Monday, May 30, 2016

The end of May

Hello my friends and family!

It was a quick week! We went on a couple of exchanges this week that were crazy fun. On Wednesday I went with Elder Rammell, from Rexburg, who i've been waiting to go on an exchange with for more than a year! Then on Friday I went with Elder Mattson, from Long Beach, who's from
my MTC group. I've always loved these missionaries so it was a cool experience to work with them for a day! I wish I had longer to serve so I could properly serve with these elders.

Unfortunately Grave wasn't able to be baptised this week. She was travelling from a trip outside London and didn't make it back on time for her interview. But she came to church yesterday and she LOVED it, it was so good to see her smile! She's having trouble coming to church because of work so we will be praying for her a lot, so the next time she can come to church will most likely be when she will be baptised. Please pray for her as well.

Ola is doing so good as well! He started working on his family tree on Monday and wants to come out teaching with us! I love this man so much. He's so humble and knows how to completely rely on the Lord, but is very in tune with the Spirit as well.

This week is going to be fun as well. It's our week to prepare for Elder Oaks to come visit the mission. What we get out of his visit will in large part have to do with how well we prepare, so this week we are going to redouble our efforts and so we can come to the conference having done all we could for the Lord. I'm honestly so excited, Elder Holland visited us last year and he said things that
have surely changed my mission, so I'm looking forward for direction from the Lord given by Elder Oaks.

So much happens in our area that doesn't make it into the email! Most of it because I forget, but some of it because it doesn't translate into an email, so you'll have to ask for some South London stories when I can tell you in person!

An insight from my studies came from the example of Isaiah, in 2 Nephi 14/Isaiah 6. Verse 8 says: "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said: Here am I; send me." Then in verse 11 "Then said I: Lord, how long? And he said: Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate;" I hope I can follow the his example and whenever the Lord asks "Whom shall I send?" i can respond "Here am I, send me". How long do we need to labor for Him? Until the houses are without man, and there is no more work to do. Until the end. I love being in His service. I know He lives. I love
you all.

Have a good week!

Elder Draney

Monday, May 23, 2016

Miraculous Week!

Hello my friends and family!

So much happened this week, hopefully it will make for a longer letter to make up for last week's!

We visited the London Temple twice this week and it was incredible both times!

On Tuesday we went with Grace and a couple from the ward that help us tremendously, the Davidsons. It was a cramped car ride, but definitely worth it! Their are sister missionaries at the Visitors' Centre so they showed us around the grounds and taught her about the Temple. She cried as we stood right outside the doors, it was very powerful. Grace has great faith and has recognised the truth she has learned, and more importantly, felt as she's learned about the restored gospel. We are very excited to keep teaching her this week!

Saturday was very special as well! Our brother Ola got baptised! There were a lot of miracles that lined up to make it a great day! A couple weeks ago we were planning exchanges and felt prompted to move our exchange with Elder Chazuka and Elder Brinkerhoff to a completely different week and set up, so the exchange fell on the day of the baptism. Fast forward a few days a week when we are planning the baptism with Ola, and we ask him about who he would like to baptise him. When Ola was originally contacted, it was Elder Chazuka that did it on exchange with us, so Ola asked if Elder Chazuka could do it! It was a great experience for all of us to see Ola get baptised by Elder Chazuka about a month after he spoke to him for the first time on the street!

Then we visited the Temple with Ola after the baptism! He loved it as well! There's a spot where the reflection of the Temple is fully visible, and as he stood there he told us he knows this is where God
needs him to be.

Leading up the his baptism we went to a few members homes with Ola for some proper African food. We visited the Iduma's from Nigeria and had lots of rice and different dishes, including goat's head in Pepe(super spicy peppers) soup! It was honestly very good, but sooooo spicy! We also visited a member who's name translates to "Grandma" so that's what we all call her! It really strengthened him to have such good support from members.

Last but not least we had Zone Conference with Elder Herbertson of the Seventy, from Scotland. He's hilarious and a spiritual giant as well. We were taught by him and President and Sister Gubler very well.

A scriptural insight this week I wanted share this week came from 2 Nephi 8:7 "Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart I have written my law, fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings." We must have His law, His gospel, written in our hearts and fear not the world!

We were blessed this week, and it all came from Him. He is the source of all heavenly light and peace in our lives, our Saviour Jesus Christ. I know He lives.

I love you all!

Elder Draney





Thursday, May 19, 2016

Zone Conference Photo

President Gubler gave us permission to send a photo from zone conference today! Love you!

Elder Draney


Monday, May 16, 2016

I love Peckham!

Hello my friends and family!

The Lord blessed Elder Ribeiro and I our first week together! We were able to teach Ola and Grace several times and they are doing great!

Ola is ready to be baptised this weekend! He's always asked amazing questions from the beginning of us teaching him and we've felt very distinctly the Spirit giving us the words to say as we answered them. He truly is seeking the kingdom of God first and leaving the rest tothe Lord!

We also taught Grace, we called her Wednesday morning and she said she could see us later that day. We followed a prompting and taught her about the temple. It was hard at first because it's really new to her, but when we started talking about baptisms for the dead the feeling of the lesson changed. It was incredible to see how it touched her heart. We are going to visit the Temple with her on Tuesday it will be great!

If you remember a few weeks ago Elder Howe and I taught a man named Gregory. Gregory vanished after we taught him the first time and we were always on the look for him. On Tuesday my first day with Elder Ribeiro we found him! We taught him again on Wednesday and even though it was in a McDonalds he was locked in and came prepared to learn!

We were blessed with many great lessons this week.

I'll be honest I'm having a very very hard time writing this email! It shouldn't be this hard but it is!

I'll end with my testimony. I've been blessed to take part in such and important and urgent work on my mission. Because of spiritual experiences I have felt deeper than any thing else, and miracles that
I have indeed seen with my eyes and been privileged to be a part of I know that God lives and His Son Jesus Christ is our Saviour. The knowledge I have gained from the Book of Mormon is priceless and I know that it was written many years ago for us.

I love you all greatly!

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

May 10

Hello my friends and family!

I said goodbye to Elder Howe today! He's off to a quiet English area to train a new missionary! He's never trained before so he's pretty excited to finish his mission with a brand new missionary.

My new companion is Elder Ribeiro! We've known each other for awhile and he's served here in London before so we are both pumped to serve together! There are a lot of amazing things happening in our area as well, the Lord has certainly blessed us.

Ola came to church on Sunday! He loved it, especially gospel principles. He is gaining a testimony in a very powerful way. We taught him yesterday as well and the member that came with us was the
perfect fit.

We also taught Grace a few times and she is doing very well! She is going to be baptised on the 28th! She really wants to understand the Book of Mormon and learn more about it so she has knowledge behind the feelings she has when she reads it! It's crazy to think we just briefly met her on the bus and now she's reading the Book of Mormon and preparing to be baptised!

Moves day is always really hectic so we don't have a lot of time, but those are the updates! Hopefully the picture will make up for the little letter! Ola after church!

Love you all!

Elder Draney


Monday, May 2, 2016

May?!

The time passes so quickly! I always talk about it, but it's true!

This week was a good one, we had a few exchanges as we usually have had for awhile. I exchanged with Elder Pitbladdo from Argentina! It was a lot of fun, him and his companion live with us but it was still fun to work together!

We also exchanged with two German elders in the zone, Elder Persicke and Elder Labahn. Elder Persicke and I worked hard and had fun getting to know each other while doing it so it was great!

I'm going to be really honest right now and just say we have 0 time to email today! We just finished teaching our friend Ola and he's going to be baptised on the 21st! He's a very faithful man, he is determined to follow Christ and have Him as his foundation. The Spirit took over the lesson just like I mentioned another lesson with him last week. I know the work we do as missionaries is true, because without the Spirit nothing would get done. I've seen on my mission how vital it is and I thank our Heavenly Father for His sustaining hand in this work and in my life.

I love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Draney