3/19/2013 Garland, UT

It has been a pretty good week in Garland, Utah. I don't know if I said this last week my trainer/companion is also one of my district leaders and is from Iowa. I got to go to the Logan Temple this week and I had a great session. That temple is really cool and looks like a temple. We finally got in to teach a girl named Amanda this week. She has been really busy recently and had to last minute cancel 2 of our other appointments but we were finally able to teach her last night. Tomorrow I am going on exchanges with the Spanish missionaries so that will be and interesting day and hopefully I will learn a little bit of Spanish  The wards are great here they are really nice and welcoming. Its really hard being shared between 8 wards but its not that bad because it is a really small town and not that far to travel between the wards. I have a car in my area which makes it easier to get around between the wards. The car we drive is a Chrysler 200 its a small sedan. We get fed a lot here, 6 days a week, and each week a different ward feeds us. When I came into the area we had a few investigators that had already been taught all the lessons and 2 have baptismal dates and 1 we are waiting on the couple to get married and we just barely started teaching a girl yesterday who lives with her boyfriend. I got an awesome letter from Landon and Liam about the plan of salvation and how Landon wants to serve a mission in San Francisco but haven't gotten any of the dear elder letters yet so I'm guessing I will be getting those this week. :)

Email #1 from Garland, UT

I'm currently in a small town named Garland for my first transfer and most likely for the next transfer as well. It's in Utah and about 40 min north of Ogden. Garland has just under 2700 people in it and we cover 8 wards in the area. The people here, members and nonmembers, are really nice and great to teach. Yeah so far its been pretty rough in Garland we have a few investigators right now but they have had all the lessons before I got out here so right now we are just trying to get them to go to church, one couple needs to get married and commit to baptism. It's starting to warm now for spring and apparently I missed one of the coldest winters Garland has ever had. I have a new companion/my trainer and his name is Elder Grant. He's pretty cool we get along really well and we're still working on getting some new investigators. We have tried most of the referrals from the members of the wards in this area so now we are going to focus on tracting which hasn't been done in this area for few months (2 transfers we think). I can't wait to see what the Lord has for me in the future and I can't wait to see what kind a missionary I will become. Just before I left the MTC I restarted read the Book of Mormon because I forgot where I stopped so my roommate Elder Durant convinced me to just start over. I'm getting so much more out of it the second time round and know without a doubt that it is true. After about a week I am in 2nd Nephi 8 and I recommend everyone to read with me and then we can talk about it as we read. If y'all have any questions let me know so I can answer them. I love y'all and miss y'all. Only 101 more weeks left! :)

Love, 

Elder James Curtis

P.S. - Send me some real mail too cause hand written mail is awesome and I have a little bit of time at night to read and write back. :)

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Pictures sent to my mom from the mission president:

First Day in the Mission Field

(Email sent to Dad from the mission home or office.)

So I just got to Ogden today and have already done one hour of practice tracting. It was really scary but really cool too. Hopefully someday soon I will be a little less shy and more confident in sharing the gospel. 

I will get my new companion/trainer tomorrow and find out where in the mission I will be going to. My P-day is officially going to be Tuesdays here in the field. 

In the MTC my testimony has grown tremendously and specifically my testimony on prayer. I never really prayed a lot before but now I feel like I pray a hundred times a day and I know that I am being blessed by doing that. For example, one day in the MTC I forgot to pray before teaching an "investigator" and me and my companion bombed that lesson. Another night I forgot to pray before going to bed and I was like I'll just miss one night and pray in the morning. Bad choice I stayed up for an hour before finally giving up and praying and soon after I was asleep. :)

My companion in the MTC was Elder Ervin and he is from Mesa, Arizona. Do you know where it is? Im not sure but I think its near pheonix ;)

The biggest thing I learned at the MTC while I was there was the power of the Holy Ghost when teaching. Without the Holy Ghost missionaries are nothing and they wont teach anybody. When we teach the Holy Ghost tells us what we need to say and then he will help confirm to the investigator that what we are teaching is true. I have a testimony of that as well. 

The transition to MTC time and schedule wasnt that difficult. Except for this morning because I had to stay up last night to finish packing and then wake up at 4:00AM for my train ride.

The schedule there at the MTC was crazy. It was class, class, and more class for 12 days and then they threw me out to the world. I was there less than 2 weeks but I walked out feeling like I had a lifetime of knowledge. I know that this is the true church because no other church could even dream of doing something like that and we do it every week now. I know that the Lord loves everyone and that I need to help the word of His gospel and that they will be blessed for letting the Lord into there lives.

I love and miss y'all more,

    Elder James Curtis

MTC Letter #2

(Here's an email he sent me, his sister Lindsey, on his last day in the MTC.)

Hey so I thought you liked to know that I was able to go to the temple both times and did put your name in the prayer box. Im am also praying for you multiple times a day. I cant tell you how much my testimony has grown here at the MTC. I was super scared that I wouldnt be ready in time since I am only here 2 weeks but its crazy how the Lord works. I have been praying for you and for me and the whole family while I have been here and my testimony on prayer especially has grown tremendously. The first 5 days were pretty brutal but ever since got past the first sunday time has been flying and the Lord has blessed me with the comfort that I will be able spread His gospel to the people in the Utah Ogden Mission tomorrow.

I love you Linz,

   Elder James Curtis

 

P.S. - I leave tomorrow at 5:00AM for the mission field!! :)

          The MTC limits the time on the computer for emails so sorry its so short but I'm still praying for you and the family continuely.

          The MTC also wont let me attach photos so I wont be able to send y'all pics till next monday.