Elder D 11/5/2012- "3 NEW INVESTIGATORS"

Dear friends and family of Kennewick, WA and beyond

It has been 8 weeks since I left to serve the Lord and I am happy to say that it is the greatest decission I have ever made this far in my life. I love the ward here in Beaver Creek and my companion. You know what would be awesome? Letters. That would really help out.
WE FOUND 3 NEW INVESTIGATORS THIS WEEK!! Just when I thought that this place had hard hearts, we find 3 of God's children who are ready receive the restored gospel! I am so excited! We just need to meet with them now. And I think I will be here for multiple transfers (1 transfer = 6 weeks) so I hopefully will be here to see them be baptized and confirmed. Man I'm so happy.
My companion has TMJ, or tight jaw muscles, so we've been staying in the apartment almost all this week. He's in a lot of pain and I 'm doing a lot of studying. Awesome, right?
  Almost all the members work on the air force base so I get to know a lot about plans and stuff. I like it when some of the say they're analists because that means that they are working in some top secret stuff.
That's pretty much it for this last week. Talk to you next week.
Love
Elder Ephraim Kade DeCoursey

Elder D 10/29/12 - "I've been called to teach, not be taught "

Good Day Kennewick Washington!
   It has now been 3 weeks since coming out to the field and I got to say, it's an amazing land. I'm serving in the Beaver Creek area, which is comprised of some very Christlike Catholics who will let you in from the rain but will have nothing to do with your message. Just yesterday we had a very interesting experience with a baptist preacher man. We tracted into him and he tried to convince us. That's not why I'm here. I told him that I've been called to teach, not be taught and walked away. Other than that, there was a lot of potential yesterday where we were knocking on doors.
   I love my trainer, Elder Dallin Maughan. He reminds me a lot of my brother. He's ADD, been of his meds for a few transfer's ( about 12 weeks), he hasn't been but he's told me he's prone to anger. When our training session is over He will be going home, so he's a bit trunky. He is very intelligent. He worked as an Internet Security manager before he came out so he knows alot about computers. He's also a big nerd.

  Before we came here, we were doubled in ( both new to the area), there was a companionship that wasn't very skilled at being a missionary. They would spent there time with less active members instead of doing what they were suppossed to. There was a lot of trust lost with the ward and the missionaries. So it's our job to get that trust back. So far so good. Members of the ward visit our apartment bearing gifts. I love this area.
  On Friday, we tracted for 5 hours straight in the pouring rain. I did not have an appropriate jacket for that kind of weather and I got soaked. My suit is perfectly fine however, albeit a little wrinkled. We really exercised our faith that day. It is suppossed to snow tonight which is okay because I now have an actual coat that is not a trench coat, which I was told not to bring. I will be very warm with it and also a new pair of gloves that I got from another missionary.
  The are I serve in is about 5 miles long so we don't have a car. We have bikes. I have been able to maintain my weight at 210, however but I notice my stomach getting smaller each. My legs have never felt more powerful.

 

  Our toilet broke on Saturday. We woke up and noticed that it decided to baptise the bathroom. We made plans to go with a member to Walmart to go get new toilet parts. This member was actually quite the handy man so when he came over he had his tool box in hand and new parts and said "Where's the problem?" He showed us how to fix the toilet and fixed the leak. Bro. Hinrichsen is such a blessing. He's now on our cookie list.
  Before I leave, I have a few words for those of you who are preparing for a mission. Study the Book of Mormon and the Preach My Gospel manual until your sick of it then study it some more. I study these every opportunity I get and I wish I had studied them more before I left. To  those of you who are interested on why I'm taking 2 years out of my life to bring maybe 8 or 9 people to the Restored gospel of Jesus Christ: Ask the missionaries. They can help you.
 So long for now, dear friends and family.
 Adiue.