Well started off the week good
with hitting the temple on Tuesday as part of the departing trip. It was a
great trip and nice to be with the Elders and Sisters from the group. Although
I really only came out with Elder Packer, I have grown to love these other
Elders and we have become good friends. We all hopped in the mission vans on
Tuesday morning, sister Taggart driving one and President Taggart in the other,
and went through the Lincoln tunnel to NYC and had a wonderful time at the
temple. Then afterwards we got to meet a member of the mission presidency and
we got to ask him questions about all sorts of stuff. After that we went to
Central Park to eat lunch and enjoy the nature and grass there. Overall it was
a good trip. I felt good and not too weird.
We get to the temple and the Taggarts break the news to us:
"We have been encouraging you to not think about home for the past year
and even before that, but now its time that we WANT you to get trunky and start
thinking about home and making plans..." WHAT? haha no way.... We were not
expecting them to say that at all.
Then, yesterday was our big
Statue of Liberty day with the departing missionaries and the Taggarts. We hit
up Ellis Island first and got to take the ferry over. I do remember going there
a few years ago but I couldn't remember much so I got to see it all again. Then
we went to the Statue of Liberty, which I guess is actually in New Jersey (and
Ellis Island) and we got to climb up to the base of it. It was a beautiful day
and sunny but not hot or humid and there was a gentle breeze in the air. It
felt so good to just be up there looking out over Jersey and NYC and think
about all that has gone down over there and all the stories. And so we just
stayed up there for a while and didn't even go into the museum below. Then we
went over to the huge cathedral in Newark. Ha it was sweet to check out and we
got to sing some hymns together as a group.
And that brings me to today. We
had zone meeting today and I learned a ton again and excited to use it this
last week. Then we do this thing in this mission called a 'Hot Seat' where the
departing missionaries sit in these chairs (usually like a couch or armchair)
in front of all the other missionaries in the zone and the zone members just
get to ask us whatever questions they want. Usually its all about stories and
scary things and funny things. Like the ones that were asked today were:
scariest moment in the mission? Craziest contact? Most awkward Elder/Sister
moment? Craziest thing that has happened when an investigator is at church?
haha so just random stuff like that and we tell our stories. Then it moves to
more spiritual stuff like: Most spiritual lesson? Or Who did you come to New
Jersey for? and then we bear our testimonies. haha the whole things last
usually like 45 to an hour. It was pretty fun and funny today. Its amazing how
many crazy thing we experience on a mission. Especially in Jersey.
If you want, we can have a mini
one at home. Ha
Well we are actually finding
some great new people and are working with them. One of them was some less
active lady named M--- who came to church a few weeks ago. Turns out she
has real desires to come back and has a non member boyfriend who she lives
with. We went and saw them both last night. Chileans. Of course we walk in 15
min into the Peru vs Chile Copa America game last night!!!!!!!!!! Its the
semifinals and no way this guy is turning off the tv. Haha so we just did our
best to chat with him but he was pretty into the game and so we talked with his
wife a bit, doing our best to not watch the darn tv. I knew our only break was
halftime so right before halftime, we asked them if we could share something
and they were cool with it. So we taught them about the Book of Mormon and
reading and praying. He has the right desire but not the faith to do things, he
said. But we will be working with them throughout the week.
D--- is doing great. We see
him like 2-3 times a week. But only once last week. He is really taking off and
just becoming his true self. It has been the biggest miracle to see in this
area. So grateful the Lord allowed me to be part of it all. He heads over to
Nevada on Thursday. So tomorrow will be the last day to see him.
We had a big all mission
fireside on Sunday. Got to see S--- again for the last time! I called her up
before and invited her and she came! It was so good to see her and say good
bye. Man it feels like ages ago I was there in Perth Amboy. Saw E Bellavance
and a few old comps as well. Good to see them.
Well this is it. Last week.
Doing my best to do work and focus. Tonight we are sleeping over with the other
elders and then tomorrow morning three of us drive to the mission home for our
departing interviews. Pretty weird. feeling good but freaking out at the same
time. haha nah Im doing fine, just weird to see the end.
Thanks for the love. ill answer
those questions in another email.
Love yalls, be safe. Im praying
for ya.
Elder Sumsion
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