Happy in Cascavel: April 29, 2013

Dear Everyone,

1. How did you like your birthday box? (I hope I explained everything that was in it—if I didn’t, let me know.) I hope you enjoyed the Ties of Love as much as I enjoyed gathering the ties from everyone. I hope you can take a picture as you wear each one of the ties. THE TIES ARE SO AWESOME!!!!!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! Also, please thank Aunt Paula for the peanut butter and homemade jam. It arrived at the best possible time, because we get money every 15 days and that means that every now and then we have 3 p-days without getting money and today is number 3 so the food was definitely very welcome (and very yummy!)
2. How is it going with your new companion? Where is he from? Elder M. is from Pará way up north. I am super excited to be companions with him this transfer.
3. Dad wants to know what does it take to become a senior companion in your mission? I am still trying to figure out how to become a senior companion, I feel as though (said with a much humility as possible) I am ready to be senior comp but I guess I still need to learn more as a junior first. I have no idea!!! There are not set requirements, I know that Elder W. was called to train directly after being trained and we have a new zone leader with 2 less transfers in the field than I do, so obviously I haven’t figured it out quite yet. L
4. Do you know anything about Skyping on Mother’s Day? May 12. Not that I am looking forward to it or anything. J If we can avoid the hours of noon to 4 your time, that would be best, but we will do what we have to in order for it to work. I will make Skype plans this week, and I’ll plan it for after 4 my time and let you know this next week.

Goodbye, Elder R.! On his way to Maringá.

Hello, Elder M.! Welcome to Cascavel!!

This was the happiest week of my mission so far because:

1. Elder M. and I worked our tails off,
2. I’ve got Elder W. back in my apartment, which is super good, and
3. Elder F. is still here in the apartment!!

It is soooooo stinking good to have Elder W. here in the same apartment with me!!!!

I finally have a scriptural hero, so to speak. I finally found someone in the scriptures that I want to be like. It is Nephi from 3 Nephi 7:18.  “And it came to pass that they were angry with him, even because he had greater power than they, for it were not possible that they could disbelieve his words, for so great was his faith on the Lord Jesus Christ that angels did minister unto him daily.”

It is just a blast, and we are working super hard, so that makes everything great. Oh—and I have a ton of new ties!!! J

Me running in a field trying to find baptisms!! haha!!

Close-up of one of my birthday ties (from Grandpa Cummings)

I did come to a heart-wrenching decision this week, and now I know a little bit of what Abraham felt when he was commanded to sacrifice Isaac. I decided after much prayer that I should sell all my video games upon getting back to the States. Unfortunately, I don’t think an angel will appear and stop me at the last second L ha ha!! I know this is a huge step for me!!

All those people on Facebook seem fine. You are still keeping a list of all the new people so I know who they are when I get back, right? 

Can you get me the email of the BYU swim coach?? Thanks!! And, tell S.G. I’ll email him back this next week. I’m running out of time today, but I did get it this time so that’s good!!!

Now, on to the news of the week:

Here in Cascavel there were a lot of transfers, even with the whole new stay in the area for 6 to 8 months rule, only one companionship in the entire zone didn’t have a transfer!! Crazy!! We are all doing great in our apartment. Elder W. and I have been doing a lot of catching up this week and running every morning!! Elder M. and I are doing great as a companionship and working super hard!!! Unfortunately, our two baptisms for this past week fell through but we aren’t discouraged. We are working a lot more with the LMA (not sure what that is—Marie) recently and found these two incomplete member families where the kids are inactive and the parents aren’t members so we will work with them, and baptize the parents!!! Yeah!!!

Elders W. and F. are away at a leaders’ conference again, but this next p-day we are going to go to a shawarma (Middle Eastern “street food”) shop. (You know, that restaurant that they go to at the end of The Avengers!!) Yeah, that will be dope.

Oh, btdubs (BTW), I totally bit the dust this morning on our run trying to run on the curb and scraped up my leg pretty good, but it’s no worse than those giant turf buns marks I’ve gotten before, so I´ll live!! Sorry the letter is lacking this week, I will try to have more things to write about in my next letter! Great letter as always.

com amor,

Elder Cummings