Alma 29:3

(Aldste Cummings)

Tjena tjena!

This week was really fun. We went to Malmö for zone conference and I got to see a ton of good buds. A lot of my former companions were there and it was so fun to see them all and catch up and say goodbye before I go. I also had the opportunity to bear my testimony at my last zone conference which was special. I didn't really think about what I was going to say at all until I actually went up and just said what was on my heart.

I have often imagined how it would feel to be so close to going back home and honestly nothing feels like I imagined it would. It's such a strange feeling.

This week was also Midsommar which is when Swedes celebrate the longest day of the year. Very pagan and very Swedish and very fun. Swedes are o-b-s-e-s-s-e-d with the weather and especially with good weather. As soon as the sun comes out, everyone sunbathes all day. Especially older people. I can't tell you how many half-naked old Swedish people with dark, leathery skin I've seen this summer alone.

To celebrate Midsommar one:

1. Sets up a big pole in the shape of a pagan fertility symbol.

2. Dances around said pole while singing goofy Swedish folk songs.

3. Eats potatoes and pickled herring.

4. (Optional) Parties all night and gets absolutely wasted.

Big fun.

The potatoes at Midsommar are unbelievably good, though. I have no idea why. You can buy them really really cheap the week of (like, 80-90% off of the original price) and they taste so much better. They're incredibly soft and creamy. People down here call them "nypotatis" which translates to "new potatoes" so maybe they're the first fruits of the harvest or something, I don't really know. But they're really really good.

Swedish people eat potatoes at nearly every single meal. It's probably the most defining characteristic of Swedish cuisine. I have asked multiple people what Swedes used to eat before potatoes were first discovered by the Europeans on the American continents and I have not ever gotten an answer. It seems to confuse them. As if they had never questioned that potatoes were not Swedish to begin with.

This week I was also able to have my "exit interview" with President Youngberg before going home. Something he said really struck me. He said "If the Savior came into this room right now He would hug you and thank you for the service you have given. He would likely then apologize for the suffering you experienced as His representative. He would never, not once, say anything about what you could have done better or differently. It's not in His character. He would not discuss the past, just the present and the future."

That calmed a lot of my apprehensions about going home and helped me feel at peace knowing that He is thankful for the service I have provided--despite my shortcomings. Also this week, I read some notes I took directly after I was set apart as a missionary and it was incredibly fulfilling and spiritual to see how each and every one of the blessings I was blessed with then came to fruition in my mission.

I still have one week left, but I now know that the Lord is happy with my mission and that I have accomplished what He sent me here to accomplish and I have become the person He sent me here to become. I'm far from perfect, but that's okay. I have my life ahead of me to grow even more. To use the words of Alma, I feel "content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me"(Alma 29:3).

Have a great week!

Love,

Äldste Cummings

(Sorry, no pictures this week 😢)

1 Corinthians 3:6

(Aldste Cummings)

Tjena tjena

This week was pretty great.

Lately we've been trying to reach out to some inactive members to invite them to come to our church open house in a couple weeks. So we swung by one of them only to find that they weren't home. But! We looked over to our right and saw that the apartment right next to them had the same name listed on it as another inactive member whose address we hadn't been able to find using Sweden's creepy websites that show all the names, ages, phone numbers, addresses, and social security numbers of everyone in Sweden. Intrigued, we decided that we might as well knock on the door and it turns out that it actually was that member family! We were able to talk to the son and his friend and get them hyped about learning more about the Book of Mormon. We're gonna go back this week. Crazy miracle, though. What are the odds of that?

The next day, I was basically out for the count because I got slammed with a sinus infection that night. The first time I've been sick on my whole mission. I also had never stained a shirt or tie my whole mission until about 2 months ago and now literally all but 2 of my shirts and a handfull ties are stained. I'm starting to feel that the Lord is taking away the protective blessings I had been receiving as a missionary to prepare me for regular life again.

But my sickly disposition did not keep us from playing minigolf that evening with the men from our ward. No sir! It was really fun and while we were there, we ran into the same couple that we ran into at the library about a month ago (remember? The one that I had met in Karlskrona over a year ago?). It turns out that they lost the contact information we had given them and we were able to get their info instead. I hope they recognize the miracle behind this too. If that's not God I don't know what is.

I saved one of the people we visited this week from committing a grievous sin. See the picture below. Just doing my duty. "Preach repentance and [turn around backwards toiletpaper rolls]."

Apropos the whole God-taking-away-protective-blessings thing, we were walking in town yesterday when a seagull decided that I was a tactically expedient target for their war on humans. So Anola Gay dropped Fat Man on my backpack and the resulting mushroom cloud left both Elder Childs and I with bird guano on our suits. Not fun. I guess that's what I get for making fun of Elder Seely for getting hit that one time.

Other than all that, I think the only other thing worth reporting this week is that I was surprised to figure out that someone I and Elder Burns contacted in Karlskrona over a year ago was baptized by my "son" Elder Seely in Norrköping on Saturday! Her name was Sawsan and she was the sweetest woman. She came to church once but we didn't see it going anywhere and a couple months after I left, the missionaries there felt like they should reach out to her. One thing led to another and now she is a baptized member of the Church of Jesus Christ. Incredible and a truly pleasant surprise. This is the Lord's work and He takes care of His children who are searching for him.

Have a great week!

Love,

Äldste Cummings

Pictures (they may be out of order)

 1. High school graduation. It was wild.

2. Best picture of my life.

3. "though your sins be as [a backwards roll of toiletpaper], they shall be as [a forward facing roll of toiletpaper]"(Isaiah 1:18).

4. Sawsan's baptism (ft. Elder Seely).

Alma 29:10

(Aldste Cummings)

Hej allihopa!

This week was really fun. It's crazy that I'm sitting here writing an email to you all yet again. If my calculations are correct, this is the 99th email I have sent out. That's a lot of emails. Most weeks, I've really enjoyed writing them. It's sad that after this I will only write 3 more.

This week was just filled with so many simple experiences with people I love that will be memories I will never forget.

On Tuesday we went out to fly model planes with one of our friends. It was so fun. He really appreciates our company because he's recently experienced a loss in his family and being with us and talking with us gives him comfort and makes him happy. I'm so glad we were able to meet him and minister to him as Christ would. I love him so much.

On Wednesday we had a lesson scheduled and had a man from the ward meet us at the church to help us teach but the person we were teaching was late and we just sat outside with this hilarious Finnish man talking about his life and hearing his testimony.

Also on Wednesday we got an SOS text from a friend of our in the ward wondering how one makes a tasty banana milkshake so we quickly threw some stuff together to try it out ourselves, drove to the church, and then video-chatted with her on Facebook and walked her through how to make a banana milkshake while we drank our milkshake on our side and we all talked deeply about the things of God. The ironic thing was that due to lack of adequate ingredients, the milkshake Elder Child's and I made was legitimately terrible but we were able to help her make an actually tasty one while also hearing her inspiring testimony.

On Thursday, we were blessed with the opportunity to live every missionary's dream of attending an outdoor band concert for Swedish kids with 1-2 years of music experience on Sweden's national holiday.

Afterwards, Bishop drove us out to visit a member family who hadn't been participating in church for a long time. The spirit was strong as we all--especially Bishop--testified of the peace that comes from a strong personal relationship with Christ. And later we were able to talk to their three kids and get them excited to join our ward choir (that's right, the choir is still alive and kicking) and they'll be joining their voices to ours on Sunday next week.

On Friday, we spent some time outside in a park getting to know a member from Iran better and learning more about how we can help him help his family and friends receive the joy of the Gospel. After that, we played innebandy and our favorite Sri Lankan friend/big brother, Dilpa just happened to be back in town after his move to Jönköping and we were able to see him and catch up with him again.

On Saturday, we visited the home of someone we're teaching with our Irani member to teach a man from Syria who had long had contact with members and the church about God's plan for us in this life and the next. The spirit was strong and God's love abounded. Afterwards, we walked out to their lot in the community garden with him and his 4  year-old son and he gave us a couple handfuls of fresh green onion right out of the ground.

On Sunday, our choir performed as ragtag and glorious as ever. Our Syrian friend couldn't make it to the meeting but stilled showed up for the last ten minutes to hear the messages shared and say hello to his church family before leaving to help his wife run errands. I was also able to sit down with a friend of ours who has been struggling for a while and have a deep heart to heart about prayer and his inspiring spiritual maturity.

Also on Sunday, I sat in a car between the Bishop's twin 8 year-old sons:

Twins: *whispering and gesturing behind my back and laughing*

Me: What are you two laughing about?

Twin 1: Nothing. *giggles*

Twin 2: *giggles*

Twin 1: You have small ears.

Twin 2: Baby ears.

Twins and Me: *Laughs hysterically*

Sunday evening, we were able to spend some time in the home of some members. At some point during the visit, the children were in the other room playing while the parents and we missionaries sat at the table listening to a minute or two of a Swedish audio book about a little girl who collects farts in jars.

Sorry that the email ended up being so long but it was actually very uplifting and therapeutic for me to reflect on all the beautiful memories that I gained this week in the work of the Lord. There is joy that comes by reflection and remembering how the Lord has touched you and others through you. This week was wonderful and I'm know the coming week will be just as fulfilling.

Have a great week!

Love,

Äldste Cummings

1. Found Bambi on the side of the road (don't worry, it scurried off of the road very shortly after this picture was taken).

2. Fly, fly, fly...

3. Music to my ears.
4. Onion party.

2 Nephi 33:10

(Aldste Cummings)

Quote of the week:

"Det känns som hela Malmö är ett ghetto."

This week was really fun. The first half of it was rainy and chilly but now it's warming up! The Sun was out this morning and we didn't need to wear our jackets. But now it's raining again. Whoopie.

On Thursday I went on exchanges with Elder Norin, a Swedish missionary serving in Sweden. It was really fun to just speak Swedish together *almost* the whole time. For some reason, everything sounds so much funnier if a Swedish person says it in Swedish.

When Elder Norin and I were together, we went out to find a returning member who lived out by the beach. The sisters had the car that day and the buses didn't quite get us all the way out there so we spent about 25 minutes walking in the rain. And then we got to the address only to find that there were no buildings there! Every map application we had shows buildings there but apparently they had been taken down at some point because all that was left was large rectangular patches of dirt where buildings used to be. We don't need to be worried about her, however, because apparently her entire apartment complex was righteous enough to get taken up to heaven like the city of Enoch and we didn't make the cut.

On Sunday we were again swinging by another returning member whose building did still exist but it was locked with a code on the outside so we couldn't come in. Another woman stepped out and we asked her if she knew the woman we were trying to get in contact with. The conversation that ensued was probably the most Swedish thing ever:

Me: Does [name withheld] live in this building?

Her: I don't know. *looks back at list of all 8 residents living there* Yeah, apparently she does. But I don't think I dare let you guys in.

Me: Oh, well, can you at least give her this note from us?

Her: No, I don't know her.

Me: *confused look* ...

Her: She doesn't even live on my floor.

That conversation happened. In real life. Luckily, we were able to find a phone number to that woman and talk to her and invite her to our ward party.

This week we were able to teach a man about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith. In pondering and studying about it in the days prior, I think I truly realized for the first time the joy that lies at the heart of the Restoration. Think about it. God loves us as much as He has ever loved His children. Knowing that questions and corruptions about doctrine of His nature, Christ's mission, and remission of sins and salvation would arise after the death of the apostles, He restored the truth through a prophet exactly as He had throughout the history of the Bible. We need not content ourselves with confusion and misdirection or a partial picture of the truth. He actively offers it to us!

As I was thinking about this, we drove by a man feverishly paging through a book while walking down the street. The thought came to me: "If that man truly understood the claim made by our message of the Restoration, he would be just as diligently be poring over the Book of Mormon to ascertain its truth."

Hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Äldste Cummings

1. This guy's house got me feeling like I'm knocking on Downton Abbey.

2. If you close your eyes you can imagine that her apartment building is there.

3. This is what it looks like outside at 10:30 PM

4. I went to Harvard.

5. Some beautiful flowers lining the highway.

D & C 64:34

(Aldste Cummings)

Tjabbatjabbadoooooo

The skies are continuing to hold back the warmth and sunshine that we hardworking Halmstad missionaries deserve. Last year, it didn't rain all throughout the months of May, June, and July and it was absolutely incredible but also extremely unusual for Sweden. So basically, my first Swedish summer wasn't Swedish at all and gave me abominably high expectations of what a Swedish summer is like. Talk about false advertising.

This week we officially said goodbye to Elder Seely. It was sad to see him go but 🅱ig 🅱oy is on to 🅱igger and 🅱etter things.

Elder Childs, my new companion is from Utah and has only been in Sweden for 3 months now. He loves cooking and he makes some good eats. He's training me to properly cook for myself in college. He's super creative with missionary work and always has ideas that I had never thought of. It's exciting to try the new ideas but also nerve-wracking sometimes. You know what they say "You []will have a difficult time of] teach[ing] an old [missionary] new [methods of proselyting and finding the elect]!"

I also got a haircut today. I haven't gone to an actual hairdresser for more than a year and I haven't cut the hair on top of my head since Elder Dumas and I executed President's Order 66 with the Great Buzz of '18.

Other than that, I have little to report about the work here in Halmstad. Things are moving, sometimes not the way that we would like it to, but we're diligently working to spread the joyful message of the Restoration of the Gospel with Heavenly Father's children in this lovely city.

A little food for thought before I close off: All of us are imperfect and sometimes may feel unable to do what the Lord requires of us. President Eyring put it this way: "If you told me that you feel perfectly capable of fulfilling your...duties, I might worry that you do not understand them"("Walk with Me," April 2017 General Conference). But lucky for us, God knows that we can't do it ourselves and He intended it to be that way. In the face of daunting tasks, we are made humble and turn to the Lord with all "[our] heart and a willing mind"(D&C 64:34), and that's all He requires to use us as His instruments to work miracles.

Have a great week!

Love,

Äldste Cummings

 1. This salt attributes this quote by Jesus Christ to "Someone you can rely on."

2. Last companionship selfie 😢

3. Last afro pic before the haircut.

4. After the big clip.

5. Throwback.

Jacob 6:5

(Aldste Cummings)

Tjena stora hundar,

This week was way fun. Because it was the last week of the transfer and all the members wanted to make sure they covered their bases before any of the missionaries got the boot, we had tons of meals with everyone to say goodbye.

Just yesterday, we got news about transfers. Elder Seely will be transferring to a city a little southwest of Stockholm. It will be sad to see him go. The last of Papa Cummings' little birdies is leaving the nest.

In his place is coming Elder Childs. I know very little about this man, but soon will I know more. He'll be coming here on Wednesday and has been assigned to do the dirty work of "killing" me. That is to say, be my last companion before I finish my mission. It will be a wild ride.

On Monday we went back to the families of the girls that followed us around that one time (see my email two weeks ago), and we gave their families invitations to come to our ward activity next month. Unfortunately, they weren't interested in hearing more of our message, but they appreciated that we came back.

But wait! There's more. On Tuesday we traveled out to that same area again to visit someone and the little girls were out again. They followed us around (again) asking after every door if the people "wanted to talk about Jesus." Then, we figured out that they had already knocked on all the doors in the neighborhood with the flyer to our activity to invite all their neighbors to come to "the two American guys' church party:" It was so adorable.

On Wednesday, we were running late and we ended up having to do our companionship study at the library in town instead of going back to our apartment. As we were leaving, I saw a familiar face in the library lobby (ha try saying that 5 times fast*). I stopped for a second to try to place where I had seen the woman while Elder Seely kept walking and I called for him to come with as I then turned back to run over and say hi. Turns out, this woman and her boyfriend who were living in Karlskrona who were taught by the sister missionaries and wanted to be baptized there over a year ago but were not able to for various reasons had moved here to Halmstad! They had lost contact with the church and the missionaries but then I (probably one of 2 missionaries in the whole mission who would recognize them) was transferred here and we were late that specific day and I just happened to make eye contact with her as we were walking out of the library. Holy cow. The odds of that are simply insane. God is aware of each and every one of His children and He cares enough about them to give them countless chances to come closer to Him.

We're praying that this couple again feels the joy of the gospel and recognizes the love that God is extending toward them in this second chance. He is always there reaching out to us. He asks only that we, as Jacob affectionately puts it "cleave unto [Him] as he cleaveth unto [us]."

Have a great week!

Love,

Äldste Cummings

*Just kidding, it's not that hard.

Pictures

1. Elder Seely and I accidentally stumbled on Halmstad's hidden South Pacific-looking pirate cove thing. Pretty rad.

2. Sri Lankan food. It was to die for.

3. We fulfilled our dreams of walking through a canola field with the coolest Sri Lankan couple ever and a couple of Swedish kiddos.

3 Nephi 27:12-15

(Aldste Cummings)

Tjenare,

This week was rather chill. A lot of things we had scheduled were canceled or rescheduled for the next week. What can you do, it's just how it goes sometimes.

We had a good week anyway, though. The first half was cold and rainy but it feels like things are starting to warm up now again. Although it just rained like half an hour ago so I might be eating my words here in a day or two.

Something fun was that I went on exchanges to a city south of us called Helsingborg to be with my former companion, Elder Nelson! It was so fun to be back together. It didn't even feel like anything at changed.

One evening while Elder Seely and I were knocking doors, this woman opened and politely said that she was Christian but wasn't interested in learning more about other churches, I then asked "How long have you been Christian?" and she threw open the door and yelled at us to show her ID or she was going to call the police and we were a little confused as to what it was she wanted us to show her--I thought maybe, just maybe, this was going to be the first and only time on my mission I would have to show someone my ministerial certificate but I didn't even have it on me--and she made us show anything with our name and picture on it so I gave her my New Jersey driver's license and she asked me questions about how long I had lived in Sweden and why and such and then she just gave it back to me and angrily told us to leave the premises or she would call the police. It was wild. She went from 0 to 100 right quick.

This week, we taught a lesson to a Christian man. It started going pretty well, but as we got deeper in, we began to realize that maybe he didn't know as much about Jesus Christ as he thought. We asked him about what he believes about Christ and he answered that after having read the Bible and other literature about Jesus, he had come to the conclusion that Christ was an alcoholic because he drank so much wine, that he did not understand the Law of Moses because he preached conflicting doctrine, that although he was the Son of God, he was not able to save himself from the mobs that arrested and later condemned him, that he did not speak up to Pilate and Herod because he didn't want to try to defend himself against the charges because he was too burned out from all of the responsibility of being the King of the Jews and the Son of God and he wanted to die to escape the stress, and that he didn't actually die but boogied on over to India instead after visiting his apostles a little bit.

"Just det."

I'm so thankful for the Book of Mormon's unequivocal witness of Jesus Christ's role as our Lawgiver, Savior, and as the Son of the Living God. Listening to this man who somehow could reason his conclusions with the doctrine in the Bible made me realize how much the Book of Mormon clarifies about the Savior's life and mission. It really is the keystone of my testimony and understanding of the Savior. What a book, I love it and the enlightening power it has in my life. I encourage you all to read and explore it and apply its teachings.

Love,

Äldste Cummings

1. I knit that.

2. That's one sleepy cowgirl.

3.That's one sad cowgirl.

Mosiah 5:7

(Aldste Cummings)

Hey folks,

I do not have a lot of time today. So I'll have to make this short.

The Sun has hid its smiling face and it's chilly and rainy outside. Summer and Spring seemed to have switched places this year.

On Thursday, we were in Malmö for Zone Conference and it was super fun. All but 2 of my currently serving companions were there and I was able to reunite will them all. I love all those guys. I even got to get a picture with my two "sons."

Dilpa was baptized on Saturday! Although he's been being taught by the sister's, we've been working pretty closely with him and we've gotten really tight. I love that guy. He's the greatest. He's so humble and has so much excitement in his heart for the Gospel. The Lord is going to do great things with him.

We also had an incredible dinner with Mauro and Sara. Mauro made some delicious Venezuelan food and we had a good old chat with them. They came to church the next morning and Mauro was telling us that we were gonna see a "different Mauro" when he comes cause he takes church seriously. He was right. What a man. I love those two.

Sorry for the short email. I hope you guys all have a great week!

Love,

Äldste Cummings

1. Oh, we made a giant fire, by the way.

2. Family Portrait (Yes, I'm on my tippy-toes).
3. Boys will be boys.
4. Jag orkar inte förklara.

5. Cool castle from the 1500's.

Mormon 8:15

(Aldste Cummings)

Hej hej hej hej hej,

Trying something new with this email. A little "stream of consciousness" action here. 1920's style, baby. Mm.

This week flew by. It was unbelievable. It freaks me out a little bit because if time keeps going faster then I have a lot I feel like I need to accomplish in these last 9 weeks.

Honestly, I don't even know what to say because almost nothing particularly remarkable happened. I don't even know why this week went so fast.

We filled in the big hole! We had to fill it back up with the giant rocks, gravel, sand, and then dirt. So now that hole (get it) thing is done. It was a long journey, but certainly worth it. You know what they say: "Maybe the real hole was the friends we made along the way."

Yup...

I don't know. I have literally nothing to say. My brain simply isn't working.

Oh wait! I remembered something. While we were knocking doors yesterday, a gaggle of 10 year-old girls noticed us and asked us about what we were doing there and they started following us from door to door and waiting excitedly to hear how our conversations went with the people we talked to. They even hid behind some bushes one time and jumped out to scare us. Spooky. It was really fun. By the end, they asked us to come back to their families with copies of the Book of Mormon and invitations to come to a church activity so we'll be visiting their families at some point.

What else. Hmmm. I'm not sure there is much more I can say here. I think I might move on to the more spiritually fulfilling part of my letter.

I'm so thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and it's Restoration through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Much can be said of him, but I believe that Mormon said it best when he prophesied that the Book of Mormon would only be translated by God's power and by someone whose eye is single to His glory. So much more light and truth has been revealed to the world through the Prophet Joseph's humble ministry and his service and devotion to our Savior Jesus Christ. I'm so thankful for him.

Have a great week!

Love,

Äldste Cummings

1. Supreeeeeeeme.

2. These tulips made me think of my mom ❤.

3.  Field full of genuine Swedish Canola. Sights like this are very common in Southern Sweden where canola oil is one of the biggest exports.

4. The girls wouldn't let us take a picture with them so I drew this one instead. Hoppas det smakar.

John 16:33

(Aldste Cummings)

Tjabba grabbar

 You guys are in for a treat today. What a big week.

 On Tuesday I had the privilege of donning my new jobbabyxor and hitting the big dig to commission them. It was funny, the first thing the member we helped said when he saw us was "Nice pants! Are they new?" 😎

 After the big dig we hit the big eat with some Sri Lankan friends of ours. It was the Sri Lankan New Year this week so they made us some really tasty traditional New Year food. They made us eat with our hands and just kept feeding us more and more. We were so full when we left.

 After the big eat came the big boy because I turned twenty on Wednesday. Woooo. It was a little sad to be away from my friends and family but it was a great birthday anyway. Elder Seely and I made some Peanut Butter Pie to celebrate. Big yum.

 Then came the big stink 🤭. So over the weekend we had a couple dinner appointments and on the way home from one of them, I was having a little tummy troubles kan man säga. While we were waiting for the train, I figured I would let out what gas I could while we were outside and before we got on the train. I didn't look around but I was pretty confident we were alone but even then the gas ended up being far louder than I had expected and I was startled when I heard a man's voice from about 2 meters behind me chuckle and say "nice." In a frantic moment of decisiveness, I determined that the only way we could walk out of this without embarrassment was if this man thought we were cool so I once again whipped out our secret missionary weapon: English.

 I just turned around and said "Timeless classic, amiright?" and Elder Seely and I immediately hit it off with this guy. He was so cool. He had lived in Barbados for like 6 years and was a hotel manager in a city a little south of here. He sat with us on the train and we just talked all about what we do as missionaries and talked about the Gospel. Every time we said something about how we live our lives as missionaries that people usually respond very surprised to or are impressed by, it didn't seem to faze him at all. Then he said "Sorry you guys probably think I'm super mellow but actually this is all blowing my mind but I don't know how to express my amazement without swearing."

 By the end of the conversation, he had gratefully accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon and said that our conversation had opened his eyes and may or may not have "changed [his] life." So that was pretty incredible. We'll be meeting him again soon to talk more about it. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

 After the big stink 🤭 came the big fun. In Sweden, Easter is a very big holiday despite the fact that nearly no one celebrates it for the original religious purpose. Friday through Sunday was chock-full of house parties with members and it was so great. Most of the ward is extended family so it was basically the same party with the same people in three different locations for over a period of three days. Wild. Needless to say, it gave the little kiddos plenty of opportunities to steal our nametags and run around with them. The most fun was probably when we got all the kids to settle down and play a game that didn't involve stealing and running and we started playing a game I learned from the youth in Gothenburg which ends up with everyone making hilarious animal noises at each other. Bishop's dog and our ward mission leader's cow impressions were priceless.

Oh, I also took my really worn out shoes and sewed them up with stuff I found in the apartment. Big good if I do say so myself.

Despite all the craziness this week, it felt good to take some time each day to ponder on the life, death, and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know He lives and that His power is real. When we turn to him, we feel how the very power that gave Him life again can give us peace, health, and happiness again. There is safety in His love and we can overcome everything before us because He has already overcome the world through his perfect life and infinite Atonement.

Have a great week!

Love,

Äldste Cummings

 1. "He touched the [rice]."

2. That's right. I live here (pt.19).

3. The children treated us to a spirited spectacle of equestrian showjumping.

4. Before.

5. After.

6. Dilpa's first Easter egg.

John 4:19

(Aldste Cummings)

tjena tjena

This week was tons of fun. I feel like I always say that but I guess that means it's always true.

While walking over a bridge across the river that runs through the middle of Halmstad, I saw a low-flying seagull approaching. As it neared, I saw the B-17 Flying Fortress release it's payload and watched startled as the explosive projectile barreled toward us. Instinctively, I switched into emergency mode and as any good companion and mission-father would do, I dodged the incendiary device and allowed it to make contact on Elder Seely's left knee. Nice try, seagull 👀.

So in Sweden, anyone and everyone who works with their hands owns at least one pair of "jobbabyxor" or workpants. What started out years ago as a very durable pant with convenient pockets hanging from the waistband has now become massive array of fashion-forward options to choose from; perfectly combining style and practicality. I talked to a member here who owns his own construction company about his pants and his face lit up and he and I talked about all the different brands, styles, materials, and accessories that can provide varying levels of durability, comfort, breathability, and style. Unbeknownst to me, not all jobbabyxor are created equal. He inspired me to go out and buy my own pair. Now tomorrow when we go back to dig that big hole again, I can confidently and comfortably strut my stuff.

We had our first choir performance this week! It went incredibly well. Our pianist was transferred last week so I hurriedly tried to learn the song and was able to get it down pretty well but not as well as I would have liked but come Sunday, we found that a senior missionary couple ending their missions in Oslo were visiting our ward and what do you know the woman could play piano and stepped in to accompany us while her husband sang bass to support the lonesome Elder Seely. Conducting the choir during our performance in sacrament meeting and seeing our our ragtag choir's smiling faces made me overjoyed. Dream come true.

One of our choir members' mom came to church to watch the performance although not having been to a sacrament meeting for many years. She shared a very sweet testimony during the meeting and said something that really touched me. She said "I believe that if we were on a deserted island with no books or anything, we could still have a loving relationship with God."

I agree. I testify that God loves us and no matter where we are or what we do or what we know, He is reaching out to us and wants us to feel His love. Easter is the perfect time of year to reflect on the love God has for each one of us. He loved us enough to send His Only Begotten to die for us that through Him we might be saved. Give yourselves opportunities this week to ponder on the infinite love God has for us and how it is perfectly embodied in Christ's life and death and life again. I know He lives and that His power and love is real.

Have a great week!

Love,

Äldste Cummings

1. 🅱ig 🅱oy got poo🅱ed on.

2. This guy's yard had us dying.

3. Jobbabyxor baby 😍

4. No explanation needed.

5. Choir picture for the yearbook.

D & C 11:9

(Aldste Cummings)

Hey everybody!

This week was pretty crazy. We got a lot of stuff done and had tons of fun.

On Monday, we and the sister missionaries had a little game night with the father and daughter that came to church last week. To make a long story short, we starting playing a Swedish card game, and ended up forming a ward choir. We ran the idea by the bishop--who had already asked us to find a way to provide more musical numbers for our worship services--and he was all for it and wanted to join the choir himself. So on Sunday, we had our first choir practice between sessions of General Conference. It was glorious. The choir itself was only 5 people, 1 accompanist, and 1 director (me haha). It's not the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square under the direction of Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy with Andrew Unsworth and Brian Mathias at the organ but we do our best. All you need is a willing heart. "Therefore, if ye have desires to [sing] ye are called to the [choir]" (D&C 4:3).

Wednesday, we went to a local high school to talk to some English classes. It was really really fun. The students were well behaved and talkative which helped a lot. They asked lots of good questions and we told them all about American culture and showed them pictures of our houses on Google Earth and taught them some American slang words. I couldn't remember any slang words other than "sauce" and honestly, I'm not sure what people are saying nowadays so we started telling them mission lingo that has worked it's way into the missionaries vocabulary here. Stuff like "big dog," or "big boy," or "dad." Really funny stuff. By the end of it, you could hear them calling each other "biiiig boyyyyy." Good content.

On Wednesday we went down to a city a little south of us to visit a couple that were taught and baptized by my good friend, Elder BIRD. I had heard a lot about them so it was so fun to actually meet them and get to know them and hear their stories. The husband is from Venezuela and has a pretty crazy backstory which has resulted in a number of things. One of them being that he has some pretty sick dribbling moves in basketball. He wiped the floor with us. I love them so much already.

Speaking of basketball, between sessions of General Conference, three 15 year old Swedish kids biked to the church parking lot and started playing basketball on the outdoor hoops. We decided to challenge them to a game of basketball. So, knowing that this would only work if they thought we were cool, I used our secret missionary weapon: English. I just walked up to them and said "Hey big dogs you wanna ball?" and we were in. We played basketball with them for about an hour and beat them pretty badly but we all had a good laugh by the end.

For those of you who don't know, we had something called General Conference this weekend which was many hours of inspired teachings and guidance from the leaders of the Church who we believe to be prophets and apostles who are given inspiration from God to convey His messages to us. This time around was as good as always and full of plenty of great counsel and specifically loving calls to repentance. President Nelson is particularly adept at given correction and encouragement to shape up, so to speak. I think it's exciting. It's always good to know that there is still room for improvement. The more we repent, or in other words, the more we change the way we think, feel, and live to be more in accordance with God's will, the closer we come to Christ. Isn't that wonderful?

Have a great week!

Love,

Äldste Cummings

1. Mauro and Sara sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g 😘.

2. Elder Seely was really self-conscious about sweating through his pants after a gentle 15 minute bike ride until we discovered that the culprit was the cracked leather on the bike seat and the soaking wet foam underneath.

3. Big Boyyyyyys

4. Eating tons of candy for General Conference. Timeless classic.

John 13:34

(Aldste Cummings)

Hallå!

This week was great. We've seen some really exciting things happen.

Zone Conference was on Wednesday which was way fun. It was nice to catch up with some old pals and hear some inspired guidance from our mission leaders and mission president. There was a lot of really good stuff shared, but my biggest take away was that we need to exercise more faith.

On Saturday, we went out to help a member "dig a lot." That was how they described the project. We showed up with some other members of the ward and find that what they meant by "dig a lot" was "dig A LOT." Yes, that was emboldened, italicized, and underlined.

We ended up digging practically nonstop for nearly 7 hours to dig this big 'ol hole in the ground. It was about 25 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 6 feet deep. What made it even harder was Sweden's notoriously rocky soil. There were rocks everywhere. Some of them were rather small. About the size of a baseball. Most of them were about the size of a basketball and were up to like 65-70 pounds. But there were a couple of 🅱ig 🅱oys that were probably upwards of 300 pounds. We had enough rocks to make a huge pile about 5 feet tall and then a shorter rock mound about 30 feet long on the other side of the house. It was insane. Elder Seely and I could hardly move the next morning. Luckily we knew to lift with the knees👖 and not the back 🙇so we're gonna be good 🏋😤.

This week, we were able to make some exciting progress with a man and his daughter who haven't been to church in a long while. It was cool to see how the Lord was able to put us where we needed to be in order to help them this week. They came to church on Sunday and expressed their intentions to continue coming and to come back to full participation.

It's always heartwarming to see people make those steps in their life to come to Christ or, in this case, come back to Christ. It doesn't make us happy because we will have more members or anything. It makes us happy because we know the joy and peace they they can receive as a result. A truly converted disciple of Christ understands that peace and wants nothing more than for others to experience it just as Christ would.

Jesus is the Christ. He feels the peace that He brings literally all the time. His greatest desire is that other's feel that peace too because He loves us. As we learn to love others as He loves us, we begin to feel that same desire.

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Love,

Äldste Cummings

1. Ferrari Hatchback? Didn't know they were making those.

2. Can you dig it?

3. "I'm with the homies" -Kendrick Lamar

4. "Eye Test" 😂