Three Days of Winter: July 29, 2013

29 July 2013

Dear Family and Everyone,

1. Did you really get SNOW in Cascavel this week?? Yes, this week we did get the weakest snow flurry in the history of the world and some hail showers but now it is right back up into the mid 70´s. It was nice to have a full 3 days of winter!!
2. What are your thoughts and feelings on the mission at the halfway point? Are you planning a celebration? (take pictures, of course) I will probably buy a pizza, yes I’ll be sure to take pictures but probably it will be just a regular day. I plan on celebrating more on Sunday with BAPTISM!!! At this one year point on the mission, my thoughts are that it will be really strange to go back to civilian life! This time next year I will already have a week or so at home already!! I’m thinking a little bit more about home now that I have 1 year and because Elder W. is almost “dying” (going home) so on P-day we talk about college and girls and stuff and it is weird that my “son” (Elder I.) won’t go home until 2015!!! It is kind of surreal that the mission is halfway over already, I’ve got a lot of work to do still, that´s for sure!!

This week was a pretty normal week, the only abnormal thing was that the work here is abnormally slow. We did get 2 new bishopric counselors, we finally have a ward secretary, and finally have a Gospel Principles teacher and assistant ward mission leader!!! So thing are looking up with the ward, but the missionary work here in Ward 3B is really slow. 3A is doing amazing right now and we are going to try and catch that wave and also try and help Palotina catch fire as well, we are trying to get the whole district to baptize this week!!!

President Genaro called me Saturday night to see how things are going and if we were going to baptize, I never felt so bad in my life, because we are trying hard, we are being obedient, but I’m not sure that I am giving my 100%, so this week we are really going to bring the hammer down and baptize everyone!! We just need to get these 3 kids to stop smoking, so pray for J., W., and L. so that they can keep the Word of Wisdom and be baptized this week, also pray for another J. so that he can baptize this week also!!

Last Monday night, we didn’t have any toilet paper in the house so we used the bathroom at the super mufatto and I told Elder I. to get a little extra to use in the house, as you can see our ideas of what is a little extra are very different!!! HAHA

Thanks for the great letter. Yes, I am totally shocked at the news that they dissolved the ward!!! And that all the wards will have names now!! HOLY COW!!!

This week was Festa Julina on Saturday. Translated, it is July Festival, to commemorate all the Catholic saints, but at the Church it is more of a harvest festival. I ate a lot of sweets and a non-alcoholic version of a drink called quentão, which was pretty good!!

So I’m running out of time this week, lots of thing to do and such little time!!

love you lots!!

Elder Cummings