E-mail 06/15/2015

     Hey everyone!

     How's all y'all doing?

     Yes I'm still working on the southern accent.

     Well this week has been full of biking. Like yesterday on our way home we where racing, and when we got there, Elder Chandler got there first, but he had to cut across the grass to do it, so otherwise I would have gotten there first.  Then our neighbor (this nice older lady) told us that she was going to give us a ticket for racing. Ha ha.  But seriously we've been doing A LOT of biking and teaching.  Also, there are these kids in the neighborhood that like to talk with us, and two of them are determined to ride my bike.  My bike is bigger and heaver than both of them combined, and they are barely taller than it  (I still need to figured out what I'm going to call my bike)  so there is no way they will be riding it, but they keep trying anyway.

     Last Monday we went by a war memorial and got some pictures with a tank (I'll be sending pictures) and it's cool how I'm glowing in it!

     On Tuesday, we taught the deaf lady again, it's very interesting and I need to work on my ASL, I hope everything works out,  She has a baptismal date and seems to be understanding everything.

     Then on Wednesday, me and Elder Chandler went from one corner of our area to another corner to help these people move a cabinet from up stairs to the main floor, and it was one of those things that you wander how they got it up there in the first place.  Then we biked four or five blocks down to meet up with the zone leaders for a meeting with the ward mission leader, and we did all of this in the space of 30-40 minutes.  Was I tired afterwords!

     On Thursday night, we had gone to a members house and we shared a message and then they took us to another members home where the people were having a get together with friends in the ward.  You know the worst part about it?  There were all these little kids and I couldn't play with them, IT WAS AWFUL! but the food was really good.  It was funny, we got talking with one of the Moms on what happened when we would fight or not behave during church when we where little and I shared with her Dad's favorite scripture in Mosiah and how you would make us memories it then resite it back to him, she said she loved it and would try it out. Ha ha.

     Then on Friday, we had Zone Meeting, and President Brough showed up. The meeting was awesome, and afterwords I showed the picture with the tank and asked him if it was a mission appropriate vehicle, he said no. I then said "but I'm glowing with the spirit." He said, and these are he's exact words (I think) "No you are not glowing with the spirit, you are glowing with the pride of being on a vehicle of the United States Army, Gad bless it!" He is so funny and he loves saying things like that, because he used to be in the air force.

Love you all!

Elder Durrant

I'm glowing with pure awesomeness!!!   

This is cool!

This is why I do most of the cooking 

This is why I do most of the cooking

E-mail 06/08/2015

     What A week!

     Well not much happened for the first few day's of the week, but part of Friday and Saturday we've been helping this member trim his hedges to 10 feet, these things ranged in height from 10 1/2 feet to 14 feet if not taller, and we might be going back today, if this rain would stop, (there is way too much water around here!)  I am really sore, but I have realized something, I really do miss lawn work, but I know for a fact that this work will last longer than any lawn will.

     Last Saturday, the other Missionaries here in E-town had a baptism that we went to, which was fun.  We are hoping to have one of our own soon.

     Sunday I had me first BBQ for the year, that was fun.

     I have found out that some plants in the East are very confused, they like to loose their leafs in the spring and first part of summer, not in the fall.

     It was funny, that guy we are teaching because Elder Chandler fell off his bike, we where at his house the other day and was showing him some of the Mormon Messages and Bible video's, and when he saw the one where Jesus was coming the storm, he loved it and said to someone else that was there (he leaned over to us and said "this be in Black people terms") "Jesus be all like why you all tripping yo?" It was awesome!

     Well this week we were going to be having a mission tour with Elder Zwick, but it was postponed until August, we can only speculate why, but it will be exciting when it does happen.

Love you all!

Elder Durrant

E-mail 06/01/2015

     What a week!

     First off, my hands have not caught on fire yet for having an Apple Ipad, but there's still time for that to happen, and no Adam you can't do it.  But we got them on Friday and Elder Chandler would get one of the only ones that don't work, so I have to keep an eye on mine until he gets his.
     Well one of the cool things that happened to me and Elder Chandler this week, we are teaching a deaf lady, and I couldn't help but think that it would be nice to have Shari here to translate, but things are working out fine, and who knew that the gift of tongues could happen with sign language, but it can!
     Then on Saturday, we went to a wedding that was interesting, the ceremony was a mixes of Christen and Celtic and the food was Italian.  Then we went over to an Eagle court of honor, and I was asked to sit in the "Eagle's nest" (Where everyone that got theirs sat) because I was told to, but I think the whole thing is just really funny how it happened! :)
     It's cool, we have three people with a baptismal date.  The Lady with the soonest, well, there are things going on that sometimes I just want to (and I'm sure MANY people can relate to this) grab the devil by the scruff of the neck and say while shaking him about "Leave her alone!!!!"  But she is going to get baptized anyway because she knows it's true.
     I do have to say that when I heard that Elder Parry past away, it hit me hard, because the last Apostle to die that I remember was President Hinckley, but it will be awesome to see who will be the next Apostle.
     In the last two weeks I have come to several conclusions:
1. They get WAY to much rain over here.
2. The ground out here is too soft, I feel like I'm going to fall in.
3. People out here (at lest here in E-town) don't fry everything.
4. People out here like to put bacon on, in, and over a lot of things, which I'm not complaining about.
     Well stay tuned next week for another exciting adventures of Elder Durrant. 

Love you all!
Elder Durrant

I believe they are making a third bridge from KY to IN  

There is something wrong with this picture.

E-mail 05/26/2015

     So it's going to be a short letter this week.

     This week's 2 big highlights are on Wednesday, we had the new missionary training meeting, which was mainly just a check up on how we are doing, but it was still really fun.  Plus it was in Indiana, the good part, not like up north where the "other" people go.  So I have now been in 6 states UT, ID, WY, GA, KY, and the last one, IN.

     Well on Thursday we had a mission wide meeting where all the missionaries in this mission came, and we had Elder Zwick of the seventy and Brother Hemingway who is in charge of the proselyting part of the mission board, I think, come to talk to us, it was amazing.  Then afterwords everyone was asked to get something quick to eat and then get back to where they needed to go.  Me, my companion, and the two zone leaders were some of the last to leave and we went to Arby's and across the street we saw half of the missionaries at Panda Express.  When we left, there where some who were just ordering, so the moral of the story is, even if Panda was good, it's not that good.

     Transfers was today, but I am staying here for at least 6 more weeks.

Love you all.

Elder Durrant

E-mail 05/18/2015

   Haza! no that one doesn't sound right. I need one that when people hear it, they think "That is him alright."

  Well this week has had it's ups and downs, but no one wants to hear the downs, so I'll just tell the ups.  First we got this lady back on a baptismal date, and it was an awesome experience.  Saturday we got a downpour, and it wasn't so bad.  I mean I've been in worse, but not on a bike, so we got out of it at a gas station.  Then we went to a couple of recent converts and helped out where we could.  Other than that, this week has been kinda boring.  We did find out what Elder Chandler does when he's tired.  Oh, and one really cool thing I have learned while being here, is a lot of people don't want to hear what you have to say, but many of them have told us how great it is we are out here so young talking about what we believe.  One guy even told us "I see the world going to ...., but seeing you guys out here doing what you're doing gives me hope."  Like I said he didn't want to hear but that was a great experience for me. Oh and I saw the Mormon message called "Lift" and I was like, "I know those guys!" and I can't believe I never heard about this until now, or I just didn't pay attention, but that was awesome and we even used it as part of a lesson, and yes I liked how big Bro. Morrison's muscles are. Well this is the beginning of week six in the field and half way through training, so excited!


Scriptures and thought: Mosiah 8:15-16

 15 And the king said that a seer is greater than a prophet.

 16 And Ammon said that a seer is a revelator and a prophet also; and a gift which is greater can no man have, except he should possess the power of God, which no man can; yet a man may have great power given him from God.

So when I read this, it hit me, that when we sustain President Monson, his two counselors, and the quorum of the twelve, we are saying we believe/know them to be prophets, seers, and revelators, and saying that they have been given great gifts from God to lead his church. And that great power given to man is the priesthood power which is the power of God, and through us, He can and will do anything as long as we stay worthy to hold that priesthood.

That's my two cents

Love you all!
Elder Durrant

This is what happens when Elder Chandler is tired. 

This is what Elder Chandler has to say for being tired 

Awe isn't it cute!

E-mail 05/11/2015

Wow! what a week (wow that's original)
      It was awesome this past week! And it was awesome talking to y'all yesterday, and fun to see and hear how all of you are doing, and I loved seeing my Mama on Mother's Day.  Well there is a miracle story I wasn't able to share, so I will tell it now.  On Friday night, as we were planning, we had a feeling to see one of our investigators the next day so we planned it at 4, but I had a feeling to see them sooner than that so we changed it to 11.  When we were almost there, we see these guys, so we go on over to talk with them; well two of them leave but we started to talk with the third guy and we ended up teaching him all of lesson 1 (he just soaked it all up), we inviting him to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and to know if what we said was true. He said he already knew it was true and would come to church.  He ended up not coming but that's ok for now, AND we gave him the baptismal commitment and he said he would and we even set a date! IT WAS AWESOME! 
      Then on Sunday during Elders quorum, I started to fall asleep so I opened up the scriptures and I opened to 2 Nephi 1:23 and the first three words are "Awake, my sons;" and so I glanced up and thought to myself "ok I get the message". 
      It was so much fun talking with you all, and afterword Bro. Robinson gave us a ride and it's cool, so he's a police officer so we rode in his cop car and I was in the back and felt slick.  I was in a bubble, but I didn't get to wear the silver bracelets but maybe next time ;-)   He took us to another members house so Elder Chandler could talk with his family.  Well that's about all of the highlights of my week.  We did find out that missionaries will be staying in areas for an average of 6 months now with some exceptions.

So my scripture and thought for this week:

2 Nephi 1:23

Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust.

I see that as telling us to get off are behinds, to put on the whole armor of God, forget about worldly standing and pier pressure, etc. etc. etc. and bring the gospel to all the world.

Love you all!
Elder Durrant

These are from Bro. Robinson

These are from Bro. Robinson 

I swat you Satan!

Oh ya

I wasn't sure what he was giving me,
but they're just mints

That's me

E-mail 05/04/2015

    Inconceivable! I can't believe I've been out for one month already. It's defiantly been a different kind of month.
    So I think the weather is finely settling down (for now). This last Friday we had zone conference and we went up to Louisville; it was awesome, and I got a picture of Sister Brough and three other ladies in their derby hat's. They showed us a new driver safety video about parking lots and as soon as it started I was like, "I know that parking lot!"  The Church filmed it in the Macey's parking lot! So during lunch I said something to Pres. Brough and he said "No way, prove it.", so I started telling him all the stores around it; I felt pretty good!
    After Zone conference we went on exchanges with our district leader; my companion went with him to his area, and I went with his companion to my area. He has only been out 12 weeks longer then me, so I joked that only three weeks out and I've already made it to senior companion. But not really, I was in charge of the area but nether one of us is senior. Then on Saturday I miss judged the way to a house so we ended up biking 4-5X as far as we needed to, and since he's been in a car area his whole mission, one thought kept going through my head, "No sir, I slaughtered him!" (Ever After movie). But it worked out going the loooong way because we barely got there before the person we where visiting, so I don't feel too bad. Then later I get a flat in my front tire.  We were only about a mile from home so we walked it back, and all it was was this little thorn and then later that night my back tire is flat so I'm looking at it and I find a little peace of metal.  Later today I get to buy a patch kit.
    But over all it's been great; talked with some pretty amazing people.
So excited for Mother Day!

This weeks thought is: "Faith Is a principle of power." (PMG 116 "Faith in Jesus Christ" 3rd paragraph, 1st sentience.)

Love you all
Elder Durrant

Sister Brough, and three other Sisters that I don't know their names  

Elder Newbold, one of the A.P.s with Sister Brough's hat

Some nights I latterly have to drag my trainer to bed