Dearest Family,For, you truly are dear to me. First of all, I am sorry to hear about Grandpa's passing. How I love Grandpa and his personality! Thank goodness for the wonderful plan of salvation and knowing that Grandpa has only continued on into his eternal progression. Yesterday was Easter here and we had a fireside. We sang wonderful hymns about the very truth of Christ's life, His death, and His eternal resurrection. Thanks to Christ, death was conquered and man was rendered free. Grandpa is free.
This week marks one year on my mission. With the changes of late and the situation we are in, I have let myself become a little sad and this week was a bit difficult morale wise. Thankfully it is zone conference time and President is in town. I had a very good interview with him and have spent much time praying for the Lord's divine aide. Thursday morning I woke up with great confidence and desire that I have been lacking in the few days before. I know Heavenly Father is watchful even of little old me, and I know there is much for me to learn in these next few weeks and months.
This week highlighted a bit of a historical mark for the church here in New Caledonia. The new chapel in Mont Dore was dedicated this past Saturday and not only was our mission President there, but, thanks to some divine happenstances these past few months, the president of the country was there - President Gomes, along with the mayor of Mont Dore and some high up customs officials for the south and north provinces of Caledonia. For the church here, being as little as we are at present, this was quite an event. President Ostler gave the most beautiful dedicatory prayer that I have ever heard, and it was perhaps the most correct French I have ever heard him use as well. It was lovely.
Since this week has been littered with rehearsals for the Mont Dore fireside and the Easter fireside and the like, we have not be able to do normal missionary work as much as we would have liked to. But, we did see Anastasia, who progresses to baptism. Although, we had a soirée with her the other night that she couldn't stay at due to some familial worries. Her parents are in town, and we are not sure if they are impressed with the idea of her joining another church. Anastasia is in her 40's and has children, but she is a single mother and she is into her culture (she is from the island of Ouvea up north). We pray that she will be able to continue down this path, though it will be lined, as the paths that are most important always are, with difficulty and tests.
We continue to see, almost every day, our recent convert Pako, who is this big, older Wallisian man who laughs at anything and everything. I was a bit sick this past week with a nasty cold and stuffy nose (the weather has been horrifically rainy and dreary - there is sun today though) and I thought that he was literally going to buy the entire Pharmacy until I had to tell him, sternly and after too many bottles of orange juice bought, that that was unnecessary. He lives around the corner, all alone. He has lots of family and friends, but I think that he still finds himself lonely. He will call us about 3 - 5 times a day to see if we need a ride somewhere or want to eat lunch with him. Last night he called at 9 after planning and asked if we wanted some more orange juice. I think lately he has been struggling with his testimony, and he couldn't pass the sacrament this week because he was pressured by his family in a restaurant situation to drink coffee. But, he is snapping out of his sad mood of late and reading his scriptures every day. He bought all the sister missionaries Easter eggs yesterday. Anyway, there is just nobody quite like Pako.
Oh, another highlight of the week: I drank real milk. They had this "milkshake" place outside of Mont Dore (when I say milkshake, I literally mean milk that is flavored and then shaken) where the shakes were made with milk from a real cow. It was incredible. Our boxes of milk say that the liquid within is “made from milk,” but not necessarily all milk...hmmm.
I must run though. Zone conference tomorrow! Time is flying. Wow.
I love you, and, of course, the Gospel remains true.
Love,
Soeur Cummins
