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

Week # 12

So this week was realllllly cool!

Elder Roundy along with any other Leaders or Trainers in the mission went over to Kennewick for a few days for a training meeting. So that put me with Elder Metz and Elder Packham, both from my MTC District!

Elder Metz's area covers Downtown Vancouver so we walked and walked and walked talking to everyone! We found some verrrry interesting people haha.

We found ourselves in a circle of gay men, so thats always fun. Kinda like being back in theatre in the round haha.

They were kinda making fun of us and whatnot so as kindly as we could we explained what we believed and left one of them a card. Fun times haha

And then we talked to the American Indian woman from New York, she is like 80 or something. But she told us that we were "the epitome of manhood"! No one has ever told that to me before so it was nice haha. Super sweet lady, while Elder Metz and Elder Packham bantered back and forth with her preacher son I just talked with her and it was awesome! I told her about the Book of Mormon and how it was found in New York and is a history of her people and she got all excited haha.

So downtown is a ton of fun!

I want to go down there on a P-day and go to the shops cause there is a billion of them. I found a Glass Blowing shop! I have wanted to learn how to blow glass for so long!

But we stood at the edge of the Columbia River looking over at Portland across the bridge, its a very odd feeling being on the very edge of the mission. I kinda felt like i would explode if I crossed the line haha.

We have a couple new investigators so thats always good!

Our wards are just the best, super jazzed about missionary work so thats sweet!

I have been asked to sing for three different things now haha. On the 9th i will be singing in Skyview Sacrament meeting, the 12th for my first Zone Conference, and the 15th for the Skyview Talent show. So that adds some more stuff to get done haha, tons of fun though.

The mission is wonderful! Remember the Christ is risen. Our Savior is there showing us the way to the very throne of God. Nothing is more important!

I love you all

Elder Dutson

Week # 11

Hey there everyone!

 

Its been a pretty good week so far!

We baptized Korri on Saturday so that was pretty freakin sweet, she asked me to do it. Ive done it in the Temple a million times after i went through for myself but ive never done it for someone for themselves. It was really cool, Jeff was crying, ive never seen him cry! He is soooooo getting baptized soon!

We saw her last night and chatted for a bit and Jeff gave me six boxes of Herbal Tea. I have become addicted to Herbal Tea haha, ive been drinking it every morning as i study for the past month or so haha. Now i have a crapton!

We are having dinner over there tonight so we will talk to Jeff about everything :)

We went golfing this morning...it was my first time ever on a real course haha. I scored a 60, and i got a birdie on like a 170 yard hole, not gonna lie i felt pretty cool. I always made fun of Trevor for golfing but i can kinda see why he likes it haha.

We are teaching some cool people right now, and getting to know pretty much all of the members, they feed us really well haha.

Elder Roundy is great, we are having a blast!

Yesterday we called the 3rd Ward Elders to tell them something and all we heard was a bunch up bumps and beeps and random stuff and we didnt know what the heck was going on...turns out Elder Packham (who was in my MTC district) answered the phone as he was riding his bike and accidently pulled the front brake! HA! He flipped straight over and landed on his head! He had a helmet on though of course, and his bike landed on top of him. We just laughed and laughed and laughed haha.

My time is almost up, i hope everyone is doing well, i should be sending more pictures home next week.

I love you all

Elder Dutson

Week # 10

Hey there familia!

Its been a pretty dang good week! Because Elder Bell's knee has been freaking out, I got a new comp at transfers. Elder Bell is actually still in my zone though so i see him quite often. But i love my new companion, Elder Roundy, so dang cool and a super hard worker. He is from Vegas and has been out for 10 1/2 months.

Elder Roundy and I have gotten a ton done this week, talked to alot of people and got like four new investigators!

We tracked into a kid yesterday who's dad and brother are members but he left the Church, he is like 19 or 20. He said there was things he didnt quite agree with. But at any rate he answered the door with his hair all messed up and his shirt unbuttoned, he was like "oh sorry guys, i was working out"...HA! we could see red marks starting to pop up on his neck...so i guess technically he was working out haha

You trackt into some interesting situations haha.

On that same street we found a guy named Bill, probably in his 60's or so. He believes is God but doesnt think any man could have figured anything out so he doesnt believe in organized religion. But we had an awesome conversation with him and he took a copy of the Book of Mormon and we asked him to read some of it and give us a call. So i guess we will see, we are going to stop by in a couple weeks or so. But i just loved that guy! Bill was so dang cool!

So Korri is still on for this Saturday...and she actually asked me to baptize her... i am humbled and sooooo dang EXCITED! I baptized a ton in the Temple but I have never done the ordinance for someone alive. Its gonna be so sweet!

And Jeff cant be to far behind her, he came by himself to Stake Conference this past Sunday and LOVED it!

It was a broadcasted Stake Conference from Salt Lake to all Washington Stakes as well as Alaska. Elder Holland and President Packer both spoke! So of course Jeff loved it haha.

Ummmm since transfers were last week we now have a new Zone Leader who joined Elder Bates. His name is Elder Hatch, he is actually from Russia...but you definetly cant tell, he lived in California for like 10 years before coming on his mission. Really cool guy!

Well thats the update, the mission is amazing! Its beautiful over here, the work is going good, i feel great...and I am being blessed beyond what I ever thought would happen.

Remember the Church is true, if you know know this for yourself then try it out. The Lord tells us to prove Him, so test it out. The blessings of the Temple are what we eventually want for everyone we teach! Get to it!!! :)

I love you all!

 

Elder Dutson

Week # 9

Hey there family!

So my companion has to get transfered because of knee troubles so tomorrow i get a new comp, Elder Roundy. We can now get out a ton more because we wont be stuck inside all day haha. But everything is going good over here, i have still only seen it sprinkle twice so i am pretty certain that actual rain is a myth...which is depressing because i love it haha.

Korri is still on date for the 17, still working on Jeff. They were out of town for most of this week but we were able to have a really good lesson last monday. We broke apart 2 Nephi 31 and just pounded it. They loved it, especially Jeff, he is very to the point and straight forward so he loved the way we did it. And then we showed them the Mormon Message by Elder Holland, 'And None Were With Him' i think its called. Absolutly beautiful, Elder Holland has so much power, and the message of Christ's sacrifice hit all of us.

So hopefully everything works out for them and there two kids!

Funny (slightly disturbing) story, something tells me Susy and my mom will like this one the most haha.

A few weeks ago we were helping some members build a shed for this older nonmember couple. Keep in mind the members are pretty old too.

But Sister Weenig is talking to the lady and they are talking about some place they both had been to a some point. Sister Weenig says "oh yes we have been there, i drove Val over one time. He asked where we were going and i said" (at this point she has this sly little smile on her face) "to a hotel"........They both just laughed...as i proceeded to throw up in my mouth a little bit :) hahaha

It has been a little difficult to get out of the house the past couple weeks because of Elder Bell's knee but we did our best. Nothing really ever came of it though...untill randomly Brother and Sister Smith brought this lady and her husband to Church on Sunday! And she wants to be taught and read the Book of Mormon!

Heck ya! Thats what happens when you just work anyway even when it seems like nothing is happening!

I love it out here, i am having a blast!

Ill tell you all the same thing we tell everyone we talk to...read your scriptures!!! There is such a power in the Book of Mormon! One that people can physically feel. If you have a problem...take it to the Lord, who better to ask! He never gets tired of hearing from us...if that was true I would be a mute by now haha.

I hope everyone is doing well!

Remember! The Church is true, God loves us, and the best is yet to come!

I love you all.

Elder Dutson

Week # 8

So ya, first baptism is underway! Korri Nelson is on date for September 17th! We are so happy and excited for her! We hope that Jeff will follow soon after. We love them both so much, they are amazing people! I really really dont have much time to write. Some pretty cool things have happened this week and i will try to do a better update next week haha

Love,

Elder Dutson