PDAY WITH MISSION PRESIDENT AND WIFE 11/5/2012

FELIZ HALLOWEEN




EL BIGOTE "THE MAN THE MUSTACHE"

Hello Friends and Family!

 

Sorry but this week is going to be a little short, we are pushed for time as we have been shopping and are about to go to lunch with Hermana Cater and President.  I am currently writing you from my Mission Presidents wife's computer right now!  Yes, I am in the home of the Mission President, no I am not ill or in trouble.  I just had the most amazing experience to go shopping with the wonderful Hermana Carter today.  She took me because I am losing allot of weight and my clothes don't fit me, I mean really don’t fit I am poking holes on my belt to make extra ones to tighten my pants and she decided enough was enough and said “Be ready on Monday and well, here I am. We went out this morning and I bought a new suit and some pants, super nice stuff too!  Feels good to be able to walk again without fearing the loss of my pants! HAHA

 

I hope everyone is having a good week!  Elder Gomez is starting to open up to me a bit more, which is wonderful it just feels good! Our investigators are progressing really well! We have for sure (or at least I am hoping) 3 baptisms on the 24 of November, so keep your fingers crossed for me!

I hope all my Italian kin in New Jersey are safe and sound, and the city that holds my heart, New York is getting the help they need!  Please continue to pray for the people and all who have been affected by the devastating storm! Yes we hear about the news from the investigators, that is about the first thing they ask, Where are you from?, and then go right into anything that is happening in the states like the storms and stuff.

I hope you enjoy my Halloween photo and drawing.  The other picture is Elder Wilson and myself, coming in after fixing the roof in that insane storm we had. We didn’t really think about it tell all was said and done, that we are on a metal roof for like 2 hours with the rods just flaming down everywhere!  HAHA Lord was definitely laughing there but still looking out for us!!

About letters listen up all, this is the address you will want to send anything as it gets here, some have been sending it to the Mission Office and eventually it will get here but this is this the closest address to my Mission here in Alto de Merlo II.  Please do continue to keep those letters coming, you just don’t know how much us Missionaries (Jesus Boys what the Alabamans call us) look forward to them.  After all it’s about as close to home as we get right?? HAHA

Iglesia S.U.D.

Elder Wade Draper

Mision Argentina Buenos Aires Oeste

C.C. 92

1702 Ciudadela

Buenos Aires, Argentina
 

 Well I love ya'll so much and I promise to write longer next week! I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween! Next... Thanksgiving yay!!!!  Love ya'll, gotta run mom, love u much!

 

Love,

Elder Draper

 

"LLUVIA LLUVIA DESAPARECE "RAIN RAIN GO AWAY"

 

 

 

TRICK OR RAIN 10/29/2012

 






MISS ARGENTINA WISHING YOU A HAPPY HALLOWEEN

 

Hello Hello Hello!!!

Well first off HAPPY HALLOWEEN in 2 days, oh how I will miss it so much! I can´t remember if I mentioned it in one of my previous emails, but they only celebrate Halloween... in the big city of Capital!

Well this past week was absolutely amazing!  We are teaching some wonderfully amazing people! We are currently teaching Faustina, a darling little abuelita.  I had probably one of the most spiritual experiences ever, the other day with her.  We were teaching her about the Restoration of the Gospel, and I think she has a hard time understanding or remembering because of her age.  We were talking
about living Prophets and we showed her a picture of President Monson and the Apostles.  She just stared at it for a few good minutes, as the room remained silent.  The spirit was so strong, I felt I needed to bear my testimony about living Prophets.  She looked up at me with tear filled eyes and again I was just overcome with the spirit, an amazing experience!  I hope to have lots more!

Well I am still just trekkin along with my Senior Companion, even though  I feel like I am leading this companionship, I do get frustrated, but I have developed so much patience on the Mission. I won´t lie he is kind of odd, but then again this is coming from me right! HAHA

I am basically running on like 6 hours of sleep right now!  Saturday night I woke up just scratching my arms all over because I am covered in have a mosquito bites, so I didn´t get back to sleep that night! Then last night, out of nowhere a huge storm hit, and I woke up at like 3am, it was so loud and lightning like every 3 seconds! As I was lying in bed I heard Elder Wilson get out of bed, I presumed he was going to the bathroom, but like 2 minutes later he ran in whistling loudly telling us get up get up, the kitchen is flooding!  One of the drains on the roof was clogged, so we went on the roof to unclog the drain, it is just pouring by now.  By the time we were done it was like 5:30 in the morning and we have to wake up at 6:30 so I didn’t get back to sleep.   When I get to a computer that I can send pictures, next week, I will send one of us drenched! HAHA  that also was quite the experience!

We are having a conference with an Area 70 this week and I am super excited for that! We are also having a Stake baptismal service where all the missionaries in our zone have a goal of at least 2 baptisms.  We have 5 people scheduled for that day!  Transfers are on November 18 so hopefully I am still here!

I want to leave ya´ll with a bit of information about the mail service here and how awful it can be.  If you write me, I promise I will write you back, and you will eventually receive it, however if you write me, and I don´t write you back that means I didn´t get your letter at all.  You see the mail incoming mail here takes 10-14 days to arrive.  I then have to wait for my Zone Leaders to go into town and get mail and packages and they do that about 3 times a month so I may not actually get mail in my hands until 20 days after it is mailed from the states, packages take twice and even three times as long!

Hope all is well and I hope everyone has a safe fun happy Halloween!  Love ya´ll!

Love,

Elder Draper

DRENCHING RAINS

 

 



 OCTOBER IN THE MISSION 

 

 

 

  



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.)