Missionary Stories

Dear family,

Today I wanted to share with you some of the amazing examples of member missionary work that we have seen this week, because we all know that when it comes to missionary work, the success rate for an individual accepting the gospel is about 10 billion times more when invited by a member than when invited by a missionary!

1. Hayley has been dating a guy from her work. They have had lots of gospel discussions, and this week she invited him to see Meet the Mormons with her! After the movie she invited Monroe to learn from us. It's interesting that Monroe told her that he won't meet with us, because he knows that if he meets with us he will join, and he is afraid of that because he knows his family would not approve. Hayley's family disowned her after her baptism and still haven't talked to her since then, so she can absolutely relate to what he is feeling. What I love about Hayley's missionary work is that she considers herself a success! She isn't a success because Monroe said yes or because he's now getting baptized, but shes a success because she INVITED! You succeed when you invite! Hayley celebrated her success by inviting Emma to go to the temple with her this Wednesday. There's nothing like hearing that your recent convert invited your other recent convert to go to the temple with her. :)

2. Heather's main fellowshipper has been a girl in our ward named Krissy. Lots of love for Krissy! This week Krissy invited her friend Marina to get pizza with her, and while there they got into a discussion about the plan of salvation. Krissy drew out the plan of salvation on a pizza box, and afterwards invited Marina to see Meet the Mormons with her. Just like Hayley did, Krissy invited Marina to take the missionary discussions afterwards! Marina said she wanted to think about it, and the next day she contacted Krissy and told her that she actually really would love to met with us! We're meeting Marina later this week. When Krissy told us about this experience she told us that she couldn't think of a time that she has felt greater joy.

3. We had dinner with the family of a girl in our ward last night- The Allens- who are amazing examples to me! They have two sons on missions, and they invite their  nonmember friends over for dinner every Sunday. Their family tradition is that they always do their family Book of Mormon reading right after dinner- before anyone gets up and before any dishes are done. What was amazing about this family's missionary work is that they were simply being themselves. There was no show, and no trying to shy away from having the gospel conversations that are a normal part of their lives. When it comes to sharing the gospel we need to be very direct and very loving. There is no need to wait to build up a friendship with someone or to "plant seeds" or to "prepare someone" to be asked to hear about the gospel. We simply share, and we share by making the gospel such an ingrained part of our lives that if we were to invite a nonmember to our home for dinner, they would see that the gospel is simply our way of life. I wish you all could enjoy dinner with the Allen's! There was such an incredible spirit in their home. I know that the friedn they had there felt it!

There is no greater joy than can be found from sharing the gospel! I know that as you pray for the strength to be brave, and as you open your mouths to invite EVERYONE you will see miracles happen not just in the lives of those you shared the gospel with but in yours as well. Your testimony is not yours until you share it, and you cannot enjoy the full blessings and joy of the gospel until you give it to someone else. Our Heavenly Father's work will go forth with or without our help, but I certainly don't want to miss out on the joy of being an instrument in His hands, and I can promise that you won't want to miss out on that either.

Lots of love!

Sister Slade

P.S. I can't wait to hear about all of your missionary experiences! You're running out of time to write me, so if I haven't head from you so far... don't procrastinate the day of your repentance. Better get on that :)

Good Week

Dear Friends and Family:

We had a good week again. We're still working on getting the area up and running, but we've got a few solid investigators we're working with now. They were both miracles in how we found them. I'll explain that a little later.

All three investigators that we had in sacrament were miracle people that we weren't expecting. Two of them are kids, one of which is in a part-member family. We're trying to meet with the parents/guardians for them to get them coming to church and preparing for baptism.

And the third person in church in a man named Christian. He seemed like a member at first, and apparently he has been going to church on and off for the last five years, but he had never been baptized. We invited him to be baptized this next week, and he accepted. We're going to go tour the temple tonight with him, and we'll probably have the baptismal interview tomorrow. But he's already decided who he wants to perform the baptism, and who he wants to perform and stand in on the confirmation. He was a miracle, but I've never before had a miracle that has required so little maintenance. We've already gone over the baptism interview questions in a mock interview, and he pretty much doesn't have a problem with anything.

Another person that I want to talk about, even though he didn't come to church, is Hayward W. Elder Kwon and Elder Reno found him together while on exchanges. They both said it was the most "perfect" harvest blessing they have ever had, like it was scripted. He didn't come to church because of a miscommunication on our part. We've had two lessons so far, but he has been one of the most elect investigators I've ever taught as well.

God is providing so many people for us to teach. I can't wait to keep working and finding and teaching more and more! And I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve now in Fort Lauderdale.

I'm excited to hear about all of the changes to the house. I don't really remember what it looked like, for the most part, so it was going to look pretty new to me too.

Have any of you seen Meet the Mormons? You should go and see it. I can't, because it's in theaters and we're not allowed to go. But I've heard it's amazing.

Thanks,

Elder Slade

Staying in Silverlake!

Dear family,

Heather got up in Sacrament meeting yesterday to share her testimony of the atonement and how Christ brings forgiveness of sins. She got a little bit emotional. I may have gotten a little bit emotional too.

LJ is doing great. We were a little bit concerned at our second lesson because it seemed that feeling the spirit so powerfully in our first lesson had scared him. Heather felt that he was backing off a little bit because he recognized that a witness from the spirit meant accountability which meant change. LJ is native american, and very connected to his culture. He has expressed concerns about how he is the chief pipe carrier for his tribe. Whenever someone in the family dies he does some sort of ceremony with smoking his chinoopa. He says he wouldn't want to ever give up the tobacco, simply because of how closely it connects him to his family and culture. In our third lesson we talked about the Book of Mormon and he seemed to have opened up again though! Please keep him in your prayers!

Zahra is still bravely preparing for baptism on November 2nd! We talked about temples and family history a lot this week and she is excited to take her family names, including her dads name, to the temple to have their work be done. I love when truly converted investigators develop an instant fascination with the temple! It's because they feel the spirit and they recognize how good and true it is! Zahra invited her teacher to her baptism and gave her a Book of Mormon this week!

We have a few other investigators that aren't progressing as rapidly but they'll get there. We spend a ton of time finding. I think it comes with being a missionary, but that's especially the case in YSA. This week in weekly planning we felt like we received revelation for some new and interesting ways we can find this week, so we'll see what happens as we implement them this week.

I have really been loving my studies recently! A while back Heather and I were both reading in 3rd Nephi so I challenged her to see which of us could finish the Book of Mormon first. I've never been so happy to have someone beat me! I did finish the Book of Mormon last week though, so this week I'm starting over and I'm trying something a little bit different. There was an elder we used to split the ward with that was writing the Book of Mormon as he read, so that he could gain a new appreciation for what it must have been like for them to etch words into gold plates. It takes me about half an hour per page, so I'm only in 1 Nephi Chapter 3, but it has been an amazing and unique experience so far! I'm finding that it forces me to slow down and think about each sentence and even word. Nephi feels so real to me! I think I've learned more about the first 3 chapters of the Book of Mormon in the past week than I've ever learned before! For example, this morning the words "thou and thy brothers" stood out to me in 1 Nephi 3:4. Lehi knew his sons. He knew how hardhearted they were, so he must have known how much trouble they would cause if he tried sending them back to Jerusalem to get the plates. So this morning I thought, why wouldn't Lehi just send Nephi and Sam? Wouldn't that have been so much easier? Why would he send Nephi's brothers as well? I think it's because even though he knew their hearts, he still wanted to give them the opportunity to choose right. How often does Heavenly Father do this for us, even those of us who aren't quite as stiffnecked as Laman and Lemuel were? Then I thought about how if God wanted he could put a giant mormon.org card in the sky and everyone would know that they need to be baptized and people would be lining up outside the font and everything would be so much simpler. But instead Heavenly Father chose me and you, as weak and inadequate as we are, to share the gospel. It's humbling to think that he would give us that kind of a mission. What does this one verse tell us about the way that we should be viewing ourselves and the way we should be viewing others? I'll leave the answer to that one to you all. :)

Transfer calls were today and it looks like my dying area will be............. Silverlake YSA! Sister Smith and I are also staying together for a third transfer which we are super excited about. Sister Smith taught me how to speak jibberish this week. We worked on it all day wednesday and I think I finally got it down! Heldagel Lodago, mydagy nadagame idagis Britagit Neydagey Sladagade. Apparently it's a "real" language, almost as widely used as pig latin... don't worry, I'll be sure to enlighten you all when I get back. :)

Love ya lots and lots!

Love, Sister Slade

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yup I'm serious. Canada celebrates their thanksgiving on the thirteenth of October this year. And how are we as missionaries celebrating? By hiking a million kilometres in the hills and vales of Quebec's countryside. I would send you pictures but I just realized I left my camera in the apartment. Just trust me that it was beautiful with amazing waterfalls and brilliantly colored leaves.

This week we traveled to Montreal twice and guess who drove in Montreal? Twice? THIS GIRL! Whoops I mean Sister... I think I might be able to take on New York City after my mission but right now that's still a big step. Anyways we had a wonderful time both days receiving training. Its strange to think that in only two weeks I will no longer be a greenie... and in only a week and a half that I would have completed 2/9ths of my mission. Yikes!! I don't want it to end! I want to forever be a missionary! Even with all the awkward moments it brings.

Speaking of awkward moments. Have you ever gone to a dance and been told you can't dance and have to speak another language? Not to mention that it is in fact a wedding... Here's the story, the bride is from this area and actually served her mission in Montreal. Its strange but that happens a lot here, probably having to do with how different a culture this is here than other places in the world. I mean it pretty much has its own language, anyways she was getting married and needed help decorating. Naturally us service-hungry missionaries stepped up to the plate and graciously helped decorate. We were then invited to the wedding where we awkwardly stood in the door for two seconds then ran to the kitchen to help put plates together for the dinner. We finish that and are pretty much herded into the hall. After about an hour of talking and fighting the urge to dance I get a tap on my shoulder. It is the father of the bride asking me if I could sing something for everyone. We had to leave in five minutes so I said no. And then magically our loving Mission President and his family walk into the hall, aka awkward moment got more awkward. Just as we were about to leave I get another tap on my shoulder, but this time its my mission president. He says "I understand you won't sing because you will be late. Well I give you permission to be late." Well shoot, that really translates to "you're singing." Luckily Sister Munive and I had been preparing to potentially sing in sacrament meeting so they rolled in the piano and I sang "C'est L'amour" which I forget how it translates to English but it is in the children's songbook just next to the song with a picture of the wheelchair. Our performance was yet again another spiritual moment. I love being a missionary in other ways than one. My voice was how I originally found my testimony and by sharing it with others it strengthens me so much in the realization of how much of a blessing God has given me to be able to sing and have others hear. I look forward to every opportunity I am given to sing.

A testimony isn't just a talk given at a pulpit every first Sunday of the month. A testimony can be shared in so many more ways than that. For me I have found it easiest through song, but I have seen others testimonies through poetry, through painting, and even just living their lives. Don't ever hold back a testimony. You may not know who but someone is always there to receive it.

I love you all with the wholeness of my heart,

Soeur Cummings

Toured Boeing

Dear family,

I'm late emailing today because Sister Smith, Sister Wikstrom and Sister Tennant (some other sisters we have been living with the past few weeks) went this morning to tour Boeing! I've been wanting to tour Boeing for months now, and it was definitely worth it! It is the biggest building in the world, and not only is the building huge but the planes are HUGE! Some of which go through the assembly line and are finished in just a few days. Crazy!

The highlight of this week was that we had our first official lesson with LJ, and it was a powerful experience! The lesson started out a little rough and neither sister Smith or I felt like we were being given what to say or what questions to ask, but we both kept praying and at the end we were somehow given the right words. LJ said the prayer afterwards and we all knelt quietly for a good 5 minutes, the spirit was so strong. Finally Sister Smith asked LJ how he was feeling, and he started crying and said "I don't know." Sister Smith explained to him that what he was feeling was the spirit, and he just cried some more and nodded. There is nothing like seeing a grown man break down and weep because of the spirit that he feels.

The assistants asked Sister Smith and I to give instruction at Mission Leader Counsel this week. We've had to teach at zone meetings and interviews before, but this was just plain scary! Basically we taught President Bonham, the assistants, the zone leaders, and Sister Training Leaders in the mission about companionship study. It was intimidating and I felt pretty inadequate but it actually turned out to be a success! I talked a little bit about some of the principles I learned from my parents and watching their companionship and how those things apply to our companionships and helping our investigator "kids." I don't know if any of you knew this, but I have some pretty amazing parents!

What about that conference! It gets better and better every year! With all those talks about following the prophet, Sister Smith and I were sitting on the edge of our seats waiting for President Monson to do something crazy like call the Saints to Missouri or lower the age for missionaries or something! Next conference. :)

Love, Sister Slade

Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite?

Dear Friends and Family:

My new area is Fort Lauderdale, East. We cover part of the Fort Lauderdale 2nd Ward in English, and all of it in Creole. We have a car. It looks like an awesome area.

My new companion is Elder Kwon. He's awesome as well. This is only his fifth transfer, but he is already such a great missionary. He had everything prepared when I came into the area.

It has been a great week. We're trying to get the area up and running again at the moment, because Elder Jackson had a problem with his knee and so couldn't do much work in the area. But we should be able to get the area to a healthy state in another week or so.

Yesterday was probably the most chaotic Sunday I've ever had on my mission. The most bizarre part occurred after general conference finished. We had a meal appointment with a part-member family at 6:30. Then, we found out that the meal appointment was actually a surprise birthday party for one of the members of the family. This should have sent warning bells ringing through our heads, but we trusted that we could still get in and out in an hour.

The party was delayed, as we were waiting for all of the guests and then the birthday boy (55-year-old Frè Michel) to arrive. Eventually, we had a brilliant idea to invite an investigator to come over to the party with us, because it was at the church and so we could give him a chapel tour afterwards. We got permission from the hosts of the party and then we went off in search of some guests.

The first family we tried declined, because they had to wait for another family member to return home first. So we continued inviting other people. One family decided to come. So we returned to the church with them and introduced them to the actually party guests. They started eating and talking. Then... the first family we invited showed up as well. As well as another member of the family who had decided to come, who came towing several neighborhood friends with him as well. All in all, our guests almost numbered more than the actual guests.

Then we had to do a chapel tour, so we invited Frè Michel to come and do it with us. He was fantastic, and helped many of our guests become more familiar with the church. Then the night ended.

It was so crazy. We literally crashed the party. On accident.

Our biggest potential baptism for this Sunday is Marie Eugene, who is a part of a part-member family who is looking forward to being baptized. She is the last member of the family who has not yet been baptized. They all came to general conference with us for one of the sessions.

As always, I loved general conference. It has meant much more to me on my mission than at any time before. The more effort we put into spiritually preparing for conference, the more we can get out of it; and I was able to get much more out of it this time around than ever before as well. Unfortunately, I realized that I only have one more general conference on my mission; when the next October general conference comes around, I will have been home for about a month. It's sad, but I am still resolved to use the rest of my time on my mission as wisely and as effectively as I can.

I'm sorry to hear about the bedbug problem you are all having, my dear family. I feel like I can empathize, though. There are bedbugs in my new apartment. I think I may be allergic to bedbugs, however, because all of the bites I've gotten so far have swollen up a massive amount as well. Have you tried to use a steamer to kill the bugs in your mattresses? That is what they have us doing here in Florida. It seems to work decently well.

I'm sorry to hear about Rick Reidhead. I'm glad he's getting married, but I'm less than happy to hear about the rest.

In terms of things that I need at the moment, the short answer is I don't. I'm good for now, I'll let you know if I think of anything in the meantime.

Thanks for everything,

Elder Slade

The Way the World Works

What is the way the world works? Very little people know that I am/was not only studying Civil Engineering before my mission but also a minor in Philosophy. I love thinking about how things work whether it be forces working on an object or the forces working around us. As I mentioned in my past letter General Conference was this weekend and I had advised to you to approach it with a question. Well I did the same, and I saw the benefit of that. I believe I now know how the world works. It is simply belief and the unending, undimmed Love of God.

This was the first time I ever took true notes during General Conference. Before I would sort of pay attention and maybe design a house, or shell a million and two eggs for a giant egg salad. In short I was not being the student God needed me to be so that he could touch my heart with certain knowledge. However this conference I was there. I was fully awake with my pen in hand, writing the things that I felt rather than summaries of what was being said. Attached is a lovely picture of my study journal and of course the amazing pen my ever amazing District Leader gave me. (Look! Its a feather!! May or may not have felt like I was in Hogwarts...) In essence I truly enjoyed the words of encouragement and even the hidden words of chastisement that help us to continue farther.

Now let me explain my point. We are all here on this beautiful Earth. Ever changing with the seasons and ever full of life. How did this get here? In fact how did We get here? By understanding that point we are able to understand everything about how the world works. As a Latter Day Saint, otherwise known as Mormons, We know the answers to these questions, in fact I don't know why it took the Prophet of the Lord to say something that made me realize that I knew the answer to what is the way the world works. All these answers can be found in what is called the Plan of Salvation or the Plan of Happiness. Before this life we lived with our father in heaven. I say Father because we are literally his spirit children, and as any father He wants us to be happy. But just as any children we wanted to be just like our father. Heavenly father has a body like we have now here on Earth but at the time We were without bodies, living only as spirits or intelligences. Knowing the desires of our hearts God and his first born son Jesus Christ created the world, the world we live in now. We were then sent here at this time to gain our bodies and in turn learn the things that only a body can teach us. Like pain, heartache and need, but also warmth, happiness and longing. This Earth and this body are living evidence of the Love of our Heavenly Father. The Genius behind it all is breathtaking. One needs just to look at a joint of a finger to know such a fact. Who would even think to put a bit of extra flabby skin on the joint so we could be able to bend it. Who would think of that? Only a Heavenly Father who loves us.

It is my testimony that I know our Father in Heaven loves us and I see his hand in every moment of my life here in Canada as a missionary and also in the lives of others. I have the privilege to bring others to the knowledge that someone out there does love them. And the someone out there cares for them. No matter the hardship, no matter the heartache, and no matter our feelings of inadequacy. He will Always love us. And I not only testify of this but I testify that I have a love for him. I love him because he blesses those I love, he gives me those things I need, and he gives me the courage to stand up as an example of the believers with His son's name blazing on the plaque I wear as a missionary. I know that my father lives and I know that He loves us. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

With all my heart,

Sister Cummings