Hello Family and Friends!
As always great things are happening here in the land of Minnesota! Great things. So one thing that I haven't told you yet is that in our ward there are a lot of Native Americans. There isn't very many in the area that I am serving in but there are a lot in other parts of our ward boundaries. This week we were able to meet a man and are you ready to hear what his name is, Richard Bald Eagle Bear. Yeah! Bald Eagle Bear is his last name. There are a lot of awesome last names but that one is one of my favorites! Isn't Minnesota the best place ever!
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| Sister Curtis, Elder Nelson, and Siter Kekauoha |
Okay now are you ready for this one? Guess who I met this week!?! Elder Nelson! Yeah! My companion and I met him! He came to Minnesota to speak to the Medical School, surgeon people or something like that. He actually got his PHD at the University of Minnesota! (I served there!) Sister Kekauoha and I were the only missionaries who got to see him. A member of our ward had him over for dinner with the top 14 surgeons in Minnesota. So he told us when the dinner was over, there would be a gap of time where we could stop by and meet him! It wasn't very long, but it was long enough! It was amazing! We couldn't believe it! I guess you could say that was my tender mercy of the week. :)
We are teaching a really awesome girl named Rachel. She is a single mom with a 9 year old son. She met missionaries back in February and now we have been able to start teaching her. She has a baptism date set for July 12th. She is wonderful and has a great understanding of the gospel. Everything we have taught her she has absolutely loved and she is really diving into the scriptures. She just keeps having things come up so she hasn't been able to come to church yet. We are hoping she will come this next week to further her progression and feel of the spirit that is there.
We are meeting with an older man Don. His wife is a member and he is not. He is 84 years old! He has met with many missionaries but has never been "convinced". We went to their house for dinner last week and we were able to set up an appointment for us to come back and meet with him. We went over the restoration with him, we asked him his concerns and we were able to get him to open up about a lot of things. At the end, we asked him to pray about being baptized on July 26th. He agreed that he would. He is very stubborn but his wife called us later and told us that our visit with him was a complete miracle. She said for some reason he is very open with you girls and has told you things that even I didn't know. It really was a powerful lesson. I think his heart is being softened. Hopefully we will be able to continue to help him feel of the spirit and feel of the importance of being baptized so he can be sealed to his wife for eternity.
Last night was the President's Fireside! It was President and Sister Clements last one! I can't believe they are going home at the end of this month. It was a really good fireside. The best part was that Eva spoke at it. She did such an amazing job. She was really nervous. But she bore the sweetest testimony. She talked about all of the hard family struggles she was going through. She talked about how her dad wasn't supportive at all. At one point he told her if she was going to join the Mormon church that she would have to find a new father. She was crushed. She didn't understand how he could hate something that brought her so much happiness. She shared a moment that really changed her. One time when Sister Callister and I came over to her house we showed her a mormon message, Dare to Stand Alone.
We then left and later that night she watch it on youtube by herself. She felt like this was exactly what she was feeling. She felt like she was completely alone. But something was said in that video which she felt was directed right at her "Dare to be a Mormon, Dare to stand alone, Dare to have a purpose firm, Dare to make it known."
"If we must stand alone in the process, may we do so courageously, strengthened by the knowledge that in reality we are never alone when we stand with our Father in Heaven." That was when she decided that she would follow the feelings that she felt inside to be baptized. Everyone in the chapel could feel and see the sacrifices she had made to be where she is today. I am not going to lie, my eyes weren't dry the whole time she was speaking. I was just re-living the whole experience with her. I saw her at her lowest of lows and I am so grateful that I have been blessed to see her reach these spiritual highs. I love Eva so much! I will forever be grateful to be "her missionary" and more then that her friend.
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| Eva at the President's Fireside |
"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
I love the wording this this passage. My favorite part is where it says: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. To me this is saying that without weaknesses, we wouldn't need Christ's help. We wouldn't need grace. But we do need it. It is the only way. We need His strength to come unto Christ, and be perfected in him. (Moroni 10:32) Trying to understand the concept of grace has really helped me in my mission work. I now know that through grace we don't have to do this alone. We have Him by our side the whole time. We just need to use the gift that has already been given.
I have such a strong testimony of the gospel. Just when I think I have learned everything that I need to know, I am wrong. I love this gospel and the happiness it brings me. Thanks for all of the prayers and support. I truly can feel the love everyday. I love you all! Have a great week. Until next time!
Love Sister Kendra Curtis
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| Rachel got her mission call she is going to Rancho Cucamunga, California Mission. She leaves August 13! Exciting huh! |
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| Meme (Leticia's daughter) |
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| Amy's last day she is moving to Murray, Utah! |
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