Transfer Thirteen in SANDHILL

Hey Yall!

CRAZY WEEK! Exchanges, the ER, tracting in RICHTON, and soooo much more! I cant even tell yall how crazy its been! 

First off, transfer calls came this morning and Ill be dying in Sandhill! i have mixed feelins about this being my last transfer, but I'm excited for whats all gonna happen! Sister Hope though will be leaving. So I will have a new companion. yall will find out next week who that is to be! 

So Monday thru Wednesday we went on exchanges with the STL's again:) I was able to go with the amazing Sister Golder again in Oak Grove! Well when we swapped comps on monday i gave sister hope our phone and well sister Ali-Savory forgot to give sister Golder their phone. So we were phoneless...until we had a knock on the door that night and a member that had dinner with the sisters was coming to oak grove that night and just decided to drop it off for us....well she did and brought us SHAKES! yall first tender mercy for the night! Well this was also a LONG night, cuz well we also had to go to the ER because of an ANT BITE! so the ants here are crazy weird..they are poisionous and sometimes cause problems if youre allergic. Well i've gotten many ant bites and i've dealt with them...well this one...my whole foot swole up and was making my toes purple and it was too hot to touch, so I put my foot to Golders leg and she thought i touched her with a flat iron...Long story short, we spent SIX HOURS waiting in the ER, just so the doctor could say "might be a spider bite, just keep it elevated and take benadryl." and then he walked out....we didnt get home till bout 5 that morning. great fun! lol Gotta love exchanges!

We finally got the go ahead to tract in Richton! They didnt get rid of the city ordinance but they arent listening to the lawers of the church, so they said we can go ahead and tract...IF I GET ARRESTED...YALL KNOW WHY! (plus that would be the coolest mission story yet!)

Sorry dont have much longer, but I just want to say...YALL ARE THE BEST! MAKE THIS WEEK AWESOME! 

Love yall!

Sister Durtschi

Paxton #TexarLife

Boehme is going HOME

Stevens! <3 them!

FINAL TESTIMONY

Hey Yall! 

This email is gonna be a bit different from others....TESTIMONY TIME!

Wow! This week was a mix of emotions! I have never felt so many changes in the way i feel in a single day in my entire life! THIS IS WEIRD! The reason being is that we had zone conference this week, which I LOVE zone conferences! They are like mini general conferences! Well we have them every other transfer. At the end of the super spirit packed meeting we hear FINAL TESTIMONIES from those going home either that transfer or the next one (until the next zone conference) YALL! THAT MEANT I HAD TO GIVE MY FINAL TESTIMONY! I AM NOT (NOOOOOOOT) READY TO GO HOME! (mom i love you and i cant wait to see yall...but i cant leave mississippi or my friends here yet!) So yeah lots of mixed emotions...but it was good:) I talked about how we came out here to help people feel the love of God and become converted to His gospel. Well by the end of your mission, YOU are the greatest convert from your mission! You grow in ways you never would have before! It was such a spiritual experience! I will never ever regret coming on a mission! I LOVE IT WITH ALL OF MY HEART! (if yall remember back home i was a blubber baby! I cried about everything, mom you would be proud that I have only cried 5 times on my mission, and I DIDNT cry during my final testimony! I think im finally growing up!)  But really if you are even thinking about going on a mission...JUST DO IT! the most amazing thing you could do for others and yourself! You will never come to love so many different people in a year and a half to two years than you will on your mission! Greatest thing ever! 

Missions though are not the easiest, as my greenie companion would tell you "it sucks!" Missions are one of the hardest things, and idk why they are even so hard! Actually i do know, its because you come to love these people so much and you want them happy but they just dont do the things you/God want them to do so then it makes you sad and yeah...anyways missions are rough. You have to get up at 6:30 EVERY DAY! NO OFF DAYS! You study for 2 hours. You then go out in 100 degree weather for 10 hours and try and just talk to people. Now if you dont have people skills or dont know how to communicate very well...then mission life is a lot harder! I wish before my mission i would have talked more to people and gotten to know random things about people. That would have been the best help! But also some people have dealt with homesickness (which luckily i havent so dont really know the cure), but try leaving people you know for a bit and go somewhere without them. Every missionary has different problems! I promise we all have one...actually MANY!

ONE of the biggest things i've learned as a missionary is...MISSIONARIES ARE SCARED TOO! I remember back home when the missionaries would come teach lessons or give talks and what not - they weren't nervous or hesitant about anything...HA THATS FUNNY! cuz we are always that way! You never know whats gonna happen, whats gonna go on that day, what you are gonna do about so and so, your most progressing investigator doesnt want to see you anymore, how you are gonna fill the rest of the day as you have tried everyone and their dog by 12:30. You just are always trying to go go go go GO! Sometimes you just think, man this would be easier if I had an IPad #OneDayMJM or I just want to go home and sleep. 

BUT GUESS WHAT!?! I have never seen SOOOO many miracles in my entire life! Its those little miracles that make all those hardships, and problems, and crazy things totally worth soaking in every second of every day and LOVING IT! Heres a few that my mission has shown me

1. A child prayed as we were all in the car and were running out of gas and didnt know how much farther we could go. All of us adults didnt know what to do and the little girl said we need to pray and thats when i realized I did NOT have the faith of a child. She prayed and yall, we made it to the gas station. They put $10 in the car and the gas light was still on and said it was low! 

2.Anytime ANYONE actually reads the Book of Mormon! I know its totally simple (its reading scripture) BUT it hardly ever happens! I've given out idk how many books and in return have had 19 actually read from it! Thats a miracle

3. People have come back to church after years of not being in church!

4. Members become missionary minded and see the change in others and it makes them happier.

5. The light switch cutting on when an investigator finally understands a little bit of what we are telling them.

6.Your testimony grows everyday with the people you meet!

7. Getting grits thrown at your face and it turning into one of the most powerful lessons because of the Saviors love.

8. Not planning for a lesson because we felt that we just need to listen to our investigator, and we both were so overcome with the spirit and taught exactly what he needed to hear in that time of need.

9. Tracting in the rain, normally isnt the greatest, but finding those truly prepared makes all the difference...because they are referrals from God when we find them tracting!

10. Turning every situation into a learning situation! I can not tell you enough how many times just talking to friends and random strangers has made me learn more about my savior than anything else in my entire life! Alma 1:26:)

These are just a few and I could go on for days, but i just dont have time. Yall a mission really is a miracle and it really is the best! Yes its hard and I dont want yall thinking "wow, seems like so much fun!" which yes it is fun, but it is HARD! The best piece of advice that i could give you would be to remember, LIFE IS HARD! If you are always thinking of the hardship and troubles and what nots that make it hard you will only see bad and negative things. If you STRIVE for the positive and umplifting times, and CHOOSE to remember them...you will forever and ever be grateful for always thinking of the bright side. You will see MORE blessings and miracles because YOU CHOSE TO SEE IT! It ALL comes down to how you see things! 

Yall are amazing and I'm soooo grateful for each and every single one of your examples! Please never forget how amazing and extravagant you are to me! I LOVE YOU! 

Sister Durtschi

Miracles Through Referrals!

Hey Yall!

First off shout out to MYRNA UNDERWOOD! Today is her YEAR MARK of being a member! I'm soooo happy she let me be part of her journey and cant wait to come back and see her! LOVE YOU MYRNA! 

This week was CRAZY yall! Monday was spent at the Ishees for a district pday! Gah I love them! Tuesday we had specialized training with President Olson and then we were able to double work Petal Sisters area so...i got to be with one of my homies Sister MAUGHAN! (shes an all-star!) We stayed up all night talking Tuesday and we also played soccer Wednesday morning (5:30 is waaaay to early for sister durtschi normally, but i already had no sleep!lol) with some of the peeps in the zone:) Then we had DM and then exchanges with the STL's. I went back to Sand Hill with Sister Golder! Oh my lanta do I love that girl! She has a big heart and just loves to listen and work hard! Stayed up that whole night talking too. (Sister durtschi just wont get sleep this week!) Then changed back Thursday. The rest of the week was just bout normal. We did do some tracting in Sand Hill tho, so that was fun! (we still cant tract in Richton because of the city ordinance still in affect.)

Let me take a sec to talk about referrals...we have been living off of them! Since we cant tract thats all we have to be able to talk to people in Richton. Well Saturday was a special day! Why? BECAUSE WILLIE GRACE WAS BAPTIZED! He was a referral from our recent converts and well, now hes a recent convert! Anyways...Willie Grace was baptized Saturday! Was so much fun! I dont think i've ever had so little people at a baptism (because its a branch) BUT the spirit was there and thats what matters! (plus we had some real good food(; ) Willie was confirmed a member and was given the Gift of the Holy Ghost on Sunday! Was amazing as well! Had to speak sunday too. Guess what topic...you got it....MISSIONARY WORK!  

Funny story of the week: So no one in the branch plays the piano. I've played a couple times since sister scott left, but anyone that knows me, knows I CANT PLAY! So we just push the button on the piano to play the songs. (my kind of piano) Well yesterday we were fixin to sing the opening song and the lady pushing the button couldnt get it to work. It would play for a second and then stop. I was already up and ready to lead our GIANT choir. Since it was awkward standing there, i started doing this stupid little dance. Oh my the branch just busted a gut laughing at the "darndest things sister durtschi does." lol I love this branch and all the fun stories they will have from my craziness:) 

Yall this week has been full of ups and downs, but guess what, God WANTS it like that! If everything was perfect in our lives we wouldnt know joy from sorrow, kindness from mean, and love from hatred. We have to have both in order to see and feel Gods love. Just because we go through these things doesnt mean He's not aware of us and what were going through, It just means we are growing! In Alma 26:11-12 we learn that we must boast of our God and not in ourselves, for we are nothing without Him! Please remember that! No matter what...HE HAS YOUR BACK! 

Sorry this was a long one! So much happened this week tho! 

I love yall soooooo much! Miss yall even more! 

Sister Durtschi

Soccer District:)
Maughan, Miller, Hill, Brinton, Me, Hope

Baptism pics with the ishees:)

And again...the Ishees:)

Mississippi's Heat is Almost Gone...ALMOST!

Hey Yall!

So this week was a little slower than last week, but that doesnt mean we dont have FUN! It just means we get to have more time to find random activities to do:)

We had a great pday with the Petal sisters (sister Maughan and Miller). As we just hung out and got to know em a bit better:) Then we had dinner at the Ishee's. I LOVE THEM!

Tuesday we had DM because the zone leaders (Elder Bailey and Blair) are trying to make it to everyones district meetings, so they changed us to a Tuesday...wasnt to bad BUT it throws off our week, cuz its not the normal schedule of things. Elder Hill gave a great lesson on our purpose and why we do the things we do, with the time that we have as missionaries (they all always look at me when they bring up time is short...idk why?(; ) 

Wednesday we had to be at the church for WILLIE! Willie is gonna be baptized this week on Saturday:) So we had to have a baptismal interview with President Silas (councilor to pres olson) at the church. They are sooo nice, they brought us all lunch and we all just had a party. We then went to find some less actives:) 

Thursday and Friday, was the days of sickness. IDK what it was but dang, those were not fun days:/ 

Saturday we went less active hunting again in a town 40 miles away, found some really cool stories with lots of cool people! I love being a missionary and learning from others!

Sundays are the best days! We got to go to church and have two investigators there! then we went to see a less active that is trying to get her life back on the right road, by first helping herself feel the spirit! How cool! Please pray for her! 

Monday we spent at the Ishee's camp for a district pday! Oh my sooo much fun! We all sat around and showed pictures of home and videos of our crazy lives. Then played some volleyball...and well its Mississippi so we played volleyball in a rainstorm after a bit:) Best way to play volleyball. LOVE Mississippi and the crazy things we do here, but especially the BANANA PUDDING!

Funny story of the week: We went to a Less Actives house who told us they had been playing in the river behind the house and as they were playing...A DEAD COW floats by! haha we died of laughter at that one! He said they still sat and played on the bank! Haha I LOVE THE SOUTH! 

Yall I love you lots! I know God has a purpose and plan for EVERY SINGLE THING THAT HAPPENS! You may not know now...but you will one day as to why you are going through those things! Pray to Him and He will help you! 

LOVE YALL!
Sister Durtschi

Elders Baptism in Hattiesburg

Our district + the Ishees

Doodle and us:)

Butt Dialed Tracting

Hey Yall!

What a week! Time goes by and well here we are again...emailing:) I'm sure yall are sick of these mass emails by now...but hold on, only a few more to go:) 

Tuesday we went to a town south of us called Beaumont and guess what? WE TRACTED! Well we live kinda in the middle of no where, but we get cell phone service in Richton, but we dont anywhere else....so I had text Doodle Ishee to let her know where we were and if we didnt text her by tonight, to come find us (cuz well ya never know what will happen, we could get stuck in the mud for heavens sake) (if ya have any questions bout that ask Sister Scott)  well i just put the phone in my bag and we went off...well I guess i accidentally called her while we were walking...so they just stayed on the line! They didnt cut it off! THEY HEARD ALL OF OUR CONVERSATIONS! IT WAS SOOOO FUNNY! We got in the car once we finished and our phone connects to the blue tooth in it, and it said Doodle Ishee and they were talking so i thought they butt dialed us...then they explained...least they know we have good door approaches:) 

We also found a referral that a member gave us. They weren't very interested, but guess what yall we heard the craziest story! Their daughter was doing laundry (everyones laundry is outside in the car ports here) and a cat was hanging out with her while she was doing it. Well when she went to get the clothes out of the dryer...she found a FRIED CAT! The cat had jumped into the dryer without her knowing and well she started it and found out later why it was smelling so bad. OOOPS! 

This week was full of miracles! We made it a goal to go and find ALL the members on the Branch Record. So we went hunting for them all. We hit about half of them, PEEPS please dont ever leave what you know to be true because of something someone said! It hurts to be offended! I know it does but guess what..you not coming back to church or not reading your scriptures is hurting yourself more than they did hurting your feelings. I know that is super blunt, but guess what yall its true! Read and pray and go to church. NO MATTER WHAT! You will be filled with a greater light and will love the fresh feeling you get from doing what the Lord wants. 

I LOVE YALL SOOOO MUCH! Thanks for all the love and support and remember...if your having a bad day...just remember you arent the fried cat! So you are having a better day than the cat! :p

Love yall!

Sister Durtschi

Training Transfer Twelve

Hey Yall!

So this week was oober sad! Sister Scott left and well i found out...IM TRAINING....AGAIN! Idk what president is thinking as she will more than likely be killing me off (be my last companion). Guess she's just gonna have to deal with Sister Durtschi and her craziness. Maybe Sis Scott will have to tell her what to do in how to handle SISTER DURTSCHI...I actually think all my past comps should just write a book and publish it for all those that hang around Sister Durtschi. Call it "How to get along with Sister Durtschi - for dummies"  I crack myself up sometimes!

So the new greenie from the mtc is Sister Hope! Fitting for Sand Hill at this time:) She is from Quincy Washington and loves origami. She is the 2nd youngest with 6 siblings, and loves being a missionary. 

We also have news about the TRACTING!!! We still cant tract:/ BUT the church sent an email to the Richton City attorney and told em they cant tell us not to tract and need to fix the problem....so we will find out in a couple weeks what happens. Progress is being made on the problem tho! Happy days!

We went to a baptism this weekend in Hattiesburg. Our elders were having one and so we invited everyone and their dog to it....no one showed up but it was such a cool experience! The Hattiesburg sisters had been teaching this family for a while (actually sister scott tracted into them when she first started over a year ago) Anyways...Thomas got baptized with Mary(the elders investigator) because he found out he had stage 4 cancer and might not live long. So he decided the best thing to do in his life would be baptized! He could barely walk but he did it! It just proves that this gospel is something special! So many people came even though they were trying to do the clean ups in Baton Rouge. I love people making changes! 

Yall this week has taught me a lot about patience and how to align our will with Gods will. Sometimes we have a problem (or lots of them) or you just dont feel like the plan God has is for us...but guess what? He knows what He is doing! WEIRD right!? When we take the time to pray for ourselves and our circumstances and then follow Him...poof we are doing better than we were the day before! We may not have all of our problems fixed or feel to much different, but the only thing we can do is try to be more Christ-like and be better than we were. He always has a plan and a way for you! HE LOVES YOU! (just a tad more than sister durtschi does!) ALWAYS remember that! He wants the best for you! If you let Him, He will give you the BEST! 

I love yall!

Sister Durtschi