#didijustcurse?

So first off a funny story.

Saturday I was asked by a member of the bishopric to give a talk the following day in sacrament meeting...I literally could only find one hour to try to compile a talk on prayer that I could give in FRENCH the following day. It was intense. Obviously I was stressed out but with the help of a missionary from France I managed to find the vocabulary I needed. Well sort of... It turned out that my source wasn't the most reliable.

So here is a little culture thing...Quebec may speak French, but not all the words mean the same thing. Very similar to how the word "bloody" is a bad word in England and not in the United States. So as I was trying to describe the sequences of events from last week involving a Bird pooping in my shoe. I ended up saying a perfectly good sentence that would have been acceptable in France but in Quebec... Either way I ended up saying the equivalent of the S word for Quebecers from the pulpit. But they forgave me and many actually said they felt the spirit during my talk.

Other than that this week has been absolutely amazing! Sister Ladd and I have been able to go around doing good nearly every moment of this week! Our goal of reaching twenty lessons a week is no longer some long dreamed of vision but is becoming a reality as we slowly but surely increase our teaching pool. Our week has consisted in acquainting ourselves with the people of our area. Though I have been in Lemoyne a total of five transfers I had always been working in the North area, but with the Elders not having a car last transfer it was needful that we switch to the Southern area. We filled our days with contacting former investigators and visiting potential investigators that past missionaries had tracted into months and years before. With all of the work which we did it seemed so much easier for us to see the miracles that God gave us.

For example while going through the potentials list we decided to swing by the house of someone the Elders had helped take out the trash two years before. When we knocked on the door, an Italian woman answered. After hearing our introductions and Missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it didn't take long for her to swing into a rant on how organized religion is the worst thing on the planet and how God did not exist because how could there be so many bad things happening. Not your most civil of conversations. In wondering how we could help this woman we were both saying prayers in our hearts. The thought came into my head to look around. Seeing the beauty of this woman's garden, I complimented it. A change came over this woman completely. She smiled as she started talking about it, and then invited us in so that we may see the backyard.

It was just breathtaking. As any true Italian there was an awning covered in grapevines, with beautiful grapes on it. Copious amounts of flowers and a giant apple tree. I imagine stepping into this woman's backyard has close to the same feelings as stepping into the Garden of Eden, it was just that beautiful. After exclaiming the beauty of this place, we quickly stepped into a conversation on a more spiritual note. And though this woman had stated she didn't believe in God she sat in rapt attention as we sang to her a popular hymn called "For the Beauty of the Earth." Which talks of the greatness of a God willing to give us so many beautiful places on this planet. We talked about what this song meant and then testified of Jesus Christ. This woman was so happy that she gave us two giant jars of homemade apple juice (which is by far the best apple juice I have ever tasted) and Lindt chocolates. The difference from the woman we had met at the door and the one we now saw was night and day.

So often out here our we as missionaries judged. People do not see the help that we can give them. Our names our proceeded with gossip and prejudice making it nearly impossible to speak to people. But the thought has come, Do I judge and prejudge my fellowmen? Is not the bum on the side of the road just as in need of a message of God's love as is the well dressed woman heading to work? Do we find ourselves judging others when perhaps they have something that they can teach us. I am so grateful for this beautiful and wonderful moment that I have to serve here in Montreal among the Quebecois. Even if the Language proves to be difficult at times I know that I am in the right place at the right time. I thank you all for the prayers that you send my way. And I pray that you may all have a blessed and amazing week. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Break-Neck Speed

Things have been going great here during my first week at the MTC. From day one we have been flying at break-neck speeds but it's been a great experience. Our instructors have been speaking almost exclusively Italian to us since out first class but we're catching on quickly. We taught our first lesson on Friday and we've taught three more since... each one in only Italian. My companion Anziano Blackwell and I have been getting better with each lesson and and we're starting to get a good feel for the language. Humility has been a recurring theme for me since I have to accept the fact that I literally can't do this without the Help of our Heavenly Father, but as I've humbled myself I have found greater success and comprehension than I could even dream of by my own strength.

The food here is better than I've always heard, but we'll see how my opinion changes after my five more weeks here (PS yes mom, I am drinking more than just chocolate milk and yes, I am eating my vegetables).

I know that the work that I am embarking on is the work of God and I know that I am called to this mission for a purpose. I can testify that without God that I, we, are nothing and that with him we are everything. I can't wait to see you all at the end of two short years! Ciao!

Love,

Anziano Wilkinson

Little time

Dear friends and family:

I don't have much time today, unfortunately.

Things are going well. We dropped the family of 8 that we were teaching. (They came to church because they wanted to visit, but they said that they didn't like the way that we worshiped.)

But part way through the week, a Haitian man who was driving around in his car stopped Elder Mears and Elder Robishaw while they were biking (no, he didn't hit them) and asked them if they were Mormons. They explained that yes, they were, expecting him to be anti because of the way that he asked it. Instead, he said, "so when can you guys come by and visit me?" We went by to see him and his family the next day, and he was excited to come to church. He had been to church with us one time, seven years ago, and he told us that he didn't like the way other churches ran things, but he was very impressed with the "Mormon church" and he told us it was the only church he would ever consider going to consistently. Yesterday, he came to church with two of his sons (ages 8 and 9) and they all enjoyed church a lot.

Thanks,

Elder Slade

Nyob Zoo!

Hey all!

I am officially done with my first week of missionary service and my first week at the Missionary Training Center!  Time has flown by very fast here. My companion and I are getting along great.  His name is Elder LaRose and he's from the Ogden area.  We are getting along very well and I'm expecting that to continue. 

Learning the language has been...not that bad!  We have already taught two twenty minute lessons in just Hmong.  I can bear testimony, pray, and nod like I understand everything that is said back to me.  There have definitely been some funny mistakes however.  Hmong is a tonal language (the last consonant, or lack thereof, indicates the tone) so even a slight change in pronunciation can change the sentence completely.  For example, in our first lesson we taught (here at the MTC we teach actors the missionary discussions for practice) my companion and I introduced ourselves as "the husband" or tus txiv instead of as "missionaries" tub txib.  Yes, we still got in the door.  The next night I was saying a prayer before the other Hmong Elders (Es Daws) and I split for the night.  I was actually doing a really good job, trying to stretch myself beyond the phrases we had been taught already and I ended up expressing gratitude for "Jesus Christ's Atonement dress" instead of "Jesus Christ's Atonement and..." (tiab versus thiab).  Another note on Hmong--the consonants aren't pronounced the same way that they are in English.  The "t" makes an English "d" and the "th" makes an English "t".  In all honesty though, I took Spanish for four years and in the span of four days I would say my Hmong is nearing the confidence of my Spanish.  I am astonished by how quickly I am learning the language.  I know that I am learning beyond my capacities.  The gift of tongues is real.

One thing that has been on my mind this week is humility.  That is something I struggle with.    Learning Hmong has definitely been a humbling process.  The instructors here haven't spoken any English to us since we arrived, and as much progress as I am making with the language, I still feel pretty lost when the native speakers rattle off answers in class.  Learning Hmong is teaching me that I am not the best.  As I have demonstrated frequently this week, I am not perfect at living life or speaking Hmong, but that hasn't been lost on me.  I am starting to appreciate that compared to Christ's infinity we are all zero.  No matter how good I may be at calculus or playing the piano I hopelessly fall short of perfection.

It has also dawned on me this week that you really have to love the people you teach.  Our "investigator" Paj Vwm can definitely frustrate my companion and I with his rapid fire Hmong. He does it to help us grow, but that doesn't mean it is fun, for us at least.  When I have allowed myself to really feel a love for him, even though he is just an actor, I have not only been better able to articulate myself better in a language I have four days of exposure to, but I have been able to understand his questions and comments correctly and without asking him to slow down.  The gift of tongues is real, and I would say it comes more from loving the people than from anything else.  Honestly though, my favorite moments from my mission so far have all been from those lessons.  We've been trying to teach him about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  To give you an idea of how much information that is to cover, this website gives a quick summary http://www.mormon.org/beliefs/restoration.  Trying to teach all that in Hmong...we bit off more than we could chew at first but it is coming along.  Hmong feels so natural to me.  I love it!

Week One is down!  Eight more to go before I arrive in California!  I am so excited to go teach.  I am so grateful for the opportunities and challenges this mission has already blessed me with!  I know that I am doing a great work, or rather that I am putting my best foot forward and God is accomplishing miracles.

- Elder Cummings (Es Daws Koob Meej)

Air Raid

This week has been amazing! We had transfers and it was really hard to say goodbye to Sister Ford but in meeting with Sister Ladd I immediately felt better. Sister Ladd is a fun sized Ethiopian who was adopted when she was young and grew up in Vermont. She is the Bomb.com and her ability to make people laugh is over the top amazing.

Now I would love to rave about my new companion but I don't have too much time. So I'll save the description of her awesomeness for the following weeks. =D

But now down to the highlight of my week. There's a saying that I am absolutely certain everyone has heard, that is "to every cloud there is a silver lining." I can testify to that and here is why my testimony was even farther strengthened this week.

It was a beautiful sunshiny day. The birds were chirping in the local park where we were meeting with one of our recent converts. It being hot and humid, my new companion and I removed our shoes in the hopes that we could cool down and avoid the dreaded sweat marks that just are not becoming of a Sister missionary. While reading the Book of Mormon, another Testament of Jesus Christ, we were so overcome with the spirit that we did not hear the voice of warning as a bird called to us, I am sure the chirp he was giving could have been translated to "MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!" Because just then this giant seagull let free his digested waste in the most strategic maneuver that it could very easily be compared to a World War II bombing trail. This guy must have thought he was Maverick or something because his trail left two deposits of poop inside of my shoe, one on my shoulder and one on my hair. Quite the cloud if I would say so myself.

But as I said, every cloud has a silver lining. Which starts with this. After reading in the Bible about prayer I had determined to make every matter of my day a matter of prayer so that I could "pray always." Sometimes it sure felt silly, but when I looked at my shoes one day which had become worn and tattered from the year of using them nearly every day, I decided to say a prayer. That went somewhat along the lines of "do I need to replace my shoes." Well He answered it. So now with worn, tattered, and pooped on shoes we ran to the closest shoe store and within the ten minutes we had before our next appointment found a pair of black leather flats that looked cute. The price tag wasn't too bad at twenty dollars so we grabbed them and went to the counter to pay for them. And this is where I knew that God had not only answered my prayer to if I should buy new shoes but also when should I. For the certain pair of shoes that I had chosen were on sale. I ended up buying them for four dollars. Whats more it was the last day that they were having this sale.

So yes it is a silly story but what counts is that I received an answer to my prayer. I know that Heavenly Father loves me and even in my simple and small requests he answers prayers. I know that everything that happens happens for a reason and that it is a part of his loving plan. I am so grateful for this opportunity I have had to be here on my mission serving

Rough Week

Dear friends and family:

This week was a rough one for Elder Storm and I. We worked hard, but we had very little success regardless. We knocked doors for much longer than we usually do, and we focused on asking for referrals from everybody, but even with all of that we still did not find anyone to teach throughout the week. We had one new investigator for the week, and she is going to be out of town (in Canada) for the next two weeks.

The family of 8 who came to church last week also came this week, but they were late to sacrament meeting again, so they still won't be able to be baptized (the four baptismal age, at least) until the 18th. It's a struggle to teach them, because other than on Sundays, they are never together at home. They all have different schedules, and no matter what time we go over we usually only find one or two of them there. We're excited to work with them more, we're just hoping that they stay strong and keep working for their dates, even though in some of their cases we can't really see them on days other than Sunday.

On the fourth of July, we had to be home at 7:30 instead of 9, because of the nature of celebrations here in Miami (and south Florida in general.) So I made funnel cake for the first time in my life. (Epic failure.) Then we watched the Testaments. (Another epic failure. Did you ever notice the cameraman in the one scene? Or the random black guy in the background in another? Or...)

Thanks,

Elder Slade

By Small and Simple Things

Well first off before I forget, we received transfer calls this past week, I will continue to stay in Lemoyne as my companion Sister Ford will be heading down to Ottawa and my new companion Sister Ladd, coming from there. I am so grateful for the wonderful companion she has been for me and wish her best down South with the actual Canadians.

Speaking of Canadians, happy belated Canada Day! We spent the day like all the Quebecois here in Lemoyne, helping people move. Ya I know, quite a stark difference from the independence day of the United States. A wonderful woman in our ward explained it as such, "Quebec has been trying to get its independence from Canada for so long, but never really is able to. So to stick it to the man, they have their independence day the week before Canada Day and then have all rents and contracts end on Canada Day." There were SO many people moving that day that even us Sisters had gotten asked to help three different families move. It was quite a day full of service that is for sure.

This week has been full of incidents that bring to mind the scripture "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass;" Alma 37:6 One of the most plain ones is that of it just so happened that the International competition for fireworks was happening in a nearby amusement park the day of the fourth of July. So this proud American was able to still have a day of independence with fireworks. #Godbless'murica

On a more spiritual side we were able to give service to one of our neighbors in helping her weed her garden. It turned out that very day that it was her mothers birthday, who had long since passed away. And by us being there just willing to help and talk it gave her great comfort. It also gave me comfort in the knowledge that I was exactly where I needed to be at that time, helping this woman with something so little as a weeding.

But the most amazing moment was when I finally understood something. About six weeks ago I broke my toe when a copy of Jesus the Christ landed on it, in a blessing I had received an answer that "the Lord had a sense of humor and wished that I would study the life of Jesus Christ." Which I did and read religiously at least two pages a day if not more. This small and simple thing helped me to be prepared for when during a zone training I was asked to give a testimony. In which I shared this incident and how it had helped me in not only the understanding of the simple phrase "what would Jesus do?" but "why would Jesus do it?" I know that the Lord had prepared me to share that testimony, even though the circumstances were strange I was able to see immediately one of the great things that the Lord was able to bring to pass. The spirit was so strong during that training that it felt as if you could tangibly hold it in your hand. I am so grateful that the Lord was a able to prepare me to give this simple testimony that when combined with a simple training became one of the greatest memories that I may hold on to. I love you all! have a wonderful week!