Email February 11, 2013

Everything's Coming Up Roses

 

 

First: HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAST WEEK CAYDEN KELLY ADAMS! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

So we saw the first fruits of my missionary work this weekend! Sister Lena Moore was baptized and then confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. When I did the baptizing two people were beaming with pride more than anyone else--Elder Johnson and Brother Hill--and I'm not sure which of the two were more proud of me. The baptism was pretty special but the confirmation, I think, is what touched her the most. She just had tears in her eyes of gratitude and I know it meant everything to her to finally reach this point. And the best part? She's already made herself an integrated part of the ward with friends all over the place and everyone just loves her. In no time she'll have a calling and be bringing others to Christ!

 

On another note, I've officially started to gain weight which is just terrible. Curse this southern food and my inability to say no when seconds are offered!!!! We're still fed so very much here and people want us to be in their homes now because we try and teach investigators in their homes which is always a powerful experience.

 

The weather here is so bizarre--still. I'm never going to get used to it. Today is pretty warm and rainy but yesterday was super cold and the day before that was really quite perfect. . . it makes no sense. No ice storms though!

 

Oh, I did get the package from the Hill's that was sent. I adore that red tie and Elder Johnson loves the white one so it worked out perfectly. Great choices! Thanks for all the stamps, Grandma! Grampa, thank you for that little note you put in there. I loved it.

I've slowly noticed southern words creeping into my vocabulary so if I come home in two years and am calling everyone "sug" (like sugar) or "baby" and its always "y'all" then don't be surprised. Also any word ending in -ing automatically loses the "g". If this keeps up I'm going to have a ridiculous accent--but hopefully not a Harker's Island accent. There was a couple who are from Harker's Island (some famous little place up on the northeast coast with lighthouses and stuff) who spoke in church yesterday and WOAH at that accent. They just got back from serving at the Family & Church History Center in Salt Lake City and apparently the Australians who were there thought they were also from down under. That accent is the strangest sounding thing in the world--but I've apparently acclimated well because I understood every word!

 

We've got a new investigator named Lee this week who accepted a baptismal date on the first lesson which was great! It seems like as soon as we think we're lacking people to teach we stumble on someone we were meant to find. Its kind of amazing how that all works.

 

Abby asked in their family letter this week if we have to work hard everyday to learn the scriptures to do missionary work. The answer, Abby? YES! We study for THREE WHOLE HOURS every single morning from the scriptures! Can you believe that!?! You gotta do hard work to be a missionary but I bet one day you can be a missionary too when you're 19-years old! And Owen and Ella too!

 

Well, I'm running out of time! I love you all! Hopefully a better update will follow next week!

-- Elder Adams

February 4, 2012

We have Sister M's baptism for this Saturday at 10am and she's still going strong! I just love this ward and this area I'm serving in so very much. The members are amazing, the investigators we have are amazing, and each and everyday I learn so very much and I just love it.

This week was actually pretty scary because Sister M left town on Tuesday when we were supposed to have an appointment with her to take care of her sick aunt up in Jacksonville. It was so difficult to stay in contact with her while she was gone. We were so worried she was going to fall back into smoking while she was away but she finally called us up yesterday morning and said that she was on her way back to Kinston. She said she had been pressured by her family to stay up in Jacksonville longer but she couldn't because she was "missing my bible study" (what she calls our lessons) and missing church that day. So she drove home saying she missed us so we set up an appointment to see her last night and it was just awesome. We finally hashed out the rest of the details for her baptism--the songs, who was going to say the prayers and give the talks. She is just so excited.

It is such an amazing blessing to share the gospel. To teach those searching for light but "know not where to find it." It can be discouraging at times to try and give the gospel to everyone you meet and have them reject it, but that's agency. We are agents to act, not agents to be acted upon. We have to choose for ourselves the "better part" no matter how difficult it is. Sometimes the "better part" is entirely different from what we expected, sometimes the Lord tells us and directs us one way and then sends us another way halfway through and its all because He knows better.

One of the videos we have to watch is on this set of Doctrine and Covenants/Church History dvds and its about Zion's Camp. Now Zion's Camp was a militia pulled together by the early church to go and bring supplies and defend the church members in Missouri and the Lord promised them that if they were a part of that militia that "not a hair of thy head" will be harmed. Through much tribulation and difficult Zion's Camp pushed on to get from Ohio to Missouri. Halfway through after seeing many miracles, the Prophet Joseph Smith proclaimed that the Lord had now commanded them to turn back because He would fight their battles for them. Now many of the Saints in Zion's Camp were extremely upset at this. They had traveled so far and gone through much affliction only to turn back?! There was an uproar in the camp--many saying they were going to press on anyway. The Prophet Joseph Smith then warned them that if they weren't obedient to the Lord that the scourge He had protected them from the whole time would no longer be held back. They ignored his prophetic warning and paid the consequences. Many of the members died from disease and dysentery until they humbled themselves and obeyed. When Zion's Camp made it back to Kirtland, Ohio the townspeople mocked them asking, "how is it to know that you made it halfway there only to have to turn around?!" Brigham Young turned to them and said with fierceness, "I wouldn't trade that experience for all the money in the county!"

That's how we should be when things don't go our way. One of my favorite quotes goes something like "When the Lord removes something from your hands its so they can be open for him to give you something even better!" So when things don't seem to work out or people go on being imperfect or life events are just miserable--just have faith. The Lord does everything for our benefit. Every trial is to help us grow stronger and greater. We just have to have faith in Him.
 
Alrighty! I love you all! Hope all is well with everyone! Tomorrow is transfers so all the mail is being held at the mission office until after so I haven't received anything you may or may not have sent. But I love everyone and go read your scriptures!

January 27, 2013 Email

So I just finished off my sixth week in the field which means I've just finished filling up my first planner--or would have if we weren't having a seven-week transfer like I said last week!

Anyways, the baptism. It got postponed. Smoking is a killer addiction to quit, especially when we're on the right path and the Adversary is doing everything in his power to stop us. Sister M is still going strong but she still has to go two weeks without smoking so the baptism isn't going to be until February 9th. But that's okay because its still the most important thing in the world to her!

In other news, I'm getting pretty sick which is just swell, but Elder J was sick exactly a month ago so I suppose its my turn now. This week has actually been a pretty rough week. The hardest part of missionary work, it seems, is finding people to teach. Because tracting or street contacting is next to useless. I think the statistics are 1 in every 1000 doors knocked, someone gets baptized. Whereas 1 in every. . . 3 or 4 persons, I think, that is referred by a member gets baptized. So our focus right now is trying to get into members' homes and get them fired up and excited about missionary work so we can help them realize that the Lord is putting people in their path who are ready to receive the Gospel and all that is standing between those people and the Gospel is the members' desire to just go and do it! It might take a little while  but we're pretty sure that if we can provide some powerful lessons with the members we're going to see some real powerful results, just not immediately.

That's probably the lesson of the week: patience. Learning to work on things with all your effort now so that you can see results later. Its a pretty difficult lesson to learn but as a missionary you can really see the value of it. Especially as the weeks seem to grow shorter and shorter. Before I know it I'm going to be counting transfers instead of weeks!

We had an exchange again this week which was actually pretty awesome. Elder W came to my area and Elder J went with Elder S and it was a pretty great day. We didn't have tons of success but we had a lot of fun and we learned a lot. Elder W and I seem to be on the same page pretty frequently, we actually tend to reply to questions simultaneously which is pretty amusing. That night of the exchange we went to teach a lesson with Sister M and Brother W, this absolutely AMAZING man who is the only member in his family, whose wife is dying of cancer, who has an amazing testimony, went with us to that. Well the lesson went swell and all, I took the lead--which wasn't unusual. I've been taking the lead in lessons most of the time just because I don't think about it. Anyways, yesterday at church Brother W paid me probably the greatest compliment I could have received. He said to Elder J and me, "This missionary was prepared the other night!" and I asked him what he meant. He said that he was impressed at how prepared for my mission I was because of how short of a time I had been in the field. 

Make sure those pictures of us at the N's and the H's (stormtrooper helmets and lightsabers) get put on facebook or something for all to enjoy! The N's and the H's just love us so much. We actually had a dinner appointment with the H's early in the week and then Friday night we were going to go share a lesson with them and they ended up feeding us again! That was the night they had to show us the Storm Trooper helmets that their son, L (who is on a mission in Magna, Utah), owned as well as his room which is a shrine to all nerdery--which Elder J and I absolutely loved. And get this--CALLEY HE HAD A DARTH REVAN COSTUME AND WE WOULD HAVE WORN IT BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME!!!!!!!!!! ...I'm pretty sure L and I would be great friends.

Oh, so I guess its been super freezing out west. Well, we finally got our portion of it this week. Last week may have been 75 degrees, but its been below 30 most of the week and down to about 15 at night and super cloudy and we actually had our first ice storm this week. It was SO bizarre. Because I guess due to the humidity that it isn't cold enough to snow even though its below freezing. So it rains and then freezes onto everything. EVERYTHING ends up covered with inches of ice. The trees and other plants were absolutely gorgeous when the sun came out the next day and they were all iced over and the pine trees were crystallized. SUPER miserably cold because of the humidity and all, but it was pretty gorgeous too.

This week has really been pretty awesome. Rough as far as getting new people, but its been an amazing week of learning learning and learning. When things get difficult its always easier when you remember that the Lord is always taking care of you if you're on the right path. That's all you need to remember and even the hardest trial becomes surmountable. If you're doing your part, the Lord will take care of the rest. And frequently that means he'll send miracles. But something I may have said before that David A. Bednar said was that the Israelites who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant and came up to the River Jordan, they were promised that the river would part, just like the Red Sea. But they came up to it with the Ark and it wasn't until they had stepped into the river and gotten their feet wet that the miracle happened. If you read Alma 60, Captain Moroni says the same thing. He thinks that Pahoran is refusing to send his armies aid against the Lamanites and he rebukes Pahoran, reminding him that just because God delivered them from bondage before didn't mean that he would go and fight the Lamanites for them if they refused to help themselves. If we want miracles we have to get our feet wet. Its that simple. So work as if everything relies on you and have faith that it all relies on the Lord. Then we know that everything that happens is for our own benefit. And that's my soapbox to family and friends for the week.

As far as piano music goes, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE if, wherever it is located, someone could send me the Prince of Egypt book, Come Thou Fount sheet music (its the full choral arrangement for like the MoTabs), Nearer My God to Thee and Army of Helaman and Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief sheet music (they're all super beautiful arrangements I miss), and anything else that sounds like a great idea to send me because I know I have tons of music. Speaking of piano music, did I tell you a member of the ward is going to teach me to play the piano entirely improvised? Or at least the basics so I can do the improvising I already do but actually do it well? I'm super excited. Some night this week they're going to feed us and then he'll teach me. I'm so so so so so so so excited. I'm also going to teach Elder W and Elder S to play the piano! Woo!

Calley--I haven't received that package you were talking about at Christmas. So I hope it didn't get lost.
Chris and Anne--yes I did get the cookies in the MTC which was wonderful. I have the tupperware and I plan to send it home to my mom when I next make it to the Post Office along with everything else. Also, yes that  is the Elder Warner who is my district leader! He's from Orem so it all fits even if he doesn't know who y'all are!
Grandma Penny-- I got the letters you sent via the Hills! I'm sure your talk went just fabulously. Wish I could have heard it!

Alrighty! I love you all! Thus ends this weeks' update of the Adventures of Elder Adams in Kinston--the Land Where the Weather Can't Make Up its Mind Whether its Going to be 15 Degrees or 75 in January!

A Few Photos

 Brother H. sent this one of an apparent storm trooper in their home.  I recognize the tie.

Sister N. sent this one of the elders outside the church on Monday. 

January 21 Email

And thus begins my sixth week in the field! Usually it would be the last week of the transfer this week but because of when Christmas was, the previous transfer was cut short a week so it was only 5-weeks and this transfer is 7-weeks. And my training is 2-transfers so, I'm like halfway done with training. Its crazy.

I cannot believe that you coordinated for my birthday though, Mom! That was kind of awesome and it was super amazing to have my Snow Tunnel Cake as tradition dictates every year--along with cheesy potatoes. Thank you all so much, everyone who chipped in to get me that GPS. Its actually better than Elder J's GPS and so we take it around more often than his! I named it Joanne. She's a classy lady. The H's are just about the best and they seem to really like me and they gave us all SweetFrog (a frozen yogurt place) giftcards and it was just fabulous to spend my birthday with the H's that night.

Other awesome news: I GET TO BAPTIZE SISTER M THIS WEEKEND!!!!!! I'm so excited. We had her baptism interview on Saturday night and then asked her to choose who would baptize her and who would confirm her, preferably a ward member so as to build ward unity/friendships/etc. And she asked me to do the baptism and Elder J to do the confirmation. She says, "You two were the ones who found me and have been with me since the beginning, so you better be with me here at the end!" I'm so excited. Its going to be so great. We actually got three investigators to church this week, including Sister M and it was just so exciting. Word is getting out that I play the piano so Relief Society grabs us for their opening exercises so that I can play their opening hymn, and Brother H seems to really really like me so he brings me piano music I can photo copy and he asks me all sorts of questions about playing music. Its so great.

The week itself has been pretty difficult though. Very few lessons, we haven't been able to meet with very many people and its just been difficult. Though we had our first Zone Conference this week which was amazing. Elder P of the 70 came to that and it was just such an amazing Conference. We learned so very much and have applied it and found results so quickly. I played the piano for that as well. It amazes me how few people play the piano or sing or anything out here. Apparently little to no one has musical talent out here so when I'm here to play the piano they all get super excited and are super grateful. Anyways, Elder P described his job as being President and Sister B's visiting teachers, which I thought was amusing, but it was just such a great conference and they really taught us all so very much.

We've been fed SO much this week. Lunch and dinner, every single day this week, someone has fed us. Its been almost ridiculous. We're always so stuffed. But we're working out in the mornings though so I guess its all just fine. I'm still the same weight I was when I entered the MTC so I'm not complaining too much. Its mostly just been another week in the field though, nothing else particularly life changing to report. 

Tell Mawmaw thank you so much for Pawpaw's scarf and the candy.

Steven, oh my goodness at the chocolate.

Calley, still haven't received the second package you said you were going to send for my Birthday (you told me about it around Christmas, I think?). Hoping it didn't get lost somewhere.

Thank you all for pitching in for my GPS. I'm so so so so so so so so grateful for that. Thank you for that. Its going to be so very helpful.

As far as the copyright thing goes, I've no idea about that whatsoever and have heard nothing about it so . . . whatever you do, that's fine with me I guess. Though I have received some letters from friends asking why they aren't getting my emails so if you could send a mass email to all those addresses I gave you and link them to the blog or whatever it was you're using, that'd be great.

Also, mom if you could get a 3-year driving record copy for me and get that faxed or mailed to the Mission Office. My Drivers License # is 197302409 and the Mission Office fax is (919 850 0897)

Well, I love you all! Write me! I'll write ya' back!

Cody's Birthday

20 birthday candles.

Sister Hill from Kinston 2nd Ward sent me these photos that they took of Cody's birthday.  They had him and his companion and 2 other missionaries over for dinner that night and had a party for him.  She made him a snow tunnel cake with the recipe I sent her.  He has had a snow tunnel cake for his birthday for as long as we can remember.  They also had steak and cheesy potatoes-another recipe I sent her.  I sent his birthday package to their house because things are taking so long to get to him with having to go to mission home first and then to him.  They held it for him and she even wrapped it up so he could have something to open.  We sent him a GPS, a tie for his Tie of the Month club, some vitamins, tea tree oil and a chocolate orange. She sent me a great email with the link to all these pictures and said that he had a great time and they were so glad that they could feed the missionaries that day.  This is what she put at the end of her email.

"I just got your email saying you have seen the pictures so disregard the above paragraph!! But...NO, I didn't hug him...Jeff did it for me! HE is WAY too obedient to have a female hug him...and that is a great thing! For example...all of a sudden my kitchen emptied out tonight...all four missionaries ran outside...I walked to see where they were going...they had all rushed out of the house because my husband had gone to get something out of his car...THEY DIDN'T WANT TO BE IN THE HOUSE WITHOUT A PRIESTHOOD HOLDER BECAUSE ONLY ME AND MY DAUGHTER WERE IN THERE! It was hilarious because she and I were both busy doing something else...we didn't even know Jeff had gone out!

 

Anyway...what a great group of elders we have! Thanks so much for sharing him with us...and if it is any reassurance there is not an unhappy bone in that boy's body! They are gone to an appointment with an investigator now. They are really rocking and rolling this area! Have a great night!"

I told her to give him a great big birthday hug from his momma and so that is what the hugging part is about.  All of her emails say how happy he is and how funny he is.  It sounds like from his letters and the Hill's emails that really is happy and doing well.  

 

Photo Opp

Brother Hill from Cody's ward sent this picture to me last week.  He said that he saw them out tracting and so he told them stop and let him take picture.  I asked Brother Hill if they were cold because Cody looked humched over but he said that he was just being goofy-typical Cody!  He said it hadn't been that cold.  I was grateful for that!  Of course this week it got really cold and one time I looked on my weather app for Kinston and it showed snow!