"Dang girl da back of yo head is ridicalus"

Hi fam. Ok I am keeping this email short today because I am going to try to write back to a lot of you individually.

 

First matter of bidness: You are ALL in trouble. Any one of you reading this now. Cuz NOObody sent me ANY pictures of Sarah's wedding that happened almost a MONTH ago. So, you can all go log on to facebook, insta, whatever and send those NOW! shmanks.

 

Second, send letters, packages, and Bandit to this address:

Sister Emily Curtis

England London Mission

64-68 Princes Gate

Exhibition Road,

South Kensington

London

England SW7 2PA

 

Third: I have sent letters to Pokie and Bacob so hopefully you get them! postage is pretty espensive (a little over a dollar) so if you send one make sure to check it is enough

 

fourth: anybody have good ideas on how to get my ward excited about mish work and how to get them more involved? good ward activites to have? Mom this is where you come in with your brilliant ideas

 

fifth: there is an elder curtis here and we think we are related! dad can i get some good ancestor info? he has some from scotland and england like we do. He also said his curtis comes from a famous judge in like colorado or somewhere with a c.

 

sixth: I cannot stress this enough. MEMBER MISSIONARY WORK. Work with the missionaries you know and get them some dang referrals! if you dont know any, find some!! referalls are the best thing you can do for a missionary. if you have not noticed by the hastening the work broadcast, it is clear that our church is trying to head a new direction with missionary work. So bare your testimony, invite people to church, give people pass along cards, and become a missionary! and dont use the excuse that you live in utah and there are no non members. Get less actives, find the nonmembers, and answer the call of the prophet! ok that is enough for my lecturing this week:)

 

here is a little letter for you:  There were many times this week where I felt discouraged and sad. I think that it might be home sickness mixed with many investigators not showing up to appointments. But I have been praying to Heavenly Father really hard to just help me be happy. I feel that I have been able to be happier than at the beginning of the week. And there is one experience that I would like to share with you. The other day sister Hymas and I were walking to an appointment and a woman was carrying things from her car to a building. I asked if she needed any help and she was quick to say yes! There was another woman with her that was there as well and as we walked past she said, "hello sisters!". We were both shocked and started talking with her to find out how she knew about the term "sisters". Come to find out, she is a member of our ward but has been inactive for years now! So we set an appointment to meet with her for this morning (Monday morning) and we just got back from that appointment now. After getting to know her story better when we met, we started to bring the church in to the conversation and found out that she met the missionaries just before she was married and was baptised just one week after meeting them! Not short after, her fiance was baptised as well. Sadly, over time they have become less active due to many excuses that she so easily gave us. Without even forcing it out of her though, the magical words "I'm ready to come back to church" came out of her mouth! What an incredible thing for us to hear. We have made plans to meet with her and her husband soon and hope to bring them both closer to Christ.

oh and her name is Yvonne and i cannot help but think of "da back of yo head is ridicalus" youtube video every time that i say her name.

I am working my hardest to stay happy and positive but I know that it will be a process and this is what the Lord sees is best for me now.

 

Love,

Em (don't tell anyone I signed my name like that I just really like to be called Em and not Sister Curtis)

 

play station i sent a lot of pictures to sarah so make sure she gets them up on the blog and facebook thanks!

My 3rd companion!

this is the letter i wanted to send last pday:

my teacher, sister willis, is an incredible teacher. she is 23 but i swear could convert anyone with the help of the holy ghost. she taught us last week that we need to truely love our people, our investigarots, and our companions. that is one of the first steps to effective teaching. a quote i like to look to is, "there are 2 types of people in your life, those you love and those you have not met yet." we should all try to live by this princople. i have always believed that we know that we love someone when we see a tiny glimpse of who Heavenly Father sees when he looks at the person. I want to challenge all of you to strive to see that perspective in everyone.

 

I have also gained a very strong testimony and appreciation of the Holy Ghost. i know i told you that I was in a companionship of 2, sister larson and I, but i lied! its a trio! me, sister larson, and the Holy Ghost. its not me, or sister larson, or even the book of mormon that converts, its the Holy Ghost! and that is why missionaries need to do all that they can to keep it with them. I love the quote, "if man can talk a man in to baptism, then man can talk a man out. But if the Holy Ghost can talk a man in to baptism, then no man can talk him out". Its so true!

 

As i was studying my scriptures the other day i came across a verse that i love. d and c 1:23 "that the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers" what an incredible scripture for missionaries! i am the weak and simple! and the Lord wants ME to teach HIS gospel to the world! before kings and rulers! I might just take that literally and go teach the queen!

 

And last thing, sorry for the spiritual overload, but i had an incredible experience last week. when missionaries teach the investigators, we challenge them to read the Book of Mormonm pray about it, and find that it is true through feelings from the Holy Ghost. I started to feel a little werid when i would ask this of them when i in fact have never had that experience. do i know that the Book of Mormon is true? Absolutely. I know it through logic and feeling. But i have never had that pivital moment in my life. i have just always known that it is true. I was praying to Heavenly Father one night to have that experience. i prayed to know through the Spirit overcoming me that it is true. And I ended my prayer and just kneeled there for a while and listened. Nothing happened. i finally got up and realized that i needed to read my patriarchal blessing. so with a few mins left before it was time for lights out, i got out my blessing and read it. it told me: "you have been blessed to have been born when the gospel has been restored in its fullness and to have a testimony of its truthfulness." i then had a feeling that i needed to talk to either my MTC or mission pres about it whenever i got the chance. I thought it wouldnt be for a while but that was not the case! the very next morning all of the missionaries had seperate times set up for private interviews with the MTC president. And mine happened to be very first of all of the missionaries! i got in to the interview and everything was going well. he was just asking me some simple questions. then we were close to finishing and he asked if there was anything he could do for me or any other questions. I built up the courage and just layed it out! it surprised me but i started to cry. he told me that just like me, he has never had one of those "aha" moments either! but that he KNOWS, just like me, through reason and feeling that it is true. Immediately i felt peace. It was my favorite experience at the MTC.

 

We all dressed up for 4th of july and one day all the sisters wore a black skirt, white shirt, and scarf to mimic the elders outfits and typical boys, they never even noticed. We had to point it out.

Love,

Sister Curtis

 

oh, Play. Station. That sister who i flew with that i told you about, the pesimist, we were sitting with her at lunch one day and it made me laugh cuz she bluntly told us "i hate people". she went on and on about she hates people! you cant just hate people! and she said that at her farewell people kept coming up to talk to her and she just wanted to go home and for everyone to stop talking to her.

 

Now here is my letter for today that will cover since i have been out in the field:

 So i have been out in the field now for 4 and a half days! my trainer is sister Hymas from Riverton, UT. Jacob she blocked her FB before she left so sorry you cant stalk her. Her first name is Rachel though just in case. She is cool. She has been out 3 months now. Something way cool about our companionship: Off the bat she found out about my healthy eating and exercise obsession or whatever you want to call it. She said she was all game. In fact, she later told me that her last transfer she had been praying to Heavenly Father to send her a companion who would help her be healthier because I guess she has gained 20 lbs since she has been out. I think he did his job... So we eat soo healthy and exercise everyday! Her last companion was a rough one. She cooked a lot so they ate a ton and unhealthy and her last comp would sleep in an hour errday so they never got to exercise. NO BUENO. haha also i had our Relief society president make an announcement to the women that the sisters are trying to eat healthy so no desserts and lots of salads! They all thought it was a great idea! so hopefully they remember cuz we have dinner appts all the gosh dang time. And dont tell sister hymas but i hate dinner appts. To me they seam a little bit of a waste of time. We walk an hour to a members home, have to make conversation with an hour for them which feels fake and lots of silences, share a five minute message, ask for referalls which they have not had so far, and walk an hour home. But hopefully i will start to like them cuz we have a lot!

 

We are in an area called Milton Keynes and a sister came up to me and asked me if i knew a luke clayton and i guess he is in my zone! not my area but zone so pretty close! Oh and i guess there are only a few areas that are actually in london so fyi i aint in london. Milton Keynes is where its at. Look it up! It is gheeeettttooooo. hahaha. Sister Hymas and i are white washing!! so that is actually really hard and we are having a hard time. There has not been sisters in this area for 5 years i guess!! want to know why?? the last sisters had to be transferred because of gang violence, prostitution, yadi yadi goin on!! haha. oh also, i does not feel like england at all. I feel more like im in cali. Thats ok though! im supposed to be here so it doesnt bother me. There are 2 other missoinaries in this area but they are elders. both from utah. One is Elder Jensen from orem and the other is Elder Anderson from riverton who was actually my good friend in the MTC so thats exciting that we are out here together!!

 

Oh hey fam i have a favor to ask, if you wouldnt mind could you please get out of my dreams!! i think every night you have been in them so ya thats probably not best for me and stuff. You too friends, lyd lauren etc.

 

And second favor, PLEASE send me lots of pics from Sarahs wedding. We can make a deal. I will send you pics from England if you send me pics from wedding. Cool? Cool.

 

So we walk EVERYWHERE. No joke. We walk to dinner appt that are an hour away and walk back. Its great for the exercise aspect but it drains me and I feel like our time could be better spent. Also, weather has been SUNNY since we got here so props to mother nature. everyone says it wont last though. We will see...

 

there is an elder curtis in my disrtict! from alabama.

 

the mission is really really hard. everyday i think "what did i get myself in to" and i look forward to bed but every night when bed comes i keep thinking about how i am so excited for the next day. And I still would not trade a mission for anything. the thing that helps is when i think about what i would be doing if i were at home and really, nothing would help me to grow nearly as much a a mission.

 

last saturday night we had a really long day and i was super tired. I was praying for a half hour and had the prompting that sister H and i needed to fast the next day (sunday) so i got up from my prayer and said "guess what were doing tomorrow!? fasting!!!!" so we fasted for our potential investigators. Its really hard cuz we are not having any success with them. we dont even have one solid investigator yet but i know that Heavenly Father is just testing us and we need to keep working hard.

 

i have so much more i want to say but noo time. BUT i really really really like getting emails from you guys and i always have time to read them just not a lot of time to respond so PLEASE keep sending them.

 

ALSO, sarah, they had us watch a health thing at the MTC and i swear this guy doing a pullup is Nathaniel. Its weird. I will attach a pic. Please agree with me and say im not crazy.

Random things to know about England:

the light switches are backwards

people park on sidewalks

people at home who try to fake the accent, you are totally off so stop trying

they have small cars (smaller familes i suppose)

you bag your own groceries!

they dont use dryers for clothes

Week 2: MTC

hhii  ffaamm  ssoorrrryy  tthhiiss  hhaass  ttoo  bbee  rreeaall  qquuiicckk  ccuuzz  tthheeyy  aarree  oonnllyy  ggiivviinngg  uuss  ffiivvee  mmiinnuutteess  ttoo  tteellll  yyoouu  tthhaatt  iimm  ssaaffee  aanndd  wwiillll  bbee  hheeaaddiinngg  ttoo  LLoonnddoonn  wweeddnneessddaayy  mmoorrnniinngg!!  ssoo  ttuueessddaayy  nniigghhtt  ffoorr  yyoouu  gguuyyss.  ssoorrrryy  iittss  ddoouubbllee  lleetttteerrss  ii  ddoonntt  hhaavvee  ttiimmee  ttoo  ffiinndd  aa  nneeww  ccoommppuutteerr.  bbuutt  ii  lloovvee  yyoouu  aallll  aanndd  ii  wwiillll  eemmaaiill  yyoouu  mmoorree  oonn  mmoonnddaayy  wwhheenn  ii  wwiillll  hhaavvee  mmyy  ffiirrsstt  rreeaall  pp--ddaayy  oouutt  iinn  lloonnddoonn!!  aanndd  iillll  ggeett  mmyy  rreeaall  aaddddrreessss  ttoo  yyoouu  tthheenn!!  ppss  ii  ddiiddnntt  hhaavvee  ttiimmee  ttoo  rreeaadd  aannyy  ooff  yyoouurr  eeaammiillss  bbuutt  ii  pprriinntteedd  tthheemm  ooffff  aanndd  wwiillll  rreessppoonndd  oonn  mmoonnddaayy!!  ::))

Week 1 (again): MTC

Hello! ok i am going to try to tell you everything but im so sorry i have to be quick. It is my first pday here and i dont have much time to read your email but I will send you my email then respond to your email next week. does that make sense? I can just print it and read it and reply next week ya? Also i dont have time to make it organized so it might be hard to read but i figure anything will be better than my last letter! I made sure that I got a good computer this time. OK here goes...

It rains all the time here! I have heard the weather in london is a bit better but not much. Were just in preston right now.

They keep us busy here! there is never any downtime. Its a good thing! it will most definitely take some getting used to though. i love feeling productive and i love learning! i just wish that i could have the gift of endless energy and to never be tired.

They also keep it cold here! i think its because all of the elders are normally hot from their suit jackets.

my companion is Sister Larson. She is cool! (mom and sarah, we met her friend and sarahs shower) From what i have observed, she has a strong testimony. At first, i thought she was really quiet but its great to see her personality unfold. But the best part of all is that she is willing to exercise with me and it makes me happy! We wake up in the morning to go running. Ooh and get this, she is a cosmetologist too!! What are the chances? Slim, I tell ya.

We also say a lot of prayers here! I would guess we have probably said 30 prayers today. And, I was called on 3 times to say it in big meetings. I don't mind though:)

I dont have much time in the morning to get ready so it's a braid and bun for me most the time. But guess what, it doesnt even bother me! I like the fact that im not so focused on my appearance here and that my mind lets me focus on other things. We also sing a lot of hymns here! I wont try to sugar coat it, i dont like singing hyms. If it were up to me, we would skip the hymn altogether. But, i sing happily anyway. haha i know this is hard to believe but i am actually probably the best singer in my district. so that can give you an idea of how bad our district is. We struggle...I love my district though! they are all like my brothers. The only thing that is hard with them is they goof off a lot and it is hard to stay focused and exactly obedient. It sounds werid, but I worry that i am losing my personality. Im a funny, outgoing, happy person and between being tired, not wanting to goof off, and trying to be exactly obedient, its hard to stay myself. Cuz, i will be honest with you, myself is not someone who would study the scriptures for 6 hours a day and focus on the gospel 24/7. So i just need to try to find the balance of it all.

I am learning a lot here and I feel the spirit with me everywhere i go! We role play a lot here with fake investigators and I feel confident with it but I cant wait til I can be better.

I try not to think too much about family and friends. If i do, it just makes me sad. I think i start to miss you guys the most at night becuase I have so much time to think which doesnt happen during the day. Also, when I think about how long it will be (18 months).

The MTC is incredible though, there is soo much to learn. One of my biggest worries right now is that I am too tired to be able to always stay alert and focused. I kid you not, my eyes cannot stay open! The schedule is so strenuous. I keep praying to the Lord though to help this to not hinder me and for it to pass. I know that he is listening and with my faith, he can do all things (1 ne 7:12). I know that he is mindful of me. When I opened my journal to write all of this down, I read a verse that was on the bottom of the page (there is a verse on every page) and it said: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength...they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Good stuff right?

A few days ago, we had assigned exercise time and it was one of the happiest hours of my life! I NEED that outlet. my companion is very easy going and will do whatever so we got to play soccer. We were the only girls there with 20 other elders but we didnt mind! Ooh also, i wore my Crossfit cedar ridge tshirt in honor of my crossfit family back at home. I miss crossfit. I dont know how to say this in a humble way so i apologize in adcance for the lack of humility, but i was on fire! (for lack of a better phrase) i schooled all of them! the elders and teacher playing wih us were all impressed. I think that its just becasue they have never seen a girl who was actually good at sports before. Sister larson and I will usually wake up at 540 to go running in the morning, then we have an hour in the afternoon that we will play sports with the elders and i will usually get a 15 min crossfit workout in. I even got some of the elders to join in yesterday haha they were dead tired it was hilarious. And a couple days ago, we played basketball and I beat 20 elders in Speed! haha the MTC quickly found out that I am a very athletic, fitness guru. And they all know that i eat healthy too. My district calls me sister Rabbit because i eat so much salad!

Like i said before, i braid and bun it up for hair almost everyday. Haha it was so funny the other day we tried one of the sisters straighteners and it worked for 5 mins but then...boom goes the dynamite! it exploded and smoke was coming out of it!

The food here is alright! I usually dont like the maincourse because its pretty unhealthy (burgers, fries, bread bowls, fried meat, pasta, etc) but without fail, they always have a salad for lunch and dinner! all of their dressings are unhealthy but they sometimes have salsa so i just use that! they also always have fruit. And for breakfast i eat yogurt, banana, and granola. I cant complain:) I am best friends with the Chef here. were are pretty tight. He always tells me im so good for not eating the unhealthy stuff and he makes sure to keep the salad stocked for me. Mom and Jacob I have not lost on the no junk food bet yet! How is it going for you guys? I know you think you can win, but you have to remember that I am doing a lot of good things in my life right now so the Lord might be on my side:)

Thank you mom for putting money to my account! Much appreciated.

Like I said before, my biggest worries so far are being tired, and being exactly obedient while still keeping my personality. My third worry is definitely the language. I have never been good with learning languages. I took 2 years of Spanish in high school and could never even have a conversation with someone! I know that the Lord will help me to learn it but you would never believe how hard it is i didnt think it would be this hard. I see progress everyday though. Today I had a full conversation with someone! thats success right there.

haha there is a very funny asian elder here. The other day we were taking a picture and the woman taking the pic kept saying that everyone needed to make sure to not play with their hair, shut their eyes, etc when it was snapped. Then he said, I'm sorry I cant help it, its just my race! hahaha it made my day.

I know that family members on missions bless familys (d&c100 or 104?) and I want to know if there is any one i need to be praying for back at home? How is everyone? How can I help with things?

How was Sarahs wedding? I kept thinking about it all day and converting the time over to see what Utah would be and guessing what you guys would be doing then.

I love you all. I am growing a lot here. Half the time i love the mtc but a lot of times it is really hard. Never have i once regretted my decision though and i know i never will. A mission strengthen a person in so many ways. I cannot wait to grow everyday and I know that it will make me such a better person.

I got all of your emails, but will probably only have time to respond to one fam member directly a week along with a letter to everyone. I will try my best though. Oh also, i have a new address for you for when im in the feild that i can get to you next week. Dont bother sending letters to the mtc.

Nicole i loved your letter and want to have a lot of time to respond back to it so i will wait til next week. Keep me updated and im might forget something so sorry if i send you another email in a few mins! love you! the gospel is true and will bless lives.

Love,

Sister Rabbit