The Lord does His own work!

Hello Family and Friends!

     I just want to start off by saying... Good Luck Jake!  I am so excited for my baby brother and for this amazing journey that he is about to start!  I wish I could have seen his farewell talk yesterday.  I know he did a wonderful job.  At least I will get to hear his homecoming talk :)  Jamaica!  I can't believe he will be there two weeks from Wednesday!  I don't know if I have said this before, but time goes by so fast!  I am so excited to be serving the same time as Jake.  It is going to be really fun hearing his mission stories and hearing about all the amazing Jamaicans that he will be teaching.  Yaaaahhh Maaaaannn! :)

First run of the year!

     Weather update: when we got out of the car to come email guess what the temperature was?  49 degrees!  Oh my goodness!  I could hardly believe it I had to hit the dash board to make sure that everything was working okay!  And yes it was accurate.  We were cruising with the windows down and that 49 degrees wind blowing through our hair!  When moments like this happen you have to soak them in because you never know what is going to happen next!

      As for this wonderful mission life and this amazing work that I get to be part of... I better get started! Aggh time goes by to fast!  (Literally this is always the fastest 2 hours of my life!)  Can you believe that I hit my 7th month mark this past week?  This time next year I will be home in Utah!  Reminiscing on what once was.  (And probably reading the most recent letter from Jamaica!)

      I will start off by talking about Eva as you know we weren't able to get a hold of her last Sunday.  After our P-Day Sister Callister and I felt like maybe we should go stop by Eva's house.  It is pretty far away but we both had such a strong feeling.  We then got in the car and headed over to Eva's house.  Once we got there we knocked on her door.  Nothing.  We knocked again, rang the doorbell, but nothing.   Long story short, Sister Callister and I were very "patient" we waited outside her door for almost 30 minutes, then we texted her and we told her that we were going to leave in 5 minutes and if she wanted to talk to us she should come out.  Right as we were about to throw in the towel she opened the door.  We were then able to talk to her.  We sat on the stairs outside of her apartment and she expressed her concerns.  She told us that she talked to her dad and that he doesn't support her in this decision.  He has heard all kinds of rumors about the Mormons and now she has a lot of questions herself and she is starting to doubt her faith.  She also expressed that she can't go behind his back and get baptized because in the Liberian culture if you disobey your family or dishonor them then you are cut off for good.  She doesn't want to risk that.  I completely understand because I served around the Liberians for 3 months and I know how important this is.  I also know that he just loves his daughter and he wants to keep her safe.  The saddest part is how this has affected Eva.  She used to be so happy.  She had this wonderful light about her and you could see the difference that the gospel had made in her life and now she is just very confused and she doesn't know where to turn.  We then were able to ask her what she thought when she came to church and how she felt inside.  She told us that she always feels good and she loves the feelings that she gets when she comes to church.  We then read Moroni 7:13:    

"But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God." 

      Just like this scripture says if it invites you to do good it is of God.  We then told Eva to continue to read the scriptures and to say her prayers.  That as she does this she will be able to continue to progress and continue to strengthen her faith.  That is what we mostly focused on this week with her, strengthening her faith.

     Eva gave us her father’s number so Sister Callister and I could go talk to him and answer any questions that he may have and help him understand why this church is so important to Eva and how this will make her happy.  That next day I went to go call her father to set up a time for us to meet with him and.... wait for it.... He is a PASTOR!  What the heck?  Why weren't we told this before?  For some reason Eva didn't feel like this was an important detail to mention.  So on Tuesday (tomorrow) Sister Callister and I are going to be visiting with a pastor to talk to him about how his daughter wants to be baptized into the true church.  Pray for us!  One thing that is really neat about this, is the church that he is over is located in North Minneapolis, which is in the Shingle Creek area.

     This last week I was able to call some of the Liberians in that ward to come teaching with us.  I was able to get a hold of a man named Arnell Johnson.  He was one of mine and Sister Ballif's favorite people to go teaching with.  He is absolutely amazing!  He was baptized in Liberia and he was able to serve a mission in Africa.  He is the most humble man, Sister Ballif and I swear that one day he is going to be a General Authority.  He is going to be coming with us tomorrow and hopefully another Liberian as well, it depends if he works or not.  I think it is very interesting that Sister Callister and I happen to be in this situation and I know the exact people to come along with us. 

     My zone leader said to me as we were telling him our plans, "Sister Curtis, if you don't know why you are here yet, this could very well be it."  

     Whoa.  I never thought of it like that.  I truly have been sent to this area, at this time, for a reason.  I hope that I will be able to do all that I can, this is a really scary situation but I know that with the help of the Lord, we can do anything.  One of my favorite mission scriptures is Alma 26:12 

      "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever."

     I know this scripture is true!  I have seen it many times on my mission and this is the scripture that keeps me going when times get hard.  The Lord can do His own work!

     Ashley has been doing good.  We were able to meet with her twice this week.  We talked about the Plan of Salvation and a different time we talked about the temple she said one thing which I loved so much.  Her face lit up and she shared how she loves that the temple is in her reach.  It is something that she can go to someday! :)  I loved that.  Everything we are asked to do, we can with the help of God!

     

    This week has been great!  Our most progressing investigator is Chloe.  She was a pass off from the Blaine Elders.  She is completely ready to be baptized. She has a date set for April 12th and she is counting down the days.  She was able to come to a baptism with one of her friends who is a member and she loved it.  She said that as she was there everything just made sense.  Now she is reading the Book of Mormon everyday and she loves it because it just makes sense!  She was able to come to church yesterday and she loved it.  She has already been invited to some of the ward activities and she has already made some great connections with others.  We are excited to help her learn more this week and we know that the Lord prepares his children and he has trusted us with these amazing people.  Now we just have to do our part.  I will talk more about her next week!

Yan's baptism!

     This week the Chinese Sisters had a baptism for a girl named Yan.  Honestly this was one of the best baptisms that I have been to.  The spirit was so strong throughout the whole service.  There was a great talk about baptism and the Holy Ghost.  Then Yan was baptized.  She was so excited and she looked so happy.  After her baptism Sister Pao and Sister Huang taught the restoration.  I can honestly say that I don't think I have every cried or teared up from hearing the restoration but hearing both of them I did.  The spirit was so strong!  As I listened to Sister Pao and Sister Huang I knew in that very moment that what I am sharing with people each and everyday is true!  I realized just how amazing this message is and how exciting it is that I get to share it. 

     

     Then they bore their testimonies in Chinese and WOW!  Words can not describe the feeling in that room.  After they finished Yan came out and was able to bear her testimony.  What a sweet and powerful moment.  She told us how she has been investigating the church for 5 months and now she is no longer a visitor surrounded by friendly faces but now she is a member of a family surrounded by her brothers and sisters.  That is one thing that I love so much about this church, we really are just a big family!  No matter where in the world you go it is all the same.  This is a family of 15 million people! (And more to come!)  The other thing I love about this work is the Chinese people.  It is just so neat to see how both Sister Pao and Sister Huang were called to Minnesota Minneapolis, English speaking and now here they are in Dinkytown, where they are able to meet all these amazing college students from CHINA!  Sister Pao and Huang are able to use their Chinese and they are able to help these amazing children of God recognize the truth that they have never had the opportunity to hear in China!  The Lord does His own work!  It doesn't stop anything even though we aren't able to go into China yet.  Because they are being brought to us!  MINNESOTA!  Where we truly are able to teach people from all over the world!  I truly am so spoiled to be here.  I don't know why I have been so blessed but I know that I am going to use every second of it!  I have been called here for a reason and I am going to make sure that I fulfill my purpose as a representative of Jesus Christ.

Natalie and Rachel

Sister Haung and Sister Pao

Dang I am out of time!

I'm serious time goes 

by to fast!

I love you!

Sister Curtis 

Mexican Village for Lunch!