What Have You Learned?

Man,  if I wrote a book it would be called  So They Called You on a Mission; Are You Ready? The thing is, looking back I don't know if I was fully ready then. But if I did not go then I would never have learned what Life, the Gospel, or God was all about.

     Speaking of that it brings me to my topic:  What have you learned? Elder Williams and I both had lunch with president Wakalo. During the lunch president Wakalo asked "what have you learned?"

     I thought about that  with my mission. When I end it,  or see the stake president and he asks me what I learned, what would I say or tell him? What I have learned out here is that God is a real and loving Heavenly Father. He wants us to be happy, that's why he gives us our bodies, earth, chocolate, the Gospel, Prophets, and his Son Jesus Christ. This is the Way that they talk about all the time in the scriptures. It has been brought back again and I know that is true because I can feel it and millions of others have, are, and will!

    I also thought about the end when we see God again. How he might ask the the same thing- What have you learned." It might be a long answer, but it would  basically be about what happiness really is and who you are. That would be a legit day.

      Well,  Elder Williams is getting transfered. So y'all will find out the new guy here is next time. In the same E-mail, same state, same Faith.
oh, and we met a guy who talks like motor mouth- more next time.

    I'm standing next to brother Bill, a 30 year investigator who got baptized by a member in his branch a few weeks ago!

Elder (Ryan) Duron

Boiling heat with full hearted Diligence and a side of Hulk Smash.

   Hey whats going on? Anything new?

 This week was full of this and that. Where do I start?
   I guess with the Hulk smash! We came home one night and there was a HUGE grasshopper in the house. We ran all over the place trying to hunt it down. It became such a problem that I grabbed a water bottle, saw Jiminy  Cricket  on the wall and BAM! I let him have it... and the wall got it too. That is why I went to Ace and got the stuff to fix the hole I made.

    This week it was 80 degrees with 100 % humidity, so it was more like 110. But that can't stop the Lords work, so we hit the pavement hard. When it says serving the Lord with all your heart, might , mind, and strength will bring salvation ( happiness) to your soul, it is not a lie.
   Pray for Becky and Dakota they are a sweet family of grandma and grandson that plan to be baptized this Saturday.

  Work! That is how you get the blessings is by work. You can't teach if you don't go out. You can't have fun and crazy things happen if you sit around, and you cannot see the Lord's hand if  you don't go about his or the Father's  business. This is our father's WORK and glory; we must not sleep though this.
From

 Elder (Ryan E) Duron

Fijians, the 4th July, and the Spirit. Coincidence? I think not!

    Whats up? y'all doing well? Things over here have been pretty good. I think I will start off with the Fijians.

   We had a Zone meeting on the 4th of July where President Wakalo spoke to us. It turns out that he brought  his wife and two kids with him from Fiji. He is different from President Petersen, but there are lots of things I can learn from him too. 

     The rest of the day we tried to visit a lot of people while the fire works went off like crazy. We saw Bro Bill and he made some legit chicken and burgers. We have been looking to get him a home teacher. Then we saw good old Tim, a newly baptized member who is one of the coolest guys ever. He is having a hard time adjusting from a black Baptist church to the branch here. We left him with encouragement and some  scriptures to read.

  We also found a person we have been trying to find forever. We went to their apartment complex and we prayed that we could find her and first door we knocked she opened the door. We were able to get her to come to church and will see her on friday.  

 The Spirit is the tool for missionary work. It allows us to follow God's will and know what he wants us to do.

Elder (Ryan) Duron 

Arkadelphia

Hey whats up!


Yep the name of my new area is Arkadelphia. No joke. It's a sweeet place, small college town in the woods. And yeah, its a branch but we can taste a ward pretty soon.

We have a house which is pretty sweet- full of bugs man. We have sprayed it down and plugged all the holes, so the count has gone down.

 My companion is Elder Williams he is cool.


 Pray for Bro Bill. He is a 70 year old black guy, who has been investigaing for 30 years and he has a date for Saturday. I will leave you with a quote from him:

  "Brother Elder Duron, be have!"  Bro Bill

Transferred- in and out in 6 Months

What's up? I got a call from my good friend Elder Udall telling me that I am being Transfered on Wednesday. Let me tell it stinks and is good all at the same time. I am ready for what comes because I know where I stand and who I stand with.

   The last 6  months of my mission have really been a turning point here. Life gets crazy but we got to hold on and stay to things that we know are true, and that is that Jesus is my savior, Joseph smith is his prophet, and the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day sanits is his full gospel and church again on the earth.
   Wakalo (New mission president) comes in on the 23rd and think it will be bitter sweet.      Shirt size is 17 1/2 .

From Elder Ryan Duron

the gift of faith, of miracles, and of laughter.

This past week should be called "Random Stuff Happens and Things Still Work Out Awareness Week." Between tornadoes touching down in the branch and almost having my bike stolen, miracles of the gospel of Jesus Christ never stop.

    After two months of working with an investigator, T-----, and trying to get her to come to church, we went with brother Hardin ( one of the coolest Southern members in the world) to invite her to church for the 100th time. Before we went in I prayed to my Heavenly Father that if she felt that this was true, then help her overcome her fear of no friends and being alone. The three of us went in and promised her that the spirit would be there at church and confirm the truth of this. She still was a bit afraid until her son came in and asked whats up. We said we are just seeing if your mom would come to church, but she does not want to go alone.  Her son turned to her and said "I will go with you." Then T-----, her son and her daughter went to church. I know God answers prayers, even in super small ways, he answers them.

    God has a way of keeping us awake and alert and reminding us who we are and why he gives us this gospel. A lot of crazy things have happened, like a 10 year old kid took my bike. We were riding around the  bad part of town when we were flagged down by some kids who asked if we could fix bikes. As I was helping them I turned my back on my bike, and  one of them hopped on and took off. I turned to elder Oblad, who was holding on to his bike with a kid in the seat trying to make off with it. Don't worry, we kept both of our bikes.

                        Trenton Branch Missionaries

   Plus a  tornado touched down in Milan, a town in the Trenton branch. No harm was done exept to some crops and a trailer was turned up side down.

  We have to trust in God and remember his ways are for sure not our ways. Read the book of mormon in 30 days-it's legit.

                   Love, Elder Duron  

 

Last of the Humboldt four!

This week man... this email is brought to y'all by word Muslim, the of game Pool, and the Restoration. But before we jump into that first things first. My good friend Elder Wells is being transferred so I am the last elder of the original humboldt four. That's right I have six more weeks here in Trenton which will equal a total of six months here.

   Sorry Mom. We are at the north east tip of the mission on the other side of the Mississippi (Response to whether or not his mom would see him cleaning up after the tornado in the many pictures that were going around). That is awesome that you are helping out those people in the Searcy Stake. Come to think of it I spent the first half of my mission in that stake...weird how fast the time goes.

 

    So this week started off with us walking the streets around 1030 am and getting thirsty. So we stopped into a gas station and met a man with a name that  I have no I idea how to spell or say. he offered me 10 bucks if could but it was of no use. He then asked  us if we were from the CIA, FBI, NSa ,or MI5 we told him we were  Representatives of Jesus Christ. He told us he was a Muslim from Jerusalem  and asked what church we were from. We said the chruch of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. He then said "Mormons??? Then I have question for you". I said shoot. He said" how many wives can you have max?" It was fun and we got his phone number and plan on stopping by his place some time. 

  Then on Saturday we came out of an awesome lesson with a guy name Roland,  and as we went back to the car we saw a couple guys playing Pool and so we played with them. One was drinking pretty heavy that day, and challenged Elder Oblad to a one on one match where Elder Oblad beat the guy and we talked for a bit.

  Life is awesome if you use the gospel. It can be crazy but if we live the Gospel of Jesus Christ we can be prepared for whatever comes around. 

From Elder (Ryan) Duron