Curtis' Current Mission President

We received a wonderful letter from Curtis' mission president and his wife, President Robert and Sister Yolanda Heyn. They will be released sometime in July so Curtis will only have them for a few week but they seem like wonderful people. This is the photo that was enclosed with the letter!

Tijuana!

Well, here I am in T.J.

Craziest place in the world.They have really loud music, half finished houses as far as the eye can see, I haven't really seen any grass, and crazy buses called calafias. Despite how the city looks and everything, I have found the people to be awesome! They are so faith filled. Everyone believes in God and I have not been in one house that did not have a picture of the Savior(usually the last supper). Even the calafias. More downtown. T.J. has a huge statue of Christ and on mountains nearby there are gospels references or big crosses. People seem really willing to let us in and share a message, the biggest problems is compromisos (Commitments). Last week, however, we had two investigator families at church and a Young Women who is a friend of a recent convert and has been progressing really well.

I have never felt like a little kid more in my life than I do now, not even when I was a little kid. The language is really fast and I can't really comprehend anything and can only speak simple sentences. I love the people though and I am told that when your having a hard time on your mission it is because there is something right around the next corner!

Elder Curtis Hanson

ESTOY EN MEXICO!!!

Hola Familia,
I am here safe and sound, my mission is awesome! The people are ready and I am going to learn so much! You should see this City. My companero es Elder Perez Tejada from Tabasco, I think. ha ha. We are working in Riveria del Bosque.
Hasta Luego!
Elder Curtis Hanson

Negligent Mom

So I have been very slow posting Curtis' last e-mail from the MTC. Sorry. It has been an emotional week for me. We received a phone call from Curtis on Tuesday from the airport and were able to talk for almost 30 minutes! It was wonderful and he sounded both nervous and excited in true Curtis fashion. We are thinking that his headaches are stress related and will subside when he stops being so anxious...... hopefully he will stop being so anxious.

Thank you all for your interest and support and have a great day! Lisa

Last Week In The MTC

HOLA FAMILIA!!!

So you ask how am I? My headaches and stuff are from me being a wimp, which is what I was afraid of. All they did is prescribe some pain killers that I could take and sent me on my merry way. It was however interesting to get out into the real world. I felt so strange as I was seen as a missionary instead of Curtis. It was funny because as me and my companion got into the elevator to go up to the floor where the EN was another man also got into the elevator. He smelled of smoke so I took a quick guess that he needed a little more of the gospel in his life. I was unable to really "invite him to come unto Christ" and I wasn't exactly sure what I promised the MTC what I would and would not do once I left the MTC campus so we kept it polite and friendly. He turned out to be a really nice guy. One of the most out going one there actually. He obviously wasn't doing to well because naturally he was in a hospital and through talking with him found that he was having some more serious trouble with either his leg or back. Please, if you want say a prayer or two for him.

I saw SEAN JONES!!! He looks great and right after I saw him I turned to my companion and started bragging about how great that guy is and how I think he will be incredible in the field. He is one of those people that seem to radiate the spirit and was a huge highlight as I am starting to leave the MTC.

It was sad to hear about Carmel and it sounds like she isn't going to make it through my mission. Please play with her a little for me. I am sorry I didn't play enough with her when I was there but hopefully I can make up for it in heaven where I hope we will have all the doggy treats she could ever want. It looks like I may have some time to call you guys~!!! I leave Tuesday Morning at 8 and my flight is scheduled to leave around 10:30-11:00 so please anticipate a call from me and please have something we can talk about because I will probably be really frazzled and you probably will get non-sensical phrases, feelings, emotions, and what-not.

I am amazed at how much I don't know and now that I am no longer bearing testimony for myself I am becoming ever more aware of my faults and just how much I want to know. Sometimes I get frustrated with how much I still don't know and it seems like I am trying to fuel the bonfire of curiosity and desire that won't go out. I am also struggling with Spanish and will probably spend a month or so in Mexico really struggling but I keep hoping and praying for the spirit and so far it hasn't let me down. Sometimes, when I am not prideful, I go into a lesson knowing that I have done what I can and my companion as well and we simply speak from the spirit and most importantly that senior companion is just filling in those gaps for the investigator. I was reminded today of the necessity of the help from the Ward members! WE NEED YOU! It's like a game of red-rover and a two man read-rover will not be able to come in contact with everyone!

Lisa's update

Hi everyone!

So I got a call on Friday from the MTC asking for Curtis' medical insurance information. Curtis has to see an ENT for pain he has been having in both his ears. Not a call a missionary mother ever likes to get (at least this over reactive, worrisome, clingly, missionary mom) but especially less than two weeks before he is to leave the MTC. So, that is why Curtis mentions this in his e-mail.

Also, he wanted to apologize to those who's letters he has not yet responded to. He has been busy trying to get "thank yous" written to friends and family before he leaves the MTC. He is planning on writing to you as soon as possible. Thanks so much for your continued prayers, love and support. He sounds like he is doing great!

Lisa

I AM GOING TO MEXICO!

Hellos!!!!

I got my travel plans yesterday!!!!

I will be leaving on the 21^st

Medical Heads up!

So I know they called yall! I have been experiencing headaches and other things that I think are just with my congestion system. I don't think that it will be that big of a deal When I went in to the Docs I thought that it was just my ears filled up with Ear Wax again but he actually complemented my ears and their lack of wax "Your ears are actually cleaner than the average". I was pretty excited about that compliment and had a few fist pumps

So....the Doctor ended up saying that I should go see a specialist just to make sure that it isn't to serious and because he doesn't think it's congestion they have to do some other stuff. So....FIELD TRIP! I get to go and check out the wondrous places of medical buildings where someone will most likely examine my head and tell me to keep taking the meds I have already been using. I am really sorry for the inconvenience but the Doctor suggested it and I feel that it would be better to get medical help here rather than in Tijuana. I don't know how the medical is in Mexico, then again they probably just send us across the border for any of that stuff.

So, now I can finally get to the actually email of this week! Everything sounds awesome at home! I love the pictures of Lydia and Jeffery. Katheryn Duval sent me pictures of Jeffery and Lydia and they are the cutest kids I think I have ever seen. I can't help but bust out into the biggest grin as I see Lydia's funny little smirk and I love the pictures in the email of Jeffery smiling! He is so cute and it looks like you have your hands full Crystal.

So I love it out here. I am learning so much at such a fast rate. The other day I even realized that with everything else that has been going on that it is essential that you plan every night so that you get the essential things in there like daily scripture study. Our investigators keep switching around and we lost Brady due to the teachers switching the schedule but we were able to contact into Edith who has a small 2 year old boy named Razul (I think). We had an amazing first contact and we actually taught like the whole first lesson! That has almost never happened with us. We have also effectively planned and figured out a system for preparing for investigators. I love it! I have even tried to figure out a coding system for each of the lessons and commandments. I have also been using different planning patterns for investigators and have a need to get another binder because the last two are almost bursting!

I am really sorry, funny stories just keep alluding my mind. I will have to try and make up for it next week. Oh just a heads up, the mission is amazing and it is changing my life....everyday. I hope that I will never be the same.

Thanks for everything, love yall (ustedes),

Elder Curtis Hanson

The Awesome MTC!

Wow,

So the MTC is one of the most incredible places in the world. I am absolutely loving it here even though it is very difficult at times, it is difficult because you have to undergo such great change in such a little time. I would like to just share as many experiences as I can about the MTC and the lessons I have learned before my time runs out:

My Companion: Elder Benson

If any of you have problems with people you are around constantly find those things that you both can agree on whole-heartedly (the doctrine) and don't get caught up in the nit pick (the organization). Elder Benson and I have recently begun to realize this and have found that we both have our opinions about how to order the lessons and present the material (organization) but we never have problems really with the message we want to give (the doctrine). One of the key ways we agree about the organization is that we think what would be best for the investigator through this method we usually can throw out our own personal biased-ness and more effectively teach to the investigator

Investigators:

So I am amazed at how much a companion can help and hinder I have been so blessed to have the companion I have. We both strengthen each other so much in everything we do. When we face trials we face it together. One of the latest pushes for us has been our investigators. We love them so much!!! In our zone we have a huge focus on teaching mock investigators. However, these investigators are actual people. All the "Maestros" (teachers) here are usually rather recently returned missionaries and each of them focus on a different person from their mission to be as an investigator for us. We have two more additional investigators that are Elders in our district: Bobby and Franky besides teachers: Andres (Special note: we had his baptismal interview last Wednesday so we won't teach him anymore. AKA our teacher left), Fransisco, Jose, and probably my personal favorite Brady. Each of them have their own story but Elder Benson and I have found a new sense of drive and purpose as we have thrown out any other topics really and solely focused on these investigators, this has been our stability. We used to have a little bit of trouble finding common ground but with investigators and sharing the gospel we both have such a desire to share.

Franky and Bobby:

These guys are brothers living rather close by each other. One of the great things about the Hispanic culture is their love for family. But they have been a major focus for us as of late. Franky is incredible and is soaking up everything like a sponge. Our greatest trial with these guys and probably with a lot of our investigators is how the gospel applies to their life. We had an amazing lesson about two days ago where both Elder Benson and I bore powerful testimony through the power of the spirit and both of them felt the spirit. This doesn't mean that they will necessarily receive the message though. My companion and I are both worried about Bobby and his progression, commitments are the problem.

I will have to tell you more about the others later I am running out of time.

So I have seen a lot of my friends here at the MTC. I am out of time though....see ya! Love you all sooo much!

-Elder Curtis Hanson