Week # 19

Dear Family-
This week was long haha. My new companion (Elder Grose by the way)
is very cool. He is from Bear Lake Idaho. Wednesday and thursday were
really long because I had to pick him up in Santa Clarita and then the
next day was all day training with President Martin. The training was
very nice but it was alot. I am glad you were able to get a letter
from President. I didnt know he did that for trainers. Elder Grose is
really amazing and he bears his testimony very strongly. His spanish
is decent but I will teach him as best as I can. He is not used to
biking all these hills though haha. He reminds me of me when I first
got to this area. But because I know how it feels I make sure not to
leave him in the dust.
We love our new apartment but our neighbors make it a little tough.
Since we have moved in, there has been two rough domestic disputes
with cussing and pushing and crying and it is not fun to listen to.
The walls are very thin so it is hard to escape. It certainly makes me
grateful that I have a loving family that doesn't have those kinds of
things go on. We are working very hard with a less active family
right now named the Arjon family. The hermano Arjon has problems with
faith. He has to know everything and have a reason to do everything.
He knows he needs to have faith but he would rather just know. We also
plan on visiting our investigator family tomorrow and invite them to
be baptized. We are very excited. We just had another person be
baptized yesterday from when I was with Elder Tienda. The kid really
wanted me to go to that baptism but the misioneras in our ward had a
baptism and I was supposed to sing again. Man, thats the second one
where I have been asked to sing a duet with a sister missionary. It
went well but its weird. I dont think anybody even girls would have
gotten me to sing a DUET with them before my mission. But now that I
am out here serving teh Lord, I will do it for Him.
I am glad Courtney and Santiago got back from their honeymoon safe.
Hopefully they enjoyed it. Bummer to hear about his grandfather
though.
I am certainly grateful for a lot of things too. I am most grateful
to be out here serving the Lord. I have been learning so much and am
having the time of my life out here. I am grateful for my family, for
loving, righteous parents who have taught me what is important in this
life. I am grateful for the gospel and the joy and peace it brings to
me. I am grateful to my Savior for His loving sacrifice for me. I hope
everybody pauses to think about all the wonderful blessings we have at
this time of the year and make a commitment to thank your Heavenly
Father for all the wonderful things He has given you.
With Love,
- Elder Dutson

Week # 18

Dear Family-
Dang my sister is a married woman ! That is crazy. I am so glad that she had such a wonderful time. I hope everyone is recuperating well from the reception. Polynesians and Hispanics are very similar in the fact that they like to party and they are good at it! haha. The work continues to advance here. We have been doing a ton of knocking and we found many many new people to teach. Yes mom, Elder Thacker did know Braedon Talbot. Sadly, Elder Thacker is leaving me though. He is going out to Palmdale. I will certainly miss him. He is an extremely hard working missionary. I will be training a new missionary now for the next little bit. He comes in on Wednesday so I am teaming up with a missionary in North Hollywood for a couple days. That means I will be in a car for a bit! Yay ! haha but the new missionary's name is Elder Grost I believe from Idaho. I am way nervous to be trusted with that responsibility but I am extremely excited :) We set another baptismal date with Kevin so things are starting to look up with him as well. The thing was that his parents put it into his head that he needs to know us for 6 months before he should be baptized. the average time it takes is usually like 1 month and a half soimetimes two. So that is why he has been pushing it off. But he committed to being baptized December 4th. Dylan I hope all is going swell in Washington. My former zoneleader goes home the 16th of this month. He is from Vancouver. His name is Benjamin Browning. If you happen to come across him or his family let me know :) I guess my final note would be that I absolutely HATE that California changes the stupid time. It has messed with my internal clock soo bad haha. I wake up at 630 and I feel like I slept in and then by 8 at night I am falling asleep. GRRRRR... anyways I am glad all is well and wish Dad luck on his tests!
- Elder Dutson

Week # 17

Hola Familia !

 This week was kinda crazy!  We knocked into a family and at first they were not interested but both me and Elder Thacker felt the impression to ask them if there was anything that they needed help with. It turns out their house has been without water for like a year and a half. Their pipes are all broken. They turn the water on for 15 minutes in teh morning and they all shower and fill up a bucket to wash clothes and dishes for the day. Then they turn it back off. When tey explained that Elder Thacker and I got a huge smile on our faces. Elder Thacker used to lay water pipes for the city he lived in and he knew exactly how to do it. We told them we could do that for them and they gratefully accepted. We dug for two days this week and figured out our course of action. We are going to install a brand new water line for them. Then we moved this weekend so that was hectic as well. My new address is 13520 Foothill  Apt 209 Sylmar CA 91342.  I also got the opportunity to go on exchanges with my district leader Elder Riggs. He is an awesome missionary and it was nice to be able to learn from him. We are all getting ready for transfers  as this is the last week. We are pretty sure that that Elder Riggs is leaving and that Elder Thacker is leaving and Hermana Blackburn(the one that reminds me of mom) is leaving so that would mean alot of change. Its kind of a bummer because I have really enjoyed being with Elder Thacker.

  That is crazy that some of my friends are already on their way home! How is Elders Olmstead, Neher and Montez doing ? 

   Wait, what is going on with Kayln ? She didnt get better ? Thats a bummer. She is one of the absolute sweetest girls I have ever met. Her family will definitely be in my prayers.

   Kevin is still pushing off being baptized but I feel like we are making progress with him. Hopefully he will make the decision here soon. Yesterday Darian( Elder Tienda's and I's investigator ) was baptized. I was able to attend. It was a really cool experience for us and the Arleta ward. That ward is turnimg around. Before Darian, nobody had been baptized for like a year and a half. The wardw as so excited that most of the ward turned up for the baptism. We took pictures that hopefully I will send to you guys soon. 

 

Hope all is well

 Con mucho carino,

Elder Dutson

Week # 16

Querido Familia Mia-

I hope that everyone's halloween went swell. Mine was very fun! We had an activity with our whole zone and we dressed in costumes and played volley ball. My zone Leader ( Elder Riggs from Mesa AZ) dressed up as one of the sisiters in our district and that sister dressed up as Elder Riggs. Haha I love my district. Elder Riggs is a very good friend. His companion, Elder Ellsworth is also from Mesa . The sisters are crazy but that is to be expected from sister missionaries haha. One of them reminds me of you Rachel and the other one reminds me of Mom. They are both wonderful missionaries as well. We were told to not go proselyting on Halloween night so we went out to dinner with Elder Riggs and Ellsworth. On the way home we had an egg thrown at us haha but it missed! This past week has been absolutely amazing though. We assisted a baptism Sunday of a kid in our ward. She wanted the sisters to sing and those crazy sisters suckered me into singing with them. One played the piano and the other one and I sang. We will be doing it again for the next baptism. Elder Tienda and I have been keeping in touch and Darian( the investigator we found will be baptized this Sunday. I am wayy excited for him.


This week I have just been really studying about the things we need to do to return to God's presence. I have also been reading alot about the beginnings of early Catholicism and it made me sad to see all the different things that happened to lead the people farther from the truth. Something I run across alot in the mission field is people that believe that it doesn't matter what religion they profess as long as they have faith in God, thus believing there are many paths that lead to God. Likewise, in the Roman Empire, the city of Rome was one of the greatest and busiest. Why was that ? Because the emperors were smart and in the road building process, they made all roads lead to Rome. Everyone had to pass through Rome on the journeyings. I feel like that is the view of the world sometimes.. That just like all roads lead to Rome, it is believed that all roads will lead to the Celestial Kingdom. That is just not true though. There is only one road that leads to the Celestial kingdom and that is through this beautiful gospel that has been restored. The gateway to this path is baptism and that is the ONLY way we can live with our Heavenly Father and our familes forever.

Well thanks for the package, I did receive it! I especially loved the card from Conner with his drool on it haha! I love you all and hope that you have a wonderful week.

OH! and one more thing. I will be moving this Friday to a new apartment. My new address is 13500 Foothill. I am not sure of the apartment number yet but I will get it to you all as fast as possible.


- Elder Dutson