Carlton is a Winter Wonderland!

Family and Friends!

     Merry Christmas! Its that time of year again and I am so excited! So much went on this week so I guess I will just have to start at the beginning. This week was full of goodbyes. That’s one thing I have learned to be really good at. It’s sad to leave so many people that I have grown to love and care about so much. But I know that one day I will be able to see them again. Whether it is on Facebook or at my wedding! Kidding. I'm not planning on having one of those for a while. But just saying. This isn’t the end. Thank goodness! Another reason why I am so grateful for the plan of salvation. The relationships we make here in this life, are meant to last for eternity. That brings me so much joy. I have met so many amazing people here in Minnesota. 

     I am really excited that Sister McCullough is going to be taking over the area with a brand new companion. She is going to do so great. There are lots of good things going on in Apple Valley. We were able to talk to a couple potentials and set up appointments for her. Then my last night we were able to have dinner with Jacki and Tom the investigators. They were so nice. We had some great conversations and they asked us a lot of questions. It was really neat they should be going back to teach them the plan of salvation, well I guess they would have already done it. Man. I wish I could still get updates about all the people. But ya great things area going to happen there. 

I had to say goodbye to sister McCullough! 

This is Sister England!

     Then Wednesday morning was transfer meeting. It started snowing like crazy! We couldn't believe how bad it was. Then all the sudden we got a text from our mission president saying that he was going to be pushing back the meeting so we could be careful and drive safe. I drove and we were able to get there without any problems. There I had to say goodbye to Sister McCullough and I was able to meet my new companion Sister England. She is really nice. I think we are going to really like each other. She is from Rigby Idaho, 21 years old, she has been on her mission for about 6 months now, she was going to BYU before studying dietetics, and the last area that she served in was Dinkytown! We have a ton to talk about so that has been pretty fun. We were also glad to find out that we were going to be getting a Jeep! Just like my mama! Ha ha I am super stoked! I would love to have one after my mission! Maybe I will just have to settle with driving around in my moms. 

Look who has a Jeep now!

     After we jammed our car full of all our luggage we were ready to go. The drive up north was a little over 2 hours. We had a set of Elders follow us the whole way just to make sure that we were safe. But I was totally prepared for the road because of all my driving heading up to Logan. We totally got there safely. Then I was able to see Sister Simpson! I was so excited we have literally both been praying that we could serve with each other ever since we left the MTC! Heavenly Father finally answered our prayers. And it is always in the best timing. :) I can't even explain how much I love her. We grew so close in only 2 week and I am so excited to get to know her even more and to finally be able to teach some "real" investigators together. We have both grown so much!

This is so beautiful!  It's a winter wonderland!

Yea!  Sister Simpson!

     Carlton is so cute! It is beautiful! Our apartment is in the woods! Wow! The only reason I am going to be able to stand the cold all winter is because it is so pretty! It was funny because as we were driving through all the trees Sister England said, "Wow this totally reminds me of Island Park." I was like HEY! My family goes there! It totally does look like Island Park. It kind of reminds me of Huntsville too. Our branch boundaries cover a lot of small towns. I don't think that we will be able to go to all of them because there is quite a bit and some are really far. But we are going to try! :) Our very first night we were able to go have dinner with our branch president. He is really nice, his son-in-law is in the bishopric so we were able meet him also. Their family is really nice. I think I am really going to like it up here. 

     Then the next day was Thanksgiving. Very first thing Sister England and I went to go get some groceries because we didn't have any food. We are so blessed because there is a Walmart only 2 miles away from us so we aren’t totally in the middle of no where. Oh I forgot about our apartment. We have spent a lot of our time cleaning our apartment. There were Elders who lived in it before. It might be clean to Elders standards but we were not satisfied. So when we went to Walmart we got food and some cleaning supplies. We are not quite settled in but almost there.

     We were able to have Thanksgiving with the Martindale family. He is also in the bishopric and they were super nice. It was a little strange because we didn't know anybody but they were all so nice. It was really kind of them to invite us over! All the members that we have been able to meet so far are very nice. 

     We were also able to have some tracting miracles. We picked someone on a potential sheet out of the area book and we went and tracted around their house. We were able to teach 2 restorations and one of them said that they are going to come to church next week. We are super excited to go out and do some more finding. We were also able to go to some less active members and some single women in the branch. Again it is just so amazing to me that the Lord is so aware of his children. Carlton needed sister missionaries especially the sisters of he branch. We are able to help them in ways that the Elders can’t. I love being able to open so many areas because that is the first thing I recognize every time. I am so glad that the Lord is letting me open one last area. :)

     We then went to church Sunday morning. We got there at 9:50 and we were the first people there. We both looked at each other and said, "It started at 10:00 right?" We went in and saw the bishopric and they confirmed that it was the right time. The branch just tends to show up a little later.... Sister England and I both gave talks on gratitude. It was a good way for the branch to get to know us. All 25 of them. But hey, it was a holiday weekend. There will probably be more next week.

     I am so excited for this transfer! Some amazing things are going to be happening here! I am so grateful to be here and that it is going to probably be my last area. What a blessing to be able to serve in a branch. We are going to have to work extra hard and expect miracles! I can't wait! 

I love you all. Have an amazing week! 

And of course... MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Love, Sister Kendra Curtis