New Years Exchanges
Happy New Years everyone!!!! I hope you all had an amazing New Years so far and are doing your resolutions
Pretty baller week this week!
Monday we were gonna reattempt the hike we tried to do a few weeks back but got shot down by Interviews with my Mission President. It was some good Interviews and also giving a recount of my heart issues was fun. President Janzen said there’s probably a few places I won’t go in my mission so I can be near a medical facility of some sort, so like “oh no I won’t go to the jungle” but also that sucks because I do wanna see everywhere in the mission. I’m here for 2 years, I might as well see everywhere. Afterwards us and the ZLs were wondering how should we do divisions. We decided to have 4 Elders in our area for a day and a half so we got back to JVG at about 12:30 at night.
Tuesday and Wednesday, was a lot of trying to find new people. I’m starting to get area dementia because I’d be like “oh we should try visiting this person. I’ve never been there before” and then I look and I went like 3 weeks ago. I was with Élder Whiting, who has a lot of time in the mission, and is from Gilbert. He went to Highland and is a GOAT. The other 2 Élders went to a bunch of people, and talked to the mom of a convert, Santiago, and she said she wants to start coming to church and get baptized and also found this guy, Antonio who is a GOAT and believes that there should be one true church of Jesus Christ. (neither came to church). Élder Whiting and Tarawa left Wednesday at about noon and then Élder Erickson and I tried visiting people before they partied for New Years Eve. Not much success but I did get to call my dad for his bday
One of the people Élder Whiting and I found asked for his number after he left (she’s definitely a snake). I told the ZLs that she wanted it, they sent me their number, so I sent it to her, and told them and they were like 
“Why?” And I just laughed in their face when they called me.
Thursday was a whole lot of nothing because everyone stayed up way late the night before.
Friday morning we couldn’t find anyone but the evening was pretty baller. We taught Ricardo’s friend and friend’s gf that I mentioned when we originally found Ricardo. It was a great lesson about the Restoration. The packet that we hand out about the Restoration talks about Martin Luther (not the black one) and John Calvin, and the guy, Facundo asked who those were. It had to have been the Spirit but I snapped from the hip what I learned from AP European History about them (shoutout Ms. Tracy) and Facundo was amazed (He did not come to church). And then we taught this guy who just got reactivated into the church. He’s been in a cast almost a year since he was on a Moped and got hit by a truck. He’s got a 9 year old son though so we are trying to teach him. He gets his cast off next week though so we are praying his leg has healed right so he can get the cast off.
Saturday was also a lot of nothing, but we found a dog that someone hung in a tree
I hate the dogs here but like dang, people are horrible.
We found a bunch of people this week and are still trying really hard to get Ricardo baptized. Yesterday during church one of the members asked when he’s gonna get baptized but neither me or Élder Erickson heard what he said so we are going to interrogate her and ask what he said. He still feels unready but the more we talk to him, it seems like we are sort of chipping away and helping him realize that in no way does he need to be perfect to get baptized.
41/52 Cards, 2 Jokers
Spiritual Thought:
Because I have been told to stay in later for the afternoon, I’ve been doing a lot more studying, especially of Conference Talks and BYU Devotionals. The other day I was listening to a Devotional from this past March by Kalani Sitake, head football coach of BYU, but in his talk he quotes Élder Ballard from 2017:
“Our lives are like a chessboard, and the Lord moves us from one place to another—if we are responsive to spiritual promptings. Looking back, we can see His hand in our lives.”
The Lord has put me in so many places and with people that I have never thought beforehand. The biggest example would be football. I never thought I would do any sports, but I ended up playing it for 6 years. Looking back on my life, I have been blessed in so many ways and have a testimony that the Lord’s hand is always in our life as we stay true to Him, His church, and the covenants we have made with our Heavenly Father. I invite you all to look back, even at 2025 and ponder how the Lord has guided you in your life.
I love you all! I tremendously appreciate any emails that I get, no matter how long it may take for me to respond to them. I hope you all are doing amazing!
Email: mwcurtis@missionary.org
Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/g9K5EHgzbJLtD3wC8
— Élder Curtis