Lead Kindly Light

Hey all. It's been a long week.

So Elder J, my companion, is a tall guy. And he got tall really
fast. But that causes some problems, y'know? He had some inexplicable
shoulder pain that was hard to deal with but not very severe, at least
until now. It started getting worse on Monday, so our zone leader took
him to the doctor on Tuesday. They decided it was a pinched nerve, but
that to do all the tests for it and maybe surgery, they wanted him to
head home for a while. He left that night, and now I'm in a trio with
Elder Coburn and Elder Taylor.

I get a little bit of how my mom felt now. I just have to be like
"it's not like he's dead or anything." But it's just hard. I've never
felt so much... Grief. The others were angry or sad, but I couldn't
think of any other word. It took a lot of getting emotions out and
praying and reading scriptures to be alright. But I feel peace about
it now. Right after he left I was sitting in the hall with the zone
leaders, who are also in our district. It had been a long day for them
too, so we were all kinda a mess. I was humming "Lead Kindly Light",
and then someone down the hall started playing it on a violin in a
classroom! Not only that, but that's what the choir sang at the
devotional that night. They announced it and I was like "okay okay! I
get it! I'm alright!"

Also when we where sitting around, there was an elderly elder playing
the piano in a nearby classroom. He was playing mostly church music,
but some other stuff, and it was all very very jazzy, so it felt like
being in a fancy lounge. He was playing for his wife, but I had to go
tell him thanks for playing, it soothed our souls. It made me really
want to play the piano a lot. We also had roast beef and mashed
potatoes for dinner, and all these little nice things added up to
generally being okay by the end of the day. Now when anything good
happens at all: "God is good."

It's been busy but typical otherwise. Lots of learning, lots of
teaching, lots of volleyball. I'm really sad I don't get to keep
teaching one of the investigators we were assigned this week, because
she was awesome. I dunno if she was a member, but the Spirit was like
"she needs to be in the church right now immediately" because she was
just so good. I'll try to stop by the TRC room she was at so I can at
least leave her with anothertestimony or something.

So you know those stories where missionaries go knock one more door or
talk to just one more person at he end of the day and are blessed for
it? It feels like that is every day here. I always learn the most in
the last two hours of the day. And here at the end of my stay. I feel
pretty confident now, not that I'll convert and baptize everyone ever,
but that as long as I keep working, my deficiencies won't matter as
much and my talents will be magnified.

iPads are seriously inspired of the Lord here. Like seriously, I'm the
worst at scripture references, but if I can just remember a few words
(or have them brought to my remembrance,) I can search them in Gospel
Library. It's incredible, and has been super helpful for finding
specific scriptures and stories, especially in the New Testament. It's
easier to focus on using technology well when you're guided by the
Spirit, too.

Almost there. You might all get another email from me super soon on
Monday, or not until the next one, since we leave here at 3:30 am on
Monday. We fly to Phoenix first, then into Bakersfield. I'm excited to
get out there, but also nervous, since it'll be way harder than this.

"Keep thou my feet, I do not ask to The distant scene- one step enough for me."

Thanks everyone,
Elder Adams