I can’t imagine doing anything else!

Hello Family and Friends!

     A lot has happened this week. I guess I will start off first with the good news and then the sad news. Oh I guess to start off it was in the 40s this week! It’s been crazy here in Minnesota! I am truly not going to wear a coat ever when I am back in Utah! 40 degrees is so warm! A lot of people were walking around in light jackets, sweaters and some were even wearing t-shirts but then of course Minnesota whip lash took us right back to 15 degrees. Man I am not going to miss that. 

I got my big scary going home packet in the mail today!

Sister England and I waiting to meet some members for dinner at Wendys!

     As for our investigators everyone is doing pretty good. We were able to see David this week, I guess he is a member now, but he is progressing really well. He passed the sacrament again, had his temple interview and is hoping to get his patriarchal blessing soon. We also got him a copy of Preach My Gospel and he is going to start studying from that now. We are really excited for him and for all that he is doing right now.

Sister England, Trevor, Sister Curtis

     Trevor is doing really good in his own spiritual progression but he is really struggling right now with friend and family opposition. It’s really sad. He said that the most frustrating part for him is that he has completely changed his life around and instead of his family being happy for him for staying away from all the bad stuff they are saying terrible things to him and it is getting him really discouraged. He said it’s bad when they would be happier for me if I was still smoking and hanging out with bad people instead of going to church. But he is really good at calling us when he is upset or texting us so we can send him uplifting videos, scriptures or talks. His desire to be good and to do good is so strong. But he is really hard on his self. We were able to have our district leader come and have a lesson with us. We went over the baptismal interview questions with him, seeing what he knew. He is just so awesome he has such a great understanding about everything and he is a really deep thinker. We were really glad that Elder Damron came along because he was able to share some pretty awesome football analogies that truly helped Trevor a ton! Man that’s something I never thought of doing. Using spiritual football analogies! hahaha His baptism is kind of getting pushed back right now because we don’t want him to feel rushed. We want him to have the desire for himself and to pray specifically about a date. I hope it happens soon though because I would love to be here with him!

     This week we were able to have Zone Interviews and a training. It was a lot of fun. But it was really sad too because it was the last one that I will ever go to. It was really good because a majority of what was talked about was staying converted and how we need to continue what we learn here in the mission field and remember it for the rest of our lives. I was really grateful to have that as my last training. I also had the chance to bear my testimony as a departing missionary. (Sad!) It was so amazing to reflect on all that has happened in the last 18 months! I have changed so much! Wow! I am so grateful to be a missionary I can’t imagine doing anything else at this very moment!

Elder Foggin one of my favorite district leaders from Canada! Ehh!

Classic  Elders photo bombing!

Sisters are the Best!

This was at our Zone conference there are only four sisters in our zone!

     It was also really funny because at zone trainings all the missionaries show off all of their awesome cat pictures and I was so happy because I finally had one to show off! It’s the best one ever! This was pretty good for being allergic! The elders were pretty impressed. The zone leaders have a file of all of the cat pictures. I will send some of the good ones! But ya this is such a funny zone. There are so many elders and only 4 sisters. 

     Sister England has been struggling with her anxiety a lot this week. It was one of the hardest weeks that she has had the whole time that we have been together. She really is such an awesome missionary. Through all of this she has had the strongest desire to work hard and to keep pushing through. The thought of going home has never crossed her mind because she was willing to endure to the end. But like I said, this last week was really hard for her. She has been trying a lot of different things to help her but nothing has really been working. One day things got really bad and the idea of going home was brought up by a couple different people. She wasn’t happy about it because she wanted to finish her mission. But the more she started thinking about it, the more she realized that maybe she needed to pray about it. After a lot of prayer and fasting, she felt that in order to get feeling better and to be able to use all the resources, she needs to go home. It was really hard for her to make this decision and like I said going home was never even an option but after she had decided this she finally was at peace and had hope again. At zone interviews she told President Forbes, then yesterday after church President and Sister Forbes took Sister England down to the city with them. Hopefully she will be flying out today. It was really sad to see her go but honestly I am happy for her now she will be able to get the help that she needs. 

This is the pretty view we have in Carlton!

Goodbye's in front
of our apartment!

     It’s interesting because being with Sister England has really changed my perspective on missionaries going home early. A lot of times we can be judgmental and think that they are just giving up or taking the easy way out but I could see just how hard it was for Sister England to make this decision. But I know she served the best that she could. She gave it her all. Some of our missions are shorter then others, but truly when we take off our badge we are never done serving. Sister England is going to continue being an amazing missionary to people at home as well as to the people that she has met here in Minnesota. We never stop! The people we met here we will never forget and I am so grateful that now Sister England will continue to stay in touch with Trevor and continue to help him from a distance. I love her and I am really going to miss her. But on the plus side, we will be able to see each other sooner now!

Saying Goodbye to the Northern Sisters!

In a Trio with the Duluth Sisters!

     As for me, I am in a trio with the Duluth Sisters right now. Tomorrow I should be getting a new companion. Her name is Sister Woolley. I don't know very much about her. I know that recently she was living in Hawaii but moves around a lot because her dad is a doctor in the military. She has been on her mission for about 4 and a half months. She started her mission at the University of Minnesota but was struggling as well, she then went to the mission home and became a office missionary. President Forbes was a little hesitant to send her up here with me because he likes to only have sisters up here who are a little stronger. But he thinks that this will be good for her to stretch herself and to see that she can have fun. I really hope that I can help her the best way that I can. I want to help her see how much fun missionary work really can be. So I am looking forward to meeting her. Pictures to come!

     That is really all for this week. I am looking forward for the next one. Lots of miracles are going to happen I can feel it! I love you all so much and I hope that you have an amazing week! Be good!

Love, Sister Kendra Curtis

I am really going to miss her!

Look I found a little Finish girl just for Elise.
FYI There are a ton of people who
originate from Finland here in Minnesota.