Monday, October 19, 2009

This week I gained a granddaughter!!! I love being an aunt.

I never know how to start my letters, but I guess I just need to start typing and what to say will come. This was a pretty good week, though it was a little bit slower than other weeks (lesson/success wise).

Last Monday we played ultimate Frisbee for our activity and we are planning on it again this week. It’s been nice to do email and shopping before the activity so we have less to do afterwards. We can just go home and relax/get ready for going back to work at 6:00. We usually have a dinner appointment at 6 and then we teach the Emerich family. They are active, but we are teaching the father because he was less-active for 18 years until just recently when his son went on a mission.

On Thursday we had zone conference and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The main focus was on the Book of Mormon and how we need to really emphasize it. We need to “place the Book of Mormon in their hearts.” As it says in PMG, the BOM is the most powerful tool in conversion besides the spirit. I think part of that is because it brings the spirit so well and teaches the gospel clearly. We think the BOM will be the key in the progress of some of our investigators, such as John Geyer.

Zone Conference starts at 8:30 and goes until about two or three in the afternoon, including a lunch that the local ward members usually provide. Wow, looking at my planner, we really didn’t do much besides tracting and visiting less actives on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. We did teach the Weig family the Restoration on Friday night and that’s always a treat. They’re doing really well. Sister Weig got called to be part of the RS meeting committee (or whatever it’s called these days) and Bro. Weig got called as the sacrament meeting prayer coordinator. Hailey is already a Laurel councilor.

Saturday was a pretty interesting day because I went on exchanges with Elder Cromarty in the Newport Beach second ward. In previous transfers I think the most exchanges I ever went on was two in a transfer, but now that Elder Grange is district leader we get to go on seven exchanges in six weeks! It’s going to be interesting.

Anyway, it was the first time I slept in a house on my mission—they live with an elderly lady (not even a member). It was also my first time being officially on bike so that was also pretty crazy. I was pretty tired by the end of the day so it’s good exchanges only last one day lol. They didn’t really have any appointments so we pretty much tracted all day and visited a couple people. It makes me grateful for being in a car. Of course, I wouldn’t mind the adventure if I was called to a bike area though.

Ross, I did meet this member who said his son was a missionary in Thailand around the time you were there so if you knew anyone by the name of Elder Tarayoa I think that would be cool.

It was neat last Sunday when we kneeled as a ward council and asked for inspiration on who we could invite to receive the PMG lessons. They came up with a good list of names and we invited one of the families, the Hawkins, to receive the lessons this week. We knew their 19 year old son wasn’t sure if he wanted to serve a mission, but when we talked to sister Hawkins, we found out we really were inspired because Bro. Hawkins has been somewhat less active as well so Sis. Hawkins was emotional and full of gratitude for the invite. They also have a 17 year old boy and two or three younger daughters so they’re a great family. A family that Bishop Nelson invited accepted to receive the lessons as well.

Yesterday was a pretty busy day. We had church at 9, then meetings afterwards till our appointment at 1:30 with the Hawkins. Then we taught the part member Sneary family part of the second lesson as well as about the BOM and baptism. At 4:30 we had a dinner appointment and then at 6 we taught Hailey the Plan of Salvation. It was a good day.

Well, have a good week everyone! It’s always fun to hear from you all.

Love,
Elder Curtis
Ps. Can you guess who said the funny quotes from the subject of this and the last letter?

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