Dearest Family of Mine,
Oh, it is so nice to hear from you and to know about the comings and goings and growings of the Cummins family. I cannot believe that the summer is passed and that school is starting once again. I wish you all the best first day and week of school, and soon, seminary! Oh, there is a very special feeling that comes every fall semester for me – lots of opportunity and hope for success and new adventures! Good luck with work and school and church and all that you do – but also, the missionary in me must say, make sure that you keep doing the simple yet ESSENTIAL daily things: reading your scriptures, saying your prayers, and praying as a family. If only we would do those things every day, how happy we would be and how much easier it would be to face life’s challenges. Our one investigator here, Vincent, was explaining to us how important the family really is and how we should be grateful for righteous parents who lead and guide us. It is true. I feel daily how blessed I was/am to have you, Mom and Dad, as my parents. I can see the eternal impression that you have marked upon my life and the life of my posterity and the lives of all your children and their posterity. What joy you will know after this life for what you have and continue to do. Merci infiniement!
I can also see the difference here when there have been unrighteous, neglectful parents – it is mars entire lives. There are children in middle school who we see smoking and passed out on the side of the roads from their drinking binges. If only they had been taught and principled as children perhaps such would not be their present state. It all goes back to the parents. I am learning, even as a missionary, what kind of parent I hope to be and what kind I never want to be. There is an epidemic in the world of maltreated and spiritually unnourished children, who become adults and parents themselves who passed along evil traditions. Oh, I could go on…
On the brighter side, it has been a tremendous week. Spirits are high and faces still smile. We had many good lessons and adventures along with the inevitable funny experiences. The other day we were looking for a certain man named Luciano Muliloto, and when we thought we found him I asked if he was Muliloto, but I pronounced his last name wrong (I didn’t know how to pronounce it).He gave me a droll look. Later he told me that the way I had pronounced his name was a “gros mot” or a bad word in Wallisian. Oops. That’s a good way to begin a conversation with a stranger…
On Saturday we decided to walk over to a inactive woman’s house for a lesson since it was only a kilometer or so from our house. About halfway there, after walking a little on the main highway, where quite a few peopled passed by in their cars, I noticed that my skirt was funny in the back and then I realized that a good half of my skirt was tucked into the top of my bottoms, exposing a considerate length of my leg in the back for all to see. Hmmm. Soeur Seiko and I had a good laugh over that, and I felt silly wondering how many people had passed and seen. Not exactly the message we are trying to share with the world.
Yesterday, another funny experience (before I move on to the more important experiences): Sr. Seiko was fasting and we went to one of our investigator’s home (Petelo Savena). During our lesson he went inside to get some Oro juice and poured us both a nice big glass. I could tell that Soeur Seiko didn’t want to be impolite but I knew she didn’t want to drink her juice so she set it down next to her and continued talking. Then I had a brilliant idea. I took her glass when I thought Petelo wasn’t looking and I drank her juice quickly, then caasually took mine and started sipping as though I hadn’t just downed the other glass. When I looked up, Petelo gave me a funny look and Sr. Seiko looked over, understood what I had done and why and nearly lost it. We finished our lesson without anything being said about the juice, but afterwards Petelo insisted that we take the bottle of Oro juice with us. I think he thought I was thirsty. Soeur Seiko did not stop laughing in the car for quite a while afterwards. You make sacrifices for your companion, right?
This week we met with Valerie and her husband James. We had the first lesson with Valerie a week ago, and when we arrived for another lesson she said she was really sick and couldn’t let us in. I asked if we could just leave her with a prayer so she invited us in. We ended spending the next hour or so there talking; her husband had a lot of questions for us and we gave them a Book of Mormon, which they seemed eager enough to begin.
We also had a very good lesson with Malia Feleu as well as with Ismaella. Ismaella had the table (set with her Book of Mormon and the brochure we had given her) all ready when we had arrived. We taught her the Plan de Salvation and she really responded well to what was taught and summarized it at the end. She wants us to come back next week and teach her husband the same lesson again. She said that she feels like this is the right path.
We have had other good lessons this week, but with some of our visits the people talk and talk and TALK without much being taught. Then we end up being late to our next appointment, and I usually have a French headache because of how fast and how much they are telling us. With all that is said, we seem to know more about our amis than their immediate family do.
On Saturday night our amie Manu invited us to go the Catholic mass here in town and hear her play the guitar. The Mass was very interesting. You can see how at the core there are some solid, good truths, but that a whole lot of superfluous ceremony and embellishments and corruption and change have been slathered on the truth. It’s like the Princess and the Pea, the being the truth that has just been overwhelmed by the mountain of besmirched mattresses. The thing I liked though is the reverence that was maintained in the hall. Not even the babies made noise, and you could see how sincere and good-intentioned the priests and the people were. The priest shook our hands afterwards and asked who we were. When they found out we were LDS they were cordial and asked how we had liked the Mass, if we had been touched by the message, etc. I felt, when I shook the priests’ hands, that they were beloved sons of God – maybe batting unknowingly for the wrong team, but still loved and cherished.
On Saturday there was another branch activity – a sports day at the branch building and we spent our lunch hour there playing and eating. Tahitians know how to make good food.
As for the creatures of the island, I encountered the biggest spider I have ever seen in my life while I was brushing my teeth the other night. Soeur Seiko killed it. Another reason I love her.
It has been cold here recently – the nights and the mornings are CHILLY. I even got out my socks.
I am well. I love studying the scriptures every day, and I find myself daily wondering what gospel treat I will extract from my studies. The Church is TRUE!
I love you all!
Love,
Soeur Cummins