in our family are so tight, that's the way it should be. You are our example and I appreciate everything you have said to me the last 20 years. Everything you taught are all the correct principles and it is what I want to do with my boys one day. Enjoy the day at Disneyland for me :)

Love you all,
Elder Draper