December 30, 2008

HEy spencer, I'm glad that you liked the present. I used your little dog the other night as I sat and wrote in my journal. It was like having Jack sit on my lap, nice and toasty. It's good to hear that you are snowboarding, you piece. I've talked with my comps a few times about that and speculated that that is what you guys were doing. So you got these cars... I never heard what all you got for Christmas, I heard a few things of what Josh got. Tell everyone to write to me what they got for Christmas. Dad and mom included. The work is going good. Sometimes it can be tough, but the Lord rewards and blesses me and those we teach. There is nothing greater than missionary work, it provides the greatest satisfaction. I love it, but it's a good thing that you are preparing right now. You'll be way ahead of me. I love you Spence, know that I try to do good work everyday.
Love ya, Elder Adams

So just Ricardo's Baptism will be going forward this Saturday, HOPEFULLY. Eddy has to go in to get surgery on his back, so we have to push his baptism way back to the end of January. I hope I don't get transfered. He's way excited but he's got to have the surgery. For the past week and a half we have been driving around the only truck in the mission because ours is being worked on. We have a truck!! It's nice and we get our car back on monday. I bought this pack of journals and some pens and such-$46- memories to last a lifetime-priceless. I figured it was Merry Christmas to ME!!!! One thing I have forgotten to tell you about since I've been in this area, is that 4 or 5 times we have had the cops called on us. We had one just last week while we were out tracting. There's this city NO Soliticing policy, even though that is not what we are doing. People get worried also. When I was with Elder Rainey, He wore this black leather trench coat, and when the police came they said they had gotten a call of 2 suspicious men, one wearing a trench coat. I told him he couldn't wear that anymore. People worry a lot here. The cop that came out last week, was the nicest cop of them all though. HE was black!! After he had checked our licenses and talked to us he told us we didn't have to leave because we were doing the Lord's work and then he asked if we had any literature that he could take with him and read back at the station. How cool!!! So on Sunday we had a lot of tracting and only one appointment. Elder Brown seemed down, he didn't seem to care at all when he talked to people. I took it upon myself to talk to most of the people. Then we were walking and I stopped and talked to this coupld heading into their apartment, they agreed to meet with us. Was I glad that I talked to them, even though he was wearing his biker gear and everything. You see the Lord is constantly placing people in our paths, but if we don't open our mouths and share the gospel with them they don't have a chance to hear it. We don't know who the Lord has prepared, they don't all have Arby's signs over their heads. I was so glad I spoke with them, because last night we met with them. The Lord has led us to another one of his Children prepared for the gospel. This is the kind of stuff that I'm talking about when it seems as if the Lord is right there. I think his wife had had a dream about the lesson we were going to teach to them because she asked all of these questions that our message of the Restoration answers. She talked about how she had been to other churches and studied different things, but was sitll searching. How she felt like she was still on the journey, she said there were so many questions other churches left unnanswered. She was tired of searching. She loved what we shared, and her husband too. They understood it, and want to come to church this weekend and read the Book of Mormon!!! This is why we are obedient. This was so powerful it was unreal. She needs this gospel and I know she will find answers and find the truth, it was a great lesson. They are the sweetest couple ever. So Sunday as we continued tracting at night, the spirit was not with us, Elder Brown was not happy, so I told him that we had forgotton to pray and that is why we were having a rough time. The people were rejecting us also. This could have had a great deal to do with the fact that the street we had picked to tract was basically solid Jewish. Sunday night was also the Last night of Hannukah and so every home was lighting their final candle on the menorah as we came to the door. That made it difficult. Anyway, Elder Brown refused to stop and pray together. This cut me. I tried to talk to him but that only made him mad at me for thinking there was something wrong. I then proceeded to speak at every single door the rest of the night. I was praying silently to have the spirit with me, that the contention would leave, and that I would know what to say to these people, that I would be able to speak to them. It started to get cold and I trudged from door to door. It challenged me, but at the same time I felt a charge inside me, I felt invigorrated. I didn't care if I had to speak at every door I was going to put forth the effort to speak to these people with sincerity. This companion has these ups and downs sometimes. I'm trying to be patient, and to love him. We taught this quit smoking program to Sherlene, Eddy's girlfriend we'll see if she makes if, we are praying. I want to teach it to Grandpa
The work is going forward though. Things are better with him now. Tomorrow is going to be too cool. THE CHICAGO BULLS.
Love Elder Adams