It is Always Worth it!

Hello Family and Friends!

Nature in Minnesota

     This week we were able to have Zone Conference.  It went really good we learned a lot about working with the ward council.  I really like President Forbes and I like the way that he teaches.  He told us about when he was a bishop and how important the time is where all of the auxiliaries are together.  It is a very important time where we can get a lot of help and support if we ask the right questions and use our time wisely.  I am very blessed to be serving in the ward that I am in because our ward is very missionary minded already and is very willing to help.     

     We also talked about the 5 responsibilities that we have as missionaries.  1.Find  2.Teach  3.Baptize  4.Retain  5.Activate.  As we are continually fulfilling our purpose and telling the ward council about it, they will begin to trust us and help us with our work as we help them.  Because truly we all have the same purpose, we just have different roles.  I love going to Zone Conferences because I love to just sit back and learn.  Learn about how I can be a better missionary and what I can do better in the area that I am serving in.  I was able to get a lot of revelation and answers to my prayers while I was there. 

     Oh guess what!  Our new mission president is changing up a lot of things and they are all really awesome and I am super excited about them.  He has told us that for our P-day we are now able to travel outside of our ward boundaries so that we can go and do some sight seeing. We also are going to be able to have a Zone P-day.  We are going to be able to have dinner after 6 so that we can give some of the other families the option of feeding us, because many people are still at work so this will be able to branch out the people who are typically feeding us.  But then are you ready for this rule... He wants the missionaries to be seen more so he is asking that each of us ride our bikes for 10-15 hours a week!  What? That's going to be..... a lot of biking.  In a skirt.  Man.  Fun, new changes to mix things up.  

Cool new park we found to go contacting in.

Exchanges with the STLs

     After Zone Conference, the mission president has interviews with new missionaries, the trainers and others who request an interview.  Since neither Sister Noe and I were planning on having an interview we went to get ready to exchange with our Sister Training Leaders.  When all the sudden the Zone Leaders came up to me and told me that President Forbes wanted to meet with me.  I was so nervous.  My instant thoughts where, Oh no what did I do!  I have never really liked meeting with the Mission President.  I always feel that it is very scary and intimidating.  I loved my last mission president a lot but I never really felt like I had a very good personal relationship with him.  I just really appreciated him and all that he did but I didn't feel like he knew me.  I had no idea what to expect from President Forbes.  But I went to meet with him and he is super nice.  I like him so much.  I won't say all that we talked about but it truly was an answer to my prayer.  It was exactly what I needed to hear and what I needed at this point in my mission.  I was so very grateful for him and for his counsel and for him listening to the promptings of the spirit and calling me in to have an interview.  It got me thinking about a lot of different things.  I know that he is my mission president for a reason and I am excited for all that he is going to teach us. 

     We then went on exchanges this week.  I was with Sister Chapman again.  She is fun.  We were able to have a couple great lessons.  But like I said, after my interview with President Forbes, my mind was all over the place.  Every single lesson we taught that night I felt like it was more for me then it was for those that we were teaching.  I felt the spirit so strong because I knew that what we were talking about was true and that it was something that I personally needed. 

     Then we were able to go and stop by Eva's with the YSA Elders as well.  They were also on exchanges so Elder Hurst, and an Elder who was previously in our ward were there as well.  Again the whole lesson was exactly what I needed to hear and during the whole lesson I felt the urge to ask for a priesthood blessing.  I didn't want to.  I always hate asking for blessings, especially when they aren't from my dad, because I don't want others to think that I am struggling.  It is definitely my pride.  But after we closed with a prayer I knew that I just needed to swallow my pride and ask.  I am so grateful that I did.  Elder Hurst was able to give me a blessing and I know that it was truly from Heavenly Father.  No one in that room knew that I was in need of guidance and help but when Elder Hurst began to speak it was exactly what I needed to hear.  I am so grateful for the power of the priesthood and for all of the worthy priesthood holders.  It is such a blessing to know that even though my dad, my go-to-man, is a couple of states away.  I can still get a blessing and it is from the same authority. 

     This was another answer to my prayer that helped me with some of the different concerns that I had.  As you all know, I hit my year mark on August 7th.  I officially only have 6 months left of my mission and honestly, it is pretty scary.  I can't believe that my mission is coming to an end.  I don't feel like I am done.  I feel like there is so much more that I need to do and that I need to accomplish.  I have been thinking a lot about the person I have become over the past year and what I am still hoping to achieve over the next 6 months.  Looking back, I have been so caught up in my area, the people I am serving, the person that I want to become and all that is expected of me, that I have started to forget one of the most important things, my companion.  I have been so caught up in everything that I have started putting her on the back burner.  I have forgotten that she is one of the most important people I am around.  I know that I have a lot to learn from her and a lot that I can teach her.  But more importantly I need to humble myself, I need to quit being so selfish and focusing on what I want to get from my service here in Minnesota and focus a little more on serving.  I know I have a lot more that I can offer and for the next 6 months, I am going to focus on forgetting my self and loving others, especially, loving my companion.

     As for the work in our area our bishop is having us do a lot of less active work.  We have been meeting with a lot of less active women and it has been going really well.  We have been able to help a lot of them and they have been coming to church.  But the real miracle has been that we truly have been able to get a lot of teaching opportunities from being around less actives.  It was something that our mission president had counseled us to do at Zone Conference, to be in less active members homes, and as we do that we will be able to find non-members to teach.  Sister Noe and I have been very blessed to see this happen and in the process we are also able to help reactivate members who have left the church.  We are super excited to see what is going to happen with the new people we have met.  I will update you next week. 

One Year Mark!

     Well that is all I have time for today. But I just want to let you all know that I am so grateful for my time here in Minnesota.  I can't believe it has been a whole year.  I am also grateful for every challenge that I have gone through.  In the end it is always worth it.  The different trials that we go through are just a small price that we pay to become acquainted with God.  And what a privilege it is.  I am so grateful.  I hope you have a great week!  I love you!

Love, Sister Kendra Curtis

I found the first book that I am going to read when I get home! ha ha

First Birthday Present!  Thanks Grandma Stott!

Look at my future car!