This year's theme is... change is very good

  Happy New Year!

 Ring out wild bells and 2014 die... On a happy note I have seentons of people this past week getting ready to make changesand leave the bad behind them.

  We have 4 soon to be 5 people with dates and theyare legit. First is L.G.  Pray for this guy. He has been investigating for 14 years and is willing to bebaptized but is afraid because does not know everything yet.We are trying to help him understand that's  where faith must come into play, because if we let the trust in god come into the picture fear should have no place there, which makes things easier. He has a date for the 24th.

   HN is awesome! She is really progressing and open to this message. Every Time we go over she calls us her favorite missionaires. We have been able to de-bunk alot of the questions she had that could not be answered in Utah. We have seen a real change in her; she is getting happier and is understanding everything in her own way, which is legit. She said last time we met with her" okay so it's not if I get baptized, it's when.."She has a date for the 31st.

   Saturday was awesome. We had members feed  us for all3 meals =P. We got to move a member in the morning and wegot a ride form the Johansens who said "you guys wantbreakfast?" So we got some  Mickey Dees for breakfast then wehelped get the member moved out. Then we got a ride back withan awesome member Bro Rowland who said "do yall likechinese?" so then we got lunch at the 2nd best Chineseplace on my mission. Later we went to see the Cranes, a niceolder member family who has given us a couple referrals that we wentto double check with them on. Right before we were about toleave they said "have you eaten yet?" So had we pizza. Tendermercies for poor missionaries.

   This is 2015. I go home this year... I love themission and what it has taught me. I have learned to lovelife and to be grateful for these things. I have learned toface things one step at a time head on. And also that the South isawesome, but the weather is not.

love Elder (Ryan) Duron

20 and still kicking

Hey guys,

Another birthday and it's a Pday. Is it by chance? I don't think so. Anyways, it was good to see y'all again. This week  the work was slow. We found out a lot this week: that the Spirit can grow as much as your body does, people don't care how much you know till they know how much you care, Chilli's is closed on Christmas Day, foosball tables are super heavy, and saying "fixing to" and "y'all" is so much more better than "going to" and "you guys."

   We spent Christmas with our zone leaders going to member's places, checking on investigaters etc etc etc. This is where we found that the use of  southern words in our day-to-day talk is better then the stuff we grew up with. Like for example, "am fixing to go" sounds much more fufilling than "am going to." We also tried to eat some Chili's but found that they were closed to our disappointment. Dang. Then we helped a member carry a foosball table upstairs. Man, those are heavy!

  I Learned that my spiritual being can grow just like my body does. I have seen that I am more in tune with feeling the spirit more than before. Things that bugged me and made sad have lessend a lot. Answers to questions come easier, and even quiet is more comforting, which is wierd but I know that's a change that this gospel brings, which is sweet. 

  We helped move H.N. She fell off for a while but when we came help she opened up and told us how she thinks the world of us and loves us for helping her in more ways than one. She told how she is telling everyone about us, which is a good thing for her. That just shows when you do more than is required you earn trust.
love Elder (Ryan) Duron!

# Prepared

This last week is brought to you the word prepared. One, with yall sending me some gloves and hat right before the weather  went from 70 to 30 in a days time. All the meanings of this word can be used with this last week.

   It starts  with CH. We found him a couple weeks ago and he loves the message. He is open to all of it, and told us he is willing to follow Jesus, saying I have my answer I just need to do it. It's also funny because said he kind of faked though our frist meeting when we found him, but thought that maybe this is the change and truth he has been looking for his whole life. He has a date for the 20 of Dec to be baptized.

    AR we found in the area book as a investigator of the sisters. she is refferal form a young member student here in Beebe ASU. The member is her roommate and is a convert of two years. Because of her roommate's example AR has become super interested in the church. The sisters taught her for a bit before this place was closed down, so we were starting again learning that AR has read the Bom... all of it and is rereading, plus she knows its true. We are meeting with her agian.

    Then we met HN. She moved here from Utah about 6 years ago, and loves the church but has some questions. We asked her about some of these questions ( which she said missionaries and members could not answer) but from the Holy Ghost we answered them. She was happy and said we could come back. We also metioned baptism and she said was ok with it, we will see.

  Beebe is a sweet place. it is bigger than most places I have served. To give you a layout its about a hour from little Rock and 30 mins from Cabot, my first area. The thing I love most about this area is that it's growing. Not too many small towns in Arkansas are growing the way Beebe is. The members here are awesome and are willing to help.

Love elder (Ryan) Duron

Read and Pray

That has been the theme of this week. Read the Book of Mormon and pray, to ask God if these things are true. Seems simple and yet so many people fail do it.

   Like C., we have been working with him for a while. We saw him a few days ago and asked him if had put our message to the test. He asked us a lot of questions, like who are some famous Mormons, What about smoking and drinking. When we asked him again he said " I am afraid to ask because I know I will get an answer and I will need to change." We testifed that change is good and that if this is true then this change will be from God.

  The other is Mrs M. she is still telling us that the Book of mormon is too much reading, but she is starting understand as she prays about it. She is an awesome Lady who needs to just keep at it to understand  it.

   Then  there is Mrs B, an awesome lady who is open to the spirit and is willing to pray and read. she is the lady I talked about last week who wanted the blessing. She is gaining answers as she keeps putting it to the test.  And it is the TEST! Read, look through it. Search for the truth, relate it to the things you know and see if does not give more truth. Then go to the ONE who has all answers.

  I got a transfer call from my zone leader ( Sis Knight's grandson) I have to get on the midnight train to Little Rock on wednesday, after I put on my name tag and say a little pray for Yall.***
Love, Elder Duron

  P.S. we do behave. Thats just what Bro Bill says. I will send I pic of him soon.

*** This is a reference to Elder Jackson, the grandson of Gladys Knight of Pips fame. Pretty sure Elder Duron does not know that one of the songs he's referencing was actually song sung by Dion Warwick ;)

Wipeout!

*The title of this post probably refers to Elder Duron crashing on his bike, but he doesn't mention it in his letter*


   This Week has had it is share of ups and downs. To sum it up it would be to put it into pharses like this " You Behave and be a good Missionary" - bro Bill, "The power of the holy Ghost will tell you the Truth of all things- Moroni ", "I have been waiting for this my whole life!- Eric " and "Clowns can't die "- Kid


    Lets Start with "You behave"  Brother Bill is a recent convert who stiudied the Chruch for 30 years and got baptized 3 months ago. He is a funny guy. He calls me brother Elder Dainels. Keep him in yalls prayers

   Then Comes  the  promise from Moroni which I have seen proven true again and again.We have a few people we are teaching that have said "I know its true,

and you can feel the honesty from it." The book of Mormon is so true, trying to say it's false is like saying the sun is blue.


   Speaking of the Holy Ghost, it led someone to us. His name Eric. He has been coming to church for the past three weeks and got baptized on Saturday. He is an Engilsh professor at one of the colleges here and an ex-teacher at a Methodist church. He says he was not getting fed at any of those churches   until he came here and feels full.


   I know that living a happy life starts with your thoughts. I have been focusing on how to keep good
thoughts and how use the Gospel to do that. I will send a letter about that.


   The last phrase came from a boy who I asked " what should I do for a job when I get back home"? he said a space man or a clown because clowns don't die.

Love y'all
Elder (Ryan) Duron

No Capes!!! Or black ties...

 If I could think of how to sum up this week it would be, No Black Ties! or I Gotta Rock. Which pretty much means it was a hard but funny week.
  This past week we have been hitting the pavement trying to find new people and get people to come to church. One of the funny things that happend was on Wednesday. We were driving and we saw Bro Bill. We pulled over and started talking with him when this guy walks over and says "Yall missionaires?" I said yeah. He then handed me a rock and said " here is an Arkansas rock." and walked away. As we ended our talk with bro Bill and drove off, we thought that he had just given us a ju ju Voodu rock... so we threw it away.
   We came to find out later that he is a member who has been less active for years and wants to learn what church believes again. Good thing he has not asked what we did to the rock...

   We have found out why people may not be talking with us in black ties. Turns out whites shirts and ties + name tag means you're a mormon. White shirt + black tie means  you are from another relgion that goes door to door. So no more black ties I guess.
  All in all fun week.  Keep these people in y'all's prayers- Steve and Anggie, Monica, Tim Gray, Bro Bill, and the Lamberts the last is a member family in the branch who the wife just passed away last night. I will keep praying  for y'all if you keep praying for these peeps-deal? just Joshing I will always pray for y'all

.
 Form  Elder (Ryan) Duron

And it came to pass...

Man this week was another missionary week. We both got sick, it was 10000 dregess and I think it was national don't answer the door day. That's fine though. We had some legit lessons and learned some things.

    We got to teach Steve and Angie,  a 60 year old man and his 30 year old daughter. Steve had a dream that we would knock on their door and leave a prayer with them. About a week ago that dream came true,and they have been awesome. they ask all the right questions and they have a date for 13 of September. Remember them in your prayers.

    We have a general  authority coming in September. Elder Zwick, the 70 that give the "what are you thinking" talk is coming to check our mission out. We can't wait for it.

   I have been reading in Ether, and man for being a small book it is legit. It has me helped keep hope and stay strong this hard week. I loved the part where the Lord promises " signs shall follow those that believe." I have seen that hand of God prepare and lead us though rain and heat. I love how small thing sometimes are the things that matter most in the gospel
    

Love y'all. Stay rested but not arrested...that would not be a fun Email.
from Elder (Ryan) Duron

Me and my comp Elder Brekenridge on P-day