Wednesday, November 20, 2013

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

2 comments:

  1. Kendra, you just make me cry you are such a good missionary. I ran into your Grandma Curtis at the grocery store today and we had a fun little chat about you and your mission and how we both love your pictures and blog! I am so glad you got to see Tamara again. I was crying when you described your good by and I just knew you two would meet somehow!

    ReplyDelete
  2. It is so fun to read her letters!!! She seems so happy!!! She makes me happy!!!

    ReplyDelete