Ice Tracting!

Hello Family and Friends!

     Oh wow!  What a wonderful week this week has been!  I LOVE STILLWATER!  So I better get started.

     This week we started off by  having a lesson with Sharleen at a members home.  We were going to start of by helping Sharleen with more of her Family History.  But for some reason, the computer was not working we weren't able to do or look at anything so instead we felt like we should just read from the Book of Mormon.  We read about faith and how faith is like a seed and it is something that needs to constantly be growing. After our lesson Sister Pead and I realized that maybe the computer wasn’t working because at that moment Sharleen needed to hear about faith.  It’s amazing how the Lord works. 

     As we were getting ready to go I asked the member for a priesthood blessing.  For some reason, my arm was hurting really bad, it felt like I maybe pulled a muscle some how.  He pulled up a chair and was then able to give me a priesthood blessing right there.  One thing that I have really been missing on my mission is blessings from my dad.  I just love father's blessings.  There is truly nothing better then a blessing from your father.  But one thing that I have come to realize that no matter who is giving the blessing it is still from God, our Heavenly Father.  This past week a lot of things have been bothering me and been on my mind that the member didn't know about, but he was still able to tell me exactly what I needed to hear and the blessing was able to comfort me.  I am so grateful for the power of the priesthood and for the men who are worthy and able to give them.  In my blessing I was told that in a couple days my arm would heal on its own and two days later it was gone.  It was also really neat that Sharleen was able to be there and witness the blessing.  It was a really powerful and spiritual experience.

Blazing Challenge!

     The next day we had District Meeting, our very last one with all 8 of us there.  For District Lunch we went to Buffalo Wild Wings so they could do the "Blazing Challenge" It was super funny!  Everyone did it except for Elder Cryer and I, but don't worry I was laughing my head off the whole time taking a funny video.  The challenge is that you have to eat 12 of the hottest wings in 6 minutes, 3 of the Elders were able to do it and won the "Blazing Challenge" T-shirt. They are so great I am so grateful for them and all that I have learned from them. They are some of the best missionaries. 

Stillwater District

     Then we got to have another family home evening with the L family.  This week was extra special because we were able to bring Gabe with us.  Gabe is Delores and Byron's 20 year old grandson.  He use to meet with the missionaries in the fall but he stopped meeting with them because he kind of felt like he was file://localhost/Users/jonathann/Desktop/DSCN3606%5B1%5D.JPGgetting pushed.  He has been struggling in many different ways.  He has depression and a lot of bad influences in his life.  Since Sister Pead and I have been here we have never been able to meet with him but this week we were able to invite him to family home evening with us.  And he said he would come!  We were really excited.  We thought that family home evening would be a good idea because it is really simple and the L family was perfect for him.  As you know they are a younger family and the husband was baptized about a year and a half ago and is only a couple years older then Gabe.  The lesson was really fun and we talked about loving and serving others.  When we were finished Gabe and the husband started talking and were able to get to know each other a little better it was perfect!  We are excited because he is going to be coming to another one with us tomorrow.  It’s going to have to be a very slow process because he is very sensitive but we are excited that we got to introduce him to such an awesome family!

     We were able to meet with Phillip a couple times this week.  Each time we were able to bring a different member to his lessons which was really good. We were able to discuss the Mormon Message Your Potential, Your Privileges, then the next time we were able to read Alma 32 with him,  and we talked about the difference in being humble and being prideful.  Then as we were planning and getting ready for our next lesson with Phillip we got a text from our mission president that said, "Tell Phillip that the sprained shoulder is God's way of getting his attention!"  Whoa!  That is bold.  He must have just read our emails to him.  We were then really excited for our lesson with Phillip. We were going to be bold and we were going to tell him how it is.  Because that is exactly what he needs.  But like I said we brought a member with us and... honestly... that was our downfall.  It was our fault because we didn't prep her the best we could.  As we were asking him different questions and telling him that his sprained arm was a sign from God.  She started getting super defensive and nervous that we were being too bold.  She was talking... a lot.  We asked if if he would follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by the priesthood authority of God?  Then silence.  Because that is truly when the spirit is able to do its work.  That is were the spirit will touch his heart. But then guess who started talking... the member.  She didn't know the power of silence which again was our fault we should have told her.  He is sooo close!  He did promise us that he would continue reading the scriptures and coming to church.  And at the end of the lesson we asked him to pray right then and ask God if baptism is what he is suppose to do.  Wow!  The spirit was so strong.  I know that it is only a matter of time before Phillip will join his family and be baptized.

     We also had a lesson with the Delores and Byron.  As Sister Pead and I were planning and trying to decide what kind of lesson Byron needs at this time we realized that we needed to ask him if he was ready to be baptized.  We decided to ask him the baptismal interview questions and see where he is in his conversion.  So as always, our lessons with him turn into these great discussion.  We talk to them about what they have read and any questions that they have.  Then we moved on to what we had planned.  We started asking Byron different questions that you would be asked if you were to be baptized.  Do you believe that God is our Eternal Father?  Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the world?  Do you believe the Church and gospel of Jesus Christ have been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith?  Do you believe that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God?  What does it mean to you to repent?  And then a couple other questions.  He answered yes to all of them.  The most powerful part of this whole lesson was the testimony that Delores shared with her husband.  Just those sweet and simple truths that she has come to know.  The main concern that it all came back to was coffee.  He just doesn't feel like it is necessary to give it up.  So I looked at him and I said, "Byron, if it wasn't for coffee would you be baptized?" 

     He paused for a long moment and then said, “I have been a Lutheran for 70 years there is no reason to change now”. .... ahh what a Stubborn man! :)  We were really grateful that we were finally able to hear this from him.  For now he is still reading the Book of Mormon, 6 pages a day.  He really likes it and is really getting into it.  I know that it will all come as he gains a testimony of what is in the Book of Mormon.  I love them!

     Sharleen is wonderful.  We have been able to keep doing service for her, helping her get her house back in order and after we were able to have a mini lesson with her and leave her different movies/videos that she could watch online.  We were able to leave her with the Joseph Smith video, and a couple Mormon Messages.  Each time we came back and asked her what she thought of each of the videos,  she would start to get emotional.  She said that she loves the feeling that she feels and the messages that they share.  Each time we were able to talk about them and what the Lord was trying to teach her through them.  It is always so powerful.  She then broke down in tears and told us that she thanks the Lord everyday for sending us to her.  Not only to help her with her house but to help her with her spiritually.  She even came to church with us yesterday! (She got a ride with Delores!)  Then we were able to have a lesson with her last night.  We talked about the feelings that she has felt in the church and the love she has felt from everyone.  Then we watched a Mormon Message with her and the spirit was so strong.  We were then prompted to ask her if she would be baptized.  She looked at us and said no.  She then told us that she made a promise to her husband (who is living somewhere up north right now) that she wouldn't be baptized as long as he is living.  She is a woman of her word but as soon as he dies she will become a Mormon!  Wow! ..Now you know what we will be praying for! .......That the Lord will change his heart! (What were you thinking??)  We are really excited for her.  What a wonderful lady!

     Now as you all know today we found out who is getting transferred!  I AM LEAVING STILLWATER!  Can you believe it?  I love this area so much and I love all the people here.  They will always be so close to my heart and I am so excited to come back and visit them!  Stillwater is an amazing place!  I look back with nothing but the best memories.  Sister Pead is going to be so good with her new companion.  I know that she will be guided by the spirit and help bring others unto Christ.  As for me.  I am being sent to....... the Young Single Adult ward in St. Paul at the University of Minnesota!  How awesome is that!  I will be serving with Sister Callister.  She was also in the MTC the same time as me and she was in Sister Pead's District.  We are both going to be new to the area so we will either be opening the area or white washing, we aren't sure yet. Wow!  I am so excited this is such a great opportunity.  Everyone talks about how great the YSA ward is and now I am going to be able to serve there.  Great things are to come.  I am excited to see what the future has in store!

Tracting on the St. Croix river!

     One last fun story before I go.  So Sister Pead and I knew that one of us was going to be leaving so we decided that we would do something crazy!  Something we have been talking about since the day it started getting cold.  And we did it!  We went tracting on the St. Croix river.  That's right ice tracting!  There is a little village of people down there trying to catch some fish.  What a great opportunity to talk to someone.  They can't go anywhere.  So Sister Pead and I put on our layers, bought some toe warmers and we were on our way!  

     We maybe drove the mission car on the ice... but don't worry we went back and parked it on solid land!  It was a super cool experience.  I suggest everyone tries it.  The line that really gets it all started is, "Hey!  How many fish did you catch?"  They will talk to you every time!

Loyd was really nice and let us take a picture with his fish. 

I love you all so much! Thanks for everything! 

Have a great week! Stay warm.

 And don't forget to pray and read your scriptures! :)

Love, Sister Kendra Curtis