Jan 12 2015

Hey everyone!

This week was a lot of fun. We are seeing a lot of progress in the sector and I am happy to see a good program getting started here. We are teaching the Vera family who is really cool! At first they seemed kind of ehh as far as interest goes but they came to church and decided that they loved it! They are not married which is basically everybody here so that could be a big problem. Up till now I have never gotten a family married even though I have tried like a hundred times, but I am hoping that this is the first. The zone is doing awesome too! If we work hard and everything works out we could hit the record for the zone this month! And it has been raining a bunch here lately! It is hot rain which is cool, but the difference between here and Quito is that there are no hills here, because of that it floods pretty bad once in a while but it has been an adventure. 

But I am liking life here a lot. As long as I dont forget to put on sunscreen everyday is a good day. Have a good week everyone!

Elder Durrant

Hey Guys!

Well I got my package and it was good. You wont be suprised that I finished the Gardettoes and Peanut Butter within a few days, it is all gone now but oh man. Your comics also made me laugh pretty hard, the artwork was done especially well in Alicia and Isaacs. My companion thought that I had the wierdest family ever when he watched me pull out a beard, a very yellow tie, and a Drake and Josh book, but he really enjoyed the Boba Fett puzzle. And I am pretty excited for my t shirt, should be a  pretty cool family pic. But I dont understand what Alicias shirt means. That story about Ian and Audrey on the moped is one of the better stories that you guys have told me on my whole mission, very funny. Well life has been pretty normal around here, not a whole lot to say but I am doing well. The Vera family is a family of 7. Cool story there. A 15 year old member brought his friend to a church activity who was a kid in the Vera family, and they gave us the reference of their step son who also came to church. That is potentially 8 baptisms and I dont think this member realizes what an affect he has made on our program here. So that was a cool part of our week

Jan 5 2015

Hey guys!

Well I have no time today. Elder Canto had a medical appointment for his toe today so thats what we were doing all day. But the hospital just happens to be in my old sector La Gasca so thats where I am now which is really cool. My new year was good, just watched the parties from my window cause we were stuck inside all day like little jail birds. Have a good week everybody!

Elder Durrant

Dec 29 2014

Hey!

So it was a pretty good week! Christmas was fun cause we ate with a bunch of memebers and everybody gave us so much candy it was crazy! I had such a fun Christmas and I was so happy to spend it with the people here. And Fransisco and some other missionaries investigator got baptized during the weekend which all went great! We also had changes this week but nothing happened to us so I will be staying here with Elder Canto. It should be a really good change coming up and I am way excited! Well it was a crazy week but I cant think of much else to say cause it was all a blur. New Years is this week which means that the cross dressers are coming out again (gulp). But I think I will be better prepared for them this year, last year I had no idea what the heck was happening. Have a good week everyone! And a happy new year!

Elder Durrant

Hey guys!

Well it was fun to talk to you even though I couldnt hear anything that well. How are things going with the banjo? What are you all doing in blanding for new years? And that sweater does look pretty dashing! I cant believe how different everybody is, I feel like things have changed a lot since the last time we skyped. I am pretty tired and that is why I cant think of anything good to write today but I am doing great. Well have a good week everybody!

AJ

Dec 22 3024

Hey guys!

Oh man this week was busy! On friday we got up at 3am and had to heard the whole zone like sheep to the north end of Quito for our Christmas zone conference with President Christensen where we learned a lot and also got fed a ton so that was great, then we got back to Santo Domingo super late and me and Elder Canto had to fit like 8 missionaries in our house cause there was no bus to their sector. So that was all a mess but a lot of fun. And on saturday we had a baptism! I dont think I ever mentioned the Cuji family because they got found before I got here, but it was fun to teach them and have them get baptized on saturday. Also we found out that Juan doesnt live in our ward and we had to pass the reference which is a huge bummer. He wouldnt quit hugging us when he found out haha, but hopefully I will get to attend his baptism when it happens. 

It is looking like it is going to be an awesome Christmas, I am so excited to be spending it with the people here cause they really know how to have a good time.

Pics- Me and Elder Canto with all the zones mail, me with Presisent and Sister Christensen, and me with a guava (it is pretty gross but it looks like a machete so I like it)

Merry Christmas everybody!

''Que os ha nacido hoy, en la ciudad de David, un Salvador, que es CRISTO el Señor!''

Dec 15 2014

Hi Guys!

Well I am starting to realize that my mission is changing my tastebuds. After a while in the mission I was so sick of rice every day that I was happy with anything that wasnt rice, but the other day my companion asked me what I wanted the mamita to give us for lunch and I said ''I dont care just as long as it has tons of rice''. I dont really know what is happening to me.

But this week was fun. Yesterday a dude named Juan came to church all by himself after being invited by a coworker and we went and taught him last night. He talks a ton (like all the old people here) but he is awesome! He loved church and he asked us ''What do I need to do to get baptized?'', such a good question. So we are excited about him and we have some other people that are progressing a lot so I am happy.

Besides that not much else is going on. Just teaching, contacting, sleeping, laughing at wierd stuff everyday, eating lots of rice, and learning lots. Life is good

Elder Durrant 

Hey guys!

Sorry I dont know when I will be skyping yet but I will let you know for sure next monday. I havent gotten my package yet and I am thinking it will get to me after christmas but that is okay. And sorry I cant send pics today, I didnt bring my camara with me today. How are things looking for Christmas? Hope it is as fun as always. I my gosh people in my class are starting to get married, that is hard for me to imagine. But moms little story made me laugh kind of hard. Hey Ian I saw a poster for gaurdians of the galaxy today, is that movie as bad as you thought it would be? haha. Thanks Alicia and Isaac, I got the letters you sent to me and they are awesome! Have a good week!

Dec 8 2014

Hey guys!

Well it was a pretty fun week. Just finding and teaching and trying to get people to come to church. This week I went on divisiones with this really old member and he took me to meet a reference which was cool. The interesting part was that the reference didnt want anything and doesnt like white people either. The member started the lesson by reading some wierd scripture in D&C and then turned to me and said ''Elder what can you tell us about this verse?'' I had to stop myself from laughing at the situation and try and devert the lesson to something more related to baptism. Then the member said that he had something really important going on and dropped me off at the church without a companion, so I had to call Elder Canto to come get me and I played rogue missionary for the next 20 minutes. So that was a pretty fun experience haha

Everyone is getting in to the Christmas spirit down here! The devotional was good even though I spent some of it trying to help a drunk dude out of the building. It is gonna be a great Christmas!

Elder Durrant

Here is me and Elder Canto on our way to Jedi Council in Quito and eating shrimp! We have lots of fun

Hey guys!

Well hope you guys are all doing great! Everybody getting pumped for christmas? It is really wierd that all these people in the ward are getting back from their missions. I really wish that I could see this flash match game, it sounds pretty funny. Which part of Ecuador was this family from? Hope you all have a great week!

Dec 1 2014

Hey everyone!

Well it was another fun week here and I am starting to get used to being covered in sweat all the time so it is not that bad. And oh my gosh the food here is so good! We eat tons of verde here and I am in heaven! And coastal people sure know how to make rice! I could seriously just eat plain rice and be happy. I have had to go back to washing my clothes by hand which kind of stinks but oh well.

 Things have been going well in the sector, there are lots of people with potential and we find lots of people. This area would have so many baptisms if it were not for the commandments. It is kind of a different challenge than I have had my whole mission. In the city the people are a lot more reluctant to try new things and really put there trust in God enough to get baptized, but once they did get to that point the commandments were not a huge problem. But here everyone is ready to listen and get baptized but nobody is willing to follow the commandments. People here never get married and often dont want to either, and everyone drinks. Our investigator that was gonna get baptized last saturday disapeared off the face of the earth last week and we finally ran into him again yesterday... and he was drunk as a skunk. So it has kind of been an interesting change but it is teaching me lots of new things.

 The zone is pretty fun to, there are no sister missionaries here so it can be kind of hard to get the elders to not act like children sometimes but they are working hard and having lots of success. Also, Elder Abarca (my companion in the mtc) is one of the district leaders in the zone so it has been fun to work with him again, it has been forever since I have seen him. 

Life is good! Here is some pics of me and my companion at a ward activity and some friends that got into our house a few nights ago.

Elder Durrant

Nov 24 2014

Hey guys!

This place is sweet! This letter might be just a list of things that I love about my new area so here it goes. It is very similar to the idea that I had about Ecuador when I opened my mission call. It is so dang hot and humid here! I was about to die the first couple of days but I think that I am getting used to it. Our shower only makes cold water but I wouldnt use hot water even if we had it. And there are lots of bugs here, a cockroach tried to crawl up my pants the other day and that was freaky, but I stayed manly and didnt scream. And some parts of the sector are total jungle! I attached pics. Can you believe that I am here cause I sure cant. Everybody here is super friendly and it is really easy to talk to people here. And there is always regatón blasting in the streets. I am leaving the dream! 

Elder Durrant 

Well I am loving my new sector and I hope that I dont get sent back to the city ever again. Although yesterday I was pretty sad in sacrament meeting looking around at all the members and missing the members from La Gasca. Sunday was always my favorite day there because I was such good friends with so many of the members and I missed them all a lot this week. But I am getting adjusted really fast to the new ward. My new comp is really funny and I will have to make a list of all the things that he has done to make me laugh, he is kind of a serious person but he makes me laugh without trying. That bassoon guy must be going out of business if he is calling me. That is cool that Jenika is going to the north mission, they have tons of stuff that I want to see Esmeraldas, Otavalo, Coca, ect, it will be cool. Alicia is getting a pet bat! Now we need a cave and a really big motercycle. And OH MY GOSH Lifehouse is coming out with a new album! That is great because Jason Wade said that they were splitting up on facebook forever ago. Do you know if it is just him doing stuff by himself or if they are together again? Yep unless something wierd happens I am pretty sure I will have one more area after this one. About 5 months ago in an interview I had with president he told me that I would most likely finish my mission training. I am very excited to go back to doing that and I am considering telling him which area I want to finish in. So that will be fun. Hope you all have a good week!

AJ

Nov 17 2014

Hey everyone!

This week was fun. We found a lady named encarnacion who prayed about the message we share and she had a dream that her husband who died a few years ago told her to keep listening, so that was pretty cool. And Rosa got baptized! She is such a cool person. She grew up as an orphan in the streets because her dad died when she was a baby and her mom died when Rosa was 7 on Christmas day, so she really doesnt like Christmas. She is still going through lots of family problems but even through all of that she is such a happy and positive person. I have learned a lot from her story and I dont know if I have ever seen anyone so set on getting baptized. So that was pretty cool.

Sunday was really hard because I had to say goodbye to La Gasca. All of the members there are so incredible and I have never felt so close to a ward before. It has always been kind of sad to leave sectors but I have never really felt like I did yesterday. My new sector is in (intense pause) Santo Domingo! Whoo! I am finally going to the coast! It is going to be very different than what I am used to because I have been in the city/mountains my entire mission. I am sweating buckets right now and everyone is telling me that it is a cold day, should be fun. My new comp is Elder Cantos from Peru and he seems like a great guy. I am really gonna miss Elder Caceres because he and I got along great, he had such a similar personality to mine that it was freaky.

Well life is good!

Elder Durrant

I really want to see this intersteller movie. How have things been going in Utah? Cold? I have a feeling this is going to be my hottest Christmas ever, but I am way excited to finally be out of Quito, I really loved all my sectors there but I needed a change of scenery. Alicia I have always wondered what you guys do on all of these seceret getaways to salt lake, you never tell us. And by the way I need my social security number soon because if I dont send it I will get fined. Just send it to me in pieces so it is not all in one email. I am kind of interested as to what might be in my christmas package, Thanks guys!!

Nov 10 2014

Hey guys!

So this week was really great. I feel like this happens a lot but during the week it was setting up to be a pretty low week but then during the weekend really good stuff started happening as always and things worked out great. We had a zone conference again and I felt like it went really well, I dont get near as nervous as I used to for those so that is great. I also did divisions with Elder Villca (my step dad) and it reminded me a ton of the beggining of my mission. And during the weekend we had stake conference which was awesome! The stake president here is awesome, and President and Hermana Christensen and the counselor in the Guayaquil Temple Presidency also came with his wife, so it was pretty much as cool as Generel Conference. The church was so full it was crazy. 

Our investigators are doing really well. Rosa is doing great and we have a few more people that came to church and are progressing. Even though we havent been getting a lot of lessons lately I have been really happy with the things that we have been doing and very grateful for Gods help. Just when I think that everything is falling apart it all somehow works out, every single week.

Elder Durrant

Crap, well now that you all know that I bumped my head, it only hurt for a few days but now I am totally normal, I think I might just have wolverine healing powers. I am way excited to see this Intersteller movie so you can send that to me for christmas and I will watch it on the dvd I bought here, haha just kidding. Honestly I really dont care what I get for christmas this year so just throw in whatever you want and I am sure that I will be happy. Well hope you all have a great week!

Nov 3 2014

Hey everyone!

This week was pretty fun. Actually it was really hard to get lessons because it is Cuencas independence day this week or something like that so that means party all week long! But Rosa is progressing a lot. I dont think that I have ever mentioned her but she is a really old indígena lady who really likes the Book of Mormon even though she cant read (we have to read to her) and has been coming to church like every week lately. So that is pretty cool but other than that we are just looking for new people. Romelia and Darwin are doing great! Darwin got the priesthood yesterday and Romelia invites like all of her neighbors to church all the time! I dont think they realize it but, recent converts are some of the best missionaries that exist. For them it is something so new and it doesnt seem to be as difficult for them to share the gospel as it is for the rest of us. Pretty much exactly what Elder Bednar explained in his talk last conference, ''wanting to share what had helped them when they were hurt''. So that is what has been on my mind this week, along with latino music... it is really starting to grow on me a lot. 

We went to the Basílica today which is a really big church. So here are some pics!

Elder Durrant

Hey guys! Sorry that everybody is sick. Happy birthday Isaac! I didnt forget I just had the same thing happen as last week with mom. Last night I had a freakishly vivid dream that I was finishing my mission and me and Elder Villca got permision to go back to Vista Hermosa for a day and visit converts. We just found out that a man we found contacting who was a 20 year less active and his records had not been in that ward is now the 2nd counselor of the Vista Hermosa bishopbric, he never went to church once while I was there. So that is pretty cool. Here is a pic of the two of us, if you compare the pics from when we were comps you can see how much weight he has lost and how much I have gained.

Oct 27 2014

Hey guys!

Well this week was kind of an adventure. It has been raining a ton lately, I know I always say that but holy cow I am now working while wearing my sweater, my big matrix coat, my waterproof shoes, and my umbrella, and I somehow still get soaked. And it is the coldest rain ever!! It feels like ice when it hits you. But despite the weather it was still an awesome week. During the week it was really hard to get lessons because everybody is either studying or working so as far as lessons go it was one of the lower weeks that I have had. On sunday things really werent looking good but then our investigators started being awesome and just popping into church all on their own, me and Elder Càceres could barely believe it. So it turned into a great week again and I feel like God gave us a freebee on this one. 

Well october really is a great time to be on the mission in Ecuador. SInce our whole sector is pretty much dirt roads this place is just a big mudhole right now and on the way to an appointment the other day we ran into a spot on the road that had been turned into a 1 and a half foot deep mud lake and had to get really creative when we crossed (hay un barco por acá?). We always have fun with it. I really love it here. 

It is also gua gua de pan season, yay! Happy halloween everyone!

Elder Durrant

Hey guys! Hey I need a favor. The church is doing this thing to the gringos here and I need my social security number, I did have it memorized a long time ago and now I dont. But anyway, how have things been going back home? How was moms birthday? I promise I didnt forget mom I just forgot to include it in my letter last week and didnt realize until a few hours later. But I hope you had a good 35th birthday! Nope meet the mormons is not really a possibility here and I am still kind of confused as to what it even is. We have stake conference coming up here in La Colon and I am pretty excited. The stake president here is probably almost as good as dad. Have a good week!

Oct 22 2014

Hey everyone!

This week was great! On friday it rained really hard and then it started hailing! It all got clumped up and I felt like I was in Utah again because it looked like snow! So it has been pretty cold around here but we are having a lot of fun! Romelia and Darwin got baptized on saturday and it was a really interesting service. Romelia has another kid who is four years old and is absolutly crazy! He pretended to be a character from Dragon Ball Z the whole service and almost jumped in the font with his mom. But he loves Me and Elder Caceres and always attacks us everytime he sees us. But everything went well and it was a great baptism!

Then today we did a zone activity and it was a blast! We went to an obstacle course type place and it felt nice to run around until we got tired. Some of the missionaries in this zone are so funny that I laugh my head off everytime that I am with them. Time is going by so fast and I am having a blast!

Thanks for everything!

Elder Durrant

Sounds like you guys had a good vacation. I feel like that is all you do now that I am gone but I guess you only write about the interesting stuff. Glad that you finally went on crimson trail, did you see the spot where it happened? Where are these pics that were taken especially for me? Ian, yes No Name Face was the right answer but I guess that I can see where you are coming from. You all will be suprised to know that I finally sent the darn letter that I wrote forever ago. I couldnt find a post office, and then I couldnt find a big enough envelope, and then when I did find an envelope I didnt have the pics that I was going to send. But I finally sent it so there! And I dont think that Poco can be as bad as the dogs here, I have been bitten like four times in this sector. Hope everything goes well with the conference this week. This week I had to capacitate our zone in front of president which made me pretty nervous but I feel like it all went well. Laters!

Oct 13 2014

Hey yall,

It was a pretty fun week. We have now officialy hit winter here in Ecuador which means it rains all day everyday, and it is cold! When I opened my call I thought that I was going to one of the hottest missions on the planet but I was very wrong. So now I am like always wet but it is alright because I still love rain. Things with Elder Càceres are going well, he is a really official, down to earth kind of guy but also know how to have a lot of fun. Last night in a noche de hogar we started laughing uncontrolably over something and couldnt stop during the last hymn and we were both trying to hold it in during the prayer. The members thought we were a bunch of wierdos but we had fun. 

And I dont know if I have ever mentioned Romelia and Darwin before in letters but they are some investigators that are doing really well. I actually taught Darwin way back when I was with Elder Bustamante but he didnt want anything. But then Romelia (his mom) was given to us as a reference like three weeks ago and we taught her, but she really didnt want anything either. But then they both must have felt the spirit or something because they both just showed up to conference all by themselves and they are now progressing a ton! And they gave us a sweet reference that also is progressing! So that was pretty cool.

We also changed houses this week so now I am living in a brand new house with lots of shiny new appliances, we were living in a lot of disorder for a while though. This week we have three zone conferences, I dont know who decided that but it should be a busy/fun week!

Elder Durrant

The halloween costumes look great! I knew what D and Rob were right of the bat, I am still a little confused about what Aaron and Teresas family is, and you guys' kind of freaked me out. I think halloween for me now means lots of rain, colada morada, and guaguas de pan. Is it real that Amelia and Josh got engaged after only 2 weeks?! Holy crap. My new comp. is great, I hope that President puts me with the other two argentinans in the mission so that I could have the whole collection. Actually I was with one of the others for like 4 days because he was showing me around Oriente Quiteño. So if that counts then I have 4/5. Here is a pic for you all to enjoy. And another with my 3 argentino (and some of my best) companions, Elder Villca, Copa, and Càceres.

Oct 6 2014

Well this week was a really good one, I learned a ton. We worked really hard and had a few really good lessons and it was cool, and we had a really good projected attendence for general conference but then nobody was showing up which was really depressing me, but then all the sudden people we didnt even think were coming started showing up and everything worked out really well. It was awesome. General Conference was really good to. I loved the new thing they have started doing with the languages and it reminded me a lot of The Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. The gospel really cannot be stopped by any barriers (including language which was such a huge barrier for me at the beginning of my mission) and it will always find a way. Even though Elder Wong was speaking a language that not many people know everyone still got to hear it in their own language (except for me because I had to watch the conference in spanish, but that is ok because I got to watch the two spanish talks in spanish which was way cool).

Then it was time for Elder Christensen to go home and I was way sad when it was all over, he was an excellent companion. And it was change day today, the time when I really hate being a zone leader, but my new companion is Elder Caceres from Argentina which is really cool because he is my 3rd comp from Argentina out of only 5 in the whole mission. He seems like a way cool guy and speaks pretty good english so we will practice a lot. I am excited for this next change!

Pics- I am developing hobbit feet!!

          Me and Elder Christensen

         

 Its wedgie time!!! That made me laugh pretty hard. The talks that really caught my attention were Elder Wongs, Elder Bednars, Pres. Eyrings in priesthood, Pres. Uctdorfs in priesthood, and as always everything that Pres. Monson says. And Ian I have a very importent question for you.. What is your favorite Lifehouse album? There is a correct answer here. Also have you looked up there unrealesed stuff from back when their band name was blyss? It is way good.

Well hope you all have a great week!

Well I have thought about almost all of those factors. I actually get home at the very end of July because of transfer days not lining up so I plan on jumping right in when I get home. I would also still love to have that Kater Shop job so that is not a problem. If you guys are to come it wouldnt be a ton that we would do. I would try to narrow it down to two or three sectors that I want to visit and maybe going to the temple in Guayaquil and that is it. That way we could get back quick and see everybody else which is all I would really want. But it is something that I really want to do because of the people that I would be able to visit again. Well that was sort of a trunky letter but there you go. Thanks for everything! Two twins marrying two twins huh? Does Ian really look that much like me?

Sept 29 2014

Hey everyone!

This week was fun! We have been finding lots of new people and I sometimes cant believe how much the ward members do here, it is awesome. We found some new people that came to church this week and I am pretty excited for them. The big family of nine couldnt come this week but they are reading the Book of Mormon and seem pretty excited still so that should be good. Our converts are all doing great! Paying tithing, fasting, getting us references, all the things that a solid member does. Orlando and Kenneth have both shown huge desires to serve missions which makes me so happy, it has always been one of my goals to baptize a future missionary and one man it feels great! 

Well my companion is going home this next week and oh man it is wierd! When I met him he had my time in the mission which does not seem like it was that long ago, time is going by so fast! I am really gonna miss him but I am happy that I get to stay in this ward for another change. It is gonna be sweet!

I am excited for conference next week! ''My dear brother and sisters! (mis queridos hermanos y hermanas...)''

Elder Durrant

Sorry for the short letter last week, it really was just cause we didnt have a lot of time. haha

But I am glad that things are getting put back together finally, sort of. I probably will not recognize the house when I get back. I have been talking a lot with my companion lately and I am wondering... what happened to that old old nintendo that we used to play Mario and Contra on? I really dont know but I would like to. That is pretty cool about Curtis and Riley being comps right? I am excited to see you guys halloween costumes this year, your last year ones were really good. I cant believe it is already october, I feel like I was just barely in Vista Hermosa which I have really been missing a lot. But I am way excited for guagua de pan season again! Whoo! It really is going to make me remember the beggining of my mission a lot. Time is going by faster everyday.

I have been putting some good thought into it and sorting out all of the pros and cons.. but I do want to be picked up at the end to visit old areas. I feel like in the end that will be the thing that I would want to do most. Just so you guys know. Have a good week

Sept 22 2014

Well it was a pretty good week. Not a whole lot to tell I guess except that on saturday we found a family of nine that came to church! Whoo! They seem pretty cool and I am excited to see how they progress. The Guanaluisa family also came to church but after sacrament meeting they took me out and said that they dont want anything which was lame, but we went over that night with the Guanotasig family and tried to turn things around. It didnt really work but it was cool to see the Guanotasig family bare their testimonies so much. I also ran into a tarantula this week which scared me to death. But it was a pretty great week! Sorry that I dont have much time today.

Elder Durrant

Sept 15 2014

Hola,

Well it was a pretty cool week. We finally found some people that will progress and I am way excited. It is a family of 5 named the Guanaluisa family and it was really cool how we found them. Both Carlos and Edwin (our two recent converts) came and did visits with us and Carlos took us to meet his cousin who actually turns out to be one of Edwins good friends. Coincidence? In my experience I dont believe in coincidences, Edwin kept calling it a miracle. They seem really excited and have really liked the church from what they have seen. They also gave us a reference last night of their sister who seems aweosme also. So things have been going pretty well in that area of the work this week.

But the really cool thing this week was what happened yesterday. Me and Elder Christensen had our monthly meeting with the stake president and we were just about to leave when we had the idea to take Carlos Guanotasig with us since he was just kind of waiting around in the church doing nothing. So we took him and the President let him sit in on the meeting and we talked about the stake needs and programs and lots of boring stuff like that, but then at the end he started baring his testimony and talking a lot to Carlos. I learned a lot of things yesterday from him and I know Carlos learned a lot of things that would actually stick with him for the rest of his life so that was pretty cool. I dont really see Carlos going inactive any time soon now. And we also went to the teleférico today so here is some pics of me trying to be cool but realizing that I dont have good balence. Have a good week everyone!  

Elder Durrant

Hey guys,

Sounds like it was a good week for all of you. Audrey is still the golden child aparantly but that is ok, I think that we have all accepted it. I didnt eat that entire pizza in one sitting but I got really close. It was the first time in my whole mission I was able to eat pizza until I was full of it. I am glad Mr Perkes is still doing his best to cause trouble for every durrant he sees. Alicia sounds like she is getting good at volleyball and Isaac sounds like he is going to invent something really revolutionary someday. And I cant believe that Ian is only 15 and has a dang iphone, that is not riiight. This list is written for Ian but I will send it to all of you since it is really good stuff. I tried to do a top 5 but it was too hard so here is a top 10.

Sept 8 2014

Hey guys!

Well it was a pretty fun week. The only bad part is we baptized all of our good investigators (who are all doing great) so now we have to go find more. It has been kind of tough but we have found a couple of people who can hopefully progress. I just wish that I could get the weekly process mastered so that we didnt have to go on a big investigator hunt after we baptize people and not have anything for like the next forever, that is what we are always telling the zone to do but maybe we are hypocrites because we dont even really do it well ourselves sometimes. But we are going to hit really hard this week too and I am hoping for a lot of success. We had Jedi Council and a Zone Conference this week which means I had to do a lot of talking in front of people, I still really dont like doing that but I feel like I have gotten a lot better at it since the beginning of my mission. And the morning before Jedi Council me and Elder Christensen decided to get up early and make brownies cause we had lots of ganas to eat something American, but I dont know what happened cause they turned out looking pretty bad, so we tried to freeze them but after like two days they were still all liquidy and gross, but we still found good use for them. In the zone conference we talked about doing things according to the Lords will and not our own cause if we do things according to our own will they might end up looking like a bag of bicicleta. I still have the bag in the frige and I am going to try and fry it to see if it makes chocolate pancakes or something.

Another crazy thing that happened was I experienced like the 4th dog attack of my mission. We were walking around on the street trying to find a lost member when like 5 dogs ran out of a house right for us and they were not bluffing. But they all ran right past me and started attacking Elder Christensen but he took them all out without getting a scratch. But one them got a drive-by bite on me which was dumb. I hate dogs. It turns out that the member we were looking for was the owner of those little devils. Life is really good here! Happy birthday Ian! You are so old! 

And we bought pizza after scrimping for two weeks. Totally worth it

Elder Durrant

Sept 1 2014

Well it was quite a busy week and was full of a lot of unexpected events, but it ended really great with a noche blanca! The rest of the Guanotasig family got baptised and also the Perez family got baptized! The Perez family was a part member family that we found like a month ago and they were the most golden investigators that I have ever had, I dont know if I have mentioned them in past emails but they are awesome! And the Guanotasig family ran into quite a bit of opposition this week but it all worked out in the end. Saturday night was awsome! The ward gave us so much support and everything went as smooth as almond butter! So now our program is gone and we have got to find more people, we have been finding a lot lately but all the people we find dont really want anything, so we are going to be focusing on that more than anything this week and I am way excited. This week really made me grow a lot and I am ready to take the things I learned and move foward. On saturday night I got reminded of how great this work is because I had the opportunity to do what Jesus sent his apostoles to do, baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Sometimes I forget how incredible that really is, and how lucky I am to actually be a part of it. 

Elder AJ

Aug 25 2014

Yesterday I was so nervous about the changes, but it turns out that I am staying! Yay! And since I am going to kill off Elder Christensen that gives me at least two more changes here and I couldnt be happier. The ward is growing a ton and we actually had to open up the curtain yesterday, it was sweet! I think one of the thing that makes this ward so great is the YSA. It is huger than I have ever seen in any ward here and they do a ton. Orlando has like a million really strong friends in the ward because of them and they canceled their trip to the beach this upcoming saturday to come to the baptism and make a choir. Such awesome people! The rest of the zone had a lot of changes and my two Oriente Quiteño companions (Elder Hall and Elder Copa) are now in the zone, I love those guys! Excited for divisions!

People were saying that an 8.2 earthquake was going to come but I never felt anything. But then again everyone is saying that Cotopaxi is going to blow and Quito will be the next Pompeii like any day now, so I am not too worried. But if I was to die I could die happy right now. Just kidding Mom, everything is fine here.

Thanks for everything everyone! You are all super chevere!

Dad-  Glad to hear it is raining in the desert, It still hasnt rained in this area

Mom- I kind of thought that you had given up on spanish, to practice with my companion I am telling him the story of Star Wars (all six episodes) in spanish with great detail, it really helps with vocab. You could try that!

Audrey- Sounds like you are super busy, but I hope that life is good

Ian- I was so confused when dad told me I had a cousin that I didnt know about
Alicia-  Hope you are enjoying 6th grade, it is a great year

Isaac- Glad to hear you are branching out, did you try samari?

Este pais es un paraiso, y este evangelio es verdadero

Elder Durrant

Aug 18 2014

Hey everyone!

Yes I did feel the earthquake, actually a few, but I am not dead. There has been like 5 this week but only one of them was big. When it started I was talking on the phone with one of the assistents who was on the other side of Quito and he said ''Holy crap! Can you guys feel that?!''. All the windows and buildings were shaking pretty bad for like 10 seconds but that is about all that happened. Pretty cool

It was another incredible week here. Yesterday was awesome! The churched was packed and we had a very spiritual meeting. All of out investigators are doing really well and I think right now I have the biggest program that I have ever had on my mission. Afterward we went on divisions to get in lots of appointments and Orlando got to be my companion for a day. He is going to be such a solid missionary, he just has to share his baptism experience with any investigator and they have more desire to get baptized.

Life is so good right now! Actually it is pretty much perfect. But changes are next week and I dont really know what to expect. If I leave this area I am going to be devestated to be honest, it has easily been my favorite so far and I do not want to leave. Kind of wierd that my favorite area has been one in the heart of the big city, but it is really starting to feel like my home.

Pics
-Me and Orlando on divisions

-Me and Quito

Thanks for eveything! Life is good and the gospel changes lives

Elder Durrant

Hey guys! Sounds like it has been a good week. I just hope when I get home I still have clothes after what Ian has been doing. I am kind of sad that Audrey dropped out of cross country but oh well, exec. will be fun too. Alicia will have a lot of fun in middle school and Isaac will keep being himself. Well I havent got much to say about myself cause anything I can think of is probably in that letter I am writing. I am also procrastinating it quite a lot but I promise it will get to you before I come home (maybe, that time is coming up faster than I can really control). Thanks for everything! And I hope Melissa improves!

AJ

Aug 11 2014

Hey Guys!

Well it was a really good week, like better than usual! For starters Orlando got baptized and man was it an adventure! We finally got in with the parents after forever (I dont know if I mentioned this when it happened but they got separated a while ago) but we went over like an hour before Orlandos baptism to teach those 3 (Kenneth is in Guayaquil until later in the week). We showed them together forever which is a cheesy 80s church video that I always made fun of but it worked magic. We had a really spiritual lesson and Orlandos dad got pretty emotional and accepted baptism for the first time ever, they were both so happy for Orlando and so blown away by how ironic it is that he was the first in the family to get baptized, the gospel really can change people. So they came to the baptism and loved it, and they have decided to stay together and save their marriage.

The only problem was that the font didnt work, so we were frantically filling it up with buckets right before the baptism and it was freezing! My legs were hurting afterword but Orlando didnt even care. While we were getting dried off in the bathroom he told me he didnt even feel cold, he said that when he came out of the water he felt as if he had left his old life behind and was a different person, then he asked me ''Is that what the spirit feels like?'', such an easy question but it made me think a lot. Then after the baptism he bore his testimony and got pretty emotional too, it was a pretty powerful day. Tons of people came to church yesterday including Orlandos parents for the first time and I couldnt have been happier.

Life has been incredible lately, and it really is going by so fast. My companion is starting to make me realize just how fast it does go by, he was one of my zone leaders at the beginning of my mission which feels like it was practically yesterday, and now it looks like I am going to kill him. The mission is like a time machine or inception or something like that. It is just awesome. 

Ya that letter is gonna be a little late, I never have any time to right letters anymore but it is slowly getting done. A year ago today I was giving my farewell talk and saying goodbye to a billion people. It is wierd how fast the time has gone. And they say the next year goes even faster. Sounds like you had an awesome time in seattle and everyone else had fun partying while you werent there. Elder Grow speaks perfect spanish, I really hope I can speak like that when I am an old person. I bought a BoM in Kichwa a while back but it is nothing like spanish, my comp. actually knows quite a bit because he got to serve in the Otavalo for a while, I only know how to say ''gimme some skin!''. Hope you all have a good week!

Aug 4 2014

It was a really good week! Except for I think I have fleas.... that has been a lot of fun. But I am really happy anyways! Our investigators are doing really well and I am really loving this sector, it is full of hills but the people are so awesome. I am having lots of fun with my companion too, he is a really good cook and he is teaching me all the good tricks. But I still have quite a ways to go in that area.

And this week was full of meetings with Elder Grow who is a member of the seventy who came to the mission this week. I got to go to a leaders meeting with him on thursday and two more meetings on friday. It was incredible! I really feel like I recieved a lot of revelation and I came out with a big list of things that I need to get better at as a missionary. I thought I understood my purpose as a missionary before but he really made me understand it a lot better. The meetings really made me think back a ways about why I came on a mission, whatever the reason is I am glad that I did. 

Well, thats what is going on. Thanks for the package Grandma! My old sweater is getting pretty streched.

Dad- That new Bear Grylls show sounds awesome

Mom- That is a fear of mine, but there are not any sharks in Ecuador

Audrey- Well sounds like you had a boring week, haha

Ian- You have wierd fever hallucinations

Alicia- Enjoy that uniqueness!

Isaac- I hope you let me live in your mansion when you are a millionare

The church is true.

Elder Durrant

July 28 2014

Hey Everyone!

It was a pretty good week as usual, Elder Bustamante left this week and I spent all of friday running him to the station and then picking up my new companion, Elder Christensen, he is from Boston and he was already my ZL for a really long time so I know him really well, I am really excited. He is almost dead but is pretty much the least trunky person I have ever met.

And Orlando went to a young-adult campout thing this weekend and seemed like he had a really good time but also looked like a zombie because he didnt sleep at all because church activities are serious parties here. But those guys are all still doing really well. I have really loved how much this ward helps our people here, it is sometimes crazy because the investigators have to cancel appointments with us because they are playing soccer with the ward members, it is pretty cool. 

Time is going by so fast it is scary! And I have had to start accepting the reality that I am starting to gain weight again... and not the good kind. I am now back to where I was before the mission because these people feed us so much. But I just have hope that someday I will get called to the Oriente and stop this from happening, I will not go home fat! That is my worst fear.. well it is at least in the top 10

Love you all!

El evangelio es verdadero

Crap I miss flyboarding a ton! But not too much, you guys always hint in your letters that you think that I am homesick and miserable. But I am not trunky yet, I still have lots to do and I am glad I still have over a year to do it. Thanks for all your support! You guys are the best and I love hearing about what is happening in your lives. You are all changing a lot, just like me, but at the same time not really.

July 21 2014

Hola,

Well this week was a lot of fun and went by really fast. The Familia Guanotaxig with Orlando and Kenneth are doing good but didnt come to church because the mom (Jenny) is having surgery, so we hope everything goes well with that. I havent seen the dad (Carlos) in like 3 weeks but I have heard he is all for Orlando going on a mission. This family is really good, I think it will just take a while for them to get baptized. Orlando always gets frusterated when we have to push his date back which is a really good sign, and Kenneth still makes me laugh my pants off everytime I talk to him.

Also, this week all the new missionaries came in and me and Elder Bustamante got asked to capacitate them. It was fun! Since a lot where from the states they didnt understand any spanish, so I had to do my capacitation in both spanish and english and translate for Elder Bustamante during his capacatation. I love spanish.

And the lame thing of this week is that I was in divisions with members like all week because Elder Bustamante was in and out of the hospital for his knee which has been having lots of problems. But he is now officially getting pulled out of this sector because it has too many hills and his knee will only get worse. So I will be getting a new companion but I dont know who it is yet. That is two companions in a row that I have had for less than a transfer and both have been companions that I have gotten along with really well. But oh well, I am happy to stay here, I really love this sector (but someday I will get out of the city!).

Also I checked a goal off the bucket list this week. For a service project we had to build a roof, so we all got machetes and chopped down trees in the forest and then carried them across a big bridge that goes over a really over-grown jungle looking thing and then built the roof. It was sweet! I once mowed a lawn with machetes but it didnt feel nearly as cool.

Pics- 1.Us with Orlando when he went on visits with us

         2. We found a new investigator, I think he will get baptized!

Thanks for everything everyone!

El evangelio es verdadero!

 Maybe? Im pretty sure I discovered of Monsters and Men! Kenneth is so much like Ian it freaks me out, and I always tell him that. I love Orlando and Kenneth so much, I really wish I could just spend all day with them and I feel really bad that my comp. because he wont be here for their baptism. And is curtis sending out a big email? Tell him to put me on it. My year mark is coming up so fast it is freaky! Actually I have just been telling people I have a year for the last week because 11 months just sounds so trunky. That letter I promised might be late but just because I am writing that funny story I promised with very juicy detail.

July 14 2014

Hello!

So this week was fun, and filled with divisions! We did divisions with all the DLs in our zone and the Assistents and a few of the members! So I have had like 10 companions this week. I learned lots of good stuff and I really like doing divisions.

Also Orlando (who is the 19 year old kid I mentioned) is awesome! He told us that before he met us he didnt even believe in God, but now he wants to go on a mission! He has even come on a few visits with us to see what it is like. And his brother (Kenneth) is the funniest kid ever, it is really bad because he made me go into a laughing fit during a lesson and it was pretty distracting, he really is an Ecuadorian Ian. The parents didnt come to church and we dont know why, but one thing I have learned is that no baptism comes without a million problems too.

Besides that not a whole lot to talk about. Still having fun, still hate dogs, and still love the work! Thanks everybody!

Familia,

Dad- That game is way more complicated than I realized. And I didnt get any stake pres. letter

Mom- I keep waiting for somebody to get called to Ecuador

Audrey- How were the rapids?

Ian- I want to hear more about this waterbed experience

Alicia- I actually really like the smell of coffee too

Isaac- I never did get good at those far corner shots

El evangelio es verdadero!

Elder Durrant

July 7 2014

Hey Everyone!

Well my first week in this new sector was pretty fun. But going into my third experience of opening up a sector I have realized that I dont like it.. I am always lost haha. But the sector is beautiful and the members are pretty cool, but a few of them are a little anti-gringo but they are starting to warm up to me. Elder Bustamante is awesome, he has a very funny sense of humor and he is teaching me a lot. 

We found a super solid family this week! The 19 year old son was a reference who didnt seem to interested at the beginning, but turns out he prayed like we asked him to and he knows it is true! His parents saw such a big change in him that they wanted to take the lessons too, the mom is absolutely sure she wants to be baptized and the dad has a few doubts but I know he will come around. The 12 year old kid is so much like Ian it freaks me out, they have the excact same sense of humor. But they didnt come to church for some lame reason I cant remember, but it will happen. Only the first week and we have a solid investigator family, whaat?

I have a feeling I am really going to like this new sector. Change calls are this week but I am pretty sure that I am not going anywhere haha. I am really looking foward to growing to love La Gasca and all of the people in it just as much as I have in my previous areas.

Pics- Me and a big Ecuador, and me and Elder Bustamante playing with my birthday present. That pic pretty much describes his personality

Fam,

Dad- That pic was the most hilarious thing that you have ever sent.

Mom- You say that you are getting rid of the pool every year but it never happens

Audrey- You always have the most entertaining letters

Ian- haha, I dont even know what to say

Alicia- Keep robbing stores with Audrey

Isaac- Taking on the flying dutchman, I was always too chicken

The gospel is true!

Elder Durrant

June 30 2014

HI Everyone!

Well this last week was definetly an adventure. After the crazy awesome experience with Luis we were ready to get Mariana ready for this week. On wednesday the first thing out of her mouth was ''I do not want to get baptized'', it freaked me and Elder Copa out but we fought hard and finally pulled out the reason she didnt want to be baptized and had a super duper spiritual lesson. We reinvited her three times and she said no but we didnt give up, the fourth time it was quiet for like 10 seconds and she finally sighed and said ''I have never wanted to be baptized, but based on what I feel I know I have to''. Yet another miracle, I am starting to feel spoiled. Luis is just awesome, his goal is to read the Book of Mormon twice before the year is over and he baptized Mariana. It was perfect... except for when I got emergency changed on friday... the day before the baptism.

So my experience in Oriente Quiteño came to a pretty unexpected end but more on that later. It just so happened that Mariana needed another interview in the mission offices on friday so we got to go down with her and Luis. She had her interview and everything went well, then I got to say goodbye to Luis and Mariana before they headed back to the sector with Elder Copa. It was super sad, I really didnt expect it to be so hard, but they told me to come back and visit at the end of my mission and I said I would do everything possible. I ran into some missionaries from my old district today and they told me the baptism went perfectly and that there kids are finally taking the lessons which never happened while I was there. That family is incredible.

Anyways I am now in La Colon zone, it is brand spanking new and everybody is opening up sectors. My new comp. is Elder Bustamante from Peru and we are the first Zone Leaders in Colon, he is so much fun and I am learning a ton from him. I have opened up two sectors on my mission but never a zone, it is kind of nuts and I havent gotten a whole lot of sleep in the past couple of days, but I am having fun! I have never been so close to the center of Quito before, these people are loaded!!

Anyways that was my week. And I turned 19! That was pretty cool I guess... I pretty much spent my whole birthday running around Quito in really hot buses and talking to a bunch of people on the phone while not really knowing what the heck I was doing, so it was a great birthday. Thanks for the present family! It is the only one I have gotten so far but thanks anyways grandma!

Elder Durrant

June 23 2014

Hey all!

This week was probably one of the best of my mission, and probably my life too. On friday President and Hermana Ghent had their goodbye conference and it was super spiritual! And I didnt realize how hard it would be to say goodbye to them until I was actually doing it. It reminded me of when I first got here and I had no clue what the heck I was doing and how much they both helped and inspired me. It also reminded me of the interview I had with President Ghent 4 months ago my first week of being in this sector, he told me that this sector had not seen a baptism in about a year but he really inspired me and made me believe that could change, and it finally did. 

Luis got baptized on saturday and it is an experience that is hard to put into words, I really gave it a shot in my journal last night but it was difficult. Elder Copa and I got to be the witnesses and when he came out of the water everything was totally silent and he just sat there in a daze, it was powerful. Then on sunday he recieved the holy ghost and was presented before the ward. I looked at him standing up in the front and I could see and feel a difference in him, it was something I will remember forever. And I wasnt the only one, in ward council everyone said that as he stood up after being confirmed he was a different person, he seemed truly happy. As I have said before I have seen more miracles with him than I can count, just getting in the door was a miracle, but he has changed more than I can even comprehend since the time we found him. At the beginning he was a grumpy old man with a very dark past who hated white people and never stopped talking, he is still a grumpy old man who talks too much, but probably the most perfect one I know. All in all I would say this week was a good one.

Fam,

Dad- Well now I feel like a missionary, I missed the camping trip.

Mom- Hope the ursula is better than the guy who played tarzan, he really didnt live up to the disney version

Audrey- Have fun at Ragnar, go chase thems bagles!

Ian- Just like Gollum

Alicia- I havent gotten a quote for a while

Isaac- What games did you play?

I miss you all and pray for you everyday.

¡Yo sé que el evangelio es verdadero!

Elder Durrant

June 16 2014

Hey Everybody!

It wasnt such a good week for Ecuador soccer and now everybody suddenly thinks that I am from Switzerland... but it was a great week for la obra misional! 

It is gonna be quick because I dont have much time today. But Liliana is doing great! She has accepted all the commandmants and came to church again, she is such a golden investigator. And Luis is doing good too, he had a complete panic attack when we taught tithing and told us he was done. Holy crap was I stressed, so close to having a miracle baptism only to have it go down in flames, but we worked hard and did divisions, brought members, basically everything we could think of to make him accept it, and he did! I almost cried with joy, I have seen more miracles with this guy than I can count, God obviously has big plans for him. 

Life is good! And I found out that one of the investigators I interviewed last week has been refering to me as ''Pastor Durrant'' ever since the interview, thats what Im talkin' about!!

Thanks for everything everyone! You are all amazing! Feliz día del padre dadio! y cumpleaños! and happy anniversary parents! You are awesome! 

The Gospel is and always will be true.

-Pastor Durrant



tHey guys!

Sounds like everybody had a great week filled with parties and festivities. Mom and Dad celebrated their 20th anniversary (holy old!), dad turned 35, Audrey saw onerepublic live, Ian quit his paper route, Alicia got braces, and Isaac forgot what day it was. I cant believe how fast this year has gone by, I keep thinking about what I would be doing right now if the age would not have been changed, whatever it would be it wouldnt be as good as what I am doing right now. I am still going to send that letter I promised but I am going to start writing after I get out of Oriente Quiteño. Thanks for all you guys are doing!