Week 38: Falls Church, VA "End of Transfer 6 and 9 Months!"

Hello hello!

How is everyone doing?! Just letting you know, Elder Duke loves you and misses you! 

This week was pretty darn good! We had a few members invite friends over for dinner and we had an opportunity to teach them!

Wednesday we had another lesson with Ken. It went well. We taught him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how the Holy Ghost brings peace and comfort. He is such a great guy! He's got a ways to go and more to learn, but he's moving in the right direction!

The rest of the week was kinda slow. Not a lot happened. We got some new referrals though from some other missionaries. We tried contacting them, but to no avail...

After church yesterday, we went by a deaf couple that we had set up an appointment with earlier. So we went by and had a nice conversations with the husband. The wife was super busy, so we just say on the porch and talked with him. He was Muslim and had a lot of questions. His first question was about Adam and Eve and the Fall. First he told us his belief on what happened, then he asked us to explain what we thought. He had been a little bashy up to that point, so when he asked us to explain, Elder Pauley just started going! He was getting so into it! He was just going and going! And this guy is like, "Uh huh...uh huh..uh huh...Wow...ok...ok... that's cool!" Elder Pauley was getting so into it, and I was like awe struck! I was so captivated by this story! It was great! Afterwards, we gave him a Book of Mormon and he said he'd read it and that he'd love to have us come over again!

Saturday night, we had dinner with a member family and 3 guys from Galluedet that were friends with the husband. We taught, or rather the members taught, them kinda a basic restoration and about where the Book of Mormon came from. Those members love teaching, because they were going at it! It was awesome! One of the guys had a lot of really good questions, and commited to reading the Book of Mormon! We're gonna have another lesson with them this week, so hopefully that goes well!

1 transfer down in the ASL branch! It's been quite the adventure! My signing is getting a lot better! Still have lots to work on, but it's a lot better than it was 6 weeks ago, that's for sure! And living with a deaf person has been an experience I never thought I'd have on a mission! But it's been good, and I'm looking forward to another 6 weeks of working in this awesome branch! The Deaf people are so kind and caring! They're the best!

Keep loving the Lord! Keep reading the scriptures! Have a great week!

Love, Elder Duke

Week 37: Falls Church, VA "Never A Dull Week!)

Hey!
How is everyone? I hope you're doing good!

It was another good week this week! It started with exchanges with my boy Elder Dunn! He's awesome! I went to Arlington 2nd ward again, which is starting to be my favorite for exchanges! They didn't have any lessons, but we did some good finding! Funny story, we were just walking down the streets in Arlington, and I stated talking to this lady. I ask her if she's ever met missionaries like us before, and she's like ya, I'm a member! Turns out she's a less active member they haven't been able to contact for a while. That night at the apartment, Elder Dunn and I just talked and talked about cars and stuff! It was great! Elder Dunn is a boss!

Wednesday we had a lesson with Ken and we took Brother Wardle, 2nd counselor in the Branch Presidency, with us. He went to Anaheim California on his mission and taught a lot of deaf people, so he was awesome! I was in like in awe the whole lesson just watching him teach the Plan of Salvation! It was beautiful!! I learned a lot from him!

Thursday was quite the day... It started with the shower breaking while Elder Pauley was showering. He went to shut it off, and the handle came off!! It started spraying water like CRAZY!! I hear a loud rush of water, and then him yelling!! So I come running in, and he's wrapped in his towel getting blasted with water!!! It was the funniest thing I've ever seen! I had to hurry and call the emergency maintenance, but it took like 20 minutes for him to get here! The water is filling up the tub and is all over the floor! So we have to start bailing water into the toilet so it doesn't flood the bathroom! Finally the guy got here and got into the panel where the pipes were to turn it off. He fixed the valve, and we cleaned up the bathroom and everything. Then we finished getting ready to leave for interviews with President that afternoon. As we walk out to the car, we see it leaning towards the passenger side. So we look and found out the tire was flat... We're running a little late from the earlier issue, so we hurry and change the tire and get going. We got to interviews find, and they were good, then we head to the shop to get the tire fixed. Well, Pep Boys was crazy busy, so we were stuck there for 3 hours! Finally we get the car back just in time to make it to dinner at a member's house. We had a good dinner with them, then when we go to leave their house, our car is dead!! So we have to call the Vehicle Coordinator, Elder Nielson for the 3rd time that day so he could come rescue us! We didn't get much done that day, lol...

Saturday, we met an awesome lady named Vanetta. Sh was a referral from some Spanish Elders. They had met here a while ago, and tried to teach her a little through her friend who interpreted for her. So we contacted her and set up an appointment for after church. Well, we went to her house after church, with an awesome member, and she wasn't home... We were so bummed!!! She seemed super promising! But well try and contact her again this week and try a lesson again! Pray for her!

Sunday was awesome, as always! (besides the lesson falling through) We get to church and are waiting for sacrament to start. Then, right as it starts, President and Sister Caplin walk in! President bore an awesome testimony about Jesus Christ and the blessing of sharing the Gospel! Then we had gospel principles. We had another visitor that I had to voice/interpret for. Luckily, Bro Wardle teaches nice and slowly! Well half way through the lesson, the Caplins(mission president) walk in! I was so nervous!! But afterwards they told me how impressed they were, so that's good! Then we had Elders Quorum...... I started voicing/interpreting again for the visitor, and I failed hardcore on the opening prayer! So President was like, "Are you tired? Do you wanna switch?" So President took over. Elders Quorum is so hard! I'm sure Relief Society is much easier!


Pics!


- Elder Pauley fell asleep while we were waiting in the car.
- All my nametags... don't know by I took a picture, but enjoy, lol!
 - The flooded tub and Elder Pauley
- While on exchanges, Elder Dunn showed me a gas station underneath a Methodist temple. Thought that was interesting...
- Also right across the street from the Methodist temple was Iwo Jima! Pretty sweet!

Week 36: Falls Church, VA "Always Uphill, Is Where We Want to Go!"

Hello, everyone!

How is life?!?

I heard that the band got 1st, so that's pretty neat! Keep making all us former band members proud!

This week was good, but pretty tough!

We had exchanges on Tuesday. I went with our DL, Elder Jensen, to the Arlington 2nd Ward. They're on bike, so it was the first time I've ridden bike since my 2nd week in Great Falls! It was the best!.......until it started pouring rain.... We had a 20 minute ride to our dinner appointment, and it was raining so hard! So we rode through the streets of Arlington trying to get to this restaurant, while being drenched! We finally got to the restaurant, and luckily we were sitting outside under the awning cause we were soaked! It was great! After dinner we had a lesson with one of their super awesome investigators named Kristen. She was the bomb! She was previously in the military, has tons of energy, and is short like Emily!  She was awesome, and we had a super good lesson with her about the Book of Mormon and what she learned from general conference.

Saturday, we got a referral from the Hermanas. They found a deaf guy in front of a grocery store with some of his friend's. They went up to this group of Hispanic people and started chatting with them. Then they pointed out their friends who was sitting by himself on the curb. They said he didn't talk. So the Hermanas freak out and go to talk to him. Hermana Callahan took an ASL class at BYU so she knows some sign. But they go and talk to him and get his name and address. So we go on Saturday night to go contact him. We find out when we be to the street, that the number is wrong... the number we got was only 3 digits, but the numbers on all the houses are 4 digits. So we thought maybe they left out a number when they sent it to us. None of the houses had anything similar to the number they gave us... So we called the Hermanas and talked about it. Then we decided we were just gonna tract it out and try and find him. It was a huge street though! Like a mile long! So we tracted about 1/3 that night. We didn't find him, but we know that he chills outside Wal-Mart with his buddies on the weekdays! We'll find him! 

I have another good, "still learning the language" story! Cause those are always the best 

So Sunday were sitting in Elder's Quorum. Everything's going good. We're just chatting, waiting for everyone to show up. Then a visitor walks in, an older gentleman from Montana here on vacation with his wife. Right before we get started, our Branch President, the only other hearing person in the room, gets up to walk out. As he walks out, he turns to me and says, "Elder Duke, do you mind interpreting for our visitor?" I'm just like.... "huh....uuuh....uuuuh...sure!"

"It'll be good practice!"

So I'm sitting next to this man from Montana, and I have to say everything everyone is signing! It did not go well..... I was so stressed, and I started sweating really bad! I felt so bad!! But afterwards, the gentleman thanked me, and we chatted for a little before he shook my hand and left.

That's my story for the week! I promise I'm getting better!! 

A cool thing I noticed this weekend while re-watching some conference talks. Towards the end of President Nelsen's talk about the name of the church, he said, "My dear brothers and sisters, I promise if we will do our best to restore the correct name of the Lord's church, He who's church this is will pour down His power and blessings upon the heads of the Latter-Day Saints, the likes of which we have never seen!" And then he tapped the pulpit with his fists!

I thought that was pretty awesome!!

Also, this week me and Elder Pauley made a video to send the the rest of the mission about how to help us find deaf people to teach, and we've gotten like 6 or 7 referrals since we posted it yesterday! The work is picking up, and we're pretty stoked about it!

Also, another thought I had this week... I've thought back to some of the harder times in the mission, this week was one of them. I was really discouraged and feeling overwhelmed. Then I saw a quote on Facebook another missionary posted.

"If we're on the right path, it will always be uphill!" 

I also thought of a poem that was quoted in a talk I listened to before.

"I walked a mile with Pleasure

She chattered all the way

But left me none the wiser

For all she had to say

I walked a mile with Sorrow

Not a word said She

But O the things I learned from her

When Sorrow walked with me"

Love you all!! I hope you have a great week!! Keep praying! Keep loving the Lord!

-Elder Duke

Week 35: Falls Church, VA "His Truth is Marching On!"

Hey everyone! I hope you're all doing fantastic!

This week was another hard one!

It started really well! We had a weird one day trio with Elder Poulsen, which was the bomb.com! I love that guy! His companion is waiting for his visa, and he had to fly to L.A. to sign some papers. So Elder Poulsen joined us for 24 hours! They had a dinner scheduled that night with the Davis's, so I got to see them again!!! They were so surprised!! I think Brother Davis almost had a heart attack!! It was so good to see them again!

Tuesday we had zone conference. It was really good! Lots of good discussions with the Stake President who was there. We had an interpreter there for Elder Pauley, but Elder Pauley wanted to me interpret for some of it! So I pretty much freaked out and started shaking and sweating profusely! Then I sat in the seat in front of Elder Pauley, which was right in the front next to President, and EVERYONE turned to look at me! It's fine... I only freaked out a little... But it went pretty well!

Wednesday we had a lesson with an investigator, Ken. He is a super nice guy from Ghana! It's a little hard to teach him because his education level isn't super high, but he is awesome and really enjoyed conference yesterday!

Thursday was pretty good. We just went out and worked, but didn't find anyone new to teach... Bummer, I know...

Friday Elder Pauley and I were sick! Mine wasn't as bad, but Elder Pauley's was pretty bad! We got some medicine from the store, and he pretty much slept all day. I just chilled and watched conference talks, read, and cleaned.

Saturday was really good! Conference was the best!! Elder Anderson's was my favorite from Saturday. So good!!

Sunday we great! We watched the first session at the Stake Center with basically the whole Spanish ward in this Stake! Then after that session, they had A TON of Hispanic food! It. Was. The. Best! After that, we watched the last session with a member family, the Filliatreault's, then had dinner with them.

Conference, again, was the best ever! Holland was amazing, once again. He's right, sometimes all we need to do is forgive and let go! President Ballard's was super good too!! Both of President Nelsen's were amazing! He was so straightforward! It was great! And 12 new temples!!! That's gonna be amazing! That's getting close to 200 total with all the ones announced already! The stone cut without hands is not slowing down, that's for sure!!

Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful week! Keep loving! Keep reading the words of our wonderful prophets! Keep trusting the Lord!

Love you all!

-Elder Duke

Pics

-The Davis's! They are literally the best, ever!!

Week 34: Falls Church, VA and every other city in the mission: "8 months down"

Joshua Duke	1:49 PM (35 minutes ago)
to me, Elaine, Jordan, Emily, Kaili, Sarah, Lauren, Lizzy, Mikaila

Heyyo!!

How is everyone!?

This week was another hard one! We haven't found anyone new to teach, but we're trying to work more with the members and make it happen!!

Signing is coming along pretty well! I'm progressing little by little, but every Sunday, I notice that I understand more and more!

Story of the week: Elder Pauley and I were in Arlington street contacting, and it started to pour rain!!! So everyone fled the streets to get inside, and we are just out walking trying to talk to the few people who are still braving the rain. As we were walking, I realised thst my shoes had a hole in the bottom! So my right foot got soaked and my shoe is pretty much ruined... oh well... Life of a missionary 

Saturday we went to a street fair in Woodbridge (Hoodbridge) to look for deaf people. We didn't find anyone, but we decided to stay and eat dinner there and try to talk to some people. We got some pretty sweet mugs from a soda truck, and talked to a really weird old man! 

Sorry it's kinda short this week... I'm super stoked for General Conference though!! I've been getting so pumped over the last month!! It's gonna be a good one, for sure!!

Also, I've been thinking about charity a lot lately... What it is, what it does for us, etc... Charity isn't just a Christ-like love for people. It's also a love for Christ! And a stronger love for Christ, creates a stronger love for others in our lives!

Update that I found out about Marco!! He had a court case that was not looking good and was giving him a lot of stress. So Elder Poulsen and his companion promised him that if he read and prayed about the Book of Mormon, then he would feel better about, and undersand, his hearing the next day. So they called after the hearing, and Marco was like, "THE MORMON BOOK DOES MIRACLES!! THE MORMON BOOK DOES MIRACLES!!" His case got dismissed, and he is doing a lot better!! Hopefully baptism comes soon!!! 

Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderfully fantastic week!! Love you!!!!

-Elder Duke

Pics

Sweet sign in Manassas that we found!

Out in the rain... It's rained constantly for the past like 3 months... It's finally breaking up though!