The Cronx - 25 May 2015

Dear Family,

This week was a very good week! The ideal week would be one filled with lessons and dinner appoinments with members but this week wasn't one of those weeks. We had a lot of appointments with new people that feel through so we had a lot of time to spend contacting in Croydon. The exciting part about contacting in Croydon is the neverending flow of people to talk to from all over the world. The High Street where all the big shops are is HUGE and is always busy so we spend most of our contacting time there. Croydon is such a diverse area, as I've said before, so it's impossible to guess where people are from. A large part of them are from Africa and we always try to tell them "Hello" in their native language because they absolutely lose it everytime and always have a laugh with us if we get it right! There are still areas to avoid when it gets dark and even when its not but we don't spend a lot of time in those areas. The nickname that Croydon has earned is "The Cronx" because it is considered the Bronx of London.

Serving with Elder Belnap has been really fun. He's from Sandy and went to Jordan High School if you were wondering. We got along well from the start and have a desire to improve the area so we have been putting in good work over the past couple weeks.

Last Monday we taught Jonathan about the Word of Wisdom and moved his baptismal date to the 6th of June. Jonathan is a very humble and happy man that is truly grateful for all that he has. His prayers are so genuine and he is really excited to be baptised in a few weeks. He moved from Ghana 4 years ago and couldn't find a church that he wanted to go to but still had a strong faith. He met the missionaries a few days before I got here and has been loving it ever since. He's learned a lot even since I've been here and always makes our day when we teach him.

On Thursday we had Zone Conference with President Millar and 2 of the other zones in the mission. We recieved a lot of training on using iPads to improve missionary work and ways that we can stay safe when using them. It will be awhile before we can use Facebook and other things but it will help us reach people that we couldn't before and spread the gospel more. The sad par.t about the meeting though was that is the last zone conference with President and Sister Millar. They will be released sometime next transfer and we will be getting the new president, Ronald Gubler, and his wife at the end of June. I've. grown to love them as the leaders of our mission and will miss them when they leave.

It's good to hear that there is a lot of rain back home! We haven't had a lot of rain lately so it sounds like you are getting our rain. It hasn't rained as much as I thought it would in England but it rains hard when it does. There have been a handful of days on my mission spent in the rain where we get completely soaked and nobody wants to talk to us so we are fine with the lack of rain at the moment!

Here is a picture of us when we taught Jonathan so you know what he looks like!

I love you all! I give you the advice that I have been given many times: Smile a lot! It will make happy days happier, and turn bad days into better days.

Love,
Elder Draney

Technology Update - 18 May 2015

Dear Everyone,

So as you can probably guess by the title my mission has finally entered the digital age! All of the missions in Europe either now or in the near future are now allowed to use iPads to help make certain aspects of missionary work and will be able to be reach people in new ways. We aren't able to use Facebook yet but we will soon.

  The missionary work is moving forward as well! We were able to start teaching a family yesterday made up of a man named Allan and his son as well as his girlfriend Sadie. Allan is from Lebanon but was raised from very little as a Christian by his mother and had to hide his faith until he was able to move from the country. We taught them about the Restoration yesterday and they were all very receptive and Allan said he felt something he hadn't really felt before when we prayed with him and is excited to keep learning. When we asked him if we could come back to teach them more he said "I was hoping you would say that,"! That lesson and getting to know them better was a highlight of this week.

  Croydon is a crazy place! There are lots of different people from all over the world and many different backgrounds. Contacting on the street is always an interesting experience because we never know what to expect but we always find people that make it fun! We are teaching a good amount of people as well so we are always busy.

  The week before I left Hamble River was Portsmouth Stake Conference and this past week was Maidstone Stake Conference so I had a pretty rare chance to go to 2 Stake conferences in the last 3 weeks. The theme seems to be keeping the Sabbath day holy by keeping the focus on the Savior and setting it apart as a day away from worldly distractions. It has been a good experience to listen to many church leaders over the past month and learn from their experiences and the talks they have given.

  I found out today that last Saturday one of the people I taught in Christchurch, Bob, was baptised after investigating the Church on and off for more than 2 years! Elder Poulino was able to go back to Christchurch and perform the ordinance and I will send some of the pictures of that day!

Love,
Elder Draney

11 May 2015 - First Week in Croydon

Dear Family,

It was great to be able to Skype yesterday see your faces for the first time in awhile! It seems like the little 2 are growing up too fast! It makes everything worth it to be able to see you and talk about my mission so far and to see Caitlin so excited to talk to me! The next one will come quicker than you think!

​All of the rumors that I had heard and expectations I had about Croydon were blown out of the water after my first day it the area! I love this place! There are so many people from all over the world and many people interested to learn more about the gospel. It is a lot safer than I was told which makes it even better. There are 4 elders in the area and more than enough people to go around so I am very excited for this transfer.

I moved from Southampton to Croydon on Wednesday and quickly got settled and ready to work. We've already been able to teach new people and spend time finding more people to teach and it has been going really well. Elder Belnap and I set a baptismal date with a new investigator, Anthony, on Friday for the 30th and have another investigator, Jonathon from Ghana, planning on being baptised soon after. It's so fun to learn about and teach people from different cultures and see them grow in their testimony of the restored gospel.

Like you mentioned it is a little hard to think of too many things to say because we were able to talk less than 24 hours ago! There are a lot of good things happening so there will be many updates to come! Repentance pictures are on there way! I just have to take them then I can send them... but I promise I will!

I love you and include you all in my prayers. I know Heavenly Father loves and cares for you deeply. Trust Him with everything and you will never fall.

Love,

Elder Draney

5 May 2015 - Moves (the real letter)

Dear Family,

Unexpectedly this is my last day in Southampton and the Hamble River ward. It's a shame that I didn't get to spend more time here but the Lord knows exactly where he wants me to be! I've gotten to know the members and other friends that we teach very well and it will be sad to say goodbye for awhile. I will be moving to an area just outside of London called "Croydon". It will have a lot more people than any of my other areas so it should be a fun experience!

Usually I have an idea of what will probably happen when transfer time comes but this time I truly had no idea which was a good thing to help me focus on working hard the entire time rather than thinking about moving or getting a new companion. Over the last few weeks Elder Senkans and I have been able to teach a lot more lessons and picked up at least one new investigator each week. It feels good to leave an area "better than I found it" in the sense that there are many new faces and the others that were here before me have made a lot of progress in the gospel. There are many wonderful people in Hamble River ward and hopefully the ward will continue to grow! This morning we were able to teach an investigator named Chris, that I've mentioned before, and it was really uplifting to teach her. It's hard leaving investigators in the middle of teaching them but I'm confident that other missionaries will keep the work moving.

This week I have felt more motivation than ever to give everything I have to the Lord and work harder than I have been. To be completely honest I haven't worked as hard as I should have my whole mission and that is something I want to change. It is the only 2 years of your life that you can dedicate completely to the Lord and spreading the gospel. Especially now that I have less than 18 months left I realize how short 2 years is, so it shouldn't be wasted in any way.

Last Wednesday the entire England London South Mission got together to receive training on using iPads as missionaries. The first half of the meeting was really spiritual and helped us feel the love the Lord has for us and the trust that the First Presidency has in us. The second half was specific training on how to stay safe when using the internet and what we are allowed to use iPads for. It's hard to even start explaining the things we will be able to use them for to help in the work, but they don't replace the work and diligence that is required to be a missionary. We still don't know exactly when we will be getting them but it will be very soon.

Seeing all of the missionaries in the mission all at the same time was a unique experience as well. It isn't something that happens often and will probably be the only time it will happen during my mission. It was pretty amazing having all of us in one chapel and made my week to see so many of my friends that I hadn't seen in months! Many times I've felt the Spirit confirming to me that this is exactly where I am to be and I felt it again at that meeting. I know that I will cherish this time and the memories of it for the rest of my life.

The lesson that I have learned from my mission that comes to mind at the moment is the necessity and power of overcoming trials. Most of my life I have looked at trials as a punishment because of mistakes that we've made. A lot of times that can be the start of trials but the main purpose of particularly hard or lasting trials is to shape us and broaden our potential. Many men far wiser than me have spoken about this so I encourage you to find strength and council in their words. I will suggest though that you watch the Mormon Message called "The Refiner's Fire" it has changed my perspective permanently. Only after intense heat and repeated grinding, stretching, twisting, and pounding do we reach our full potential and see what our Father has had in store for us all along. We can truly recognize His love for us when He trusts us and loves us enough to cut us down. Never lose faith in Him.

Southampton has been very good to me, it's hard in many ways to leave but it is exciting to have new experiences, new friends, and new trials ahead. I've heard good things about Croydon and already know that I will love the time I spend there, how ever long it may be. I can already feel the part of my heart that will love England forever. Some parts will not be missed at all but on the whole this country and people will always have a special place in my heart.

I love you all. I really do. I know you are Heavenly Father's choice spirits and He loves you far more than you can understand.

Love,
Elder Draney

May 4, 2015 - Moves

I found out on Saturday night that I would be moving and where to. I'm moving to an area just outside of London called Croydon. It will be a lot busier than any of my previous areas so it will be a lot of fun. My new companion will be Elder Belnap but I don't know much about him. Croydon can be pretty dodgy to use an English term so prayers for safety may be in order. Of course the Lord protects His missionaries and we will be safe as long as we are obedient to all of the missionary rules.I'm moving there on Wednesday. We don't have time to email completely today so the big letter and everything else will come tomorrow, just a quick update so you know what is going on.

April 27, 2015 - 7 months?

Dear Family (You are all my family in one way or another)

I'm getting really tired of my mission going by so fast. I distinctly remember hearing from other missionaries, especially my trainer, when I first got to the field that the time would fly by and I never believed them, but now I know better. Though I expected a lot of happy times when investigators get baptized or similar things I never thought serving a mission could be so fun and rewarding most of the time! There are surely times when the heat of the Refiner's Fire is very real but it always leads to further strength, light, and appreciation for all the blessings of life. In the service of the Lord there is no time wasted, unless you choose to waste it. As we diligently seek to reflect His will we will experience greater joy in our lives and the times when we don't feel as happy as we would like are crucial times of refinement that allow us to become vessels of greater light and become like the Savior. It's my advice to other missionaries serving and future missionaries not to waste a minute of your missions, it's too valuable to skip out on or to do half-heartedly.

Sometimes it is really hard to know what to right about because things that are regular as a missionary may be really interesting to others! There weren't any crazy contacting stories or weird things that happened in lessons but it was still a good week. We stopped by Chris, who I mentioned in letters a few weeks ago, on Wednesday and were able to teach her the Plan of Salvation and it was a very very good lesson. She is Catholic but is very open to learning and is really spiritually prepared. She has a very strong relationship with Heavenly Father and is open to the promptings of the Spirit which allows her to feel the truthfulness of what we teach. She immediately recognized us as servants of the Lord and told us that she knows God sent us to her to bring further light into her life! The lesson pretty much made our week and helped us to see God's love for all of us and the people we are serving.

She also has the biggest dog I have ever seen! It is like having a small bear in the room during lessons! I'm pretty sure his tail is bigger than Oscar!

This Wednesday the entire mission is having a conference and training on iPads coming to the mission. It will be really nice to be able to show people videos wherever we are but I don't think it will change missionary work very much. Hard work is still required. It will be nice to see all of the missionaries in the mission and see past companions and other friends. We won't be getting iPads for another few weeks but we will have the chance to council on ways that we can use them to the best effect without them being a distraction.

This week is the last week of the transfer so one of us will probably be moving to a new area. I can't say for certain whether I want to stay or move to a new area but I know that the Lord will guide President Millar in the decision and where I end up. It has been good to get to know a lot of the members and others in Hamble River and hopefully I'll get to know them a bit more.

I know I have promised pictures but I was equally as lazy in taking them this week. Next week there will be pictures from the conference and hopefully some of the other things you have asked for but most of the time I don't know what to take pictures of. Maybe suggestions or requests could help?

I love you all so much and love hearing about home and what is happening in your lives!

Elder Draney

April 20, 2015

Dear Family,

This past week has flown by! The most interesting change this week was the weather for sure. The weather has been really nice and from what we understand about Southampton it's never this nice in April. We've had sunny days all this week and it's supposed to stay like that for a while so it will be nice to have some warmth! It's so cliché but English people love talking about the weather, because it is so unpredictable. No matter who it is once you start talking about the weather they start getting excited and talk about how the nice it is right now and how it probably won't last! It has been easy to start conversations this week because we ask people what the weather is usually like in Southampton this time of year and they explain it and then almost always ask us where we are from and what we are doing in England, which easily leads us to introduce missionary work and the gospel.

 We are starting to consistently teach more lessons and it is nice to be able have more investigators that we can help grow closer to Christ. All of the people we are teaching have a religious background with varying degrees of loyalty to their own congregation or reception of the things we are teaching. For the most part they are all making progress in their own way and we are able to do our part in "calling them to repentance".

  I never thought about it much before my mission but I know now the importance of investigators understanding that the Church is the Lord's Kingdom and is the only church with the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the authority to perform the ordinances of it. Many people tell us "You have your beliefs, and I have my beliefs" and my response when the situation is right is to say "But it is important to have God's beliefs/truth and the only way you are going to find out is if you ask Him". It isn't always appropriate to say that because it can easily offend or start an argument but it is needed because we need to let it cut and sting a little bit to motivate people to seek after truth or to make improvements in their lives. Elder Senkans and I have been trying to be more bold with people because that is a quality that all effective missionaries in the scriptures have. They never sidestepped or diminished the truth because it would offend people, "the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center." it is going to offend them anyway so it is important to make them aware of their guilt and lovingly guide them to the Savior who is the only one who can lift their burdens from them.

 It is really cool to hear the things that are changing at home! I smiled when I read that Caitlin still calls the room upstairs my room! I realized that I will probably stay downstairs once I get back so Josh shouldn't get too comfortable ruling the man cave. ;) In a lot of ways it won't be the same when I go home but that is something I've always known, as long as Caitlin doesn't grow up too much everything will be okay! I can't believe so many people are going home from their missions! I remember when they all left! It scares me to think that my mission could go by that fast.

  I'll quickly answer questions as well because I know I've been really bad at it in the past.

 School over here is the year round track like some of the schools do in the US. The biggest break is in the summer for about 6 weeks and there are 2 week breaks in the fall and spring with 2-3 weeks at Christmas. All of the older people really don't like school holidays and are pretty open about how they can't wait for them to go back to school! About middle school age is when they move up to "Secondary School" and then they go to college. College and University are different things and it is mandatory to go to college before going to university. College starts as early as 16 and lasts for 2-3 years and is a lot like High School but is a little more specialized on future careers. University is then just what it is like college in the US but once you start a major you have to stick with it for the whole 4 years and can only take 1 break year. I'm pretty sure that's right but it might not be, I still don't understand it completely.

 I didn't mention it before but we watched conference delayed but were able to watch the majority of the sessions. The morning sessions at 10 AM in Twin are live at 5 PM in the evening. So when you watched conference in pajamas and probably right after the boys woke up we had finished dinner and had already spent most of the day watching the other sessions of conference. We won't get the Ensign for a bit, we usually get them way late because we have to wait until a Zone Conference/Training for mail from the mission office. We will have a mission wide conference on the 29th of April for training on iPads so we might get the conference Ensign then!

 Clark's are actually an English brand of shoes and they are pretty popular over here. There are lot's of Clark's stores and their prices are the best for shoes that will actually live up to missionary needs. They are usually £50-70 so not too much off of $100 but they are still decently priced. I actually converted Elder Senkans when he needed a new pair of shoes and we walked by a Clark's store!

 The new mission president will be Ronald K. Gubler, it was announced in January but we haven't found out much since then.

 Time is short again so I will I have to leave it at that for this week. Good things are happening and I am feeling happier more of the time. I am so grateful for your prayers and know that they raise me up when I need them most!

 Love you all!
Elder Draney