WELCOME TANIA 10/20/2012

D & C 20:73 la persona que es llamada por Dios y tiene autoridad de Jesús Cristo a bautizar, irá hacia abajo en el agua con la persona que ha presentado a sí mismo para el bautismo y dirá, llamar a él o ella por su nombre: haber recibido el encargo de Jesucristo, yo te bautizo en el nombre del padre y del hijoy del Espíritu Santo. Amén.

Hello Hello Family Friends, Stars and Studs!

I hope ya´ll have had a good week! This past week I would like to title, “Bad Luck, With a Sprinkle of Good Luck” Ha Ha

 

First of all, the weather this past week has been absolutely wretched.  It rained basically every day! One of the days, I believe it was Thursday, started out beautiful! We headed out into the streets of Argentina, and out of nowhere it started pouring rain, and I without my rain gear, tragically got soaked to the bone. In some ways it made me think for a brief moment of what the Savior went through, so much, for our Salvation and this compared to only a  grain of sand, so with that thought and drenched I pressed forward for the remainder of the day!

 

My new companion Elder Gomez, is a quiet thing, he really doesn´t talk to me much. To clarify last week’s comment he speaks very little English not Spanish like I mistyped last week, however even when I talk to him in Spanish it´s always a little response and that’s it! I think he is shy or something, but he is a really good teacher when it comes to teaching! It isn´t very fun sitting or walking in silence either, sooo I am hoping I can change that! I need to have a fun companion or I will die!!!! HAHA

 

I also had a baptism this past Saturday! My darling friend Tania was baptized, and she wanted me to baptize her, so I baptized my first Argentine! She is 15 and it was a really great experience!

 

The preperation was a little frustrating though. The last minute on Friday night, she told us she couldn´t be baptized at the time we had planned so we had to change that. We had to call all the members and tell them the time had changed, I dont think the Bishop was to happy with us but oh well! The next day as we were filling up the font, I noticed there was a dead spider in the font and so I carefully walked into the font, and as I walked down the stairs of the font, I slipped and fell into the water. I sat there for a minute so mad, but then I just started laughing! The baptism went wonderfully and the next day was her confirmation. Earlier in the week she told me that she wanted a skirt and a blouse that she could wear to Church because she didn´t have one, so I bought her one. When she walked into the Chapel, BAM she was radiating, “Elder Draper's” wardrobe choices did work, she looked wonderful!!

 

(Bad Romance just came on in the cyber,, I am loving my life)HAHA, music in the cyber café what a strectch right!  Cabree, ya her guy is s stud huh, Iam happy for her! Got Addie Bentley’s address thanks moms! She is  preparing her Mission papers and will leave before I get home!

 

A shout out, to my Cuz, Tanner Draper, who just committed to Oregon State Baseball. That’s a trip that the the Oakland A’s, and Florida Marlins, have been to visit and are trying to recruit you as well, lots of luck to you, your hard work deserves the best!

 

Oh my, my little sister, Lyndsey looks, pause, SENSATIONAL in here Cheer Photos, print them off and send them to me. Is she having fun with that and is she going to keep up with that or try volleyball next year, she will be great at either! Is she wearing makeup to school to cause wow, that’s all I can keep saying to myself! She's quite the KNOCK OUT mom! Your gonna need me home soon!!

 

I didn’t get the Halloween package yet, but I will thanks! The Zone Leaders only go into the office 3 times a month, I think they are going in this Friday. I am supposed to go in on November 7^th to get my “Identity".

 

Could you have Shelbie send a Christmas CD for me, I emailed her some songs that I would really like to have, before December arrives. I would really love a Picture Calendar for Christmas, have Shelbie take some photos of the family, I think that you can make them at Walmart. There are a few sound tracks I wouldn’t mind having either I will send them to you.

 

Well that was my week in a nutshell!I am looking forward to this upcoming week! I hope that everyone is having a wonderful October there and in Alabama! Mom will you email some pics to Sister Tracy and Sister Andrea and let them know I am thinking of them, and wishing them T"HE BEST OF THE GOSPEL "I love ya´ll in their lives!!  Well that was my week in a nutshell! I love you all so very much and wish everyone a wonderful October.  Catcha next  Monday!!

 

Love,

Elder Draper 

 

MY LITTLE PUMPKIN PATCH

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OCTOBER TRANSFERS..MISSING OCTOBER 10/15/2012

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GANG AT OCTOBER 2012 TRANSFERS
SISTER ANDREASON, SISTER CAHOON, ELDER NIELSON, ELDER DRAPER (4 FROM MTC DISTRICT) BEGINNING WITH PURPLE SCARF

 

Hello, Hello, Hello,

Well, this past week was a tad bit stressful! My birthday came and went then Tuesday came with transfers.

Did you get my pics of my Birthday breakfast, Golashes in the rain and Conference ride?  Yep I got the Yellowstone and Jackson Hole pics, can’t wait for our big vacation after the mish Yaaa!?   I got my Birthday package also, pants are still a bit big but with a belt they fit fine!  I loved the cologne, smells so good and I love the jeans! Nope never got zebra sheets in Alabama, but it’s all good!

Elder Delgado and I returned from tracking Tuesday night and while we were planning for the next day, we heard the Zone Leaders phone ring!  I wasn´t too worried about being transferred, because I am new, but I still had a little feeling of (not sure what to call it???) for the unknown in my head.  We ran in and listened to the Transfer Call. They went down the list, and finally came to Altos de Merlo 2.... my heart was beating soooo fast! "Elder Delgado... SE VA!" Elder Delgado was leaving me! And also Elder Young was leaving as well! So it was just me and Elder Wilson staying in the pension.

The next day we went and said goodbye to some families, it was hard for some because Elder Delgado had been in this area for 6 months!!!

 

We went to transfers the following day and I got the little birthday song sang to me and a few other missionaries. Then the video started for transfers... Merlo Zone came right up and my “Elder Wilsons” picture popped up, he received Elder Moore, then my picture and I received… Elder Gomez! He is from Costa Rica, and speaks very very little Spanish... but my language has really improved the few short days I´ve had with him. He is a tad bit quiet, he has 19 months in the Mission, so alot of experience!

 

The ride back from the Mission office was quite a treat... ha! I didn´t know how to get back to our area, I didn´t know our address I only knew the street we lived on and it wasn´t coming up on the remis drivers GPS, but we eventually made it back!

 

We were a tad bit short of our key indicators at the beginning of the week, so we came up with a plan to go through our area book, and find old investigators and people that had been contacted in the street, We managed to find over 200 people that we can go visit, so I am hoping to have more investigators this week.

 

We have a baptism coming up this Saturday, I hope that it goes through, her name is Tania, and she is in love with me! HAHA Her Quince party was this past Saturday and we helped her decorate for it, I wanted to go so bad, but it started at 10 pm, basically our bed time... and I don´t think President would have been too fond of me going to a party. 

 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful October! This is probably the hardest month for me to be away! Birthdays, colors, haunted houses, scary movies, jackets, Halloween parties, Hocus Pocus, Halloween in general! Really I miss it so much, but I hope to receive fun pictures and letters of all your October adventures!

Send me the pics of Lyndsey in her cheer uniform she looks great, like printed out!  I have been thinking mom, you should dye your hair for fun like Farrah Fawcett blonde, really.

As usual I gotta run now! I love you so much, like TONS and miss you!  Have an amazing week.

Later!
Love,

Elder Draper



ELDER DRAPER AND ELDER DELGADO
BIRTHDAY BREAKFEST FOR
ELDER DRAPER PREPARED BY ELDER DELGADO 

 



"SINGING OR SINKING IN THE RAIN"

 

TAKING A REMIS TO OCTOBER 2012 TRASNFERS
ELDER DELGGAO, ELDER DRAPER, ELDER WILSON

BUENOS AIRES OCOTBER 2012 TRANSFERS

 

 

 

CONFERENCE AND BIRTHDAY IT DOESN'T GET BETTERT THEN THAT 10/8/2012

Hello Family and Friends!

Today I am 20 years old!!! How crazy is that!!! It is so hard to believe that 20 years ago I chose to hop on the “Earth Train". Time flies when you are having fun right?

I absolutely loved, loved, loved, the video that was sent to me!  Seeing everyone like made me tear up, and every time someone new popped up I would holler out their name, and everyone in the cyber cafe looked at me like I was a crazy. HAHA   I was grateful for the permission to get to see it! Really that video made my birthday so great!  Best present a Missionary could ask for!!  

Dad, you’re looking a little thinner, you look good but I bet I still am skinnier!! HA   Grams my “Batman” thing was our secret, now everyone knows who the real “DUDE” is!!   Wyatt and Lyndsey, did Wyatt “rip one” or what cause you to were hysterical, that laughing cracked me up too!  Mom you look good, it was so good to hear your voice, miss you!!   

Well I hope everyone enjoyed conference! Conference and my Birthday it doesn't get better then that right! I absolutely loved Conference! I remember when General Conference used to be "boring" and I´d either fall asleep or not really pay attention, but not the case now, being on this mission has really changed me ”For Good”  for sure!  All the sessions were so great this year!  I really loved Sister Ann M. Dibbs,  #twitter shout out.   Well there was one quote that really stood out to me this past conference!  It was by President Uchtdorf, indicating his wife Harriat said this, "Dieter, It´s not a race, it´s a journey, enjoy the moment".   As most of us know, I am not the most patient person in the world, and I absolutely loved her statement and the analogy  President Uchtdor presented about life. “Take a step back, look at the bigger picture and enjoy it”!

And how crazy is it that they lowered the missionary age!!  So crazy, but so exciting at the same time!!  There are going to be so many Sister Missionaries leaving sooner than planned!  Right when they announced it I thought "Addy Bentley is freaking out!" So congrats to her, she stated on the video she would be submitting her papers by the end of the week, “You go girl”! Mom can you text her and get her address she wanted me to write and I lost it along the way, ahh I just loved the video so much mom I can’t thank you enough. Be sure to burn it on DVD ok!!

Brelynn wrote and she has been really busy with school so that is why she didn’t send anything, she also is working at Subway, HAHA guess I trained her well!!  She did write a poem that she sent in the mail so that will be great, she writes pretty good stuff!  

Well I would also like to publically wish the BEST MOTHER IN THE WORLD, the HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY TOMORROW!! Yep, one day after mine I couldn’t have timed it better!! HA It’s a holiday here and everything is closed so I will probably just hang out at our pension and then head over to see Little Mia and her parents, but I should get my Birthday package on Wednesday, I am excited for that, so thanks family. I hope everyone is doing well and I hope everyone had an amazing conference weekend! I love you all and again I absolutely adored the video, thanks everyone!! I got run for now I miss you!!

Love you all!
Elder Draper

 

A VERY SPECIAL DAY FOR A VERY SPECIAL ELDER HAPPY 20TH BIRHDAY ELDER DRAPER 10/8/2012

Our precious little spirit from Heaven arrived to us in Topeka, Kansas at 3:20 pm on a Thursday, October 8, 2012.  Now 20 years later he continues to bless our lives by serving a fulltime Mission in  Buenos Aires West Argentina.  How time passes and I now truley understand the meaning of "In the Blink Of An Eye".  We wish our Missionary and all Missionaries born this day and every day a Very Happy Birthday,without you t"HIS" work would not be moving foraward!!!  A heartfilled thanks to all of you who participated ih this video, see you at Christmas for take two!!! 

Elder Wade Draper's #1 Fan ~ Mom

" MY OWN MAMMA & MIA" 10/1/2012

Hello Friends and Family,

 

Oh surprise, I am  once again on  with Mission President so set tight, just letting you know I am here, well obviously right!!

 

I hope that you are all having a wonderful week.  This week has been kind of so-so for me. It has been a slow week, but I did some interesting things.

 

The  weather has been really odd. In the mornings it is really nice or really bad, then it just flip flops in the afternoon which I find odd.

 

Oh well I want to update on this... so I weighed myself this morning, converted kilos into pounds and the result are.... 211!!!!! I weigh 211 pounds! I cannot tell if that is healthy or not but hey I am happy with it!  HAHA

 

So I guess you could say I have a little family here in the Altos de Merlo 2 barrio.  My mom is Romina. She is 26 years old, she isn’t a member but her entire family is.  The only thing holding her back from being baptized is her "husband".  I mean they live together and have a daughter but he is not legally divorced from his 1^st wife.  It is weird here like no one gets married and when they do it is very hard and exspensive to divorce, even when the circumstances warrant it. I cannot go into that so it will be hard for you to see why I so want them to be an eternal family as he is a good man and wants the best for his family, I pray for them daily! They have the cuteset little daughter, Mia and she makes my heart melt with her little smile!  They come to church in spite of their circumstances and Mia rushes in to set by me with that little sunny smile that just warms my heart every time! Romina is so funny and nice! We go to her house allot for lunches and when we are having a slow day, she helps me allot with my Spanish.  I have been teaching her and her sister Joana (a member who is 18), English! They are just a great family!
 

 

Statistics for Mia
 

  Mia appears in 2007`s top-1000 name list at rank 15. The name reached the top-100 8 times. 2006 was a `top year` for the name Mia. (Based on 128 years of name history) In that year it ranked #13. The last time Mia appeared among the most common names was in 1970. Our records go back to 1880.

MEANINGS AND HISTORY OF THE NAME "MIA"

In Italian, Mia translates to 'mine' or 'my own'.

FAMOUS MIA'S

Mia Hamm - American soccer player
Mia Farrow - American actress
Mia Michaels - American dancer and choreographer
Mia Wasikowska - Australian actress
Mia Talerico - American child actres
Mia Rose Frampton - American actress
Mia Stallard - American child actress

 

I also have an abuela here! Hermana Montoña! She is a very old lady who loves the Missionaries! We have lunch with her once a week and it is the best lunch ever.  She always makes the best food! This past week we had this thing called lentajes (I think that is how you spell it) but it’s kind of like chili, with chorizo and beef, so good! Then she always makes us desert. We had jello and cremitas, I think that is what they are called.  They are like fried bread with some cream in the middle and are equally as good! She thinks and tells me I am too skinny so she is bound determined for me to gain weight! HAHA

 

The following are just some things that I have observed about the Argentine People this past week:

1. The teenagers love anime

2. They don’t really like Americans yet they want to be just like us

3. Argentine Teenage girls, love American Boys

4. The "B" word is not a bad word here (what??)

5. The President is a woman, she always wears black extravagant outfits to show mourning for

    her husband who was the former president

6. Allot of people don’t like her

 

But yes this has been my week.   I think I am coming down with an illness again, I have a runny nose and cough! I am good on meds and the other stuff mom, but thanks

 

I don’t think I will get transferred October 8^th because 1)  I am still being trained 2)  Who would do that to someone on their Bday unless they requested it (just kidding), but we will see!!

 

I will probably not get my Birthday package tell next Weds after my birthday cause that is when they go into the office to get the mail! Well needless to say no Snooki party here this year, more like Mother Teresa, but hey is she not  Great or what!!!  I cannot wait to hear from you all FAMILY and FRIENDS next Monday on my Birthday that will be the best present ever!!!   

 

I hope everyone has a great week and a Great Conference week! I am so excited for Conference!!!! I hope I understand it all!

 

Mehh gotta run now.  I love you all and cannot wait to share Conference with you! I miss you even more!  LOVE YALL  AGAIN!

 

Love,

Elder Draper

 

PS ( Mom,  be careful when you send the CD, and once again THANKS Shelbie for the CD! Make sure it looks like it’s a CD otherwise it will get broken, like I ‘ve said before the mail service here is horrible, they check everything and they are not careful with things, they really don’t care if it gets broken or not if it is arriving from the US.)

FELIZ PRIMAVERA "HAPPY SPRING" 9/24/2012

 

SEPTEMBER 2012 IN THE BUENOS AIRES MISSION

 

 

Hello Family and Friends,

Woops, hang on please, there's my Mission President, I need to respond back so set tight, I will send my long email in a second....

First: HAPPY BIRHTDAY TO THE BEST LITTLE SISTER IN THE WORLD!!  I LOVE YOU LYNDSEY!!! I sent you a Birthday card last week and I'm sending Mom's and Misty's tomorrow.

There is a present in your card Mom for you and Lyndsey and then one in Misty's card as well.  I had to send Lyndsey's late because the member who made them was not home last week when I went to get them.  I also wrote to you Gram's last week, so hopefully  you will all get her mail. 

The Zone Leaders only go into the office 3 times a month so one in those 3 times I get my letters etc. Put on the blog the mail here sucks and sometimes my outgoing letters are not getting to those back home. Please note on the blog no Fed Ex, UPS, etc. follow the directions for mail and packages if sending anything I will never ever get it if not! 

The weather here is getting lovely, not to hot not to cold, just the way I like it!  Here, when it is spring time the locals walk around the streets and hand out flowers and say Feliz Primavera which means Happy Spring.

So ya, I am settling in now and things are better but the ystill don't have much here in the stores to purchase, I barely can get groceries, for real, becuase they are limited and most products are fresh so they go pretty fast. Most of the time the locals shop early and are way ahead of our daily schedule.  However the members here are just soo nice though, they feed us a huge lunch like every day! The other day I had "Corazon de Pollo" rice with chicken hearts delish right!! HAHA

As for the laundry, ughh! It's not that I mind had washing it, I just feel dirty all the time, but it is what it is, I'm good. I can try to probably find some new clothes that fit Mom, but for now I am just cinching my belt super tight!

We can play approved music here, so I could use a power converter as I could not find the one you said you packed mom, I will check the suitcase again, you check my room ok, for now I borrow Elder Wilson's! We also have a DVD palyer that we can play CD's on so for Christmas there's an idea "Carols".  Oh, woops, I left the 2 memory cards you sent in my dresser draw in Alabama the morning we left. With the storm and all the last minute adjustments we woke up late as that was the time we were told too, it was pretty unorganized, but we made it right!  I can't send home the cards because they cut them out of the envelopes.  As for sendindg pictures over the internet they take forever toupload soI send only 2 eachweek as they eat my email time up.

This past week was kind of bitter sweet.  I had a great week, feeling really good and then unfotuntely we did not meet our key indicators.  I did get to takl to the Mission President about those, and he explained everything, it was a great chat.  He is a wonderful man, I like him alot!!! 

We found some wonderful families to teach this past week, but it turned out one of them was not so wonderful.  Our first lesson with that family went very well, or so we thought, until we returned for the next appointment and they just avoided us.  I am positive they were there, we both were.  I guess they do have thier own Agency though right? 

Well time for my funny story of the week:  The other day I met an intresting lady named "Angel".  She is an old investigator of Elder Wilson and Elder Young's. She stopped Elder Delgado in the street and asked when curch was.  As we were walking away I asked Elder Delgado who "she" was and he said "she" is a  used to be a "he".  I looked at him and said NO WAY, because he tends to say that about all ugly women (inside joke) and he said again "She" is a "He". The other Elder's confirmed it later and said one time when they were teaching "her" she showed them "her" dress and said, "me queda un sueño" which means "It fits like a dream".  I was dying the whole time they told me thier stories.  I go on divisions with Elder Young this week and he said we will be  visiting  "her" again at her request, "she" is a very nice person, just funny!
 
KK...I gotta go now!  I love you all so much and miss you even more! So until next week, bye!!

Love,
Elder Draper
  

 



Elder Draper & Elder Delgado (Companions) Merlo Argentina



COULDN'T WAIT TO WISH YOU A HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY9/22/2012

 

Even though it's 2 weeks in advance, we wanted to make sure Elder Draper knows he has many friends and family thinking of him as he approaches his 20th birthday on Monday October 8, 2012, so here we are just making sure you will get this on your Pday (we know that it may take tell October 8th for you to get this)!   All our lives have been touched "FOR GOOD" just by being a part of your life, we love you and can't wait to see you 2/2014!!!   Please leave Elder Draper your Comments and Birthday Wishes below by clicking on the "NO COMMENTS"  typed in amber under the video.  All your comments and Birthday wishes will be forwarded to him over the next copule weeks!!! I am sure your Bday wishes will be the best present ever!!!

 

Elder Wade Draper's #1 Fan,

Mom Diana Draper

 

 

 

 

"GUESS WHAT'S COMING TO DINNER" 9/17/2012

Hello Family and Friends,

 

Where do I begin this week? Well after I wrote last week I went to the supermarket which is called a "carrefour", thinkging they would have all the things I needed..I ended up buying some cracker and a bag of spaghetti, they had nothing at all! LOL On top of that I had to wait in line for like 25 minutes just to check out! Where's Walmart? They have them here just not in y area, so ya. I did endup buying this delicious meat called Milanesa at a Carnecia. It is so easy to cook. You fry it for like 5 minutes and it's done and it just the best ever, it is so very good!!Everyone here eats it. We have it for lunch alot!
 

MILANESA

 

Speaking of the food the other day we were at a Members house and they were eating some round little thing that looked like a Chicken ring from Artic Circle! YAAA but then they asked me if I knew what it was. I replied no, so with a grin they told me to eat it and I did and it wasn’t actually bad, but the texture got me, it was super chewy. They then explained it was Chinchuli (fried Cow Intestine). I´ve yet to have to try the dreaded blood sausage! I don´t know what I will do when I have to eat that!

 

 

CHINCHULINI

 

Well this past week was a little difficult for me. Elder Delgado and I were very ill, he had a bad cough, and I had sore throat, runny nose, headaches, etc. So we were just kind of miserable while we were working! But we still had a really good week! We taught allot of lessons, and got our numbers for the week. Things are really different here from Alabama, I have a lot of adjusting to do. I wrote President today about a couple concerns as he asks us to be very honest in our weekly emails to him, so we will see how that goes. You know I have always been one to speak my mind, or stand up for what’s right, so I hope that is the way it will be taken.

We had our first baptism on Saturday, little Eliana was baptized and it was great. I gave a talk on the Espiritu Santo aka the Holy Ghost. It was a really great service. Her uncle baptized her, and she was just sooo happy! I would love to send a picture, but the computers we use do not have a place where I can plug my camera in, kind of frustrating but what can ya do.

Something I have noticed here is, well at least in my area, people do not know how to dress. They mix like indie with punk and it just does not work for me. They love facial piercings here especially in the eyebrow and the “Monroe”, heaven only know’s what goes through their minds when they get those.

Well here is a funny story for yall. Elder Delgado and I were walking down the street the other day and this guy walks up to us and shakes our hand and says “Hi” what time is it” and starts talking. I told him the time and then further in the conversation he asked Elder Delgado, “What time it was on our phone”?,so Elder Delgado took out the phone. They began talking really fast in Spanish and I had no idea what was being said. As we walked away and he was yelling at us I asked Elder Delgado,“What did he want”? He looked at me in disbelief and said, “He wanted to rob of us of our phone”! I guess the guy said, “Give me the phone” after Elder Delgado took it out and Elder Delgado said “No”, the guy said, “ I have a pistol and I will shoot you both”, and so Elder Delgado told him “Take the phone” but then when he gave it to him the guy said “I don’t want this it’s a pretty crappy phone” and started cursing at us! I thought that was pretty funny since I had no clue what had just went on!

But yes, that was basically my week! My time is up so I will talk to you next week. I hope ya’ll are doing well. I miss and love ya’ll so much! Tell Grandma  I am writting her back and will send her a letter this week.

Ya’ll are in my prayers!

Love,

Elder Draper