He's staying in Shonan and getting a new companion!

Hey Mom Woman!

These week has had a couple highs and a lot of lows! You know what the lows are. So I'll just focus on the highs! :) (He did go to the doctor and he does have Gilberts syndrome. Apparently there is no cure and its not bad either. Just elevated bilirubin most likely from exhaustion and stress. It can go away with more sleep. So he will proceed with yellow eyes I guess. We are just very happy that he is fine. His liver function is fine and all other blood work is good)

First high. I'm getting a new companion! And I'm staying in Shonan! I will be training a new missionary. BUT! Here's the catch. So maybe you didn't know this or maybe you did but Elder Hattanda (the happiest Japanese person alive, and also my companion for 3.5 transfers in the office) went home in March for school. But he's coming back this transfer! And it looks like President wants him to be trained again because so much has changed since he left, so there is technically a possibility that I'll get to train him! (ya…we have never heard of anyone leaving for school and coming back either)

Man only 3 radiation treat an left!? That's awesome! I guess getting exhausted is much better than losing your hair and being in a ton of pain, right? I’m so glad the whole thing is going so well. 

Ya I love that doctor in Tokyo. He is awesome! He is half Japanese half American and is just like any regular American doctor. The Japanese and American doctors have a different theory. Anyway it went great and I knew what was wrong with me in one visit and one blood test. On the way back we got on two wrong trains and ended up way past odawara haha. I have a picture of the map and the view we got to see! So we spent like 4 hours on a train that day. But ya I'm just stressed.  And I seriously love our family. I got so so happy seeing that video of Ray playing Faithfully and everybody singing along. 

 Then the APs wanted to go on random splits with us. So we met them at Machida Eki about an hour away. Then the next morning they had a meeting early in Kichijoji so we had to wake up at 4:30 am and ride trains for two hours there and then two hours back. From shinjuku to hiratsuka there weren't many people on the train though so I got a solid hour's sleep.

Oh my gosh I love our family! Allie sent me a video of the talent show. I miss my family so much! I love Japan, and I Love sharing the gospel and helping others learn about it and come to know God. Don't get me wrong. But I can't wait to be with my family again! The Haydons and the Drapers. I'm so proud to be a part of this family. We are so blessed. 

Another high. After church we had a lesson with a new investigator. He actually has interest in English but that's ok because we have a program called Free Family English Program. The first 30 minutes is English and he next 30 minutes is a Gospel lesson. He was totally down for it! So we'll meet with him every Saturday (except next Saturday he can't) from here on out for 6 weeks. Then by then hopefully he has enough interest to just continue the gospel part and not the English part! 

Another high! This week we have ton's of dinner appointments with Members! Like 4! That's way more than I've ever had in a week. We are very blessed this week. 

I can't wait to meet missionaries in mountain home! Have you had any Japanese missionaries there before? 

  

There is a member in the ward from New Zealand who is way good at improvising  on the piano. He's been teaching me a little hear and a little there. It's way fun! 

Yes I got Audrey's song. Thank you! And yes I got the package! I love it! Very clever. But I still have like 2 months left haha. I'll just eat it very slowly. Thank you so much for always sending me stuff! Some missionaries don't get packages on their mission. So I'm very grateful for them. 

This week I've been studying all the sub titles for 'Jesus Christ' in the topical guide like Elder Nelson said he did I. This last general conference. It's way good! So far I've only done the first one just called Jesus Christ, and the next one which lists scriptures that teach how Christ is our advocate with the father. I understood so clearly at here really is no way for us to get back to Heavenly Father without Jesus Christ. Without Christ, there is no eternal happiness, no eternal families, no repentance, no forgiveness, no nothing really! I am so grateful that God loves us enough to not only give us this experience in life to learn and to grow, but also for providing us with a Savior to help us come back to where we came from so we can continue onto the next stage in God's eternal plan of happiness for us. 

I love you so so so so so much! 

Elder Draper

ドレーパー長老

He found a small town like Grand View!

Hey mom!

That sounds like a way fun baby shower!

Mom you can't just buy things you don't need! You'll go broke! (referring to me going to Boise every day for radiation and spending too much time in Boise) Trust me I know. My first transfer I spent money at every vending machine I saw. In Japan you can literally find a vending machine (jihanki) anywhere. The other day we were out by some fields and we found a line of two or three haha. But I bought something at everyone just about and I went broke like halfway through the transfer! I had to learn quick to budget.  That's great that the radiation is going so well! What side affects come with the pill?

I love temple dedications! I felt so honored to have been able to be in Japan while the third temple (Sapporo) was dedicated. I hope I can go to the one in Meridian! 

Man I can't believe that Shayla is already done with school! She's all grown up! Stephie and Jeffy aren't kids anymore. (Shayla and Haydon would pretend they were twins, Jeffy and Stephie)

It's going to be so weird to see missionaries around but I'm not one of them! Do you know where the mission office is for The mission we live in? I was curious about that. It never occurred to me before I came on my mission that mission's have mission offices and homes. 

And thank you for the pictures! Now people will stop thinking I'm a liar when I tell them I collect sweaters and I am an ice cream man haha. Do you have any picture of me wearing sweaters? Probably not huh? I didn't take many pictures of myself. 

Elder Sumsion this week taught me how to bike dendo! Basically you just ride up to people on your bike and ask them how they are. They are super surprised. But usually willing to talk because it was so random. We talked to tons of people like that this week! We rode next to people and talked to them too. One guy we rode next to each other for probably 5 minutes and I gave him an English class flyer at a stop light. I was riding my bike and I saw this guy who was obviously not Japanese. So I rode up close to him and asked him where he was from. He said he was from Fiji. We talked a bit while riding and then he had to turn. 

Elder Tree and I went a little ways past the church and found a town that totally reminded me of Grandview except it was Japanese and obviously a lot bigger than Grandview. But there were farm fields and mountains in the background and the streets weren't that nice (well compared to normal Japanese roads) and there were farmers driving tractors down the road. We crossed a river that reminded me exactly of the river next to strike dam. There was a big group of farmers having lunch on some foldable tables under the shade of a tree. I felt so much at home! I took a cool panarama of the fields the mountains and to the left you can see Mt. Fuji peaking out of the clouds. Then while riding our bikes we found that Fijian guy again! But this time his wife from Holland was with him! It was way cool. We'll probably see them again. 

I have continued as best I can to serve others through the priesthood that God has blessed me with. It's such a humbling thing. I love how the gospel works. The more you serve the more you are happy. The more you focus on others the more you want to focus on others and the more the happy you become. I am happiest when I help others. Lately I feel like life has been up and down a whole lot but when I humble myself and look outwards instead of inwards to myself, I am happy. So right now. I am happy. 

I love you!

I have one transfer and then like 2 weeks left. Transfer emails are this Saturday. 

I really gotta go though, I love you!

ドレーパー長老

Haydon had some blood test yesterday to check his Bilirubin to figure out why his eyes are yellow. The mission office is supposed to email me and tell what was found. So far nothing from them. I'm praying its not bad news. There's nothing worse than having a sick child so far away!!

Bike crash!

Hey!

My eyes are yellow still. At first the pain was in my back but now it's a sharp pain a little below and to the left of my sternum. It doesn't always hurt but it does every once in a while. I've already had blood tests and everything is normal. So as of now they are thinking it's some disease called Gilbertson's disease (I think that's what it's called at least) where my eyes just turn yellow when I am stressed. But I don't know if that is right because my stomach still hurts for the fourth day in a row now. But we'll figure it out! Don't worry I’m not afraid of calling the mission president or going to the doctors haha I've been best friends with them for a while! 

As a side note, I was going down a hill the other day on my bike. It wasn't a massive hill or anything, but it was a hill. I look over to my left and see a really really orange building and I focused really hard on the name of it because it was a bit hard to read. It said Sidda Baba. We met an Indian guy the other day that said he owned an Indian curry restaurant named Sidda Baba. I thought, "Oh hey I found it!!!" Right when I thought that, I ran straight into a cement power line! I fell of my bike and then my foot hit elder Lind's bike as he rode by. It all happened so fast so I was so confused. My head took most of the hit but I was wearing a helmet so it was fine. Nothing hurt immediately. I got a head ache a little later but my eyes dilated perfectly and I wasn't sleepy and I wasn't throwing up so we decided it wasn't a concussion. Well maybe a slight concussion. But now, two days later, my arm and butt and shoulder are pretty sore and I've got a couple bruises. But I'm alive! 

Radiation doesn't sound too bad! Although I guess it would stink to feel like you have the flu all the time. 

Does Allie know what theme she is going to make her new class room yet? 

Did they still do the graduation ceremony outside? Wouldn't that be like impossible to even hear the speakers?

I miss crazee daze! I kind of imagine it being like a Japanese festival now haha. It will remind me of Japan when I go I think. 

How is the ice cream truck doing? Last time I heard it was breaking down like every 5 minutes haha. I love telling people about the candy store and the ice cream truck. They think it's pretty sweet. I went on your Facebook and took some pictures of the candy store but they are all before we painted the walls red and added the tin sheets. Do you have any pictures of that? Also do you have any pictures of me in the ice cream truck? Also, one last question, do you have any pictures of me wearing different sweaters? I tell people all the time that I collect sweaters but I don't have any pictures haha. I love telling old guys with awesome sweaters how much I love their sweater. Then I tell them I collect them in America but I never have a picture!

There are 4 of us in the apartment. The other elder's are Elder Tree and Elder Sumsion. They are both way awesome. It's weird though because I am the oldest missionary (as far as mission age goes) in the zone now! Everybody is so young. Ya I know I don't have any pictures of my area really. I'll try to be better at that. 

Are you really bringing the bug down to Logan?! That would be amazing! I've decided to outgrow the mustache though haha. I want it to look a bit more classy in college haha. 

That would be sweet to room with tanner! I hope he gets in. How many people are in one apartment? 

So this week I have learned a lot I feel like! One that I wanted to share was about being humble and selfless. I have learned that the priesthood of God defeats Satan. But it isn't just like you just shoot Satan with a blessing and he is defeated. At least that's not what I learned this week. What I learned is that the priesthood defeats Satan, because the priesthood is all about blessing others. When priesthood power is used worthily and properly it is completely selfless and humble. Throughout the Book of Mormon you can obviously see that pride beings the destruction of people! It's that "my will and not thine be done" kind of mind set. If we focus on ourselves and about what I can get or about how others may think of me, that's when Satan has the most power over us. I have learned that if we want happiness or peace or love or protection from the evils of the world, we need to turn outwards and not inward. We need to follow the example of Jesus Christ. 

I love you all so much! Thank you for your prayers and your encouragement. 

Elder Draper

ドレーパー長老

His eyes are yellow.......

Osu! (How the men greet us in Japan hahaha.) 

We have two investigators right now that were found for us by other missionaries! We haven't had a chance to meet with them yet but we are planning on meeting one of them this Wednesday. 

I'm so glad that the chemo port is out! Man that thing looks like it would be so annoying! But I guess when you are getting chemo it's better than getting a new IV every time. 

Scott sent me some pictures of prairie! I forgot how beautiful it is up there! You really learn to appreciate those sorts of views living in the city. I have seen the view he sent me like forever but it just looks so much more beautiful now!

Radiation doesn't sound too bad. A lot better than chemo. 

I don't have any pictures yet but I'll get some hopefully for next week! If you look up "海岸公園平塚市" it should put you in a park next to the area that reminds me of Hawaii. 

So this week was alright! Me and Elder Lind  didn't have any lessons but we did lots of finding! We went to the eki for Mother's Day and talked a lot with people about their mothers and then another time we went and talked about their families and stuff. We write it in English so that way people will actually have to stop and read it. Then, because it's in English, the conversation could go either to English class or the gospel! Either one is fine since it gets them in contact with missionaries again. 

We went and visited a potential investigator family yesterday but they told us to come back later when the mom was there. They are from Peru! But their Japanese is flawless since they've lived here for 12 years. 

So this week my eyes decided to turn yellow. The whites of my eyes are mostly yellow. Not immediately around the iris but a little further out is all yellow. So I called sister warnick and they had me go to the eye doctor. He told me there was no problem. Then she had me send a picture to the mission doctor so he could look at it. He said that it's called Jaundice.  Well that's what they call the yellow anyways. The cause of why it's there they don’t know. So right now I'm just waiting to see if certain symptoms appear. But my eyes also itch. And my stomach has been bad lately. So I don't know what's going on with me. 

In Japan it's rude to knock on a door if they have a doorbell. So we went to this big apartment and the elevator was broken. So we climbed to the tenth floor and started from the top. Nobody answered! We ran out of time and walked to the bottom again. We notice that the elevator was working again! Then an announcement went over the intercom that announced the power was back on. I thought, man we could have used the elevator! But then I realized, the doorbells didn't work! Hahaha. At that point we ran out of time and couldn't go back but I thought that was pretty typical for me. 

I am so grateful to have a knowledge of the restored gospel. I love the comfort it is to me that we have a purpose for being here on this earth. We have so much more purpose than to just come here and do whatever and hen die. We have a Heavenly Father who knows everything and who loves us so much. He gave us this opportunity to grow and to learn. I am so grateful for the comfort of that truth. I am so grateful for eternal families. I am grateful for God allows us to have the priesthood to be able to seal our families together for eternity. 

I love you! Next week should be a normal P Day!

Elder Draper

ドレーパー長老

Mother's Day Facetime!

Hey guys!

FaceTime is much better than emails! But real face to face talking is the best! But anyways I'm glad we aren’t restricted to letters anymore! 

So ya his week was way good! We decided to house this really big apartment complex one night. We were sharing the video called "why we need a savior". We got to share it with a guy and then his family came out and watched the end of it as well. We will go back sometime this week and see if we can share more. We also found a guy who said we could come back anytime!

On Mother's Day we went to the station and held white boards with questions like "What do you love about your mother?" Or "what is your favorite memory of your mother?" Or something like that. It's so neat to see that the love people have towards their mothers is the same thought the world. I love my mom so much! You are the greatest. I wouldn't be who I am today had it not been for you. 

We had zone meeting in the morning from 8:00-10:30 and then we booked it over to Kamiooka for an awesome, spiritual baptismal service for Tsunoda! It was the best. I was actually in the program for a talk haha so I'm glad I got to go! In our last lesson with him I gave him a red Idaho tie that Sheila Christensen gave me. So he was wearing it at his baptism. It was so cool! It's totally worth however many "no thank you"s to see somebody make that much change in their life and make Covenants with god. There's a cool picture we took with him when I was still there. He took it 20 years ago with his first missionaries. So we reenacted it!

The call was the best ever! I love all of you so so much. Only 3 short months left! 

Love you!

Elder Draper

ドレーパー長老