We planted a little seed!

Hello Dearest Family and Friends! 

     How are you?  I can't believe its been another week. Boy does time go by fast.  I don't know if I have already told you guys this but I love Minnesota!  I love Shingle Creek and I LOVE MY MISSION!  If anyone is questioning if they should go on a mission or not, I highly suggest that you do!  I have already learned so many things that are not only helping me now in the mission field but are going to help me after also, especially with being a mom! 

Willy!  Mary J's little boy!  I love this kid!

     As you all know I am still a new missionary and I am still learning some of the rules and it is a rule that you aren't supposed to write home the last names of your investigators.  So as of now I will be changing that. 

     So Guess What!  This week is Greg B's baptism!  I am so excited!  This is the first baptism that I am going to be a part of!  Greg is awesome.  He has grown so much and has such a strong testimony.  It’s really neat because he already is so Christlike he doesn't really have any huge changes that he has to make.  He just has to keep his commitments and he is.  We told him that these next weeks were going to be really hard because whenever a good thing is about to happen Satan is going to try and tempt you to back out.  This is exactly what happened.  Greg B started doubting himself and his decision to get baptized and almost called off the whole thing.  Then he came to a realization and said,  "This is something that I should be running towards, not away from." Now he is as strong as ever and ready to get baptized September 28!    

Meeting a cute little African girl on the street

     This week we have done a lot of tracting in Gateway Commons, we are usually in the Willows but we have decided to mix things up. (they are apartment complexes) As we were tracting in Gateway Commons we were having no success.  Hardly anyone was answering and those who did didn't have time to talk.  So Sister Ballif and I decided to say a little prayer.  We asked for some success and that we could find someone to teach.  
     Right after the prayer, we went and knocked on a door.  A lady named Lerinda answered the door and we introduced ourselves and told her that we had a unique message to share with her and she instantly invited us in and offered us some water.  We then had an awesome restoration lesson with her she was very interested and asked a lot of great questions.  She then said that we must have a lot of faith to come out here on missions and go door to door trying to share this message.  As she said that it really hit me that she was right.  I really do have a great faith to leave all of my friends and family behind, and to find others to teach.  I know that I have faith and my faith in the Lord helps me everyday.  Just as Lerinda said, "You have to have faith that the Lord will protect you from whoever is behind the door." That also is very true.  Honestly we are in a pretty sketchy area but I know that I will be safe because I have faith and I know that the Lord will protect me as long as I always strive to have the Holy Ghost with me.  She was awesome and very interested she can't wait for us to come back so that she can learn more. 

     Then as we were getting ready to leave she called her friend Kelly who lived in a different building and sent us over there to go talk to her.  She loved what we had to say so much that right then she called her friend. 

     We then went over there and tired to have a lesson with her but she was very resistant because she was a reborn baptist and she wasn't "strong enough" in her faith to listen to us.  We then told her that we were not here to argue with her, we are just here to share with her what we know and how it has blessed our lives. We told her that we don't come to convince but we come to invite others to pray and ask for themselves if what we have to say is true.  She then said that if that was true that she could listen.  We then started teaching her about the restoration and she was loving it and was really feeling the spirit.  Then all the sudden she realized that she felt the spirit and kicked us out.  It’s really funny because we see this a lot.  People get scared of the truth and they don't want to hear it.  We left Kelly with both a Restoration Pamphlet and a Book of Mormon.  She might not join anytime soon but at least we planted a little seed.

     It is amazing to see the power of prayer work in helping us find others.

     This week we also had an African Night.  It was a BBQ for all the African members and investigators.  There wasn't as many people as we had hoped for but there was still a pretty good turn out.  Sister Ballif and I brought Temia, Angel, and Milike. (Mary J’s kids) they loved it and it was really good for them to interact with other people who are members of the church. 

Sister Curtis and Sister Balif

"Roasting"  This is Elder Thomas
(Jake might know him from wrestling)

This is Angel

Temia, Angel, and Milik

     Aggh! I'm out of time! But I love this gospel!  I love how happy it makes me. Being a missionary is the best thing that has ever happened to me.  I love seeing just how much the Lord is in my life.  I know that everything that happens is because of God's will.  I am so grateful for the power of prayer.  It’s so great to know that you can always pray to Heavenly Father.  God is always there and will always listen.  Just make sure that you wait to hear back from him. 

Watch the Mormon Message "Mountains to Climb" This video has helped so many of our investigators in the hard times that they are going through.  Just know that through God anything is possible. 

http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-01-003-mountains-to-climb?lang=eng

Everyone this is the true Church! 

I love this Gospel! And I love my Mission!

Love, Sister Kendra Curtis

This is Eva B. she always wears the best outfits to church.  Africans are so colorful.  I love it!

District P-Day where we played basketball (but really Sister Ballif
and I just wrote letter's)  Got to use our time wisely!

This is African food.  Honestly, I am not a fan.
This is all for me. It's called peanut butter soup
...yum... I miss my mom's food!