Clinton Week 8 - blessings from obedience

We have had an awesome week here in Clinton. Wow is it fun to be obedient and receive blessings like crazy. Honestly we are receiving so many blessings this past two weeks with my new companion Elder Class. Things work so well when we both are striving to be 100% obedient. We truly have seen some miracles. The first one is we are receiving a Spanish Branch next week. They announced it at stake conference yesterday and it will go immediately into effect. So next week we will be attending the Branchburg Spanish Branch in the chapel of Northbranch. Ha so many 'branches.' We are super excited though. I haven't been to a Spanish ward in about two months. Its been just pure English since January. So I am so excited to get back to the past and go to some real Spanish at church. The branch is brand new and we have no idea how many people are going to show up. It will be pretty small for the first few times. It is a blessing. Now it is so much easier to invite investigators to church because now we can tell them that it is in Spanish. We used to have a translator in our Clinton Ward. The only problem is that it is about 15 min farther for people to drive and nobody really has a car. So we are hoping to work things out with the members here. But we are pumped for it!

We got a real baptismal date a few days ago! His name is Ar--- and he really wants to learn but the problem is he works on Sunday so he cant come to church. his family all lives in Guatemala and he works 6 days a week to send money to them. We have been trying to help him have the faith to get Sundays off, though. He is awesome. It is the first Spanish Baptismal date here for a few years! We are excited to be working more with him. He is such an honest and humble guy.

We also found this family this past week. We taught the parents, Ma--- and Ca---, last Monday. It was a pretty typical first lesson but they were pretty unaccepting. We shared with them a Book of Mormon and invited them to read it. We came back a few days later and we were so happy to see that she had actually read the introduction and Joseph Smith's story at the beginning to the Book of Mormon. She even had a journal of notes and questions! Wow I was so impressed. I had never seen anything like that after just one or two lessons. We were so excited to see her. We are going to see her again this next week. The best part is that she is home enough where we can see her a few times a week! That is a rare miracle here.

I love just talking to random people about the Gospel. Everybody you meet is so different.

I know this all to be true - so much family. I have learned so much over the past 7 months. I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation and peace and happiness in the life, because the Gospel points us to Christ and the Atonement. And it is only through him we can be saved and enjoy true happiness in the life. I love you all! Keep up all that you do.

I read in the bible dictionary under fear a few days ago. It said this: (Mom added this first sentence to make it more sense but this is the sentence in the BD right before his sentence...)   Sin destroys that feeling of confidence that God’s child should feel in a loving Father and produces instead a feeling of shame and guilt .  Ever since the Fall, God has been teaching men not to fear, but with penitence to ask forgiveness in full confidence of receiving it. (Confidence in the Lord)

I know that to be true 100%. 

I love you all,

Your son,

Elder Sumsion

Happy to hear CJ is coming back out. So excited for him!

Clinton Week 7, first week as Trainer

Wow this has been an eventful week. So much stuffed just jam packed into 7 days. First off, I have a new companion, Elder Class, straight from the Mexico MTC. He is from San Jose, California and he is 20 or so. I told him to guess how old I was and he said hmm like 20 or so. Ha he thought it was funny that Im still 18! He is an awesome missionary, and very prepared. His Spanish is pretty good too. Best I've seen straight out of the MTC. Ha oh yeah and he loves talking about his girlfriend. So funny. 

 

I really have a testimony of how well the Lord knows us and loves us because of this past week. I was pretty nervous the first few days to be a trainer. I was just amazed and in shock about how I was supposed to lead an area and a new missionary when I have only been out a few longer than he has. It was pretty rough. I prayed so much for help and a sense of peace. It was one of the hardest times of my mission yet. I was exercising a lot of faith and put full trust in God, but I felt pretty inadequate for what was coming. But wow things have been amazing this past week. Heavenly Father blessed me so much with an awesome new companion. Elder Class has been so easy to teach and train. He came so prepared and ready to work. He is already a full contributing factor to our companionship. We have been working great together and are making a lot of progress. We really have been working hard and praying a lot for some prepared investigators. It has been fun.

 

I am back to 2 hours of mandatory companionship study again being a trainer. Its the best to look back over the 12 week training program and study all the fundamentals again. We have been doing tons of role plays and good studies. Its so fun being a trainer cause I can really control the obedience and diligence we put in. I have set the standard  and my companion is so ready to follow it. We have been blessed for our obedience this past week with some cool new investigators. We found about 6 new investigators this past week. Some of some pretty good potential. The hardest thing is still peoples' schedules. We have so many investigators we can't see very often because of random work schedules. But we have a few solid investigators we are hoping to set on baptismal date this next week.

 

On Friday we tried to see Ed---, one of our investigators, but he wasn't there. So we walked a few feet off and I was writing some notes in my planner and this guy came around the corner and he said "Hey, you are the Elders, I mean missionaries, right?" Um yes we are, have you talked to missionaries before? He said that he had a few years back. His name was Da--. Pretty crazy guy. Said he talked to missionaries before but doesn't believe in organized religion. He is straight from the Bronx and a little psycho. He has read the whole Book of Mormon but doesn't want to become Mormon. Said he wants to have us over again. So we are seeing him this next week and going to see if we can get him to change his life around.

 

Things are so warm here too. Like 50 degrees. Hasn't been this warm since October. So nice to go work without a huge coat on.  It is amazing.

 

We had our biggest transfer conference ever this past week. Over 60% of the mission got switched around. So everything is pretty different. They had to make a new zone this past transfer as well because of how big we are getting. We have 251 missionaries. I love this mission. 

Love

Elder Sumsion

Clinton week 6, week 30 mission, Trainer!

NJ PA border - Delaware river

Someone's car we saw buried after all the snow!

Sorry for the delay, we were out of town with no internet.

Hi Familia,

We taught this man named Ar--- this past week. Oh man he is the best. He has such a strong desire to know truth and he read the Book of Mormon this last week. He was sad we hadnt come back the week earlier. He was getting Jehova's Witness attacked too. We traded his JW Bible for one of ours. He is excited to read it. He is just the most humbled guy. He is from Guatemala  and is here working for his family who is back in Guatemala. We are going to teach him the Restoration again this week and get him pumped for baptism. He is a little confused since the last time we taught it about 3 weeks ago. Excited for him.

This week has been absolutely nuts. We got about 2 total feet of snow this last week which provided many service opportunities of guess what? Shoveling snow! HA all that hard work at home Dad and who knew I would be helping shovel driveways on my mission and spreading the Gospel by doing it! Ha.  Thank you for teaching me about how to work hard. It is a key of success out here and pretty much everywhere in life. So we shoveled out this driveway of a member for about an hour with a bunch of ice. And when we got back into the car, we saw that we had missed a call from President. So we called him back and our hearts were just pounding,  and he said "Elder Sumsion, I would like to extend the call to you to be a trainer for a new coming missionary." I was so surprised. It was the last thing I expected. Most trainers are called when they are about a year out, so I wasn't even considering getting a call. But sure enough I was called last friday to be a trainer! So crazy. I accepted the call and he said I had to be to a meeting on Monday (today) so that why I couldn't email earlier. (We can email at the church.) So crazy. District Leader and now trainer at the same time. Absolutely crazy. I am going to be relying so much on the Lord these next two transfers. I am super humbled to be called. President told us today that it is  what the Lord wants; The Lord called us. He is running this mission. I feel so humbled to be  one worthy to receive this call. So pumped. I will be praying tons this week. Its a big call for me right now but way excited to serve. 

So I will be staying another transfer here in Clinton probably two more because training for new missionaries is 12 weeks or two transfers and trainers are usually with their new companions for both. We are going to do work out here in Clinton. I still am learning so much about how to be the best missionary I can be and know I have the opportunity to teach a new missionary and be his example. So I will probably be in the biggest growth session of my life for the next 3 months. The Lord will be with me all the way, I know it. Thanks for all the love and prayers. I have felt them so much my whole mission, especially this last transfer. Thank you. 

I love you so much,

Elder Sumsion

Princeton University Chapel with Elder Aspinall

Princeton University

SHOUTOUT: Amy (and Tom) Williams- thank your for the dearElder.com letter. It always warms my heart to hear from you. Thanks for your love.

Clinton, NJ - Week 5, Week 29 Mission

Awesome week here in Jersey. It is so much fun serving and learning out here. Every week feels like ages and at the same time fees like things are flying by. Transfers are already next week. I think we are both staying but we will see. Also that means my district will get shaken up a bit and get some fresh missionaries here in Clinton. Its crazy that it is already February. It hits me every week how short my time is out here. Gets me working harder and harder. So much is going to change in the next 6 months. The mission is starting to get ready for the new President in July. Very excited to be a part of all this.

This past week was fun especially the weekend. We did so much. So every Monday night we have this thing called a cottage meeting at a member's house. Its basically an opportunity for members to invite their friends to come learn about the Gospel. We as missionaries also bring investigators to them. We teach it every week and goes fairly well. We get often random numbers of people every week, but its turning out to be effective. We taught this last one just about the Plan of Salvation. We usually sing songs and stuff too. My companion sometimes sings with his Ukulele. 

Went on my first exchange last week where I was the district leaders in charge. I have probably been on 12 exchanges or so but this was the first where I was giving training to another missionary. It was fun and the Lord blessed me a lot to know how to help him. Being a district leader is fun because I have the opportunity to receive revelation for my district everyday. Whether its helping them set goals, or helping them figure out how to get someone to progress, or planning for district meeting, I get to help them so much. Its a blessing to see how much inspiration we get for those we lead over when we ask for it and seek it.

Its funny how some things are done differently over here in Jersey. For example, we sing a lot of just random hymns in the church meetings that I didn't even know existed. Everything in this  american ward is so similar to home Utah wards, but the culture is different. Its fun to experience it. Don't get me wrong, its the same church, nobody is changing doctrine here, but somethings are just different in a funny way. Sometimes me and my companion will have to sit towards the back or side of Gospel Principles class and Priesthood, because we start laughing at small things that just crack us up. I think we get along too well at times. Ha This past week We went to this family named the Wagstaffs. They were so funny and reminded me of things at back in Utah. We had dinner and the kids were just crazy. There were 4 of them all 16 and younger and just so funny. We were laughing pretty hard. I really think I was sent to this area just so I could learn how to laugh more. Never laugh so hard my entire mission than I have here with Elder Aspinall. Everything is so much better with occasional laughter.

We taught E--- and R--- this last week. Taught them the Restoration of the Gospel. We finished up and invited them to read the Book of Mormon and R--- got a bit defensive and said she is Christian (People don't understand what being Christian means here in Jersey. ) But she got a little defensive and didn't want to read it. We testified strong about it and they both said they would read it. We are praying that they are. We will see them on Tuesday. 

Ed--- is doing well but is working like a champ. He works two jobs, one he only does when it snows. He plows roads or something, but he doesn't have a license so I don't know how he does it Ha. No joke he leaves at 6 AM for one job and gets home at 2 AM from the other. He is home only for 4 hours!!!! Crazy. That is why it made since when he told us he doesn't have time to read the Book of Mormon. We promised him that if he took the time to read, God would help him with his job and work out his schedule. We are also seeing him again early this week. Praying hard that he reads.

Crazy that there still isn't much snow out there in Utah. Thanks for sending the pictures of Souchi and the Olympics. So cool that Sage won the snowboarding slope style. Keeping it real, America. Bummer I cant watch but nothing is better than being here serving a mission. Wouldn't trade it for the world. 

Thank you dad for sending me that loving email. I love the super bowl quote- Why not me?. So good

I love you all. Keep it up. You mean the world to me out here. 

Your son,

Elder Sumsion

SHoutouts

Donahoos!!!!!! Thank you for the package of Valentine's day goodies. Thank you for the "celestial" cookies as well. Love you. 

Clinton, NJ - Week 4, Week 28 Mission

Hello Family,

It has been another awesome week here in Clinton. We are starting to see some real success out here. We have been praying quite a bit lately for help to find those people who have been prepared to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have been asking to find someone who will really want to accept this Gospel. We teach more and more different people every week, but their level of commitment is pretty low. However we did find this one family. Edgar, his wife (haven't seen her much), Eileen, and Kelly. They are actually seeming more and more interested every time. This is the same family we met when we came but they are showing some real signs of interest. We taught Eileen about the Plan of Salvation this past week focusing on her (real) father who passed away about 8 years ago. She loved it and she already prays every day and night and now she is praying about her father and if our message is true. We taught her step dad Edgar last night. We taught a whole lesson on the importance of the Book of Mormon. Very spiritual lesson. He said if he knows the Book of Mormon is true he will get baptized. Sweet, because guess what Edgar- it really is true! I am super excited for him. It has been a slow month so we are happy to see some progress here in Clinton. We are so pumped.

We have been getting good at contacting people in the street. I can actually say I like doing it. Yes, I like walking up to random people and sharing the Gospel with them. It is probably one of the most fun things. You never know what their reaction will be. Yesterday I contacted this guy named Samuel (in a Spanish pronunciation) and he was so happy to talk to us. He didn't want to leave. He has met with missionaries before, but works a ton, going to see him this week. We have only about two active Hispanic Families in the ward, The Mandez and the Semperteguis. So we have to do a majority of finding new investigators on our own. We can’t just rely on them giving us referrals. So we have to do it the old fashioned way: lots of contacting and knocking doors. Its teaching me tons, and I love just talking to people especially about the Gospel.

It’s crazy how much I have had to step up my game in this new area. It was tough at first being senior companion and finalizing decisions and being the example of exact obedience, but man I am so grateful for it. I have learned so much. My mission is really becoming my mission. And now that it is becoming mine, I can give my mission 100% to the Lord. There is no more relying on anything else but the Lord. I have learned to start acting instead of waiting for other people to act. If I don’t act nothing gets done. It’s been fun learning how obedience plays a role out here. I mean its everything and some missionaries just don’t understand that. A lot of people don’t understand that either. If we want to be blessed and happy we better be obedient because it is the only way. It has changed everything. Doing the Lord's will over my will makes all the difference. There is NO failure in that path. I cannot fail when I put God's will before my will. Everything will be for my benefit and others. Such an interesting thing to dwell on. But we can’t be perfect yet and that's where repentance comes in. That's where living the Gospel comes in. We keep changing every day to become more like Christ because that is the happiest way. It is really the only way. I love that.

Well it’s snowing again today. We have received about 6 inches more of some thick wet snow. It was 60 degrees yesterday and now snowing again. Such random weather. But at least it’s not freezing anymore. 

Being district leader is getting more fun and easier every day. Learning so much and loving the chance to serve. My district is so awesome and such hard workers. District meeting is getting super fun too. I am getting more and more comfortable giving my training and doing role plays. 

SO grateful for such an awesome mission. The missionaries here are so obedient and so into Preach My Gospel. President Jeppson is one of the most inspiring people I have met. Probably be an Apostle someday.

Spanish is coming along well. Forced to speak it out here and it is starting to really flow. Still not 100% but wow sometimes I walk away from lessons in shock because of how little I had to think about what I was saying. We can hold hour long conversations just fine now with people. We don’t get to speak it much other than lessons. District meeting and all other meetings are English because of the English missionaries. It really is an English Mission but there are about half of us speaking Spanish. We are trying to speak it more and more just with each other around the house. But it’s coming along well. 

Thank you for that awesome package as well. We loved all the treats and Hawaiian stuff. Haven’t had time to make it quite yet. But thank you for all the dinner ideas too. And I loved the oatmeal cookies. My favorite. That was so kind and loving of you. Elder Aspinall loved it too. Thanks for thinking about him.

Loving the work out here. SO much. Thank you for letting me come out here and serve. Its changing my life.

Elder Sumsion

Shoutouts!!!!

Aunt Keri/ The Harris'- Thank you for the package with all the gummy sweets and fun scriptures to look at. Thanks for thinking about me. Glad to not be a greenie anymore!

Valerie Cannon- Thanks for all the things to keep me warm the next few weeks. That was so thoughtful of you. They will be in good use soon enough.

Tyler Alden- Sent me a crazy perfect missionary package with all the missionary needs. Thank you Tyler. You sent me things I didn't even know I needed until I got them. Thanks.

Clinton - 6 MONTHS OUT - Snowed In

Nice Family - the Mandes who feed them!! THANK YOU
Elder Aspinall and Elder Sumsion

The craziest week of my mission. So much stuff happened and a lot didn't happen. We got snowed in twice this week. So getting out and teaching was super tough. No idea why there is this much snow in Jersey but hey at least its fun and changes things up every once in a while. It has been very cold as well. We are lucky enough to have a car so we can stay warm some times. The cold actually helps us get into lessons as well. Doesn't work in the English program as well but when we knock a door and its just freezing outside they usually let us in. Last week actually we knocked a random door and the door opened and we didn't say one word and they said come in! Its freezing out there. Ha so we got to be in the warmth and teach them a lesson. Its always a win win situation for everyone involved. 

We went on an exchange this last week with the zone leaders. I got to go to Plainsboro,NJ with Elder Vellinga from Clinton, Utah. He is the man. Such a great servant and hard worker out here. He is 24 and had tons of good stories and thoughts about the mission. Always a huge help to be with somebody who has more experience than you. He taught me a lot and helped me teach a lot stronger and simpler. ...He .. taught me a lot about being persistent with people out here. Jersey people have some tough skin to get through, but once past the first approach they get a lot more friendly. Great exchange and he gave me tons of encouragement. We exchanged back in some back-roads of Jersey. Ha super suspicious. A bunch of men dressed in suits meeting on this road in the middle of nowhere in the woods. Ha 

Not much happened with investigators this week. They are all on the same page. We did get to teach El-- and Rosa---. They were asking great questions and will be baptized if they receive an answer through prayer that these things are true. Super excited to help them progress more through the Gospel. But super slow week with all the stuff going on. We are pumped for the weather to clear so we can get out and teach more.

We had interviews this past week with President as well. He was so nice and encouraging. You always leave interviews with him feeling so excited to be a missionary. He is the best. 

Yesterday was a tough day for my companion. We got a call from President Jeppson informing Elder Aspinall that his grandma passed away. They were very close. She is straight Samoan and was practically his second mom and helped raised him his whole life. She sounds like an incredible women. ........Tough day yesterday for him. We didn't even get to church. We just sat there on our couch and he was telling me stories of her and showed me a picture of her. He got to call his family and talked to them for a while. I think it helped him out a lot. He was trying hard all day to be happier. He is such a strong missionary. He is doing much better now. He recorded a song for his grandma on the Ukulele, Oh Lord my Redeemer, and is sending it home for the funeral. 

Shoutout to Brock Deluca! (His friend heading to the Houston Texas Mission on Wednesday) So happy to hear that his whole family came to support him yesterday. Wish I could have been there for the talk. I guess I will just have to come to his homecoming. Glad to hear he is pumped.

Love you all so much,

Sam, nice job on getting that Eagle Project going! ... Thank you dad for your great letter to me and working hard so I can be out here. Love you

Elder Sumsion

Clinton, NJ - Week 2, Week 26 Mission

Monday holidays are hard!  We didn't get this email until 5:00pm yesterday! 
Hello family!

This week has been a nice breather; finally feeling caught up on all my new responsibilities as district leader. Its really not that much stuff to do, it was just such a shock the first week and so much on top of running a new area for me. I am the youngest (mission age) District Leader in the whole mission right now. So humbled at the fact to serve my fellow men and missionaries more. Every week I have to prepare an hour and a half district meeting, make accountability calls (which is just checking up on each companionship and following up on zone goals and making new goals with them), organizing exchanges (Me going and training a missionary in their area), writing weekly reports, and being an example of obedience. Ha the last one is the hardest. Not because I'm disobedient, I just haven't learned all the specific rules yet. Usually you learn them over time with your senior companion but since me and my companion are fairly new, we have to learn it all together. Its fun though. My companion is the best and we get along super well.

We have been praying hard to find new investigators here in Clinton. When I got here, the previous Elders had worked super hard and contacted hundreds but there still wasn't much success but we have been working hard and are making more progress here. We found 6 new last week, which is actually a good amount. We have knocked tons of doors and been asking almost everyone if they know any Hispanics that would be interested in learning the Gospel. That festival thing was a great idea mom. Hopefully we could find one to go sing at. I am loving singing now, me and my companion start every companionship study off with a Spanish Hymn. It really brings the Spirit. Well this last week we have been teaching tons of Restorations in Spanish. Its some fun work. We met this man named Ne--- and he was super interested in what we had to say. He called us a few nights ago and said he had been reading the Book of Mormon. We were pumped. Investigators don't usually give us any calls back but he did, and he is reading! So cool.

We ran into this old contact a few days ago. Her name is Il---. She is 18 and living with her mom sister brother and step father. She talked to us about how her dad died a few years ago. We shared with her a quick message on her door step of the Plan of Salvation and bore strong testimony that she would see her father again. She said we could come back and see her so we are going back this week. We also started teaching her step father. His name is Ed---. He is the investigator I have been praying for. He is super prepared and accepting and did not try to fight with us but accepted the message and wants to learn more. I have some real hope for him and his family. We have been praying for them. And he started feeding us which is a good sign they like us. Ha!

We also are teaching this one man named Ge--- and wow he is the best. He absolutely loves the Bible and will do anything to discredit the Book of Mormon and our Bible. ha little does he know that our Bibles are the same Bible! So funny. He listens but he tries to check it with the Bible too much. We are trying to really get him to focus on the Book of Mormon and reading it. One of my favorite lines in Preach my Gospel says,"The Book of Mormon, combined with the Spirit, is your most powerful resource in conversion." So I try to make sure all of our investigators are reading and praying because that is really how they will be converted.

It is snowing like crazy outside right now. Its about 8 inches or so of snow. Its funny how much the town just shuts down here with that much snow. We were all grounded today, which means no driving. So we didnt get to go out much. Most of our investigators live about 4 hours away walking. We did get to shovel some sidewalks though and met with the district for a district lunch at a senior couples house. We read some awesome talks there and played some ukulele while waiting out this storm.

Ha funny you mentioned that famous red mill here in Clinton. We drive past it everyday. It looks awesome with all the snow. This place is pretty beautiful. Lots of farms and deer and trees and water. Such a different feel from the city. We are getting fed here, mainly by American ward members. Nice to have some classic American food again. The ward is super nice. The Bishop is super focused on missionary work.

Loving it out here,

Elder Sumsion