4.9.14

What's up y'all!

It's been a good, crazy week down here in the boot hills of Missourah. Tuesday and Wednesday of last week was spent in a little town called Dexter. I was on exchanges with the two other elders in my district. I've reaffirmed my decision that I don't ever want to live a super small town. It just gives me the heebie-jeebies. However, it does seem that the smaller towns have the best food, so visits are tolerable.
I don't know if anyone was aware of this or not because not even our mission president was aware, but we had a tornado on Friday night. Super epic. We were in the middle of a lesson on Friday evening when the thunder came. It was so loud and there was so much! It was so exciting! Then the tornado warning texts came and we were driving back home. Not long after arriving back at the apartment we heard the sirens. I never saw the funnel, but one touched down on the south side of Poplar Bluff. Luckily there was no real damage to any buildings or no injuries. We were supposed to get baseball sized hail, but that never happened. Storms get real out here.
I LOVED conference so much! I sat all amazed at the messages given to us. It was a witness to me about the reality of my calling as a representative of Christ just as each of the speakers are. For many weeks prior to conference I have had many, many scriptures, thoughts/inspirations and concerns. When I get a scripture thought or an insight or inspiration I usually use it as a teaching opportunity when we give a spiritual thought after having a meal at a members house or I incorporate it into a the training I am supposed to give to my district each week. Well, the past few weeks have been filled with many new insights and scripture thoughts to share. Almost every single talk given in General Conference used a scripture or a thought I have been thinking about and sharing for a while. It was so cool! For example, Helaman 5:12 has been on my mind a lot, and it was mentioned in conference at least twice. The last part of 1 Cor. 13 was something I put a lot of thought into recently and it was brought up in Priesthood session. One night I could not sleep; the Spirit prompted me to get up and read Hebrews, so I did. Since then I have been thinking about Hebrews a bunch- Elder Holland quoted a whole heap of scriptures I loved from Hebrews. One week in district meeting I left the commitment to each of the missionaries to meet with all the members of their ward/branch and make sure they have a copy of Preach My Gospel and to teach them lessons from Chapter 9 in there and to commit them to study it themselves. Did Elder Ballard not just commit members everywhere to do that same thing? Sister Curtis, all the way in West Virginia just left the same commitment in her email. All of these things are testimony to me that I am called to represent Jesus Christ. My voice is His voice. I am doing His work just as the apostles are. Whether by His own voice or the voice of His servants, it is the same.
I want to back up Elder Ballard and my sister by extending the same commitment to all of you to get your own personal copy of Preach My Gospel. Study it. Love it. Live it. I promise blessings will flow to you. When the missionaries in my district were given the commitment, they went forth and did it and we have seen miracles because of it. One couple in Dexter is literally saving their marriage through it. I promise miracles will come into your life if you do the same. I want to know what you're studying too. Share. I truly believe that we don't fully learn something until we share it. So tell me. Tell others. Tell everybody!
This is a special time to be on the earth. We are preparing each other and the world for the return of Jesus Christ! How cool is that!

I love this work. I love this gospel. Oh how I love my Savior! I love you all so dearly and I think of you oft.

-Elder Aaron Curtis

P.S. Congratulations on hitting your year mark Jen Jen! Keep doing such great things. You are a tremendous example and I love you so so much!

To my family: Have fun in Mt. Rushmore! I know that is going to be great. :)

To Olivia: I bought a brand new Pilot G2 gel pen and only used half of it even though I feel like I wrote just as much as last time. What about you?