11/10/14 True Missionary Work
Wow what a week. We have done so much. Its crazy I feel like
there isn't enough time in the day. Elder Bellavance and I are doing work and
finding new people to teach. It is so much fun being a missionary. Some days
feel slow and nobody listens but other days its just pure smiling and laughing.
Crazy different every day. Maybe that's why I like it so much. Everyday we plan
for the next day but then its super rare that a day goes exactly according to
plans. You never know what you are going to get but one thing is for sure that
we go out everyday and try to make peoples' lives a little bit better. We get
to help somebody everyday, whether its missionaries or members or
investigators. I have found that the real best way to improve anything truly is
through Christ and the Atonement. So that's what we teach and preach. Its
cool to wake up everyday and have such a great cause.
We contacted a lot this week. Just trying to find new people
to add to our investigator pool. It is not the most efficient way to find
people in general, but its what we have right now. The assistants and president
push contacting a lot and just talking to everybody everyday about the Gospel.
I have learned a lot about success this past week too. You know, true success
is not in the outcome of what we do. We cant really base success as
missionaries on baptisms or if people let us teach them, but really base
success on what we can do. Its really important as a missionary to l focus on
things we can control. Did I contact that person? Did I testify? Did I call
people to teach this week? Am I living worthy of the Spirit? etc... Those are
things that people we all as missionaries can do. There is a quote by Elder
Holland that says:
“Seek to be personally converted, obey the rules of
the mission, strive to have the Spirit of the Lord in your life, and work hard.
These are things every missionary can do.
“If you do those things, I promise you in the name of the
Lord and with the authority of my office, you are a success in His eyes
regardless of how many other convert baptisms you are able to have in your
particular corner of the vineyard.”
I have really found that to be true. As a missionary I have
found that focusing on what we can control brings us a lot more peace into our
lives. We can't control other peoples' agency. We can only invite. Unless you
are a parent, then I think you can make your kids to do things until they
realize its good for them. Ha nah im messing. but seriously. Thank you parents.
We found this one family of a mother and three kids named
the Her---. They are so cool. The old missionaries taught them for a while
but we just picked them back up. We taught them the Restoration and they said
they already know the Book of Mormon to be true and Joseph Smith is a prophet
of God. Ha I haven't heard those words from an investigator for a while. We are
pumped to be working with them.
Tons of work this week to prepare for our zone training
meetings. Our zone is awesome. We never have to worry about them.
I love you all,
Elder Sumsion
11/17/14 - The cold has finally come
Que paso familia?
Wow what a week we have had. Such a good time here in Jersey
City. Things are getting cold though. Lots of talk about snow but nothing has
come down yet. Lots of rain though. We have been staying warm. But seriously it
was an awesome week. The zone is doing work as well. We gave our 2 1/2 hour
zone training meeting this past Tuesday to the Zone and this month
training focus is on finding and the spiritual focus is consecration. So
we taught a lot about consecration and how it doesn't mean that we need to be
perfect missionaries but it means that we need to be progressing
missionaries. We asked one of our members of the zone to give a training
on finding and contacting people. We then split into groups and did a bunch of
contacting scenarios. Street, Door knocking, less active finding, and phone
call contacts. It was super fun. This month's zone goals are about consecration
through prayer and we made this contacting calendar that everyday has something
different to do. Like one is contact someone with a yankees hat, another is
start every contact with a compliment, one was go into a store but something
nice and then contact the cashier. Ha so we made a bunch of fun ones for the
zone to do. They loved it and it was cool to see the zone's contacting numbers
improve.
So we got some crazy new rules changes in the mission last
week. One of them is an added extra 1 1/2 to P-days. The extra time isn't
on Monday but on Friday. P day is still Monday but we have a little time
on Friday as well to shop for food, write letters, do laundry, and
clean. They added it because p-day was super stressful before for a lot of
areas. It sounds dumb but it really has helped out everyone's' stress. P-day
before was a lot of driving and picking up other companionships then rushing to
emails then rushing to shop then getting home at 3 and some had to do
laundry. But they gave us a little more time to prepare for the week
ahead. P-day became a relaxing day instead of one of the most stressful
days of the week. So we had a big zone activity last week with the Union City
Zone. So there were like 35 missionaries there and the assistants came down. We
got to play soccer and basketball and socialize. Super fun. The zone loved it.
And then we had time to do everything else. It has been a big bonus with relieving
everyone's stress.
We taught the Her--- family last week. We focused the
lesson all on the sacrament and the important of coming to church. They
committed to come and we spent awhile finding a ride for them and Saturday
night we had it all set up for them to come, but Sunday morning they called and
said they couldn't come to church. Awe come on! Ha No its all good. This week
we are seeing them again. Awesome family.
We taught one of our less active members named Os--- about
the temple this past week. He has a big testimony but just not enough faith
right now to change his work schedule so that he can come to church on Sundays
and take the sacrament. So we focused the lesson on temples and really
showed him how people need his help when doing ordinances for the dead. Trying
to give him some responsibility and commit himself a little more.
So this new family moved into the ward a few weeks ago. They
straight up live in such a nice apartment down in downtown Jersey City. Its a
super rich and nice area. We have like 0 members or investigators down there.
Well they are on fire with missionary work and we had a short lesson with them
about how to help one of his friends who was going through a rough time. Such a
fun family. He is from Bolivia and she is from Ecuador.
Things are going great hear. My companion is a boss. Hard
worker and always laughing. We get along good. No worries there. The cold is
definitely here though. Thank you again for the weekly letters and emails. Helps out more than
you think.
Love you,
Elder Sumsion
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