Good Samaritan Moments

Hello my most favorite family and friends.

     First of all I am super sad because this is going to be a really short email.  Today isn't a regular P-day we only have one hour to email (both my mission president and family/friends) then we have to get back to work. But we get to have regular P-day on Thanksgiving so that will be fun.  But I am super bummed because I have no time to tell you all about the amazing week that I had.  So I will try my best.

     This week Eloisa has been doing great.  We were able see her three times last week.  It was wonderful. She really does have a great understanding and they are already looking forward to her baptism right when she gets back from the Philippines.  We were also able to get her information so we can have the missionaries teach her there.  Yesterday her whole family was able to come to church.  It was wonderful!  I was so excited for them and I know that the kids were really happy that they got to be at church with their mom and dad and not just their grandparents.  I am really looking forward to seeing what happens when they get back.  At this point all we can do is keep them in our prayers. I am so blessed to have known this family and to have helped them bring the gospel back into their lives.

     This last week we were able to meet with Sister Delois Larson.  She is wonderful and is really looking forward to being baptized on December 14 but we just found out that she can't get baptized on that day because she hasn't come to church 3 times and she has to work next Sunday.  We then had a lesson about fasting and we fasted with her that either the Lord can help her so she can get work off next Sunday or that she can know what day she needs to get baptized. It was a great experience to fast with her and we are excited to talk to her tonight to see what she was able to get from fasting.  I really hope the Lord will provide a way for her to get baptized on the 14th but I know that in the end it will work out the way that it needs to.

     We were also able to stop by a lot of less actives and were able to meet with them.  It really has been a great week in that way.

     Sister Pead and I were trying to ask everyone for referrals even when they were rejecting our message. We went to go meet with a less active member and when we got to her house she said that it wasn't going to be a good time.  We then asked her if she knew anyone in the area who could use a message of peace and hope.  She then told us where about 8 apartments and town homes were with people who have a low income.  I was so grateful for that moment because it was an answer to my prayers.  I was praying that we could find some apartments and town homes because that is where we found a lot of success in Shingle Creek.  I know that the Lord is aware of us.  I know that he answers my prayers and I am so grateful for all that he does for me.

I love Sister Pead!

     Yesterday Sister Pead and I were asked to teach in Releif Society.  Whoa second week and they are already having us teach.  We were asked to teach about one of the talks in the Preisthood Session by President Eyring, "Bind Up Thier Wounds."  We first wrote on the board a quote that President Eyring said, "I pray that we may prepare ourselves to give whatever priesthood service the Lord may set before us on our mortal journey."

     We then asked the sisters, "How does this quote relate to us as women?" We then talked about if you take out the word preisthood it means the same thing. Then we talked about how serving others is part of the covenant that we made when we were baptized.

In Mosiah 18:8-11 it says:

8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

 9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection,  that ye may have eternal life—

 10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized  in the  name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?

 11 And now when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts.

     I love this, especially verse 9.  I know that when you are in the service of others that is when you get to have that little glimpse of how God feels.  As you are helping others, you get to feel of God's love for them.  Being on a mission it’s amazing to look at people this way.  You have a new perspective on life, and I LOVE IT!  I don't know if I have ever mentioned this but I love being here!  I am so grateful to be on a mission at this time in Minnesota!  I know the Lord is not only aware of me but he is aware of everyone and I know that I am here for specific people and that I need them and they need me!

One of the beautiful houses in Stillwater!

     One last thing, in that talk it talked about the Good Samaritan.  We are all familiar with that story. President Eyring said, "We are not told in the scriptures why the Samaritan was traveling on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho.  It is not likely that he was taking a stroll alone since he must have known that robbers waited for the unwary.  He was on a serious journey, and as was customary, he had with him a beast of burden as well as oil and wine.  In the Lord’s words the Samaritan, when he saw the wounded man, stopped because “he had compassion.” More than only feeling compassion, he acted."

     I love that part because I think we can all relate to this story.  Sometimes we get too busy with life and we miss the great opportunities that we have to serve. The most important thing that the Good Samaritan did is that he acted.  I now challenge you all this week to be aware of your own Good Samaritan moments.  Look for those in need and act on the impressions that you get.  Not only are they promptings from the spirit but those promptings mean that the Lord trusts you.  He is trusting you with that person and he knows what you can do for them.  Be aware of those moments and don't let them pass you by.

     I am so grateful for the spirit I know that I couldn't do this work without it!  I love you all so much and thanks for all the support.

Love Sister Kendra Curtis

p.s. Sorry more pictures next week I promise!  

But I love STILLWATER!

Saying Goodbye to Shingle Creek!

Dear Family and Friends!

     Agggh so much as happened this week there is no way that I will be able to get it all down, but I will type as fast as my little fingers will let me!

One last pic with Sister Ballif

     First let's take it back to Shingle Creek!  I looooved Shingle Creek.  I miss so many things about it.  I was lucky because I was able to say goodbye to almost everyone.  The only person that I didn't get to say goodbye to was Eric, Eric is from Jamaica!  I wanted a picture with him so bad to show Jake the awesome Jamaican man that we were teaching, so if I ever go back to Shingle Creek he will be one of the first people I will find.

Goodbyes to Sister Ficklin
and Sister Petersen.  These are 
thetwo Hermana's that we shared
our apartment with.

Tamara, Sister Curtis and Megan

   


I was also able to have one last lesson with Tamara.  Like I said before she is doing great.  I am so excited for her and her baptism. We had a lesson with her in the church with Megan and everything is going great.  We were teaching her about tithing.  Then when it was time to say the closing prayer we asked Tamara if she would say it.  But she wanted one of us to, then Sister Ballif said, "You need to say it for Sister Curtis because this is her last time." ....Tamara looked at her and then looked at me, then she started bawling.  She ran up and squeezed me so tight and was crying into my shoulder.  Then I started crying.  I love this girl so much and I didn't want to leave her. We both just sat there crying in the chapel.  She then said to me,  "I don't want you to go, I want you to stay here."  
     I just looked at her and I told her that I had to go but that I would see her again.  It was heart breaking.  It is sad to think that no matter where I go, I am going to fall in love with the people.  But what a great understanding I have that even if I don't have the opportunity to see her again in this life I will be able to see her again in heaven.  She then promised me that she would pray to know if she should be baptized on the 30th of November.  I then took that moment to bear my testimony to her.  I am so grateful to have met her.  I know that she will make the right choice and I am so excited for the happiness that these changes are going to bring to her life, I just wish I could be there to see them.

     I will always have nothing but great memories of Shingle Creek.  I can’t wait to go back to Minnesota!  (Pros of being stateside... YES!)

Sister Pead is wonderful!!!

     NOW TRANSFERS!  I am sooo excited to be here in Stillwater!  It is absolutely beautiful (I am already planning our trip here mom and dad.)  It is the cutest little town.  I suggest you look it up online.  My companions name is Sister Pead.  She is wonderful.  I love her so much already.  I can already tell that we are going to get along just great.  We were both in the MTC together.  Isn't that crazy!  We both have only been out for three months and they have us opening a new area!  I am so excited to be here.  We are living in a members home, the Schwab Family.  They are so great for letting us live with them.  We are living in their basement.  We have our own bathroom, a bedroom, a little mini bar with a fridge, microwave and I dishwasher.  It is a beautiful house we are so blessed to be living here with them.  There is both of the parents and their daughter Maddy, she is 19 and might go on a mission as well.  Mom they are taking great care of us, you would be glad to know.  We went to have dinner with them last night and then Sister Schwab took us to go get winter coats today.  I love this family and I am so happy to be here.

Stillwater Library

     The ward here is amazing!  We have 3 sets of missionaries in our ward 2 sets of Elders and us.  They are so excited to have Sister Missionaries here.  They haven't had Sisters in this area for over 25 years.  What a privilege it is to be here opening this new area.

     Our ward boundaries are HUGE!  They go across the river into Wisconsin.  Our church building is actually in Hudson, Wisconsin!  By the way here is a little funny story for you all.  So we got here and both Sister Pead and I didn't have a GPS so we had to go to City Hall and get a map.  Then we had to go to our ward mission leaders house who lives in Wisconsin (we didn't have a Wisconsin map).  Long story short we got lost.  REALLY LOST!  But finally one of the Elders let us borrow their GPS until one of us gets one.  So we are finally able to get around.

Lost in Minnesota or Wisconsin?

     I'm running out of time but we have already seen so many miracles.  We were able to get a member referral the first day we got here.  Lois, her father inlaw (by the way he has been to every temple in America!  I want to do that!!) gave us her information one of the first days that we got here.  We have been able to meet with her two times already.  She has a great understanding and is keeping all of her commitments.  But we have two things that are holding us back.  She and her less active husband don't go to church because they have 2 veterans living in their basement (Like a care center).  Someone always has to be home with them so they don't go to church because they don't want to leave just one of them home alone but the kids go with the grandparents.  We were thinking we can go try and teach the veterans but they say that they are a couple of old grumps.  We aren't sure what we can do to help with that.  Also, they are leaving next week to go to the Philippines for two months.  Her brother died so they are planning to spend that time to be with her family. The grandparents are going to be living in the house while they are gone.  She said she will go to the church while she is in the Philippines.  So now we are going to meet with her as much as she can.  She was also able to come to the Presidents Fireside last night and that was a great experience for her. She really enjoyed it and there were a lot of great speakers.

     Also guess who else was at Presidents Fireside!!??  Tamara!  It was so great to see her again!  She ran up and gave me the biggest hug. That was such a great tender mercy!  I love Tamara so much!  She told me that she came hoping to see me there.  It was so great to talk to her and get an update on how she is doing.  She said that Sister Ballif gave her a list of days to pray about to see which day she should be baptized.  I think that is a great idea.  Tamara will be praying for something specific and she’ll be able to feel the spirit specifically for this question.

     At the end of the Fireside President Clements got up and started talking about the power of personal revelation.  The equation of personal revelation is that you need to know in both you mind and in your heart.  It can’t be just one of them but it has to be the combination and that is how you will be able to receive your answers.  I have seen this so much on my mission.  I know that this equation works.  I am so grateful for the power of revelation and the ability we have to receive answers for ourselves.  It make me look back on the most powerful example of revelation.  Joseph Smith's prayer in the sacred grove.  I am eternally grateful for him and for the faith he had to pray and find the truth.  I know that through that simple prayer we have the truth here today.

Near the River in Stillwater!

     I love this gospel and 
I love STILLWATER!  I know that there is a reason for everything and I know that I have been called here with Sister Pead for a reason.  Great things are in store and I can't wait to see what the future holds.  Thanks so much for all the support.  I can feel all your love and prayers!  I love you!

Love, Sister Kendra Curtis

Stillwater - next to Wisconsin

Dearest Family and Friends!

     So to start off this email I would like to start with a little guess what?  I am getting transferred!  My new companions name is Sister Pead.  She came out the same time as me so we were in the MTC together.  She is also one of the Sisters that I was in the trio with in Bloomington (the one with blonde hair).  I am really excited to be with her, she is going to be awesome.  From what I saw the other day I really think that we will get along great.  Now I am going to a new area Stillwater, right next to Wisconsin.  I am pretty sure that we will be opening a new area.  So that means that it is a completely new area!  Wow!  I am really excited, this is going to be such an amazing opportunity.  It is going to take a lot of hard work because we will be working from scratch but I know that with the Lords help we will be able to do it.  I am also really excited for a change.

     This week in Shingle Creek was another great week.  Also I have been out on my mission for 3 months!  Crazy HUH!

Dinner with the Ramsey Family they are the best!

     This week we had Elder Godoy, who is a member of the 70 come and he is amazing.  I'm really sad because I left my notes in my apartment so I can't share everything that I wanted to.  But we had an investigator fireside that he spoke at and it was wonderful. He is like a general authority comedian.  We were all laughing so hard but at the same time he was very spiritual.  It was really great especially for our investigators.  

     Then we were also lucky because we had a mission conference where he spoke to us.  I wish I had my notes but one of the things that he said was “When some people get their mission calls they get to go all around the world, but here in Minnesota the world is brought to you.” 

     Minnesota truly is a melting pot of the world.  Everyone comes to Minnesota there are all kinds of ethnicity.  He also said that we are blessed because not only are we helping those here in Minnesota but at some point they will probably go back to their countries and then they will bring the gospel there as well.  I love Minnesota.

Taking Tamara to the Fireside

     Tamara - She is doing amazing!  She truly is converted now.  Earlier this week we were able to meet with her at her house with one of the young women.  We talked about the importance of prayer and then we worked on one of the Personal Progress values with her.  We read Alma 32 about faith.  It was an amazing lesson and she is starting to have such a great understanding of the gospel.  Once again it was great to have one of the young women with us.  It is always better to have members come teaching with us because the investigator is better able to relate with them and gain a new friend.  We have an awesome group of young women who are always willing to help out.  I really admire them for this because I know that when I was in Young Women’s I was never aware of the missionaries in our ward.  It’s great to see the youth willing to serve.  We were able to have a lesson with her yesterday and she is doing great!  She has progressed in so many different ways I am so excited for her.  I love listening to her prayers. She has changed so much instead of her just talking out loud now you can see and feel the difference.  I am so excited for her and I am really sad that I am going to miss her baptism on November 30th.  But I am so grateful that I was able to watch her conversion.  I know that this gospel is and will change her life.

     This week as the Mong Elders were tracting they found an investigator for us and he is wonderful.  His name Hung and he is Vietnamese.  They taught him the restoration and he felt the spirit so strong he left the room crying.  We were then able to go teach him and his fiancé Holly who has cancer.  They don't have a Christian background and he was in jail for a year.  While he was in jail he studied the Bible and he loved it and wants to continue learning more.  They both are very interested and were able to come to a baptism with us.  They felt the spirit so strong and then we had a lesson in our ward mission leaders home.  Once again the spirit was so strong and it was good for them to come to a members home.  They both have such great potential and it is going to be exciting to watch them make different changes to bring their lives in closer harmony with the Savior and His teachings.  We were so grateful for the Mong Elders and for their hard work in finding these honest seeker’s of truth.

The Kirkham Family!

Sister Curtis and Evey

     Guys - I'm sorry this is not my best letter.  I am really distracted because the library is closed today since it is Veteran’s Day.  So we are emailing at a member's house, the Kirkhams!  I love them!I am sad that I am leaving, but I am so glad that I got to spend one last day with them.  So I haven't used my time very wisely today...

     Also!  Congrats on the Mission Call Jake!  I am soo excited I have taught a man from Jamaica. They have the best accents!!! You are going to love it!!

     I love you all so much!  Thanks for everything and I am so sorry about this weeks email.... 

Sister Kendra Curtis

First Snow!

African Braid!

How Firm is your Foundation?

Hey Family and Friends!

     As you can probably guess this week was another amazing week.  So I better just jump right into it!

     At the beginning of this week I went on a little mini exchange. Sister Ballif had to go to another leadership meeting.  While she was at that I was able to go to Bloomington and be part of a trio companionship for some of the day.  It was really fun.  I would love to be in a trio, because then you can teach whoever, whenever.  In the mission they have this rule called the rule of 3.  That means that when ever you teach someone there has to be at least 3 of the same gender. That means if you are in a trio you can teach everyone!  That would be awesome.  So it was fun working in Bloomington and being able to meet new Sisters. 

     Also!  I was able to go to the temple this week with my district!  It is always such a blessing to go to the temple.  It is always so peaceful and it truly is the Lords house.  I wish I could go more!

     After the temple, I went on exchange with Sister Szabo.  She is serving in Andover and that is right next to Anoka, so that means that on Halloween Sister Ballif was in the Halloween capital of the world! Lucky girl!  But Sister Szabo and I had a great time.  We had dinner at the Johnson's house.  They are an awesome African Family who were baptized a couple months ago.  She made us some awesome African food and then we had a lesson with them about Family History.  

As we started teaching them about Family History it all started to click for me just how important Family History really is and how much it relates to missionary work.  The Johnson family started talking about all of the people in their lives who have passed on and how they would like to do temple work for them.  It was amazing to think how that family getting baptized doesn't only bless the future generations but also the generation who came before them. 

     Then Sister Szabo and I had an appointment lined up but it ended up falling through.  I looked in my planner to see who else we knew that was in the area.  Asa came to mind.  We went and knocked on his door and he was so happy too see us.  He mentioned the last time we stopped by how he wasn't home but we talked to his kids and we asked them if they would say a prayer with us.  He was so touched and he then told them that anytime we knock on the door to invite us in and to listen to what it is that we have to say.  He also told us that he hasn't been going to church lately because all the different churches confuses him. We were then able to teach him about the restoration.  He was very interested, he liked the part about the apostasy and how all these different churches came about.  Then when we started to tell him about Joseph Smith he already knew the story.  He then told us that he used to meet with the missionaries when he lived in Rochester, Minnesota.  They even gave him information so he could meet with the missionaries here but he lost the information.  He also said that if he knew where the church was that he would already be going.  Its such an amazing experience when you find people who are already prepare to hear the message.  He even came to church yesterday.  He is going to be a great investigator.  I just hope that his schedule will open up more so we can continue to teach him.

Sister Szabo and Sister Curtis 

     This week we were able to get in with Tamara again and things are going great!  We were able to have Megan, one of the young women there again.  We talked to her about the restoration again and the importance of prayer and fasting.  I love whenever we have a joint teacher there to testify what it is that they believe.  It is so powerful and its important to see how this gospel blesses normal peoples lives. (Because missionaries aren't normal...) I am so grateful for the young women in our ward and their willingness to help out.  We can tell that Tamara appreciates it also. Things are going wonderful, many prayers have been answered.  She has committed to be baptized on November 30!  We are so excited for her.  I hope I will still be here when she gets baptized!

     Guess what!  Transfers are next week!  So I will find out next Monday if I will be transferred and honestly I am praying that I won't. I love this area too much I don't want to leave all the amazing people behind.  I know that where ever I go it will be exactly where the Lord needs me.... But Still! haha :)

Sister Kaluwe is an awesome recent convert. 

The cute girls who always say hi to us as we
are tracting in the willow apartments.

     Yesterday was Fast Sunday, my favorite Sunday.  One of the women in our ward got up and bore her testimony, she talked about building your house upon a rock.  This really got me thinking.  Some people have asked us the question, “Why is it that bad things happen to good people?”  If you look at the primary song, "The Wise Man and the Foolish Man."  In this story there are two different people who both decide to build a house.  They both have to work hard in order to build their house and they both do.  One of them built it on a rock and one on them built it on the sand.  Then as we all know "the rains came down and the floods came up."  So in this story, bad things happened to both the wise and the foolish man but the difference is the foundation.  Now let me ask you this.  How firm is your foundation?  We all are going to go through hard things in life, that is part of God's plan.  But because he loves us he has provided us with a way to build our houses on "a rock", Jesus Christ.  If we will all build ourselves on that rock we will "stand still."  Jesus Christ is the only way that we can do that.  Look at all the amazing people in our lives who have gone through hard things.  As I look back on it now I can see that they were able to get through those hard times and endure them well because they would turn to Jesus Christ.

     I know I say it every week but I know that this church is true.  My testimony grows each and everyday!  I love you all so much!  Thanks for all the support.

Love Sister Kendra Curtis 

Pumpkin Fest!  
Guess who won 
First place?
Me!!!

This is Robson he is Muslim he works at the Zane Mart.  He loves us and sometimes gives us free water.  One day we'll get him to church!