Ethan opens his Misson call!

Where oh where could it be?

Crocodile Tears!  Awwwww...

Hard as I try....the picture won't rotate!  Arghgh! 

Ethan received his mission call on Thursday, March 21st, but waited till the 25th a Saturday to open it.  It was nice to have his brothers and Dad present along with lots of his friends and leaders from the ward.  Ethan was called to serve in the Bahia Blanca Argentina Mission, entering the Provo MTC on July 31, 2013 and will learn their native Spanish.  I've heard the Spanish from that region is very melodic and 'sung' as people speak, much like Italian.  He's very exited to go.  He wanted to learn a native Spanish as he's taken 2 years of the language in HS, so he's excited to learn the authentic language from the Latin people.  Ethan is excited to send a video tape of himself opening the letter to his brother Morgan and let him see it live!  Poor guy has to wait another week!

Morgan's 13th letter in 2013 - Photos

Dearest Ohana,

This week has flown by so fast. Our week has Ward Conference, and had activities all week long. Ill tell all the Ward conference activities we had this week.

So on Wednesday the ward did a home teaching, and visiting teaching flood. So all the members in the ward met together at the church and then split up from there, visiting people from the ward. It was really awesome.

Thursday we had a Ward Luau. There was a huge turn out way more than expected, they barely had enough food for everyone, which surprised me they had enough food. There was a 100 foot long food line for like 1 hour, to get food cafeteria serving style, with people serving you. We had 5 Investigators come to the Luau which was great to have them there, and have the ward be able to fellowship them. They had Local Hawaiian food, so they had Raw Fish (Poke), Deep Friend Fish, Shrimp, Poi, Hawaiian long rice, regular rice, and some other Hawaiian dishes. Then we had dessert, and then had a talent show. Where a lot of the Youth performed different acts, including singing, hula, dancing, and the Haka. All of the Single Men in the Ward had to get up and do the Haka, and they made the missionaries go up there too. So it was similar to Lineah Cancillas Wedding when we did the Haka dance, where you scream and yell and slap yourself a lot.

Then on Friday we had a Church cleaning activity for Ward Conference. We had about 80 members come to the church, and do a deep cleaning of the whole building. Earlier that day we had a Zone Conference for the missionaries. All of the Missionaries on the Island came to the Waimea Church, and the Mission President, his wife, and the AP's, all came to the Waimea Church for Zone Conference. We started the meeting at 10 AM, and didn't get done until about 5:30 pm. They trained us on lots of different things, and we did lots of practices. It was really awesome. Then the bran new missionaries that have been 3 months out or less, bore their greenie testimony. Then the old missionaries who go home in the next 3 months bore their dying testimony. Then we went to dinner with a member.

Saturday the Our Ward, Waimea 1st Ward, went to the Temple. Adults, youth, everyone. We didn't go because we not allowed to go to the temple, only on our temple trips. So we went with the Waimea 2nd ward for Mormon Helping Hands. We went to the Hospital and cleaned up the grounds, which took about 3 hours. It was really fun, and we all had a great time.

Sunday was Ward Conference. Our Chapel was overflowing, with the whole gym full of people all the way to the back. We had to keep setting up chairs in the back for people coming in, until there was no more room in the gym for chairs. We had about 500 people at church. Which is really good for our smaller sized church. Stake President came up the the Podium, and released our Bishop, and the Bishopric. Then he told us the Waimea 1st ward was splitting into 2 wards, the Waikoloa Ward, and the Waimea 1st ward. Then called 2 new bishoprics for the 2 wards. So that was really emotional for a lot of the members who are splitting up from their friends. Mission President hasn't told us anything so Me and Elder Richards are assuming we are going to be covering 2 wards now, until they get another set of missionaries here, probably next transfer.

So at the Beginning of the week, Elder Shepherd, who used to be my companion, called me and talked to me. He told me to try to find 2 people named Travis and Carrol who moved into my area, who used to be his investigators like 1 year ago. He didn't have a address nor a phone number but just told me to try to find them. So then like 4-5 days later, i think it was Friday night. We just got home, parked our car, then went to go check the mail. We walked past a picnic area, on our way to the mail boxes. I saw 2 people there, and i just said "Hello." Then we started talking, and i found out they used to meet with the missionaries, and moved to Waikoloa pretty recently. Then we find out that these random people we were talking to was TRAVIS and CARROL, the people Elder Shepherd told me to find!! They were really nice.What a miracle it was to random run into them, and start talking to them. They told us they want the missionaries to start teaching them again. So they told us to come over, so we are going to go over there on Tuesday. What an awesome miracle though!

Mom told me Ethan got his mission call but she wont tell me where. So i cant wait to hear, I'm super excited for Ethan. Let me know where hes going ASAP!! Love you all.

 Love Elder Durocher

Sunsets in Hawaii

Saying goodbye to Elder Garr, Morgans first companion on the Big Island.  He's going home!

Sunday Dinner was Fantastic!

It worked out to have a terrific Sunday dinner with nearly all the boys!....we know where Morgan is...!  Pictured here is Nicholas, Cambree, Michelle, Hayden, Adrienne, Michael, Ethan and David.
Back row...Kwinn, Heidi, Mitchell & Harris.

Dinner was great with Taco Spaghetti and fixings with Pound cake...Mikes favorite...for dessert.
I am always thrilled to have a gathering and visit with all my children.  We'll be seeing Annalisa in a couple days so that will fill me to the brim.....almost....considering Morgan!  But a mission is worth waiting for!

Morgan's 12th letter in 2013

Dear Family

This has been a good week. I picked my new companion up from the Kona Airport Wednesday morning at 9AM. His name is Elder Richards from L.A. California. Hes super cool, we get along great, i think were gonna have a lot of fun together this coming transfer. We spent most of that day unpacking his stuff, and visiting our members and investigators. Most of this week has been spent visiting members and investigators, to introduce my new companion to them.

Last Monday or last P-Day, we had a zone barbeque at Spencer's Beach Park. We all chipped in and brought food to make hamburgers and hotdogs and other food. So we grilled those up and ate them. Then we played games. This beach park has a concrete volleyball court, and basketball court right in the middle of the beach. So the court was like 100 feet away from the water. It was fun to play with such a great scenic background around me, plus having the cool ocean breeze to keep us cool. It was really fun to have a party together before our zone split up on Wednesday for transfers.

On Sunday we had church at 9AM the normal time, and we had great speakers in sacrament meeting. After church we visited a Girl named Janae. We got a call from a member to give Janae's Mother Julie a blessing. The whole family is non members. We knocked on the door and talked to her for a minute just saying hi and talking, she told us they were having a family party. Then a Big Old man comes out the front door, stepping in front of her, and interrupting her and said "Hi I'm Pastor Frank." We nicely introduce ourselves and tell him were looking for Julie. He told us she was chatting inside, because they were having a party. Then he told us "Isn't Sunday supposed to be a day of rest? I'm a Pastor and I rest on Sunday, and spent time with my family. Why are you working today?" Then Elder Richards said "that were full time servants of the Lord," then he tells us again that he is a Pastor and even Pastors rest on Sunday so we should too. He was being contentious and trying to start an argument, and it felt like he was trying to defend his territory. So i nicely tell him that "its great that he is spending time with his family on Sunday, and we will let him get back to his party." Then i thanked him for his time, and said bye. It was a funny experience.

Sunday night we headed back to the church at 6pm for a Fireside. A Church Choir from Laie on Oahu (Oahu is right next to BYU - Hawaii, and where the temple is) was going to be singing for us, along with a few short talks. The choir was amazing, they sung all of the Hymns in Hawaiian, and it was beautiful, i felt the spirit there so strongly! Then we had a refreshments after. and it was funny i was expecting some light snacks and dessert like white people would have for refreshments. But nope, in Hawaii refreshments are a full course meal, so that was nice because our dinner canceled on us that night, so we had plenty to eat.

On Friday we found a part member family. The wife is a member, the husband is not. She has two 9 year old twin daughters, that she really wants them to be baptized. So we taught them the Restoration on Friday, and set a date for their baptism on March 30. Since they are 9 years old or older, they are a convert baptism, even though they are so young. I'm so grateful for the miracle to be able to find them. She just drove into the church parking lot, saw the missionaries, and asked for a blessing for her and her daughters, then after that she said she really wanted to have to 2 daughters baptized. What a great blessing from Heavenly Father.

Elder Richards last area was in Honolulu where he taught only Chuukese people. Chuuk is a small island in the Micronesia Islands, which is in the South Pacific., Elder Richards was in that Chuukese ward for 6 months, and so he learned the Chuukese language. So he has been really wanting to find some Chuukese people, because most the investigators we work with are Marshalese. So we searched and searched, and finally found some for him, that made him very happy!

Well thanks for the letter from home, my time is short and thats all i can think of. I love you all!

Love Elder Morgan James Durocher

PS: Thanks for the book, I'm already halfway through # 3

Morgans 11th letter in 2013 - Photos

Dear Family,

This has been a fun week here in Hawaii. A member from the ward the McMillans, had a friend visiting them from Germany. His name is Clouse, and he is an older man, maybe in his 60's. He came to church 2 Sundays in a row, and we were able to share a few spiritual thoughts with him. He went back to Germany this week, but we gave him a book of Mormon to read and he is going to see the missionaries in Germany. Last Monday before Clouse went home, we went to breakfast with him and Bro McMillan and had a really fun time. Bro McMillan has a commercial sized printer that can print 44 inches wide, and is making some huge almost life sized pictures of Jesus Christ to put up in the Church. Ill send a picture of Me, Elder Garr and Clouse, with the picture of Jesus Christ in the back.

On saturday we did some service for Jeffson John, he is a marshalese guy in his mid 20's, he is married and has a baby boy.We did some lawn work for him.  So i start weed whacking, and i start trimming the grass along the edges of the lawn. Elder Garr was going to mow the lawn. He didn't know how to use it, so Jeffson showed him how to start it and how to run it. I am minding my own business weed whacking, and then i turn around to see Elder Garr trying to cut the grass. He was like going in circles, and squiggly lines, and curvey and everything, just following where the long grass was. So the grass look really funny, with all kinds of squiggly paths cut into the grass. Me and Jeffson looked at each other and just started busting up laughing, watching Elder Garr try to cut the Lawn. After a few minutes of Laughing with Jeffson, Jeffson went over to Elder Garr and told him how your supposed to go in straight lines, 1 row at a time. After that he did pretty good. Elder Garr told us that was his first time mowing the grass, i couldn't believe it, thinking back how many times i have cut the grass in my life, and him never doing it before. It was really funny.

Sunday night we were in Waimea, and driving back to Waikoloa. There was a super heavy rain storm. And all of a sudden the traffic stops, and cars start getting backed up. We see cars start turning around and going back to Waimea. When we finally get the the front of the line, we figure out why everyone was stopped. There was a flash flood, and there was a muddy river going acrossed the road. For like 100 yards there was 6 inches deep of water and mud. There was a car that was stuck in the middle of the muddy water, and a truck towing it out. That was the only way to get to Waikoloa unless we wanted a huge detour around the island. So we decided just to take our chances and drive through the flood. So going like 5-10 miles per hour we got through the water. It was pretty scary i thought we were gonna get stuck in our little car. After we got through, it started getting way faster and deeper, so we got lucky we went when we did.

After that we went back to Jeffsons house to Celebrate his wife's Birthday. I had some fish, and also some Marshalese Poke (Raw Fish), Along with some other marshalese food, and American food. We sang happy birthday, and then they showed us a short movie that was filmed in the Marshal Islands, it was really fun, and something i could have filmed with my camera. It had English subtitles for us to read, and it was called "Yokwe Bartowe."

On Friday night we had dinner with some members named the Wibergs, originally from Utah.  We ate dinner with Bro and Sis Wiberg, and their 2 grand children, Blake and Lily. Blake is 10 and Lily is 6. After dinner i felt  inspired to share a quick spiritual thought about baptism, and the sacrament. During the Lesson we found out that Blake has not been baptized yet, and after our message he really wants to be baptized now. So he is going to talk to his parents, and he will probably be baptized in March. What a miracle to find this boy.

We have Transfers this Wednesday, and we found out that Elder Garr is leaving the Area, and going back to Oahu. My new companion is going to be Elder Richards, who i have served in the same zone as him twice now. We have so much potential for baptisms here, I'm excited that things are finally picking up.

Love you All, thanks for all your prayers, and for all your support.

Elder Durocher

Me and Waipio valley in the back ground, this is a different side of Waipio valley than i saw before

Flooded road on the way back home

Elder Durocher, Clouse & Elder Garr in front of newly printed Christ.

Morgans 10th Letter in 2013 with Photos

Dear Family,

What a great week here in Hawaii. I have had some awesome spiritual experiences this last week. First one i wanna say happened on Friday. We just got done having dinner with a member named the Musau's. It was like 8:00 pm and we were headed home on our 30 minute drive back to our house. We got a call from a random phone number, and it was a member that wanted us to come to the hospital to give a blessing to her Grandma. We get to the Hospital and she tells us that her Grandma is about to pass away, and probably has a few hours left, and she wanted us to give her a blessing. We met the other 2 missionaries at the Hospital and so there was 4 of us missionaries. We introduced ourselves and gave a her a soft hand shake. We asked her who she wanted to give the blessing, and she turned to me and asked if I would do it. Elder Garr anointed the oil, and then I sealed it and gave her a blessing. The Moment I laid my hands on her head i was like over come by the Holy Ghost. I felt it more powerfully than i ever have before in my life. I cant even describe how it felt, but it filled my whole heart and radiated through my whole body. I began to give her a blessing and said some things i never thought i would say. I blessed her to have a peaceful and comfortable passing, and that she would soon be in the Saviors Loving Arms, Along with her Family and the Doctors being able to help her the best they can, and that she would have peace and comfort through this hard time, and a few more things. Then I ended the blessing. I don't know if shes still alive or not, but it was amazing to give someone a blessing, that's about to pass through the veil. Her spirit was so strong, and i really felt it. I have always loved old people, i always loved going to the old folk retirement home in Orem, and visiting an older member of our Orem ward Brother Ophar every week. They have so much Wisdom, and Stories, and just have a sweet spirit about them. I'm so thankful I was able to have that experience.

On Saturday i was on an exchange, and i was with Elder Small in Waimea 2nd Ward. On Saturday morning we had a lesson with a guy named Skip, and he wanted us to hike while we taught him. So started hiking from his house, towards Waipio Valley (Annie probably knows what that is). Its a tons and tons of Canyons, that are covered in Green Vegetation, and Waterfalls everywhere. It took about 11/2 hours to get to the Edge of Waipio Valley looking into the valley. On the way up we just talked story with him and got to know him. He is a really cool guy, he's married and has 2 young daughters. He is from Arizona and moved here like 7 years ago. He brought his 3 Labs on the hike with us. We got to the end of the hike, took some pics, and then hiked back down. On the hike down we taught the 1st Lesson, the Restoration. The lesson went way good, he had lots of questions, and everything made sense to him. Something about the spirit from being in nature, in Gods Creation, and then talking about God and Jesus Christ, and his Gospel. It just had a special spirit during the lesson. It was great. He said he is going to read the Book of Mormon!! So that was exciting.

On Sunday after Church we had a lesson with our Investigators Vince and Ipo. We brought Nico a returned missionary who just got back from Fiji last week. We got to there house and talked for like 20 minutes. Then we shared the Restoration with them, and it went great. The spirit was guiding the lesson so much, it was definitely guiding my words, and giving them power. After the lesson they thanked me for teaching them, and said it was just what they needed. That what i said made them feel really good inside, and that it made total sense now, when before they were confused about the Restoration. They said they want to be baptized, and want to work towards that Goal. It was a great experience i had with them on Sunday.

Last Monday after i got the word from Mom, that Dr Reichman said my back looked good. I played basketball with the Zone, i was careful and everything. and After wards it felt good, no problems in my back or leg. I was just super sore from playing basketball for the first time in 6 months. Everything was good, so I'm glad its feeling good. thanks for all the prayers, and fasting from family and friends, i know it helped and i know it worked.

I was finally able to get the chance to look at the Cd of Pictures mom sent me, of Christmas pictures. All of the Pictures were great, it was fun to see everybody in Nevada.

Well Love you All, have a great week!

Love Elder Morgan James Durocher

Me and Elder Dzieman a few weeks ago celebrating his Birthday with a Camp Fire

 

This is a waterfall on our Hike to Waipio Valley

This is me and Waipio Valley in the Back Ground

Me and Skip the Investigator