March 10, 2018

This is it

Well mates, here we are. The final email. I honestly can't believe I'm actually sitting here writing this. From various libraries to the family history computers in a small chapel up north to emailing here at the mission office. I couldn't really sum up what it's like to be at this point. But I guess it was meant to be. I don't know who still reads these, but the mission's been one heck of a ride. The reality that I'm going home just won't sink in. Being in the office, we're always working on things in preparation for the future, so it's hard for me to think going home is a real thing. Holy cow. 

But just a quick summary of my final week, we went to a Cash Converters to trade in my bike for some cash. My companions were scouring the flat for things they could turn in as well to make a few bucks. We had a lesson with our recent new investigators/part member family, Kate and Emily. They are way too ready to be baptized and I'm really sad I can't be there to see it. Thursday was mostly office work. So was Friday. It was transfer deliberations this week so a lot of it was spent slowly working on different things we could find. Friday night we went to the Chinese branch's game night, which we did a lot when Elder Morris was in the office but just haven't had as much time. But we went for one last go to see a couple of the Chinese members that I've gotten to know really well. Surprisingly, some of my best memories from the mission were made in Sunnybank with the Chinese members. Today, Saturday, we went to play touch rugby down with a heap of Elders in Logan. Elder Sharma gave haircuts at the Chinese Zone Leaders' flat because they're both going home with me (Elder Morris, me ol' mate and Elder Westbrook). Later me and my old companion and now AP Elder Hymas went to a baptism in my son's area. Office stuff the rest of the day pretty much. 

It's come to this. In a couple days I'll be flying out. Sunday will be church and preparing for transfers, but hopefully I'll be able to say bye to at least a couple people before going. Monday we'll go to the temple with President and all the departing missionaries and then hang out at the mission home and have dinner there, sleeping overnight and heading out Tuesday morn. 

I'll take this time to say the gospel is so true. So true. I haven't been as spiritual in my emails but it's because the experiences I've had probably wouldn't mean much to anyone but me. There were lessons and things I needed to live through and see so that I could learn from it. I wasn't a perfect missionary, but I had a perfect mission. I saw repentance in action. I lived it. I studied from the Book of Mormon day in and day out and read it cover to cover at least a dozen times. I studied Preach My Gospel hard-out and came to understand it is THE book for missionary work, full-time or everyday member. I learned that God absolutely does hear and answer prayers. He really does. I saw people live the gospel, and I saw the change in them as they felt the joy and peace it brings. Unfortunately I also saw some of those same people go back to old habits and fall away from the gospel again. I can only hope they come back one day. It kills me but it's reality. It's hard to change ingrained ways of behaving. But there are only a couple that I know have found what they need and have no plans of giving it up, and for that at least I'm so thankful. Jesus Christ is the one who makes this all possible. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for His Atonement. None of us would be. Baptism, service, keeping the commandments, it would all mean nothing if He hadn't paid the price. But He did. He lives today and guides His people through prophets and apostles. The Book of Mormon can't be proved false. It's too true. I'll miss writing these emails. Hopefully I'll be able to save them all as it's kind of like a story, besides what's in my journal. So folks, this is Elder Cummings, signing off. For the last time. Cheers.