Monday, April 25, 2016

Missions are where the fun are

Hello my friends and family!

Another blessed week! Elder Howe and I were excited for this week because it was the first week in awhile without any meetings so we would have a lot more time to work in our area, but things still found a way of getting very busy but that's what the work should be like, so no complaints.

We had very good lessons this week. The longer I am on mission the more and more I love the Holy Ghost and all He does. We do relatively little when it comes to teaching, because the words we speak should come from the Spirit and the only way anyone can know of the validity of what we are teaching is by feeling that same Spirit. Our calling as missionaries is to "preach my gospel by the Spirit" (D&C 50:14) and we must pray in faith, because if we receive not the Spirit, we shall not
teach (D&C 42:14). Lessons like the ones we had this week build my testimony of these principles, because the Spirit was definitely the teacher, and all of us were taught together.

One of our lessons was with a lady we met on the bus named Grace. Elder Howe taught her last week on exchange and then this week Elder Hulleman and I taught her on exchange, so two different  missionaries both times, but great lessons as well. When we called her the day before and when we were actually teaching her she said she enjoyed what she read from the Book of Mormon. She told us that she knows there is power in the Book of Mormon and she can feel it when she reads! We are definitely excited to teach her again, we should be seeing her tomorrow.

We also taught our brother Ola more about the Book of Mormon and some specific questions he had about prayer. He got emotional during the lesson a few times and told us about some of the struggles he has been facing but was able to feel and see how turning to the Savior will give him what he needs and that what we are teaching him will draw him closer to the Savior. The Holy Ghost was the teacher in both of these lessons.

Funny story about the picture last week, we had loads of food on Monday and after a few days and an exchange with 6 missionaries in our  flat we were basically out of the staple foods like milk, eggs, bread, and tortillas(essential for missionaries) by Friday. So we had a lot of apples and noodles for a couple of days.

It was a great week all and all. I had the strongest desire today to extend my mission. I wish missions were still 30 months. 😉

I love you all so much. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only source of complete and abiding peace available to all of us. I know that is true.

Have a blessed week!

Elder Draney

Monday, April 18, 2016

Exchanges

Hello my friends and family!

Another week in Peckham!  This week was less busy in terms of things that took us out of our area, so we were able to do a lot more for our friends and met a lot of new investigators this week!

On Tuesday we had a Zone Training with with President and Sister Gubler. Sister Gubler related the story of Lehonti in the Book of Mormon to our calling as missionaries. Lehonti eventually gave in to many invitations to "come down" from his camp and was eventually "poisoned by degrees" and died. Lots of parallels to all of us in our gospel lives, I'll let you study the chapter (Alma 47) and find your own insights and connections. :)

Later that night we went with President Gubler to a meeting to help train ward council members in the Wandsworth Stake. About an hour before the meeting we asked him what he wanted us to help him with and
he told us that HE had no clue what the stake president wanted from him or us, so we would listen the Spirit. After the opening hymn our stake president stands up and says "We will now turn the time over to President Gubler." and for more than an hour President Gubler spoke and directed a mock ward council, and it was really powerful.
President Gubler loves the Lord and does all he can to serve him, he is surely a man of God.

We had a few exchanges this week as well. On Wednesday we exchanged with Elder Mattson and Elder Ocora who serve with us in Peckham, I went with Elder Ocora from Uganda. Elder Ocora was taught by missionaries in Uganda quite a bit before he joined the church and has a big testimony of Moroni's promise. He got an answer only when he resolved that he would share the Book of Mormon with others, so now he's serving a mission!

On Friday we exchanged with the Crystal Palace elders, Elder Brinkerhoff and Elder Chazuka. It was great to see them, Elder Chazuka was as funny as ever. I went with Elder Brinkerhoff, it was a good opportunity to get to know him better and learn from each other. He served in Christchurch for 10 months, so we talked about my first area
a lot and how it's changed. It's crazy how long it's been since I left... :(

Friday night was interesting as well because right before we exchanged Elder Howe and I were doing some things on the chapel computer we needed to get done, and as we went to leave we found out we were locked in. The bad part is that we don't have a key to the chapel, even though normally the missionaries have a key, and chapels in
England all have gates around them. So Elder Howe and I had to grab chairs and boost ourselves up an hop over the gate so we could get a key from a member that lives across the street to lock up the building. It sounds a lot less exciting than it was, but I have to find stories to email about somewhere so there ya go. 😄

On my mission my love and desire to read the scriptures has grown immensely. I've really come to see that they are the anchor of our testimony, and are necessary to keep our faith growing. I really love the time we have every morning to read, reading them daily is a must, so please do. Just a little thought and encouragement.

I love you all so much! Have a good week!

Elder Draney



Monday, April 11, 2016

April 11, 2016

Hello my friends and family!

This week was true to my prediction last week, it cruised by.

I've mentioned a few different meetings in the past that come every month or so, and this week we had a lot of them. On Tuesday we met with President and Sister Gubler and other missionaries from around the mission to council together about how we can help each other to keep up our successes but as well how to keep moving forward. That one lasted basically all day haha, but it was great!

That translated over into having a very similar meeting on Wednesday, but with missionaries from around the zone. Then on Thursday we got to district meeting with the Crystal Palace missionaries! It was fun to go back and see them again! Even though I was not there for a few weeks it was still good to go back and see Elder Chazuka as well as the other elders in the district.

On Friday we went on an exchange! We went with Elder Hartshorn and Elder Fa'aoso from Crystal Palace. I went with Elder Fa'aoso, the last time I went on exchange with him was only a few weeks ago but we both changed and improved in that time, so it was very rewarding to see that. Plus they are hilarious, so we had a good time.

We were blessed with many miracles this week! On Thursday night we met Tony, a great man with a stalwart faith in Christ. He originally converted from Islam to Catholicism, but now he worships with the Jehovah's Witnesses. We talked with him for a minute and he quickly invited us to walk with him to his house so we could sit down and teach him. When we got there he invited his wife to come and listen as well but she was in the middle of taking care of their newborn, so she couldn't join us. As we taught him about the Restoration he was wrestling two kids on his lap but miraculously kept them from running away and still stayed locked in on us during the lesson. His questions were amazing, and the Spirit speaking to all of us was constant throughout almost the whole lesson. As soon as it was over he set an appointment for us to come the next day, and Elder Howe and Elder Hartshorn were able to teach him on exchange!

Giving the Lord everything I have is the least I can do for the experience my mission has been this far. I owe Him everything.

I love you all! I love hearing from you! Talk to you soon!


Elder Draney

Monday, April 4, 2016

Peckham!

Hello my friends and family!

The first week in Peckham flew by. It happens every week, but I just thought I would remind you. :)

Honestly it's been amazing, we saw a lot of miracles and were to but it very simply just blessed this week. Elder Howe and I are doing great, the first few days of our companionship felt like we were on exchange again but things have settled in and we are having a good time.

Conference was amazing. No other way to put it. The things spoke about and the answers I received to questions I had confirm to me that the speakers are called of God and speak His words.

I've gotten to know the other missionaries we are staying with as well, Elder Pitbladdo and Elder Ferreira, they are hilarious! Our flat is a lot of fun. It's interesting though because it's full of old antique ashtrays, furnaces, and creepy African carvings that are all part of the furniture that came with the flat. Regardless it's great. In the coming weeks other elders in the zone will be coming to our flat for exchanges, so it's going to get pretty full pretty quick, so we bought a ton of food today.

This week is going to be crazy crazy busy, but I'm looking forward to it, so you'll get another "This week flew by!" next week!

One of the miracles that we saw this week was meeting our friend Gregory. On Wednesday night we ran outside for our last 20 minutes of the day after some phone calls and we were able to talk with him very briefly and invite him to meet us at the chapel the next morning. On Thursday we were able to show him around the chapel and teach him about the Restoration. It was a great teach because he was focuses in on us entirely and Elder Howe and I both knew that the Spirit was speaking through us exactly the words he needed to hear. At the end of the lesson he prayed and afterword said "I think I'm onto something good,". All the rest of the day we saw many other miracles, but that is the one I felt to share!

I love serving here in England! I never think it can, but my love grows for the work the longer and longer I serve. I love you all as well!

Elder Draney