CRAWFISH

Hey Yall!

What a week! Weeks really do fly by! I'm amazed that its the last week of the transfer already! I cant believe I've been out 8 weeks and have learned and grown so much! I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of Mississippi. They really are so great! 

Sister Winkel got a call for our AP who pretended to be our mission president and said she was gonna  be a Sister Training Leader next transfer, she freaked for a bit then realized it wasnt really president. She is so afraid to become an STL! But she would be great! She is amazing!

We had to take Carlos in for a check up! Carlos is our bright red shiny 2015 toyota corolla! We love him but he had gone his 5,000 miles. So we take him in to get everything checked out and we meet the nicest man. He is from Utah and just here for training on the naval base. He is a member but it was cool to get to know him. He served two missions! One in New Zealand and then one in Japan! and he's only 32! It was so crazy to hear his experiences.

Bug bites are my new friends. I figure I cant get away from em so might as well enjoy em! NOT! We have so many weird giant bugs and spiders here! It's cool but at the same time...gross! We also see frogs everywhere! We have one that lives by our house...his name is Jimmy. We see dried up crunchy frogs too. The pic is a recent convert Noah and one of those frogs! 

This week was marathon movie week for training. We've watched three hours of the district, so thats been fun. Kind of different because you dont watch a whole lot of movies on the mission. It helped though because Sister Winkel got sick and so we had to be in the house for a while before she got feeling better. I guess she got feeling better pretty fast because she ate pizza while she took a shower! I thought I was strange...but Sister Winkel is on a whole nother level! Hehe but I love her! 

We also had the ward crawfish boil saturday. I never realized how spicy and gross they are! They just cook em and then dump em all in a giant cooler and everyone grabs baskets full and chows down on em. Sister Winkel and Elder Hatch had a competition and guess who won...the one and only Sister Winkel! She ate THREE PLATES FULL! hehe the ward knows her now as crawfish girl! It's the greatest! 

Our investigators are doing great and we're able to talk to each one of em on a daily basis. I am really excited about getting to know these people and to feel of the love that the Lord has for them. They have amazing stories and are so great in the example and love that they have for their other family members. I look forward to teaching them more about this amazing gift that we have!

Challenge this week: Read Ether 12 in the Book of Mormon

Love Y'all! 

Crawfish to eat:)

Crawfish still alive! 

Fun while tracting and getting lost!

Noah and a crunchy frog:)

Pray For You!

Alrighty Y'all its that time of week,

This week was an AWKWARD week! I had so many new missionary moments that it just made for great laughs and super awkward meetings with everyone I ran into. 

Well it started off with Sister Winkel and I teaching our District meeting...which went fine but I hate telling other missionaries how/what to teach because I am learning from them, and I am in no position to tell them what to do.hehe But it was actually a really good lesson and the spirit was able to help teach...which is the only way to teach.

I was sick Thursday...we think it was because I havent slept for a long time...but I can promise that NyQuil and a blessing do wonders to a person! Was able sleep and then go out and be the Lords hands that evening! It was a great day until one of the bishopric members called and asked if we would speak on Sunday! That wasnt what we wanted to hear...but we told him we would. So Sunday we were able to speak on missionary work and the members. It actually was kind of fun, I talked about cows and tied them into missionary work. The kids loved it because you dont see many cows around here was able to get to know a lot of ward members because they asked questions about Idaho. 

I have forgotten my tag twice this week and so Sister Winkel would let me use hers thats on her scriptures...so I've been Sister Winkel a lot this week! We also had the greatest moment with a door approach. We were tracting in an area that no one wanted to hear what we had to say, so we knock on this door and the guy answers. The second I see him the spirit has stamped on his forehead PRAYER, so we start talking and then I asked him what he thought about Jesus. Hes says "nothing", so I asked him if he went to church. He says "no", so at this point I'm like well he doesnt want anything to do with us so I just say "Well can we pray for you then?" He says I guess...Long story short we prayed and then he just closed the door...SUPER AWKWARD! But hey we got to pray so that was nice!

This week we also woke up at 4 so we could watch the sunrise on the beach! It was so cool! It was our last day on the beach, so that was sad, but we were able to do our studies and everything there. It was actually really peaceful and nice to help us both open our eyes to the little things that mean a lot.  

All of our appointments this week fell through so we did a lot of tracting and member lessons, but it was a great way to get some new missionary experience in. I was able to keep my head up with the help of Sister Winkel and keep going with the work!

2 Nephi 32

Love Y'all!
Sister Ashley Durtschi

The adventures of Sister Durtschi's nametag:)

Rain Rain Rain

Hey y'all!

It has rained here everyday for the last 2 weeks! This last week it crazy cool! The lightning and thunder storm along with the crazy awesome rain was such a difference from Idaho rain storms...though I hear its rained like crazy there too! 

I finally went to Dirt Cheap last pday and its pretty much a DI for the south. I was just glad the southern people have something to relate my name to because none of them can say my name so I am Sister Dirt Cheap without the p...the people down here are so nice and so funny that it just adds to the conversations:)

We have an investigator named Taylor who is 22 (wannabe T.Swizzle) but she has the sweetest personality. We were teaching her the restoration, and the first time I've had to say my memorized first vision to an investigator, I say it and the spirit was so strong I just realized how much that simple phrase means so much to who we are and what we believe. I really have taken so many scripture passages for granted when they mean so much!

I had my first and last interview with my mission president, President McDonough. President and Sister Olsen will be here June 1st and take over the mission June 15th so I wont have another interview with him. It was kind of sad because I just met them and got to know them but the new mission president will be great!

The week before I got here Chrissie was baptized. I hadnt been able to meet here till this last week because she was hospitalized. She is such a strong lady for just being baptized and wanted to stay as clean as she was baptized. She received the Holy Ghost Sunday so that was a blessing to have also. Sister Winkel teases me that I have one confirmation but no baptisms...I just skipped a step. 

We were out tracting on Friday and we ran into this preacher. He was really nice but he wasnt interested so we moved on. Later he called us back from down the street...we were a little scared because we didnt know what he wanted and it was kind of a sketchy area. We get up to him and he says I know a lot about you missionaries and want to call your parents...IT WAS SUCH A BLESSING. He called our parents and let them know we were ok and were doing everything we should be. As we were leaving his house I asked for a handshake because we cant give hugs and he says "to hell with it" and gives both of us a hug. We then left and got home and realized....we never even got this mans name! We felt so bad, but it was pretty cool that he did this for two girls that he had never met and didnt even talk that much to. 

I was able to drive on Saturday! I havent drove in over a month! And Mississippi roads are different than Idaho roads. BUT we didnt die and all was well. Sister Winkel has been getting dizzy and sick so we think she was getting dehydrated...so H2O is the answer to almost everything down here. 

We went to a big family cookout for Memorial Day. It was crawfish everywhere! We had any type of meat you could think of! It was like the greatest day ever as a missionary with food galore! We also biked down to the beach and played catch for a bit. The lightning was out a ways in the gulf, then it hit really close and the hair on our arms went up...so we left and biked the way back home going through all the giant puddles! One thing I learned about the water in the gulf this week is there is a FLESH EATING BACTERIA in the water right now...so its not much of a distraction anyways:P

The work here is going great! Lots of people are friendly and open to new idea's but they are also stuck in their religion which is fine. I just love hearing the stories the people have and learning from them the knowledge they have about the bible...I have learned to love the bible! The teachings along with the Book of Mormon really do help you gain a greater understanding of how to be more like Him.

This weeks challenge...Read scriptures and pray together as a family! You really will see blessings come to those who do this and the family relations will be that much stronger! 

Love y'all and keep up the great work!

Love Sister Ashley Durtschi

District of champions!

Everyone calls me Sister Dirt Cheap...so naturally I had to get a tshirt to support it:)

ONE MONTH

Hey Ya'll!

Monday-

PDAY! AKA Perfect Day as the Elders say. We played sand volleyball with em and were able to get sunburned really bad...I mean I looked like a tomato! Also the farmers tan is coming along great because of all the sunshine here! We then went to have fhe with a recent convert family, I was able to show em my bball skills and teach em a few moves, pretty fun. They are the greatest and have a firm faith in the gospel! 

Tuesday- 

I was in the SOUTHERN HOOD! Sister Winkel's gps was taking us the backway to a members house and it took us through the thug land! It actually wasnt to bad but different from Idaho thats for sure! We were able to meet a family today that reminds me of little rascals and kid history. They were the funniest family and they loved hearing about the gospel. Cant wait to go back and teach em next week!

Wednesday-

Miss Georgia Ann's car broke down in Biloxi and we saw and met her on our way home from a meeting there with the elders. So we stopped and helped her get her car going again. She's been a member for over 40 years but has been less active for 15. She said we were sent as a sign that she needs to get back to church. She was the sweetest old lady I've met in the south!

Thursday-

Thirsty Thursday's are the pits! I mean its hot and humid and we walk everywhere all day! BUT we do meet so many people and hear all about their life stories in under 5 min of meeting them. hehe its great how friendly everyone is here! We also were able to watch Sister Winkel's brother open his mission call. Her parents sent a dvd with him opening it. He is going to BRAZIL on October 7th! It was so different being in the field and hearing about a mission call and seeing how different its going to change their lives. and the funny part is I've only been out a MONTH! So you really do learn a whole lot in a little amount of time, but it's the greatest learning ever!

Friday-

We met the CRAZIEST man in the world while tracting. He opened the door in next to nothing (people in the south never wear clothes, fyi, hehe) and says "oh hey church people" then slams the door. We werent sure what was going on but then we here him come around the side and he just starts talking away and telling us all his problems. He had a lot btw! In the middle of him talking about his problems he goes "Sister Durtschi, the Lord is above you right now! He's telling me that at TWENTY FOUR your life will be in order and you will be successfull! By THIRTY TWO you will have your family set and you wont be worried about a thing! You hear me! You facebook this crap and tell the world Anthony Lucas has seen a vision! Sister Durtschi is an angel and Sister Winkel is her protector!" hehe we were trying so hard not to laugh and so we kept a straight face and told him we had to get going (cuz we'd been there for almost 2 hours) He was just the funniest man...he also stomped the ground all the way down the road telling Satan to get back down there. Made for a good laugh this week:) 

Saturday-

Exchanges! I was able to go to Diamondhead, which is only about 20 min away from Long Beach. Sister Kelly and I planned the night before what we were going to do....but as any missionary knows plans fall through a lot! So all of our plans fell through actually....and it rained all day! and not like an Idaho or Utah rain...this was like monsoon rain! It was like when the grandparents flood the yard kind of rain that to this day (monday) has puddles everywhere! Its crazy! but I loved it. So we went back to a little old mans house and heart attacked his door and car. Then knocked and ran and watched his expression of happiness come to his face. It was so great! 

Sunday-

Number day! So on Sundays we give our district leader our numbers. Last week our high was 12 hours of tracting. So we knew we didnt get 12 hours this week but we had 18 other lessons, which means we taught 18 lessons to people we just met and 15 of them are accepting it! I just loved how much light comes to their eyes when they realize the Holy Ghost is in the lesson with us and when they realize how true what we are saying is! This gospel brings so much light to people! I love it!

This week was so good and was so fun to be able to learn more about people and what to teach. I have been giving more in lessons and have been feeling the spirit more as I work and focus more on the work. The gospel really does bless us and the people around us. This week I challenge you to invite someone to church! I know its hard but you never know what just an invite shows to them that you care about what you believe. and its ok if they dont come, but if you show just a little bit of love to them about what you believe you will be gaining that much more of a closeness to Christ! 

Love yall and talk to ya next week!:)

Sister Ashley Durtschi

Hannah:)

Long Beach Mississippi

Hey Family and Friends!

The first week in the field! Man oh man was it a crazy time in MISSISSIPPI! Everything is so green and tall! OOOHHH and mosquitoes are everywhere! I got eaten alive the first night I was here...lesson learned. It hasn't been too hot here but its at like 80% humidity which is WAY different than Idaho weather!

I'm serving in Long Beach Mississippi for the next two transfers! Everyone here also loves dogs or cats so everywhere you go ya gotta get use to having some sort of animal by ya. Everyone here sits on their porches and just talks to everyone around. I love it!

So in this area we really don't have a teaching pool of people, so just in the last 4 days we went tracting for 12 hours. It was actually kind of fun to see/hear different kinds of stories about people. People here love to talk and they don't really listen. I had my first Katrina story yesterday by two elderly gentleman who said the water was as tall as I was and they would just sit on the roof and watch things float by. I also got into my first bible bash with a jahova witness family. They are super nice about it, but they just don't understand any other reasoning other than their own. It was a fun experience though:)

This week I also gave my first baptismal invite to a man we met on the porch of his house. He sang for us and we talked for like 10 minutes and then the spirit was so strong I just asked and he said he would, he just has to read more of the BOM. I was just so excited to actually have said it to someone other than in role play! hehe

I also was called and asked by the zone and district leaders if I would have the first vision down by Friday...and for any of you who know me...I don't do memorization...at all! So Sister Winkel (my companion and trainer) came up with a song for it and I learned the whole thing in ONE DAY! I was pretty proud but I know it was through the Lord, because I would have never been able to do it on my own.

Speaking of Sister Winkel. When I got to the church to meet her (a 3 hour drive from the mission home) I knew we would be great together! We had to hurry and get my bags because we had a dinner appointment soon. In doing so we had the keys by the trunk of the car. Long story short the keys got locked in and we kind of freaked out for 5 minutes until we realized there is a trunk button in the car...hehe oooppps:)

I was able to Skype my family yesterday! The small things of the world like phone calls and texting and skyping really do mean the world to a missionary! I know I just left em three weeks ago but man! I missed em and their funny personalities! Families really can be together forever! I'm so grateful for the examples they are to me!

Another awesome thing that I LOVE! One of the councilors in the stake presidency owns all the subways in the Gulfport area...which I'm in...so one time a week we get free subway! I think I'm in the right place just because I LOVE SUBWAY. hehe its just the little things that make a missionaries day...plus its FREE and who doesn't love that??

I've learned so much in just the little bit of time I've been out here! The way the people down here talk about Jesus and what he's done just adds that much more love I have for Him. He really is amazing and I just love how Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ bless each of us throughout our day and life!:)

Love yall so much!

Sister Ashley Durtschi

Long Beach:)

MTC CREW

My original crew! Ross, Smith, Me, Olson, Mozingo, Davis, and Jones (THE BEST MTC CREW)

This is what happens when we line up to take a cool photo...and your the shortest so your in front!:/