December 23, 2014

So Monday: we did a lot of sitting around. there isn't a whole lot we can do in Beattyville especially running low on miles. Tuesday: we Did a lot of finding! I love finding new people!! Wednesday: we went and had some lessons with Less actives and Some Investigators, this time of year is slow because of everyone is at families and getting ready for Christmas. Thursday: we had Interviews with our Mission President and also a training by our Assistants to the Mission President i learned so much! I love President Brough!! After interviews we went on an exchange with our district leader and i got to be in London for that night and Friday! Friday: we were on Exchanges and so i was in london all day i learned so much from our district leader! Saturday: we had weekly planning and then we had everyone of our appointments not show up so we returned to talking with people on the sidewalk. then that afternoon we cleaned our car for the Christmas Conference on Monday! Sunday: we had church only 15 members showed up! haha super small Branch! After church we had a Pot luck at the church it was super good! Then we came home did some laundry and had some dinner and then traveled to Frankfort after picking up Mt. Sterling in Lexington.Monday: we finished driving from Frankfort to Louisville. that is a super long drive! and we went way over miles seems how we had to drive all the way up there so we are walking for the rest of the week! But the Christmas party was really awesome and a lot of fun! i got to see all the members to my MTC District! that was sweet i hadn't seen three of them since arriving in Kentucky! and we had a lot of fun activities!! I got to demonstrate how to rope to sisters with Elder Gay from Elsinore Utah, so the sisters could rope the Zone Leaders that ran around on hands an knees acting as cows super funny to watch! I loved the Activities Sister Brough and President Brough came up with! We had a tie exchange! and a contest to see who could build a puzzle the fastest, and who could stuff the most big marshmallows in their mouths. and who could hold a spoon on their nose the longest. and so much more! but then at the end we had to say goodbye to all our friends i took a lot of pictures with other missionaries! (coming in next email) and the drive from Louisville to Beattyville is forever! 

Love,

Elder Durfee 

December 15, 2014

So this week was a pretty crazy week. I got transferred!! Monday: we played basketball at the church. and ate dinner with a member, and that night i got packed for the big move. Tuesday: was transfers but I didn't have to go all the way to Louisville because I stayed inside the same zone so I am still in the same are as my last place. unlike my last companion did to pick up his new companion. I just got picked up by my new companion Elder Carter at my apartment with a member from the Beattyville Branch. We took an hour and a half ride to Beattyville from Lexington, and we did some tracting when I got there. Wednesday: we went through our area book and cleaned it out so that we could find all of the former investigators to start with them, because there isn't a lot of people open to the gospel at the time and they all live so far away from each other and there is only about 2 or 3 apartment complexes in this area. and it covers about 4 counties. it takes and hour to an hour and a half to drive from one end to the other. Thursday: we continued working with the area book and we went and taught some Less Actives. and We drove through a creek with our car it was pretty legit!! Friday: we had zone meeting and we learned about how to study for our investigators. which with it being almost a 2 hour drive to lexington and the meeting getting done at 2 and dinner with a member from nicholasville which is where my new companion started his mission, and then we shopped in winchester because there isn't a whole lot for stores in beattyville. Saturday: we called a lot of people to see if they were interested and most of them the number either blocked us or was disconnected which was surprising cause most of them had been contacted 2 years ago. Here in Beattyville we go and talk with the EMT's and they feed a dinner on Saturday's. and they are really cool. most of them are big hunters!  also tonight we were called by our branch president, because the amount of people that come is so small its a branch and not a ward here. but he called and asked us to teach Sunday school class, and he also said that the whole branch presidency was sick and half the branch is sick so we might have to cancel church if we can't find someone to go and preside. Sunday: so sunday was a crazy day. we got up and went and unlocked the church and set up the mic and the table for sacrament and a member brought the bread and we blessed the sacrament and two preisthood holders passed it. there were 13 people at church counted us. so 11. it was different. it was a very cool experience and 4 familys are assigned to come to our branch from different cities to make our meeting bigger. but everyone is sick so most of them didn't show. and ive been told that sometimes church gets canceled because of the lack of numbers. or we have sacrament and then are told to go home. its the most laid back church ive ever been to. it was a really cool experience. After church we went and taught a couple that we had found my first day here. and our miles in our car are really low and we are gonna be walking for pretty much this whole month of december because we have to find miles to go to louisville for christmas party that the mission does and to lexinton this coming wednesday for interviews with Mission president. and also we have to go to another area with a senior couple to skype home for christmas because no members in beattyville live close enough with the ability to skype. so itll be interesting.  Oh and we ran over a squirrel and i skinned him out and tanned his hide it looks legit! having some awesome times here in Beattyville can't wait to see what comes this next week! And we live off of a Rail Road Tracks.

Sincerely,

 Elder Durfee  

December 8, 2014

Monday: we went bowling as a district and biked the whole way in the rain and super cold! and we played basketball at the church. super fun playing cutthroat. we got dropped by two of our investigators but we have found a lot this week! :) the work is picking up! Tuesday: we went on an exchange with Tates Creek elders today i was with Elder Caskey for the next days! :) Wednesday: It was a great day with Elder Caskey! we met a lot of new investigators!!! we also met a lot of people that were not ready to listen but they will come around! Thursday: Elder Spaulding did a baptismal interview for the sisters investigator that is getting baptized this coming Saturday!!! :) Friday: We had a zone conference and we listened to Elder Kapiska he is a very powerful!!! i learned so much!! after the conference we went and had lunch as a zone at Hugh Jass Burgers! that is a super good burger shop! after that we were biking to an appointment and saw this guy that was of a different culture and didn't speak any english but he knew the words im lost... and was able to say the street he lived on. and it was the place that we were headed to. so we took him home. and he was a long ways away and he was headed the wrong way!! i felt bad for him and it was in the rain! but he is good now! :) Saturday: we had stake conference! :) Elder Parker presided over it and it was really good!!! i love Elder Parker he is very powerful!! :) Also tonight we were with the zone leaders and Elder Barker is going home tomorrow super sad! but i learned that i and going to Beattyville Kentucky!! i can't wait! it's gonna be a lot of fun! And its a car area just in time for the winter!! and i hear its a huge house that we stay in!!! so i will get you all my new address next Monday! :) Sunday we had Stake Conference it was very inspiring!! Elder Parker was over that as well. and Stake President Krebs he is really cool! i said bye to all of the friends in the Blue Grass ward! I'm gonna miss all of them so much!! :( but I'll do great in Beattyville! :) can't wait! :) Then later that night we went to the church and watched the First Presidency Christmas devotional! it was super good! :) And today monday we went and said good bye to everyone in this area! :) 

Sincerely,

 Elder Durfee

December 1, 2014

So this week was a lot of fun! Tuesday: we did a lot of traveling just finding people to teach. Wednesday: I was in tates creek for an exchange with Elder Lowry and we had a lot of success. we found a couple of new investigators! Thursday: was Thanks Giving!!! it was awesome!! we didnt do any proselyting we hung out with members all day! got fed by two different families so i got fed really good!! and the food was similar to back at home! :) Also in the morning we had president Krebs pick us up and we went to the catholic actua center and prepared food for the needy that aren't as fortunate as others. It was really awesome! we deboned about 12 turkeys. and a lot of potatoes and stuffing. and cranberries! i was a lot of food!!! Friday: we had district meeting and it was really good! i learned so much! Saturday we had lunch with the tates creek elders at hugh jass burgers them are some good burgers!!! Sunday: we had fast sunday because stake conference is this coming sunday! and transfers are this coming tuesday the 9th! so we will see who will be staying and who will be going! We had dinner with a member sunday and i found out that im related to sister herme with my 10th great grandpa on the Durfee side and her 9th generation on her moms side. it was really cool! well im gonna go and play some basketball with the Zone leaders and tates creek and a couple other missionaries. 

Love, 

Elder Durfee 

November 24, 2014

So this week was crazy. it was all a blur. went by so fast! So monday: we played basketball at the church after we emailed! i love playing basketball! and ive gotten pretty good at it! Tuesday: we did a lot of following the spirit. and we found one two new investigators! and taught a good lesson on the restoration! Wednesday: we did service at the Ronald McDonald Home. and then we had an appointment cancel because his car died. and then we had a good lesson with a couple we found last week on the restoration but the guy talked a lot so we didn't get to finish and he had to go see his mom and forgot about us so we taught a little and set up an appointment for this week. Thursday: we had a fun day we had lunch with the tates creek elders then we tried a couple but they weren't home... so then we sat down with a less active member and had a good chat. then we biked to our dinner appointment with a member. and they took us to O Charley's. and had ribs and steak! it tasted so good! Then had  good lesson on  the Plan of salvation with another investigator. Friday: we had district meeting, and the Zone leaders came and did a training on becoming a consecrated missionary and that's what the district training was on as well. so i learned a lot on what i need to change. Then we had an exchange with the Zone leaders because my companion is a district leader. I got to go to Richmond for that night and Saturday. Then we had some good lessons and a good jamming session with one of their investigators. and talked with two other investigators. Then Saturday: we did service putting up drywall i learned a lot! and they fed us cook out. its an awesome burger place! then we talked with one really cool investigator of theirs she's 17 and legit! and her twin is really cool to i guess didn't get to meet her. then we taught the Word of Wisdom to another lady. it was great! she knew she needed to before we taught it. then we saw another investigator and sang with the piano and read the Book of Mormon. then we saw a less active he is really cool I love him!! then we had dinner at a members and it was super cool!  Then we drove back to Lexington to exchange back. Sunday: we went to church. then came home and had waffles with the member we live with! then we taught a member present lesson reading the Book of Mormon! then we had a dinner with a member. then we talked to people as we biked home. This last week was super long! But short at the same time! I love the work I do! I love my Father in Heaven and My Savior Jesus Christ! and his Atonement! 

Quote: The Lord doesn't expect immediate Perfection, but immediate Progression   

Sincerely Elder Durfee 

November 17, 2024

So this week was a really good week for finding new people to teach! we picked up 7 new investigators!! on Tuesday we had zone conference. and that was a lot of fun! we ate a lot of different soups! and learned so much! Wednesday we did service and then we taught this really cool couple! he is very hard to teach but we will get through to him and his wife she is a golden investigator. Thursday we weekly planned all day and held a companionship inventory for the Tates Creek Elders and helped them get through some things and now they are getting along a lot better. Friday we Found two new golden investigators and they are pretty much already members so now all we need to do is teach them and get them baptized. so we will see how this week goes with them! I'm so excited!!! And Friday i also got a call from our bishop ric and i was asked to give a talk this upcoming Sunday on the 10th article of faith!! and we had a deep building cleaning! it was a lot of fun! and ate 8 pieces of pizza! and I'm losing so much weight. Saturday a member took us to 5 guys! that's the best burger I've ever eaten!!! Sunday: i gave my talk and it was the longest talk I've yet ever given!! 10 minutes!! yeah buddy! And then after sacrament meeting everyone praised me. and Elder Spaulding felt left out and one of the members said oh you're okay it was funny! Then we went to an investigator fireside! And it rained so hard that night! i got soaked!!! I was told a great quote Sunday! Joseph Fielding Smith: " People die in bed, and So does Ambition". 

Sincerely Elder Durfee 

November 10, 2014

So this week was a long week. on monday we came and emailed and were half way done with emailing and we got locked out of the Family History center, so then we had to wait for one hour till the zone leaders came to play basketball with us and four other missionaries. We played basketball all day and it was a super good workout! i love basketball! The members are super good at feeding us! but most of them are from Utah and moved here haha. Tuesday we did a lot of biking around contacting referals! and i wrecked pretty hard on my bike! haha stinking bikes, but its alot better than walking!  but Tuesday was a super horrible day, we both had a hard time feeling the spirit. Wednesday that morning we found out why tuesday sucked, we broke the word of wisdom. by drinking this protein shake that had the extract of coffee bean in it. we had service at the Ronald McDonald home. And did a lot of finding today. Thursday, we we did weekly planning then we went to the bottom of our area that is about 10 mile round trip. i was super tired! Friday, We we had District meeting. We had district lunch at Hugh Jass Burgers. they are super good! and there was a lot of beer served in that restaurant! then we drove through the college campus and Elder caskey did a drifting stop and i was super close and i hit is tire and i was going pretty good. and i got ejected from my bike and hit running! it was an insane wreck and i missed a pole by three feet when i was running trying to save myself. it was awesome!!! then Elder Caskey fell over, then we chased squirrels in the campus and Elder Caskey and Elder Lowry hit one it was crazy! then we went and had dinner at the Piepgrass's they are from Canada! They are super cool! and We ate Pork burritos!!! just like the cafe rio one! ive had that meal like 10 times!! im loving this food! but wow has my stomach shrunk! and then they had us take our belts off at the dinner table to show them how our missionary belts work. Saturday, so today was a lot of tracting. and we had dinner with a member and a lesson with an investigator. and the investigator left early!  and didn't come back like he said he was going to!! So we went to try some different people while waiting. and they weren't home but as we were leaving they pulled up and so we flipped around and went and talked with them and set up an appointment for this coming thursday! im excited! Sunday we didn't have any investigators come, :( but we did see come less actives afterwards! and had dinner with a member! so over all this week was pretty great! 

Sincerely,

 Elder Durfee 

November 3, 2014

so this week was the start of transfer 2! And me and my companion are still going strong together! but i think he will be leaving me after this transfer! :( so for all of you wondering if I've eaten anything southern. NO i haven't! its all been the same exact food I've eaten at home! this week was super crazy! we did a lot of biking seems how we have gotten new bikes! we do service at the Ronald McDonald home every Wednesday and it is a lot of fun over there! Our Baptism dates fell through because they have been super hard to sit down and teach, they are super busy! But we have 4 investigators that are promising that we are teaching. Halloween was a lot of fun! we had district meeting that day and after district meeting we went and had district lunch at Panda Express! Then we went to the Tates Creek elders apartment, on the way to their apartment we had to go biking through some freezing rain! that stuff sucks! it really hurts and it is hard to see!  Then we had a party! we ate some good food! and i finally tried squirrel! it doesn't really have any distinct taste to it. the Tates Creek elders were rough housing and elder Caskey hit his head on the corner of the wall and cut his head open it looked really cool! he super glued it shut and it is healing up great! you almost can't even tell anymore! Friday night it snowed! and was still snowing Saturday morning! it was super cold! And Sunday we went to church and had dinner at a members! the members here are really good at feeding us! but most of them are from Utah or are from the western half of the U.S. so that's why nothing super weird for food. The members here are super helpful and most of them are either college students that are married or are just out of college. and most are return missionaries as well. so our ward is super amazing! I love our members! I love The GKLM!!! (Great Kentucky Louisville Mission). Pictures to come.  

October 27, 2014

So this week was really Fun! So Sunday a member found this investigator and took him to the investigator fireside, and he is in our area, so we have been teaching him! He is coming along really well! Then we also had exchanges this week, because my companion is the District leader and he has to be with each elder in our district, with Elder Lowry and Elder Caskey. I learned a lot from each of them! Elder Caskey and me taught the investicator the member found, and the lesson went amazing! One of the best lessons so far of my mission! But we are still down to just three investigators so we are still finding new and more people to teach! Also this saturday Elder Spaulding and me found out that that we will be spending at least one more transfer together! I can't wait for this next great transfer together! and on Sunday we taught this recent convert family the restoration. and we are going to continue teaching them the rest of the lessons so that i can get some more practice and teach them the new member lessons. it is going to be great! Oh and for all of you that are wondering how the southern food is..... its not very southern. i haven't eaten a single thing here that i hadn't eaten back at home. the food is the exact same here as it was at home. but thats mainly because half of the members that we have eaten at are from Utah originally and they all know where salina is  at! 

Sincerely,

Elder Durfee

October 20, 2014

last week of transfers lol i went one whole transfer without a bike! lol So this week was crazy! we had three meetings and we moved a lady for a whole day! and she ran out of gas in her car so we had to turn around and go back and get keys to storage and push her off of the free way ramp it was intense! Not a lot happened this week just meetings. a greenie meeting and a zone meeting. then we had a fireside yesterday for investigators. 

 Dakota's Mission Pres. is in the background **lol**

October 13, 2014

So this week has been pretty crazy!!! so as most of you know i got my bike stolen two weeks ago and are still waiting to get one. and we baked cookies for the guy that works at chick fillet that brought us a whole bag of food. it felt great and he will soon be baptized i can feel it! we felt a spirit very thick with one lesson with this investigator with a member present and he did amazing and he really brought the spirit in  when he bore his testimony about what this gospel has done to his life. and i used one of Elder Bednars quotes from conference about how the investigators baptism isnt a heavenly point for us it was very amazing. Wednesday was a very spiritual day! so we did service at the ronald mcdonald home and then we started walking to our next appointment 1 hour away and as we had like 45 minutes left the YSA zone leaders (young single adult) drove by and asked if we would like a ride we said of course when we got dropped off this older couple were getting out of their car so we approached them and asked if they wanted a prayer and the lady said yeah! and then the husband walked around whom we have talked with before said no and she said i said yes! so we prayed and asked if they would like to hear our message, she said well if you got time right now come on in so we went in and taught them the restoration. it was a very spiritual lesson and we set a baptism date! and extended the invitation to go to church as well and they come to church yesterday!!! we are planning on seeing them tonight! so wednesday was an amazing day! Thursday my trainer was in louisville for training so i was on an exchange in nicholasville for the day and it ended up being two greenys in the area it was crazy!but we had a very productive and spiritual day! i have learned so much on every exchange i have been on! i love them! and we had a guy yell at us i got pretty intense for a second! i got to teach the word of wisdom and learned a really cool 15 step program to quite smoking! on friday we had district meeting so i was back with my trainer. and i learned a lot in his training and friday we met with this asain guy who at first was athiest! and it was interesting at the beginning but at the end of the lesson we had him praying and making commitments to pray and also read the Book of Mormon. it was a very spiritual lesson! saturday we met with a lot of less actives and had a lot of great experiences but not a single lesson and we had a member out with us for 4 hours and not a single member present lesson! but we ended the day great with a zone prayer! it was a very spiritual experience and i'm glad we decided to start doing those! Then sunday the true test day for our bap dates came. and they showed up! it was a very happy moment!!! and so we had church and the guy said well elders i think we have found our new church. so i know they are getting baptized! just need to keep teaching them the lessons and our ward is so welcoming and friendly, and they enjoyed and had a great experience with testimony meeting. so after church we had a member drop us off at an apartment complex that is a 2 hour walk. so it was super nice! and we finally got back into contact with this couple we had lost contact with due to the fact that we dont have any bikes and had a great talk with him and i am very confident in him that he and his girl friend will be baptized after they are married. then we had dinner with a member and we were asked to teach a lesson on prayer for them. and it was an amazing prayer! i got to share an experience ive had with prayer since being in the mission field. and it was amazing! but seems how we cant spend forever there we had some members  take us to the guy that started out athiest and just as we got dropped off his boy got dropped off and he started running to the back of the house then we heard the dad yell and so we ran around and he had crawled up a ladder into a tree getting his apples out of his apple tree so we went over and assisted him out of the tree then we talked with him about what he thought of the things we had him read and he said they were really good and is interested but is leaving for china this week and wont be back until november!!! i hope we don't lose him! he was making so much progress!! but i still have faith!  till next week! 

Sincerely,

 Elder Durfee

September 29, 2014

haha that all sounds really crazy!! mason is changing soo much! its crazy! he looks good in that suit! and the twins and dad look like they are having some fun! well this week was very eventful! we have just been trying to find people to teach, we have two that are very promising and i think will be baptized soon. the members feed us really well. but this coming week we don't have many signed up to feed us so it will be okay. um so far we do service every week at the ronald mcdonald house it is a lot of fun over there! friday we had an exchange with the zone leaders and it was alot of fun, i was paired with elder barker he is an awesome missionary and a really cool guy! i enjoyed spending a day with him! I learned alot from him, he said i was gonna be a great missionary because i have a very soft kind spirit and that will go along ways. but also on this last weekend we got our bikes stolen on saturday, we went in and taught a lesson to this gentlemen for 45 minutes and we came back out and the bikes and helmets were gone. so now we are to walking it really sucks when everything is an hour to two hour walk! so this next couple of weeks without bikes will be very interesting! i hope dad sent that bike! while we were waiting for the cops to show up to file a police report we witnessed this guy beat the crap out of this ladies car because they had a fight and as she was sitting there in it he took an arizona can and spider webbed cracked her windshield and dented the whole drivers side of the car in and the back bumper just with his body. all in the same are that our bikes got stolen. so saturday was very eventful and that was when i was with elder barker, one of our zone leaders. and sunday we were expecting that couple that will be getting baptized, to come to church and they didn't come because the girls mom flipped out, but i know eventually they will and i know itll be before i leave. i am still having fun. oh and on our way home walking we watched a snake get demolished in the road as we were walking home for an hour. lol i did alot of walking we walked so far and so much that my comp was strecthing last night before bed and i went right out and so did he and he slept on the floor until 6 am he had a sore neck. well we are still in the finding stages we have found a couple that are interested but without bikes itll be challenging but it will be worth it. i love you all, and it looks like yall are having alot of fun back at home. 

Sincerely,

Elder Durfee   

 

 This is where Elder Durfee is sleeping. 

 

First letter from Kentucky

First letter from Kentucky

its going great! yep i did! haha yeah lol. i bet i love the pictures! yes it is awesome here in kentucky! yes i do! haha sucker. yeah oh really only 8? that was short... ;) haha wow maybe thats just a sign youre getting old lol ;) yes it is i love it! haha yes they are amazing this time of year. wow, haha so am i! thats good, ok sounds good! thanks mom! i loved the package! so did you get my letter! and so far the biking is a work out! oh by the way i want my bike or should i just go buy my own here! need advice... like asap! um we got turned down by eveyone for the first couple of days and didn't start to get beter until about saturday, well friday becuase i went on a transfer with the tates creek elders and they are amazing! had a lot of fun! and they taught me how to be awkward with contacting. and now im getting the hang of how to do it and talking is coming easier. and saturday i had several that wanted return apointments and sunday we went to church and i had to give prayer after prayer because i was the new elder. and then we went out prostelyting and it was interesting stopped at a gas station and contatcted we get turned down alot but i haven't been yelled at yet. umm also he had someone yell i love the devil as they drove by while we were saying a prayer with this couple, and i recognized this guy, it was reallly weird. so i know im in the right place by having experiences like that. i love it here the humidity is getting better the biking isn't as bad, and even when you get turned down here it is very politely havent been yelled at much, knock on wood. oh did you get my letter? and i need input on bike situation, and i got your package today thank you!!! i love it! Sincerely elder Durfee

oh and my companion is really cool he reminds me alot of me and he is from idaho. lol his name is elder spaulding, 

 

yes i am! :) ok sounds great! i know right!? its crazy! yeah lol there are only two straight bike areas and we have 139 cars in this mission its crazy! and in the care missions you need a bike too so either way i needed a bike but with only two bike areas i was the only new greeny that got it lol well ive gotta go talk to yall later bye