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.