Curtis Letter April 23, 2011

Hello World,

It's been a very interesting and exhausting week.  Not long after I wrote last week we went to work, as did mother nature.  She apparently saw a mess that needed to be cleaned up, so she got to work mopping.  We had a little bit of hail and a lot of rain.  The streets flooded a bit and we were walking through a couple feet of very cold water.  We saw the blessings of being able to help, however.  We gave an umbrella to a little family with two very young children who quite clearly needed it.  We also helped someone scrape off the hail from their sidewalk...with a broom :P.  It was an interesting afternoon.

Sunday evening surprises continued.  President finalized the changes.  Élder Villaseñor (the hispanic in the photo I sent home a few weeks ago) was sent to Solidaridad as a zone leader to finish his mission.  I am now district leader here in the offices.  We got a surprise when we saw that a third elder is going to be joining us.  His name´s Élder Flake from Snowflake, Arizona.  We don't really know why he's here, but it's been interesting walking around as three white kids in the middle of the federal district.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were absorbed in changes.  Élder Andersen went home Wednesday with the rest of the Americans.  He left behind some excersize equipment, for which I'm grateful ;).  Thursday, Friday, and today we've been dedicating to finding new people.  We've contacted some people that we really hope will receive us and progress.

I'm suffering from a little bit of a cold.  I had been waiting for it for some weeks now.  It was playing on and off with hitting me.  I'm glad it's hit me now so that I can get it over with :P.

I'm extremely tired, but very happy.  I took a nap for the first time in a long time today.  It was short, only two hours, but fantastic. 

I've been reflecting recently on repentance with all the missionaries going home.  What a fantastic blessing is repentance!  I understand the principle of repentance in this way: if you truly repent and turn your heart to God, no matter what you did, He will put you in the same place on your personal path as if you had made the right decision in the first place.  I know that that is the power of the atoning blood of Christ.  His healing is complete and profound.  Anyone who has made any kind of serious mistake, be it going home early from a mission, breaking the law of chastity, living a life of drugs or alcohol, etc. can return to the path.  The blessing is that you don't return where you left off, you return where you would be if you hadn't made the mistake.  That is why I love repentance.  No matter how painful it sometimes is, no matter how hard it is, it is supernally and eternally worth it.  Anyone who has fully repented can have the assurance that they are now precisely in the place on the path that God wants them to be.  I love that :).

I'm out of time right now, but I wanted to share two hymns this week: Come unto Him and Come unto Jesus

1. I wander through the still of night,
When solitude is ev’rywhere—
Alone, beneath the starry light,
And yet I know that God is there.
I kneel upon the grass and pray;
An answer comes without a voice.
It takes my burden all away
And makes my aching heart rejoice.

2. When I am filled with strong desire
And ask a boon of him, I see
No miracle of living fire,
But what I ask flows into me.
And when the tempest rages high
I feel no arm around me thrust,
But ev’ry storm goes rolling by
When I repose in him my trust.

3. It matters not what may befall,
What threat’ning hand hangs over me;
He is my rampart through it all,
My refuge from mine enemy.
Come unto him all ye depressed,
Ye erring souls whose eyes are dim,
Ye weary ones who long for rest.
Come unto him! Come unto him!

1. Come unto Jesus, ye heavy laden,
Careworn and fainting, by sin oppressed.
He’ll safely guide you unto that haven
Where all who trust him may rest.

2. Come unto Jesus; He’ll ever heed you,
Though in the darkness you’ve gone astray.
His love will find you and gently lead you
From darkest night into day.

3. Come unto Jesus; He’ll surely hear you,
If you in meekness plead for his love.
Oh, know you not that angels are near you
From brightest mansions above?

4. Come unto Jesus from ev’ry nation,
From ev’ry land and isle of the sea.
Unto the high and lowly in station,
Ever he calls, “Come to me.”

I know that all who come unto Him will find that rest of soul that they seek.  I know because I have felt His healing power in my life.  I have never, perhaps, done anything so bad that it would require deep, painful repentance, but I have had my share of sins.  We can all find healing and peace at the feet of the Great Physician.  I know that He has helped me so much even when I feel that I don't deserve it.  I know that His love is truly infinite and His Power to heal is as great as his love.  My heart will forever rejoice in the knowledge of He who Saves me.  Anyone who feels that they are alone or not what they should be because of some mistake in his or her life, look to the Savior.  Pray to Him.  He will show you the path laid out for you.  I will always remember the words said to the Prophet Joseph Smith.  He had failed in a sacred charge of protecting a manuscript of scriptures, known as the Book of Lehi.  He felt lost and forsaken.  He repented and the Lord visited Him with this assurance:

The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught.

For God doth not walk in crooked paths, neither doth he turn to the right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round.

Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men;

For although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength, and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him.

Behold, you have been entrusted with these things, but how strict were your commandments; and remember also the promises which were made to you, if you did not transgress them.

And behold, how oft you have transgressed the commandments and the laws of God, and have gone on in the persuasions of men.

For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God. Although men set at naught the counsels of God, and despise his words—

Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble.

Behold, thou art Joseph, and thou wast chosen to do the work of the Lord, but because of transgression, if thou art not aware thou wilt fall.

But remember, God is merciful; therefore, repent of that which thou hast done which is contrary to the commandment which I gave you, and thou art still chosen, and art again called to the work;

 I know that God calls the repentant to His work always.  That is my testimony.

All my Love,

Èlder Sudbury

PS I'm all out of time.  Thank you for all your letters.  Ju, I was talking about going to West ;).  Enjoy the easter egg hunt!