November 19, 2008

Joshua Tyler Adams, it is so good to hear from you. I was just talking to my comp in the car last night as we were driving in between appointments about how I worried what you were up to. I didn't know if you had gotten involved with some girl, if you were still going on a mission, if you still knew that I was on a mission. It's good to hear that you answered all of my questions and deterred all of my fears. You will be so much more prepared for your mission than I was. I made the decision just before, so quickly. Things happened so quickly for me, I only attended a handful of those mission prep classes just before. You've been reading your scriptures and everything though. You truly will be a servant of the Lord, a weapon in his hands, and the ax that is laid at the root of the tree, (Alma 5:52). A mission truly is the greatest blessing. I'm glad that you've made the decision. It deffinately is something that has to be each missionaries decision to come out and serve. To put your whole heart and soul into it. Me, I had to gain a testimony of this work, to repent, change, to make that decision. You're a good kid, You'll be ready to wear this badge, and labor alongside me as brotheren in the Lord. You don't know how lucky you are josh to have your whole mission ahead of you. Getting your call, waiting, packing, ESPECIALLY THE MTC, and then your full two years. You are so lucky, mine is already a fourth of the way over. I will hit my six month mark this FRI. I can't believe it's been six months. It's good to hear from you though. We have had an awesome transfer here in North Shore. We did a special fast at the beginning for the work in this area and to find people. Then we set a goal to get a baptism. We are now preparing a few people for baptism. One of them will probably be baptized in two weeks. We'll just miss our goal of getting it this transfer, but it has been a miracle and Lord has blessed us. This lady that is getting baptised just fell into our laps. She came twice with a member and then in talking to her we found out she wanted to be baptized. There are a few others we found through tracting. You see, if you are obedient and do all that you can, and pray and work with faith and determination, the Lord will take care of the rest. If the people won't listen to you, and it's getting close to crunch time-THE LORD WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN. He rewards his righteous servants, and if the Lord wants something done, it will be done. Keep studying, preparing, and praying. You need all the armor, protection, firepower, faith, testimony, you can to fight this war. You will be ready I know it. The Lord knows it, and he needs you in the mission field.

With Diligence and Love, Elder Adams

It's funny that you should mention that about reading Gavin's Email because president talked to us about reading attached email that isn't from immediate family. I got permission from him to read what Grandma Froelich writes to me, but everything else has to be printed off and mailed to me. If you still want to do that, that would be awesome, since I don't get letters anyway, because it is good to hear form Gavin. Other than that I probable shouldn't read it online, President's Rules. > It's good to hear from you though dad. I have some scriptures for ya. For me scriptures that have to do with missionaries are really interesting. Maybe that's because they apply to me right now. Seeing as you are the father of a missionary though maybe it will be cool to look at. Look at Doctrine and Covenants Section 68 and section 75. Pay special attention in section 75 to verses 2-5. I see this as my calling, and what I am to do. Then in verse 5 the lord gives a promise to us if we are faithful. In section 68, this is Orson Hyde's mission call. I insert my name where it says his. Start in verse one, but focus on verses 2-5 here also. Paricularly look at verse four. I think this is incredible what is promised to us missionaries. It's almost overwhelming to think about the responsiblilty that I hold, it's and honor. I'm not going to spoil verse four for you, you'll just have to read it. It blew me away! I love you so much dad. I'm glad to hear that you're pleased with what I'm doing. I left a boy, and I will return a man, filled with the Spirit of the Lord.
Well Spencer, I hope you take better care of your teeth, you know brush them, use mouthwash, salt and hot water, maybe the occassional dosage of turpentine. Anyway, I've heard that Utah is undefeated. If there is any truth to that then I'm with Utah. I'd like to see them have a perfect season. You've got to root for history. Anyway I love your testimony bud. The mission is awesome. I don't know if I told you this last week but my comp almost lit our apartment on fire. He was cooking eggs, had the unit on high. Then he went to wipe the stove off with a wad of PAPER NAPKINS and he touched the red hot unit with them. It caught on fire and he held it in his hand just watching it. Then he started to blow on it and this just fueled the fire. He finally threw it on the ground and watching it like a deer in the headlights. I dropped what I was doing and decided I needed to take matters into my own hands. I grabbed a cup and filled it with water and began chucking water across the kitchen onto the fire. Then the smoke detector went off. Yeah it was intense. Well I love you tons bro. I'm glad that at least you write me. I never hear from Josh and I don't really get letters so I love hearing from you. Take it easy bro.

HEy so we had snow, I wrote you in my letter a list of things I'll be needing to keep me from dying!

NO this is not the Rachel Ray from t.v. this our ward mission leader's wife. She is still a good cook though. She does go to the Oprah Show though. She just went recently and got one of those digital book readers. Oprah gave one to everyone in the audience, they are about 250 dollars, but that's pocket change for Oprah. Speaking of famous people, tell the boys about this one. WE met with this rapper yesterday. His name is Ross, rapper name Young Ross, he's working on signing to a label right now. He has an album that if everything works out you could look for to see if he's for real. It's called just getting started. He said that he had met with Kanye West. He told us he wanted to make a movie of his path up to his big start, and he wanted to include the meeting we were having with him. What can I say I'm in Chicago with my brothas. Last week my comp almost lit our apartment on fire. He was cooking eggs, had the unit on high. Then he went to wipe the stove off with a wad of PAPER NAPKINS and he touched the red hot unit with them. It caught on fire and he held it in his hand just watching it. Then he started to blow on it and this just fueled the fire. He finally threw it on the ground and watched it like a deer in the headlights. I dropped what I was doing and decided I needed to take matters into my own hands. I grabbed a cup and filled it with water and began chucking water across the kitchen onto the fire. Then the smoke detector went off. Yeah it was intense.So monday and tuesday it snowed for the first time. My days of running outside are over. We found out from one of our investigators, the starting D-lineman for Northwestern, Adam Hahn. That in the morning when he had practice it was like 5 or 10 Degrees with wind chills. We were out tracting monday and it started to snow, so I got a little taste of what winter was going to bring. So we have had our first snow. I have decided that a little piece of leather around my foot is not going to work as effective warmth for my feet. I'm thinking boots. I'm going to buy some thermals at target today. If you could also get me some thick scarfs. I've learned from the other elders that that is the secret. You have to have a scarf and wrap it around your neck and tuck it in your jacket so you can cover your face. This winter is really going to test me. The sooner you can get me those gloves and socks and boots and scarves, that would be bueno. Yeah it is deffinately getting cold here. I figure I have about five months of the cold to endure. I've been dreading when Chicago winter would come since I got my call, but now it's time to face it.As far as Thanksgiving goes. The richest family in the ward signed up. We've been to there house once for sunday dinner. This house is like Buckingham Palace, and I feel I should be in an apron in order to set foot in there. I'm hoping for some yams though (Love ya mom). I mean Thanksgiving is Thanksgiving, there's not much you can do to make the food different, but it's going to be the atmosphere and the environment that I'm in this Thanksgiving. It has the potential to be the nicest one I've ever had. I guess that's how it's done here in North Shore though, where the homes are millions of dollars. Tracting these areas is tough as all else, we've done it a couple times. Transfers are this tuesday and Elder Rainey's Birthday is Wednesday so he's hoping to stay. Rachel Ray actual requested to celebrate it on monday though. The family that is having us over for Thanksgiving is the Stowells. So for the sake of the Stowells he's really hoping he doesn't get transfered. I feel pretty confident we are both staying, but I feel really good that I'm staying. We are now preparing a few people for baptism. One of them will probably be baptized in two weeks. We'll just miss our goal of getting it this transfer (like we had set), but it has been a miracle and Lord has blessed us. This lady that is getting baptised just fell into our laps. She came twice with a member and then in talking to her we found out she wanted to be baptized. There are a few others we found through tracting. You see, if you are obedient and do all that you can, and pray and work with faith and determination, the Lord will take care of the rest. It truly has been a blessing. The Lord makes things happen.
Elder Adams
I gotta get going. Thanks for the whole family writing it was great. Have a happy thanksgiving. Well I guess i'll write you next week just before.