Many Many Miracles

Wow this week has been crazy! For one thing, due to my lovely companion's injury, We have a car! Just in time for the freezing rain, slush, and snowy combo! It has really been quite the event to try to not only drive the car but park the car in a snowy big city. But I guess all those times of my father pulling the emergency brake so I would know what to do in the event of a fishtail has actually paid off.

So we are now enjoying the luxuries of being able to feel our toes in -31 degrees Celsius. Which has only happened once so far. But Ironically this happened to be the one day that somehow our balcony door was pushed open, we're blaming Alfred our friend pigeon. So after a long day of rushing around to the four corners of West Montreal we get home to a freezing cold apartment. Insanely cold actually. We had to break the ice in the toilet to be able to actually use the thing and then had to pour hot water down so the pipes would unfreeze...which was probably not smart to do so in that order but hey it worked. =D All four of us in the apartment put on a million layers of clothings and slept with hand warmers in our slippers. It was cold, and ironically one line from "Let it Go" was stuck in my head. "The cold never bothered me anyway". But hey! I've heard that I can now become a Canadian Citizen after passing this trial by ice. =D

There have been so many miracles this week. With members so willing to give more than half of the contents of their cabinets to a family in need. Answers to prayers right and left and not only that but being able to be safe.

I realized recently that I have written about many of our lessons that we have out here in Hochelaga so here is a miracle that happened just yesterday. We were headed off to the Wedding reception hall that our group meets in and it was locked. So our meeting was closed and we found ourselves over at a family’s house. While Sister Avaemai helped the mother cook lunch I helped her daughter work on her Personal Progress. Lulu is an amazing young woman who is getting baptized on Saturday along with the rest of her family, and we have been helping her get into personal progress. Before we started we said a prayer and discussed any questions that she had. She admitted that she was having concerns. That she wasn't sure she was making the right choice about being baptized. We talked about it a little bit and then I felt encouraged to speak to her about faith, which as many know is part of the personal progress program. We started reading Alma chapter 32 and stopped every once in a while to discuss about it. However after reading verse 31 she stopped. And started crying. Through sobs she said she had finally received her answer, this fourteen year old girl described her feelings as if she had a weight taken off her shoulders and that she could finally breath and not only that but she could fly. The spirit was with us and with her as she was able to find the answer to her prayers

I know that God loves us and he hears every one of our prayers. Please keep this wonderful family in your prayers this week as they prepare for baptism. Satan works his hardest with those who are growing. I love you all and thank you for your prayers that have kept me safe.

Love,

Sister Cummings

Great Week

Dear Friends and Family:

We had another great week. It's really fun being in a trio with Elder Reno and Elder Allen, and we've been learning a lot from each other over the last couple of weeks. This last Thursday I had the amazing opportunity to go back to Boynton Beach to hear from Elder Zwick, from the quorum of the 70. We had zone conference in the morning until 4, and then another meeting with all of the members of each ward council for about 3 stakes at 7 PM. Between the two meetings, I had the opportunity to drive around and visit a few of my recent converts, and try to help them come to church and progress in the gospel. I was really grateful to see them again and also to learn from Elder Zwick.

Here's a brief overview of the most promising of our current investigators:

Mary and Ghandi are still excited to be baptized, and we are still waiting on their paperwork to be completed and sent over from the Martial Islands. They will be married as soon as they get it, and then they will be baptized.

Mike is preparing to be baptized, but he is still struggling to overcome coffee. We'll work with him and try to get him ready for baptism this Sunday, which is what he wants to aim for as well.

Jacquito and Marie are still more interested in the church as more of a learning opportunity, and they don't feel ready to be baptized, but they have both agreed to be baptized this Sunday if God helps them to feel ready and as they come to know that it is true.

William did not come to church because of work. He wants to keep coming and to learn more and come closer to God, but he is adamant that he has already been baptized and that we don't necessarily need the gift of the Holy Ghost. We're going to try to focus on the Book of Mormon as a way to come closer to God, and also to know that the church really has been restored and that it is Jesus Christ's true church.

Yesterday, after church, we received a miracle referral. A member who was feeding us invited one of her friends in the neighborhood to come over to eat with us. Her friend is excited to learn more and to come to church. We'll be meeting with them again tomorrow, after Zone Training.

So, what was the name you all decided to use for the new dog?

Thanks,

Elder Slade

Little time

I don`t have much time today but I would like to leave with you a little story.

One of the object lessons that my companion loves to use is one involving a dozen nails and a bottle cap. You poke one nail through the bottle cap so as to make a stand. The point is to put all the nails balanced on the one nail without touching the ground or the nail, only the nail head. After about five minutes of letting those we teach puzzle that out we explain more by asking, what is life? They members of the family share little things that they think is part of life, such as family, church, school etc. etc. and we stack the nails in a certain way. We then make the connection that this one nail that stands in the middle is Jesus Christ. After balancing the careful constructed apparatus on top of the nail, we explain further. We talk about how sometimes parts of our lives seem to fall apart, at this point one of us aggressively hits the table. Obviously the nails on top of the one nail fall, but not the one. Not the one that is Jesus Christ.

It happened one time when during the lesson it clicked. I realized something that I couldn`t believe I hadn`t seen before. Christ as we know was the only perfect being. Which got me thinking what would I do if I was perfect? Wouldn`t that mean that I could do everything perfectly? So what would be stopping me from taking over the world? Yet he didn`t. He was born in a stable. He came to minister not to be ministered unto. He came and let them take his life because he loved us. He loved us so much that he gave that one gift that is treasured above everything else. I know that my redeemer lives, I know that he gave his life so that we may  live with peace and comfort in this life and the one to come. I know these things with all my heart and I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to serve my God, the one who served me, to share this message with the people of Montreal. I love you all and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen

Sister Cummings

Po-Fou

Dear friends and family:

We had a wonderful week. It was my first week together in a tricompanionship with the two Spanish missionaries in our ward. I've never been in a tricompanionship before, and I have to admit, it is much harder to teach coherently or to stay focused. There are many benefits - for example, we can go on splits and get twice as much work done with only one member, and it's much harder to fall into the rut of being rote when we meet new people because there's too much variable in who talks when. And all in all, we worked hard and accomplished standards! ... almost.

If we had had two more investigators in sacrament, two more lessons with recent converts or less active members, and just one more member blessing, then we would have accomplished standards. It was going to be my second week on my mission where we do it. We were so close! But no cigar. That's what this next week is for, I guess.

We had three people come to church early enough to see the sacrament.

First, there's William. He speaks English, and he's very intelligent. So intelligent, in fact, that he takes almost nothing we say at face value and insists on looking everything up. He's had a lot of experience with religious theory, and some of the issues he has right now are that he doesn't believe in modern-day prophets, and he doesn't believe in eternal marriage or families. But he's willing to listen, and he comes to church, so we're going to focus on the Book of Mormon and help him resolve his own questions and issues. He's very fun to talk to, but unfortunately just a little bit too fun.

Next are Jacquito P-L.  and his wife, Marie Margarette. They are friends of some Haitian members who just recently moved here from Haiti. (Jacquito's friend was the branch president over there, in fact.) They loved church, but Jacquito is still unsure about baptism because he doesn't like the idea of organized religion. We're going over to see them again tonight at 6:15.

Other than that, we have a few other people who we're working with who came late or had decently legitimate excuses not to come to church.

In other news, my family just got a new dog! They are trying to decide between Po and Lexie. I like Po, but I suggested Po-fou as a possible alternative because it means "crazy skin" in Haitian Creole.

I was accepted to BYU-Idaho, I still don't know about BYU-Provo, but either way I was looking at the courses that they offer and BYU-Provo has a more extensive computer science department from what I can tell. I'm going to try to get permission to look online for a few other colleges that I might try to apply to as well.

Thanks,

Elder Slade

Christmas in the Hospital

Christmas was amazing! I am so so so so so so so so happy I was able to see my family. Even if my brothers are now taller than me and Jared is growing a beard... Anyways We spent the holiday visiting families and spreading the holiday spirit! So you may be wondering why I have titled this email as such. Well part of spreading the holiday spirit was passing a soccer ball while waiting for one of the members of the family to drive us to our next appointment. And Sister Avaemai is too good at soccer, so good that the ball couldn't even keep up! This being the case she twisted her ankle in a rather morbid manner which resulted in us attending a two hour long edition of Canada Healthcare: Christmas Emergency Room Edition. The result of which was a nurse informing us that we could pay eight hundred dollars and treat it tonight or eighty and treat it the next day. So we chose the latter and spent the very next day attending the second season running at four hours of Canada Healthcare: Boxing Day Emergency Room Clinic Edition. Oh ya! Had no idea what Boxing day was until I got to Canada, its like Black Friday for Christmas. Anyways the doctor informed us that her ankle wasn't broken it was just severely sprained. It was after this that Sister Avaemai informed me that her name in French actually means "Bad Feet." Isn't that ironic =D

Anyways after many hours of resting and icing her foot Sister Avaemai was able to jump back into the life of the missionary, well not literally. Anyways that brings me to this week’s miracle. We were in the process of traveling which here in our area takes about an hour to get anywhere by no matter which form of transportation (bus, metro, and walking.) So we had just gotten off one bus when we realized our next bus was just about to take off. At that moment God gave Sister Avaemai's ankle strength, we both can testify. She came from barely able to walk to sprinting faster than I and being able to get on that bus. We got onto the bus and both of us were a little shocked that we made it but then we realized why. Sister Avaemai immediately recognized a man who had been one of our investigators but who we had lost contact with when he had traveled to Haiti for a family problem. It turns out yet again we were in the right spot at the right time, for this man had just lost his Sister. We were able to talk about the Plan of Salvation and later on that night the Elders gave him a priesthood blessing.

For it seems the third week in a row the Lord has showed me that he sends his servants where they need to be and prepares them to do what they need to do. In school we are taught about how a plot line works in reference to stories, how there's the build up, the climax and the exposition. I have come to realize that every moment in our lives is its own separate plot line. Every moment we are prepared to handle, whether it be hard or easy. The Lord prepares his servants to fulfill his work, and I am so blessed to see this. It has been already six months that I have been on my mission and the thought of leaving my mission fills me with a bittersweet feeling. I don't want to leave this life, being a missionary has filled me with such joy that I cannot even start to explain it. I am so glad that I still have a year to experience more. I know that my Father in Heaven loves me and I see everyday that he loves everyone. I say these things in the Name of Jesus Christ

Craziest Week

Dear friends and family:

This may have been the craziest week I have had in my mission. It started off slow, for the first few days before Christmas. In general people were less and less willing to open their doors to missionaries because of the business of the season, but we saw many miracles despite that.

On Christmas Eve, we had two meal appointments. The first one unexpectedly turned into a service project because the members forgot to mention they wanted us to stay afterward to do something, but luckily we could cancel all of our appointments and we had a fun time. Later that night, we ate over at Hma Posas' house. (A mi me gusta las baliadas!) Then we slept over at the AP's house so that we could spend Christmas morning together. (I may or may not have opened all of my presents over the last few weeks due to impatience. Regardless, it was fun.) Thank you all for your packages and letters and everything you have and continue to do for me!

Another member offered to feed us all breakfast on Christmas day. (She feeds us at least once a week, sometimes more.) It was delicious. Later that day, we skyped with our families. I saw Britney for the first time in more than 2 years, and Becky and Jeremy and Thomas and Claire for the first time since I left in September a little more than a year ago. It was really fun.

This is where things get really crazy. I haven't mentioned it before, but Elder Hunt has a medical problem that has been bugging him for a while. We had an appointment with President Richardson to talk about it on Saturday. The conclusion that they came to was that it would be better for Elder Hunt to return home for a few months, resolve the problem, and then return and complete his mission later. President made a few calls, set up a flight on Sunday morning, and we were obliged to spend the rest of Saturday packing so that he would be ready to leave on time. Now, Elder Hunt is gone. My area is temporarily combined with Fort Lauderdale South, a Spanish area. We'll be a tri-companionship for the rest of the transfer. (All of January and into February.) My new companions are Elder Allen and Elder Reno.

Surprised? Me too.

Another thing that happened this week, in a galaxy far, far away, is that my family went to the temple and was sealed together again because we adopted Nathan a while ago. I forgot which day it was exactly, so I couldn't celebrate at the same time, but I'm just as happy as all of you!

Wow, typing emails takes a long time. I'm about out of time, until next week.

Thanks, Elder Slade

Christmas

Dear Friends and Family:

Elder Hunt and I are so excited to be working and preaching the gospel here in Florida for this Christmas season! We don't miss the snow even a little bit!

As far as we can tell, we will start Skyping around 2 or 2:30 PM (our time). But it's still up in the air a little, so if this doesn't work for all of you and you are online when I send this, respond quickly so I can try to work out a better time. Otherwise, I'll talk to you this Thursday!

We're really excited to go out and find Christmas week miracles! I remember last Christmas being slightly odd for me. Christmas came really suddenly, and it really just felt like any other day, other than getting to talk to all of you. This Christmas will be different. I have a personal goal to be happy and cheerful and to be excited about and help other people be excited about the birth of our Savior! (Not that it actually occurred in December, but that's OK.)

This last week was a little rough for Elder Hunt and me. We went out and worked, and we had several people who committed to come to church, who seemed to have a genuine desire and commitment to come. Even our most promising investigator, Johnesha, had a last minute emergency and... slept in too late. None of our investigators came. We were discouraged and upset, and we finished the day worn out unhappy. But this morning during studies and as we have been preparing for this week we have been able to raise our spirits a lot and raise our visions for the potential miracles and blessings this season can bring.

One of the strengths we had this week was, again, our member work. We exceeded standards in member-present lessons, and we had a member out with us almost every day. One of the things that we have decided to do to improve is to be more consistent with our work ethic and motivation each day, so that we can use every day to its fullest potential.

In other news, I was accepted into BYU-Idaho a few days ago. I just found out today. I'm still waiting on finding out if I am accepted into BYU, which I probably won't know until some time in February. And my mission still doesn't end until September 3rd. But it's comforting to know that at least one of the plans I made for after my mission is working out.

Thanks, Elder Slade