bougna!
Dearest Family,
Yesterday was my one-year mark here on the island. That’s hard to fathom. I figure that I have come a long way, but in many ways I look and wonder if I have become all that I could have so far. Good thing I still have a "bon moment" left on this wonderful speck on the map for greater consecration, more improvement, and a deepened understanding of the Gospel. What a perfect environment a mission provides for the servants of the Lord to hone their understanding of His ways, for there never shall be another moment like unto it.
This week saw some new miracles. On Tuesday evening we were at the church and one of our appointments didn't show up so we began doing some follow-ups in the area. We went to the home of someone the sisters before had taught once for the fifth time to try and see if we could see her. She wasn't there once again, but her niece (who is about our age) was there and we began talking to her. She knew, from her youth, one of the members (Aurore Leau, who recently came home from her mission to Canada) and we asked if she would like to know more about the church. We said that we could set it up so that she could come to the church on Thursday and that we would invite Aurore to come too. She said that that was something she really would like and, as we gave her the Restoration brochure, she murmured that this was something that she really needed in her life. On Thursday she and Aurore were at the church at the appointed time. As we began teaching Eva it became evident that she was extremely prepared to hear the message. And, it's so funny because it seems as though the more prepared someone is the more incomptent in French and the Gospel I become. But that was good because Aurore was able to teach and testify to her. Eva said that she was searching and that she just felt lost with all the churches in the world. She prays constantly, read the entire brochure and has been asking God to send her light and lead her to truth. I told her that this message was an answer to her prayers. The Spirit was so strong during the entire lesson, and it was amazing to see how quickly she understood the message and the scriptures we used. Her heart is humble. We engaged her to pray to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet. She said that she felt something wonderful there with us at the Church. We told her that it was the Spirit. Having that single experience, that single hour, changed my hope. Heavenly Father does have those who are ready. He justs expects His servants to be diligent in trying to find them. Please pray for Eva and that she will be strong enough to follow the answer she will receive.
We went to the Huzu family's home on Wednesday night and they prepared a very New Caledonian dish for us: Bougna! It is a mixture of native ingredients (ignames, sweet potatoes, manioc, coconut milk, etc) wrapped up in banana leaves and either put into an oven dug into the ground or a real oven. The lesson that we taught their family was hopefully just as spiritually nourishing.
On Saturday we did a whole lot of walking around our sector doing follow-ups! The sun was hot and nobody wanted to talk to us or they were just too "busy," but when we arrived home for lunch I felt good. I know that the Spirit had been with us even if we weren't able to find anyone. Later that afternoon we came into contact with an amie named Marie-Madeline that we met a few Sundays ago on a shortcut path. We came by and taught the first lesson, and it went well. After that we went to Anne-Marie's (less active) and she told us that she had been able to stop smoking! We had come by two days earlier and we had had a very serious talk with her (since she had once again taken up the foul habit). I felt like we were breaking up with her. We told her that we would not be able to come over anymore if she wasn't keeping her commitments and if she didn't start making real efforts to stop smoking. She kept telling us how much she wanted to quit but we would come over and find in full smoke, and she kept blaming her problems on her poor family life. I think that realizing that we really would not be coming over anymore (at least for a while) really shook her and she went home after the lesson and stopped. We rejoiced with her and encouraged her to continue in her efforts to stay smoke-free. Smoking and drinking here is too normal; everywhere we go the influences of these cursed habits are evident. All I know is that the Word of Wisdom is divine.
Yesterday we had Mother's Day lunch with Pako and Isabelle at Pako's house. We ate lots of Tahitian salad(well, I did anyway). Pako is becoming one of my favorite members ever. We, well, Soeur Swapp was nearly mangled by his newly adopted dog Duke. It was awful, but that's another story. Oh, and another story I will have to recount to you one day was the very French and very sauced-up friend of our renter who wandered into our apartment yesterday afternoon during language study. We had a few laughs over it. He was harmless - I wouldn't tell you or even allude to the scary stories. Those are for after-mission days.
I love you all. I pray for you and the various situations you are each facing. Please, be humble in all things. Please.
I love this mission.
Have a good week.
Love,
Soeur Cummins
Yesterday was my one-year mark here on the island. That’s hard to fathom. I figure that I have come a long way, but in many ways I look and wonder if I have become all that I could have so far. Good thing I still have a "bon moment" left on this wonderful speck on the map for greater consecration, more improvement, and a deepened understanding of the Gospel. What a perfect environment a mission provides for the servants of the Lord to hone their understanding of His ways, for there never shall be another moment like unto it.
This week saw some new miracles. On Tuesday evening we were at the church and one of our appointments didn't show up so we began doing some follow-ups in the area. We went to the home of someone the sisters before had taught once for the fifth time to try and see if we could see her. She wasn't there once again, but her niece (who is about our age) was there and we began talking to her. She knew, from her youth, one of the members (Aurore Leau, who recently came home from her mission to Canada) and we asked if she would like to know more about the church. We said that we could set it up so that she could come to the church on Thursday and that we would invite Aurore to come too. She said that that was something she really would like and, as we gave her the Restoration brochure, she murmured that this was something that she really needed in her life. On Thursday she and Aurore were at the church at the appointed time. As we began teaching Eva it became evident that she was extremely prepared to hear the message. And, it's so funny because it seems as though the more prepared someone is the more incomptent in French and the Gospel I become. But that was good because Aurore was able to teach and testify to her. Eva said that she was searching and that she just felt lost with all the churches in the world. She prays constantly, read the entire brochure and has been asking God to send her light and lead her to truth. I told her that this message was an answer to her prayers. The Spirit was so strong during the entire lesson, and it was amazing to see how quickly she understood the message and the scriptures we used. Her heart is humble. We engaged her to pray to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet. She said that she felt something wonderful there with us at the Church. We told her that it was the Spirit. Having that single experience, that single hour, changed my hope. Heavenly Father does have those who are ready. He justs expects His servants to be diligent in trying to find them. Please pray for Eva and that she will be strong enough to follow the answer she will receive.
We went to the Huzu family's home on Wednesday night and they prepared a very New Caledonian dish for us: Bougna! It is a mixture of native ingredients (ignames, sweet potatoes, manioc, coconut milk, etc) wrapped up in banana leaves and either put into an oven dug into the ground or a real oven. The lesson that we taught their family was hopefully just as spiritually nourishing.
On Saturday we did a whole lot of walking around our sector doing follow-ups! The sun was hot and nobody wanted to talk to us or they were just too "busy," but when we arrived home for lunch I felt good. I know that the Spirit had been with us even if we weren't able to find anyone. Later that afternoon we came into contact with an amie named Marie-Madeline that we met a few Sundays ago on a shortcut path. We came by and taught the first lesson, and it went well. After that we went to Anne-Marie's (less active) and she told us that she had been able to stop smoking! We had come by two days earlier and we had had a very serious talk with her (since she had once again taken up the foul habit). I felt like we were breaking up with her. We told her that we would not be able to come over anymore if she wasn't keeping her commitments and if she didn't start making real efforts to stop smoking. She kept telling us how much she wanted to quit but we would come over and find in full smoke, and she kept blaming her problems on her poor family life. I think that realizing that we really would not be coming over anymore (at least for a while) really shook her and she went home after the lesson and stopped. We rejoiced with her and encouraged her to continue in her efforts to stay smoke-free. Smoking and drinking here is too normal; everywhere we go the influences of these cursed habits are evident. All I know is that the Word of Wisdom is divine.
Yesterday we had Mother's Day lunch with Pako and Isabelle at Pako's house. We ate lots of Tahitian salad(well, I did anyway). Pako is becoming one of my favorite members ever. We, well, Soeur Swapp was nearly mangled by his newly adopted dog Duke. It was awful, but that's another story. Oh, and another story I will have to recount to you one day was the very French and very sauced-up friend of our renter who wandered into our apartment yesterday afternoon during language study. We had a few laughs over it. He was harmless - I wouldn't tell you or even allude to the scary stories. Those are for after-mission days.
I love you all. I pray for you and the various situations you are each facing. Please, be humble in all things. Please.
I love this mission.
Have a good week.
Love,
Soeur Cummins
