December 3, 2008

Tell Cameron that's not funny. Put a naked gay guy in front of you and the door out and then have him tell a joke!! Yeah the game should be pretty cool. I need to talk to the other two elders who are going to figure out the situation. You also don't have to tell me that I know that your turkey is the best. That's just a given. Sounds like Thanksgiving was great. I love you dad. Thanks for all of your sacrifice and support in making it possible to come out here and serve the Lord. It is a blessing and I love it. I couldn't ask for anything more.
Love ya, 
P.S.- Onward through winter we go!!!

Hey Bro It sounds like you are getting ready to serve. Yeah I did get the stuff that you sent me and it is awesome. I feel like Rambo in those boots you got me. I really like those they are solid, they really keep my feet toasty. That package came monday just in time too. We woke up that morning to our car covered in snow. I didn't put on the boots till yesterday though. I was worried it wasn't coming. I haven't had to bust out the gloves yet though. Yes I did get the letter from Chelsea, which I thought was weird, but it was a good letter. As far as your class schedule goes, take what you think you can do and do your best. You deffinately want to get as much school as possible done before you go though. Just keep working hard and stay focused, if you don't worry about what Chelsea or Mitchell are doing I know that you can do it, you might just have to buckle down a bit though. I love you dude. You just wait till you get into the MTC and out in the field. You will feel the spirit stronger than you ever have before. I'm sending out a big email to mom. It's been another incredible week and I've got some more great missionary experiences to share with you so make sure you get that from her. Keep up the good work, and continue to prepare for your mission. As I often say "Somos missionarios" (We are missionaries.)
Spencer, 1st Place that is way awesome. Thanksgiving for me was good. It was just seven of us together, and no YAMS. Anyway defence, eh? That sounds cool, how do you like it. It's good to hear Jack is ok and the Christmas tree is up. We want to get a small thing for our apartment. Right now my comp found this little piece of a christmas tree that has a few lights on it and attached it to my dresser lamp, it looks ridiculous. Well bud, can I just say once again that I love your testimony. I'm glad to hear things are going well for you. I love you, you are my little bro. I wish that we had gotten along a little better during the early years. Anyway, I keep you in my prayers morning and night as I go about the Lord's errand. Love ya tons.
About time. Thanks tons for the package it came monday afternoon. Any news on bulls tickets?
If everything goes as planned we are excited to announce the baptism of Karren D'Andrea. This Saturday. She's great, she came to church the first time and said that she felt something different and when we met with her that week she said she wanted to be baptised. It's now going to happen this week. I just wish Elder Rainey could be here to see it.
Thanksgiving was just seven people, including us, at the Stowells. The table setting was "Really nice," but the food wasn't really hot. There was only about 4 dishes, including turkey. NO YAMS. Yeah I almost wanted to preach a sermon on repentence. So it was an ok Thanksgiving, better than nothing. On Sunday though we had reheats with a family and they had some sweet potatoes, and your pretzel crust jello. This was an even better meal and it was reheated on paper plates. So yes I did miss your yams.
I did get your package and It was great. It came just in time too (Monday afternoon). Sunday I got out my big down filled south pole coat and went out tracting for around five hours in that. It was nice and warm. Monday we woke up to our first big snow. Our car had to be scraped so that we could go to district meeting. Those boots are solid, I busted them out on Tuesday. I just wore one pair of church sox and my feet were sweating. I'm not going to complain though it was really nice. I really like them, solid black, they're not ridiculously huge, and I feel like Rambo in them. The gospel needs solid feet to take the gospel forth, I'm prepared. I guess you just have to wear the right clothes, and get the good stuff.
Until recently we haven't received much of anything about the Proposition 8, that was going on in California. Until this week. We had a guy that we met while tracting ask about it. Then the worst one was while we were contacting people on the street in Downtown Evanston, two guys that I approached, said "we're not haters." They were mad because our Church had done a lot of supporting for marriage to be between a man and a women. Another guy the other day, once again on the street, told me "Thanks for killing prop 8." The gay community is not too happy with us right now.
So I had forgot to tell you that the two Friday's before Thanksgiving we had a missionary concert with all the missionaries that were serving in the city and North Shore areas. All of us had to sing a few numbers and then there was some special numbers. We also had the testimonies of 2 recent converts at each of the nights of performance. Guess who was on the first night? That's right Bill Murray. He got up and gave his whole conversion story, of How he had met Elder Purdie and I, the teaching appointments that we had with him, the thoughts that he had going through his head, he recounted the whole thing, and then bore his testimony. Do know how awe inspiring it was to hear someone I taught, who is now strong in the gospel and flourishing, get up and tell how it all happened. Do you know how great it makes you feel, how blessed, how humbled it makes you feel, to hear him mention Elder Purdie and I's name. It was incredible.
Well this has been another incredible week, I almost don't know where to even start. I am once again broken down in awe and humility at the will of the Lord to have us find and teach people. We have had some incredible experiences. It's amazing how the Lord answers our prayers to know which street to go out and tract. He leads us right to people who have been prepared to hear the gospel, and sends the spirit to testify.
We had an incredible lesson with Melissa. She had a rough Thanksgiving with her husband. She told us though, how ever since Elder Rainey and I had starting coming by, that her daughter has wanted to pray. Then in her closing prayer for our lesson she said, " I know there's a reason Elder Adams and Elder Rainey came to my door on Halloween." Her testimony is growing, she is making leaps and bounds. She recognizes the truth.
This week Rosali came to church! She is a Jamaican lady that we have been teaching. This is the same lady that we had the incredible teaching appointment with about two weeks ago. I had talked to her about how sometimes we make sacrifices and then the Lord is able to bless us. No sacrifice goes unnoticed. She ended up coming, and then after Church she talked to me and said, "I'm glad that you said that to me, I'm glad that you were honest with me in telling me to come to Church." She had a great experience, and so did her little 5 year old boy De'Jore. I love the Jamaican people, I love her accent, How cool would that be if I could pick one up. The most incredible thing about Rosali actually happened later that night when we went over for a teaching appointment. At the end of the lesson on the Plan of Salvation, she told us how she liked to pray in the middle of the night and she said, "I can feel god when I pray in the middle of the night." She then told us, "If you guys weren't true I would feel it." She recognizes us as true messengers of the Lord. She then described how she knew by saying "Just the way you showed up on my doorstep, I knew it was God. I had been praying to find a Church." I coulnd't believe what I was hearing. Rosali was searching, and we were searching, Elder Rainey and I. We were praying and had had an additional fast, and our prayers were answered. The Lord answered both of our prayers and guided us to each other. Then she really lifted me when she told us, told us ,"There are people waithing for you to show up at their door like you did mine. Continue trying, you can break any barriers. Some people are out there that will listen. One word, one sentence, and They'll go back and think about it. Continue doing what you're doing." She went onto say, "It wasn't easy for Jesus Christ." This was an incredible testimony from her. There are people like this out here that I am searching to find. These are my brothers and sisters, I have to find them all!!!Then Monday, early evening we were out tracting and a lady let us in. A big happy, southern lady. She even had a shirt on that said GRANDMA, and a list of her qualities. She told us at the end of the lesson that when she had talked with us she thought, "Christ is knocking let him in." Once again one of God's children recognized us as his servants. Durning this same session of tracting we set up a return appointment with a man named Eddy to meet with on Tuesday (Yesterday). He has an interesting story. His mother who passed away a year ago at 92, had once met with sister missionaries about 10 years ago, but never was a member. He said that when we knocked he remembered his mom meeting with the sisters ahd he felt this was his chance. We then began to share the message of the restoration. I had just finished talking about the Atonement and my testimony of it. He interrupted to say some things that almost knocked me off my seat. It hit me so hard, I think my jaw was on the ground. My whole body almost became weak. He said that he thought there always had to be more than just the few parts that some ministers focus on. He said "I'm looking for the fullness, I feel like my glass is half full, I want the fellowshipping. He said, "I want something that's going to make me a better father, a better son, a better brother to others." He said, " He'd studied out other religions, but said that something felt like it was still missing. He then pointed at me and told me that he felt something when I spoke, he said that he could tell something about me in my sincerity. He said, "I felt something when you were talking." After he had finished, I paused to collect myself and took the time to tell him and help him recongnize that this was the spirit that he had felt. I told him that all his desires and questions he had could be answered with this gospel. I then told him that he had already hear this message before this life once before. I told him that I was called to this area because this is wehre I needed to be, because this is where there were brothers and sisters fo mine living whom I had made promises to, to come and find. This is where those who I said goodbye to because I knew I would be born into a family with the gospel. I promised them I would come and find them. This is where they are living. I bore this testimony as tears rolled down my cheeks. I was sitting in the presence of one of these brothers. I was sitting in the presence of one of God's Chidlren. In the presence of one who God had prepared and led me to. The spirit confirmed to me that I am where I am to be, finding and teaching the people that I need to teach. Confirming to me my mission call, and my decision to serve. I have to work as hard as possible to find all of my brothers and sisters, they are here. I don't know where they live, but the Lord is answering my prayers and leading me to them. I think back to my times when I lived in anger and troubled times. The Lord had to shake me to wake me up, he was not going to let me stay the way I was. He wanted me to serve a mission, because there were people out here waiting for me. He needed me, so he called to me. I'm here. He needed me to get my act together so I could find these people I had promised to find. Last night the Lord used me as a conduit for the spirit. He gave me the words I was to speak. I touched the hearts of all of us in that room in that 3 story apartment building. At the end of the lesson when we gave him 3 Nephi 11 to read as homework he said, " Is that it, give me some more!??" I gave him a few mor chapters in alma. Then he flipped through the BOM and asked how long it was. We said about 500 pages, he said I bet I could finish that in a week. He was so humble and grateful for us coming, and was anxious to meet with us soon. Experiences like these have been incredible. The Lord is with me and my companion. He loves us and is leading us by the hand. This is his work, his kingdom, his children, and we are his servants, his agents, on his errand, and we are entitled to his blessing. He truly has blessed us and I cannot glory enough in the Lord and his blessing us and allowing us to have the spirit with us. I know this Church is True, beyond doubt, the spirit confirms these things to me and sears them into my soul. I love this work. I love being a missionary. It is the greatest calling. I leave you with this in the Sacred name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Elder Adams
May the Lord watch over you all as he does us.

P.S. Mom these are sacred personal experiences, they mean a lot to me. I am sharing them with you, but if you could just share them with dad, Josh, and Spencer I would really appreciate it. Thank you so much for all that you do.
YOu have no idea about my gratitude for those things. I think it will be awesome. I am equiped as I possibly can be for winter. With the Lord's blessing I will make it.

Sorry I was writing a big letter to you.
HEre's something for now for the newsletter. I'll write more next week if I can.

I love my mission. I have been called by a prophet of God, to serve the people of Chicago. I have had some great experiences. I love being a missionary, the scary this is though that time goes by so fast. This is the happiest time of my life. I thank you for all of your prayers and support. My first Chicago winter is here. It will deffinately be intense, but with faith in the Lord, Mom's care packages, and a brother who works at an outdoors store, I will make it.
Diligently Elder Adams
I found the attachment, but it won't open. I might be able to get it next week. This week we have combined District meeting with the other Districts in the city, and the Zone leaders are running it, so I get a week off. OH and my comp is from a tiny town in New Mexico, called Elephan Butte. Yeah it's different, and he's probably my most different companion. Are you still saving all of my emails?? I hope so.
Right now my comp found this little piece of a Christmas tree that has a few lights on it and attached it to my dresser lamp, it looks ridiculous.