Back in Miami

Dear friends and family:

I'm back in Miami! It's time for round three!

Miami Shores Creole is by far my favorite area that I have served in. I'm so excited to find and teach the people who God has prepared for me here.

My new companion, Elder Storm, is doing great. He is Haitian! His first language(s) are Haitian Creole and French. His accent is going to help me! I really admire the fire that he has for the work. You could see it especially on Sunday morning, with how much energy he exhibited while we were rounding up for church. Without his diligent efforts we would not have been able to get Roberto, one of our investigators, a ride; but because of him, he came to church and is progressing towards baptism. It is a little rough sometimes to be his companion just because of communication issues. He speaks English well, but we misunderstand each other often due to our different cultures - cultures in the mission, as well as demographic cultures.

We had four investigators show up to Sacrament meeting. Our most promising investigator is named Roberto. Elder Storm and Elder Claude had been teaching him for about two weeks already, and now we're teaching him. He came to church for the first time this Sunday, and he really wants to be baptized. We've already made plans to see him every day so that he can be ready to be baptized.

All of the seven stakes in our mission are putting on a Creole Conference in about two weeks. It will be a full-day event, about all sorts of topics, mostly in relation with temples and family history. We've gotten a lot of people committed to come, and we can't wait to go there and to be a part of it. The new things that are happening in the church with regards to Haitians are fantastic, not the least of which is the new temple announced in Port-au-Prince.

Some of you already knew that I was back in Miami, from something on Facebook that Karen Putnam Guillian put out yesterday. She and her husband had moved to Miami the second time I served in Miami, over 8-9 months ago. We didn't know that we were related. It was only a few days/weeks ago that she read an email about Britney being married that she made the connection and thought that we might be related. Then, I came back into the area and we found out that she and my mom are cousins. We had no idea this whole time. (Note from Nancy...Brandon wasn't quite sure who Karen was when she introduced herself while she was there visiting her son, Brandon and his wife Camille, and new daughter...hence the confusion of Karen being Brandon's wife, not mother. I filled in the blanks when we were emailing today!)

It's also really interesting to see time pass. About nine months ago, shortly after Brandon Guillian became our ward mission leader, Elder Fisher and I were some of the first to get the announcement that Karen (Note again from Nancy: Camillle, not Karen)  Guillian was pregnant. (We just happened to be in the right place at the right time.) Now, I'm back, about a week after she gave birth. That really puts things into perspective for me. Time really is blowing by, extremely quickly!

Mother's day: I can't wait to skype with all of you! According to a letter from President, the rules have changed again. I can skype with you all for 40 minutes now, not just 30. Do you know if Britney and her new husband will be there? I'll call on Sunday morning for 1-2 minutes just to finalize plans, but it will probably be around 3-3:30, my time, when we actually start the call. What skype username will you all be using?

Thanks,

Elder Slade

Whale Noises

Well I don't have too much time at this moment but I would like to share with you a miracle. One of the many spiritual basis that our religion holds in common with many others is that of fasting. And I am here to testify of the reality of the power of a fast.

This Sunday my companion and I started a fast, or an avoidance of food or drink for achieving a higher spiritual state. We fasted specifically for the ability to find success in our area of Lemoyne. We have recently been realizing that many of our investigators are not progressing as we would like them to. We found ourselves after fasting about nine hours really really hungry. As in why is my stomach making whale noises, oh right I haven't eaten in who knows how long. But my companion and I had prayed and set a time that we would finish our fast. And we were determined. Sure enough after we had struggled through to the end we ate like Queens. It was a feast. However there was something special about the sacrifice that we had made. But we just continued on with our day until one moment when we were teaching a young man whom we were debating on dropping, suddenly all of his friends came into his house. He invited them to join us but they had preferred to stay in the next room over. We continued with lesson and then someone asked "are you the Jehovah's witnesses? You don't look like them." We looked over to see that all of his friends were in the doorway listening. We obviously took the moment to testify and to share about the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ on the Earth through Joseph Smith. Little by little the group was brought to the table until every ear and eye was focused on the words that we shared. That night we received six referrals and three new investigators. And when in general we struggle to even find one.

We were on our way home that night, hyped up that something so amazing had just happened when Sister Ford said "Its because of the fast." Her words hit home.

It was true. We had sacrificed a moment and had received so many blessings. I can testify that God loves his children and when one or many join in a prayer backed up by a sacrifice as little as hunger. He recognizes the love that we show him and the trust. I know that He answers our prayers. And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Transferring again

Dear friends and family:

I'm astonished that I am transferring again. I had resolved myself to serve in Fort Myers for the last four transfers of my mission, but I guess that's not where the Lord wants me to be at this time. Elder Parker and I are both determined to leave the area in a good condition, so the new missionaries can come in and take up where we left off. We're cleaning everything really well, making notes about weekly meetings and future appointments, which members are available usually to come out teaching, and other such information.

The Fort Myers stake has been trying to focus on contacting prospective elders - members who have the Aaronic priesthood, and who have been members for a long time, but who have never received the Melchizedek priesthood. That has been a large part of our efforts this week, and we have seen a few miracles from that. One of them we saw when we tried to visit an inactive member who is married to a nonmember, both of whom lived in Utah for several years. They let us come in to their gated community, which is surprising because as they told us, they rejected missionaries every time we tried to come over for several years. They allowed us to share a quick message from the scriptures, which brought in the spirit. He is not ready to come back just yet, but that gave us the opportunity for God to work in their hearts.

Elando was unfortunately unable to come to church this week, because he was in Bonita. But Jorkens, a 19-year-old Haitian investigator who just moved here from Haiti, came to church and can't wait to be baptized! He's a little hard to get in contact with, because he is still in High School and he is going to college almost every night in order to learn English, but it's a blessing that we were able to work with him and we will miss him a lot, even though we will not be here to see him baptized.

I don't know exactly what time I will be skyping on Mother's day, because I don't know exactly where I will be. But it most likely be in the early afternoon for me, which means late morning for you. What time is church in Rye? Also, which skype account will you be using?

I'm excited to hear about all of my cousins receiving their mission calls. Yes, Austin is in the Milan, Italy mission as well.

Thanks,

Elder Slade

Being a Missionary is Pretty Amazing

You know? Being a missionary is pretty amazing. It is as if you are always watching from the treasured court side seats and one of the most holy, miraculous and unforgettable basketball games known to man. In a nutshell? Beautiful. I get to see daily as the healing and loving hand of the savior in peoples lives and the comfort that it brings. One of the most amazing evidences of this love is the fact that we hold the holy power of God and it is always just a touch away, ready to be used.

We had a rather large scare this week that has strengthened my testimony on the importance of members in missionary work and miraculous power of the priesthood.

It had started off with asking a member to join us for a lesson with a less practicing member of our ward that we have worked with for a long time. Sometimes as missionaries we find that we are using the exact same members to join us for lessons and rarely use others, recognizing this my companion Sister Ford and I had chosen to pray and find someone "out of the ordinary." We found that we were set on a certain sister in our ward. We called her up and sure enough she was able to join us. A couple of days later we met her at the apartment of the less active member and went into the lesson.

The man was sick. So sick that he had not eaten in over three days. He was still wanting us to teach so we shared a short scripture and our testimonies. However one of the more amazing parts of the lesson was when our member asked if this man wanted to go to the hospital and offered him a ride. Very few other members would have offered to take someone to a Canadian emergency room where the wait is longer than any known marathon race. We "just happened" to have the right one with us.

After taking him to the hospital the doctors were able to take care of him and diagnose him in almost record time. However the following day he was still feeling the same symptoms with no improvement, and had asked for a priesthood blessing. The Elders were able to come immediately to give the blessing. The spirit was in the room so strongly that there was no dry eye, and the difference in the man before and after the blessing was miraculous.

I know that we had been inspired to bring a member to the lesson, and specifically to bring that member. I know that our member was inspired to offer her services to the sickly man. I know that God guided his servants in the giving of the priesthood blessing and that he comforted and healed the man through this holy power. I know that God loves each and every one of us here on this Earth and helps and inspires people to guide us and lift us in our lives. I know that he is with us at every moment in our lives. I know these things and I say these things in name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love,

Sister Cummings

Le Cabin a Sucre

The official Canadian Sugar Rush translates pretty much to french as le cabin a sucre. Or more literally the sugar shack. This is where all quebecois, both old and young, rejoice together of the miracles known as MAPLE SYRUP! I have included a couple of pictures as I had the opportunity to attend such an event. Pretty much what this sugar shack is, is an all you can eat of anything maple, mapley, mapled, or mapled on. Including the most delicious thing in the world called tire, pronounced tear. Which is a maple syrup taffy that when hot is put, traditionally, on a wooden log full of snow. Then the consumer may stick a stick into the gooey now hardening deliciousness and consume of its glory as one may consume a lolly pop. I have included a picture of the making of this delicacy. One depicting a true Quebecois with their true Quebecer platter drowning in syrup. My new companion Sister Ford and I participating in the event. And yours truly posing with a chicken. You just can't go wrong with those chicken poses.

I do wish to apologize for all whom I inadvertently lied too when I stated that "I will never like maple syrup even if I live in Canada!" For it was a false statement.

Anywhoo. Now on to the spiritual stuff.

I would like to take what little time I have to testify of daily scripture study. A little over a month ago I made it a goal to study the Book of Mormon everyday. For those who are not familiar with this book it is another testament of Jesus Christ, and is very comparable to the bible though its writings stem from the inhabitants of the ancient Americas rather than that of the Middle East. However not only had I made this goal, I had decided to read it in French. Through that my language abilities have grown immensely. And if only that were the soul outcome of this goal. Through reading and studying the Book of Mormon everyday I have been able to learn and apply the words of the Lord. Daily. Through reading the book of Mormon daily I have been able to recognize the hand of the lord. Daily. I am growing in my testimony of the restored gospel. Daily.

There are so many other benefits that I have found from reading the book of Mormon...bet you can't guess what I am going to write...DAILY. I can testify of the redeeming love that Jesus Christ has for me and for all his children and through this love he allowed us to receive a divine translation of these scriptures that allow us to see more fully of his wondrous and mighty miracles. I can testify these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

I love you all and have a wonderful week!

Fantastic Week

Dear friends and family:

This week was a fantastic week. As you know, last week was a struggle for both me and Elder Parker. But this week, we rebounded about as fast as I've ever seen it done. Usually, when an area is struggling, it takes a few weeks to get it into a healthy state again. But this week, despite the fact that things sucked last week, we saw huge miracles all week long.

The largest miracles that we saw happened after church on Sunday. We were adamant that we would achieve our goal for member-present lessons, and so we brainstormed and resolved to call our recent convert to get him to come out teaching with us. He came, and we had several incredible lessons with him.

After he taught with us, we returned him to his house, and then knocked in the neighborhood around his house. We had a miracle when we found one neighbor who had just moved back to Fort Myers from New York. He had been attending church in New York for several months now, and he really loved it. He wanted to get baptized. We set him with a date to be baptized on May 9th.

Later in the evening, we followed up with a referral from the English missionaries in our area. We had tried to see him on many occasions already, and we had little faith that he would be home, but we stopped by and found another elect soul, completely ready to hear and to accept the gospel. He had been preparing to be baptized in Haiti, when the US immigration process was completed, and so he was flown in to live with his family here, and his plans to be baptized were foiled. But he is still a deeply spiritual person, and he has been feeling the need to be baptized as well. He also has a date, also for the ninth of May.

One other investigator is worth mentioning: we have been teaching Elando, a young man who wants to be baptized but who doesn't feel ready to do it. He came to church with us yesterday, and then in the evening, he went down to Bonita to a youth fireside about trek. He's hesitant to accept a date, but we'll keep working with him. He could be baptized as early as May 2nd, but we haven't decided if that's the best thing for him yet. (We want his parents to have more participation in it as well, and he has to be converted to his own baptism date.)

Finally, another miracle happened this last Friday. After reviewing appeal letters, the scholarship board at Neumont University decided to award me with the Presidential Scholarship, which amounts to about 75% of tuition costs for the three years that it requires to get a bachelor's degree there. So, I'm withdrawing my housing agreement and application for BYU, and I'll be preparing to go to Neumont University, starting about two weeks after I return home from my mission.

All of the college stress is gone! Now the biggest choice I have to make is to decide which degree to pursue. And that choice doesn't have to be made until about eight months into my college career, so I'm fine for another 14-16 months!

Thanks,

Elder Slade

Staying in LeMoyne

Well first off we received our transfer calls. I will be staying in Lemoyne! However my beautifully amazing Haitian companion will be leaving to go even farther North to a branch just outside of Quebec City. I will miss her loads but I know she will do amazingly. She also was very careful in teaching me how to make rizcolle the way she does so I can still eat it even while we are separated.

This week's title may sound a little dramatic but what I experienced this week I would say was very dramatic. This week I was asked to sing at a funeral, of a man with a wonderful story.

Brother Roy had been born and raised a Quebecois. He had met his wife while playing the guitar in a concert where she was singing. Many many years after their wedding Sister Roy was introduced to the church and was promptly baptized. However her husband would have nothing to do with these gospels up until he was sixty-nine and he found he had a change of heart. He suddenly started meeting with the missionaries and after forty years of waiting his wife saw him be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. There he had leaned over to one of his good friends and had said "I now know where I will be if I die, and I am ready." Promptly a year and a half later he was diagnosed with a very rapid cancer and died after a month of diagnoses.

One thinks that a family struck so suddenly by the loss of a beloved father and husband would be saddened beyond belief. But the results were quite the contrary. True the family was sad for the loss, they were also comforted in knowing that they would meet him once more and live as a family after this life.

Something that I have come to realize out here on my mission is the importance of an eternal vision. And as Elder L. Tom Perry shared, our church is the only church that makes the family an eternal element. Which was so evident in the service we attended.

Many testimonies were shared on this concept and also that though Brother Roy had left this life he was much much happier in the next. The family giving their last words to their father were full of smiles and thanks that he had chosen to be baptized and that they will live together again. The service finished with the choir singing "Plus Pres de toi Seigneur" or "Nearer my God to thee." In which I was given the opportunity to sing the third verse as a solo. With the piano and flute in the air there was scarce a dry eye in the assembly. And all were tears of thanks to a loving heavenly father and his redeeming love.

We are among the few who know the truth that we can live with our father in heaven again and live with those we have lost here on this life through the atonement of Christ. We hold this truth or this light and we must share it. There are many in the world who are in darkness or do not know the truths of the Plan of Salvation, or that we have once again the true power of God on the earth ready to be used to give blessings of comfort and healing. I have been blessed with being born into this knowledge and I can now testify with a fullness of heart that I know this church is true. I know with all my heart that through the atonement of Jesus Christ we can be saved and live with our families for eternity. I know that through the Prophet Joseph Smith we have been able to receive these revelations. I know these things and I do share them in the beloved name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Amen.

Sister Cummings