Where is the time going?

April 11, 2016

It feels like a couple days a ago I was in Otavalo teaching the Lamanite descendants, and this transfer period is almost over here in Quito.

This week we are still running on the excitement that Quito will have a temple!  The local leaders are starting to be direct to the members in the fact that they are not prepared and what they need to do to be prepared for the temple.  

This week I ponderized Alma 32:27.  Here the prophet Alma teaching a group of people is talking about faith.  We should take heed and put to practice the words of the prophets and if we cant we should have a sincere desire to do so, doing do will bring the ability to continue and grow in our faith. 

This week, Elder Quintana and I are looking a lot for people to teach.  And we have had some experiences talking with the people.  Many reject us respectfully, other accept our visits. and other people that reject us not very nicely. One person I remember told us that she was not going to accept us because she did not want to accept Americans in her home.  At first it hurt a little bit, but I got over it, then it basically happened again later in the week.  But I am learning to take these experiences and grow.

Elder Draper,

until the next week.

¡Conferencia General! Y templo en Quito, Ecuador!!!!!!!!!!!

April 4, 2016

This week, the highlight would have to be the grand opportunity to learn and hear at the feet of the prophet of God: Thomas S. Monson, and the Apostles called and chosen by Jesus Christ.  I hope everyone had a chance to listen to these men, If you did not, I invite you to do so.  I learned a lot from this past weekend and testify that each one of you can learn something special only for yourself.

There were talks and testimonies for everyone.  President Eyring even talked about this.  If we come to Conference with a question or looking for revelation, we can and will find it if we apply ourselves.  He said listen to each testimony as you will find something for each and everyone one of you.  I was listening and looking for the testimony of each speaker, but sometimes I could not find them.  I then looked in the Scripture study guide in the back of the Spanish scriptures and learned that testimony was what the leaders were sharing and teaching.  I testify that what President Eyring said is true.  

In this General Conference we had the chance to hear about 4 new temples of the Lord here on the earth,  AND ONE WILL COME TO QUITO!!!!!! It is a great time we live in to have so many temples across the land, and earth. We heard this announcement and the entire chapel screamed and shouted for the joy and excitement they had as a temple is coming to this city. 

This past week I ponderized the verse found in Doctrine and Covenants 8:2.  In this verse, it speaks about how we will receive the voice of the Holy Spirit of God.  It will speak to our minds and our hearts as it dwells in our hearts.   I remember this scripture in seminary, the teacher asked which is said more? mind or heart?  and if you have conflicting thoughts and feelings, which should we follow?  We should follow the feelings we have in our hearts if they will bring us closer to Christ.  

 

That time has come again...but dont worry, I will be fine.  Until next week. 

Elder Clark Draper

Happy Easter!

(March 28, 2016)

Primarily I hope that everyone of you had a memorable Easter.

This past week I ponderized is found in Alma 6:5.  It talks about how no one was rejected from gathering to hear the word of God.  As missionaries, we help in this.  We invite everyone, everywhere, to gather to hear the word of God. 

This past Saturday, WE HAD A BAPTISM!  We had been working with a family, and after three weeks they took the first steps in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

It was amazing to see them enter the waters of baptism.  Afterwards, as they were giving their testimonies, sharing their feelings, they both said that they felt a load being relieved from off of their backs.

As well this week, we had a zone conference with the President of the Mission.  We learned better ways to share the first mission lesson: the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

I hope that you all have a great week.  

Adiós

Hasta Luego,

Elder Draper

Week 2 Pusuqui

(March 21, 2016)

I apologize for the in creative title for this week.  We have not had a lot going on this.

First I want to share the scripture that I ponderized this week: Romans 12:21.  It is a short, simple, yet powerful verse.  Many of us have problems in our lives and we claim that things happen because that is the way they are.  But with this verse it is different. We should use what we can and overcome these difficulties. 

My companion and I have been working with a family this week, the "T" family, with their young kid.  They have been progressing very well.  They are excited to take part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

But other than this we weren't able to do a lot more this week. 

 

The time has now come to a close once again.  But be not afraid neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest...

Elder Draper.

Bario Pusuqui

(March 14, 2016)

After one week in the new sector I am enjoying being here in Quito, with my new companion: Elder Quintana.  In this sector we have family that is preparing for their baptismal date on the 26 of March.  They are progressing well, and are animated for this grand step in their lives.

The family we have with a date, they own a auto repair kind of shop, and we passed by this week and we helped them prep a car to be repainted.  It was a cool experience to do a little bit of service.

This week I ponderized a verse found in Doctrine and Covenants 138:10, I found it studying about the plan of Salvation that God has for each one of us here on Earth. And when I read this verse I understood more clearly the purpose of the spirit world.

The photos are of my companion and I helping prep the car.

  

Chao,

Elder Draper

New Transfer!

(March 7, 2016)

Well today is the first day of the new change, or transfer.  I am no longer in Otavalo, the land of the Lamanites.  But, I am now in the capital city of the country, Quito.  But because of how big Quito is, there are 4 zones of missionaries each zone having at least 20 missionaries. I am in the Zona Ofelia, ward Pusuquí.  My new companion is Elder Quintana.  He is from Lima, Peru and is close to finishing his mission.

This week as a district we ponderized a scripture it is found in Ether. 12:6. It says that the testimony doesn't come until after the trial of our faith.  As well, as a zone we ponderized a different scripture. This one is found in the Doctrine and Covenants 18:44 which says that it is through us that God and Jesus Christ will do and complete their work.  We must continue being strong and do what we are supposed to do.  

This week, Elder Nielson and I saw a miracle this week.  First for the month of March we felt that we should put 8 confirmations as a goal for a little over a week.  We didn't know how that was going to work out because we had 6 people already with a date and a possibility of 1 or 3 more but not 2.  Well, we went and did a family home evening with one of our investigators with a date, and her mother in law, an active member told us that we needed to baptize her son because the church lost his record, and the same thing with her niece. And with these two `free` (because it took 0 efforts to find these two specifically) we reached our number of 8 people with a baptism date for the month of March. 

This week we are also attacked by two ducks.  That was not as cool experience as it sounds.  A few weeks ago we were walking and a bull acted like he was about to charge us so we almost ran up the street.  We have also had a donkey laugh at us, kind of.

Obispo (Bishop) Morocho

From the Imbabura Ward in Otavalo

Elder Draper

Happy Leap Day!

(February 29, 2016)

Firstly I want to wish all of you a happy leap day!  I can't remember if it actually means something there in the states, but here it doesn't mean anything.  Or at least as a missionary it doesn't mean anything for us.  Just another day in the field working!

This week I ponderized a verse that is found in 3 Nephi 5:13.  This verse is the perfect description of what a missionary should be.  But not only missionaries, as well those members of the Church should follow this particular verse. 

This week, not a whole has happened. For the month of February, as a mission, we have made some sacrifices for the month that we can see miracles specifically for the month of March. We have been working with some investigators that have been attending church and progressing very well. We are still working with "B"and "C", and this week we found a family, the "A" Family.  They each have a goals for baptism for the month of March and we are hoping to see them enter the waters of baptism during this month.

 we found this chicken at a members house. it walks like a penguin. 

Elder Draper.

ELDER HOLLAND!!!!

February 22, 2016

This week we had the opportunity to receive Elder Holland of the quorum of the 12 Apostles. The members here had a special devotional with him. We were able to go to this event because we were bringing people to the meeting.

As a mission we received Elder Holland in Quito!  We all had the opportunity to be interviewed by an Apostle. WE shook his hand!  He told us that when he shakes our hand he interviews us, and that he could see our souls!  

It was such an awesome opportunity to get to know Elder Holland.  During the same meetings, we had opportunities to hear from other 70s.  We heard from Elder Calderón, he is an area 70 from Quito. We also heard from Elder Hugo Montoya, he is a counselor in our area presidency.  He is from Mexico.  

This week I ponderized a verse in Alma 48:17.  It talks about if every person was like unto Moroni, the power of Hell would not have power over the children of men. How can we be like unot Captain Moroni?  We must have similar characteristics. We can find these by reading in the Book of Mormon. 

Elder Nielson and I are still working with some investigators. We are working Blanca and Cristian, they are progressing well.  We are also seeing many miracles here in our sector. We are hoping to have a month of March.  This month of February we have been focusing a lot on the Faith, and are hoping to see the fruits of our faith in the coming month.

Kayakaman!! Well, this means goodbye in the native language.
Elder Draper.

ELDER HOLLAND IS IN ECUADOR!!!!!

(February 17, 2016)

Elder Jeffrey R, Holland is in Ecuador if you could not tell from the first line. All the bishops and stake presidents in Ecuador had a meeting with him Saturday night.  Tuesday night he will be here in OTAVALO!!!!!! We are allowed to go if we bring investigators, less actives, or recent converts.  So you know darn well we are taking people to that meeting.  

Wednesday in Quito, the entire mission, we get our own personal devotion where we are going to be edified.  

This past week we had a meeting with President Richardson.  It was the meeting we have every three months when we all get interviewed to make sure we all doing good in the mission. 

This week I ponderized, or better said I tried to ponderize Mosiah 11:23.  This week was not very productive because on Tuesday, we were drenched by Carnival.  We were out of our house for 45 minutes and were drenched by 25 buckets of water.  And not was I a victim but my agenda as well.

Saturday we had a pretty eventful day. We were charged at by a bull, don't worry we are still alive and unharmed. Later rejected by a Donkey.  Yeah that lowered our self-esteem a little.  We were walking away from a door after being rejected and teh donkey started yelling at us.  

We have a couple of investigators that are progressing pretty good.  "B" and "C". The two have been attending church and are looking for testimonies.  We are hoping that they can find their testimonies and be strong members as they come al Evangelio de Jesucristo. 

Choa

Elder Draper.

Carnival

Well, firstly, Carnival has not even started and my companion and I have been wet for half of this week that we just finished.  Today, is the first official day of Carnival.  All I understand about Carnival is that the people just like to get people wet and play games like it.  We have been advised to be careful during this time.

This week, I ponderized a verse in Mosiah 15:25.  Here I learned why we should all become as little children. As members of the church we hear we should be as little children, and this verse tells us why. 

We here in Compañia-Imbabura have an investigator that is progressing: "B".  We have been working with her, find a testimony about the Book of Mormon.  She is married to a member, and they want to be together forever. 

I testify that the Book of Mormon is true! If anyone doesn't know this, I invite them with Moroni to read, ponder, and pray, asking in the name of Jesus Christ.  I also testify that the family can be together forever, this is possible through the power of the priesthood and Temple of God.

Well, Hasta Lunes!!!  Kayakaman!!

Elder Draper.

Week one, new companion

Well, as I shared last week, I have a new companion: Elder Nielson.  He came from the Jungle, El Coca. He is from Monticello, Utah. He is on his last 6 months.  He is little bit taller than me, by about an inch.  It is interesting.  Two tall white Americans walking around Otavalo, where everything is shorter.

Elder Draper and Elder Nielson

This week, I had the opportunity to ponderize the verse in Mosiah 2:24.  The verse, talks about the blessings from God and how we are always and always will be in his debt.  That and we have no reason to be prideful. 

This week, we found a person.  Right now she has a baptism date for the 13th of February.  We will call her 'B', she is married to a less active member in the ward and they want to be married in the church.  Well in the church meaning in the Temple of the Lord. 

As a zone, this transfer we are focusing on growing our faith.  We, as a mission, have received some members of the seventy telling us that we need to grow our faith. We are in the Promised Land from the Book of Mormon.  There are a ton of promises for the people we are teaching, we can bring thousands to the gospel if we have the faith that miracles can happen. 

 Elder Draper.

Changes and a bunch of meetings

Well, yesterday the mission leaders gave the changes for the transfers for the coming 6 weeks.  Elder Morales is assigned to La Tolita in the Coast.  My new companion is Elder Nielson.  To be honest I don't know him because as I write this letter for all of you he is on his way traveling to Otavalo.

This week we had a lot fun this week!  Starting Tuesday we had a special training with President Richardson and his wife and as well the assistants to the President. During this training we learned to give commitments better to help the people come unto Christ more efficiently.  Wednesday we had a special mission conference.  This was for all of the world.  But because of transmission errors we were not able to receive. Thursday we had our normal weekly district and zone meetings.  In this meeting we receive every week a small training on how to better an aspect of missionary work.  

Friday we had a leaders meetings. The leaders of the zone get together every week to discuss the progress of the missionaries in the zone.  I am not part of this group but because Elder Morales was District Leader he had to be.  

We had a fun week of meetings!  

Yesterday in the La Compañia Ward I gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting.  It was my first in the mission.  It went pretty good if I would say.  It had a topic of missionary work, teaching by the spirit. 

This past week I had the opportunity to ponderize 2 Nephi 32:4. Here I understood that we have all the words of the prophets and scriptures, and if we do not seek an understanding of what they mean, well, we won't understand what it means.  But I understood that it is important to understand the words of the prophets and scriptures with this knowledge we will be brought into the light.

Elder Morales and Elder Draper

Elder Godoy

First I want to express how happy I am to have been able to listen to what Elder Carlos A. Godoy had to say to us missionaries of the Ecuador Quito North Mission!  It was so amazing to be able to feel the spirit in this setting. Hermana Richardson spoke on how we can improve our studies, President Richardson on finding and teaching families, Hermana Godoy the restoration and the importace of the all the revelation we have received during the time since Joseph Smith, and last but not least Elder Godoy, a couple weeks ago we were given a talk to read andstudy and prepare. it was a talk from Pres Nelson in the seminar for new mission pres.  We talked about what we liked from this talk and he answered questions from us and with the scripture from Alma he showed us a formula to have lots of baptisms.  The four things we have to do are be repented. have good works and pray continually and the last is to have faith.  As a mission we are good with the first three, but we apparently dont have sufficient faith for miracles to happen.

NEXT MONTH ELDER HOLLAND IS COMING TO OTAVALO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This week was a good week.  I had the opportunity to ponderize the verse: 2 Nephi 25:26.  I read this in my personal study last week and I thought that it speaks perfectly the job of missionaries. We as missionaries do this like it says that the people may know to what source they may find a remission of their sins.

This week we visited a family of investigators,  Familia Castañeda.  He was in a motorcycle accident about a month ago. We found him and his wife in their house the week before and we gave him a blessing of health.  This week we visited him and he asked us what the blessing was and what it meant. He has desires to learn more and it is so cool to be able to help the people build their faith in Jesus Christ. 

This week we have more meetings with President Richardson.  Wednesday there is a missionary Conference broadcast...How exciting!!

Elder Godoy is coming!!

January 11, 2016

This past time, I forgot again, to share the scripture that I had ponderized the week before.  It is found in Matthew 5:41.

The scripture for this week that I ponderized is found at the end of 1 Nephi 22:31.  To me what stood out is the promise that Nephi gives us.  To save ourselves we must endure to the end and keep the commandments. 

Well, as the title of this e-mail indicates, Elder Godoy, of the first quorum of 70 is coming to visit the mission!!  He will be here in Otavalo on Friday!!

Not much happened this week.  We are in the process of finding more people to teach. 

Today we went to Cascadas de Peguche.(the waterfalls of Peguche)  it was really cool and neat to see the nature.  The picture attached is me with the elders in my district.

Elders Morales, Draper, White and Perez

Elder Draper

"and a happy new year!"

First of all I hope that everyone had a fun and safe holiday season!!   

From last week I forgot to include the scripture that I had ponderized for the week.  It is found in 2 Nephi 2:7.   I invite all of you to go and read it.

I can now send some pictures I have taken from my house. This one I believe is looking across the lake.  The lake is only like 100 yards from the house.   And behind the house is a grand mountain, with a volcano. I will try to get a picture of the volcano.  It is pretty cool.  

 

 

 Another picture from the apartment this one is looking across 

the lake at a different angle.

 Picture taken through the window of the mountain at the back of our apartment.  If you can't tell it goes straight up, it is not flat.

This week, as you all know was the ending of the old year and the birth of a new.  And like many people in the states, there are fireworks and music and parties.  But, here it is crazier.  My companion and I had to be in our house early, at 5 in the afternoon.  It was okay because together we made pizza and that was really good. We also got to bed a little early, but it didn’t serve us much good.  The fireworks started with music before 9 in the night and the music didn’t stop until 7 in the morning.

Helping make the pizza for our New Years Eve dinner. 

(Yea we finally got a picture with Elder Draper in it)

 Our YUMMY pizza.

In our sector a lot of the people are returning to the area from their work.  We are hoping to find more investigators to share the word of God with.

Because we only have a hot plate, the sister that is renting the apartment to us has a restaurant underneath us and we used her oven.  She has a little restaurant that she sells fish in it.  She runs it on Sundays and that is the only day, (she is inactive but has desires to return to the church and activity.) 

It is pretty cold here, I am getting used to it more and more, I did have to pull out my heavier coat.  I took the liner out and the coat kept me warm.  When we are in the house it does get a little cold, but it is easier to stay warmer. 

This week, we were finishing planning and my comp wanted to hear a prayer in English as we finished  our planning session.  I tried, but I had to use Spanglish.  I caught myself using Spanish in the prayer, and he thought it was weird that that can really happen. 

"Good bye, farewell, I bid to say adeiu"

Elder Draper