Well, it has been another wonderful, teaching, learning, experiencing week here in the little Pacific sliver of Nouvelle-Calédonie! It's funny because I feel like I am learning far more here about myself, about life, about others, and about the Gospel than I think I am teaching. Missions are amazing in the fact that they not only bring others unto Christ but they can also bring the missionaries more unto Christ and to a greater understanding of who He was and a greater taste perhaps of what He experienced.
Before I devle into telling you about my week, I wanted to say how happy I am that you are all doing so well and prospering in that glorious land of America. Being here in a French country has only heightened my appreciation for America and the values that we are built on. Perhaps those values are crumbling a bit, but the USA is doing much better than many others places in this world. Always be thankful for America.
Mom and Dad, I am glad that you are in your favorite place in the whole world and that the shopping there and the food there (dairy keen eh? sounds so good! I miss real milkshakes! The other day we were invited by our Ward Mission leader to go get "milkshakes" and my companion explained to me that here for milkshakes they take milk, add flavoring, and shake it. That's it. No ice cream or anything; See! So triste! See my above thought on America's gloriousness. Mom, I am glad that Liz and Ann were cordial to you once again, and I laughed out loud when you said you wanted to go down the Provo river with Kristina! Be carerful of the creepy men there, like last time! I can't believe that Dad doesn't want to go though. C'mon Dadders! And, please eat a nice, fried scone for me at Chuck-a-Rama because I know you are going there again at the end of your trip. Speaking of gluttony, America has NOTHING on Pacific Islanders. I am not kidding! I am amazed that the US has such a bad rap in comparison to the people here - well, not the real French people here, but the islanders. The other night, Friday night, we had a dinner appointment with the family Toyon (like we always do) and we ate fresh fish cakes (like crab cakes, but with just caught fish), salad, and then we had spaghetti and a meat sauce with lots of cheese, and bread (of course), and then dessert, and Soeur Toyon is constantly saying "mangez mes soeurs, MANGEZ!” So we eat more and we usually go home a little sick. It is the goal of that family to get me "grosse." I hope I am transferred to a walking sector in the near future...
As for the week, it was bien passée! The weather has been a bit dreary here with a whole lot of rain. You want to know why it is so lush and green on islands? Tons of rain. On Sunday we woke up to the torrential rain banging on our roof. As we drove to church we would literally see walls of rain ahead of us and then hit them - the windshield wipers were flinging wildly back and forth and it reminded me of that time we were in Palmdale, Mom, minus all the lightening. Speaking of lightening, I electrocuted myself yesterday. It was cool (after the fact). I had taken something out of the socket but my adapter piece was still in the socket with a metal part sticking out and, clearly, not thinking I pulled at that piece and felt a weird sensation and then I was thought, hmm, I think I am being electrocuted. Donc, I let go and yelled. My companion thinks I am a little crazy.
On Thursday this week the sisters had a little one day exchange and Soeur Manoi, a Tahitian sister who scares me, came and stayed with me in Paita in order to show me around a little. She was in the area before and she had put a lot of names in our Area Book with vague addresses (such as: “Soane – near the end of such-and-such street – il est gentil”), so she came up and we spent the day driving around finding all of the people they had contacted so that we can do follow-ups in the coming week. Soeur Manoi doesn't speak really any English so it was a full day in French, and it was an educational thing for me - slightly stressful especially since I was trying to figure out and memorize where all these people, these children of God who need to Gospel, live and what kind of contact they have had with the other missionaries so I could forward that to my companion so that we can be effective in teaching in upcoming weeks. We also painted a sister's house that day who lives in an area called Mt. Mou.
The other days in this week have consisted of my companion and I doing follow-ups in the area, visiting our investigators and mostly just teaching whenever and whoever we can. The work in Paita has been getting consistently better and better each week and as the time passes we are teaching more lessons. My teaching skills are progressing, although I have still have trouble in all aspects. The language is coming on slowly and I understand almost everything that people say, but I am slow when I respond and still a bit hesitant - but I am getting better and I have a very patient, kind companion who is a support to me and talented in her teaching and language skills. This mission is teaching me patience not only with others, but very much so with myself. I think I expect myself to just get things right away and be capable of dealing with all sorts of situations, but I can see that many of those capabilities I thought I had have been taken away; New Caledonia is laying a humbling hand upon my head, but I am finding that I can truly rely on the Lord and that it is His will that I lean on Him so heavily. He is very patient with me. It is not easy to be a missionary - people laugh at you and lie to you and are not always so pleasant - but it is the hard things that we do in life that add to strength of character and depth of experience. I am grateful to be here, and I can't help but be joyful every day (even when I am exhausted) to be here and to be a small hand in this great work!
So, Fourth of July is soon! The other day my comp and I found BBQ sauce at the little store in town. Sr. Spencer said it was the first time she has seen BBQ sauce here, and she is going home in a month so it was quite a discovery! We are planning to buy that, chicken, watermelon, corn, and ice cream for our Fourth of July celebration at lunch on Saturday. There won't be any fireworks and I will sorely miss the beautiful firework show over the lake! Oh, what a agreeable image and memory that thought brings.
I am sending a package home soon so keep on the lookout! I still haven't received the package from you Dadders, but I hope and wait anxiously. Oh, and tell Heather how glad I am she is at Arrowbear! I can't imagine the tears she will shed when she has to come home. Get the floodgates fortified and ready. I love that little girl, and I hope she has a good time.
Hoping you all have a fantastic week and that you have a very patriotic 4th of July. Can you believe that I am three months in?
I love you all so much!
Love,
Soeur Cummins
