the cannon is cummins

HELLO!!! My beautiful friends and family!!

I just first and foremost want to give a big shout out to my lovely mother who's birthday it wason Thursday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! YOU'RE MY IDOL!! (please don't kill me :D) and to another one to my beautiful newly married sister!! KRISTINA LORRAINE CUMMINS! I am so excited for you!  

ANYWHO!

How are you people!?!? 

I, over here in good ol' Wrekin(take two lefts jump over the Atlantic), am doing wonderfully! The sun is shining! The wind is blowing, making Sister Cannon and I feel like wind-blown models as we strut the good streets of Wrekin!  and I have four words for you: Life is GOOD! 

This week has been full of great events but even better it has been full of learning and growth(two of my favorite things)!

First of all, This week as a mission we got to go into Preston to have a tour of some of the amazing historical areas where many great men and women have walked before me! It was an absolute highlight of my life. I could feeling the Spirit so strong! We got to go down to the River Ribble where hundreds of people were baptized when missionaries first started coming to England in the 1800s!  We got to imagine all of those souls who were baptised on that day and it was just an incredible feeling all around there! We got to visit Gordon B Hinckley's(one of our modern day prophets) first flat he stayed in when he was a missionary here. It is amazing to me! We got to learn about the struggles and afflictions but also the great excitement and successes of the very first missionaries here in England! Those people have made history for me and have greatly affected millions of lives and I know that they too have felt the way that I do. They faced the same trials and struggles and the same success and it is weird to think that I may be helping make history for some of the people here in England! It is SUCH a privilege!!  I could feel the Spirit so strongly! It was just incredible! At the end of the day when we went back on our coach we got the opportunity to share our testimonies and President Ulrich asked me to share my mother's  conversion story. I feel so much gratitude for the history that my mother made for me and our future generations. She made an incredible decision and I am so blessed to be a member of this church! She was converted here within the boundaries of the England Manchester mission and I am beyond grateful to have such a direct tie to this mission, it makes my heart swell!! I know that this is where I am meant to be. I know that I need to serve here and experience this culture. I will not give up or let my days get darker because the Lord is my light and I will not fear! It is an incredible thing! I know that this gospel is true and if we just open ourselves up to it. If we just have the desire to have faith and we act upon that desire our lives will be changed. We will have immense joy and we will know our purpose in this life! We have such an incredible purpose and I love sharing that purpose and heavenly Father's love with each of His children here in England!

 We have one friend who has to overcome a few different things, her name is Tina, and she is really trying! She came to Stake Conference with her two young children yesterday and she has accepted to be baptised on June 18th! EVERYONE...SHES GOING TO BE BAPTISED! I am so excited! Seriously! My mind is blown! She is so prepared and everything we teach her makes sense to her! She grasps it and has the desire to learn more! She is continually striving to do her best! It is such an amazing process to watch! She is blessing my life immensely by her example and I just love her! I just love her so dearly! She is so strong and devoted and she struggles but that's what makes me respect her more. By living the principles we have taught her I have seen her demeanor change and she is being strengthened! You can see it in every aspect of her life! I am a witness that this gospel is true and that it changes lives! The church of Jesus Christ stands once again on the earth! Joseph Smith has restored it. I know this to be true. 

Yesterday, in Stake Conference, I loved what was said by Elder Charles(Of the Area Seventy) about how the Holy Ghost needs to be our best friend! As we make Him our best friend He will lead and guide our lives into a more perfect reality than we ever could've imagined! I know that in order to have my words become what Christ would have me say I must study and know the scriptures. I need to have an eye single to God and His glory. I need to build upon the gospel and be urgent to share it with others. I need to believe that I can be lead by Him and that my words can be His(AKA trust!). I must treasure up His words, have good desires, be focused, believe on His name, and THRUST IN MY SICKLE, AKA try with all my might!(All these great ideas were courtesy of D&C 11, go check it out!!)

I want you all to know that I truly truly love the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love my Saviour and I know He loves each and every single person who has ever walked or who will ever walk this earth!

This week I really learned that the key to this work and anything in this life is love. People always say, "no one will care how much you know until they know how much you care" and I really saw that come true this week! These people who we are serving are only letting us come back because they can feel God's love for them when we are in their homes. When we teach these messages they can feel of God's love for them because it is so apparent. He has no forsaken us and He never will! All He wants is to have a relationship with each of us! I know that by reading in the Book of Mormon and then kneeling down in humble prayer will give you answers to the questions that you so desire and He will listen. You can ask Him anything. I know this is true because I have experienced it in my own life! So this week show your love for heavenly Father and pray! Morning and night, every single day! it doesn't have to be crazy. There is no such thing as a bad prayer. Just share with Him the things of your heart. Say it like your speaking to you earthly father. As we address Him, tell Him the things we are grateful for and need help with, and close in the name of Jesus Christ I know that many mighty miracles can and will be wrought in your lives! It is my humble prayer that you will each be strengthened with every passing day!! I love you people! you bring light to my life and love to my heart! Keep trying and keep choosing to be happy! 

On a funny note everyday at some point of the day I'll start walking pigeon-toed and Sister Cannon will start laughing so hard that we have to stop walking or else she will pee her pants...so that's pretty exciting! Also, the whole church here knows that I am lactose intolerant....Oh maybe I didn't tell you...I'M LACTOSE FREE! Because I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to all things tasty. AKA: Chocolate, cheese, yoghurt and everything else Britain knows how to do right! But it's okay because at the beginning I prayed I wouldn't get fat so it's definitely just an answer to my prayers! HA! :D 

LOVE YOU ALL LOADS!!!

XOXO

LOADS OF LOVE!

 Sister Cummins

PS If you we were wondering about my caption this week our friend, Tina, couldn't remember our names so she would always say, "The Cannon is Cummins" in order to remind herself...I think that was probably funnier in the moment than it is on a screen...but I don't care!! LOVE YOU ALL! :D