Jop Top

Hey Fam, this is the first e-mail from Joplin. HIstorical. 

The beginning of the week consisted of Elder Harding and I having our bitter farewells with all of the people in Rolla. It was quite the bummer to leave. On Thursday we headed out and I hopped on the bus to Joplin.

Oh, I forgot to tell you guys that Elder Hansen is training this transfer, so I am officially a mission grandpa. I feel so old and frail. I got a picture, but Elder Hansen is slacking and didn't send it to me, so I'll have to gently chastise him.

Joplin is sweet, There isn't a whole ton going on right now, so Elder Reed and I are working on finding peeps that want to be baptized. So far so good. We went tracting for the first time in a while. We actually had a couple good conversations, so that was cool. It's pretty nice being in the city again. We have all of the shopping places and everything! Including a Panda Express. It's good times.  

Okay, now I remember the funny story I was going to tell you guys. It took me forever to think of it. I was complaining to Elder Reed about it just a few minutes ago. So here's what happened. On Friday night, we went to the church to pick up milk that I had left there. (It's complicated.) While we were walking down the hall we heard this mysterious synth piano music going. I thought for a moment we had stepped through a wormhole to the 1980s. When we got to the gym, we saw a large group of YSAs gathered for what appeared to be a talent show of sorts. We decided it was in our best interests to watch for a bit. Daft Punk dude finished up, and then they said the YSA sisters would be following the next act so we had to stay for that. Then there was this dude that had the grown-up version of those light up shoes and did a sweet robo dance. Then we were going to leave and someone decided that the Elders should do something. Luckily, we were prepared. I told a few jokes to get the crowd warmed up. One of them was about a parrot. Then Elder Reed and I proceeded to tell "our mission story." I don't think I told you guys about it. Maybe some of you. I'm not sure. It's about when Elder Reed and I were together in Bentonville. 

So we were on exchanges. I was in Sugar Creek with Elder Reed and he had this appointment waaay out in the boons in a scary trailer park. Not home. Right around this time, President instituted this thing called "clover tracting" where if an appointment falls through you go knock a couple doors in the neighborhood. So we did. One friendly guy, one no answer, and one reeeaallly ghetto creepy looking trailer that we both non-verbally agreed to save for last. So we walked up to the door and immediately I get that icky feeling that we shouldn't knock this door. But I'm trying to set a good example by being a hardcore fearless district leader, so we went up anyway. We knock. We knock twice... All of his dogs are barking and looking out the window. We're about to leave when we see a guy through the window coming towards the door. He answers and lets us in. Elder Reed and I walk in and sit on the couch, and the guy says something about putting his dogs out and tells us to sit down. At this point, I am starting to feel panicky, because it's just about as scary inside as it is outside, except now we're inside so it's actually scary. The guy comes back and talks to us for a minute about where we're from, and I ask to use the restroom, thinking I can say a prayer or something and feel better. He tells me where it is so I go in. After a minute of sitting and thinking I hear "YOU GUYS ARE MORMONS?!" From the front room. It was a good thing I was already in the bathroom. 

I open the door to see what's going on and Elder Reed is running for the bathroom with trailer man in hot pursuit. I let him in and lock the door. Then realize that we are stuck in this man's bathroom and he is clearly not very happy with us being there. Then salvation.

A window. 

Elder Reed is small and I am fat, so he goes first. The guy is banging on the door and trying to get in while yelling profanities and Elder Reed is wriggling out the window. He gets clear and I'm next so I go for it. I'm about halfway through the window when the guy breaks in the bathroom. At this point I'm basically crying, Elder Reed is trying to pull me out and trailer man is pulling my leg. 

Just like I'm pulling yours. 

See isn't that funny? We're so funny. We got some good laughs from the peeps. So I'm going to drop out of college and be a stand-up comedian basically. 

Well it's good times here in Joplin. I love y'allses! 

the Boehme's from Rolla

Keep it real guys. 

Bandit Hats. 

Elder Christopher Drake

Jummny Crickets, He Flew the Coop!

Well folks, the time in Rolla has come to an end. I am being transferred to Joplin, Missouri.

The good news is I'm going to be with Elder Reed! This'll be the first time I'm companions with a missionary I already know, and the best part is he's a pretty cool missionary. He was one of the Sugar Creek missionaries when I was in Bentonville. He's the bare-footed Ringo in our Abbey Road picture. Good stuff. 

Also Elder Harding is getting transferred, which is no fun for anybody. He's going to Stockton though, so that's sweet. Now we have to do a lot more work to make sure the area is ready for two new elders. He's going to Stockton, so that's pretty cool. I gave him the scoop. 

Let's see. 

Wes and Marie are slated to be baptized on the 29th of this month. Wes is doing well with the Word of Wisdom, and we're super looking forward to their baptism, even though neither of us will be here. Sad day. 

We met with a new investigator, Sheila, and she is awesome. She felt the Spirit really powerfully last time we met and we are planning on setting a baptismal date with her this week if we can meet with her before we leave. 

It's so hard to leave an area when there's so much good stuff happening, especially when you're leaving it in the hands of strangers! Sometimes it's hard to keep in mind that the Lord knows what he's doing better than we know what we're doing, haha. 

Things are good. Things are really good. And it's a bummer to leave. Weird thinking Joplin will probably be my last area. Weird. 

Welp. 

I love you guys. You rock. Keep it up. 

 

Elder Christopher Drake

November 10th

Howdy Howdy Peoples! 

Let's see. 

This week we had stuff. We were busy. Which is good when you're a missionary. There's nothing worse than having nothing to do as a missionary. 

Let's walk through the week. 

Monday was a typical p-day. Fun, adventure, the whole bit. 

Tuesday we went and saw our Jewish born Christian Convert friend who doesn't think we should celebrate pagan holidays or worship on Sunday. He's very smart but clearly has some different religious beliefs. It's interesting because he honestly feels like God has told him some of this stuff, but because of it he's been kicked out of churches for voicing his thoughts and opinions. How frustrating it would be to feel like you didn't fit in with any churches but had a strong desire to be close to God. So we're working with him. We'll keep you posted. 

Let's see, 

Marie and Wes are doing great. They are really getting tried and tested and just pounded right now, but they just don't give up, it's awesome to see. Their car broke down, they got sick, then this and that and this and that and their response was, "Well we better just have the missionaries over more often and go to the adult institute class on Wednesdays so we can feel the Spirit more." Also they should be getting baptized on the 29th of November. 

That's the attitude we like to see. I wish I was more like that. Usually I find myself saying things more along the lines of, "I don't want to save the world, I just want to take a nap."

We had a Zone Meeting on Friday, and it was great fun. A senior couple's phone went off while President Shumway was speaking and he did a little dance for us. That was basically the greatest thing ever. 

What else happened guys? 

Oh we got a new investigator from a part-member family, the French's. Brother French just won't quit smoking, but he knows the Book of Mormon is true and needs to be baptized. Maybe the family we teach will get baptized with him, that'd be cool. Anyway, that was way awesome. Go give your missionaries families to teach. 

Guys, I need your help. 

Transfer calls are Saturday. 

I've been here 4 1/2 months. 

3 of those with Elder Harding. 

I really would prefer to be here for Thanksgiving and Christmas. "Yea, I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die."

Basically I'm on the chopping block, and if what I think is happening is happening....it better not be. 

So pray for me. 

Love you folks! Here's a picture of my MTC district reunited once again! 

Elder Kindrick, on the right, is a big fancy assistant now. I think President gave him special permission to not have a part in his hair....for obvious reasons. 

Elder Stearman is serving in Harrison right now, so we get to talk about all the people I love there, it's pretty sweet. 

Elder Christopher Drake

Halloween Party Time

Hey Folks! 

I hope all of you had a super duper Halloween. Ours was awesome because we had a baptism. But it was also less awesome because we had to be in my 7 o'clock and didn't have the option of going to a member's home this year. So I laid on my bed and stared at the ceiling hoping that the roof would fly off and I would get sucked into space. But other than that, it was good times. Here's a picture of the baptism. 

​Obviously the missionaries. Then Erik Williams, his daughter Hailee. Front row is Carly, Betsey (who was baptized) Christian in front of her, then Zach on the right. Hailee and Zach are Erik's and Carly and Christian are Bestey's (who was baptized)

Good stuff. 

We had a Zone Conference this week. Elder Alan Packer, the one who talked about the hatchet in general conference was there. It was good and enlightening and stuff. We had to get up at 4:30 though, and that was less than fun. We were very tired and sleepy. Elder Packer was pretty funny. For some reason on my mission I keep meeting people or put in these situations that honestly feel like they belong on a TV show. While instructing, Elder Packer was writing on a whiteboard and discovered that there was a dry marker. He then made it a point to stop the lesson and announce to all of us that it was his mission to go around LDS churches and throw away dried up markers. Then the instruction continued. We learned a lot about Family History and it was cool. We have these "My Family" booklets that we're supposed to fill out and use in our missionary work but I didn't really know what to write in it or what pictures to use so it was just names, which is totally the opposite of what it's supposed to be. So I am enlisting your help to get my My Family booklet awesome! Send me awesome pictures of family members and grandparents and stories and stuff and I will love you forever. And lots of baptisms will follow. 

After the conference was over we had a short leadership training meeting with Elder Packer. When we were leaving, he was right behind me, so I let him go out the door first. On his way out he pulled a marker out of his pocket and threw it away. 

Wes and Marie are doing awesome. They're the ones who told us they wanted to be baptized in CVS. It never fails that every investigator we have goes through some crazy trial when they want to join the church. It's that Satan dude, I swear. Anyway, their furnace broke, then their car broke, then it was just one thing after another. So we went over and had a Spirit filled lesson with them and they were super appreciative, which always makes the missionaries feel good. 

That's the highlights from the week. Hope y'allses are doing super great, I love you, keep it up, and stuff. 

Elder Christopher Drake