Born to grow, built for change

(Elder Cummings)

Hello friends!  Merced is treating me well!  Elder Bagley and I have been working hard all day every day.  This area has challenges for Hmong missionaries very different than Fresno.  We had only two appointments this week where we actually needed to speak Hmong.  If we are not making an effort to speak Hmong to each other then our language study time is often the only language exposure we get in the day.  We try hard to speak it as much as we can.  This last week was the first weekly planning of my mission that was conducted in my beautiful second language: Hmong.

Being in YSA work has opened my eyes again to what normal concerns of my peers are.  Last night we had a beautiful lesson with two amazing recent converts who recently went to the temple for their endowment in preparation for moving away and for missionary service.  They shared their conversion story with me as I had not yet heard it.  Something that struck me was how frequently they would express their gratitude for how complete the change in their life had been over the last year.

There is a lie being pervaded in society "by that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father of lies" that seeks to persuade us that we are unchangeable (2 Nephi 2:18).   From this lie comes excuses that claim to say that change is not possible because "it is just the way I am" or because "I was born that way."  True, you may be that way now, and maybe you were born that way too, but there is no doctrine under heaven that states you must stay that way.

What is the purpose of life if not to change?  The great missionary, Amulek, taught powerfully that "this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God" (Alma 34:32).  This preparation is not vacuuming the front room, or puffing up the pillows in preparation for company, nor is it the casual discipleship that many in today's world are prone to think it is.  "No unclean thing can dwell with God," and "all we like sheep have gone astray" and will continue to go that way unless we yield "to the enticing of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord" (1 Nephi 10:21, Isaiah 53:6, Mosiah 3:19). 

Change, also known as repentance is fundamental to our life on earth.  Through our faith we can change our desires and dispositions to be fully in line with the will of God.  We don't need to surrender control to natural appetites.  We are not unchangeable.  God is unchangeable.  We are not as God is, not yet.  That will come long after this life through our faith and diligence and through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.  Only then will we have the capacity to fulfill the comission he gave to "be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). 

Greek synonyms for "perfect" as is used in that verse include "complete," or "fully developed" (see footnotes in LDS edition of the Kings James Version of the Bible).  It is my hope with all whom I teach that someday they will reach their full potential and return to live with God on high.  In the words of the Apostle, John, "now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).

I love this gospel!  I am so happy to fill my life with its truth and to be here in Merced, California, sharing that joy with all who will listen!

With my love,

Elder Jared Cummings

Walk by the Light of the Spirit

(Anziano Wilkinson)

Verona is a really active city it would seem. Every other week they're doing some huge event at the exposition center here in town or hosting some important collection of art in the art galleries. A few months back was Vinitaly, which is a huge wine festival (the biggest in the world) where I guess people dress up fancy and taste wine haha. Since then there has been car shows, model replica shows, some of Van Gogh's work on display, and plenty of other stuff. Plus in the Arena in the middle of town (it's basically an ancient colosseum) they host concerts and plays every once in a while. I feel like there is so much fun stuff always happening here and I think it would be a really nice place to live (except as a missionary, when you don't really have time to go to all these things haha). I might get transferred out though soon; I've been here for four months now and transfer calls will be this Saturday. I really don't want to leave, but I'm afraid I might have to.

This week we had many amazing experiences with the amazing people in Mantova. Issac and his family are continuing to grow in understanding of the gospel and faith in the savior. They have begun to read the Book of Mormon and are full of questions about it, which is wonderful! Asking questions is truly one of the best ways to learn.

Meanwhile, in Verona, we are teaching a man named Stanley. He is a refugee from Nigeria who has fled to Italy in search of more fertile economic soil in order to secure for himself a brighter future. Teaching him is always a relief because he speaks and understands English better than Italian, which means that for an hour or so we don't have to stress about speaking Italian! He is soaking up the concepts that we teach him and is keeping commitments and walking the path that leads to greater happiness! He has truly been prepared for the message that we bring. As well as many other people here in these wonderful cities!

Many of our experiences as missionaries are guided by the spirit. This week we got to see the impact of that guidance quite evidently as we followed its promptings. Every week I learn more about the Holy Ghost and it's role in our lives. It truly is a powerful ally to have against the confusion and uncertainty that we are faced with today. Many times the right choice or simply the best one is very hard for us to discern by ourselves, but with the assistance of the spirit, we have an expanded view of which choices are the right ones in each fleeting moment. The spirit speaks to us quietly and personally and always in effort to urge us toward righteous action. When we listen, the natural result is growth, reinforced faith, and happiness. It's our Heavenly Father's intention for us to listen to the Spirit in this life and walk by it's light, rather than the sight of our arguably limited personal intuition and learning. He knows the best way to happiness and we find it along the path He outlines for us, the path of discipleship.

I'm so great full for the gift of the Holy Ghost and for the blessing that it is to be near to it! Truly life goes better when we let our Heavenly Father take the lead and show us where to place our steps! Let the Lord guide you more than ever this week and watch as the blessings pour in more than you've ever seen! I promise they will!

Have a nice week!

-Anziano Jake Wilkinson

Emergency Transfer: Merced

(Elder Cummings)

Last Monday night we had a wonderful lesson with Mai Yang, John Her, their neighbor Nou Moua, and all of their children.  Elder Ostler and I taught powerfully in Hmong, from the scriptures.  The Hmong bible that we use is translated by a baptist church, so on occasion the translation does not follow the King James translation our church uses.  This leads to many conflicts of doctrine in lessons.  For example, the word "prophet," which is so important to the message that we missionaries share, is translated as "the pastors who carry God's words."  A very accurate translation for a baptism church, but not for the LDS understanding of what a prophet it.  Using the Bible in a teaching situation is a gamble if you have not read through the scriptures before.  It was miraculous that as we were teaching we were able to turn right to some scriptures that translated wonderfully, and other verses that we realized later were not as clear we were not able to find.  Another evidence that God directs his missionaries.

The lesson went wonderfully.  Mai started out the visit by telling us that she had dreamed a dream in which Christ himself told her to stop her search, that the church he had led her to would never lead her astray.  She then informed us, to her husband's surprise, that she had called her Mennonite minister earlier that day to tell him that their family would no longer be attending his congregation.  We carefully retaught the Restoration to ensure comprehension, and both families in attendance committed to be baptized.

They were all so happy and near the end of the lesson and showered Elder Ostler and I with gifts, trinkets and handmade little bags from Thailand.  Nou made me promise that I would not forget her family.  Her plea proved to be prophetic as the next night we were called and told that the Hmong language program would be transferring the next morning a week ahead of schedule due to a new missionary coming in a week early from the MTC.  I was informed I was going to Merced.   So, without having time to say I single goodbye, Wednesday morning I headed north.

I am now back with Elder Bagley.  I was in a trio with him about five months ago when he first came into the mission.  Being a Hmong speaking missionary it is common to have a companion more than once, sometimes even more than one companion more than once.  There are six of us in the mission now: Elders Knapton, Gray, Biggs, Ostler, Bagley, and me. 

Merced is a much different ball park. There is a branch here, not a ward, that has weekly attendance around fifty.  This branch covers the Hmong YSA, which is where most of the current missionary work is focused.  The apartment is one small attic room above a members garage measuring about 20x25.  I love it!  It is so cozy.  I have always liked smaller homes.

More news:

  

Craig A. Cardon of the First Quorum of the Seventy came and toured our mission Thursday and Friday.  He had many wonderful insights and gave many suggestions for improvement.  Thanks to Elder Bagley's willingness of volunteer we were able to sit next to him and his wife at lunch and talk to them.  It is so wonderful to learn from others.  He truly taught us a lot.

Elder Cunningham, now known as Riley, came back to the mission to support a recent convert as she went to the temple for the first time.  He has a beard of four months now.  We knocked on the door of one of our set appointments and were very surprised when he answered the door.  It was good to see him again.

This has been an amazing week!  I love this work and I love the Lord.  I am so happy to be serving him now in the Merced 5th Branch.

Bergamo and America and Issac

(Anziano Wilkinson)

This week was a pretty fun one for me and my companion. We got to do an exchange in Bergamo this week and see all the amazing sights that city has to offer! I got to visit the famous Città Alta and explore the ancient streets there (while doing finding, of course!). I also got to taste the original Stracciatella gelato! I think it may be the best gelato I've ever had in my life! (Basically the best description I can give it is chocolate chip ice cream. It's super good though and one of the most popular flavors of gelato in Italy!)

This preparation day a bunch of the Anziani in the area got together here in Verona and had a grill out. We played football and four square, two uniquely American games that we hadn't gotten  the chance to play in a while! On top of that we had some fantastic burgers and enjoyed ourselves quite a bit. It's not everyday we get to wear shorts and play games like this! Haha

On top of that, we got to do some usual work in the beautiful city of Mantova. On one of the days this week we spent in Mantova we had a really special experience! Despite so many lessons falling though that day, there was at one that did go though, the one we expected most of all to fall though. It was with a man named Issac and his family. Usually it is really had to fix solid appointments with him, but this time we were able to meet up with him and his family to share the message of the restoration. Issac and his family absolutely loved it! When we taught him about the Book of Mormon and about modern day prophets, he became visibly ecstatic and expressed a great desire to read it and discover the truth of it for himself. It was a really special experience and I hope he and his family continue to investigate the church with as much excitement as he expressed in that first lesson.

The Lord truly does prepare people to receive the gospel in every location and it's amazing to find and teach those who have been particularly prepared! The gospel of Jesus Christ is truly the way back to heaven and it is offered freely to all of us!

-Anziano Jake Wilkinson

Revelation Through Temple Attendance

(Elder Cummings)

This week was, again, one full of miracles and learning experiences.  We have felt our Savior's love working through us and we have been able to do the things He would have us do.  One of the highlights was definitely the opportunity to go attend the Fresno Temple.

The temple is a wonderful place.  All of them are.  Across the globe, wherever there is a temple the Saints gather together to worship and to learn. 

That is one thing I especially appreciate about the temple--the learning.  In the temple our understanding of the gospel can be expanded and we can receive specific direction for the specific challenges of our lives.

As Elder Ostler and I were in the temple we both felt impressed that we should cut contact with a family we had been teaching.  We had previously decided that we were going to see them one more time, give one last "hurrah," and drop them.  Our more recent visits hadn't gone well and they were not keeping their commitments.  So, trusting in the inspiration we had received, we canceled an appointment and did not call to set up another.

And then the family of nine came to church and stayed for the entire three hour service, loving every minute of it.  Entirely unexpected.  To say more of the blessings that their church attendance has brought, they, and we, were surprised to realize that many of their friends and family members were active members of our congregation.  Entire unexpected.  Because Elder Ostler and I had followed the promptings of the Spirit which we had received in the holy temple the entire family is once again progressing towards baptism, with a stronger fire and new energy from the ward to support them.

God absolutely knew how He could best help His children.  He knew how He could best help us do the same.  Our Heavenly Father is a very real father.  He listens to our prayers.  We can and should speak to Him "as a man would address a present friend" (Teaching of the Prophet Joseph Smith p. 127). 

Heavenly Father is blessing Elder Ostler and I in Pioneer Park East so that we can bless others.  It is exciting.  It is exhilarating!  We are finding, teaching, and baptizing, in His holy name.

Yesterday we were blessed to be able to witness Julie Her's baptism.  We have been working with her for the last two months.  Most of her siblings were baptized last month, and it was truly wonderful to see her follow them in following Christ.  The service was humble and spiritual.  I am grateful to play a part in her continuing conversion.

Hurrah for Israel!

Elder Jared Cummings

Answering Prayers

(Elder Cummings)
There is nothing more exciting than missionary work.  I love it.

Yesterday was Mother's Day, so many of my recent stories have already been told.  This email will probably be a shorter one.  Elder Ostler and I did have one incredible experience that occurred after we both ended our brief skype calls home that can definitely be classified as a miracle.  This one will be news for my family to hear about as well.

It starts about a month ago.  Elder Ostler and I were having a rougher afternoon in terms of how many people we had been able to see.  We tried by one more home before we were going to eat some dinner and, as much of the afternoon had gone, the person peaked through the blinds where we "couldn't see" and didn't answer the door.  The father of this family was a less active, so they had had previous contact with missionaries.  We joked rather casually about putting a copy of the Book of Mormon in their mail slot, so we did.

Fast forward to last night, we were told by some of their relatives who are active members that the particular family we had visited had been praying for direction and guidance in a particular trial the very week we unknowingly answered their prayers with a copy of the Book of Mormon that fell into their foyer.  They have since opened the door for us.

That is a miracle to me!  God truly does hear and answer our prayers.  The answer can come in many ways, but answers do come.  We have been helping several people this week say some of their first prayers, and the light that comes into their lives as they make this a habit is astounding.

I am very grateful to be a missionary.  I love it.  There is nothing I would rather be doing!

With love,

Elder Jared Cummings

Opening our mouths to people with open ears

(Elder Cummings)
We have done so much this week!  I don't even know where to start!  From a teaching standpoint, this week has been the busiest of my mission.  Elder Ostler and I shattered both of our personal "bests."  It has been an amazing adventure.  I have loved every second of it.

Our beloved farmers, sadly, have quite literally moved on to greener pastures this week.  In traditional Hmong fashion they up and moved without telling anyone.  They all work from sun up to sun down trying to support themselves and children, spouses, and sometimes extended family in Laos.  They went the way of the work--north to Sacramento.  I pray that they will soon come into contact, again, with missionaries.

Blessings have come from this as well!  We were able to open our mouths and share the gospel with some others in the neighborhood, and meet several others who were more than happy to meet the missionaries!

One of the highlights of the week was another miracle from opening our mouths!  Elder Ostler and I were walking through the biggest apartment complex I have ever seen, searching for a less active's home.  We have been trying to get in contact with this family for a few weeks now, and they finally got back to us and told us to come by.  That is exactly what we hoped to do, but as we kept walking deeper and deeper we started to doubt if the address was real.  We took a moment and talked about what we should do and we felt that we should go and share the gospel with the eight or nine African-American children playing by the volleyball court.  That is exactly what we did!

From that we received three referrals to hand off to whatever English missionaries cover the area.  Miracle number one!  It gets better though!  One of the boys, Isaiah, really wanted us to tell his mom about Joseph Smith as soon as possible, so he took us for a walk that led right past the address we had been looking for!  Had we not opened our mouths and shared the gospel with whoever the Lord put in our paths we would not have been able to reach out to the members who had temporarily lost their way.

Another day I was on an exchange and felt prompted to talk to a woman who had just passed by us.  Realizing that there wasn't any subtle way to approach the situation, I turned around and very loudly asked her back if she believed in Jesus.  This was met with a laugh, a polite no, a short conversation about families, and an accepted invitation to come and teach her and her boyfriend sometime.  Two days later the same woman was referred to us by an investigator.  God puts prepared people in the paths of the missionaries all the time.

He puts them in your paths as well, I am sure of it.  As Preach My Gospel puts it "You are surrounded by people.  You pass them on the street, visit them in their homes, and travel among them.  All of them are children of God, your brothers and sisters.  God loves them just as He loves you."

I am so grateful to be here in Fresno among such a wonderful people.  There is nothing that compares!

With love,

Elder A. Jared Cummings