Week # 16

Hey there everyone!

 

Sorry but todays email is going to be very short, i have about 2 minutes haha. Anyone who emailed me I will email you back next week :)

I am in Milton Freewater Oregon, just a few miles south of the Washington state line, its a pretty small town but we have a lot of work!

My new comp is Elder Fowlke, he actually came out with Elder Roundy. Super awesome missionary, ive already learned quite a bit from him. Just in this last week we have found 5 or 6 new people to teach, baptized a 17 year old kid named Braden. ( I will elaborate on how that happened next week) As well as last night a guy named Josh Jensen set a baptismal date with us!

So all is well, anyone who is sending packages, remember to send them priority, and just send them to the Mission Office, its the Gage address. Im not totally sure what my new address is off the top of my head haha.

We have talked to some pretty wonderful people as we find them on the street and knock on their doors. Its amazing how many GOOD people there are! But with the good there are also some not so nice ones haha.

This is an incredible opportunity I have to be out here doing this, i am as I have heard it put, sitting in on salvation. I get to take part in blessing someone elses life!

The Church is true everyone, old news I know, but why not say it again.

I love you all and pray for you all as well, have a wonderful week!

Elder Dutson

Week # 15

Hey family,

I hope everyones week has been good, crazy that another week is gone. Yesterday was the start of my 3rd tranfer....geeeeze.

And guess what? Getting transfered haha. All the way from Vancouver, to the complete other side of the mission. To Walla Walla, I am going to freeeeeeeze. Ill miss the rain, its so beautiful here!

I truly will miss this place, i have met incredible people and had some amazing experiences.

I said goodbye to Jeff and Korri yesterday...that was a tough one. It hadnt really hit me that I was leaving untill that point. They are such incredible people, and they have so much faith!!!

Jeff is sincere in every question he asks and the Spirt is always working on him. I swear at some point he will be a mission president!

And Korri is just wonderful, and brilliant. She lets the the Spirit tell her the truth and then she acts on it very very quickly.

I was so blessed to be able to take part in this amazing step for this family. And I know with my whole heart that they will be a part of my life for, at the very least, the rest of it haha.

 

Chris is getting baptized in Decmeber sometime, as soon as Daniel, his best friend, gets home from the Marines. He is an incredible kid, he believes it all and he studys his face off. He knows 90 percent of everything we try and teach him haha.

 

Life is just wonderful! Someone asked me in a letter if i feel like I am missing out on life, or if im living the life...nothing beats this!

There will be plently of time for everything else in about 20 months or so haha.

Yes missionary work is hard...its hard as crap! But the reward far outweighs ANY sacrifice along the way. Thats the way all the Gospel is, He is going to test you, but the blessing are just waiting. And as soon as you pass that test, the floodgates open!

 

I will definetly miss the missionarys here. My comp Elder Roundy is just a stud, i really hope I get to work with him again. Elder Metz and Elder Packham, awesome missionaries and just so much fun to be around.

 

Well off to Walla Walla, if anyone is planning on sending any packages or letters, send them to the Mission Office( 8656 W. Gage Blvd, #205 Kennewick, WA 99336.

 

Love you all and hope you have an awesome week!!!

Read your scriptures!

Love,

Elder Dutson

Week # 14

Hey family!

Awesome week! Its finally started to actually rain!!! We have gotten soaked a couple times now, but i love it so thusfar im fine haha.

We had exchanges yesterday, and Elder Bates came over to my area. He is one of our Zone Leaders, awesome Elder. We listened to Christmas music in the car alllll day haha. Speaking of which you should all find Christmas music and send it to me, that would be fantastic ;)

We had a referral from some of the other Elders, and it was to this guy who lives in the sketchiest part or our area. This crazy trailer park where hardly anyone likes us haha.

But we went over to Randy Avery's trailer and talked to him, nice guy, super poor. And we set an appointment with him for Thursday!

And then as we were wallking out a man stopped us and asked if we were LDS. After saying yes we were he told us there was a girl, his step daughter, in trailer 3 who wanted to talk to us. So we walked on over and started to talk to the lady named Melissa. She is from Idaho Falls, so right off the bat we knew she had some contact with the Church haha. A bishop actually married her and her husband over there. But her husband walked out on her and 4 kids in May...disgusting. That thought just makes me so angry, but anyway she needs help finding a place to rent so she can get out of the trailer park. So we told her we would talk to the Bishop and see what we could do, and she said we could come back a teach her. She has talked to missionries before but you never know. At the least we could try and get her out of the trailers.

Cool story from this week, we were on exchanges earlier this week as well. Elder Packham was over in my area and we are laying in bed, when we get a text. This kid Chris, he is 19 almost 20, lives next door. He is dating a member who is at BYU, and his best friend Daniel is LDS. They were in the Marines together. We have tried to teach him before but him mom didnt really want us to. But we got a text that said 'hey guys i want to set up a time to meet with you, i want to learn more, and learn the process to be baptized'

So we are stoked for him! He is going to wait till December till Daniel gets back so he can baptize him. I hope I am still here for it!

Just a good week!

I sang for both of our Sacrament Meetings on Sunday, I did I Know That My Redeemer Lives. The Michael Hicks arrangment.

And then Sister Greer asked me to sing Lord I Will Follow Thee for Zone Conference tomorrow. So i am getting my fix haha.

Tranfers are in just a week! This transfer just kinda flew on by! Its beautiful over here so i hope ill stay. I most likely will, i havent been here to long.

I hope everyone has a fantastic week!

Read your scriptures!!! ;)

Love

Elder Dutson

 

Week # 13

Hola familia!

Is that what the other Elder Dutson's emails look like? ;)

It has been a wonderful (wet) week!

Conference was incredible, we were all sad when it was done. Each session only seemed like 20 minutes!

Something I noticed, which I am sure everyone else did as well, was the prominent role the Book of Mormon played in the Conference. There was talk after talk devoted to that book, and a handful of others that refrenced its power and divine authorship.

Something interesting is that the last issue of the Ensign was complety devoted to the Book of Mormon! Do you think the brethren are trying to convey a message? I sure do haha. Joseph Smith said that it is the most correct of any book on earth and that man would come nearer to God by reading it than by any other book. Seems pretty important, as missionaries we invite everyone to read it because it is where answers come from. The Sprit uses it to teach!

My love for President Monson grows everytime i see him! He is just such a happy man! And he always reminds me of Grandpa Dutson which makes me smile evn bigger!

This week has been more of a preparation week for one reason or another. We have done lots of planning and studying it seems like. We are tying to start teaching this girl named Kelsey, she is 16 and wants to meet with us but the family she is staying with does not want her to. Sister Shirley who is just amazing is trying to work with them on it so we will see. Kelsey's dad is off in who-knows-where and mom is homeless. Very nice girl and wants to learn. The Shirleys daughter Rachel is very good friends with her, and she was over when we had dinner!

The work is wonderful, Vancouver is beautiful, and the Church is true. Pretty simple :)

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Halloween is coming up...candy...oreos???(hint) ;)

Love,

Elder Dutson