Facebook post 09/29/2015

From Transfer Meeting and Teaching Today with Our Shawnee Branch Missionaries.

E-mail 09/28/2015

Hi everyone!

So not a lot happened this week so I will talk about some of the highlights.

Monday I made cookies and did a puzzle, and let my mind turn off for a couple of hours.

Tuesday we started doing a weekly bible study that we, the missionaries, are teaching so that's going to be lots of fun!

Wednesday was a lot of biking and people missing appointments, but so go's the mission life.

Thursday we had an awesome district meeting and had a district lunch, 10 missionaries! I got pictures!

Friday, so this past week Elder Wallace has been having bad coughs and it's been keeping him up late at night, (it doesn't bother me, after learning to stay asleep with a crying baby in the room, I can sleep through coughing.)  We finally called Sister Brough and I described what I could and she told us what to do, so I am taking what I learned from Mom and being merciless in making sure he does what he is supposed to do! Thanks Mom for loving me enough to make sure I got better, even with all of my complaining ;)

Saturday, we saw the two appointments we had set up, then we followed the doctors orders and he rested for the rest of the day. Oh almost forgot, we got transfer news, I am staying here and Elder Wallace is being transferred to South Jordan YSA.

Sunday we had an awesome testimony meeting, and then we had dinner with Elder and Sister Bailey, (mission office couple) then they took us to a monthly fireside for recent converts and investigators, and the wierd thing was that we were taking an investigator and he was in the car and then at the last moment he gets out of the car and go's back inside... ya we are going to find out what happened.  The fireside was awesome, it was the first one I've been to, and I'm really glad I was there!  Elder Koenig was there with one of the investigators that we've been working with, and she went up and told everyone that she's getting baptized! and after the meeting she asked me to give a talk at her baptism.  I just need to get permission from President Brough and I'll be back in E-town!  I'm so happy!

Love y'all!
Elder Durrant
Great Kentucky Louisville Mission

Quote of the week:
"The greatest compliment that can be earned here in this life is to be known as a covenant keeper."
-Elder Russell M. Nelson

Back row left to right: Elder Sharp, Elder Waite, Elder Matelau, Elder

Wallace, Elder Seymore, Elder Butler, Elder Durrant

Front row left to right: Elder Langford, Elder Bennett, Elder Stedman 

Our District lunch

This is a picture that Elder Wallace took 

at the beginning of the transfer, 

well trying to kill himself.

E-mail 09/21/2015

Hello everyone! It's Me! Your favorite missionary in Kentucky!

This week has been full of up and down, but that's all part of the job.

Tuesday, we went and talked with a guy who's wife is a member. She wasn't there so we didn't give a lesson, but he shared stories with us about what he used to do, Live Action Roll Play, with real armor that they made, but they had sticks instead of sharp pointy things.  Someone could get killed with those!   So it's hundreds of nerds hitting each other with sticks, sounds like something fun to watch, and Adam would fit right in ;) Then that night we took one of our investigators to a baptism, and she loved it!

Wednesday, we taught a couple that we ran into last week ( The Adams).  She is a member, but hasn't been in 15 some odd years, so we are teaching both of them, and I had to restrain myself from making a joke about the Adams family (snap snap) he he he ;)

Thursday, we had district meeting, and the Zone Leaders gave us a ride, and we went past some road work, (it's impossible to escape) and we made a funny little video as we passed, that I will send to you when I can, it's so funny when missionaries act like gangsters!

Friday, we had dinner with the Dunn's (the family where the dad does the LARP) and it was fun.  We had really good shepherds pie, and we got to know them a little more which led us to talking about what he used to do, all the way to spiders. So yes it was a fun talk.

Saturday, we had a lot planned, but we ended up doing a lot of biking, and I now know what it feels like to get dumped over text.  Our best investigator dropped us, and we haven't been able to get in contact with her, but don't worry, we'll get her back!

Sunday was good, after church we went out with a member and was able to get a lot done.  In the space of 24 hours, we went from 1 baptismal date to no dates to 2, and we should be getting more so.

The quote for the week is from President Hinckley.

"No other work reaches so close to divinity as does the nurturing of the sons and daughters of God."

(President Gordon B. Hinckley, "Stand Strong against the Wiles of the World", October 1995.)

Love

Elder Durrant

Great Kentucky Louisville Mission

This is how we roll!

E-mail 09/14/2015

Monday was an interesting day; well first it was Elder Wallace's B-day and he's Mom sent some decorations and stuff for it, so we put those things up for her, otherwise Elder Wallace wouldn't have put them up, but it was fun.  We then went to the bus to go to the library, and we realized that it was closed, so we took the bus up to the mission office that's why the time was weird.  We stayed around there for a little while with the senior office mission couples, the Assistants, our Zone leaders, and then later our District leader showed up, so it was like we were having a district party with everyone except two of our Elders, it was fun!

Tuesday, we helped the non-profit organization again, and thankfully there were only five steps down to take the really heavy stuff. Now this is something that I have been trying to figure out all week, why Elder Wallace and I keep getting asked to help move really heavy things, when we have a 390 lbs Tongan missionary, that can bench 412 lbs and squat 800 lbs at our disposal? Go figure! Then after that we got to help with the Bishops storehouse truck, that's always fun, and I actually broke a sweat.  It's so weird having it drip off of you!

Wednesday, would never end, our appointments fell through so we got our weekly planning done.

Thursday, we went on an exchange and I went up with Elder Butler to his area, and we had a really cool experience.  My goal for the exchange was to work on answering questions that people have using the Book of Mormon.  The first person we were able to talk with, we were able to share a scripture that brought her to tears, and she told us that she really needed that, so that was very inspiring. Then that night, us and the Assistants helped a member move a table that the top was a big glass piece that was, no joke, 300-350 lbs.  Again, where was our Tongan Elder when we need him?  We were able to do it with only a few pinched fingers, then the member fed us, so all was good.

Friday, we had Zone Meeting, which is always fun! What's extra cool is that there are four other missionaries in the zone that came out with me.

Saturday was full of work, and we were able to meet some more members.

Sunday, Church was great, Elder Seymore gave a talk about not getting offended and stop going to church. Then after church they had a pot luck that they have once a month, and it was really good :)   We then went and taught a guy that calls us his "homeys".  It was a really good lesson, but about half way through we got interrupted, and we weren't able to finish.  We rescheduled for Tuesday, then our next appointment fell through so we were able to go help a member move.  That was interesting, especially when we moved the piano, again where is the Tongan?  But we got everything taken care of.

Monday, we went to the Louisville Slugger Museum, which was a lot of fun.  When we got there we ran into a member that works there and so we got a tour for free, and I got lots of pictures that I will send as soon as I can.

Love
Elder Durrant
Great Kentucky Louisville Mission

E-mail 09/05/2015

Well howdy! (That's about how long the rest of the letter will be)

Tuesday, we did A LOT of driving, and went to parts of our area that we don't normally see. In the evening we saw some of our investigators and tried to teach them, but they were kind of distracted, oh well, ya win some, ya loose some. Next time it will be better.

Wednesday, we taught one of our investigators, and he was actually really interesting in what we were sharing. He did have some weird questions, but he wanted to learn! Later we had 50¢ corn dogs from sonic, they were pretty good.

Thursday, we had our weekly planing, and that was the most exciting thing of the day.

Friday, we had district meeting. It is weird traveling for an hour, and going into a different time zone to get to district meeting, I've gotten so used to it being less then twenty minutes away at the most. But the seiner couple drive us to it so it's fun doing that.

Saturday, we helped our friend out at his shop, and it was good that we showed up because he was having a bad day, so with the help we gave and everything, he was all smiles by the time we left. We also got transfer news, Elder Long and I are staying together, and our district is going from 4 sets of Elders, 1 set of Hermana's, and the seiner couple. Now it will be 2 sets of Elders, the seiner couple, and 3 set of Sisters/ Hermana's. Wow.

Sunday, we had a good sacrament meeting, and the other classes were good too.

Sorry for the short letter, but that's about it for this week.

Love y'all

Elder Durrant

Great Kentucky Louisville Mission

E-mail 09/07/2015

Hey y'all's!

This has been a long week. Monday, we didn't do too much but I did finish something that I had put off doing.  Now I just need to figure out how to do the next step. 

Tuesday, we went and helped this non-profit organization move furniture, and most of the people that helped were older, so Elder Wallace and I were the only ones that could move most of the heavy stuff, so that's always fun, especially when we take it up a long flight of stairs.  Then the rest of the day was regular mission work. 

Wednesday, we mowed our lawn because we weren't able to do it Monday, then that night we had interviews which is always awesome! Even-though this is my second one, I loved it.

Thursday, we keep setting up appointments and everyone keeps falling through, so we are going to use some advice President gave us and guilt trip everyone! This way they feel guilty for skipping out on learning about their salvation.  But it was cool, we were getting ready to go to an appointment on the other side of our area when this member called us and said he was just getting out of class and wanted to come out with us.  So we met up with him and spent the hottest part of the day in his nice air conditioned car, even though we didn't have a real lessen with anyone. 

Friday, was like the rest of the week, lots and lots of work and little to show for it right now, plus weekly planning. 

Saturday we got kidnapped by the Assistants and went out of the mission!  Then we went back in.  So this is what happened, a guy that Elder Wallace taught about 18 months ago in Greenville, Kentucky, was getting baptized and he asked if Elder Wallace could baptize him.  We then went around and saw people that he knew. 

Sunday, church was great, though our best investigator didn't show up, and later we found out why.  Her phone was in her car and then her car was stolen, so she was a having a very bad day, so we did what we do best, we taught her gospel principles and made her feel better.  Then that night, the four Elders ate at the Carbine's (the senior couple office missionaries) house and had a wonderful dinner.  Then we spent the rest of the night visiting people with Bro. Carr, an awesome member who loves going out with missionaries all over the place.

Love you all!
Elder Durrant

Great Kentucky Louisville Mission             

Front: Elder Durrant, Elder Wallace
Middle: Elder Ottoson, Elder Clayson
Back: Elder Butikufer, Elder Langford, and Elder Bennett