THANKSGIVING

Hey Yall!

What a week! Well it was crazy everything that happened but it was super fun! We had SUPER bad weather the first part of this week that President called and said we had to stay in. It flooded a lot of peoples apartments and so this week has been full of service! We also were on tornado watch like everyday this week! So its been FREEEZING! we had FROST on our window Sunday! Like never thought this would happen in the south! Its a different cold from the west because of the humidity, which to me makes it colder than the west!

Well this week has been sooo good! We got to meet so many cool people that are super excited about the gospel! One in particular is so strong! Amanda is 33 and has an autistic son, she tries all she can to raise him, but he doesnt speak. Like no words! Not even mom or dad. So she works with him 24/7. Anyways she was wondering why she got baptized into the catholic church one day and we ended up on her porch later that evening. Long story short she's working towards a baptismal date of Dec 12th! She's the one to pray for this week! Thanks!

Tracting this week was even better! So its been freezing, but hey thats not gonna stop two girls in skirts and 18 layers of shirts! So we go to see the country side of our area one day and the first door we get to, the guy is already waiting for us. He has the door open and everything. He tells us "yall must be out of your mormon minds!" We both look at each other and smile (we didnt know he could see how crazy we were from there! Guess everyone can tell we are) and say how are you today sir? He says "get your effing mormon butts off my property!" We smile and say "ok sir, you have a great day and happy thanksgiving!" we walk down the road just a bit and normally people like this make us just want to leave and go somewhere else. BUT for some reason we just started laughing and realized we hadnt said a prayer first. So we said a prayer, then kept going! We ran into so many nice people. We walk down this path to this little shak and we were a little nervous about it but then we saw the two guys and we couldnt back down now. So we talk to them. They both were a little drunk but they just made the reason why we kept going on that crazy mans street. Miracles happen everywhere!

Well transfers are next week so I wont be emailing on Monday, but I hope everyone has a great THANKSGIVING and eats tons of food! Enjoy all the family and friendships you have around you during these holiday seasons! They are what really matter! I love all yall! 

Love,
Sister Durtschi

Turkey Bowl! 

Sister Conder and I

Just Laugh

Hey Yall!

This week has been such a blessing! We have seen Shanika almost everyday and man is she sooo ready for her life to change! She needs so much happiness and joy to overcome all the sadness in her life. She will get there, just need time and prayers sent her way. 

We went on exchanges with the Shreveport STL's this week as well. Since we live 2 hours from Shreveport we double work our area. I had the opportunity to be with the glorious Sister Kendall. She is a beast missionary and works super hard! We had so many lessons that day! Have I ever told yall how much I love being a missionary? If I have oh well, here I go again! Man do I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! I get to meet so many people and just see/hear all about life and how we can bring a smile to a frown. I just love being a missionary!

We also are sharing an investigator with the Elders and man is she awesome. Her name is Shannon. She is going to be baptized on the 28th of Novemeber. We are all so excited for her. Well she's a huge animal lover. She has cats everywhere, dogs are all in the backyard. But we walk into her house and this cat makes a really really weird meow and were all like what is that? Then the cat starts throwing up everywhere...it was soo disgusting! So what do we do during the lesson. We liken reading the scriptures to a cat throwing up, because everything relates to the gospel somehow:) 

Tracting this week was fun:) We ran into this Pentecostal kid who really liked what we had to say, we gave him a book of mormon and we're trying to set up another appointment with him. Then his mom comes to the door yells "Go AWAY!" and slammed the door, then locked it. We start walking away and we were pretty happy because at least they had a book of mormon in the house. Then we hear the door unlock and the mom comes running at us... WHAT DO WE DO! so she gets close to us and she gives us back the book of mormon and doesnt say anything. Walks back to her door and slammed it again and locked it again. Best way to make tracting fun is to laugh about the funny things that happen. 

This week has just been a blast of happiness and laughing. No matter what your circumstances are, take a second to laugh! The world needs more laughter and joy. Specially with THANKSGIVING and CHRISTMAS coming up, we all can be a little better to help others see that HAPPINESS is the best thing to overcome the world right now! 

I love yall!

Sister Durtschi

We helped a crazy lady that we tracted into move...We thought the for sale sign was fitting for Sister Durtschi:) Im adorable inside:)

While tracting we ran into this field full of statues...so of course we take a picture with one closest to the road.

We have horrible beds in our apartment so we thought maybe we'll embrace the culture a bit and put them in the living room like everyone else in the south and then we will get some sleep...it worked for 1 night :p

Sauciers

Hey Yall!

What a crazy fantastic week! Sorry I am late in emailing! We just got done with an appointment with Shanika and man is she sooo amazing! I wish yall could meet her! She just is so special and knows that this is true, Satan just continues to send her hardships. BUT she is STRONG and will overcome it all! 

I'm in overwhelming joy right now and will be on a high for the rest of this transfer. My favorite family from Gulfport, the Sauciers, drove 14 hours here and back just to see me! They are my family and will forever be my favorite! They also found out they are gonna have twin BOYS! Two cute little Saucier boys running around soon! Cant wait for this!

Last Monday we had a challenge to hit 3 lessons. We had two and just needed one more but our last plan fell through. So being the missionaries we are we started to tract. We turn onto this street and its a street we had just talked about a less active living on. We just couldnt remember what number house she was. So I just randomly said 442. We were going and kind of got lost, so we go to turn around and found house number 440! It must be the next one, i yelled to my companion. We turn and this guy was soo mean to us and we were saddened that it wasnt special like we thought. but then we pass his mailbox and it was 356. So we turn the other way and find out 442 was the one above the 440. So we knock and the guy was really nice and we talked. Told us his number was probably in our apartment...like why does he know that/we dont even know that. We get home and that was the less actives house and we did have their number. It was so funny/spirit lead tracting is just the greatest!

This week we also had to go to Shreveport for a mini zone conference! We have a lot of changes to our mission rules which will be a great way to help mission work:) We also had this week full of members helping us in coming to appointments and tracting. We had a blast!

I hope yall have a fantastic week! 
Love yall!
Sister Durtschi

What we are pretty much telling Shanika:)

The SAUCIERS!

Alex left this week:)

He's still himself:)

Post Cards

Hey Yall! 

Another week for ya! I'm loving it here in wake village! The weather is normally rainy but we make it through because we have sunshine to bring to people! This week was a little weird with Halloween but it was super fun! 

So we went on exchanges with the New Boston sisters on wednesday because they didnt have enough miles to make it back and forth from our missionary meeting and our trunk or treat thing that night. So I got a chance to get to know Sister Conder! She's a stellar missionary for only being out 3 months and training already! I felt bad though because we ended up tracting the whole time we were together...ooops:/

We also had the opportunity to clean out our laundry room because its a sisters apartment and sisters always leave things in each apartment. So our laundry room was full of crap. (my ocd side came out!) BUT we found this nike box of post cards. These post cards were from like 1909 though! Like whaaat! They just have so many memories! There was also a ton of blank cards so if you get one thats why:) You should be honored to have such an old piece of history!

We also had NO miles this last week because the sister before me was going home so she didnt care about it and then when I got here we didnt have the option to use miles because we were so over. So we walked to all of our appointments! I dont think I've ever walked so much in my entire life., but we ran into some cool people along the way. We stopped to see Shanika on one of these walks and it was just perfect timing. She was bout ready to give up on everything! She just didnt know what to do anymore. Frandsen and I got her to recognize that people need her and that she means the world to us! She is just soo strong and has Satan working on her double time right now. Please pray for her if you need something to pray about:)

Halloween was also this week! Hope everyone got lots of candy! We were told we had to be in at 6 so we didnt really know what to do, but then the Elders decided to have a game night so we came to the church and had a party #missionparty #besthalloween

One thing I've learned this week is that no matter what we are going through someone else has had it harder, someone is always going through more. So why do I put people down with such negativity when the world needs happiness. So I put it to the test I spent this week always being positive and happy to everyone trying to make em laugh. We were able to make so many more friends and we just felt better about ourselves throughout the week. So in other words this week please share a smile! Stay happy and always remember you have it better than someone else so smile about everything!

Love Yall,
Sister Durtschi

Happy Birthday to... Marianne Olsen, Adam Lough, Harmony Durtschi, Mary Loertscher, Logan Durtschi, Lydia Loertscher, Annie Cline, Brent Durtschi, Adrianna Beazer, Jakob Durtschi

P.s also paid fast offering with tracting change...because thats what happens when your tracting change jar gets full:) The ward clerk loved me!

Tracting change:)

They say this town is small....uhhhh

Frandsen and I #tracting