January 18, 2016

A picture from the other side of the Ohio!

Drinking so good stuff!

Here is the Canadian mascot!

This week was a very eventful week! Monday was the typical p day! Hung with the other elders had a lot of fun making time lapses! Haha but ended the night with dinner at the bishops house! His family is awesome! They are super funny! Then we went out biking in the cold.

Tuesday: so when we were in studies we were looking out the window and the snow was coming down hard! And then by the time 10 came around for us to go out it had all melted and turned into slush and water! So a messy bike ride! Lol but we pretty much spent all day biking around our appointments today all fell through! :( but we did find some cool people. We also saw bill linne this morning.

Wednesday: we were sitting in the apartment and brother nidiffer picked us up and took us to lunch at Pizza Hut! He is so awesome! He is a lot of fun! Plays slug bug! Haha we have a lot of fun! I love that guy! Then we came home and went out with brother kasteler the ward mission leader to a lesson wi one of our investigators, and it was the best lesson we had had with this investigator! She committed to come to church! Was awesome! Then we went and biked around, tried one of the ladies we set up an appointment with and a guy in there started barking at us and then yelled we no speak espanol! Haha so yeah! Then we went out with brother brown! He is so funny! We went home teaching with him!

Thursday: we had zone conference! It was awesome! Learned so much! The theme was a it how the general authorities are emphasizing the closeness of the second coming and how we need to start calling people to repentance! Because we need to try and get as many people to the truth before Christ comes again! I love the Broughs! They are so funny! President Brough has so many awesome jokes! Then we had a super crazy weird lesson with a member with our one awesome family! But they took it super well! And they are excited about their baptism! They are awesome! We also were able to meet with Matt and pheodra! Finally! I was happy to see them!

Friday: we went saw bill, then we went to the church and did some weekly planning! It was amazing! Super effective! Then we went out and tried people all day, did a lot of biking! Then we went and saw sister nall, she's so awesome! Then came home and ate dinner.

Saturday: we got up had corellation our ward mission leader fed us breakfast biscuits and gravy! Then we went and saw Blanche doss! They are awesome! I love them! Then we met with Rita! She's super awesome member! Then we went and tried a couple of people, the. Had dinner are fried chicken at dales! He's super funny! Then tried to see Austin but he couldn't! :( so we went and saw a couple of,our investigators we haven't been able to see in a while! So it was good!

Sunday: it was super awesome! We had three people,at church! And the family that came they are super solid! I love them! They are excited for their baptism! And church was a special broadcast, elder rasband, elder hales, and elder Clayton and a sister gave us some very good advice! It was a special stake conference. But then we did studies then we saw out family that we are teaching and we had a great lesson on the word of wisdom with them! He said I will do anything that is going to give me and my family a better life! They are super awesome!

I love them! I'm excited for them! Then we had a great lesson with Austin! He is super funny! Then we went out and was trying to find some referrals when we contacted this guy on the street and the contact started out good but then all of a sudden turned out to be interesting, he ended up yelling and telling us what we believe and how corrupt the church and Christianity is! It was wow! Super crazy!

He told us that everything we've heard in our lives on any aspect is all a brainwashing thing. Haha wow! It was a very interesting way to end the day!

But over all this week was super good! We got a lot done! And we are excited for all of the progress our investigators are making! As we keep pushing forward and doing the small simple things great things are accomplished!

Alma 37: 6-7

My scripture to ponderize this week is Mosiah 8:18

I love y'all and miss y'all! Hope y'all have a great week!

Love Elder Durfee

Elder Durfee. Kentucky Louisville mission

January 11, 2016

This week was a very busy, tiring, full of hard work week. So Monday was a super fun day, we did all of our normal preparation stuff, email, shop, laundry. But then we went to the car elders apartment and played settlers of catan. Then we had them take us home, and we got ready for brother Sorensen to pick us up to take us to his house for dinner. We ate chicken and rice that she prepared with a pressure cooker, was super good! The Sorensens are super awesome! I love them!

They had a bunch of funny stories about what they did for April fools last year and for that they had happen to them on their missions. We all had a bunch of great laughs! But then we had him take us home and we had our one appointment that night cancel on us! :(

Tuesday: we got up we went and saw brother Bill linne, he is super funny! But he isn't doing very good, but then we went and were biking around all day, had some interesting people today, haha but our first appointment for the day wasn't home. So we went to our second appointment and it was a super spiritual lesson! They said they are going to read the Book of Mormon! Then we tried a few more, then had a great lesson with another on of our investigators and her kids, with a member she knows from Charlestown, was a little distracted of a lesson but it went okay, she isn't too interested. :( but her kids sure are!

Haha, then we went and had dinner with one of our investigators, she took us out to Texas road house! It was super good! She is the best!

Wednesday: we had district meeting! I love this district! They are a lot of fun! I was a super giggly meeting! No one could keep from laughing, haha, but then we came home and had a member come out with us, but on our way to our appointment the lady texted and canceled! :( so we came back home and we ate lunch then we went out and tried some referrals and some people the bishop wanted us to find! But we then had an amazing lesson with this couple! They are super awesome! Was a great lesson! Then we continued finding those members, then ate some dinner, then had our other lesson of the day cancel!

Thursday: we did some weekly  planning, then we went out biking trying to find some new people to teach! We found one of our former baptismal dates and we set up a time for us to come back! Then we had a couple of appointments fall through, so we walked dales dogs, hen we talked to a couple that were former baptismal dates, and he was like yeah my wife's in the house! Let's go talk to her to set up a time for you guys to come back because we miss you guys coming around, so later that day we came back by and had an amazing lesson! Was able to set baptismal dates with them! They are an awesome couple love them! We were able to answer all of their questions and resolve all of heir concerns. Then at the end we go is there anything we can do for y'all?

And she goes yeah! When can you all come back!? It was amazing!

Friday: we went saw bill again, he almost fell when he answered the door! He isn't doing good at all! He looks horrible and is doing worse! :( had a great lesson! And then I gave him a blessing! The power of blessings are amazing! Then west up a time for us to come see another member, that by there, then we went and met with sister Davis!

She is this super cool lady! She is alittle older, and bad health, but she has a very good spirit about her! Had a great lesson on the gospel of Jesus Christ with her! Then we went to return appointment and they weren't there! So we went back and saw the member we set up to see later, then we went to the Mathis's for dinner. I love gem! They are so funny! Had a homemade chicken pot pie, and today elder benard got 3 flats! And my bikes back wheel started wobbling so had zone leaders give us one of their bikes and they took mine back to the apartment, and anyways back to Mathis's elder benard fixed this second flat of the day at Mathis's for,2 hours! The stupid patch wouldn't work!

Saturday: elder Benares third flat we got up was gonna head our and he has to fix another flat! The joys of being a bike missionary. But the.

We called Blanche she couldn't meet she was going to dinner with her son, and Rita wasn't going to be home either! So we tied a few other people, then went to our appointment with this June family well they forgot our appointment and was going to go see star wars! Haha so we went to the church for our next appointment he didn't show! :( so we biked to our next appointment he wasn't home, so we biked to dales for our dinner with Dale and the car elders he fed us Marcos pizza! It's super good pizza! Dale is so funny! But while we were there it started to rain! Hard! So we had car elders drive us to our appointment that fell through! Gave us a faulty address. So we biked home in the down pour of rain! Like it was a lot of rain! Wow! It can rain! We got home then got ready to get soaked and went out to another appointment they didn't answer the door! :( but on our way there a member from Salem branch and his dad is in our ward, picked us up in his truck and drive us to our appointment! It was awesome! I love members! They are the best! But then she wasn't there, so we flew on our bikes home to meet our ward mission leader for him to pick us is to take us to his house for coordination, and we got soaked! I mean soaked! Wow! So we got there he was waiting for us with the car elders and we went in and got changed into dry stuff, we were drenched! Took my shoes two days to dry! Haha but then went with ward mission leader and he fed us cookies and cream ice cream.

Sunday: well the rain turned into snow! So there was snow everywhere!

And pretty much shut everything down! But hey it's pretty good first snow of the year happened on January 10th! Haha car elders picked us up, and she number at church as super low but more than I thought, we helped shovel sidewalks at chrurch, then we had a great service did sacrament at the end of sacrament meeting instead of beginning because there were a lot of people running late do to traffic and bad roads!

But it was super good service! The talks were on goals, and attitude towards your goals! Then we came home did some studying! Then had brother Stephenson come out with us to see a few of our members none were home! :( so he took us home, and we dreaded biking in the ice and slick snow! But we went out and almost made it out of the apartment complex and we both almost slipped on our bikes in the ice! So we had to baby them everywhere we went so we didn't slide and die! Haha elder benard almost got hit by a car three times! And I almost fell down like 10 everytime i forgot it was slick and decided to hit my brakes a little I would almost go down or had to swerve I about went down, so we babied it! We had nothing work out tonight, and no one was out walking because it was like -10 dregrees yeah that right! We biked in

-10 degree weather! Haha takes real men to do that! Of course we had so many clothes on that we were sweating! So it was icy in our scarfs!

But this week was fairly good over all, we learned to keep diligent work and obedience to the commandments and you will see miracles worked! I love this work! I hope y'all back home are staying warm and working towards a Christ centered life. Have a great week! I love y'all and miss y'all!

Love, Elder Durfee

Elder Durfee. Kentucky Louisville mission

January, 4, 2016

So this week was a pretty good week! We had a good preparation day! We got all he little things done, then we went out biking trying to find new people to teach.

Tuesday we went and met with brother linne, he is so funny! Played trouble with him. Then we went and saw sister Davis, and gave her a blessing. Then we went biking trying to potentials, then we went and saw a recent convert Mathew turner and his wife, they are still doing great! I love them so much! Then we tried potentials, and then ended the day with seeing Karen, another recent convert.

Wednesday: we had district meeting, and one appointment called and cancelled... :( we also went on exchanges, I stayed in new Albany, We spent all day biking around, trying people. Then Dale took us out to eat at McDonald's, Then we biked around trying people until we had to go home.

Thursday: we were still on the exchange, until 12, but then we re exchanged, and we went out and tried the Appointments we had set, none were home..... So we biked and tried potentials, then we went to our second set appointment he wasn't home either..... But then we went out with Dale and had a great lesson with this guy I picked back up from being a potential hat was taught back in August, he is super awesome and is super interested and has been reading the Book of Mormon! Then we tried another investigator with Bryce barker, they were just leaving so we went home at 6 because there is no prostelyting after 6 on New Year's Eve!

Friday: we got up went and saw bill linne  then biked to church and weekly planned. Then we went and had an amazing lesson with this new investigator we found on Tuesday with brother Romney! It was a super amazing lesson! Then we went tried some of our investigators that we had to postpone their baptism and no answer. We had dinner at the Mathis's they are a super awesome family! I love them! Then we biked around and then biked home.

Saturday: we went and saw Blanche! I love her! But she isn't doing the best! :( but then we went and had a great lesson with a recent convert, thongdam viravong, she is super funny! And super hard to understand! But then we met brother Mathis at dales complex and we went out and tried a few appointments but they weren't home... .. So we had him take us back to bikes, and we tried people and we were able to set some return appointments for next week! And we were biking and saw a member was moving so we swung by and helped him move! I love moving people, it is something we almost do everyday! Haha but then we went and ate dinner at dales he made spaghetti! Then we had coorelation with him, then we went out and was trying to find new people.

Sunday: it was my 16 month mark! Wow! I can't believe it's been so long since I've been gone! It doesn't feel like it's been that long!

But we had a great fast and testimony meeting! I love this ward! The members here are amazing! I love them! But we went out and found some awesome people and was able to set up some appointments! Then we helped some ladies that flagged us down find their way to I 65. Lol we must look like we know what we are doing! Haha

But this week I almost died so many times! Well got hit, I had three people pull out in front of me! I either has to swerve or slam on my brakes so I didn't dent in their car! And then Friday I almost hit a fox! Haha it looked super cool so close up! I was within 5 feet of hitting it! It was sooo close!

This week I learned to keep pushing forward even when times seem to get super hard and things are not going your way! You need to keep moving forward because things are how you make them! So you must stay positive with everything!

My scripture I am going to ponderize this week is : Mormon 3:2. This is what we all must do!

I love you all and miss you all! But time is going by way to fast!

Love,

 Elder Durfee

Elder Durfee. Kentucky Louisville mission