Week 44!

Hello mother,

You didn't have a second born son and not tell me did you??? I hate when that happens to me. 

(I addressed his letter to my First Born Son:)

Yep the missionaries left yesterday. It was really sad. Elder Laird and Elder Allred were some of my best friends. They taught me so so much. Elder Allred taught me to have fun in dendo and to love Japanese language and the people. He also taught me a lot of piano theory. I can't wait for you to meet them both someday! Also there is an Elder Christensen who went home last transfer who lives in Boise who said he wants to visit my family. I gave him your address. If a really blond haired guy shows up to your house, don't be alarmed. His first name is Adam.   Our convert, Okabe, always called Elder Laird Kami Chan. I never heard him call him Reado Chourou. 

So our investigators right now are Hideki San who is progressing nicely. He is 19 and likes English. He has been reading the Book of Mormon a lot. Then we have Kousuke who we aren't focusing on but still working with him. This week we watched meet the Mormons with him.

I got pretty close to throwing iPads this week! But I didn't. I had to set up 15 new iPads for the new missionaries. I actually finished last week and just had to work out small problems here and there once the missionaries actually got here. 

(I asked how they go about transfer and deciding who goes where ) So the president and the assistants go into President Warnick's office and pray and talk about every single person in the mission. They have a big board in there with everybody's face. They talk about the strengths and needs of every missionary and pray to know where they should be placed. They started at like noon and finished at around 10:00 pm. 

Holy cow the Pokémon thing is seriously that big? I've not heard anything about it in Japan. Which is weird because even the adults here play Pokemon I think haha. Audrey told me about it too!

Yes I got your package! I'm actually going to wait until my birthday though. I opened up the Session's package too early so I thought I could wait to open this one. You really could have gotten me nothing and it would have been fine so I am grateful for whatever you sent me! :)

This week I have been studying a lot in Alma 1 and Alma 2. I want to talk about Alma 1 though. In Alma chapter 1 it talks about a guy who comes up out of nowhere named Nehor. He's a real bad dude. He tries to be king and stuff but eventually just gets killed. But right after that the people go crazy. People are breaking out in open rebellion against the church and many many people actually pull their names from the church records. It says that it was a hard trial for the Saints of God. But it also tells of their obedience and patience through it all. Even though the world is going downhill (and quite fast is what I have heard) we can find peace and safety in the church and living it's teachings. This is Christ's church and I know that if you hold tightly to its teachings you will be protected from all the craziness of the world. 

This week I really have just been in the office a lot. But as we learn in Corinthians 12, all parts of the body are needed. Even the tech staff. I may not have the crazy experiences or a lot of time to teach like the other missionaries but I know that all parts of the mission are necessary. The lord chose me to be here in the office and I love it. I have learned seriously SO many things I wouldn't have learned anywhere else. I have got to see how the President receives revelation for the mission and how the preparations go for new missionaries and missionaries who have served their full time already. I have seen the sincere love towards this work of hundreds of missionaries. This mission is like a family. A really really really big family. I love it here and I know I am where I am for a reason and I know that this gospel is true. I can't explain how much I have already changed in this short year, well almost year.  The time to come home will be here before we know it and I don't want to waste a single second of that. Please remember your responsibility as members of this church, live what you teach and share it with the world. The world needs it now more than ever. 

I love you so so so so so so much!

Love your son

Elder Draper

Haydon’s birthday is THIS THURSDAY JULY 21^ST so if anyone would like to email him that would be awesome!