24 Hours and a Wake-Up Call

Hey everyone! I think I’ve started off every email with this week was crazy but this week actually was crazy… it kinda started when last Sunday we were told that we had to move residences this Wednesday. We all thought it was so stupid because we are leaving like 5 days after that… anyway so Wednesday rolled around and we had to move… they ended up moving 1700 missionaries around the mtc and it became an all day thing. On top of that a lot of new missionaries came in on that day as well… anyway we moved in and now I have about 6 blankets and 6 pillows so I’ve been sleeping pretty great! We also moved a few doors down from the two missionaries I hosted a couple of weeks ago that ended up becoming companions out of the 720 new missionaries that came that day. They are super cool! Our whole branch/zone is on the same floor now which has kinda ended up being crazy every night before bed! But it has been fun!

So last pday… I got word that I might not be able to go to Ecuador this Monday even though I received multiple emails that my visa was ready for me… I was reassigned to Washington DC south. A lot of stress and prayers have been what have got me through this week! We talked to the travel office on Monday and of course they didn’t know anything… Long story short it’s been a tough week for me… This Wednesday they sent out a few missionaries to go to Phoenix to get the visas and we weren’t on the flight… after that I thought for sure there would be no way to go. That next day on Thursday I finally excepted it and had a strong impression that I have to make the best out of it and know that’s where I was supposed to serve. All though a lot of people told me that, I really needed to gain that testimony myself and it took some time. Later that Thursday( and keep in mind the Ecuadorian Consulate is only open til 5 Monday though Friday) we got and email at about 4:30 that said we had a flight to go to Phoenix the next day on Friday… never have I felt such relief. The next morning we headed out at 4 am and left to Phoenix. We got in Phoenix at about 9-ish and were at the consulate til about 12. My group and I, of 4, all got our visas. We celebrated with a trip to Chikfila then went back to the airport. And after about 4 hours of waiting in the airport in Phoenix, after the flight got delayed and was moved to another gate, we finally got on the plane. We landed in Salt Lake and were greeted with a huge crowd of families waiting for missionaries to get back home to them. When they saw our white shirts headed around the corner they all started cheering! Haha that was pretty depressing haha! Anyway so we ate Pei Wei (dk how to spell it) then called an Uber. Our driver was from the Dominican Republic and told us the funniest stories about his mission in the 80s! He gave us a lot of comfort and advice as well because his son went to Ecuador on his mission! There ended up being so many coincidences that day it was crazy! We got to our rooms finally at about 9:40! I had received four packages while I was gone! That was pretty awesome and definitely improved my mood after the longest day ever!

So today is pday and we woke up at 5 to do laundry because it keeps being so so busy… it still took half an hour to get an open washer but now everything is in the drier so it’s going alright!

Also this week we had I think 5 lessons… every single one was in Spanish and every single one was so great! The last lesson we had with our amiga Laura on Thursday night was probably the best lesson I’ve had so far! My comp and I worked perfectly together to teach about baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. The spirit was so strong in that room! We loved Laura and she was way to nice to us!

It kind of surreal to know that the mtc is already over. In a lot of ways it’s been the longest, hardest 6 weeks of my life. In more ways it has been the most rewarding, active, productive , and greatest 6 weeks of my life. I wouldn’t take back the problems or stress or the 2 weeks of being sick for anything… I have grown to love my Savior more during this short time than I ever have my entire life and I mean that! It’s crazy that I’ll be in a foreign country, speaking a foreign language, with no technology, with so many challenges and a different culture in two days, but I know that that’s where I’m supposed to be. In a way I feel like I have already grown a love for those people in Ecuador… I don’t know how that works, but I feel it. I am so excited. It’s going to be rough I imagine for a while, but with the Lord I can do all things that I am commanded. I know that!

Anyway I restarted the BOM this week and I’ve been reading in 1st Nephi this week!!! In “19:9: and the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.” I know that these next months will be full of trials. They will also be full of amazing blessings as long as I stay with my savior, Jesus Christ. He has felt whatever I will go through in the future..

I love all of you thank you all for the support and prayers!

Elder Curtis