Moms Letter with Birthday pictures - July 26, 2014

Hello Elders & Family,

What's not to love about Sunday!  Being with family, going to Church, giving/receiving gospel lessons, hanging out at home, visiting with friends, catching up on reading or a little snoozie... but the best part is knowing that it's the Sabbath and it's a special day to honor The Lord. 

With Pioneer Day being Thursday and I had the day off, it was nice to split up the week a little and get a few more things done at home.  I stayed home all day, but got a lot accomplished, as well as finished a really great book.  I'll bet Morgan would love to read this one, but I'll tell him about it FRIDAY!!!!  Wow!!!  I'm saying 4 days away, cuz Thursday night is going to be a blurr and I get myself ready and at the SLC airport by 7am!  My love and anticipation will now swing to Ethan, however as I know he will be thinking of our reunion with Morgan, but please Elder, know that you are soon on the down hill slope of your mission.  Now is the time to focus on what you can accomplish in 12 months to giving meaning and hope to the people of Argentina.  It's not a time to look to the end of your mission, but to the here and now and know that you have little time to linger and there is so much to do.

Friday after work I left directly to Tooele to meet up with Nick and family.  Michelle is working part-time at an assisted care facility in Tooele, so I saw her later that evening.  Michelle will be attending Fall semester of school at the USU extension in Tooele.   She's working toward her Associate Degree.  I'm so very proud of all my clan for their interest in school and places of learning.  Friday evening Nick and I loaded up the kids and took a ride to DI and found a couple treasures, and then drove to see where Michelle was working.  Mike and family were wrapping up a long day at Lagoon and got home late.  I took out and fed the dog for him after I arrived.

Michaels request for his birthday was my Pound Cake is a bundt pan.  It's always such a delicious cake and doesn't need frosting, but I did make an orange flavor frosting that was delish!  I made the cake early Saturday morning as not to heat the house up later.  Michelle made her fantastic chicken salad and at 3pm or so when David arrived we had the birthday party for Mike (Aug 4th), Gavin (Aug 1st), Conner (June 17) and Abby (July 14).  Mike brazed some burgers and brats and we enjoyed a great meal.  The kids had a great time trying to hit the Pinyatta. sp...?  Afterwards the kids opened presents and had cake.  I had found a great deal on a Ninja blender for Mike and gave it to him early in July.  I got Gavin a Spy kit and Conner and Abby some earphones.  Thanks MIKE and Happy Birthday everyone!

Earlier in the day Nick saw a small trailer on KSL and asked Dave if he'd look at it while passing through North Ogden.  David did and figured it would be a good small trailer for my 4 wheeler that I could pull with my Lexus or Ethan's car.  The boys fixed a wheel bearing and with new tires it works great.  Thanks guys for getting me set up!  Of course he got it for a great price.... he's a Durocher right?!!  Haaa!  My Lexus needs to be wired for trailer lights, but David followed me as far as Sandy as I went home Saturday night.  Nothing was on the trailer so my car tail lights were good for people behind me.  I got the trailer in the garage and my 4wheeler on it with a little ingenuity. 

I taught my lesson today on Elijah.  It was a great study of 1 Kings 17-19, and what impact he had on our modern church.  Only a few brief verses and his mission result is linked to our Temples, Sealings and doing genealogy.  Talk about opposition in his lifetime and yet he was immediately obedient.  I read a great piece in Jesus is the Christ by Talmage that helped understand the Spirit of Elias, Spirit of Elijah, and the coming of the Messiah.  There is also a talk by Russell M. Nelson called The Spirit of Elijah, Oct. 1994.

Funny part here, when I was up delivering my lesson, I heard my phone ring.  Then a couple minutes later, I hear it ring again.  Then a text.  I was a little worried, and checked my phone as soon as I got done.  Annie called, then I saw Janine Miner called, and then she text.  Janine had forgotten to notify me of when their son Clarks Farewell was, and it started at 1pm.  It was 1:10, so I drove down and was able to hear his farewell talk at his ward.  Just in time!  That was cool.  I went over to their house later for refreshment and saying goodbye with the Hansens from our ward.  Great fun!

Tonight was the Parents of Returning Missionary meeting.  It's a wonderful program for Parents to help in the RM transition to home life.  There are also Institute classes for Returning Missionaries to help them stay focused with their new schedules and their "Purpose" as stated in the Preach My Gospel manual. Chapter 2.  Great information, and I know I'll be much better at helping Morgan adjust.  I'll scan the handout for your information and forward later.

Have a great week!

Love, Mom

 

Morgan's 29th Letter & Photos Wahiawa, Oahu, Hawaii July 28, 2014

My Last Letter!

Dear Family and Friends

 This is my last email i will be sending home as a full time missionary. It is a weird feeling for sure. I have sat at a computer over 100 times to send an email home once a week to all of you guys. Now this is the last one. I want to keep it short, there's not too much to say, i will be seeing all of you guys in a few days from now. 

I had a great last week! We worked hard and we stayed busy! We had a bunch of service that we did this last week. We helped a former investigator move out of their house, we spent hours and hours scrubbing walls, shampooing carpet, and painting the walls. But we were able to help them out, and help rekindle a friendship to the Church, and to the Future missionaries they will see in Colorado. 

Saturday Night a Member named Natalie Sword threw Me and Elder Kellogg a surprise goodbye party. I was with Elder Kellogg on exchanges, and we walk up to the door and open it. Just then everyone jumps out of their hiding spots and screamed. There was decorations everywhere, and a table stuffed with all kinds of food. We played games and had a fun time together. Natalie gave us both a goodbye present of a Hawaiian Wooden Watch. Oh my goodness it is so cool, you guys have no idea!! I never seen a wood watch until about a month ago, and then Natalie gave me one as a gift! So Nice of Her!

This last Sunday at Church the Ward Sang "Aloha Oe" to me. It is a goodbye song that the ward sings when people move, or missionaries finish their mission. The Direct translation is "Farewell to Thee." The ward all sang it to me, and then people came up afterwards to give me a Lei, and a hug, a couple people gave me gifts.  Then we said goodbye to some families and took some pictures. 

I love you all so much! I'm so grateful for this wonderful 2 year experience i have had in the Hawaii Honolulu Mission! I know that this church is true with every fiber of my being. I know Jesus Christ lives and loves us!  My mission has been better than i could have ever imagined. I have been immensely blessed. Thanks so much for all the Support! And for all the love! I cant wait to see you all! 

 Love Elder Morgan Durocher

 Baptism of LJ last week

 After temple trip in Laie, we saw Lee and Tani Kealoha, I helped baptize them last year

 Kirsten and Erica sad that we beat them by 1 point in Foosball

Ethan's 29th Letter & Photos Necochea, Argentina July 28, 2014

Writing from Argentina!

Well Monday after writing the family we went to the beach and i took a lot of pictures. We went with the Muñoz Family and they took us around. We got to a place where there was SEA LIONS!!!!!!!!! They were so big and so fat!!!!! i thought i was the fattest thing in this country but they sea lions beat me by a Ton!!!! literally! hahaha yaa bad joke.. I took pictures and videos by them, and one of them i smack in the nose with my planner and it FREAKED out and then went back to sleep... hahaha i have that on video, it was really funny. I hope the pictures load in time to send them.

   Tuesday we had our District Meeting and then Wednesday Interviews with Presidente Parreño! Those went well, we learned from his wife about Perception of the Sacrade, with the clothes we wear as LDS members, tattoos, hair, beards(to be honest i kinda ignored the part of beards because I'm prideful and want a beard like my big brothers!,.... is that bad??? ;) ) She was talking about some missionaries go home after there mission and get tattoos and look like homeless people( which i like the duck dynasty look! it says in d-y-n-a-s-t-y = die nasty or in other words die with awesome beards! ) okay enough with the jokes, It was a good talk and got my mind focused on the things that i need to be things with the sacrade things that we have.

  After the Interviews, I did Exchanges with our district leader in a place called Lobería which is like an hour from Necochea. We did exchanges for 3 Days!!! i have never done them for so long, he said he has done them from 1 to 6 days before. It was really good, and he taught me a lot from the things that i got to learn. He is a missionary who was a rebel and was changed in the mission and now he can teach missionaries like me from his person experiences in the life. I came back with more energy to work, and I'm doing good!

I love you all!!

Con Amor Elder Ethan C. Durocher!

Morgan's 28th Letter, Wahiawa, Oahu, Hawaii July 21, 2014

Aloha my family and friends. haha never mind its probably just Mom who reads this anyways, lets be honest. I'm sure everyone else just skips right over my letters haha! :)

Aloha Mom!! ;) Its so Crazy that im here writing one of my last letters to my family. Hopefully I will get to send one next week but who knows what will happen! I want to say thanks to everyone for supporting me. Thanks Mom and Dad for Writing me so much, you both have written me every single week! Which has given me something to look forward to every single week, and help me to feel the support that's behind me back home. Mom I looked at the Email Settings, and it said that like Half of My Total Emails I got on my mission were from YOU! So thanks so Much! I have tried to write as much as I can every single week in hopes that All of you guys back home can learn something from my experiences, and have a deeper faith in this Wonderful Gospel, and know the Spiritual Experiences that I have had on my mission.

This Saturday was a Crazy Day!! So It started of at 5:45 Am when we woke up, so that we could play basketball at the church with all the Elders, and 2 members. After about an hour we finished up. Me and Elder Morco brought our Towel, and a change of cloths, and our Suit. So we showered at the church and got in our Church cloths, and started setting up the baptism that was gonna happen at 9Am. So While this is going on, I hear Someone Start yelling my name, DUROCHER, DUROCHER, DUROCHER!!

 I run out of the Relief Society room where I was getting stuff ready, and I see the Baptismal Font Overflowing!! And Water is starting to Pour Into the Bathroom! The Room where we shut off the water was closed and locked for some reason. So were running around trying to get the water off. Finally Morco has to jump in the Water and Pull the Plug so it can start draining, and get the Water turned off. All the Water Morco Displaced from his body flooded into the Bathrooms. So We spent the Next 10 minutes using brooms to sweep the water back into the Baptismal Font! It was Crazy what it all turned out okay. A few members showed up early and saw us in the Madness trying to get the water turned off. Their was 4 Elders, and like 20 members cleaning the Chapel, but no one saw the Font Overflowing before it was too late.

The baptism turned out Great! There was complications and last minute problems just like every baptism I have been to. But as soon as it starts their is a special Peace that overcomes you to know that it is finally happening, and the day you been looking forward to is here. Their Was such a special peaceful spirit there, and it was great to be a part of it, and see the Progress LJ has made to get their.

So last Story! Sunday right before Church Started, the Ward Clerk asked me if I could share  couple minute Testimony in Church, so I agreed. So im sitting on my Bench during the Opening Song, and start looking through the Program and This is What I See: Speaker..............Elder Durocher. Haha I was the Main Speaker, along with another guy in the Ward. Their was 1 youth speaker right before me. So I would have to take up 15 minutes or so! Missionaries always get asked to do things last minute, so I wasn't too worried. I had a lot of thoughts and things I wanted to say about missionary work. And a few stories to share, so the 15 minutes went super fast! I think I went over too, maybe more like 20 minutes. by the End of my Talk the Spirit came over me so strong, causing me to start crying like a baby while sharing an experience I had on my mission in a previous area.

Well I love you All, have a great week!!!

Elder Morgan Durocher