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| Elder Durocher with Mission President Dalton |
Dear Ohana,
On Tuesday we had a Zone Conference. This is the last Zone
Conference with our Mission President, President Dalton. President
and Sister Dalton go home on June 30, at the end of this month. So they had a
big zone conference this time, cuz normally is only 1 zone at a zone conference
but this one we had 4 zones. We had Laie, Kaneohe, Millilani, and Kauai Zones
come. Kauai Missionaries had to fly in from their Island early that morning. We
met at the Stake Center, and will all the missionaries we had we filled
up the whole Sacrament room, all of the Benches in the middle row. Probably about
100 Missionaries were there. We had a training from the Assistant to the
Presidents. Then had Lunch provided by the Laie Ward Members. Then
President Dalton talked to us, and bore his testimony, and gave us some final
words of Advice. Then Sister Dalton bore her testimony and talked to us. They
both got teary eyed as they talked about leaving, and as they gave their
final words. And then lastly they did a Question and Answer, where we
could ask them any question we had for them. The Question and Answer was really
awesome, I really enjoyed it. Then we sang Aloha Oe to them. Aloha Oe is a
Hawaiian song that the whole congregation sings to someone that is leaving the
ward, or someone leaving. Then during the song you go up and give them a Lei
and give them a Hug. You'll have to look up the song on YouTube, here's the
Chorus.
Aloha `oe, aloha `oe
E ke onaona noho i ka lipo
One fond embrace,
A ho`i a`e au
Until we meet again
E ke onaona noho i ka lipo
One fond embrace,
A ho`i a`e au
Until we meet again
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We were all were in the MTC together. Sister Haupeakui,
me, Elder Humphreys, and Sister Barnes
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| Elder Durocher with President and Sister Dalton |
So my Ward is having a Ward Camp from Last Friday until
tomorrow Tuesday at a beach park. So we went to that on Friday and played
Volleyball in our full Church Cloths, their was Non-Members, and Less Actives
playing with me, so it was a good way to get to know them. Then on Saturday was
a game night. Everyone met a the Big Main tent in the middle and then they
would call a family or 2 up and they would have to compete with each other to
win. They had lots of fun activities, and Puzzles, and Funny Games, and you can
win Prizes. It was really fun to watch. Then on Sunday we went back at 7:00 for
a musical Fireside. So first they had an older man from the Mormon Tabernacle
Choir. He talked a lot about Music, and the Spirituality behind it. And shared
some scriptures from the Standard Works about Music and Singing. Then he sang
some Hymns for us, without any piano or background music, he sang it just solo.
He sounded really good. Then after him was a Family, their last name was
Tonga. It was 5 young Girls who sang for us, they were ages 6,
10, 11, 11, and 12. They shared their Testimony, and a few words, and sang us
lots of songs. Their Singing was Awesome!!
Ward Camp has been an awesome way for us to get to know the
members better and to fellowship people. There are a lot of Less-Active people
at ward camp, we have been talking to, and getting to know. And we also have 4
non members at ward camp too. So its been a great way to fellowship all of
those people.
Oh I have to tell you all one funny experience that happen
to me this week. So on Wednesday we went to the Church to go teach one of our
Investigators who goes to Young-Womens. So I get their and ask one Lady if I
can help her, and take a tray of Ice Cream Cake to the Kitchen for her. So I
take the Big Tray to the Kitchen. I go and open the Freezer and I see 4 two
liters of Root Beer in the Freezer. Some one was trying to get them cold
faster. 1 of the Soda's fall out of the freezer, head first. The lid smacks
straight down on the cement floor, and then the next instant the 2 liter of
Soda is flying back up into the air like a rocket. It musta been really shaken
up cuz when the cap busted off the soda, it flew into the air with
Soda shooting everywhere. The bottle Hit the roof and then came back
down to the floor. The Root Beer completely soaked my cloths, my pants were
dripping wet. Soda covered the whole kitchen, their was Root Beer on every
single surface of the Kitchen. I had to get a mop and clean up the whole floor,
and then get a rag and wipe down all the walls, counters, doors, cabinets,
roof, and it even got all over the ceiling fan. It was everywhere!! After about
30 minutes of cleaning, I pretty much got all the sticky brown liquid all
washed away.
Love Elder Durocher
A few more words about:
Wednesday night after I cleaned up the Root beer mess, with
my cloths air dried a little bit. And then we had a lesson with our
Investigator Rainbow. She comes to Young Womens every week, and always comes to
Church. But her Dad wont let her be baptized. We didn't have very much time and
so we had a lesson on the 10 Commandments, and then a lesson on Tithing. They
went awesome. The Spirit was strong, and Rainbows friend Serita was able to
bear her testimony too, which only helped more to bring the Spirit.
Saturday we saw a Less Active Lady named Sister Fa. She
wasn't in a very good mood when we answered the door, but we talked to her a
little while and she snapped out of it. We asked if we could share a short
message with her and her kids, and she said sure. She had 3 kids ages 14, 11,
and 6. Named Sam, Tiana, and Treasure. We shared little message about
Jesus Christ and why he was baptized, and why we need to be baptized. The mood
didn't feel right, so we didn't invite the kids to be Baptized. Were gonna wait
for a few more lessons. The mom said she wants the Kids to learn all they can,
and then if they want to be Baptized, they can if they want to. She wont stop
them, but she wont encourage them either.
Sunday at 5 pm we had a dinner with the Beattys. It was a
homecoming dinner. Wonka Beatty just got off his mission last Tuesday, he
served in Pocatello, Idaho mission. He served for 8 months in
Fort Hall, and he covered the indian reservation, so sometimes he would go to
Blackfoot for lessons. Sunday night at the Ward camp we joined a family
who's son was opening his mission call. And guess where he got called to??
Pocatello, Idaho mission haha, he leaves in September, and his name is Elder Ah
Puck. So Dad watch out for this Elder he might serve in your ward.
This has been such a great spiritual week!
And another thought from Morgan as he shares a letter from a family friend, Kyler Lopez.
I wanted to forward a email I
got from my friend Kyler Lopez from Orem. He is serving in Canada. His
letters always impress me, how amazing of a friend Kyler is, and how amazing of
a person he is, and how lucky I am to know him. His letter touched me so I
wanted to send it to you too. Its amazing to hear his experiences and how he is
growing :) Love, Morgan
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Forwarded message ----------
Hello Family and Friends
This week I learned a very important and great lesson in how
we should love one another, and to remember that we are all Gods children and
he loves us just as much as we love each other but more so.
This week we held a fireside here in Port Alberni, where our
mission president, President Tilleman and his wife Holly came and addressed us.
The ward has been working extremely hard to invite as many of their friends and
family to the invite. Well we had a good amount of people show up, around 125,
but not nearly as much as the ward was hoping for. We had plenty of non members
and less actives show up, but I could see some people were very disappointed
that the people they cared about didn't find enough love in their own
hearts to show up, for their friends. And the same thing happened to
me. We invited our friends Terry and Grace, a devote Lutheran couple,
but some of the most amazing people I have ever met. Well we had
constantly reminded them several times the previous weeks and they said they
were planning on coming. Well 7 o'clock hits and they don't show up, and not to
mention another friend Eric, called 20 minutes earlier and said he wasn't
coming, when the day before he said he was coming. So I had my heart
broken once, so I call Terry and Grace up, and they said "oh no! its
7!" They were apologizing and saying they had it on their minds all
day, and were planning on coming but they forgot, and my heart just shattered,
I was literally on the verge of tears at this point. I told them it was
fine, and that we would see them this week, and they felt bad, but still it
hurt like crazy that they just forgot.
So the fireside began, and I was just no happy at all, Elder
Steele and I sat in the back, and I was holding back tears. I just started
getting so angry at myself and I kept asking God "Why? Why do I care so
much for these people and have so much love for them when they don't do
anything. I try so hard and nothing happens! WHY?" I was just tearing at
myself, and I was getting angry that I had found love for these people and just
asking God, WHY! Then I heard my Father in Heaven speak to me, and I
could feel his words in my soul. "I love them too, they are my
children." I just felt so bad for getting so upset, I just thought
about how God feels when is very own children who he has spent
millenniums with and had to separate himself from us, for our own benefit,
forget him and turn their backs from their own Father, who all he tries to do
is help them. I just pleaded for forgiveness, and thanked God for those who did
show up, and then the tears came back, but they were tears of joy this time,
for the blessings Heavenly Father does give us, and when I thought I had
received so much more came. About ten minutes later Terry comes walking into the
chapel. I almost busted down crying from so much love and joy for him, and
knowing how much he cares for me and wanted to come. Terry is very old, and so
it was hard for him to get there but he did it! I gave Terry the biggest hug,
and I was just so blessed. We introduced him to President Tilleman and it was
just amazing. I know the Lord loves us, more now than I have ever before.
Please I plead for all of you, do not turn your back on
Heavenly Father. If you think that when the people you care about turn their
backs on you hurts, with the amount of imperfect mortal love you have for them,
imagine how Our Literal Father in Heaven feels with his perfect, immortal and
eternal love for us. It must hurt more than anything. God Loves us and hears
our cries and pleas, but he also listens to our laughs and sees our smiles.
Tell him of your joys, and blessings, acknowledge his blessings and his hand in
your laugh. Find that relationship, for he is outstretching his arm for you,
yes you! So that you may return to live with him. He misses you, and loves you.
I know that his love is perfectly true, and bear my witness of his love in his
Beloved Sons name, who loves us just as much, in his Holy name, Jesus Christ.
Amen
