We Have Arrived in Illinois

 We made it to Illinois after 3 days driving. The only complication was freezing fog in eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska.

We met our mission president and we were sent out the far southwest corner of the mission to the Ottawa Ward.  There are no other missionaries in this ward so we will be working with ward members as well referrals in the area. Our district and zone leaders are over 50 miles away in Joliet.

We have met the bishop and the elders quorum president and have started to meet other members. This week was stake conference and most of the ward participated via Zoom, so we have not met most of the ward.

We have driven to Joliet and back three times so far, a zone meeting, Saturday stake conference and Sunday stake conference. We are going to put a lot of miles on the car.

The area we are in is very rural.  There are huge corn and soybean farms everywhere.  Our ward covers an area about 50 miles wide and 50 miles long. (About 2,500 square miles).  Most of the population lives in beautiful small historic towns and villages that were established along the Illinois river and canal system. This is a major waterway that connects Lake Michigan with the Mississippi River. The largest town is Ottawa, which was the site of the first Lincoln/Douglas debate.

Our apartment is comfortable and in a very pretty area.  Every thing is tidy and surrounded by green lawns. (Unlike rural areas out west.)

I think we are going to love it here. We met the stake president and he said he prayed specifically for a senior couple to send to Ottawa.  We met a new member today and will be taking her the sacrament and reteaching the lessons most Sundays.

Stake conference today was about Our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ’s love for all His children.

We love you. Thanks for continuing to pray for us.

Dave and Deanne (Elder and Sister) Curtis