WING DON'T!

Soos Creek is thriving with investigators!  The only problem we are having is getting people out to church. 

Today I'm going to tell you about Wing Dome.  It's a restaurant that has one of those food challenges like you see on Man vs. Food, right?  All you have to do is eat seven spicy wings in seven minutes and lick your fingers clean with no beverages.  Sounds easy enough.

WRONG. 

There were several warnings when my companion and I walked in.  First of all, the place was empty.  Next, when we ordered the challenge, we had to sign a waiver and on the waiver it said that if I touch any other part of my body after handling this food product, I am aware that burning WILL occur.  Our third and final warning---when they brought the food out, the wings were engrossed in what looked like black mud and there was a dry rub sauce on top of that. 

On my first bite, I realized there was no way I was going to eat seven of these wings.  The chicken was nasty--it was like eating cardboard.  UGH!  And the spice!  Oh my gosh!  Just pour gas into my mouth and light it on fire.  That is what it felt like and I had only eaten two wings.  The worst part about these wings is that they were just as hot going out as they were going in, if you know what I mean.

We decided on a new name for the restaurant.  The new name is Wing Don't.  We were in capacitated for the rest of the day and I had to take a cold shower the spices were that hot.  DO NOT EAT THERE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!

Soos Creek, Redmond Washington

Hello Family;

This week has been a little slow.  I'm the designated driver for a 2009 silver Toyota Corolla.  The car isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be and I really enjoy driving around instead of walking or biking.

My new apartment really isn't an apartment--it's a GARAGE.  We live in a member's home and their garage is separate from the house so we get to sleep in there.  It's pretty nice but the bathroom is about the size of a cruise ship bathroom.  Pretty tight.  And now that I'm living in a garage, I am burning through my allergy medications. 

My new companion is Elder Ouasill, (wah-sill) from Alabama.  We had a powerful but simple lesson in diligence yesterday.  We decided to go tracting and were driving around trying to listen to the Spirit as to where we should tract.  We weren't having much success and finally picked a cul-de-sac to tract.  About halfway through no one had even yet opened their doors and one guy opened his door and without saying a word, shut the door. 

Elder Ouasill said it was pointless and that we should go back to the car and plan for a lesson we had later that evening.  As we were heading back to the car, a man and his son were riding their bikes towards us.  We waved them down and began talking with this man.  We actually presented a lesson to this man on the spot and even though we weren't able to set up a return appointment, we felt we left a strong impression with him and his son for future missionaries to build off of. 

If we had not continued to tract, we would have missed this man.  This was a great lesson for me.  For a few weeks I have been praying for ways to strengthen my faith, and just by finishing tracting that cul-de-sac, THAT was an example of faith to me.  It showed me that when I trust in the Lord, He will bless me for continuing  to work (even when the situation was bleak). 

I realize that what I need to do to be a better missionary is to cast doubt out of my mind and just do the will of the Lord.

CARE PACKAGE RECEIVED-thank you very much

THANKS FOR THE CARE PACKAGES!

YOU GUYS ROCK!

WATERMELON

A few weeks ago, we did service for an elderly lady in our ward and she gave us a watermelon in gratitude.  Well, we forgot about the watermelon and we found it this morning growing mold.  Mold is everywhere here.  It grows on BBQ grills!  It's insane.  So, we obviously had to throw the watermelon out, but, of course, we were going to have some fun with it.  So we took it out to the dumpster and I said to Elder Larson, "I'll hold open the lid, and you chuck it in." 

Well, he chucked it alright.  He chucked it so hard it exploded on impact and got all over my white shirt and nametag. 

The whole way back to the apartment, Elder Larson was laughing so hard.  I was half laughing, half whimpering about the moldy watermelon all over me.  I had already packed up all my stuff because I'm getting transferred (AGAIN).  So I don't have an extra white shirt to wear.  (I'm wearing Elder Larson's shirt as I write this). 

I sort of crashed my bike.  I went down some stairs on it but the stairs were steeper than I thought.  I didn't get hurt but I did leave a HUGE tire mark on the side of the apartment building (whooops).

Anyways, I goot run and get to transfers!  LOVE YA'LL

AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE

Yesterday my companion and I walked in to Sacrament meeting fasting for more committed investigators.  I was just about to stand up and bear my testimony when one of our recent converts caught my eye from the foyer.  He had tears in his eyes and we went to a vacant room and talked about what was happening.  Turns out he had some pretty serious rent problems so I went back into the chapel and found Brother Brinkeroff, our Ward Mission Leader.  As soon as Brother Brinkeroff heard about his situation, he said, "Curt, you can stay at my house."  Curt protested, but Brother Brinkeroff insisted.  He said, "Curt, I won't accept your money.  You're my friend and that's what friends do."

This conversation brought tears to my eyes as I watched Brother Brinkeroff say what he had to say with the brightest smile on his face.  He had charity and he was willing to take Curt in on a moment's notice. 

I am going to work on being charitable in all things...in my thoughts, in my voice and in my actions.  Brother Brinkeroff didn't know it and neither did my companion, but that experience was an answer to my prayers.  It was a further witness to me of God's infinite wisdom and how everything we encounter and experience is for our benefit.  God knows us so well--better than we know ourselves.  How else would HE be able to comfort us in our ailments and illnesses?  He has to know us inside and out to know EXACTLY how to comfort us. 

This experience was amazing for me.

GREENIE FIRE...

If there's one thing hotter than blue fire, that would be Greenie Fire!  My new companion is Elder Larson and he is awesome!  We have not even been together a week yet and we already have three new investigators and we have put someone on date for baptism! 

Elder Larson is a cross between Ryan and Blake rolled into one.  It's so funny, and we are always laughing at each other and making fun of each other and pulling out scripture quotes and white handbook quotes on each other.  Elder Larson has been out only a month longer than I have and he's the District Leader. He's an awesome District Leader. 

I have an odometer on my bike as well as a pedometer and I'm going to add up the total miles I do whether I'm riding or walking. 

I went and got my eye checked and it turns out I have a FRECKLE on my eye!  Ha Ha!

My companion and I are working on talking to everyone we meet.  We got majorly rained on a few days ago.  It was so bad I actually had to change my shirt.  We rode up 8th Street, whoa....that was NOT fun.  The whole time I was telling Elder Larson I was fat and he was yelling at me to shut up and pedal harder.  Hahahaha!

I bought a package of Oreos and Elder Larson ate alllllll of them!!!  I didn't get any.  He's buying me Oreos today.  :)

I really love your letters and emails.  Thanks!

May 18, 2010

I can't believe my fourth month is starting up soon.  I will be in the Bellevue 2nd Ward for the next six weeks and I get to ride my bike!  Elder Torres taught me how to do Hindu push ups and Hindu squats and handstand push ups!  Elder Torres does those for a work out every morning and his arms are HUGE!!!!

I need short sleeve shirts--it feels like Florida here.  WOOOOW is it humid.  And I think I'm getting a little bit of a tan, too.  I'm all alone up here because all the companions I've served with went home.  I saw Elder Cook one last time before he left for home.  He had on a NEW TIE!  I mean the guy has three racks of ties already!  Did he really need a new one?

MY THIRD TRANSFER!!

May 18, 2010
Transfers begin...oh, man it's crazy stuff!  Everything is whizzing by so don't blink!!  I got hit in the eyeball with a basketball and the mission president and my mama :) want me to get it looked at. 

I've had an awesome week--learning new things every day.  Right now I'm focusing my learning on listening to the promptings of the Spirit.  I had an experience where I felt prompted (but thought it was my own crazy answer) but it turns out it really WAS the right answer.  I kicked myself to sleep for a few days, but I'm learning!

MOTHER's DAY PHONE CALL

Well, I got to call home yesterday  and that was really nice.  It wasn't nearly as emotional as I thought it would be which was a double bonus!  It was really cool to hear from my family and I can't wait to call again at Christmas!

We've been teaching Pauline about the Apostasy and how the authority was taken from the earth.  I explained to her how the Apostles were like the foundation to a building and how if you take away that foundation, everything else collapses.  After I explained that, I said, "After the apostasy, or the foundation of the gospel was removed, people tried to put the principles back up on their own without the Apostles, they tried to reform the gospel.  This is where all those great men came together and did the best they could with the doctrines they had; but because there wasn't a foundation to work with or the proper authority from God.  The best they could do was not the fulness of the Gospel.  This is where Joseph Smith comes in.  Not only was he called of God to be a prophet, he RESTORED that foundation that was ripped away when the apostles were killed."

Then I bore probably the strongest testimony about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith since I've been out of the MTC.  What a great experience.

UPDATE FOR THIS WEEK - April 19, 2010

Boy, this area is tough.  This lady wanted me to read some anti-Mormon material about the choices the early apostles made.  She just knew the book would convert me.  I told her it's not the leaders I'm converted to, but rather to God and Jesus Christ.  She didn't have much to say after that.

Elder Ball and I are trying to commit a 13 year old girl to come to Church.  We spoke with her about keeping the Sabbath Day holy.  We made sundaes and we put chocolate syrup and whipped cream on it and gave it to her mom.  Then we made another sundae and put salad dressing and bar-b-que sauce on it and gave it to the 13 year old girl.  She was so disappointed and asked why we would do that.  We told he all of those things are good, but they don't belong on sundaes.  We then taught her that buying something on Sunday, ruined the "sundae" she gave to the Lord.

I was studying the Book of Mormon and studying from the chapters in Moroni about infant baptism.  It lead to this HUGE trail of personal revelation  that took me through the Doctrine and Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price, the New Testament, and back to the Book of Mormon.  IT WAS AWESOME!  One question lead to thousands of ideas and answers.  In the end I came away with one answer:  "Baptism, is used without authority, and if used to just go through the motions, without the right intent, can lead to condemnation."  Moroni was talking about how infant baptism was an abomination to God because everyone has to have the agency to follow Christ and infants don't have a clue what is happening when you baptise them.

I have had a lot of people ask me why I'm out here on my mission.  I tell them 1) it's what the Lord wants me to do, and 2) I would not want to be anywhere else no matter how much I miss the things back home.  I miss you guys tons.  Thanks for everything you've done to help me get here, whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual.