Wow! What a week since leaving the MTC! I left that Tuesday morning at about 3:40 am and flew up to Washington and continued to have a long day. I was very grateful for sleep that night :D
For some logistical things, my mailing address will be the same for the rest of my mission which is great! Here it is.
Elder Cameron Sumsion
23175 224th PL SE, Suite E
Maple Valley, WA 98038
I love being out here and helping others come closer to Christ. In my small time here its amazing how much of that I have already been able to see. My love for my companion, ward, and people in this area is growing and evident already in the way I talk and think about them.
My companion is Elder Graham. He grew up in Ohio and his home is currently in Roosevelt, Utah. This is his fourth transfer out and he is a District Leader and my trainer. He is wonderful and I love him. He is a progressing missionary and strives to do his best. We are both blessed with the gift of music and have already been able to use it to help others come unto Christ. President Eaton said he didnt realize that both of us have that gift. It was very inspired for that reasons and many others as well. Elder Graham is a wonderful missionary who is mature, humble, and a wonderful facilitator of the spirit. He fulfills his missionary purpose, "To invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end," to great extent to all others including me.
Currently we are serving in Kent, Washington in the Clark Lake Area/Ward. In this mission its split up so that each area is a ward. There are 8 stakes in the mission.
I love it. It hasn't rained that much. It actually has not rained since maybe friday or Saturday morning, but it was raining for a bit though when I got here. I love the rain and I am glad I didn't bring an umbrella. I still do love The Blue Umbrella though. Its beautiful.
If you have any specific questions to ask me feel free to ask me. I can respond in these emails or in private if you would like me too. I am not going to cover everything I do, but I will cover what I feel.
Up here its very different and very similar to Provo. For example there are churches is so many places in such a close proximity... they just aren't all LDS Churches haha :D
Washington is a lot more diverse culture wise. For the first time I have heard of and met Marshalese people from the Marshal Islands that are around Australia. They are similar to the Samoan or Tongan people. One part of their culture is you shouldnt leave a household without having a gift. It is usually a bottle of water. Some of the Marshalese people only speak Marshalese so it is hard to teach sometimes. I am learning new words one at a time haha. We had a great experience where we visited a family and a couple sang us a song in marshalese. A very simple Duet. The marsalese priest (young man) who was with us told us what it was about. Suffice it to say, it was about John 3:16.
We experience and see miracles all of the time while on the Lords errand.
1) We were going to an appointment and went to talk to a guy and he was not very friendly and sent us on our way quickly. After the appointment we went to thank him for telling us where to go. His son was there and he had a foam sword from a popular game that a lot of folks are playing now a days including me. I proceeded to talk to his 10 year old kid about that game and he really opened up to us and we were able to set up an appointment to visit him and teach him a lesson. Had I been there at this right time on this mission, he would not have opened up to us. I am really grateful for that testimony that I am here in Washington State because Heavenly Father needs ME to help His children and my brothers. The Lord calls you on a mission. Not generic missionary #75,827. He needs you.
2) We had a dinner with a slighlty less active family in our ward. They told their amazing stories of their conversions and how they came to know the gospel is true. The spirit was so present. Elder Graham bore heartfelt testimony that Heavenly Father is there and loves you. That He needs you to help feed his sheep and help. As we left we said "see ya at church tomorrow!" They said they wouldnt be able to make it.... because a Seahawks game was going on. We left saddened that they would let sports become such a priority. We prayed and hoped they would come to church and be pricked by the spirit. At church the next day we were giddy to see that they had made it! :D
I appreciate the movie "17 Miracles." In the Movie they didnt list out what each miracle was that happened. We could see miracles ourselves, but the movie directors didnt tell us which miracle was number 4 or number 8. They left it up to us to decide and see the miracles that happened in the movie. There were more than simply 17 miracles in that movie though. Just as with the movie, there are more than 17 miracles in our lives. I exhort you to look at your life and recognize those miracles. God doesnt list those miracles we have as "miracle number 5 of the day." He leaves it up to us to look with Heavenly Eye and a perspective of gratitude to see what He has blessed us with.
I love it here. I love being on a mission. I encourage you to listen to this inspiring video.
-Love,
Elder Sumsion
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