Hiya people!!
This week was a super good one! It's crazy how weeks can be filled with SO much hard and SO much good, but looking back, the blessings always seem to out weigh the hard times. Crazy how that works.
This past pday we went to a public bath house for the first time and it wasn't as emotionally scarring as I thought it would be! haha it was actually super fun! People stared at me and Sister Bedke lots more because we're white, but the cute old ladies kept on telling us how pretty we are and we were able to explain to them a bit about missionary work, so I'd say it was a pretty productive outing (always a missionary, even without the tag)
Our branch got 2 more puppies and 3 more chickens!! So that brings us to a total of 4 puppies and 6 chickens!! I still don't understand why we have them, and my companion is just as confused as I am, but whenever we go over to the church we get to hang out with puppies, so I'm happy!! (I also heard rumors that they might buy a goat?)
We had a soccer/ping pong night at our church on Saturday, and some of the Elder's friends were able to come!! It was way fun, though my soccer skills were a bit (a lot) rusty. The 2 new puppies also decided that the middle of the soccer field would be a perfect place to take a nap, so we had to take a quick break to move the sleeping puppies to the sidelines. While playing ping pong, a cute 12 year old boy decided that chasing me around the chapel, pelting me with ping pong balls was much more fun than the actual game. Ha I seriously love this branch.
We visited a cute Filipina member to celebrate her birthday and it just surprises me all the time how people can lead SUPER hard lives but still have such a positive attitude and happy spirit and light about them. I learn so much from these people that I often wonder if I was sent here to teach them or if they were sent here to teach me (likely more of the latter)
Something I realized this week is that my mission has completely changed the way I approach trials. Before my mission when I went through a hard thing, I would often turn to temporary solutions (Netlix, ice cream, canyon drives, all that good stuff) but throughout my mission, I've learned to turn to my Savior, utilize the power of his Atonement, and get to work serving others. The temporary solutions helped me forget for a short time, but I've learned that turning to Jesus Christ for my first source of comfort then looking beyond myself to help others has healed me from the inside. Sometimes it's almost immediate, other times it's a lengthy process, but the result is always the same.
LOVE YOU ALL LOTS and hope you have a fantastic week!! Also do the Come, Follow Me booklet bc it's AMAZING and for sure inspired of God. Only one week in and it's already changed the way I study!!!
--Sister Cummings
1) puppies!!!!!
2-3) the 12 year old boy mentioned above drew a picture of me. I was flattered:)
