Letter from Curtis February 19, 2011

Hello World,

I'm sorry if my letters have been somewhat brief recently.  We've been rather busy.  We don't really have any contact with the sister that went home, but i do hope she's alright.  We started zone conferences this week with a focus on teaching skills.  We found that many missionaries are focusing on lessons instead of people and so we're trying to help everyone become better teachers.  We're doing what we can.  We've found that one of the big problems is that missionaries aren't providing the context of why we need to have faith, keep the commandments, be baptized and confirmed, why there needed to be a restoration, and why we needed churches and prophets in the first place.  We are trying to help the missionaries understand that it is all part of God's great Plan of Happiness, the Plan of Redemption.  We are helping them teach investigators that we were with God before this earth and that our goal should be to get there after.  We're helping them understand that God created a plan to help them do so and that this church is a fundamental part of that plan.  We're trying to help them see where what we teach them fits in the big picture. :)

Things are finally starting to wind down in the office side of things.  I still have a lot to do, but significantly less.  The workload has dropped from ridiculous to mostly manageable. ;)  A few more things need to be put in order, but it's nearing the stability point :).

We have started to implement this idea of helping investigators see the big picture with our investigators.  I really like it.  It has helped me focus on them and love them even more.  I'm now helping them understand, not just helping them get information.  The Spirit has a much bigger role, I think, in helping people understand than just getting information.

It's been great to see the amount that God prepares people to look for the message of truth.  One person in particular, Monika, has passed through some very hard times recently.  She has been rather sick and needed a surgery, she has three kids, and her husband recently went to jail.  She had her surgery and has had a rather miraculous recovery.  Her husband has found an even closer link to God in prison and she has realized that the hand of God is really in her life.  Just as everything started to blow up in her face, a great missionary named Élder Segura decided, walking down the street, to go up to her and invite her to listen to the Gospel message; it is a message of peace and healing to all who will come and see.  She knows that there was a reason that he felt he should talk with her.  God truly prepares people.

That's most of what's been going on this week.

We went to the wax museum and the ripley's believe it or not museum today as a district (us and the assistants).  It was an interesting trip, but Élder Villaseñor really liked it, so I'm glad we went.  We've been having a couple problems lately, but we had a good long talk tonight.  We didn't feel we were very united as a companionship, and we started figuring out why.  We used the "When you_______, it makes me feel _________" model (thanks Mom) and it worked out fantastically.  We are getting along, with our ups and downs.

This week's letter is brought to you by I Know that My Redeemer Lives:

1. I know that my Redeemer lives.
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, he lives, who once was dead.
He lives, my ever-living Head.
He lives to bless me with his love.
He lives to plead for me above.
He lives my hungry soul to feed.
He lives to bless in time of need.

2. He lives to grant me rich supply.
He lives to guide me with his eye.
He lives to comfort me when faint.
He lives to hear my soul’s complaint.
He lives to silence all my fears.
He lives to wipe away my tears.
He lives to calm my troubled heart.
He lives all blessings to impart.

3. He lives, my kind, wise heav’nly Friend.
He lives and loves me to the end.
He lives, and while he lives, I’ll sing.
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.
He lives and grants me daily breath.
He lives, and I shall conquer death.
He lives my mansion to prepare.
He lives to bring me safely there.

4. He lives! All glory to his name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same.
Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:
“I know that my Redeemer lives!”
He lives! All glory to his name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same.
Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:
“I know that my Redeemer lives!”

In the last several weeks I have come to rely on my Savior more and more.  I know that my Redeemer lives!  I know that He is there to silence all my fears, wipe away my tears, and calme my troubled heart.  I know that, sometimes when everything seems to be blowing up in my face that, as I have knelt and asked for help, a great peace has filled my heart.  That peace did not come from me.  He lives and loves me till the end.  I know that He loves me, despite my many faults, because I have felt His Love.  I can't explain it, and I don't deserve it, but I know that He loves me and is with me forever.  I know, without doubt, that, though I can't see Him, that He lives!  I know he is with me, for I have felt him holding me up, standing, and walking by my side.  I will never forget this, I know that my Redeemer, Savior, and best Friend lives!

All my Love,

Élder Sudbury