Plagues

So I've been sick. Super sick this week. We had two exchanges too, so not a lot has happened. I get feeling a little better and say "oh I can ride a bike now" and then get way more sick. Gah. It's frustrating being the sick companion instead of having a sick companion. It started as a sore throat, then a cold, then nausea, and now a sinus infection. I am not yet as Job though, and have no need to be.

I learned a lot though, and we still have a lot of good stuff planned. We had two exchanges this week, one with our zone leaders and one with our district leaders. We got to meet some cool people for them, but not for us. But we got to meet a part member family in Quartz Hill that wasn't on their list! I was too focused on where I was going and Elder Rojo saw the mom and stopped me. I'm glad he was paying attention- we got to teach the family a message about Christ and I got to give out the bible I didn't know why I was carrying around! I learned to slow down and pay more attention. Apparently I move too swiftly sometimes.

A lesson did get taught to our one investigator by Elder Webb and Elder Markwalter. His name is Charlie and he hasn't been progressing too well. Yet. A lot of the members were telling us to drop him and I was starting to agree, but Elder Webb's optimism and a healthy dose of discernment from outside our companionship helped us to know that we really just needed to go back to basics with him. Better yet, a big focus of our zone training meeting was helping investigators to pray! Hopefully things will start to pick up this week because of what we've learned.

We did a lot of service this week! I mean, looking back, that probably didn't help my being sick at all, but hey: wearing out my life in the service of God, right? It was cool. I'm glad to be able to help out members, especially when they really need it because they're old or have had surgery and stuff like that.

I'm not sure what cool spiritual experience to share this week, so I'll just say this: I love the Book of Mormon. It's cool as heck and brings you closer to God. If you read it with your family it'll bring you closer to your family! If you have problems it'll help you find comfort and solutions to your problems. And even if it has it's sad parts, it points to the ultimate happy ending: eternal life with our loving Heavenly Father.

Elder Adams

Sierra Ward

Hello all!

Little bit of a slow week, getting rolling in a new area with a new companion and all that. We weren't able to teach a whole lot, but we did have a couple of good opportunities to meet people in the ward!

There's this awesome recent convert named Terry. He came to us while I was in Sierra ward that week when I was in a trio and asked whatever happened to his recent convert lessons? He'd been baptized more than a year ago and they just kinda... didn't happen. So we told the new elders and they got started on it and now we get to finish! Terry is such a go-getter, it's awesome. He even got to talk about missionary work this sunday! We got to teach Gospel Principles again, which I enjoyed. It takes me back to teaching gospel doctrine at college, haha.

So we had a huge change this week! There was a worldwide missionary broadcast and they changed the schedule a bunch! Companion study and stuff like 12-week training are supposed to go in the day at some point instead of at the beginning all the time, and planning is in the morning now. I'm glad, it feels more valuable. We can also go to bed at 9:30 if we want (thank goodness bikes make me so tired.) We also keep track of less numbers now- just people baptized, baptismal dates, investigators at church, and new investigators. I'm glad, I feel like it'll really help us focus on what's important.

Our district leader counseled us to go visit all the auxiliary and priesthood leaders in the ward to meet them and see if they had anything for us to do. We met some, but we hadn't gotten to actually sit down and talk with the Slaytons (the high priests' group leader and young women's president.) Brother Slayton did ask us if we had a dinner on Sunday, but we did. Then dinner canceled so we got to eat with them! Apparently the Spirit can make people forget things like feeding the missionaries if we need to go somewhere else, haha. I thought everyone was going to tell us the same people to see, but we haven't been told the same person twice! I'm glad we can do something to help out the ward.

I really love this work. Being out here, on the frontlines against the adversary. It's made me care a lot more about people and helped me realize what's important in life. This is the Lord's work, and He could do it Himself, but He works with us and lets us do it and make mistakes sometimes so that we can learn and become more like Him. It's so wonderful.

Thanks for being great!
Elder Adams

A Day At the Beach and My Son

What a strange week.

It rained like all week. And snowed a little today. We were helping the housing missionaries move in furniture into the apartment above ours (there'll be missionaries there now too) and the whole sidewalk in front of our apartment was flooded. We put on sandals because it was too much for normal shoes, even though it was so cold. It was like being at the beach, except without the sand and no fun.

Oh yeah transfer news. I'm taking a long journey... to Sierra ward. Same church building, same stake, I'm even going to stay in the same apartment because we're switching apartments. It's literally the ward to the north of Somerset. And I'm training! I have a son! I dunno anything about him at all yet, but the poor guy gets to ride bikes in the rain with me. Wheeeee.
Elder Puyogao is headed up to Delano for his last week and a half. Fun times.
Elder Mui is moving from Sierra to Somerset to be the district leader. But I'm probably not in his district ;_:

This week was weird and I spent a lot of time in other people's areas because people were sick. Lots of spanish work! But I don't know any spanish. I never met two thirds of the investigators we picked up this week because Elder Puyogao was in our area and found them.

Otherwise, not too much news for everyone. Transfers are weird that way. I'll miss the ward, but I'll still see everyone on Sundays :P

Thanks!
Elder Adams

Love One Another

This week started out a little hard.

On Tuesday I felt like the way I was working and thinking were just not working out. I felt stuck, like I wasn't getting anything from my studies and prayers and that I didn't know where to go or who to talk to. I tried to pick an area and no one wanted to talk to us. I tried to give a card to a lady I normally wouldn't have talked to, and she rejected it really rudely and I just broke down in the car. I didn't get it. I didn't understand why I'd be trying my best to be a good missionary and have nothing but hard things happen for so long.

So we went back to the apartment and I prayed about it. Pleading and asking and trying to figure things out my way didn't work, so I decided to just be grateful instead. I thanked God for all the wonderful people in my family and my friends (psst that's you guys) who always did so much for me, even when I didn't give anything back or was ungrateful. And then it suddenly clicked for me.

Christ loved all of us enough to suffer. He loved ME enough to suffer everything I ever have or will and more. Why can I not extend a portion of that same love to everyone I meet? Despite my weaknesses, I too can sacrifice my time and personal comforts and energy for the sake of others.

There's a scripture that made a big difference too:
"Mosiah 4:26 And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants."

To impart of your substance spiritually... That's what I've needed to do.

Despite the rest of the week not going too much better, I can do it now. I know I can be a missionary and have charity for those I meet. I have the confidence to talk to everyone, even the people who are busy building model trains, the people who insist that they don't believe in God, and the people that I'd thought I should give up on.

If Christ wouldn't give up on me, and would give me hope as soon as he could, why should I not share that gift? Why should I not point people to Him and proclaim that there is more than this wilderness of life?

Thanks for being great everyone. You'll be hearing about baptisms and wonderful conversion stories soon. I promise.

Elder Adams

Still No Snow

But there was a killer thunderstorm! It was wild. I'd almost given up on seeing lightning ever again, but it happened!

Unfortunately that night wasn't super awesome for us because an appointment we were looking forward to all week fell through, but oh well. At least the rain makes everything seem a little more alive, y'know? Maybe it'll make people here cheer up a little, haha.

Otherwise, this week wasn't too bad! We found some cool new investigators, like this guy named Sal! I'd actually talked to him a little bit way back in November, but didn't pick him up as an investigator. We asked if he'd ever talked with missionaries before and he said two different ones had come by then. No Sal, that was me :P

We got to see Patty again this week! She was having a really hard time health wise and emotionally over Christmas, but she's doing lots better now so we can go see her more. We also get to have dinner with the best less-active member ever this week. He's hilarious. I can't wait to actually get the information we need to get his records and get him a home teacher!

So district meetings were only on mondays for last month, now they're on Fridays again. Sad :( No more Missionary FHE for us. On the bright side, we'll probably be way more coherent. Trying to focus after P-day in the evening is hard, haha.

Otherwise, not too crazy of a week. More of the same isn't bad when it's the Lord's work!
Elder Adams

Pic 1: Our zone, complete with silly faces. This is the only picture I got.
Pic 2: Lancaster streets in a nutshell.

New Year, New Investigators

Hey all!

This week was kinda wild! We found a lot of cool people with families, but New Year celebrations make it hard to set up more appointments and for people to come to church. Like why not recommit yourself to coming to church for your resolution? But oh well. C'est la vie. It was still cool, and I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks. Sheesh, it's already week four! It certainly doesn't feel like it, this transfer's gone by fast.

Now that the holidays are over, hopefully we'll be able to actually get on a reasonable schedule with lessons and stuff again! Everyone had so much going on that the only times we could have a lesson were when we'd drive by and be all "oh! Their car's here!" I'll probably end up staying here another transfer, unless they want to change both missionaries here, because Elder Puyogao is going home.

We had a couple of awesome lessons with a member there in a row, so we decided to hang out on the same street where we had them. Elder Puyogao ended up playing basketball with a couple kids there on the street, which is pretty typical. I'll just embarrass myself if I try, so I stick to talking to people ;P While we were walking back to the car after that, a lady asked us to come pray for her dead dad. We were all "sure" and she led us up the driveway to where her family was, and her dad, who was there on a stretcher, in their garage. Or his body was at least. It was just chilling there. So we said a prayer for him and left. I know his spirit's in good hands, so that was cool. Just... why was his body still there?

Anyway, I'm excited for 2017. I mean, who from Utah wouldn't want to spend a whole year in California? ;P
Elder Adams

Also here's a picture of us and the zone leaders with our matching ties:

Not Quite White Christmas

Hey everyone!

This week was real weird. Lots of cool stuff happened, but it's like we cut up our schedule and threw it in the air, then let a dog glue it back together.

On Monday we still emailed like normal, but didn't do much else p-day stuff because we had the temple trip on Wednesday. Which was awesome! We got up super early in the morning so we could beat the traffic in LA (which only sorta worked, the city DOES NOT SLEEP) and get to the earliest session. Which was 30 minutes later than we thought it was. So things worked out! It was awesome, the LA temple is so stunning. "Awesome" in the literal sense of inspiring awe is the only word I can think of. Is it just me though, or do all the temples smell the same inside?

Anyway, since a member took us and it was p-day, we drove through some of LA to see what it looks like. We got to see the ocean! What an incredible thing. I almost forgot there was that much water in the world! Speaking of water, it rained a ton the next couple of days. At least a ton for here. There's still water running down a couple of the streets. It's crazy. Because of all the dirt roads, our car is really dirty now. Thank goodness it's "wash the car day"

Elder Puyogao skyped on Saturday because of the time zone difference. While he did so I played taboo with the members there. Not to brag, but I cleaned house.

On Sunday we opened all our presents and stuff, then went to 45 minute sacrament meeting. It was pretty ordinary. I got to skype home later that day though! It was so good to see my family. It wasn't stressful and I didn't cry or anything, it was actually really peaceful and relaxing. They're a good fam.

Our zone leaders texted out goals a couple days this week. They were all "Let's find 14 new investigators as a zone today!" which is two per companionship. Everytime they did that, we did incredible! We found four one day, all in different places! One of them was the father of the Thompson family, which is so good. It feels at their house like they're already members or something, haha. It's great.

We also went on exchanges with the zone leaders! Knocking doors in the dark and rain makes me feel like a stereotypical missionary ;P It was good though! We knocked on this door that we thought was a referral, but I don't think it was actually the right house, but the dad invited us in and we taught him and his two kids! They really seemed to like what we said, and we testified like never before. It was so good, the spirit was so strong.

Thanks for all the presents and cards and prayers!
Elder Adams


All the candy and stuff we got for Christmas,
A district picture from last transfer!
And a picture of Elder Puyogao from our hike. Now you can't say I never send pictures!