2-1-10

Family!!!,
I hope you are all doing wonderful, as for me, this last week has been fairly eventful. I had an opportunity to go tracting with one of the zone leaders last week, Elder Bowden, it was here that I was able to refine my missionary skills just a little. I have seen an outpouring of more people who want to hear a message about the Book of Mormon. We received many names and or numbers of people who would like us to stop by or give them a call. I believe it has improved my mission over all. What a blessing. We met with a less-active family. They have several children and are in their late thirties. They were once a part member family and became active when the husband was baptized. Since then they have drifted away from activity and church fellowship. We went in and taught them a lesson on Heavenly Father and how the Gospel blesses families. There was a very good spirit and we invited the children to obey their earthly father and their Heavenly Father. However, We did not invite them to church (Probably should have) but we rescheduled for three weeks away. It was a good experience. I called the Frieburge family to ask if we could come over. Now there are two Frieburge families in the ward and they both live at the same address (basement and top level). I thought I had called the top level Frieburges (we have met them before) and set up an appointment to come by, but as we finished the conversation I asked her what her address was. She told me the bottom level. I just went with it. When we arrived at the appointed time we had a wonderful lesson on the Plan of Salvation. We drew it out on a piece of paper, asked questions, and had a good experience. We even invited the mom and her two sons to come to church in two weeks. They said they would be there. The dad gave us a ride home and as we sat in the car with him, we found out that he is not a member. He had met with the missionaries before but has not felt his need to be baptized. I do not know if he thinks it is true or not. He said we should come back and eat dinner with them. I thought it was great how my mistake of a phone call turned out to be a blessing from our Father in Heaven. We also had the opportunity to meet with our investigator George. We had a great lesson on the fourth article of faith. I was not actually in attendance because I was away on exchanges but I heard it went good. Not ready to be baptized yet and he said he would come to church no show there though. He will come when he is ready. We met with a semi-active family. They have very seven very rambunctious children. We invited them to start doing family home evening. The parents said they would do it (they did not look too excited) and they invited us to come and share the message in a months time. We came back this last week to find that they had FHE three times in the last month. We had a great message with coloring for the children out of some Book of Mormon coloring book a member made for us. It was a good fast lesson and I think the youngest to the oldest had a good time and felt the spirit. It was good to see a family actually acting in faith. My studies have been going good. Been feeling the spirit and learning lots. On exchanges I had invited an Elder to do all the personal activities in section four of Preach My Gospel. I told him I had never done it and he invited me to do the activity with him. So I have been enjoying doing the activities in there. It has helped bring the spirit and help me realize the potential we have as missionaries. This is the Lords work. I love you family and hope all is well!!! O and I have a new companion, Elder Gassaway yep like it sounds we will have great times to gether he speaks English but was called as a ASL missionary Sigh language see yeah.
love Elder Durfee