Monday, December 27, 2010

E-mail 12/27/2010

Hello, wonderfully happy family!!
You are all awesome!! It was nice to talk to you the other night. I feel like I have been gone only a few days and a few years, weird.
On Christmas eve we went downtown and caroled for about an hour. It was cool Pres. and Sis. Collins showed up, we were not expecting them. There were a good number of people who stopped to listen to the 24+ missionaries singing.
Christmas was awesome! In the morning we went to the church and had a snowball fight with some other missionaries, then we watched the Joseph Smith movie. I ate so much candy, blah! Then we had two different meal appointments. At the first we had deep fried turkey, Hawaiian stuffing, and a lot of other stuff. There I read the E-mail. The next appointment, we had turkey, potatoes, broccoli, etc, and for dessert was apple pie with ice-cream. After eating we had a Nerf fight with their nine and seven year old boys, in their front room. It was awesome!
Tracting is fun, when it's not too cold. We are still working on equal teaching, and me opening my mouth.
Right now I am at the downtown library and it is so fancy, and humongous!
I love all of you! Merry Christmas!!! Happy new year, don't stay up too late!
Elder Durrant 

My companion and I having a
Nerf fight with Nathan and Dominic. 
It was Awesome!
 

Monday, December 20, 2010

E-mail 12/20/2010

Hello wonderful family!!
I am safely in Indiana! The plane ride was amazing! It was like riding a really long roller coaster. you go really fast, then you go up, then you go down, and stop really fast. It was fun!! I zoomed right through security, and I handed two people pass along cards.
My new companion, Elder Clawson is awesome! He is from Colorado, and is about six inches taller than me. He is teaching me good stuff, and helping me to "pop my bubble" and talk with people. We went tracting and it was so much fun! We even got a door slammed in our faces! how cool is that?! It wasn't as cold as I thought it would be, from all the horror stories I had heard, it wasn't all that bad, but I'm not saying it isn't cold.
Pres. Collins is so cool! We went and ate together, My companion and the assistants, also. It was a good meal.
I was surprised at the size of the ward here, There are about eighty members that actively go to church, and the boundaries are like twenty or more square miles. This is one of the smaller wards, but I still can't get over it. I'm used to a lot of people in a small area, but hopefully with the members help, and the Lord, the numbers will increase.
My first member meal was with a family, who two of there children, just got baptized. We ate spaghetti. The Dad reminded me of My family, sarcastic, funny, humorous.
I love it here!! I love tracting, and I am starting to grow a love for the people!
Thanks, I love you all!!!!!
P.S. I will try to write those who wrote me as soon as I can.
Love you!
Elder Durrant

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Pictures 12/16/2010

Sense they kept me a few extra weeks, they decided to start training me in the ways of the Spirit.

My uniform
The use of energy blasts.
I almost burned the building down. :) jk
My light saber

We also learned the art of walking up walls.  It's a good skill to have.  We had to be careful not to cross onto the dark side....

Join the Dark Side, we have cookies!

So, if anyone wants to know what they really teach at the M.T.C...........



Wednesday, December 15, 2010

E-mail 12/15/2010

Hello family!!
I might be getting transferred today....or at least find out when.
My new companion, Elder Larson, was also from district C, he had to stay for medical reasons, and is actually going home for surgery.
I am back in district B. It is an awesome district, they are so good, they have sisters.
I will probably be companions with Elders Quinn and Stenzal.
District C was really getting mad at me. I kept eating everything with a fork and knife. I mean everything, steak, chicken, ham, banana, jello, I tried ice-cream but it didn't really work. They kept trying to Americanize me. "Put the knife down, and pick it up!" I found great joy in it.
It feels weird not to have a cast or brace on. My handwriting dramatically improved :) My hand is a little achy but the Dr. said I could play basketball in two weeks if I wanted too.
I have been learning a lot, a lot of the same, but a lot.
The food is very addictive and fattening, hey I just realized I can run again, bring on the fat!
Uh, life is good, no wait, life is AWESOME!!!
Love you!!
May the Spirit be with you. *waves hand dramatically
Elder Durrant

Christmas lights at the MTC

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

E-mail 12/08/2010

Hello Family!!
I am doing well, I go to the Dr. on Tuesday, there I will find out what will happen to me next.
By the way my mail box number for here is now #277.
My companion is really good, he is smart and likes to talk. and I like to listen :) It's been a little rough adjusting to a new companion, a new district. We love each other.
I hope to send you pictures soon, there really awesome! ;)
The first presidency devotional was good. I thought it was so funny, Pres. Uctdorf made a Grinch reference.
We have been studying and teaching a lot. It is so cool to feel spiritual impressions. When we taught Duncan we had received an impression to teach him about fasting, that was what he needed, and he embraced it fully. I love it.
It is funny how some of the Elders are real nerdy about movies and songs. Daily, no hourly, no every few minutes someone quotes a movie or song or saying.
Elder Kasenberg has help me learn and grow so much.
My thumb is immobilized, so it is a challenge doing things. try tying your shoes without a thumb. I LOVE THUMBS!!!
The food here is so good that I am gaining weight, I think I'm going to be fat! I gained like .01 lbs the other day......ok ok you got me, maybe Elder Durrant is not getting fat, but the food is good.
I love you!
Oh, I forgot, tell John Happy birthday!
Elder Durrant
Who, Me?

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

E-mail 12/01/2010

Hello Family!!
Life is great!!
I get to stay here for at least two more weeks.
More good food, golden investigators, and lots of friends. what more could I ask for?
Everyone from my district is gone except for Sis Gordan, and Sister Lidiard. They put me with the younger district, my new companion is Elder Kasenberg, He's from Canada. I went to the temple, but because of the cast I got to do initiatories. it is so cool going back and doing those. Everyone in my new District and the new one coming in today are Elders.
I went to the doctors Monday and they casted my arm and delayed me, to make sure I heal properly. It looks like it will be just fine.
I moved into a new room, too. I am excited to be here for these next few weeks, for clearly the Lord has a reason for it, and so I will serve with all my heart, might, mind, and strength.
Sis Beck came and spoke to us; it was good. Part of what she said was love your companion, love the people, and love your mission president.
Love you!!!
Elder Durrant

 
Elder Durrant & Elder Kasenberg
New District, all Elders
My cast mostly signed.  It’s red!
Trip to the Provo Temple.

Friday, November 26, 2010

E-mail 11/26/2010

Hello glorious family!!
Sorry about not E-mailing on Wednesday, the e mail went down so no one could e mail.
Life here is great!! I love it!! It is going by so fast, pretty soon I'll be in Indiana!
By the way I am being deported NOV 30. The time for the first flight is 7:00 A.M. and I should arrive at 3:02 P.M. I will be on Delta 1862 and 1593. I will stop in Detroit for the next flight.
Mom, Dad, you do not have to come, they want me to get right on, but I am not stopping you. Thank you!!
We have been learning how to "teach people, not lessons". When we teach we have to have the spirit or all is vain. We are in some sort of class almost all day, IT'S AWESOME!!!
My district is so great! there are eight Elders (including me,) and four Sisters. They are so good, we have a lot of fun, we tease, we joke, and most important we laugh!
I have learned so much! We have been teaching a few investigators, our teachers, they are so real, Tina, Derrick, and Huan. it is a little scary when you go by the spirit, but if you do you can't go wrong. My teachers teach me stuff, like Spiritual juice boxes. its great, we have a good time.
Thanksgiving was awesome!!!! we had Thanksgiving dinner (lunch) it was good. They had yams!! They remind me of Grandma Durrant. For the devotional Elder Holland came and spoke to us. It was so good, very inspirational. He had his grandchildren sing for us. They were our family for today, that is what he said. We also made bags for children, 33,000.
Thanks! I LOVE YOU!!!!
Elder Durrant

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

E-mail 11/17/2010

Hello wonderful family!!
I love you!!
Despite what some people have said...it is great here!
We are studying all day and teach a lot. If we don't have the spirit we're in trouble.
Oh sorry about the short e mail last week, they told us to say that and get off.....but it still applies ;)
My companion is wonderful. All through getting my arm checked out he was so patient and understanding. By the way the doctors said I should be good to go when the time comes, I just need to keep wearing the brace and exercise it occasionally.
They stuff you full here! It is an all you can eat gloriousness! I think I'm going to get fat. On that note, Mom if you do send me bread, can you only send half a loaf or less, they feed us like crazy here. The cookies were good :)
It was funny, the first two notes I got in the mail were doctor notes.
Oh, I am writing first, than reading so if I don't cover something sorry, If I have time I will address it.
The district here has become my family, they are great, uplifting, and supportive. there are 8 elders including myself and 4 sisters.
The sisters said "your mama must have raised you right"; they say that because whenever they enter a room I am usually the first to stand, and I treat them respectfully. They really appreciate it.
I love you all and it is great here!!!!!
Elder Durrant 

First District
One of the Sisters had her mom send matching ties
for all of the Elders in our district.
First companion Elder Quinney
Elder Durrant & Elder Quinney
 

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Leaving for MTC and 1st E-mail





Hey Family!!!
Love you lots!!!!
Everything is great despite what Dad said, he he just kidding!
I love my companion Elder Quinney
In orientation the mission pres asked for people from different places to stand, when he said Utah half the room stood up!! then he said “Be humble”.
Everything is great love you!!
Elder Durrant

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Setting Appart

I had to add this one with Stephanie who left for
Afghanistan 1 month before he left for Indiana.