Ma famille !
What a week! Many good things are happening in this island land, and miracles are a daily occurence! First of all, thanks so much for the pictures of the birthday party chez the Cummins family. That cake looked very island worthy.
Since our mission President has challenged us to ask the baptismal question at every lesson we have really been bold and, because of that, we have been able to see more progression in our amis. The amis that are progressing the most at present are Aurélie, Jimy, and Corinne. We finally did the custom with Aurélie's mother who said that she accepted us to enter into their house but that she was nonetheless displeased that Aurélie wanted to enter in with another religion. She said that Protestantism began in her specific tribe at Maré and then went out into the other tribes and eventually here to la Grande Terre. Thus, as I conclude (and have for a long time standing) that being Protestant for these people is a mere tradition and not necessary a religion that all it members here have true faith in. I wonder why the Book of Mormon always talks about the Lamanites being tied down by the traditions of their fathers? Did Mormon see something similar to that in our day? Hmm.
Jimy Danguiny is the husband of member Marie, who joined the Church about a year and a half ago. She has an incredible testimony that is being strengthened by her missionary service with us. Her husband, Jimy, was not very interested a while ago, but this past week when we came by we saw Marie outside with the children. We asked how Jimy was and she got this funny smile on her face and said that he was inside studying the scriptures and that they were outside so they wouldn't bother him. We came by a day later, randomly, and we caught Jimy outside on the porch reading "Gospel Principle." That brought joy to our hearts. We invited them to pray for a baptism date for him, and we are hoping that they will let us know this week. We made a promise with the Lord this week that if He helped us get a baptism date that we would do all that we could to invite all those that we teach to be baptized. It's thrilling. I feel confident and bold.
Our amie, Corinne, said that she wants to be baptized as well and asked us to come over every day to teach her. Okay! She came to Church yesterday for the first time in a long time.
On Saturday we had a contact that we needed to talk to on the other side of our sector, so we set out to see him. We met this one man on the way who was sitting by the local hospital with his son on his lap. We talked to him and showed him the Restoration brochure with a little picture of the Book of Mormon on the back. He told us that he had that book and read it all the time. He said a friend had given it to him and that it gave her peace whenever he opened it up. We asked him if he believed it was true, and he said yes. We told him that if he believed it was true that it meant that many other things were true and that the missionaries where he lived would be able to share more with him. He is from Maré, but c'est perfect because there is a set of missionaries being sent to Lifou and Maré today. So, we took his information and will shortly be passing that along.
Funny bus experience: The bus is the most interesting place to contact people because every time you get on it has a different vibe. This one time during the week we got on and we started talking to a group of older women from the islands. They were making us laugh so hard with their mannerisms and we were trying to talk to them in Maré (the language from the island bearing that name), and soon the whole bus was laughing at our efforts. It was funny. Oh, and thanks to PMG in Tongan, I taught one of our Futunan amis how to pray the other night. He was a bit confused by the accent and terrible pronunciation, but he still understood.
The work progresses forward. I am glad to be here doing what we do! I love the closeness I feel to Heavenly Father, and I am thankful for the confidence He gives me as His chosen servant.
I love my mission.
Love,
Soeur Cummins
