February 23, 2015

So Monday was very interesting! We got snowed in and we were advised to not drive anywhere until Tuesday at noon. So with Mckee having come down to prepare a training with my companion they had to stay at our place until Tuesday at noon. So not a lot happened most people called and canceled.  Then Tuesday not a lot happened because our car couldn't get anywhere so we shoveled drive ways out all day! It was super awesome seeing how we were able to help, we also were going around pushing people out of parking places in driveways and off main street. Wednesday: we tried all the people we had scheduled for tuesday but none were open for us to come in so we scheduled times for us to come back this week. and we were able to finish teaching our baptismal date for the 28th so he is ready and went over the baptismal interview question with him. Then we went and tried this girl we had felt inspired to knock on and she said to come back a different day and later in day when her husband was home. so we tried her today and we were able to get in and talked to both her and her husband and they are super interested and have talked with a senior couple in the past. Thursday: we were supposed to have zone meeting but due to the horrible weather it had to be canceled. so we went out to booneville and set up a time to go back with all of them because they were all still trying to re cooperate from this snow fall. Then we went and taught the Laws and ordinances lesson with a recent convert he is 10 years old. Friday: we had weekly planning and then we went and saw an Active member that hasn't been able to come to church because she had an MRI on her knee and they had to do a lot of tests on her to see if she was gonna be able to handle the surgery they needed to do. she is getting up there in age and has diabetes and is obese so there are a lot of factors going against her I hope she can get it all straightened up and can come back to church. then we went and saw these investigators we have that the wife had just been diagnosed with breast cancer.... It was super sad but they didn't come to the door. then we went and saw another Less active and he is bed ridden due to the fact he is on oxygen and has a lot of medical issues.... then we had dinner with Elder and Sister carter. and then we went and saw these investigators that haven't been reading and we told them last time if they didn't read we couldn't meet anymore. and so we went back and they both had read!!!! It was exciting!   Saturday: we Went and saw our Baptismal date for the 28th and tried figureing out who has custody of him and the news isn't looking good. becuase he looks with his grandma and we talked to the mom she is good with him being baptized but the dad has custody and no one knows where he is..... so he might not get baptized...... It's sad because he is a super awesome kid with a super strong testimony and knows what he wants and he wants to get baptized but with out us finding his dad we can't baptize him. It is a super big test on our patience and hope and faith.. but we know that everything will work out! then we had a member of the church from Bountiful Utah come down and took us out to appointments he is doing a research project on the poorest area of the United States. We were like well this is it!  Ha Ha. but he is super excited after seeing what he has seen already. and he is basically retired he said at age 40 and is just able to travel everywhere and have fun. Sunday: we didn't think we were going to have church but our Branch President came for the first time in the last three weeks. His wife is going through Kemo and he is passing kidney stones. and we only had 7 people to church not counted me and my companion. so we had no piano and Elder Gough led the music and I said closing prayer in sacrament. and Sister Carter gave her talk but they are keeping Elder Carter for the second Sunday in March. It ended soon. but before church. the phone rang and the Branch President answered and came out and asked if one of us was Dakota and I was like yeah I am he goes well someone is on the phone for you.. I'm like is it a Utah number? he goes no it's a local number... so i pick up the phone and it was the Campton Post office and they said they had a package that is leaking red.. looks like blood. is it human blood? I'm like oh no its elk... lol so the Branch President took us to Campton and picked it up at 11 because church was done at 11:30 after starting at 10:30... lol super short. then we went and tried our appointments none were home. but one rescheduled for later that night. And we got to see this elderly lady that has three rare diseases.. and a nose bleed she is falling a part... then we had dinner with the Carter's and it was super good! Chicken noodle soup! Home made! Then we went to the appointment with the guy that rescheduled for tonight and he fed us a second dinner.... lol and we talked about him and him quitting smoking to make his baptizmal date! and set up another time to come back. So this week was full of Challenges to work on our Patience and help us to realize that everything happens in the Lord's time and way! 

Love,

 Elder Durfee

February 16, 2015

So Monday we had Preparation day!! and had a great lesson with a guy that is having confidence and decision making issues, he doesn't like commitment. Tuesday: we did had a great lesson with one of our baptismal dates we have for March!! then we went and had a lot of people that weren't home for their appointments. Then Elder and Sister Carter had us over for dinner Navajo Tacos. Wednesday: we went and saw some of our members and less actives. then we went and had a lesson with Elder Carter and Sister Carter with our baptismal date for the 28th!!! It's coming up super fast!!! Then we washed our car for zone conference! Then we had another lesson with the guy that is having commitment issues. Thursday: We had Zone Conference!!! It was super awesome! I learned so much! Then we also did some shopping at Walmart seems how we don't have one down here in Beattyville! Oh and Sister Brough picked me out of the whole zone and she was like hey Elder Durfee you are a good sport come up here, you know how to set a table right? Your mom taught you this right? I'm like no.... so she set it all out there and was like okay have at it, and just before that she talked about bugs getting into cups so to always put cups upside down, so first thing I did was take the cup and put it upside down it was funny whole zone laughed. Then I took place mat and put it down then I put plate in middle and the spoon and knife on napkin on left side and fork on right and she looks at crowd and goes does he have it right and I start shaking my head no... lol and so she goes nope he doesn't so she called my companion to come help me and he didn't know it was super fun! I love Sister Brought and President Brough and my zone!! Friday: We had weekly planning and then we went up to Campton and Brother Caputo took us out to see some people. then we came home and had some people cancel on us! Saturday: We had a mission Conference!!! We got to listen to Elder D Todd Christofferson!!!! It was awesome!! I learned a lot! He answered all of my questions with all that he talked about! Then we ate lunch with the Caters at Apple bee's.  Then we went and had a lesson with the Carter's at our February baptismal date. then we went to some investigators that weren't taking us serious and so we went to drop them and they freaked out. They are a bunch of kids and it had been frustrating teaching them because they are all about Facebook and they freaked out said the past missionaries never told them they'd stop coming by if they didn't do the commitemnts they left with them. So they promised they would do what we asked because they don't want us to stop coming. But they don't really have any desire to do anything past the day they are living in. So hopefully now that we have given them a challenge they will start progressing in the gospel and life in general! I love seeing what the gospel does in peoples lives when they take it serious! Sunday: we went to church but no one was sure that we were going to have it but the first councilor called us that morning and said he'd be there and we might only have sacrament but we ended up having a lot of people come this week with the snow! Me and Elder Gough had to give the talks this Sunday that we found out for sure we were doing 5 minutes before church started but I know that what i talked on was what needed to be said, and it went right a long with the Sunday school lesson, so I know that my talk was truly inspired. then we went and saw some more less actives that live clear out in a holler and he doesn't have a drivers licence so he can't come to church on his own. Then we went and saw another less active that is bed ridden because he is on oxygen and can't really move. Then we had dinner with the Cater's She is a super good cook! and They are super awesome, and funny. I'm glad I've gotten the ability to serve with them in Beattyville!!! Then today we got dumped snow on! and we were told no Proselyting until noon tomorrow due to snow its crazy winter finally hit!!  It's super cold! But the work in Beattyville is picking up and everyone in the mission is congratulating me for turning the area around! 

February 9, 2015

So Monday we got snow!!! we went and had a member present with the Senior couple the Carters!! They are awesome!! Then we drove to go and meet Elder Eastin our District Leader for an exchange. Tuesday: I got to drive all day first time in 4 months!! we went and dried a lot of people but we just set up a lot of appointments and found some new investigators because we did a lot of tracting. and we also went and taught one of our Baptismal dates with the carters but he wasn't feeling very well so we cut is short. then we went and tried another appointment and they weren't there so we tracted the Apartment complex and found some new investigators!!! then we met my companion and Elder Eastins companion to exchange back. Wednesday: we we went and did service breaking apart pallets, at the Habitat for humanity. Then we went and had a very awesome lesson with this investigator we picked up last week and set a baptismal date!! All inside her Beauty shop!! then we went and tried a lot of referrals we received through the media and none were home or interested or right address. then we went to a less actives for a lesson who's nephew who lives with her was recently baptized before I got here. then we went and had lesson with the Carters again with an investigator. then we went and got to know the Carters a little better I hadn't had a chance to really sit down with them yet, they are super awesome. He has a cabin, his own air plane, and some land. They invited me up to it it when I get off my mission!!! :) Thursday: The Carters came and picked us up and we went to District meeting in McKee! that road is so twisted!! then when we got home we went tracting streets. and we had a lesson with this couple that have a baptismal date! Then we went and saw Dakota Mason he is a progressing Investigator that we have that he can't ever tell us where he is gonna be, he has a tough situation it's sad... then we went out to Brother and Sister Addisons for dinner with the Carters it was super good, Chili!! then we went out to this Less active couple and ate a second dinner... He cut his leg off by falling off a tractor while pulling a chopper... but they are super awesome and all of us bore our testimonies at the end and the spirit was super strong! I can't figure out why they aren't coming to church... Friday: we had Weekly planning! then we went to this appointment and ran into Dakota again at this ladies apparently she is his aunt... but had a super speedy lesson of Restoration he's been reading the Book of Mormon and praying every night! It's crazy!! Then we went and tried some other people that ignored us.. then we drove up to Campton where we had dinner with Brother Caputo he is super funny! We scoped out Campton for us to come back this week and start covering it... Saturday:  We had every set appointment cancel on us that day! so we did a lot of tracting  then we went and tried these investigators we have but they were leaving as we got there so we went home and had dinner then we tried a few others that weren't home. Sunday: we went out and showed the Carter's where these two Less actives live that can't get to church because they live up a holler and don't have a driver's license to drive out of it... they weren't home.. so then we went home we went and tracted another street then we went and taught this family with Elder Carter, Sister Carter stayed home to cook dinner. the lesson was short so then we went home and at beef strogenoff  

Sincerely, 

 Elder Durfee 

February 2, 2015

So this week was super crazy! So Monday we had to drop one of our Baptismal dates and drop her all together because she wasn't keep her commitments, I hope that she will find the desire and have missionaries come back. Tuesday: we had a lot of people not show up for appointments, but the one kid we found Dakota we went and tried him but he lives in a bad situation and the guy is very abusive to him and so he had to turn us away and then as we were walking away the guy came to the door and yelled at us to get off his porch! Then we went and Tried contacting a referral we had got from a lady we talked to on the street and  she set up an appointment with us!!! but it was weird how we had to contact her.. we had to go into a tanning/hair salon and contact her. then we went and tried a few more former investigators that are no longer interested then we went and taught an awesome lesson with these two teenagers with the Senior Couple the Carter's there!! it went pretty good for the fact that there are a lot of distractions such as younger siblings... Then we went and talked with this guy and his wife was sleeping so we talked to him, they both have been taught in the past and he expressed to us how he wants to change his life seems how he has just had a kid and wants us to help him quite smoking, and pretty much his whole family are members... Wednesday: we went and did service at the Habitat for Humanity we tore pallets apart for them to build all sorts of things for the people that live in Lee county seems how it is a very poor county. Then we went and tried a few more former's none were interested. We had dinner at a members!!! Then we came back and walked to the church and had a good lesson with this guy that has been taught for a year and all that really needs to happen is for him to decide if this is what he wants. Thursday: we had district meeting and the roads were iced over! I'm glad we were in Elder Carter's nice Truck!! then we went and saw some Investigators and made progress. Then we went and had a lesson with this other little kid who just didn't get baptized when he was 8.. then we went and taught this guy that we taught on Tuesday and set a Baptismal date with him!! Then we went to our appointment with our other Baptismal dates that we had set and they weren't there and I got a super weird feeling then as we were walking back home they texted us and said that they don't want to meet with us anymore... :( It was super sad.  Oh and the sisters called and said they found this guy that was baptized in our branch and he wasn't taught all the lessons and no one in the branch knows him and I called the last Branch President and he said that he didn't get baptized so that was crazy! Friday: We had our Weekly planning session and then we went tracting all day pretty much and didn't find any that were real accepting... Then we went and saw some Less Actives and Members!!! To try and Strengthen what we already have in the little Branch. more like the twig says all the members of the branch. Then that night as we were planning we were trying to figure out what to do right before lunch and I was going over my planner from last transfer and a couple names popped out and it was in an apartment complex that I had just said we aren't going back to, but I felt that I needed to go try a few people. so we wrote it down. Saturday: we got up and did Mormon.org time then we had lunch and went to the Apartments that I felt like we needed to go try a few people and we knocked on one door and no one answered, then I thought lets just go home, but I got this feeling that we needed to try this other ladies door, so we went and knocked on it ( I had found her with my last companion and she didn't keep our appointment we set with her last time) but this guy opened the door and I went well she moved.... but the first thing he said was come on in!!! So we walked in! and then i heard a lady talking on the phone and she walked into the living room and it was the lady that we had contacted. When she got off the phone she said can we say another prayer like you did the last time we met? and I was like yeah sure! Well this lady had a serious drug problem she told us and got her daughter taken away and has been going to classes to get her daughter back and is wanting to find something to changer her life and is wanting to find the right gospel! So I said the prayer that she requested and then we said thank you! and she started to cry and she says you know I've been praying everyday all day for the last week super hard and she said yesterday I prayed specifically for you (she pointed at me) to come back and to pray and help me. I told her well I know that I was sent here today for a reason, because last night as we were planning for today I felt prompted to come and knock on your door. And I told her that I know Our Heavenly Father has sent me to you for a reason. and That this is the answer to you prayer. then she says i know it is! and then she says i asked the guy that was there if he had prayed this morning and he said no and he had said it 10 minutes before we got there and we were running 10 minutes late that morning.... so I know Everything happens for a reason! And after talking with her and telling her alittle about what he do as missionaries she said " would it be okay if you guys came back everyday? at about 8 o'clock?" We were like for sure! then we went and tried another guy and taught the Restoration! and then we went and taught a lesson with the kid with the carters and then we went and taught a less active. But Saturday was a very amazing day! Our Heavenly Father knows each and every one of us individually and he knows exactly what we need at the very moment that we need it! Sunday: we had church and had the biggest congregation there today since I've been here!!! 23 people!!!! counting us! and the Carters. Then we went and saw some Less active that live up this awesome Holler and this other guy and had to leave before he had us stay for the Super Bowl!!! then we went and had dinner with the Carter's she is an awesome cook!!! and we talked about what they did for fun at home and got to know them better! he owned his own plane!!! and had a cabin up on some land in Idaho! I love the Carter's!! Then is started to rain!!!! rained all night! and then we had to hurry to our appointment with the lady I felt prompted to go see Saturday but she was asleep so we will go see her today a little earlier!!! I love my mission! and It's the best thing that I have done so far in my life!!! I have learned so much and I've only been out 5 months!!! Tomorrow ;) 

Love,

 Elder Durfee