E-mail 02/27/2012

Hello Family that is wonderfully awesome!

We have have an amazing week. Lots of running back and forth. We had two exchanges, zone conference, and stake conference, all in the same week.

We taught Bro Tom this past week. We finished the Plan of Salvation lesson and at the end we invited him to be baptized. He said that he doesn't feel that he is ready to make that step, but he is going to read the scriptures we had given him that testify of Jesus Christ and pray to know if God is real. We told him that he has nothing to lose and everything to gain. If he prays and God doesn't answer then He can tell us to leave him alone, but if he prays and God does answer than he has eternal life to gain. He is willing to do it. The scriptures we gave him were out of the Book of Mormon and they testify that Jesus is the Christ. It was after reading two such chapters that he felt the Spirit.

We taught Max the other day. He is such a smart kid. We are going through the commandments right now. After the last lesson he asked "how many more of these are there?" He said that because he is really excited to be baptized and right now the lessons are the only things keeping him from being baptized. I thought it was really funny for him to say that.

This winter has been so mild. Right now it feels like it is fifty degrees. The weather can't seem to make up it's mind. It goes up and down up and down. It is rather funny, when it is our week for the car the temperature drops, when we lose the car the temperature goes back up. The other Elders don't like that as much.

We taught a lady this last week who speaks good English, but her native language is Spanish. We brought someone who speaks Spanish with us. He shared the First Vision in Spanish and even though I couldn't understand it I still felt the Spirit. Then she Prayed in Spanish and it was such a heart felt prayer. It was very cool.

You are all awesome!! Oh and one of the exchanges I went on was with one of my leaders who has a full-time car and we biked so much that day, I think his legs were about to fall off. He was really good about it.

I love you all! May the Spirit be with you!

Elder Durrant

Pictures from Plymouth, IN 11

My first white castle experience.

Our investigator William and his family.
He was baptized.

Me feeding geese

My ward mission leader Brother Keim

Elder Pachner (pok-ner)

What happens when you drop a
Book of Mormon in a rain storm.

Elder Pachner

Me, driving the Subaru

Pictures from Plymouth, IN 10

My bed is made.

I love pear jelly!

That's me!

Yea! I knitted that!

My pet lobster going for a ride.

My companion...

Sister Bankhead and Sister Lamb

Looking for four leaf clovers, and dandelions :)
Sister Stanford, sister Barrett, and Elder Walker

Elder Walker throwing something at me.

E-mail 02/20/2012

Hello Wonderfulytastic family!!

This week has been awesome! it has been really warm and no snow.

We went to a luau this past week. It was fun. They had lots of food. We had a good turn out. Lot's of non-members came which was great. At the end they had all the men come up and do the hooka. We stomped our foot on the ground and made the whole cultural hall shake. There were twelve missionaries that came I thought that was really cool.

We taught one of our investigators this past week. His name is Brother Tom. He doesn't have a belief or testimony in God so we are helping him to gain one. Missionaries have taught him in the past and he has had lots of contact with the church, but he did it for his wife. We are helping him to gain a belief in God by teaching him the plan of salvation. We emphasized the Spirit reminding him of what he already knew. In our last visit with him we read 1 Nephi 10-11. This is Lehi and Nephi testifying of the savior. As we were walking out he said to us "I felt the Spirit." I was so over joyed by that statement. There are so many miracles happening here. There are many people preparing to go to the temple that two years ago if someone asked you if they would ever be a member or go to the temple you would have said there's no way. There are many good things that happen when a temple is announced. There are also many trials.

For valentines day we went to a gyro shop with two other Elders nearby. They were very yummy. My companion said it was his funnest valentines day yet.

I hope you  like the pictures. the first group are from my first area. I will label the next ones so you know which area is which. and yes I do make my bed, you can see that. :)

May the Spirit be with you!! I love you all!

Elder Durrant

E-mail 02/13/2012

Hello super awesome family that is awesome!

This week has been awesome! We are working hard and loving it!

We taught Max twice this week. As we taught him we used fun activities and examples to help him learn. For example with obedience we had him color a picture using the right colors for the right area and staying in the lines. I colored a picture just like it. Except I used whatever colors I wanted and didn't stay in the lines at all. His picture turned out much better. So it showed how when you are obedient you get a prettier picture.

We also had an investigator, whom in the past would skip appointments. My companion called him out on it. When we set another appointment Elder Mayfiled asked "are you going to be there this time?" He said yes. He was there. Even though he was tired he still met with us. I thought that was really cool.

We had a lesson with a part-member family this last week. We brought a recent convert with us. We started talking about the plan of salvation. It went ok. Then for some reason we started talking about the Spirit and how it reminds us of where we once lived. The Spirit came strongly. As the recent convert and member were talking I looked over at the non-member brother. He was deep in thought about what we had taught. He doesn't have a belief in God. When we gave him chapters out of the book of Mormon to read that testify of the savior, as well we told him that through the Spirit he would know that God lives. He said it would be hard but he would do it. He was sincere about it, too. I love being a missionary! For one we get to help people know who God is for themselves. We are here to help them help themselves. We teach them how to receive revelation. I love it!

I love you all! May the Spirit be with you!!

Elder Durrant

 

P.S. I got a surprise this week that nearly knocked me over. When we opened up our box we saw the package so we thought it was Elder Mayfield's, because he was expecting one and I wasn't. When he said my name was on it I was shocked and went inside to open it up. I was pleasantly surprised to see all that was there inside. Those cookies, by the way, were yummylicious! I am going to eat the ginormous heart shaped cookie tomorrow. How did you know I was craving oranges this week? I am so happy! Thank you for your awesomeness!!

E-mail 02/06/2012

Hello family that is super awesome!!!

This week has been busy. There was a two day meeting in Fishers, a lot of people to see, and an exchange to go on.

The weather has been so warm. It is really weird. It must be global warming :P It makes it really nice because more people tend to be outside.

The meeting in Fishers was so awesome! I was writing things down and receiving lots of revelation. We stayed in different places for the night. I was with two other missionaries. As we traveled to and fro, I finished making a scarf. I used up the rest of my yarn so now I need to go get more. I have so many back orders for people who want a tie. Whenever someone finds out that I knit, they ask me to make them a tie. I tell them that they are not the first and mentally put them on a "maybe I will make them a tie" list. One missionary, I told, if he bought the yarn I would make him a tie. He didn't want to do that.

We taught Max, again. He is so excited to be baptized. He is more excited for his dad to baptize him. We taught him the plan of salvation and let him draw pictures on a white board. He participates well. The home teachers go to every appointment we have with him, as well. He reminds his parents to read and pray at night. He is really awesome. I love that family!

Exchanges, where we switch companions for a day, are really fun. I went on one this last week and we taught a guy who is super ready for the gospel. We were preparing to extend two commitments to him. As we did so he talked about reasons not to be baptized or come to church with us. After such talk we committed him anyway. He accepted and has full intention to keep them. In fact he went to church on Sunday. I love exchanges because we learn much from other missionaries and we help each other grow.

This week has been awesome! I love you all! May the Spirit be with you!

Elder Durrant

I recently read this and I like it. Matt 14:27-29

Christ will always invite us to come unto Him. If we have faith we will come unto him.