Icy Windshields

First off thank you for all of the wonderful Birthday wishes! Thats right world. I am officially two decades old. By statistics I am a fourth of my way through life. I am an old fogey… Just kidding! By some sort of miracle I was able to receive my birthday package from my family just before my birthday even though we don't receive mail so often out here on the south shore. Here is a picture of me modelling off one of my all-time favourite parts of the present. My family knows me WAY too well. Also this Saturday is Transfer calls…again!… So I will keep you updated =D

Now I don't have much time today but I just wanted to share something that I learned this week.

There was a point this past week which, as is very common with missionaries, my companion and I hit a slump. Everything seemed to be going wrong. We had woken up, planned amazing lessons, and even had time to practice role plays with these lessons. We were so excited. And then the unforgettable happened. One by one our lessons cancelled, until we were left with only one lesson that we hadn't had the time nor the thought to really prepare for. So we spent our time making phone calls, passing by formers and potentials, you know, missionary life. We ran into one of the members of our church, a wonderful girl my age named Kelly. She invited us out to lunch when she realized Sister Blanc had yet to partake of the beauty named Tim Hortons. Well we were able to talk to her. She is planning on going on a mission and has almost finished her papers. It was really sweet to hear about her testimony of how she chose to go on a mission. Well we offered her to do a mini mission with us! Which means she would be a missionary for three days, joining us in our apartment and everything. She excitedly said yes and we organized it for this weekend! Later on the member we had called to join us for this one lesson that had managed to stand had called and said that she wasn't able to come… It was frustrating. But we were able to all another member at last minute who was more than willing to come and accompany us. Through the spirit and the questions that this wonderful sister brought we were able to find out the true problem of why this man, who was a member, was not attending church. It was really inspiring.

With our day finished we headed to car. Scraped off the best we could the sometimes crazy amount of ice and snow on our car and jumped in to head home. There were obviously some parts that we were not able to scrape off which made it difficult to see. Except while driving I noticed something. If I focused on where I was going I could see perfectly. But if I were to focus on that ice I wouldn't be able to see a thing. This brought to mind the seemingly no good very bad day that Sister Blanc and I were having. I recognized that it was only that way because I was focusing on the ice. On the bad parts of the day. But if I looked at what we had accomplished I was able to see the beauty of the day and all that we were able to accomplish in the future.

Sometimes we focus on the obstructions. On the trials and heartache that we see in life. However there is always at least one clear spot that makes it possible to see through the heartache into the beauty that we call life. It is my testimony that we are all capable of everything that we need to accomplish and face in our lives here on Earth. A loving God would not give us more than we can't handle. I ask you to look past the ice on the windshield and pray that you may have the strength to do so.

I love you all and thank you so much for the prayers that you send my way

Sister Cummings

Rough Week

Dear friends and family:

Our week was a little rough. Our main focus this week was finding many new people to teach, because we baptized our teaching pool last week. We were able to get quite a few investigators and potential investigators, but unfortunately because of this focus we were lax on getting members out to teach with us, and as a result none of the new investigators we found came to church and many of them have lost the fire that they had when we first found them. We'll definitely be repenting this week, and making sure that we have members out with us at every possible opportunity.

Elder Peterson and I are still getting along great, and we're working together really well. One thing about him is that he almost always has a very high desire and motivation to work. He doesn't get distracted easily, and it's obvious that he is extremely converted to the gospel and to his purpose. And he's been really helpful to me with the goals that I have been working on to try to be a better missionary as well.

We've been able to have a lot of great spiritual experiences this week. We have had many miracles as we talk to people and leave prayers with them. Many of them have shared their testimony afterwards that they know that God sent us to them, and God knew that they needed a prayer because they've been going through a hard time in life. Even if they didn't come to church and they ultimately grew cold, it feels good to know that God was able to use me and my companion to help others feel how much he loves them.

I'm sorry to hear about the trouble that Sister Cummins is going through. I'll be praying for her.

I'm low on time to email today. Sorry!

Thanks for everything,

Elder Slade

Wonder of Wonders, Miracles of Miracles

I apologize in advance. I had written a beautiful email and then the internet shut down and it didn't save so this is a summary of what I had written.

This title is both referring to the wonderful baptism we had this week as well as the moment I had to partake of a magical liquid called Spruce Beer. As far as the latter goes. Spruce Beer. Heaven. Canada squished a spruce tree into a drinking bottle. It smells like Christmas. It tastes like Christmas. It is Christmas. And it is amazingly beautiful. Attached is my tribute to Spruce beer.*

*The described is in accordance with the word of wisdom being a drink in the form of a soft drink

Well besides that we saw a wonderful miracle this week. Our friend Martin got baptized! There was a happiness that filled the room! So large that I finally realized the truth in the statement a good friend of mine once shared, I couldn't help but write my feelings. They came out in the form of a small poem. Now I am no poet but I thought I would give it try because it seemed there was no other way to explain the happiness I was feeling. It goes like this

He enters in, regains his seat

Hair still dripping from his choice

The beloved baptism here been made

each drip doth hold a voice

Silently it fills the air

saying what heaven once released

In the heated plains of ancient time

this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.

What a wonderful world to be living in, where we have the restored gospel and with it the ability to baptize with the authority of God. That happiness that I felt in that baptismal room I know was the spirit whispering that God had accepted this wonderful choice that Martin had made. While conducting the closing hymn I could see I was not the only one who was crying. The spirit was so strong. It told me once again of the love that God has for his children. I know that this church is true and that it is the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful that I am out here on my mission to share this wonderful truth with all the world.

Thank you so much for all the prayers that you send my way. I feel the peace and love almost daily. Thank you so much. I love you all.

Sister Cummings

Chopsticks in Heaven

This title does not have to do with my…call it obsession… with using chopsticks. Although while I am on my high stool I might as well just say, they are one of the most amazing inventions known to mankind. Anyways what this title is actually referring to is a story that a Taiwanese member in our relief society shared. It goes like this

A man had a dream where he saw heaven and hell. In Hell, everyone was seated around a table full to the brim of the most delicious looking food. The only way they had to eat were these very long chopsticks and they were not able to bring the food to their mouths for they were so long. Thus the all the inhabitants thereof were starving and thin. The man said that in heaven it was the same with a giant table and giant chopsticks. However there the people would take food in their long chopsticks and give it to those sitting around them. They were all fat and happy.

I loved this story because it focused on one difference between salvation and suffering. That being team work. This life is not meant to be something that we deal with alone. We have been sent here in families and we make friends for a reason. The game of life is a team sport. When this truth is acknowledged one understands one of the many reasons why we attend church to hear and to teach others through our testimonies and life experiences. We can also understand why it is that there are missionaries, such as I, going out and teaching the gospel. We want others to have the same happiness that we have received. We want to invite them to the team so they can also help us achieve the prize. That being eternal life. But not only are there full time missionaries like me the church stresses the importance of missionary actions to the members. I am not sure if I am getting that point across right so here let me paint a picture.

This Saturday we are baptizing a wonderful investigator named Martin. Like many we teach he found the church by having a member friend who was willing to answer his questions. In fact his friend answered so many of his questions that we have been able to teach the Plan of Salvation lesson and the Gospel of Jesus Christ in one lesson as well as the entirety of the commandments. He is really amazing and had already read all of the manual that we receive as missionaries and the majority of the Book of Mormon. Please keep him in your prayers so that he will continue to have this amazing strength for his baptism this Valentines Day.

Martin has said on multiple occasions that if his friend had been scared to share that he was LDS and hadn't answered his questions he would not be making these sort of life choices. We full-time missionaries rely heavily on the members we are around. I challenge you this week to find someone in your group of friends who is ready to start being prepared to receive this gospel. Someone is ready. We have been promised by so many apostles and prophets by the power of God that there really is no way that there isn't. Then give this name to the missionaries. They can help you so much.

I love you so much and I thank you for the prayers you send my way

Baptisms

Dear friends and family:

We've had a great week. We had two baptisms on Saturday, for Jacquito P-L. and his wife, Marie. They, along with Olriche G. (who was baptized last week) were confirmed yesterday. Elder Peterson and I are thrilled to have had so much success this last week, and we're excited to make this transfer the best one we've ever had.

Elder Peterson is a really great missionary. He isn't afraid to go and talk to anybody, and he gets along with everyone. We have slightly different styles of tracting when we knock on doors, but we'll work out the rough edges in another week or so. Elder Peterson loves computers, and worked in IT before his mission, so we have a lot of things in common. (Although, he doesn't program. I'll convert him if we have enough time together. :D)

One of the things that we are still struggling with is finding new investigators. This is especially a problem now, because after we split from a tricompanionship again, each area had half as many investigators in the first place. And now we have baptized all of our investigators, leaving only a few follow up appointments as a source of new investigators. But we made a goal of 5 baptisms in this month, and we still have all of this week to find the last two people, so they can come to church for two Sundays, and then be baptized on the 28th (the last day of the month, but still in February. :) ).

We have zone training tomorrow, for which we are very excited, and we're bien animados to have a wonderful month of February!

News on the bed bugs: they haven't really been biting that much over the last month or so. Occasionally we get one or two bites, but the problem seems to have been temporarily eradicated. What about you, my beloved family? Do you still have bed bugs?

Thank you for all of your letters of encouragement and your effort on my behalf. It's nice to hear from you and to see how you are doing. I have a few questions, for all of my siblings who are in school; what classes are you taking? What class is your favorite, and why? Your least favorite, and why? And... how do you feel about Britney being engaged? That was a surprise. I didn't see it coming at all.

Thanks,

Elder Slade

Not Leaving

Dear friends and family:

This week is transfers. The trio I am in with Elder Reno and Elder Allen is splitting up, but I'm staying in Fort Lauderdale East. I will meet my new companion tomorrow, and I'll tell all of you about him next Monday.

This transfer has been one of the most instructive that I have had on my mission so far. I learned a lot about dealing with personalities that are really not similar at all to my own, and about encouraging others and forcing myself to work, even when there are so many (perceived) reasons not to. I consider this transfer a huge success.

Two days ago, we had a baptism. His name was Georges Olriche. It was a miracle that it happened, really. It is the only eight-day baptism I have ever had on my mission. He had been attending church for several weeks in Haiti already, when he and his friend (the branch clerk) moved here to the United States, then contacted us for help getting to church again. So he came to church last week, and we had his interview on Saturday and his baptism just after Stake Conference on Sunday. Elder Allen was excited to baptize a Haitian, and to say the prayer in Haitian Creole. (You just might have to make him a Haitian Creole missionary if he keeps this up :D)

I'm excited to meet my new companion tomorrow, and to start to build up our area again. It's not in a terrible state, but it's only been worked about half of the time for the last five weeks, so I honestly don't have many investigators at the moment. Half of them are in Fort Laud South's area.

This week I have been trying to work on self-improvement and Christlike attributes more. This effort is because of a combination of trainings that we have received over the last few weeks, from Elder Zwick, President Current, and everyone at Stake Conference. What I resolved to do is to write out a 3x5 card every day during personal study with the answers to the following questions:

Where am I now?

Where do I want to be?

What will I do today to help me get there? (3-4 commitments that I can do throughout the day)

It hasn't been working very well so far, because I don't have a way to be accountable for it. So, this week I decided to ask my new companion to ask if I completed the card for that day. That way, I'll be more accountable and I also believe that it will help me build comp unity quickly.

In summary, the three of us are sad to be parting, but we'll get over it quickly when we see what else the Lord has in store for us.

Thanks,

Elder Slade

Short but Sweet

Diligence has been one of the biggest things I have wished to gain here on my mission. Coming in I knew that my work ethic was very far from what I needed it to be and now I have the opportunity to change that. It seems like every day out here in LeMoyne I am exhausted at the end of the day, but I have come to love this. For it means that I have worked my hardest, from the moment I lift my head at 6:30 until 10:30 when I put it back on the pillow.

Now I do not have much time at all but I did just want to share one thing. A good friend told me very wise words that I have since applied in the best way i could. This being. "Let your mission change you." This is the words that I wish to share with those who are on a mission or are preparing to leave on a mission, such as my brother. You have or will have the privilege to have the name of Jesus Christ on your chest. This badge is a promise. It is a badge that you will promise to do all that you can to bring the word of God to all the world. And within this is yourself. You have the opportunity change and the divine calling to change. "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve." 

For me I have chosen to work on diligence. With that I have seen myself not only change in this matter but as well in many attributes within this short period of time. It is my testimony that I have changed for the better and that you can to. And that you will if you let yourself. I love you all and enjoy receiving any news from any of you!