Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Imma Bee Imma Bee...Black and Yellow Black and Yellow

Hey Yall! 

What a week! Transfers happened.. but Sis O'Connor and I are staying together in Greenville:) Happy days! So much is going on here this transfer and I'm soo happy i get to be here for it:) 

Well this week was oober fun. Started out with my favorite grandma on the mission! Sister Herron fed us dinner monday night and man do i love this lady! She's my favorite! Tuesday we saw a bunch of peeps and man do I just love teaching! I've been learning how to teach sooo simple that any child could understand, so that no matter who i'm teaching they can understand:) Wednesday we had a great scripture study class! This week we're going to be going over Lehi's dream in 1 Nephi 7:) The next couple days were a blur...so much happened but i couldnt tell you it all, sorry. We did do some AIing(talking to everyone) at the mall and I started talking to these two ladies, turns out...they live in in the Pass...part of the area i covered when I started my mission! We got talking about all the fun places there. They were super fun! They were doing a shopping weekend...pretty much a Grandma weekend! (miss that). and to point things out...my girl MOZINGO (one of my mtc comps) just went to my first area! Im soo excited for her! This week was just super good! I cant even tell yall how good! I need time to slow down so yall can get more emails about the miracles that happen!lol 

I wish I could write down every little thing that happened each day, but yall would never read my emails because they would be way to long. But one thing i learned this week is about CHANGE. Change is good. We may not always like the change, and we may not like the things we go through to be better, BUT it is all worth it! I've changed a lot on the mission, and hopefully for the better, but as we change to grow closer to Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father we develop so much LOVE for those around us. Im no longer just wanting to find people and teach, i want to find FAMILY and give them eternal life! Think this week on something you could change/do to be more Christ-like and see the miracles come into play as you try:) Remember to put God in your change tho! Let him know through PRAYER what you are doing and you need his help! You will learn the most from that experience! 

I love you all! Make today great for everyone and yourself! Miss you all BUNCHES!
Sister Durtschi
Throw Back to MTC:)

Bee's:)

Za-Keria! :)

Monday, May 23, 2016

2 Durtschi's not getting on the Turley arc! -Bro Turley

Hey Yall! 

Just gonna jump right into this week...SOOO much happened:)

Monday: A guy and his son came to the church while we were there for pday and turns out he had served here in Greenville like 30 years ago. Was lots of fun to talk about who is still in the ward and what they did back then:) 

Tuesday: So we normally help ms Debbie clean her house Tuesday, but she was in the hospital:/ So we went to service at St. Vincents and then got dropped off at the hospital to see her:) We then went to lunch with a member:) Then we went to see a recent convert who has tons of family here in Greenville and her granddaughter said she had a dream about being baptized and it was just like woah! We havent even taught you yet! Shes a cutie!:)

Wednesday: Last district meeting this transfer:/ Was super sad! We watched Johnny Lingo and had a party bout self worth! Best district eva! Dont want transfers to happen! We did the scripture study class and it went really well:) 

Thursday: We went tracting for a bit and this guy pulled us aside and asked us what his purpose of life was, talked a bit and he was in tears...so we thought this guy was really cool! BUT then he started asking us what our name was 50 times after we would tell him...he was drunk:/ Then we had a Relief Society activity at the church:) Love the ward here!

Friday: Was a pretty long day! All of our plans fell through at the beginning of the day, so we went to see a less active in a nursing hospital. Her name is EDNA...like off the incredibles...but she kept saying how since she got into the nursing home, she hadnt seen her husband and didnt know where he was. Was super sad because he passed away a while ago and she cant remember that:/ Then had dinner at sis washingtons:) Love that lady! We then booked it over to Sammy's house to have a lesson with them about repentance. BEST LESSON I'VE EVER HAD IN THE MISSION! We got there and the spirit in the room was not good...like oh my...but then we said a prayer and things totally changed! The room was calm and happy! Then the daughter asked what the spirit felt like and we showed her the change in what had just happened and how the spirit took over. LOVE MISSIONARY LIFE!

Saturday: We have church tours every 3rd Saturday of the month now...but no one showed up. Maybe next month:) We went to see Sammy too! ANOTHER AMAZING LESSON! THEY ARE SOOO READY FOR THIS GOSPEL! Sir...the son...wants to be baptized with Sammy on June 18th:) Love seeing the change in others! Then we went to Taco Bell for dinner and met the best workers at taco bell ever! Jamie, couldn't sit down and talk because she was at work, but she asked if we believed in the same God and everything....we are going to see her tonight! We love her!

Sunday: Church was all run by missionaries! The elders spoke in sacrament on missionary work. Then Elder Shreenan taught Sunday school, because we dont have a ward mission leader yet. Then Sister OConnor went to Young Womens to teach about testimonies, and I taught Relief Society about missionary work:) Then we went to Sunday dinner at the Turleys! I love them! Thats where the subject line came from. We were talking bout flooding and getting on arc's. Bro Turley said he wouldnt let me on the arc because i'm crazy! Love them! 

Transfer calls just came....Im staying in Greenville AGAIN:) Happy days! I love Greenville:)

I love yall!
Sister Durtschi

Sonic runs...cuz its hot

Edna..lookin for her man....

Saint Vincent's! Love them all!

Swag at it's finest!

Monday, May 16, 2016

The Sauciers Round 2, ZTM, Exchanges, and Allergies

Hey Yall!

What an amazing week! Soo much has happened! I absolutely love this work and all that the time and effort I put in to be better and do better! You can change and grow today! You dont have to wait for tomorrow! Always look at the good for today! 

So Monday we were in Greenwood and we spent the day playing ball and football, was super fun. Then went and saw the Elders recent convert Cateeria, and had FHE with them and talked about the gospel blessing our families! Was sooo good! 

Tuesday was our normal working day this week. We went and tried a bunch of people but not many were home. But we did see Kyah and man is she sooo cool! I wish yall could meet her! She has such amazing faith and is sooo strong in her belief of Jesus Christ!:)

Wednesday we went to Brandon a bit early so I could see the SAUCIERS! I love them sooo much! They brought the twins! FIRST TIME SEEING EM! They are sooo cute! They we're one of the best families on the coast! I was sooo happy to see them! They took us to breakfast:) Then we booked it to ZTM and had a great meeting! Focusing on the Book of Mormon and how we teach...love it! Then the STL's brought us home to Greenville for exchanges. I went with Sis Mitchell and we went to see some people she had taught and we decided that we would talk to EVERYONE that we saw (cuz we were walking the whole day) and let me tell you...just inviting people to come to church with the person pumping their gas and walking down the street. Was sooo much fun! Exchanges are the best! 

Sister O'Connor has had super bad allergies...to the point that she couldnt see or breath...so we spent a lot of time with giving her drugs and trying to get her to sleep it off. So we spent a couple days inside trying to get her to feel better. We did a few service activities but of course it was things like planting flowers and working on yards...so that didnt help her situation. BUT she's doing a lot better! 

Things are looking up in Greenville and the work is slowly getting better and better! This area has taught me sooo much, specially how to teach super simple and to love every second  i have of being on this earth, with the people that i love. So much happiness in my life right now! I love you all and hope the best for ya this week! 

LOVE YALL!
Sister Durtschi
O'Connor...weekly planning*aka sleeping*

Meryah and ZaKeria:)

Elder Ross with his SWAG
Breakfast with....
THE SAUCIERS!
The Twins:)

Monday, May 9, 2016

My illegitimate children or just good friends the world will never know! (thanks Elder Ross)

Hey Yall!

Congrats to JACOB DURTSCHI! The next Elder Durtschi (pretty soon there will be 3 in the mission field! WEIRD!) Got his call to the Texas Houston East Mission:) (aka T.H.E mission) You'll do great!

Can i just say....Happy Mothers Day to all you amazing mothers/women that have made a difference in my life! Like WOW! Yall will always hold a spot in my heart! Thanks for being you, and helping others by just being an example! All yall are AMAZING! LOVE YOU!

Well i dont have a lot of time today to email because we're hanging out in Greenwood today, but this week was crazy sauce! I loved it! So much to do in sooo little time! 

We helped a lady in the ward with yard work and then she fed us leftovers...which were some of the best chicken spaghetti i've ever had...even if it was leftovers! (The sauciers is still #1 tho!) We then helped a lady down the street from where we live clean her house. She's old and doesnt get many visitors. She's not really interested in the gospel right now...but hey we love service and we love talking with her:) 

So the family that showed up to the scripture class last week is doing good! We are gonna see them tonight and have an awesome lesson for fhe with em. Sammy (the friend) is wanting the gospel sooo much! He wrote in his Book of Mormon "faith is the beginning step to changing my life!" We are sooo excited for him! 

We went and ate at a members house Friday, everyone calls her grandma:) Sister Washington is her name tho, and we were talking about all these funny quotes that she had, well then she says you havent even heard my story yet. So we sat and listened to her story. GREATEST STORY YET! Ill give ya a summary of what it was. These two elders showed up at a members house because they were in the neighborhood and she asked em if they were hungry, they said yes (of course) and she went looking for food. All she had was some chocolate covered peanuts...but she had SUCKED ALL THE CHOCOLATE OFF and just spit the peanuts back in the can. So she gave em to them and they chowed down (because they are elders) and then she told em they were suppose to be chocolate covered. WE DIED! She is just the greatest old lady you'll ever meet!

Sunday was super fun:) At church we had a recent convert Za-Keria bring her cousins to church:) Cutest little girls ever! They love church and family and everything! We sat by em in sacrament and man oh man do they love to do hair! I wish i got a pic of it before i took it out! It kept em quiet in the meeting tho:) 

Also got to skype Elder Durtschi Saturday! That was ONE of the greatest things this week....Also got to talk to the Durtschi Family Sunday! Thank you all for taking care of them! They are my favorite...and all yall are my favorites! So when yall work together it just makes love and peace!:) Wish i could have talked to all yall but i will soon enough! 

This has been my favorite time in my whole life! I've never loved so much, i've never cried so much, i've never laughed so much, i've never walked so much, i've never met so many people, i've never felt the Holy Ghost stronger, i've never wanted to help others more, i've never wanted to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ more in my life! This is HAPPINESS! Missions arent easy and they never will be, but guess what? The growth that you earn on a mission is the best thing you will ever learn in your life to grow spiritually to Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father! Try and find those spiritual things in your week! You will grow and learn to love change when you get out of your comfort zones and learn to love new things. I know hardships come...but you will never regret being closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ! 

I love you all sooo much! 
Sister Durtschi

Za and her cousins:)

The normal family photo

The public family photo

Elder Durtschi:) (BEST BROTHER OUT THERE)



Monday, May 2, 2016

IDAHO

Hey Yall!

I swear these weeks go by waay faster than yall will ever know! But thats the joys of time...we dont control any of it! Thats one thing i've been focusing on its not worrying about whats not in my control. So much of what we do as missionaries is out of our control, but we can PRAY and HE has all control of EVERYTHING we do! 

This week was amazing! You know how last week I said we were sad because no one showed up to our scripture study class? This week we had LOTS of people show up! I was sooo happy! We had a member just move in last week and she brought her kids (one isnt a member) and a friend thats not a member either. Had such a good lesson about the intro to the Book of Mormon! Best place to start the Book of Mormon is the beginning!:) 

A family from Idaho went back to Idaho for a couple weeks and just returned and man oh man do i love IDAHOME! They talked about the mountains and just everything! Was a tender mercy to hear all about their trip!:) 

Rained a ton again this week! In yalls prayers...maybe pray for the rain to...stop! We've had so much rain that nothing is getting the chance to dry out! We helped a recent convert clean out her house that she built! Everyone calls her the "Lady MacGyver!" She took what she could and build her house and everything in it. Well her house flooded with bout 4 feet of water and is just now able to get to it with dry ground. So we went out and cleaned out most everything she made. Sad day when most of it went to the road because it cant be used any more. Who knew water would ruin so much stuff. :/

Our apartment maintenance man is a less active that lives in the same complex as us. He called us up and asked if we wanted a couch. Of COURSE missionaries would love another couch! So we told him yes. They came over yesterday and dropped it off. BEST COUCH I'VE EVER SAT ON, SLEPT ON, DID STUDIES ON....obviosuly i really really like this couch! hehe but it was funny because he has twin 16 year olds that after they dropped the couch off ran, because they didnt want to get a "lecture from the missionaries" because they weren't at church. We just laughed and said thanks.  Love missionary life! 

So much has gone on in a week that i cant even put it all in words. We have a new district leader and we decided to do something called 10%, where you teach everyone in the district a life skill that you have learned, well this was mine. I love this work and I love the people I'm around. Mississippi is a different land, and probably the most foreign you get anywhere in the USA. BUT you meet the most happy and forgiving people out there! They just love to be alive everyday because of Jesus. Sometimes we look at life and think its to hard or we have to much to do in a day...but if you just take a second (or 2...maybe 5 min) to think about the positive and happy things you are seeing you will see a better more positive view on things:) Just maybe.lol Takes a lot of work tho! Try and be positive and write down a positive thing every day this week! See how your week changes! 

I love yall and miss ya tons!
Sister Durtschi

Fire District:)

Totally explains us!