Alma 18:24-28

(Aldste Cummings)

Hey all!

This week was tons of fun! Unfortunately, nearly all of our appointments we had scheduled were all REscheduled and we weren't able to meet very many people this week, but we saw tons of small miracles as we patiently pressed forward!

For example, after an appointment was canceled rather unexpectedly, Elder Burns and I filled up the vacant time by going downtown to talk to people on the street. While we were there, we ran into a girl Elder Harris and I had talked to over a month ago who was very interested in learning more but that we couldn't get in contact with. After a short conversation with her, she expressed her strong desire to learn more about the Book of Mormon and we set up a lesson with her for this week! We rescheduled with the person we were going to meet and now we will have lessons with both! It's incredible how the Lord leads us to where we need to be even if we thought something or someone else was more important as long as we patiently follow His plan and His timing.

This week, I chose the scripture where Ammon teaches the King about the nature of God by first helping him realize that he already believed in God. I chose this because of an experience Elder Burns and I had last night while we were tracting. We talked to this man and after a short, casual conversation, we asked him if he believed in God.

He responded that didn't, but that he might believe in some impersonal higher power (classic Swede). We then--following the direction of our mission president to ask inspired, probing questions--asked him if he believed there is a life after death, if the higher power he believes in is directly involved in that life after death, if he believes the higher power can actively make choices, if the higher power cares about him personally, and if the higher power is all knowing and knows what is best for him, and if he would trust the higher power if it commanded him to do something. To all of these questions, he answered affirmatively.

I then felt prompted by the Spirit to be a little bolder than I usually would be comfortable with and, with this scripture in mind, said to him: "This higher power you believe in sounds a lot like the god we believe in. My friend, you believe in God." We then invited him to learn more about the things that God has commanded him to do to be happy in this life and he graciously accepted.

This experience was evidence to me that most--if not all--people have an innate knowledge that God is there and that He loves them. Sometimes that knowledge is hidden in a dark corner of the heart that is intentionally ignored or overlooked; but it's there nonetheless.

I witness that God lives and loves us. He waits for us to turn to Him and is never turned away from us.

Have a great week!

Love,

Äldste Cummings

1. Majestic.

2. Your boys.

3. That's right. I live here.

4.That's right. I live here part 2.

Alma 32:34

(Aldste Cummings)

Hello!

This week has been quite exciting! Elder Burns and I have been putting in some good work into our beloved Karlskrona and we're seeing some great progress! It's also an incredible 70 degrees right know which feels downright awesome.

On Friday, we were walking around town talking to people about the gospel when a woman called us over from an outdoor cafe table where she was sitting with her husband. She proceeded to ask us genuine questions about what we believe in and after about a 15 minute discussion--which concluded with her saying "1000 years ago everyone laughed at the people who thought the world wasn't flat. Everyone laughs at the Mormons now, maybe we ought to give them a chance"--they invited us over for dinner for the following week!

That experience--along with a couple of others over the past couple of weeks--has made me very excited for the work we will have on our plate in the near future. The Lord is truly blessing us!

The verse I chose this week teaches a principle that I often discuss with people on the street. We meet a lot of people who don't believe in anything because they don't think about it and feel like they can get by without any sort of faith in anything. For these people who have no real religious background, we teach to their level and promise them that a faith in God makes a difference in our life. A difference that is noticeable and positive. Once someone has experienced that difference, they no longer have to believe that it makes a difference because they have literally experienced it themselves.

Each of us has had experiences in our lives that we base our thoughts, decisions, and quite frankly our entire lives on. Things that we know to be true and faithful because we have experienced them for ourselves. But we can't know something is true until we first exercise the faith necessary to try. I would encourage each of you to reflect on what those experiences are that are the building blocks of your life and make a goal to plant a new seed of faith to experiment with.

Gain a testimony of one more thing this week.

Love,

Elder Cummings

Amos 3:7

(Aldste Cummings)

Hello everybody!

I hope you all had a great week, because we sure did!

On Wednesday, I met my new companion and son, Elder Burns! He's a stud from Connecticut, so we have the East Coast thing in common which is super fun. He's a hard worker and loves learning the language and is already making great progress with it! On the train ride down, he was able to bear his testimony to potentially change the life of a man we sat with in the dining car. The man very quickly recognized us as servants of the Lord and revealed to us his most personal thoughts and feelings--feelings that he had never shared with anyone else.

The man was especially touched by the fire in Elder Burns' eyes and the strength of his spirit. He broke down in tears when he discovered that they both shared the same name: Anthony. The man gave us his number and we sent it along to the missionaries in his area where they will contact and try to help him come yet closer to Christ. Way to go, Elder Burns!

This week, we were privileged to hear from the Lord's Prophet, Apostles, and other ordained servants during the Church's semi-annual General Conference. What and experience it was to listen to them speak and receive the witness of the Spirit that this truly is the Lord's church and is led by living prophets. I testify that President Nelson is a Prophet of God who not only receives revelation for the Church, but also the entire world. I would encourage each and every one of you to listen to and obey the counsel he reveals from the Lord. After all, "surely the LORD GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets"(Amos 3:7).

Have a great week!

Love,

Äldste Cummings

1. Three generational photo. From left to right, Elder Martineau (My father, Elder Burns' grandfather), Me (Elder Martineau's son, Elder Burn's father), and Elder Burns (Elder Martineau's grandson, my son).

2.  No more ice on the sea!

3. Elder Burns and I in stan.

4. Kebab pizza.

5. Elder Burns and I as we point to our assigned proselyting area.