Expect Miracles!

Happy Halloween Family and Friends!

Christian as Harry Potter

     Can you believe it is almost Halloween?  Crazy how fast time is going by.  This week Sister McCullough and I had a really awesome week.  I will start off with the fun stuff then I will move into the miracles.  We were able to have the ward Trunk or Treat party on Friday and it was so much fun.  Sister McCullough and I wanted to dress up so we decided to buy some nerdy glasses and be 80s nerds!  You can guess who's idea that was!  It was really fun!  We were a little nervous that we might get in trouble for dressing up but then when we got to the church we saw that the elders dressed up too!  They were Body Guards so it was perfect.  We both tried to dress up as much as we could.  It was really fun all the members loved our costumes and thought that it was really fun.  

Sister McCullough and I dressed up as 80's Nerds.
You know how much I love the 80s! :):)

The Elders were Body Guards!

The Bishop and his wife!

Sister Young

Look at the cute little animals!

     We have a really awesome ward and a lot of people dressed up which is always fun.  We were also able to get Sharay there.  She even brought a friend along.  They ended up staying for the whole thing and they really enjoyed it.  Then at the end we were able to participate in the Trunk or Treat.  A member got us a bag of candy that the missionaries were able to pass out.  It was really fun the kids loved it!  

Gemel Sharays son

     We were glad because the day before I got a letter in the mail from Grandma Curtis and in it she gave Sister McCullough and I some balloons so we were able to decorate our trunk.  It wasn't as good as the other members but it was a lot better then a trunk full of missionary supplies.  It was a super fun night.  I wish that our ward would do more fun activities like that so we could invite more non members.

Trunk or Treating!

We love Sister Gretz!

     We were able to start off the week by going over to the Young families house and having a family home evening with them.  It was really fun.  They did the lesson while Sister McCullough and I came up with an activity.  We brought corn starch and we showed them that cool little trick of how you can make a ball.  We told them that it represented a testimony.  You have to constantly be doing the things that you are supposed to or your testimony, just like the corn starch ball, will weaken and then fall apart.  (If you don't know what I am talking about, Google it or ask my mom.)  It was a really fun lesson.  It got a little messy with the 3 boys but they loved it.  It is always so great to be in members homes because you can always feel a difference.  When you walk into their home you can feel the spirit so strong.  I am so grateful for the awesome members here in Apple Valley. 

Family Home Evening with the Youngs

     This week I was able to go on exchanges with the Lakeville sisters and I learned so much.  I was able to be with Sister Toone.  She was trainer in Shingle Creek right after I was with Sister Ballif.  It was fun being with her because we were able to talk about Shingle Creek.  We were able to do a lot of teaching and meet a lot of people.  We had a really cool experience because she was planning on stopping by a member who is actually the mother of one of the members we are working with.  It was such a great experience to be on the other side of things.  To meet the mother who has been saying so many prayers from a distance just hoping that someone, somewhere would reach out and help her daughter.  I am so grateful that I was able to meet her and to hear about the prayers that are being answered.  I am so grateful that the Lord has put us here in Apple Valley.  Once again it goes to show that He knows what He is doing an He knows where we need to be. 

     We have also been able to do a lot of service.  It’s that time of year.  There are leaves everywhere!  Soo many leaves.  Raking is hard here!  It’s not like Utah.  I have a whole new expectation for a pile of leaves.  We were able to go with one of the members and help them do a secret service for someone they home teach.  It was really funny because he offered to just put all the leaves in his van and then to drive them to a field behind his backyard.  Ha.  I don't know what his wife thought of that but Sister McCullough and I thought it was hilarious!

     This week we were able to meet with Sharay a couple times.  It has been going really great.  We were able to tell her about family history work and she is super excited.  She is interested in finding out more about her family and where they are from.  Then we had a lesson about the word of wisdom and she loved it. She totally agrees and is willing to give up tea to follow it.  I am always so amazed at how willing people are to follow the commandments after they haven't been doing it.  It just shows that they feel the spirit and know that it is true.  She was able to go to the Trunk of Treat and to church.  She is starting to meet a lot of members and is making a lot of friends.  She loves it.  Hopefully next week we will be able to set a date with her.

     Khalia is doing good as well.  She is preparing for baptism on the 15th of November.  The only problem is that it is the same week as Stake Conference.  We are asking out mission president if she will be able to be confirmed on the same day that she is baptized.  He has to check with the mission department.  But other than that she should still be good to be baptized on November 15th.  She has been meeting with us at leave twice a week and we are hoping to see her more so that she can be prepared.  So far things are looking good. 

     Then last night we were able to go to President's Fireside with Khalia.  She really enjoyed it.  This was a really great fireside.  A recent convert from the Shingle Creek Ward spoke first.  Then a recently married couple from the YSA Ward, Grant and Brittney, who I know very well spoke and then we had a member of the quorum of the 70, Elder Carlson speak to us.  It was a really great fireside and it was really inspiring.  

Khalia came with us to the fireside!

     Then on top of that Eva was there!  She came running over and gave me a huge hug and sat by me.  I was so grateful to see her!  I have missed her so much and she has been on my mind a lot lately.  

EVA! And her new missionary Sister Chapman!

     I am always so grateful every time I get to one of those because I sit there and I am always so grateful!  I am so grateful for all of my blessings.  I am grateful for the work that I am doing and I am grateful for the people I am able to serve and serve with.  I just know that the Lord loves us all so much.  Then on top of that I found out a bunch of awesome stuff!  I found out that Desirae and her kids got baptized last week (Lake Nokomis ward), Eloisa got baptized a couple months ago (Hudson Ward), and 2 people I found right before I left Dinkytown, Dona and Dane both have date set and they are preparing to be baptized!  It was the coolest moment last night.  Because I just realized that the work still goes on after I leave (obviously) but it was really cool because in that moment I was able to hear about all of the miracles and all of the great things that are happening her in Minnesota in all of the places that I have served!  I am so grateful!  I know that this church is true.  I know that this work is so important and I know that we can help Heavenly Father can make a difference in peoples lives.

President Stacey! He was in the Lake Nokomis ward.

Must be a member!

     I hope that some of you took the challenge I gave a couple weeks ago about missionary week.  The youth in Apple Valley did an awesome job.  We were able to be with them for the third hour of church and we were able to hear their testimony meeting about the experiences that they had.  After watching all of those youth I know that the Lord is saving his best for last.  The youth keep getting stronger and stronger.  I don't know how we are supposed to keep up!  I am so grateful for the examples that they are to me!  I would love to hear different experiences that you are having in your lives with missionary work.  Write me and I promise I will write you back. 

I love you all.

Thanks so much for all of the love and support.  

I truly can feel it everyday.  

Have a wonderful week!  

Expect miracles! :)

Love Sister Kendra Curtis

Noodles with his new book!
(I like to find cute church books at yard sales and thrift
stores and then send them to Kendra to give to people.) .50 cents

Chick fil A for district lunch! My choice!

Look Po from the teletubbies!

I love Noodles!

Share the Gospel!

Hey family and friends!

     It’s officially the start of a new transfer and I am so excited.  I am really happy that I get to stay here in Apple Valley for another transfer.  Good things are going to happen.  We were able to make some transfer goals of the different things that we want to do and that we want to accomplish.  One of the goals that I have made that I am really excited about is in my new planner.  I put a place where each day I am going to write down a miracle that I see.  I am excited because I feel like this is going to help me to realize just how much the Lord in involved in my day.  I will also be looking harder :)

     One of the Elders in Apple Valley, Elder Weatherford got transferred.  Now we have a new Elder, Elder Westover, and he is from South Jordan! Crazy huh!  I don't know him from before, or his first name... but he went to Herriman High School and he worked at the district movie theater!  Weird huh!  He probably gave me popcorn at some point!  Anyways I just think it is so strange because we know some of the same people.  He is from my home land!  I will try to get a picture with him sometime.

Goodbye Elder Weatherford

     We are so excited because this week we got to meet with Khalia a couple of times.  The lessons have been very spiritual lately.  She is becoming more and more prepared.  She keeps pointing out different times in her life where the Lord has placed people in her path for a reason and how he has been preparing her.  She still talks about when we saw Meet the Mormons and she keeps telling us that she wants Noodles to serve a mission like us.  Little things keep happening each day. We were able to watch the hour long  movie about Joseph Smith with her.  We had to break it up and watch it 2 days in a row.  But when we finished the movie we asked her what her thoughts were and she bore a powerful testimony about the Prophet Joseph Smith.  She told us that she knows that he was called of God and that no man would do what he did if he wasn't called of God.  Then she told us about a couple of experiences where she has had to stand up for Mormons because she has been telling people how happy it has made her.  She then told us that she knows what she has felt is real and that it truly is coming from God.  Then after she bore such a powerful testimony and the spirit was so strong in her home we ask Khalia if she would follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God.  She said yes and now she is preparing to be baptized on November 15th.  We are so excited for her she is finally ready and really knows for herself that it is true.  But this is where the hard part begins.  Satan is going to try extra hard to stop her, to make her doubt the strong confirmations that she has had.  

     I am so very grateful for my mother because she always seems to be inspired when she sends me packages.  I got a package that very day with a bunch of journals and books for kids that she has been collecting for a while.  We were able to give Khalia one of those journals and we told her to write in it each day.  To write down how she feels and her testimony and then when she starts to doubt her decision she can look back on what she has felt and to remember the happiness that the gospel has brought her.  We are really excited for her!

     We got to meet with Sharay again this week, she was very busy but we were able to teach her about the Plan of Salvation.  She loved it!  She had a lot of very good questions and she was excited to learn about the plan that Heavenly Father has for us.  She asks some questions that lead into us talking about temples and family history work.  She was so excited she thought it was so great to know that others who haven't had the chance to learn about Christ will be able to and that we can help them.  Next time we see her we are going to give her a My Family Booklet so that she can get started on her family history.  I think it is so interesting how many people are interested in finding out more about their families.  Just another way that the Lord is hastening His work.

     This week we have been doing a lot of less active work.  Sister McCullough and I have had some really great experiences were we know that we have been sent to Apple Valley to help some of the less active that the Elders wouldn't have been able to go see. Young moms with husbands that work a lot, single women, all kinds of sisters who need the strength and support to keep going.  I am so grateful for them and I am grateful for the small steps that they take.  We were able to get 3 less active families to church this week.  Miracles are happening all around us. :)

     We also were able to work with the youth again last week.  They are so inspiring.  Last week we focused on role playing so they could practice their teaching.  The missionary did the role play first.  We went through the whole lesson plan with them and we showed them how we would teach.  After words they told us the things they liked and the things that they wanted to do.  Then the youth split up into groups. There were about 4 youth together and they then taught a leader. The missionaries walked and round and watched.  It was so good!  I really just can't believe what great teachers they are.  They are way more prepared then I ever was.  They are ready to teach and to share what they know with others.  We are really excited to hear about how it goes.  I wouldn't be surprise if we get a bunch of new investigators because of it.

     Yesterday, at church, I was asked to give a talk in church.  The topic was "How have you learned to share the gospel?"  I was so excited to have this topic because this is something I have experienced a lot of in the last year.  The speaker before me was Ashley Flake.  She is my inspirations.  She grew up in Utah but now that she lives in Minnesota she is the best missionary ever.  She is a junior in High School and is constantly talking about the gospel with others.  In her talk she shared a couple of those experience and I just think it goes to show that you can share the gospel with anyone.  Many times we feel that we have to build a deep relationship with someone before we can share more with them.  But Ashley is a perfect example of how it can be one of the first things we share with others.  It doesn't mean the first thing we say is "Hey do you want to meet with the missionaries?"  The thing is our religion is something that is part of us.  It is a lot of times some of the first things that a person would notice about us: the way we dress, the way we talk, the things we do, the happiness we have.  It’s part of us!  

     Then it was my turn.  Most of my talk I talked about the importance of being converted.  I compared it to helping someone out of a hole.  You wouldn't jump in the hole to help them out because then you would get yourself stuck.  You would have to stay on higher ground, reaching down to them so that you can lift them higher.  In a sense, that is what we have to do. We have to stay strong.  We have to build up our testimonies and ultimately we have to become converted!  

     I read a talk earlier on my mission by Elder Bednar called, "Converted unto the Lord."  In this talk it says the difference between a testimony and being converted, "A testimony is knowing that the gospel is true, Conversion is consistently being true to the gospel."  This little concept makes such a huge difference.  I know that as we strengthen our selves we will want to strengthen others.  In the Joseph Smith movie that we watched with Khalia, Joseph Smith said, "A man will not be content with the happiness of his family, he will want to share that happiness with many more."  As we become converted sharing that happiness will become second instinct.  I want to leave you all with the same challenge I left to the Apple Valley ward.  Prepare to share.  You never know who the Lord is placing in your path right now. The Lord trusts you to do his work.  Don't miss the moments.  They truly are life changing!

Love Sister Kendra Curtis

Look who found me?  Ida Donley was at a baptism for her friend.

Meet the Mormon's

Hello family and friends!

Driving to Serve!

     Guess what today is transfers and I am safe!  Sister McCullough and I are going to be staying in Apple Valley for one more transfer!  We are both really happy.  I don't want to leave the area yet.  There is still so much for us to do here.  So many miracles that have been happening!  We can't go yet.

     One thing that our ward is doing that is really neat is Missionary Week.  Actually the whole stake is doing it.  The youth are preparing for Missionary week which will be happening next week.  For missionary week people in the ward ask their friends and neighbors of other faiths to come and help out the youth of our church to prepare to be missionaries.  The youth then will teach the neighbors and friends something.  In the past it has been a missionary lesson.  But this year the Young Men and Young Women's presidency asked us what we thought would be the best thing for the youth to teach.  In the past the youth have had a hard time teaching the missionary lessons because they haven't had the best understanding of the lessons.  We were able to come up with a lesson plan that should work good for everybody.  We want it to be a good experience for everybody and we want everyone to see how much fun missionary work can be.  So for their lesson they are going to be introducing the “For the Strength of Youth booklet”.  They are going to explain what it is and how it has helped them in their lives. Then they are going to tie in the Book of Mormon and leave a copy with them.  

Missionary month with the Youth!

     We are really excited.  It is going to be really easy for the youth because instead of having to know a bunch of information most of what they are going to be sharing is their testimony, what they know to be true and how they came to know that.  Last week we were able to go to the youth activity and we were able to help the youth prepare to teach.  We were able to type up some papers to help them with some teaching tips and social skills.  We were with the younger group and it went great.  Everyone is so great.   I am very impressed with the youth here in Minnesota. They are a lot better and more prepared then I was when I was in Middle School!  After we went over the paper we had given them.  We were able to do some role playing.  We had all of them pair up with somebody (boy+girl) and we had them practice starting a lesson.  It was amazing.  As Sister McCullough and I walked around listening to what they were teaching the spirit was so strong.  I just looked around and imagined all of them becoming little missionaries.  How exciting!  

     I am so excited for missionary week!  The cool thing about it is it is a whole week that they are going to be  doing missionary work.  On Sunday they will be kicking it off by going to a fireside, Monday they will practice their teaching for family home evening, Tuesday they are going to wear a "Mormon" t-shirt (something that says something about our church: BYU, a camp shirt, etc.), Wednesday they will wear their Sunday best to school, Thursday they will invite someone to something church related, Friday the will post something online, Saturday their will be a stake dance, then on Sunday they will have a testimony meeting in Young Men and Young Women's to share the missionary experiences that they have had.  Isn't the youth awesome!  We are so excited to see how everything goes.  I challenge all of you to try doing the same things that our stake will be doing for missionary week.  It is going to take place October 19-26.  You can do it!  And if you do it,  write me letters and tell me how it went!  I know great things will happen!

Our District!

We traded for this clock with some Elders.

     This week we were also able to meet with a girl named Sharay.  We were just tracting in a less active members apartment building and we were able to find her.  She is 20 years old and is a single mom with a 15 month old baby named Gemel.  They are both so cute. She is on her own at this point and doesn't have any family or friends close by.  In her prayer at the end of one of our lessons she expressed how we were sent to her at a time when she really needed it.  We have been able to meet with her twice now and she loves it.  She was also able to come to church on Sunday she really liked it.  One thing I think she really enjoyed was how friendly everyone was at church.  Everyone was really helpful with her baby and she was able to learn a lot and feel of the spirit.  We are excited to meet with her tonight! :)

     We have continued to meet with Mallory.  She is doing really good.  She is completely different from the time we met her 6 weeks ago.  She has been coming out joint teaching with us and she has been really strengthening her testimony.  There are a couple people who I have met on my mission where I just know that I am here for a reason and Mallory is one of them.  I feel like there is a reason we have been sent to Apple Valley and she is one of them.  She really needed sisters and she has come so far!  Good things are going to happen for her!

At the movies!

     The other huge things that happened this week was that we were able to go to Meet the Mormons!  I know!  Sister McCullough and I went to the Movies!  Isn't that crazy!  Our Mission President said that if we took an investigator that we could go.  We were not sure if we were going to make it happen but the Lord provided a way.  We were able to go with Khalia and her family, 2 members who really needed to go and one of the members brought her 2 inactive sisters.  

     I am not going to lie it was really weird to sit in a movie theater again, it was even weirder to be eating popcorn and watching a preview.  I was so grateful that we were able to go.  The movie was so good and it was so good for each of the people who came with us.  Every story was so unique and so inspiring!  If you haven't seen it yet you really should. 

     My favorite person that they showed was the very last lady.  I loved it for so many reasons.  I loved the part where it showed the Salt Lake Valley, that right there almost brought me to tears.  Then I loved the story and her experience.  It was the very thing that Khalia was supposed to see.  It related to her in so many different ways.  It talked about how she was a single mom and how she was able to turn her life around.  It then had a part in it where the sister missionaries who taught her came to see her son open his mission call.  At that moment I leaned over to Sister McCullough and said, "That is going to be us coming to see Noodles."

Noodles and Me!

     After that part, was the part that really touched my heart and even brought me to tears.  It was the part where he was getting ready to leave on his mission and had to say his goodbyes.  At that very moment all of the flashbacks of me having to say goodbye to my family came to my mind.  Those last moments, the last words, the last hugs.  All of those moments that I have held so dear all came to the very front of my memory.  I am so grateful for my family I love them so much.  In that moment I realized just how much I love this gospel.  There is no way that I could leave all of that behind if this wasn't true.  If I didn't know that the very things that I am going to be sharing with each and every person that I meet would completely change their lives around.  I was able to give up the ones I love and care about so much so that others can experience that same happiness and joy that I hold so dear.  I am forever grateful for my family.  I know that I am who I am today because of them, because of the sacrifices that were made and the love that was shown!  I love you all!  Thanks so much!  If you haven't seen Meet the Mormons, go see it invite a friend and see others with many different background who have each come to know for themselves that this is the Church of Jesus Christ, in these later days! :)

Love Sister Kendra Curtis

Raking Leaves!

Sharing Bread!

Hello Family and Friends!

     This week was full of all kinds of stuff.  It started off at Zone P-day.  It was really fun our whole zone got together and we played games.  We played basketball, volleyball, dodge ball, and kickball!  It was so much fun I really liked the chance that we had to do something fun together.  It’s fun also, because there are all kinds of people playing, it kind of reminds me of gym class. There are all kinds of people who are all interested in very different things coming together playing.  It was really fun! :)

District lunch at Olive Garden!

     There was one funny story.  As we were walking out of the library one day there was this younger women walking around with tons of bread.  Tons!
     So I thought to myself, what in the world? why does she have so much bread?  

     Right then, almost like she heard me, she turned around and said, "Would you like some bread?" 

     "Sure," I said, "We are missionaries I'm sure we could find someone who could use it.”  

     Then she saw our tags and said, "Here you can just have all of it."  She then explained that she was volunteering at a church and they were giving out a bunch of free stuff and this was extra that they wanted to throw away.  It was a pretty cool experience. We ending up with like 13 loafs of bread.  We were able to give some of them to our Relief Society President so she was then able to give them to people in the ward who needed it.  So that is the story about how I ended up with an armful of bread.

Driving in the car!

     We also had the opportunity to go to the temple this week.  I know I probably say this every time but I am truly so blessed to be close enough to go to the temple while I am on my mission.  I am so grateful for the eternal perspective and the peace that it brings.  It was fun because it was the first day of the quarter so that meant that all of the missionaries could go. There were a lot of missionaries in the session, there was also all of the senior missionary couples and even President and Sister Forbes.  It was cool to just sit around and see a bunch of familiar faces.  It made me excited for when I come home and I will be able to go with my family.

     We were able to meet with a potential that we had met the very first week that we got here, her name is Karen.  She just started her first year of college and she is working three jobs.  The Lord has been preparing her to be ready for the gospel ever since the first day we met her.  We had an amazing lesson with her this last week.  She broke down and told us all about the different problems that she was going though and we were able to watch a Mormon Messages that addressed her needs completely, "Men's Hearts Shall Fail Them." She is very busy but we are hoping that we will be able to get her to go to the YSA ward in Lakeville. 

     While we were knocking one day we were able to meet a family from Kenya with two little girls.  They invited us back and we were able to share the message of the restoration with them.  It was one of the best lessons I have ever been in.  The spirit was so strong. We were able to show the video "Because of Him" while we were talking about the ministry of Christ.  Wow! That video brings the spirit so strong.  I am so excited for when missionaries will have iPads.  It will be such a fun option to plan in videos to share with our investigators in our every day teaching.  We continued teaching and after we finished teaching we asked them how they felt.  

     The mother looked at us smiled and said, "I feel happy."  We should be going to see them later this week.  They are prepared.

     Today we were able to go to the Minnesota History Center.  It was so much fun!  We were able to go with our Relief Society President.  I wish that I would have gone to it sooner.  There were a lot of cool things that I learned about Minnesota that I never knew before.  I was able to get a lot of fun pictures too!

Minnesota

Tornado's

Look Mom!  Day of the Dead!

A tour about the Iron Range in Northern Minnesota

Ice cream parlor! 

They had a huge display on Toys!!!

(I just love this girl!  I am not sure if she had
more fun at the museum or taking pictures.)

     How great was general conference?  Right!  Wow!  I loved it.  There were so many great things said I can't wait to read through them all.  The whole time I was just thinking about how blessed we are to live in a time where the gospel has been fully restored to the earth. And because this work is so important Satan is working extra hard to prevent others from enjoying the happiness we all deserve in life.  We need to make sure that our faith is stronger then ever.  Satan is using every tool that he possibly can.  If our faith isn't rock solid, it will be shaken.  It is up to us to strengthen and lift one another.  

     I loved Elder Holland's talk and I loved the part he read from Mosiah 4, "Are we not all beggars?" 

     We all cry out at times, we all need help, we all need grace to help us in our weaknesses.  Not one of us is an exception.  We all need Christ.  Life is hard enough with all the challenges that are thrown our way.  The least we can do is help and lift each other through it. And then my favorite part was when Elder Holland said, "Because I have been given much I too must give."  I don't know if any of you remember this but exactly a year ago I wrote an email about this song.  This song always touches me because it is true!  If you look around you there are always people who have it worse. We have been so blessed!  I am so grateful for all of my many blessings.  I am grateful for the gospel, my family and for my mission!  The experiences I have had here have forever changed my life.  I wouldn't be the person I am now if it weren't for this work I am able to do.  I am so grateful that the only worries I have are about others.  I get to plan my entire day around others and how I can best help them. :)  We have something so great that needs to be shared with others!

I love you!  Thanks for your support and prayers! Keep looking for those around you who you can bless. 

"Because we have been given 

much we, too, must give!” 

Love Sister Kendra Curtis

Elder Manoa