By Lee Trawick Riverbend News
Dustin Durfee and Nate McKenzie are Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The two 19-year-old young men have arrived in White Springs as part of their two-year mission, which is “to reach out and spread the gospel and teach about the joy and of Jesus Christ and the Church.” Elder Durfee was originally assigned to serve his mission in Guatemala, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic his assignment was redirected to Florida, where he has served in Jacksonville, Middleburg and now White Springs. Elder McKenzie was asked to serve in the United States and has now served in Crawfordville, Fla. and Tifton, Ga., before being assigned to White Springs.
Elder Durfee is the son of Kathy and Dale Durfee, from Mesa, Ariz. His parents are active members of their church in Mesa, so he was raised with an understanding of the power of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, of which he has built his testimony. Having the opportunity to serve a mission has been an eye-opening experience that has strengthened his walk with God and his belief in the church.
Having been on his two-year mission for 11 months, Elder Durfee reflects on his assignment in the United States versus being sent to serve in Guatemala, as originally assigned. “I like it here and consider it an honor to serve in my home country,” he said.
Elder McKenize is the son of David and Eyrn McKenzie from Magna, Utah. Elder McKenzie was also raised within the church, alongside the belief that God is the All-Mighty, but states he was encouraged to find out about the power of God for himself. With the guidance of his parents, he began his journey to build his faith and relationship with God. “I began to spend time reading the Bible and the Book of Mormon, praying and seeking God,” he said. “From there, my testimony grew and I saw the light come into my life.” Elder McKenzie has been on his two-year mission for 10 months, enjoying the people of White Springs and the area.
Both Elder Durfee and Elder McKenzie began to pray about serving a mission, not sure if they wanted to, but felt the only way to find the answer was through prayer and following the Holy Spirit. From there, they began the process of preparing for the opportunity to serve. First, they met with the Bishop of each of their churches, followed by a meeting with their Stake President. They then received their assignments from President Russell M. Nelson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. From there, Elder Durfee was asked to attend the Missionary Training Center in Mexico, due to his assignment and needing to learn to speak Spanish. This training lasted six weeks and, because of the pandemic, was done virtually. Now that restrictions are being lifted, he could be sent to Guatemala at any time. Elder Durfee says that until or if he is relocated, he will continue his work in White Springs or wherever he is called.
“I have learned that it does not matter how much information you can remember; until you act on it, God will bless you for obeying what he asked of us,” Elder Durfee said, talking about his greatest lesson since being out on his mission. “If you are unsure if God will bless you for obeying his laws, you must try it out for yourself.”
When looking back upon his mission to this point Elder McKenzie spoke of his greatest lessons. “The mission has helped me grow a lot,” he said. “I’ve been able to see many other views and understand how, even though everyone is different, we are all more alike than we realize. There are good people everywhere and we are all God’s children.”