Thanksgiving report & the glad message of the Gospel

It’s transfer week, but I won't find out until later tonight (Monday night – 12/1) if I'm staying or going. Guess you won't know until next week! Bummer. I have mixed feelings. I want to stay because I want to see where Marcellus and the James family step into the waters of baptism, and we just met a couple whose husband isn't interested because he's some bad experiences with churches in general, but he's super into gaming and I think we could bond and melt his heart over that. Sister Randall and I are getting along better too, so I know staying won't hurt as much as it would have if I was still where I was a couple of weeks ago. But I know the next great adventure is in another area and I'm excited to go someplace new. I don't even know if I need to pack or not!

Sadly, Marcellus was not baptized this last weekend, but we'll be re-inviting him shortly, and hopefully he'll be baptized before the end of the year! Long story short, he wasn't totally sure that this was what he wanted (he loved his old congregation and hadn't felt that same love here), so we postponed. This Sunday I think was awesome for him though because he sat more towards the front, so more people saw him and fellowshipped him. Third hour was also combined, so even the Gospel Doctrine class (adult general Sunday School class) got to see him too (since we normally go to the Gospel Principles class – class for newer members and investigators to learn the basics).

We're of course excited for the James family- they had a really positive experience at both the Nauvoo Thanksgiving Dinner two weekends ago, and at church this last weekend. Sally, the mom, is super excited because we believe a lot of things she already believed and we answered a lot of questions she had, but no one could answer. Yay for the fullness of the gospel! Her husband is a little more standoffish, but he started reading the Book of Mormon the minute we handed it to him and asked questions all along the way. So I figure he's just being stubborn and it’s a matter of time, because his wife is all over it. He appreciates that we keep deferring to him on prayer because he's the head of the household.

We're still trying to work with a couple of the people I talked about in previous letters, but if it’s not a priority in your life, you're not going to make time for it in your day. It sucks to see so many excuses when you know the message you share will change their lives forever.

I'm learning how to be people's friend so I can share said life altering message. My door approach and my ability to just talk about stuff is improving, but I'm not very good at small talk. The holidays make it a little easier.

We went to the dollar store the other day, and I ended up coming home with several sheets of stickers. You know, for important things. I have many owl stickers now, among other things.

I need to get some pictures of the few things I picked up at good will a few weeks back. One of my finds was a skirt that had a pattern on it that looks very much like a yukata (cotton summer kimono); it doesn’t go with much, but I loved it all the same. I would love to find a yukata like it when I go home. I miss wearing odd things like kimono and costumes and such.

The Thanksgiving box did come! Thank you! It came the day after, but that’s okay. I love the shirt (from our trip to Knotts Scary Farm), and wear it to bed now. It’s super soft.

I'm excited to be allowed to Skype home on Christmas, so I hope Skype is up and running on one of the computers at home. :) (that is all set up!!)

It’s hard to explain some of the spiritual growth because I couldn't really tell you a lot of new things I've learned. It’s just deeper understanding. Things like faith that have no explanation but have strong roots into your soul. I hate not being able to quantify it, but I am somewhat pacified by knowing it is getting better, somehow.

Attached is my district photo, some pictures of cold and snow and critters at a potential's house, and me and the Bishop's family (the Bishop is the leader of the congregation, much like a Pastor or Rabbi – in the LDS faith, they are laymen, he is unpaid… he has a fulltime job somewhere else.  He leads the congregation because he was called by the regional leadership – this is not his career). They're soooo awesome. I want a family like that. Their two little boys are overwhelmingly cute.

Well, a family photo will no doubt happen eventually. It’s unavoidable. Hopefully in costume! (we’ve had trouble getting our annual Olde Tyme Christmas family photo this year)

Sewing sewing sewing. I miss having access to a sewing machine- hand sewing is such a pain in the butt! (I’m glad she is self-sufficient enough to do that, even if it is inconvenient)

The strawberries and avocados are lacking here. Avocados are available here, but they’re nothing like the ones back home. I think that’s something else I need to have when I go back. Just a whole avocado to myself.

Thanksgiving was awesome! We ended up having a lunch with one family, pie with another, dinner with another, and then pie again with yet another! We were soooo stuffed. Of course we thanked everyone profusely. We did come home with large containers with food- which is good, because we have few dinner appointments this coming week. Weird.

The weather was great this weekend- up in the 50s... And today it’s in the teens again, but it doesn't feel quite that bad to me this time around. I guess I'm getting used to it. I'm wearing a lighter jacket and thinner layers today and I'm fine outside. No doubt I'm being helped by all the prayers for me, because I doubt I would be so warm on my own. (Excellent!)

I don't know if I want to stay or not. I'd like to go on to the next adventure, but so much is going on right now here and I hate to leave the work here. We have 4 people on their way to baptism, and a couple of new people besides.

Anyhow, the church is true. The Atonement is for every day.

Christine

All bundled up!

District

SNOW!  And lots of it!

The family - overwhelmingly cute little boys - of the Bishop

New Jammies!

warmer weather and things are getting better

Things are getting better with my companion. The prayers, the striving to let stuff go, ignore stuff, and just generally being less mean to each other (plus I definitely started using frankincense and lemon oil, which is supposed to be very helpful in managing anxiety and such.) Has been pretty effective. We generally end the day positively.

We went to the temple Friday with the ward, and had a positive experience. I love going to the temple and it kills me to not be able to see you or any of the faces I loved so much before my mission... It’s also really sad too know that if I get move farther away from the temple(there are only 3 or so areas that are closer than we are, and maybe 1 other that is farther out that can go), I won't be able to go... And if the missionaries only get on average 3 visits, I won't be going again until my departing temple trip... Over a year from now. Sad day. We'll see how it goes.

Anyhow, we have an investigator on date to be baptized this weekend. Marcellus is awesome. He knows pretty much all of the answers to the questions we asked him and was pretty much ready to be baptized the day we met him. (Rare, but a wonderful thing for a missionary!) This is what we're out here to do. We also have a family on date to be baptized the 20th of December, which will be a challenge because they both smoke a LOT. But the family went to Nauvoo, Illinois, this last Saturday for a member-missionary Thanksgiving event and they learned a lot and loved it. The mom is definitely the driving force, but her little boy was the start of it all. He invited us right in and wanted us to come back. Once mom was on board, things really got moving. We're excited. I'll be so disappointed if they don't get baptized.

The weather was beautiful yesterday and the day before- it was in the 50s, and though it rained yesterday, we did some good knocking. Nothing really came of it, but diligence... The Lord will reward us for our hard work. It’s back in the 30s, but that's still not as bad as the other week. It was in the teens... People still like to tell me it will be getting in the negatives and I guess I'll just appreciate California weather more when I get home.

SNOW*SNOW*SNOW*SNOW*SNOW*

I DO LIVE IN SNOW NOW. IT’S 19 DEGREES OUTSIDE AND THERE'S SNOW ON EVERYTHING UGHHHHH. Winter is gross. Snow is gross. ICE IS GROSS. UGH. It's 19 degrees today, and it's only November. The members gleefully tell me it will get down to -40, and that there will be many feet of snow. My companion also tells me of ice storms, and how everything gets a solid inch of ice all over it. This is apparently a real thing. I've seen pictures, but it never occurred to me that it would be a real thing here. Daunting.  I hate it. My apartment is plenty warm, my companion (from Idaho/Utah) is the one driving at the moment(no one believes I can handle it. >:( ) I've been well for the most part, but my companion has been suffering through some serious congestion and sore throats and the like. I had the worst headache of my life yesterday, but a blessing and pressure points and a hot bath and sleep later, I'm fine again. It sounds like my back issues are rearing their ugly head, because a member while showing me the best pressure points to help relieve it was telling me how some of my vertebrae are pretty out of alignment. Oppa.

 

I'm glad Jake's moving forward with the priesthood. Give him as many opportunities as possible to exercise it. I got a blessing from one of the members who hadn't gotten to do one in a long time. I think the experience was more for him than it was for me. Blessings for everyone. I'm definitely seeing that the more it gets used, the more that people see it, the more important it becomes, the more effective it is, the stronger the faith is, the stronger the testimony is. (The LDS church believes that the Priesthood was restored to the earth through Joseph Smith - the true Priesthood was lost in the dark ages....the great apostasy...when there were many splinter groups breaking off from Christs original teachings.  We believe it was restored in it's fullness.  We believe that Father in Heaven can work miracles through that Priesthood... that it is a gift, a priviledge, and a heavy responsibility to carry.  Worthy twelve year old young men are given a small responsibility in the Aaronic Priesthood (Aaron from the Bible) and they progress through levels until they are 18 and are given the Melchizedek Priesthood - the same Priesthood that Christ held.  Men can harness the powers of heaven if they remain worthy, humble, and are directed by the Holy Ghost in using that Priesthood for good - healings, inspiration, in leadership roles, and pronouncing blessings upon others.  ( Click - Restored Priesthood,  Aaronic Priesthood )

 

I expect I'll transfer on December 4th. (we'll see!)

Happy birthday to Jake! I sent him a letter; I hope he got it. He should totally write me back.

Oh Katie! Embrace the weird and the awkward and the dumb. It's surprising how fun some of these things can be. Put aside the pride! I promise it doesn't hurt.

My companion and I are still struggling...someone told me you learn a lot about what you do and don't want in a relationship from your companions. She's good at what she does, and always has a scripture that provokes thought and rolls pretty well with the punches with members and investigators.

But it's been good. We have three new investigators this week, 3 investigators on date, and we've been blessed with a referral from a member and the members are supportive. We've been very well fed and our car is warm and so is our apartment and the number of homes we go into with smokers doesn't bother me so much. Either I'm getting used to the noise or I'm just that tired, but I'm waking up less in the night, and I don't get teased quite so much about being cold because everyone else is now too.

I love you. I miss the warm and home and everyone. They tell me the hardest time for all missionaries is the holidays; I'm not totally alone in the melancholy of the celebrations.

The church is true. The Atonement works. The sacrament is important. The power of prayer is incredible. The power of prayer is real.

Christine

Area Conference



Sisters Kurt and Randall

New investigators

I'm sorry! I'm so terrible at remembering to take pictures (of her and her companion - Moms request), and she doesn't like to take pictures on p-day. I'll write it down so I don't forget.

We're working with a 13 year old who's getting bullied at school, and I'm just blown away at the behaviors of others. But then again there are a number of things I wish I could go back and fix that I've done. Perspective changes a lot of things.

We have two investigators on date, and 5 investigators or so besides. We've had several cool experiences where we've knocked on doors that I've knocked on in the past and no one would answer, and someone answers and we set up an appointment to come back... Frequently it gets dropped, but regardless, we've met a number of people I had never seen. The most interesting of our new investigators is the 13-year-old I mentioned. His parents weren't interested, but we asked if he was, and so we met him again to teach the restoration. He accepted.
 

Things are a little rough sometimes. I'm learning not to take things personally, especially when it's not necessarily directed at me. Let it go. I'm trying pretty hard not to be sarcastic while I'm out on my mission.

Anyhow, I love you, staying warm.

Christine

The 10 day weather report, starting tomorrow, is in the low 30s....as the high....low percentages of precipitation means a little snow, too.... oh, my southern California girl.... I hope her cold-weather gear does its job well!

Christine has been serving her mission for nearly 4 of her 18 months.

She'd love to hear from you!  

Sister Christine Kurt

Des Moines Iowa Mission

8515 Douglas Ave #19

Urbandale, IA 50322-2924 

Buckets and Baptists

A part of me misses COC. I definitely could have used some of the skills I'm picking up her, in school. It probably would have saved me a lot of time and tears. (I wonder what skills she means, in particular…?)
 

We did get out pizza and candy, and homemade caramel apples. MOST EXCELLENT. All missionaries were grounded the night before and the night of Halloween, so one of the members came and collected us (we were allowed out if we were with members) and we played card games the whole night.

Thank you both for trying for the buckets! (Mom and Dad tried HARD to get McDonalds “Book of Life” kid-meal buckets at her request – Dad was able to get ONE! ) The movie trailer was stunning (I would recommend seeing it), and the buckets themselves looked pretty cool, so I'm excited.

I was sitting in Sunday School yesterday and definitely had this weird feeling like I was going to Bakersfield or Barstow or some other desert town in California... Like I was going to be traveling soon. I wonder if I'll get moved this next transfer. I don't know. It was really surreal, because I know I'm not going to be seeing either of those places for like 2 years.

We have two investigators on date, April and Marcelus. They're both pretty cool people. A couple of our investigators we didn't get to see this week, and we got a new one. Her name is Maria and she's a little older. She's Baptist and believes in the gift of tongues in that way I normally associate with Pentacostals. Pretty wild stuff. She's willing to check out our church if we go check out hers. I'm excited because she really knows her Bible (even if she missed some of the important things), so we'll have some exciting discussions. Lots more knocking, and looking for less active members to go talk to.

We were invited into this Baptist family's house, and had some interesting discussions. The dad was pretty sure that all those who never had the chance to hear about Christ just went straight to Hell. Sad way to think. The mom definitely realized there were a few holes and problems with the way she believed but wasn't willing to give us any ground. She said she'd talk to her pastor because he was 'a learned man'. I definitely bit my tongue when I had the thought that so were the Pharisees and Scribes. But she wouldn't let us leave our number if she had more questions, so I hope that another missionary comes her way at some point.

It's been up and down with my companion. We have these moments where we clash- I make too much commentary in places that it’s probably not totally necessary, and I do a couple of things in a very different way than she does when it comes to the work. But it gets dropped pretty quickly and we're making it work. It's mostly a good companionship, and we have unity when it matters. (That's my girl! )

Anyhow, thank you for taking care of my glasses (we ordered new ones for her; a second set, as a back up), silly things like McD's buckets and such.

Attached are pictures of me in my gloves and hat in the leaves, my owl decal, a silly shirt in Nauvoo, and Saber (the little figurine that Katie bought for her) in a dice box. She's already getting a little wear and tear and so is safer in there.  (I'll post the other ones later).

I love you guys lots and think of you often.

Christine

Owl gloves, beanie, and real Fall leaves! 

Real seasons! Soon to be real cold!

One of the childrens church songs is "Give, said the Little Stream..."