(Elder Cummings)
Hey y'all!!
This week has been like no other, let me run it down for ya
real quick:
Monday night: We got word that Hurricane Zeta was heading
straight for New Orleans and that we needed to leave the next morning. We
packed and got everything ready and had to cancel on many of our plans we had
the next couple days. (WE WERE TOLD 2 NIGHTS)
Tuesday: Left at 8:30, we stopped at WAFFLE HOUSE realizing
it would probably be our most real meal the next couple days. Drove 3 hours to
Alexandria, to figure out that 12 Elders were gonna be living in a 2 bedroom
apartment the next two nights. Got to meet a ton of different missionaries who
are all awesome.
Wednesday: I woke up on a deflated air mattress(will not be
the only time this week). Went an played dodgeball with the other Elders, then
drove about 30 minutes to the middle of no where to meet the other half of my
district, who were staying at another missionary apartment, for some district
council. So cool, we would've driven farther but then we'd lose service and
that's a bad idea.
Thursday: I woke up on a deflated air mattress(you probably
see the picture by now). Then all 12 of us and about 6 other missionaries went
to the Food Bank and packed meals for the needy and homeless for about 3 hours.
After that we spent the rest of the day studying and calling people in our area
to make sure they're ok and seeing if we could do anything for them(assuming we
would be back the next day). And then we learned that we would be staying
indefinitely until we were directed to go back to New Orleans.
Friday: Woke up(you know). We went to the Food bank again
and put together meals for another 3+ hours. Met some awesome people there. One
guy had the last name Prayer! So cool. Then we learned that our apartment back
in New Orleans didn't have power still. All our meat and milk...gone. There was
some lamenting and gnashing of teeth, but man we were having a great time the
gnashing of teeth ended as soon as it commenced. We then spent the rest of the
day calling and making sure people were okay, setting up lessons for next week,
etc etc. We talked to some awesome people we had never met before but were more
than willing to meet with us again!
Saturday: Woke up! this time in an actual bed, which was
nice. Did our studies and reading, then went to a Brother's house who was doing
construction. He wasn't a member but had some church friends and we were
invited as well. We then spent the next 3 hours scraping off wood slats glued
to his floor. THAT was a workout let me tell you, I haven't worked that hard in
a long time. Reminded me of construction/demolition working for Bro Vines.
Thank you for teaching me how to keep breaking and destroying stuff even when
I'm tired and don't want to.
Sunday: Woke up, back in a deflated air mattress(too much to
explain why). We went to the church service their and listened to wonderful
testimonies given by people of all ages from 6 to 87. All bearing truth of
Jesus Christ's divinity his role as our Savior. Amazing. Then we learned we
finally had power back home! We packed up and made the 3 hour drive back to
throw out all the meat and milk.
Sorry for the long explanation, this week was just too
awesome to not talk about. It sounds kind of hard and not so awesome but let me
tell you: I slept great, despite basically sleeping on the ground by about 2 in
the morning. I got to serve people like every day!! When you lose yourself, you
find yourself. When you focus on others, you realize your problems matter so
much less. And now, for one of the greatest miracles I think, which brings me
to the title of the email. I basically survived 6 days on instant oatmeal,
protein powder, and peanut butter sandwiches. Every once in a while some
members would give us some snacks, had 2 meals from them as well, which was
much appreciated. But besides that, I was somehow completely ok with basically
nothing, and it lasted! If that doesn't remind you of the miracle of the loaves
and the fishes I don't what does.
I'd like to share my testimony that service really is the
key to so many problems. Now serving others doesn't usually solve your
problems, but man does it make everything easier. It makes your problems seem
more manageable, less stressful, and easier to overcome. It makes you happier!
Wow! and therefore your happy even though you have problems! How crazy is that.
Christ really does speak the truth when he says: "For whosoever will save
his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the
gospel’s, the same shall save it". When we lose ourselves in serving
others, like Christ would, we will find a happy, meaningful life despite what
challenges we have.
What a wild week! Thank y'all for reading the whole thing🤣here
are some pics
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