Staying in Apucarana: December 17, 2012

Dear family and friends,

1. Do you feel really tall there in Brazil? Yeah, I feel really tall here in Brasil, of course there are a few taller than me but I am pretty tall for here!
2. Did you get your third Christmas package from us? Aunt Paula also wonders if you got her package, and Aunt Jeannie said they sent a letter.  Yes, forgot to mention last week that I got your third package and the package from the ward along with lots of letters from the fam:  Grammie (2 letters), Kory & Michele, etc. Thank you!!!! J  I got Jeannie’s letter but not the package from Paula yet.
3. What time is sunrise/sunset now that it is summer (or nearly summer)? Does it stay light as late there as it does here in the summertime?  It is light about the same hours that it is in the United States. 

An average evening sky here in Apucarana

This week was a weird week indeed!! But the blessings of following the leaders are starting to bear fruit. Our work in Vila Reis is starting to slow down a lot so it is good that we are working in JD Catuai, which was the worst part of the other elder’s area (I asked for the worst area to work in), and we are finding some great people to teach and lots of less-active and part-member families to help out! It truly is a blessing!!! And it is a lot of fun to work in a larger, little more wealthy area of the city, I love Vila Reis, don’t get me wrong, but JD Catuai feels great too!!! But we did have 3 baptisms this week that came out of Vila Reis!!!!! All three of them are sisters, I baptized the two older ones (the ones farthest from me in the photo).

 

 Three sisters being baptized together!

I am pretty sure there has never been anyone more excited to be baptized than F. (the one closest to me in the picture)!! She is so cute! We actually baptized them on Saturday and confirmed all three on Sunday!!!!! We are working to help the "dad" stop drinking and to marry their mom so they can be a family together in the church!! (we have a dinner appointment there tonight) And, then besides them we have some other recent converts we are helping and one investigator that we had cut but he magically showed up at church (he always wanted to go but his mom never let him go). Other than that the work in Vila Reis is drying up a little. But JD Catuai is growing fast with lots of people to teach. It involves some more walking because it is a lot bigger that the Vila and it has A LOT more hills. But we are definitely feeling the love of the Lord for being faithful to the instructions of our leaders.

One last set of baptisms before Elder W. leaves to be a ZL in Maringa

So, as you know (or maybe you forgot) today is transfer day...I will stay here in APUCARANA!! I don´t know who my comp will be, I need to ask my district leader later today. Elder W. will leave and be a zone leader in Maringa with his trainer!! How cool is that!!!  I was a little disappointed that I was not called to be a trainer this week because everyone was saying how they thought that I would train this transfer but I just thought about that talk by D Todd Christofferson about the currant bush, and now I am really grateful that the Lord loved me enough to humble me and allow me to learn by following instead of struggling with being a trainer!! What a blessing!! The Lord will always be right.  President T. is amazing!!! He prays for 3 to 4 hours every day the week before transfers to make sure that everything will be in accordance with the plan of the Lord for us!!!

 Some of the most popular cars here in Apucarana

 A quick snapshot of the cathedral in Maringa that I mentioned last week,
which I took from the bus as we drove past it for the Christmas conference

Elder W. (not my comp) threw a bad egg out the window and onto the roof last p-day
and it stunk up the whole house so we spent a good chunk of time cleaning it up
missionary-style out on the very unstable roof! 

At our district meeting, Eu sou um TIGRE!!!

A sign for a travel office... Salt Lake temple... Utah Jazz... Utah... Disneyland... cool

Some more random stuff real quick:

• I heard that China is opening up for missionary work, which means that I think that Jason will serve there!! And if he does, Elder W.’s twin is learning Chinese now at West Point and if they both serve there, Elder W. will have one more year more or less than Jason there and maybe could train him!!! Me and Elder W. got a good kick about this possibility.  J
• What is S.G.’s address??
• Elders W. (not my comp) and S. are staying here with me. YAY!!!
• Snow sounds so good right now!! At least it is pretty cold and rainy here, APUCARANA really isn't that hot, I am truly blessed. It seems like every other zone is way hotter than Apucarana!!

 Lots of love!!!

(Hope I didn't forget too much!!!)

Elder Cummings