Friday, June 6, 2014

Short Hills Week 3, week 45 Mission



June 2, 2014  Work, work, work fastest week ever

Ok that has to be the fastest week of my entire mission. Probably on one hand because we had to email on Wednesday but on the other hand, we were doing some work out here! So much fun to see some real help from the ward on coming out with us to lessons. We are being so blessed in this area with finding new investigators too and potentials. My companion loves to talk to everyone, I mean everyone. He just goes for it. Ha sometimes it takes us like a half hour to go down the block and get to a lesson. It is the best. We have contacted so many people and talked to so many people. We were walking by this lady from Taiwan and as we passed her she said looked at us and said, "Mormons?" She had learned about Mormon missionaries the night before at some religious study. She was told that if you see two young men dressed the same in white shirts walking around, they are probably Mormons. She was super interested and was fascinated with a modern day prophet. It was a miracle. I love "getting" contacted.

So last week I mentioned a little about Ru--- and his family. We slowly made some progress this week. Our family home evening went quite well. He and his daughter and his wife were there. The wife was pretty shy and wouldn't answer many questions. We thought we didn't make much of an impact but on Friday, we were walking by a laundry mat and we saw her and her daughter and we talked for them. It was the first real time she has actually wanted to talk to us. She said we could come by the next day. She forgot and she wasn't there but we are just so stoked because she is opening up  to us. She has never opened up to missionaries before. So we are excited. This family has some real potential and really nothing holding them back. The head of the household, Ru---, is already baptized and super strong.

Again(I think I mentioned it last week) I wanted to talk about one of the most spiritual lessons of my life this past week. We were teaching this family, The Ro----s, about the Restoration. We watched the short video with them and then we all testified of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the power of the Book of Mormon. We really helped them see that we are not trying to convince them but help them see for themselves by reading the Book of Mormon and asking God in prayer if it is true. They will know it is true by the Spirit. Oh man I just love the Book of Mormon. It makes things so simple and helps people resolve their own concerns. Because if that Book is true, and I testify that is 100% true, then that means that everything we have to offer and everything Christ has to offer is true as well. It was such a powerful lesson.

I just love this branch!!! It is like the closets branch/ward I have ever been in. Everyone is amazing and super helpful and loving! Our PEC meetings are amazing. The branch presidency and elder's quorum president and a few others in the meeting are so smart. Its like a special ops team in there. They know everything about everyone in the ward. Every less active. Everything. We only have about 80 members active/less active but the PEC meeting special ops team does some work. I love them. They all have such cool life stories. Brother Bernal is from Mexico and used to play professional soccer for a Mexican team. Brother Boggio is straight from Peru, and looks like he has lived in Peru forever, but he is from Provo! He went to Provo High. SO funny.  And our branch President, President Mercado, is from Chile. He is awesome and he is like maybe mid thirties.We visited his family last night and they are just amazing. They have three little kids all younger than like 5. We also found out that President Mercado works on wall street in NYC. They are the sweetest little family.

Finally met someone from Venezuela. Never on my whole mission have met some one from there. Then I met 2 in the same day. I still haven't met anyone from Panama and Spain. Those are the last two Spanish Speaking countries from which I haven't met someone. Also, another Jamaica who believes in Rasta. I didn't know that was a religion but it actually is. 

Love this place. Guess what? We were working in a place called West Orange (about 10 min from the hood, East Orange) last week and we were driving down main street to an appointment and we past this history museum/park. I got a glimpse of it and it was the Thomas Edison National Museum! This is the place that he had his factory and lab. It was a pretty cool feeling. I was greatly impressed that that was a tender mercy!  (We have this animated video about Thomas Edison and his experiments in his lab in  Orange, NJ that Ben and his brother used to watch a lot.)

Loving life, I love you all so much. I miss you but LOVE being out here. Glad to see that the Dad Sam and Mom are biking! Love the garden too. Hope all is well with you. I pray for you all the time! I love you so much. Thank you for being the best family and best parents I could ever ask for. I am just excited for life! This is the best! I love it so - thank you! Thank you for teaching me so well parents. I love you,

Elder Sumsion

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