Elder D 12.19.12- "Reminds me of both Santa Claus and Garfield"

Here's my letter to home.


My beloved brethren and sisters. How humbling it is to be here in the Great Ohio serving the Lord Jesus Christ. I have been so blessed to be out here serving my fellow man and sharing with them the message of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ. I am so privileged to be a member of this great church and to be one of His disciples I have seen Him not only bless my life but the lives of the people that I serve in Beaver Creek. Me and my Elder spent 10 hours with a man, who reminded me of both Santa Claus and Garfield, chopping wood with him and becoming his friend. He was so grateful for our help and for taking the time to talk to him. We tracted into this man and had only talked to hm a few moments. I know the Lord has led us to Dan.
There are now 2 more people on date to be baptized in the next 30ish days. Dave Finch on the 29th and Duane Schutrum on the 12 of Jan. We have done our best to get these men in the waters and it finally payed off. At the beginning of this transfer, Me and my Elder had set 2 goals for a baptism and a confirmation for weeks 3 and 4. We are currently in week 3 and Kate Wilson is being dunked this Saturday. Dave is next week. God has helped us to fulfill these goals. We have pushed the mission goal forward from it originally being 500 at the end of the year to 501. I did not think this would be happening but it is. The Lord as blessed me with participating in all the lessons following up to baptism. Beaver Creek is now on fire with the Spirit. I thank Him everyday and night for calling me to serve in this area with an amazing companion. He is teaching me to be as bold as I have to be.
The missionaries serving in Xenia, the neighboring area, has taken the time to giving the missionaries they know  a Star Wars name. I have been named Darth Vader. I went on exchanges last week with Elder Daw from Xenia and he changed my perspective on being a missionary as Darth Sidus did to Anakin Skywalker while my Elder Maughan has been dubbed C-3PO because of his intellect. I thought it was very entertaining.
There isn't much more to say now. All my thoughts have been recorded for your entertainment. Please enjoy. Hand right me letters. Missionaries love HAND written letters.
Love, Elder Ephraim Kade DeCoursey 

 

Amicherie last email from the MTC

Family,

This week will be my last week here. I am having a great experience here with my companions and with the investigators that we have been teaching.

One of them is a sweet lady named Ivelsese. The first time that we met her, she was a put off from our message and we weren't really able to build a relationship with her. The second time we met with her we went in with an attitude of wanting to just be her friend and answer any questions that she had about the gospel. As we went in there was a totally different feeling. We have become really close over the last few times that we have taught her. We invited her to read and pray about the Book of Mormon, to find out for herself if it was true. Yesterday when we met with her, she told us her experience with reading the Book of Mormon. As she read the story of Sariah doubting Lehi because her sons hadn't come back from getting the scriptures, Ivelsese was able to become friends with her (her words not mine). She said that she was able to understand how Sariah felt when she started to doubt if her husband was really a prophet of God because she has been doubting that Joseph Smith was a prophet as well. After reading about this experience, she prayed to know if the Book of Mormon was true and also to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. Upon finishing her prayer, she waited for an answer to come. It wasn't until that night, when she was about to fall asleep, that she received her answer. A thought came to her mind that she knows wasn't her thought. The thought was," The book if true" At that moment, she knew that was the answer to her prayer. She was so excited that she started to have family scripture study every morning before the kids would leave for school. They would read from the Book of Mormon and pray to know if this is the way that they should go as a family. Needless to say they feel really good about the church and are now working towards baptism. Which is great...except she is already a member. She is just role playing an investigator for the sake of helping the MTC missionaries learn about how to teach investigators. Normally, she doesn't tell missionaries that she is just playing an investigator however because of how close we had become she shared the story that I just shared with you about her real conversation. Super nice and sweet lady.

The food here is good. The water tastes like I liked a wet rock. Needless to say the water here is horrible. I have been buying powerade and bottled water just to get by. I'm learning a lot about teaching in general here. I'm also learning about how to help others come closer unto Christ.

Ma, I will be leaving the MTC at 5:00am on Wednesday for the airport. My plane doesn't leave the until 8:30am so I should have some time to call home. Dear Elder me what phone you want me to call. Also, I probably wont be getting on the computer next week because of just getting into Minnesota thing. I got the package, Thanks! Are you guys in Utah right now? Dear Elder me and let me know.

Dad,
Happy Birthday! I love you! Be safe.

Dallin and Louie,
I miss you sooo much. I hope that school is going good. I know that you will be fantastic at anything you do. . I love you guys. I wake up in the morning and think that I have to go wake you up so that we can hang out and I can bug you but then I remember where I am. PS.....you smell! :)
I hope that you got my letter and that you are going to write me that story. Have mom show you how to get onto dear elder and write me a short letter. I want to know about what's going on with you and your crazy stories. You should probably send me a picture because you know I love them even if they freak me out.

Love,

Sister D

Elder D 11/27/12 - Russell M Nelson visits the Stake

Goooooooood Affteeeerrrrrrnnnoooooon Kennewick!
This is Elder DeCoursy coming at you from the Great Columbus Ohio Mission! Calling in to say that Elder Maughan was sick all last week and I got a good case of the cabin fever.

Have I told you about stake conference? If so, I'll tell you anyway. Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Twelve Apostles, was there and I got to shake his hand and talk to him. We introduced him to our investigator. It was wonderful! He bagan his talk by asking all the primary age children to stand and sing "I'm a child of God". He sang with them! It was incredible! i think because of his talk on member missionary work and temple work, the Dayton East Zone will be on fire with baptisms and activity. Me and my elder got a lot of work to do. 

I spent thanksgiving with the Davis Family, who made me miss home for a bit because we talked a lot about the new Xbox coming out next year (yes I know about that) and about Halo 4. But Puerto Rican turkey is the best turkey EVER! 

At church yesterday, we got to know a lot of the members. I think the ward loves us now because we have a lot more dinners than before. Also, at church, there were 2 of our investigators there. We didn't even know they were going to be there! And the Sacrament talks were about families! How awesome is that!?
That's about it. I love you all. Write me some letters soon.
Love, Elder Ephraim Kade DeCoursey

Elder D 11/12/2012 Letter- "We're at 409"

Good day Kennewick.

So this past week has not been very successful. We have yet to meet with Amanda, our new investigator. Corda Lou and Verne Hansford, the past former investigators, have not gone to church yet. And no one else wanted God's blessings for some reason. CURSE YOU SATAN!!!!! He's working hard in this area  but we keep fighting. 
The mission goal for this year has been for 500 baptisms. We're at 409. That's 409 of God's children who have accepted the restored church of Jesus Christ and His gospel. The same church He set up when He was on the earth 2000 years ago. 
I love Ohio and I love this mission. The weather's been kinda buggin but it don't bother me. I got me a fancy coat to last it.
That should do it. I love you Kennewick. please write me some letters. 

Elder Ephraim Kade DeCoursey. Signing out.

Emails back and forth from Elder DeCoursey:

I'm writting a letter to each member of the family whenever I find time to do it. I will have more time today hopefully. I just got to the library after a lunch with a part member family. I don't have their address but they are wonderful people. I can see him getting baptized before I leave the area. It will happen. We had Tai food. Better than I expected. 
Right now, it is raining. It was really nice this past week but I think the weather will be getting worse from this point on. 
If you got my letters, then you should know that I have a gift for you. It will be coming with the letters that I will send within 2 weeks. I think it should be much faster than it is. 
Anyway I'm going to send Amicherie my weekly letter so you can know all about that now. If you're on, please write me back as soon as you can. I can only be on for an hour at a time and I've only got 2 times a day to be on.
I love you.

Jodi Dr is the exact address that I live on. But basically you know where I am. And my library is on Dayton-Xenia Rd. It's about a mile or 2 from the apartment but it's a good downhill bike ride there. It's the ride up that's the fun part.
I visit the Pearce's quite a bit because (1) They're a wonderful family, and (2) they have a cello!! She's the lady that wants to learn from me on how to play it. They love having us over and here's their address so you can see where I go every week.
The Hinrichsen's are the coolist people I've met here in Ohio. They helped us fix our toilet when it broke on us. Spend all day with us to do it to. They are recently married and he remindes me of Tony Stark. That's how's cool he is. I just learned in the ward council that they were less active for a few years. It really surprised me. Anyway here is their address if you want to look at it too. 

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.