(Sister Cummings)
Well everyone I have hit a rather remarkable and pretty
bittersweet moment yesterday when I realized that I could count the amount of
days that I have left on my mission using only my two hands.... Yikes.... I
literally have spent 540 days of the roughly 550 days it takes to serve a
mission. Boy. Crazy.
Anyways.... No daudling back to business...
Where was I? Oh that's right missionary work. This week has
been pretty good. Although we, both Sister Blanc and I, had nice bought with a
stomach virus we managed still to go out and see people. We actually got more
lessons than the last two weeks combined. So quite a progress if I do say so
myself. Honestly not sure how it happened, but I think part of it was God and
the other part was people felt so sad for us that they just had to let us in.
Either way it ended in our benefit, and we hope that this week may also be as
effective or more.
I have had quite a few experiences this week. One happened
just a few days ago. As a missionary soon to be returning to the real
world...gulp... the First Presidency has started a training program to better
help the transition. This training usually would take six weeks. But they
literally just introduced it this week so I have to complete it in two weeks. A
lot. But it is actually helping. The program focuses a lot on preparing,
planning and setting goals for after the mission. So in fixing these goals I
have had quite a bit of time to think about how my life will be. With a
shockingly high less active rate of return missionaries you could say I was a
little discouraged. I often find myself wondering if I will be able to surpass
those bad habits before my mission when I return. What is going to happen. I
had been saying a lot of prayers on the matter and I wasn't sure what to do.
With us both being sick we had a bit more time to study. A
bit...more like a lot more time to study. One day I was reading ensigns and
flipping through when I felt impressed to go pick up a Book of Mormon in
English and read that. This Book of Mormon was very special. I had received it
from my Sister, Camilla, around the time of Mother's Day this past year. She
had decorated it and written her testimony in it. I thought it nice that if
there were any English speakers that I taught I could share with them her
testimony and favorite scripture. Sadly no one we have taught since then has
been comfortable in English enough for me to give it to them. So I have held
onto it. And it wasn't until about two weeks ago when I was going through and
dejunking my desk that I found it again. Well this day I decided to read it. I
open up to find that a page had one of the corners folded. Well that was
interesting. Last time I checked there hadn't been any pages folded, so I
decide to read it. It was 2 Nephi 4:18-19
18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and
the sins which do so easily abeset me.
19 And when I desire
to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom
I haveatrusted.
It may sound dark but I found actually that it said exactly
what I was feeling. I was sad with the actions I had done before my mission,
things like watching Netflix for hours instead of doing other more important
things. ANd pretty soon I will be in a world less sheltered than missionary
life where our only access to technology is a flip phone and emails once a
week. Will I be able to keep the standards of diligence that I have learned
from being sheltered while I am out encompassed about by temptation?
The Answer?
Yes because I know in whom I have trusted. Since this moment
of opening up to a page that had a corner folded down that just happened to
have the answer to my question (coincidence? I think Not!) the words of God
speaking to the adversary in Moses 4:21 often come to mind."he shall
bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Power has only the power
to bruise our heel. While inconvénient and annoying it is not debilitating
expecially when we know that we, through Christ, shall bruise his head. In fact
the Hebrew word used for bruise actually can also mean crush. So we have the
power to Crush his head. We are never alone. We have a Father in Heaven who is
so powerful that the whole of righteous humanity he calls his "little
fold." He is always on our side and no matter the future we may continue
in hope knowing with a surity that what ever the outcome may be for our benefit.
I love you all and I wish you one of the best christmas's
ever. Have a wonderful week =)
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