So, this week was Christmas and wow what a week! These members here take such good care of us! We were invited to a pretty rich families home for breakfast and they gave us all TONS of presents. I made as big a haul as I would have at home! And they fed us so much food--stuffed french toast, peanutbutter-chocolatechip pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, eggs... it was wonderful. And the whole day was like that. We had two other huge meals with other families and received so many gifts of food and other objects of note. And the gifts are still coming. Some of the members at church yesterday gave us so much chocolate. I'm going to get SO fat.
So Christmas day we were super busy just going from home to home being fed all sorts of pies and tasty foods and then the next day we had to get back to work. And really, I looked forward to it. We met with some of our progressing investigators and found some new ones, but the people I told you about last time, Sister Lena Moore, Sister Leslie Jones, and Brother James Murphy, we committed Sister Moore and Jones to come to church. And they came yesterday. And they LOVED IT. The ward members here are such a huge help. We try as hard as we can to have a ward member with us for each and every lesson we teach because their testimony builds the investigators testimony too to know that someone besides these lovely boys in suits has gone through and tested out the Lord to find out if things are true.
We taught all three of those investigators last night. And we felt very impressed to teach them the Word of Wisdom and get them to commit to it even though they all smoke like chimneys. All of them committed to it. All of them. Even Sister Jones who would leaven meetings at church to go outside to smoke, she sincerely committed to stop smoking, drinking coffee, and tea. They know they're on the right path and it is such a huge blessing to see them progress. You can see it in their faces that there is a change happening in their lives. They're happier. Their countenances are brighter. There is a light in their eyes that wasn't as bright before. And I love them so much.
Poor Elder Johnson has been getting sicker and sicker the past few days. It started out as just a small cold but he's hurting pretty bad today. We're going to Walmart this afternoon to get a bunch of drugs for him because the miniature drug store I brought with me surprisingly hasn't been able to cut it. So keep him in your prayers!
I love this work so much. Its just about the greatest blessing in the world to be able to participate in it. It becomes an honor to say the closing prayer in sacrament meeting (yesterday) and to give the members who feed us a spiritual message--which, most of the time, is inspired and helps them with issues we had no idea they were facing. Even walking an accumulative 20-miles in two-days (Elder Johnson's bike tire popped the other day) becomes a blessing. I love doing this so much.
I find myself every few mornings looking at myself in the mirror after getting ready and just getting excited, saying to myself, "I'm a missionary!!!! I'm a missionary!!! I'm a missionary!!!" and flailing like I'm wont to do.
The other day I went on an exchange with Elder Sosa, a spanish speaking missionary from Honduras, and Elder Josh Warner went with my companion. I basically just accompanied him to his appointments wherein they spoke spanish the entire time but it was so awesome to hear the gospel being taught in another language. In one of the lessons I remember sitting there, hearing them speak and catching enough of the language I had picked up my freshman year of high school to sort of know what they were talking about, and I was screaming in my heart because I wanted to talk to these people so badly. And then out of no where Elder Sosa turns to me and says, "I know you want to bear you testimony, so go ahead." And I did. I wanted to share my testimony to these people who only a few of them understood English so badly and I had that opportunity. Leaving their home I felt a twinge of jealousy because they got to teach Felipe and his family every week and I loved them. But then we saw them at church yesterday and it was enough to know that they're on the right path and progressing and they know it too.
One thing, with less active members, we've learned is that the first downfall of pretty much any member is when they stop reading the Book of Mormon. So family and friends, READ THE BOOK OF MORMON! And I promise you will see a change in your life. It hit me this week, thinking about history and how in 2 Nephi and Jacob the Lamanites swear that they will destroy the Nephites and their records--why would Satan always want to destroy our records and our writings? I asked that question to Elder Johnson and he posed the question to me--well, what's the worth of history?
If you look back at other civilizations, from my knowledge, there, so often, is a destruction of their writings. The Library of Alexandria was destroyed, I forget who destroyed who but some city had all of its writings thrown in the river by the Mongols (Calley, get back to me on this one) so that the river ran black with all the ink. So think about that. And read your scriptures. If you are truly looking for an answer, or strength, or anything, the Lord will give it to you through the strength and power of the scriptures.
Oh, Mom and Dad, I really wish we had done some bike research because I'm thinking my Walmart bike is kinda crap. I'm planning on sticking with it for a while because I don't want you guys to spend more money on me than you need to, but if an opportunity or something arises wherein I could get a decent bike, that'd be wonderful. But I do not want to go out and just buy another because that is a ton of money.
Gifts from the family and friends that I have received so you know that I did in fact get them and that the USPS did not steal them--
Flowers Family-- I got the little package with the giftcards to Subway. Thank you so much! The package you said from Uncle Jim's work has yet to arrive though!
Pitts and Gessels-- I got your visa/AmericaFirst cash card. Thank you so much. I can't believe how much you all have given me--on top of how much it costs to ship me stuff.
Calley--I got your letter. I sent you one last week so I don't know if you got it yet. I'll reply to you by physical mail, but in the meantime, go read Mosiah 4. I was reading it this morning and for some reason it made me think of you.
Steven-- I look forward to hearing from the people we meet how one 19-year old man managed to destroy the entire United States Postal Service in one night because I just got your package and letter yesterday. I look forward to filling up that journal with my adventures rebooting the universe or fighting Walt Disney's Ghost.
Grandma Dottie--I got your letters and visa gift card, but my mom said to look for a big red box of stuff? I have yet to get that.
Grandma Penny--My mom said you sent presents but I don't have those either.
Aunt Dawna and Nichol-- I got your card thank you!
...that's all I can think of off the top of my head so if you sent something and I didn't list it, I could have gotten it and just forgot so write me and I'll get back to you on it!
I love you all so very much! This is truly the work of the Lord and I learn so much each and every day. Its exhausting and hard and can get pretty miserable (especially with this bone-deep cold and wind), but I love it. The Lord is constantly making me stronger and I keep praying that he'll increase my capacities for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual strength. And that's what I want you all to do. What are you going through right now? What Christ-like attribute do you need more of to get through it? Whatever it was that came to your mind, pray about it, ask for it specifically. Tell the Lord exactly what it is you need and have the faith that He'll give it to you.
Everything He does is for us. He loves us and only wants us to grow. The only thing He asks of us is to follow His commandments. That's all! And even if we're perfect, we are still an "unprofitable servant." We can do everything in our power and still be in debt to him--because as soon as you start to follow His commandments He will immediately bless you. Immediately! And that is your wages for your works and actions! So really, we only end up deeper in debt! He loves us so much and truly asks so little. So please, keep the commandments. Ask for strength to repent, to be better, for those Christlike attributes, and read the Book of Mormon. And I promise (here is my missionary training!) that you will be blessed beyond your imagination.
I love you all! I'm out of time! Write me! I'll send off some individual letters here later! And if you want to get me something I could always use stamps!
Love,
Elder Cody Adams
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