Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Ironbound 21 - 3 Weeks to go!



Hola familia,

Whats going on family. We have had quite the week all starting off with taking a trip over to NYC to the Manhattan temple. What a pleasure it is to be back in the temple and able to do an endowment session. We all drove over to Union City, parked at the church, and then jumped on these little 30 person buses that are called WAWAs here. We took that over to Penn station in New York and took the subway up. What a crazy place, New York. We all just were staring at all the people. Just thousands and thousands. It gets me every time. This temple session was great. I tried looking for the earrings, mom, but didn't get them. Ill ask during my departing temple trip. But last time we went to NYC was with our Zone in Jersey City and I think I was a little preoccupied making sure everyone was good and not lost. Ha but this time I was able to relax a little more and ponder so it was great. I just love the temple. It seems to give a new spiritual boost ever time I go. And this time it was one that was much needed. A little boost through the end so it was good. 



We had a big famous Portuguese festival in the Ironbound this past week. Tons and tons of people were here I think from all over Jersey and I imagine even some from Portugal. It started Friday and went until Sunday night and was nuts. They blocked off the main street here and just tons of people running everywhere. We sort of tried to avoid it mostly just because about 75% of the people were drunk and crazy and they had some loud music. Not saying the music was the bad part but it was soooooo loud we couldn't even talk to each other as companions. Ha! and we almost got in a fight but Ill share that story with ya'll later. Ha it was a crazy weekend though, they even had a parade, but it was during church and we didn't get to see it at all.

D--- is just impressing us more and more every time we go visit him. He had a rough week at work and it looking for a new job and he got turned down by these two companies. So he was a little down at the start of the week. I don't know if I have mentioned anything about his family. Has three boys and two of them, like 10 and 8, live with his x-wife in Bayonne. He had negative feelings for the church back then and about 6 years ago he told his kids that he had one rule: neither of you are going on missions. Pretty sad but  as he is now coming back he is realizing that what he said was wrong and he told us a story that happened this past week. He was with his 2 sons and they were sitting in the car and had about an hour of time to kill. He said they usually watch movies together but this time he decided instead to ask them if they wanted to hear a story. And earlier he had just asked them if they wanted to get baptized and they said no. But he explained all about the pre-mortal world and living with God and Jesus Christ and how there was a big opposition. And one of the boys asked,"you mean the war." and D--- was like, "What do you mean?" and the sons said, "You know the war in heaven that happened." and D--- asked "How do you know there was a war in heaven." To which the son replied, pointing to his head, "Because its in here." So D--- was like no way, he had never taught his kids that or anything, so he was surprised and kept going with the story and all about the Restoration and Joseph Smith and they watched a video about in. And then D--- basically just bore his testimony about it to them and they were all getting teary eyed and then he invited them to be baptized and both the boys said they really wanted to. So we went and visited D--- a few days ago and the two boys are going to get baptized in Bayonne of Jersey City in the next couple weeks. Pretty sweet stuff. Its such a miracle story every time with him. 

Saturday was a death heat day. So hot and humid and we were on the streets in the afternoon and it was killer. And we were like so darn thirsty in about an hour and we just kept trying doors and talking to people and following our plans. We finally had to stop by a member's house and she gave us water and lemonade and then we went back out into the heat. Then after a few hours we headed out to a far corner of our area that we have never really been to because it gets pretty hood and not a whole lot of Hispanics or anything. But we ventured out there looking for this house of a former investigator, finally found it and turns out they don't live there anymore. We then tried another and they weren't home. So we left the doorway and were standing there on the sidewalk just talking and thinking what we were doing way out there. Nobody had let us in the whole day, and we were way far from our next plan. Then suddenly this lady like out of no where walks up to us and was like, "Hey what is the address of the church here? I am a member from Peru and I haven't gone to church in 15 years because I haven't been able to find the new one that was built." Haha no way. So we started talking to her and she is awesome and we took down her name and number and told her where the church is. She has a husband and three children who probably haven't been baptized. So we are going to be focusing on that FAMILY this week. So pumped. We are seeing miracles.

Thank you for the package this last week. It was perfect and all the food and treats are delicious. Especially all the cookies! ha Thank you so much.

Thanks for being an amazing family. I love you all and miss you lots.

Elder Sumsion



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