Dearest Family,Wow! There are a myriad of events to recount in this email. First of all, the big news from this week was transfers. I was so sure that I would be staying at Rivière Salée and maybe training one of the two new Tahitian sisters who came in on Wednesday. I was so confident, in fact, that I made it a point to reorganize both my desk and the apartment so I was well-situated and prepared. Then, at district meeting the elders said that they had the news of transfers. That is not a word that you can toss around lightly with missionaries: tranfers. It was announced that not only would I be training but that I was going to be in the sector of Ducos, which hasn't had sister missionaries for at least the last fifteen or so years. What an adventure! I was needless to say, slightly overwhelmed at the idea, and the night of the transfer as Soeur Paepaetaata (my new companion whose name I could not say correctly for at least two days - "pay-pay-tah-ah-tah" which means "55 people" in Tahitian) and I situated ourselves in our new apartment I felt a little baffled by President's decision to send me there. The next day (Thursday) however I felt a little better until the elders of Ducos (the previous set of elders who are taking the other half of the sector, since it will now be divided between us) took us around the area and pointed out the homes of all the amis and the members and the inactives and the potential amis and... You can imagine the overload; my hand could not keep up with all the information, but thankfully Heavenly Father has blessed me with a capacity to not only remember streets and maps but enlarged my memory skills. And, I can decipher my own shorthand.
The elders were kind enough to show us around and take us to the homes of memberes to be introduced. We met a shirtless ami named Yannick whose subject of choice, on our very first visit, was the Fall of Adam and Eve and his fervent desire to live in the Garden of Eden.
Another thing that ease the change was that the elders also kept a pretty good Area Book (well, for elders) which contains all the written information concerning the progression of amis, teaching records of old amis, inactive members, members, potential amis met by knocking doors or street contacting, a map, and all sorts of other necessary things that you take for granted until you are tossed into a similar situation, as we have been. I have been pouring myself over that Area Book.
The next few days we were very blessed! We had great lessons with the amis that are already there and we did some finding activities (don't be fooled by the excitement that the word "activity" connotes, finding activities = street contacting and knocking doors, which actually, for me, are exciting activities but might not seem the case to others). In our first nightly planning, Soeur Paepaetaata asked me when we were going to go knock doors. I said, "tomorrow." It is the best when you have a companion who wants to work and wants to go out and find, like you said Dad, those who are "on the Lord's side."
The people we have contacted, talked with and called have so far been extremely accepting of our message! It is incredible how the people are responding to us and what we share. I feel a new zeal and I know that I am going to love this area.
At church on Sunday, though we are in a smaller branch with not as many members, I felt a spirit of unity and compassion among the members. In Relief Society we were presented before all the woman and we bore our testimonies. I hope we will be a blessing to this branch.
Yesterday after church we had a lesson with a newer amie name Niumanie. We taught her about the Book of Mormon, and she said that she was sincerely seeking a change in her life. We explained that if she followed and lived what we taught her concerning the Gospel of Jesus Christ that it would usher in a lasting change in her life and would give her great purpose in her life. We asked, at the end, if she desire to be baptized and she said yes. We plan to see her more frequently during the week and are bringing the branch president's wife (Soeur Ulivaka) with us.
I am so glad that Soeur Paepaetaata gets to start her mission here and see that there are people who want to embrace and live the Gospel. She is already a gifted teacher, and has a easy-going personality which falls well with me. Plus, she is a great cook and as I stress over the Area Book and make a mountain of calls, she makes us food. She speaks Tahitian and is family, so it seems, with almost all of Tahitian descent we have met here and who are members. I feel privileged to teach these people. Of course, I am still quite a bit overwhelmed with all the work that needs to be done, but at least I won't ever be unoccupied.
So much to do and so little time! I love you all very much.
Love,
Soeur Cummins
welcome to Ducos
merci les elders
