GODZILLA!

Hey mom and dad everybody! 

The snow looks WAY AWESOME! It's getting pretty cold here, besides today, today was beautiful! But we don't have snow yet. We probably won't ever get snow. 

By the way I totally didn't even realize it was thanksgiving until president Wada told us all it was thanksgiving at zone conference! Haha. So no, we did not get a thanksgiving. Also we don't get a Christmas. We work straight through it until the 1st of January I think. Then we might do something small. President Wada just said that for some reason the brotheren want us to just keep working! But that's ok! I also don't know when I am going to be FaceTiming you for Christmas. It might be before Christmas or after or on. I don't know. When I find out I'll tell you. But I can do FaceTime or Skype. I'll probably do FaceTime because it's easier but if I do FaceTime you have to use an apple product, which shouldn't be a problem for us! But download Skype just in case something goes wrong! 

I got your package by the way! The SD. Card and the package. The SD card reader isn't working. I was really bummed. I don't know why, I've tried everything. Also the package I got was awesome! Today we had a gyōza party, more details later, and we had our decorations all set up! 

I get so happy when I see Allie and Nate! I can't even describe it I just get all happy to think that they are actually getting married! Also I love the picture of them on the beach with their model faces on. She's so lucky, the Bundy ke is awesome! By the way if you add ke to the end of a family name it just means the ... Family. We would be the Draper ke. And if you add Tachi to the end of someone's name it means like so and so's crowd, or possy, or crew. I loved the pictures of thanksgiving! I'm glad the family is doing good.

Black Friday isn't a huge thing here. We did see some signs for it in kichijōji but nobody talks about it or anything. 

I loved the video of Tripp and Krue! I love how he said that he was 2 years old haha. I'm really glad that they like each other even if Krue gave him a black eye. Make sure to tell Allie that if she wants to tell a Japanese person to wait their turn to say " sumimasen, matte kudasai" if she wants to be polite or "yamete, ichiban ni naritai!" If she doesn't want to be so polite. The first meaning, "excuse me please wait", and the second meaning "stop I want to go first!" (Allie had a problem with Asian people at Disney Land cutting in line all of the time)

I don't know if elder Laird or I will transfer or not. He has been here forever but they could keep us here if they wanted to! I can't believe I've already been in my mission for 3 months! And that I've been in Japan for a transfer! Time is flying by already. I don't know if it feels that way for you all but really it is for me as long as I'm doing everything I can to do the will of God. 

I like what you said about Japan being a small island. Haha Japan is about the same size as California if you were to line them up. But that's ok keep thinking it’s small if it makes you feel better :) that's too bad that Keith Johnson passed away. By the way in Japanese to say "die" it's "shinu " to say pass away it is "naku naru" or literally " to be come not there". 

So about the Gyōza party. Gyōza is the Japanese name for potstickers. We had the other elders come over and we made 150 gyōzas and 6 cups of rice and we ate it all! It was pretty fun! I have a time laps of us eating Gyōza like starving missionaries. 

Okabe kyōdai got baptized!!! Elder Laird performed the baptism. I played the piano. He is so faithful it's awesome! He said no matter if it's raining or snowing or flooding or whatever, he is coming to church. He was taking some j tense. It's this last Sunday too. Our bishop has got some big plans in getting the ward hyped up in dendo Fire! (Missionary work) I've learned the importance of working with members so I'm really pushing us to get to meet with every family in the ward. President Monson said to teach the members the plan of salvation and then ask them if they know anybody who has recently had a baby, or who has lost a loved one, or has a hard time connecting to their teenager, or who has just moved in. This is way more freindly than just asking" do you have any referrals for us?" Because NEVER do Japanese people express their interest in Christianity. But if we ask who NEEDS the gospel, that narrows it down a lot and then we know what parts to focus on when we go to them. 

We went to ShabuShabu for Elder Fenton's birthday this week! So yakiniku is where you have unlimited meat and a grill in front of you. Then you just grill it. ShabuShabu is where you have a lot of boiling water in front of you and you just boil it. It was way good! 

This next Friday we get to go Yokohama for some Facebook training! And this next Tuesday is temple      p day! So I'll email on Tuesday not Monday. So your Monday I guess. 

I met somebody who is from Africa and speaks French as a native language! I kind of connected with him because I knew his language. That being said, I've forgotten like all French and Spanish! It's crazy! 

I have nothing else I know of to report. I love you all so much! I'm always praying for you! This month I challenge you all to talk about Christ more than the average day. It may be awkward but hey, if it's not awkward then you’re probably doing something wrong. Just kidding. But seriously even if it's awkward just share what you know about Christ and the real meaning of Christmas. Take advantage of the people who know Christ. Because. Nobody here does. Pray that we can have a miracle this month and find people who will receive us!

Love Elder Draper

愛するドレーパー長老

Alcoholic Kit Kats?!

So from last P-Day or junbi no hi. Or 準備の日, we haven't had as many SOS Contacts or "salvation of souls" contacts. That's where we talk to random people, and teach them a principle of the gospel and then invite them to take our lessons, come to church or do something else that will lead to progression in coming into Christ. Because we have been working a lot with Okabe San, 岡部さん, he is the one getting baptized on the 28th! He is way funny.

 

 So we just had stake conference. I basically used Saturday's sessions and Sunday sessions as language study. I just wrote down like all of the words I didn't know so now I have a ton of tango! Vocab. By the end of the stake conference though I could understand a lot more than I could at the beginning! 

 

Sorry my letter today is kind of jumping all around, but I can't remember what happened throughout the week until I start writing. 

 

But ya, so I found on the mission portal a section that has a bunch of videos on becoming an interpreter! IT'S WAY FUN! It was hard though. There are two types. Consecutive interpreting and then simultaneous interpretation. The first is when they say something and then you translate it. Also you usually stand right next to them.  The latter is when they talk completely naturally and you have to translate as they are saying it. Simultaneous translation is the kind that they usually do in the church and in like meetings. It's way hard though because you have to hear something in one language through your ears and then say it simultaneously in the opposite language! It's totally doable though and it will help my fluidity in speaking. I'm way excited. 

 

Last Tuesday I want on splits with Elder Jesperson. I stayed the night at their house. There are 4 elders in their house, elder Moua, Driscol, Fenton, and Elder Jesperson. So Elder Jesperson and Elder Driscol often talk to Sakamoto San in tachikawa station. He is this guy that always stands on the bridge with a big speaker that basically declares repentance to the world hahaha. There is this guy that always follows Sakamoto San around. So the elders started talking to him. Turns out he has been going to this Philippino Christian church. But they don't speak Japanese so he has no idea what has been going on there. His name is Isshi San. So the elders took him to the church and he asked to be baptized the next day! They were like you still have a lot to learn before you can be baptized! But he is set to get baptized the 28th too! They met him like 2 weeks ago! But he is ASTOUNDED that I speak French, Spanish Japanese, and English haha. He thinks I'm fluent in Tagalog and German and Russian and Swedish and like every other language just because I can say like a few words in like a ton of languages. So ya Elder Jesperson and I taught him. Then we taught Hoshi San. He doesn't believe in God but he LOVES President Eyring. So he is a chemist and he was in Henry Eyring's, Henry B Eyring's father, chemistry class. He loves him! So we used that to our advantage and showed him talks about President Eyring talking about his father! But ya he knows Henry Eyring pretty well so that's cool. 

 

Wednesday at Eikaiwa, Elder Moua and I taught the advanced class. 

 

Either Thursday or Friday we went and taught Okabe San. We had a Dōseki or member present with us. His name is Kannō kyōdai.because he taught the whole lesson basically it was pretty funny. Literally we got in and he just took off talking about Tithing and fast I and chastity and just like took off! We didn't even say an opening prayer! But Okabe San understood it really well so that was good. 

 

I've been to a couple shrines. They are way cool! We took pictures. I'm not sure if we were supposed to but it's whatever haha. So our stake conference was in Kichijōji. It's about a 40 minute train ride. While Okabe San was in his baptismal interview, elder Fenton and I went and dendoed around inokashira park in kichijōji. Look it up! It's way cool. We met this guy who was a back up dancer for Michael Jackosn!  His name was Hoshi San. I got a picture with him. There are like a million bakeries in kichijōji so it always smells delicious. 

 

Yesterday we went to the Ikari family for dinner. They made pizza and then we had some rice and just some side dishes and stuff like that. Then Elder Laird asked them if they had Nattō because I've never had it!  Natto is just fermented soy beans. It's either love or hate. I keep forgetting to eat it though! I'll try to eat it today, record it and send it to you! Then I taught the lesson after dinner. I shared 2 Nephi 4. Basically talked about how God wants up to be happy. When we get discouraged, we are letting Satan get the upper hand. Be happy and fill your life with the word of God and give no place for Satan! It went way good. They also have two kids and they are SO CUTE! Their whole house is Disney theme pretty much. 

 

Today we went to the other elders house to have wings! Elder Jesperson made a ton of wings and we had fries and rice it was way good!   Now we're going to get haircuts. I think I've said that for like the past 3 weeks. We keep running out of time to do haircuts so this time for real we're doing it!

 

Oh ya they sell alcoholic kit Kats here! It's crazy. 

 

Also there are these gummies called Puré and they are the best gummies ever. The conbi food here is like way better than almost a good in America! Conbi is how they say convienient store. 

 

Recently I've been studying Helaman 5. And 2 Nephi 4 and Jacob 4. In Helaman 5:24 it says when "they saw... their hearts did take courage." I related "seeing" to when we open our spiritual eyes. When we realize unto what and by who and by who's authority we were ordained. When we realize our divine origin, our divine purpose, our divine potential, our divine destiny. When we realize that we are on God's side and he is guiding us. When we realize that he is our Father and He loves us He and will not forsake us. When we open our spiritual eyes and realize all of these things, there is no need, nor is there any room, to fear. 

 

I love you all so much! I love The Japanese people and I love sharing the glad news of the gospel!

Magic Toilets and Pit Vipers!

こんにちは！

My week has been sweet! Look up videos of Kunitachi and Tachikawa and Akishima. That is where I am most of the time. But ya I'm kind of getting hang of the navigation! The streets here are TINY. Like way tiny. But ya, Japan is pretty dang cool! 

About Christmas, let's see... They don't sell bars of soap. I would LOVE some dove bars. Like as many as you can reasonably fit in a box. Also some biotene. Really I don't need much! Just some necessities! 

The toilets here are OUT OF THIS WORLD! Literally! Like they have twice the amount of buttons my car does, yes my car doesn't have very many buttons, but no toilet I've ever seen before Japan had ANY buttons! There are like 20 buttons at least. They all have it too. Except for ours haha. They all have heated seats and bidets. I tried the bidet. I'm the homebu, the mission home, Elder Mukai told me to try it so I did hahaha, it's way weird. Hahaha. Ya I heard that Allie go the job! That's so cool! My iPad is a new one yes. It's a mini. Way nice, but ya the plug in will be the small one. Thank you!

We had the primary program this week and it was AWESOME! I love every second! The kids in Fussa ward are so stinking adorable. Fussa or 福生means like happy life! The Bishoppu is 37 he is way young and super super awesome! His name is Matsuzawa Bishoppu.

I play the piano as much as I can.  I played in priesthood this last week because nobody plays piano in the priesthood. 

I can't remember if I told any of you about eikaiwa or English class. Basically it's the best day of the week. There are like 20 or so people that come and we separate into classes and I taught intermediate with Elder Moua and Elder Jesperson. It is SO FUN!!!  We did Nature and we were going through just different words and questions and stuff. We separated into groups and I asked them the question "what nature is scary.?" And Kimiko has this electronic dictionary and she was trying to say snake but she came up with pit viper so they all started using pit viper for snake hahahahaha. It's way fun. Then after that we played a game I have a video I'll see if I can send it! It is awesome. We rode to Akishima or 昭島 like 3 or 4 times this week! I think I biked over 50 miles this week! It also has been really cold and just pouring rain lately but today is beautiful! I got a small bag for dendō for like 1100¥ which is a pretty good price. 

Then we taught Okabe San the commandments this week. His baptism is on the 28th! Pray for him that he can understand the restored gospel and have an increased desire to live the gospel after his baptism!  

I can't understand anything he or his mom says hahaha. They talk WAY fast. It's also really common to live with your parents here until your like 40. 

I've got lots of pictures I think. I can't remember, but the spiders here are huge! Remember that big ole spider on our front door? Ya that's how all the spiders are here. 

If I think of anything else I'll write you! I love you all so much! Please pray always always always. I know that our Father in Heaven wants to hear the very smallest details of our lives. He is anxiously waiting to hear from us. He wants to bless us so let him k ow what is going on in your lives and ask for blessing! Always live the gospel. Read, ponder, liken, and apply the scriptures all the time. You will know that the Book of Mormon is true, that Christ lives, and that God loves you.

(Haydon is going to start using his Facebook, but because of privacy issues we can’t tag him or post on it any more, it’s for missionary purposes now, so we may see him pop up but he probably can’t respond to anything, he will probably unfollow everyone but not unfriend you.”

Love,

ドレーパー長老

Fussa Japan

Hey everybody!!! Freedom is fantastic!

I'm not going to the temple for about 5 more weeks. So that's not today! Allies life seems to be doing great! Getting engaged and getting jobs and what not. Sounds awesome and way exciting! 

So I have about 2 weeks’ worth of emailing. I am mainly just going to tell what's up here in Tokyo! So the first two days we stayed in the mission home in kichijōji. The first night at the mission home, actually we slept in a room in the church right next door. We sleep on futons here! It's great I love them. It's about a 3 inch thick pad on the floor. My first pillow was just a bag full of beans hahahaha. Awesome!!! The Mission home is about a 20 minute train ride away President Wada and Sister Wada can cook some way good meals let me tell you. Kichijōji is huge! Look up Sun Road on Google. That's like right down the road from the church and mission home. We went dendoing (missionary working) for about an hour with some random older missionaries. We talked to and invited about 6 people to church. It's so fun! I'm not too timid at talking with people despite the fact that I have no idea what they say back. My language skills have already improved so much! I had to introduce myself in sacrament meeting! I didn't take notes or anything but I spoke just fine! The ward is pretty small. But they are all way awesome people. The little kids are super funny and nice and adorable! The bishop’s family is super cute.  Afterward the littlest kids all came up and shook my hand. They seem younger than Krue! The churches are nothing like ours. They are tiny! Well mine is. The kichijōji is actually a 3 story and may be bigger than ours. Also pres and sister Wada are SO nice! I love them! We had some culture trainings. If you stab the rice, that means death. You have to set the hashi, chop sticks, on the bowl and they can't point at anybody, that's WAY rude. You take shoes off in the house in a little area by the door and point them to the door without pointing your back or butt to the host. You say "itadakimasu" right before you eat which means "I will kindly receive". You can’t have rice stuck to the sides of the bowl. That's rude. There is a lot of stuff to still learn!

My companion is Elder Laird from Ogden and he is going to USU. He's been here for 11 transfers. My district consists of Elder Fenton and Elder Moua and then Sister Leppänen and Sister Debbie. I am in the Fussa area which is the second largest area to Kofu. We are the only official missionaries in Fussa. The funny part is that our apartment isn't even in the Fussa area! We bike about 30 minutes to get to our area. Two days ago, we biked more than 14 miles! I've taught 2 people and talked to a ton of people. We have Okabe San and Tsujimura San. Both are way good guys but slightly crazy in their own ways. Tsujimura San randomly called us and we've never met him before! But we met him. 

I can see Mt. Fuji on a good day. It's HUGE!

My first day my district took me out for sushi! I had some raw squid and some raw squished crab brains! I have a video but I can't send it because it's in my camera and I only have an iPad not a computer. If you can you should send me a SD card to iPad adapter. That would be great. 

Ya I live in a small town of about 150,000 households which is like 300,000 or so people. Kichijōji has about 450,000 households. My mission has about 16 million people in it and about 150 missionaries! We have the biggest mission people wise in Japan! And the most missionaries. I love it here!

I haven't got my own bike yet. I am getting a free bike from Elder Moua! It's a nice bike just a flat. The bikes name is Jennifer haha, he told me I can't change the name! He, Elder Moua is way way way funny hahaha. 

I don't have much longer to email. We're taking train to kichijōji to get me new bed sheets, because apparently I did need them after all! (He mailed his home, he was told he didn’t need them.) And then get me a smaller missionary bag. Big bags are a pain haha so I'm getting a small one, I need like dang pack size. It kill when you bike with it on all day if it's the size I have. But I'm just getting one at the thrift store here. They have a tone of thrift stores. Tonight I have splits with Elder Moura and he is the funniest elder ever? He's just so casual in his jokes.  Oh we were ont he train yesterday and it was packed and he said that one time it was so packed, and he is kind of small, that he was lifted off the ground and he looked down and was wiggling his feet and totally wasn't touching the ground! 

Anyway that is all for now! I'll send pictures just in a bit! 

Love you all

Elder Draper from Tokyo 

Japan...Here he comes!

Haydon is currently boarding his flight to Tokyo Japan! Everything has gone smooth so far! We can't wait for his adventures in Tokyo, the biggest city in the world, a population of 33.2 million people. Good luck bud! :) (He's going to do amazing things)