Twister in Trenton

 

Yo how's it going? Man, it was a week of tornadoes, ghetto vs rich, bounty hunters, and spiritual apostrophes.

      The weather is gone crazy! snows one, day the next day its sunny,  then tornadoes and hail the next! Don't worry, we didn't have one touch down here but one did hit right in the middle of  Memphis. but man the area has been kind of bipolar.

    Trenton is super huge and the difference between the classes is so noticeable. One street is run down and  then you turn on the next street and its full of manisions and nice houses. and the people have been really nice here for the most part. Like for example we got a  referral for a man named Abe, but in the referral it said to  contact by tracting. So we go sure why not... well they forgot to put in there that it was in the middle of the woods in area full of houses that have their own lakes. So we got out and walked form one end to the other and found Abe, set a time to meet with him again, and used his bathroom, and went on our way. To tell yall the truth it could not have gone more perfectly than  it did. I give that one all to God.

     Oh yeah, Quinton had some problems! He forgot to take his meds and started talking about how he was going to go on a journey to find the Memphis temple. He went AWOL  and we have not be able to find him... So an investigator of the other Elders (Trenton2) named Rusty Flowers (who has a date for this Saturday) decided to help us out by hiring a bounty hunter to find Quinton! All I could think of was Boba Fett on a   Ghost Rider motorcycle runing over little woodland critters trying to catch Quinton in the marshlands of Tennesse.
 
Okay,  Uncle Sam can take my paintball  gun if he sends me a package with a letter in it telling me how his day has been... No Im just kidding. Take good care of her. And I would like Haley to send me some drawings of  scriptures I could hang up and use.


From  Elder(Ryan) Duron Duron

Elder Duron and the Memphis Temple of Transfers

   Hey hey hey another transfer call was made today! My good friend Elder Petersen is out and I am staying in Trenton. We will be in Memphis on Wednesday to get another comp.
     got Baptized on Saturday. it was a spiritual and funny day. We had two baptisms. Trenton2, aka the other Elders had one a young boy named Skyler, and Qdog. First skyler was baptized and everything was going well. Then  got in the water and things happened. Skyler before hand asked Elder Wells (who has been out for 6 weeks now) if he could go swimming after his baptism, Elder Wells not knowing the rules said he could. So as Quinton was being baptized guess who is making his way back into the font. Skyler.
   We stopped Skyler before it was to late then Q was baptized. And after he came out of the water he turned to Elder Petersen and said "Did I do it right?" Petersen said " Yeah you did buddy!" Then  Q shouted "YES!!!!!!" and started jumping up and down hitting the walls of the font on the way to the restroom.
  I am glad that I am able to not only see the love of God and the joy the Gospel brings, but to feel it in my life as well. I know of God's love and of the blessings of the Atonement. Dad, in a letter you sent me you said the south is changing me. I disagree. Its the Atonement that is changing   me daily. Helping me move forward and improve myself each day. 
  Sometimes out here you have days where everything falls through and people drop you. Its like anything that could wrong does and the way before you is full of hurtles that you have to jump through. And other days it seems as if the windows of Heaven are wide open and God is smiling a upon you. I take comfort and Joy that Christ and his atonement are always there for both days and then some. A  scripture that I have come to love is Revelation 21:7  I will tell yall about that in a letter sometime soon.   
Love Elmer... sorry Elder (Ryan) Duron

and yes I got the packages. Thank you guys for the cookies and hearts and Bro Brown for the GPS, it was sorely needed.

That is the stupidest place for a clock I've ever seen- Elder Perry

Crazy! that's a good word for this week-crazy! we have had miracles and randomness happen all over the place.    The first crazy thing is a man named ........ who is super innocent and happy to see everyone. Missionaries have been working with him forever and we finally got him to come to church three weeks ago and he loved it!... so much that he went around the streets of Trenton with a Book of Mormon in hand, calling himself elder  ........ and telling people that if they were not Mormons they were going to hell. O_O lets just say we stopped him before some southern justice was handed out, and now he has a date to be baptized this satuarday. 

  We also found four new investigators Roy, veronica, Carl, and Clyde we had an awesome lesson. we invited them to be baptized and they asked why they should. We were about to turn to the bible to answer their questions, but I remembered what the leaders of the mission said ( don't use the bible! its not common ground; its battle ground)  and instead we turned to the book of Mormon for the answer. we went to mosiah 18:13 and talked about the authority to baptize and also 3rd Nephi11. and they understood it perfectly  and now they have a date for the 22nd of this month.  

  The culture here is a little different. A lot of the people here believe that God is black... and its always fun to see pictures of black Jesus in someone's living room. It takes a little bit to get used to.   

 L Tom Perry is a stud!!! he threw down here in Memphis. he spoke on how members and missionaries need to work together for the work of salvation to roll forward. Man it was powerful. at one point a man tapped him on and the shoulder and said he was going over. He yelled "where is the clock" He saw it hiding in the  corner behind him he then says " that is the stupidest place for a clock I have ever seen!" he turns back to the crowd and says " the time is running out if you cant see the clock look at your watches! now is the time to act!"    

  They also had a Q&A during the broadcast for L Tom Perry, elders Soreas, Kapishka, president Petersen, and others. During which they brought up a lot of good questions. one was about "THE BOOK OF MORMON!" play that will be coming to Memphis this year and how we have members should respond. One person got up and said the church media has not said anything about this yet. Then L Tom Perry jumps up and says that this is the best thing that could happen, you couldn't wish for a better missionary tool. Then he went on to talk about the Book of Mormon and how it is the best book ever written and how we need to share it with everyone.    

Well Enough about me how are yall? how was uncle Sam's day+ plus his new mania. Did uncle  Mikola come? how is he doing? is Nana sending any fry bread? what kind of tests are you putting pepper through. and speaking of pepper. She is named after Pepper on Ironman. don't ask me why, that's just the name I came up with. OH yeah I need a GPS asap it will a lot out here! that and transfers are happening next week and I will need one just in case by next Wednesday. Love y'all's, have a good one

Elder Ryan Duron

Hey, it's another day in the Good Ole South. Man, time needs to stop. This is going by way to fast. It feels like I just got here and now we are almost done with the transfer. I think I might stay this one, but don't know for sure.

  Well this week I will compare it to Ether 3. actually I will compare the whole transfer to Ether 3. We have been looking for ways to spark the work here. Brain storm after brain storm, the four of us have been thinking and thinking until we just can't think anymore. Then I thought: what are we missing? Prayer. I thought  about that for a sec and two spictures popped into my head. D&C 6:36 and 3rd Nephi18:19-20.

  "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not."  and 3 nephi18:19-20 "Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name; And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you." we needed to ask God  have faith that he would answer.

  As we have done that, many awesome things have happened. Less active members are coming to church, and we are getting referrals left and right, new Investigators wanting to know the truth. I know that prayer is not just where we ask for things. It's our time to talk to our Heavenly Dad. He wants to hear from us. He does not need prayers; we need to talk with him. That is why he always says ask and ye shall  recieve.

Love y'all.  I need to take pictures to send some.
Bye.
From Elder Duron.  

Subject: Jehospaht!!! New stake+ L Tom Perry

Whats up? I need to find my camera. I got some stuff to send yall. We had a good week. We learned a lot of great stuff.

   So yall have already found out who the new president will be. His name is Wakalo, he is from Fiji and from what I hear he is a serious stud.

  L Tom Perry is coming to Memphis to speak to the all the stakes in the mission about guess what... member missionary work. I cant wait.

  Oh yeah and we have a new stake in the mission. We now have five stakes so far. I  can't wait for what is to come this year!

love elder (Ryan) Duron

Skight down the Skreet

Yolo mi familia! How are y'all doing??

Man Trenton is doing awesome-  we had a week awesomeness and ridiculousness.
   First let me tell y'all about the Trenton area. We live in a town called Humboldt where elders have served for a long time. A lot of the people know and like the missionaries, but are content and are using thier angency to not listen. But the Lord's work can't be stopped.
   The people speak  Ebonics down here. Like for example they switch words that start with st with sk. for instance skight down the skreet, I is skrong, and It won't skart up, and I have learned to love it.

  We have been working to see a woman named Keosha for the past two weeks. We finally had the opportunity to sit down with her and her two nieces. We had one of the most memorable lesson ones I have ever thaught... man the spirit was so strong. We were able to set dates with all three of them two for the 25th of this month and the other for the 1st of February. This week was an Ether 12 week for sure. I can testify to y'all that miracles still happen, and happen only after the trails of our faith.

    We also found a guy named Johnny Wise he is interesting. He is a member of the Church of Christ. we tried to teach a lesson one but he was hung up about how the Bible is the one way back, and how anyone can be a prophet. We left him a book of mormon and he said he would like to meet again this friday. He said he was going to bring a friend who knows more about the Bible then he does... translation- a preacher. But we'll go and do what ever the spirit  directs us to do.
  Love y'all
Elder (Ryan) Duron

A new year in Tennessee

Whats sup! long time no see! man transfers were kra-crazy. so Elder Bluth is training we found that out at the transfer meeting ha!  I am follow up training Elder Petersen yup he has the same name has the president!   what is follow up training you may ask its when a missionary of 12 weeks gets a new companion who makes sure he knows whats what. my new area is a little branch called Trenton in good old Tennesse. 

Elder Petersen is a good kid from Utah who knows his stuff. I feel like we are going to do great here.   There is us and another set of Elders here. all four of us live in a town called Humboldt. its kind of a ghetto and I know that this is where The Lord needs me! Man I missed Paragould at first and I still kind of do . When I got the transfer call I did not want to leave. I thought why is this happing? why am I leaving?  I asked God why was I being transferred I felt scared and angry. Then I got an answer that said READ JOSHUA. I thought Joshua ok don't know why but I will do it. So I went to Joshua chapter one and strated reading.   In there it was talking about Joshua and how he was called to be prophet after Moses. and I came across verse 9 that said "have I not called thee? be strong and of good courage for I am with thee wherever you go"

 That got me thinking that God has called me to serve and to go about His work and I should always have the come what may and love it attitude. Because He's got my back and He will not let me down as long as I trust in him.   So the four of us r thinking of ways we can spark the work here in the Trenton branch. I feel like the answer is dancing right in front of us but we can't seem to pin it down! the members are very interesteading but they are very strong in the faith  well I will see if I can put a pic in here some how. sorry dumb computer wont let me put pics in here. Dang it bobby! Y'alls have a great day.Yours from the south/Bible Belt Elder (Ryan) Duron