February 4, 2009

I heard you bore your testimony, good job. I didn't even know who was in the superbowl. This marks one year ago that I started filling out my papers though. I'll do some studying on the Law of consecration and find some stuff for you. I'll give it to you next week ok. I love you little bro. You're a great kid, just keep striving to keep the commandments and the Lord will reward you for whatever sacrifice you have to make. Love you bud.
YOur big Bro. Elder Adams
Hello to the one who brought me into this world!!!
OK so we received last week a letter telling us that our apartment lease needed to be renewed. I called sister stoddard and asked if we could look at moving into the place next door because it has a gym. She said go ahead. We looked,nothing available. We thought oh well we'll stay. The mission office had alread sent the lease renewal to the landlord though and so before we went and looked I had told her to hold it. Apparently she had called president and his wife and was asking why we were moving, and making a big fuss about it. She was offering all sorts of incentives to have us stay, home improvements, decreased rent, all sorts of stuff. President told her that he "wanted his guys to check things out." Elder Brown and I were out doing the work and we received a call from President: He wanted us to do our homework and start looking aroung. So we did. My comp made a few calls from the phone book after lunch, and then we hit the streets of downtown Evanston. I froze my face off, and we were still able to talk to some people. Now I made that first call to sister Stoddard at 10:00. We had lunch in there and we had to get some things for Eddie's baptism from a Ward member. By about 3:30 we were at our first tour of an apartment complex. The lady tried to show us these 2 bedroom apartments for about close to 2000, way nice, but deffinatelly too big. She then showed us a 1 bedroom. This was way nice. Best of all it didn't smell like body odor and cigarettes!! It was so nice and new and clean. We told her we were missionaries and a little about what we do and how we live. She then told us that she had one available apartment that they rent out at a discount to those who make under a certain amount. I told her we make the lowest amount you can make, NOTHING. She then showed us the price 849 a month normally a one bedroom is 1375!!!! I stepped on it. I told her if she could get us that there was no doubt in my mind president would approve it. She said she would have to talk to her manager and we'd have to get a letter of proof since we were with a church. I was on the phone immediately, right there in the apartment, to presesident. I made phone call after phone call, after call, after call, after call, to President, his wife, our landlord, the mission office, back and forth. I was on the phone forever. My companion bless his missionary minded heart talked to the sales lady named Amy over by the counter in the kitchen. He taught her the whole first lesson. I tried to listen and over hear different parts, he even recited the first vision!!!! Professional!!!! The Lord even blesses with opportunities when we can't go out and tract. I spent the next 2 or 3 hours on the phone. Then finally things were lined up, I was on the phone to president and he was asking me if this place was worth it. We would be spending about a hundred dollars more. He was asking me how he could justify this added expense. I gave him the rundown of features, and told him how great this place was. He then asked me if it would be a good location should they combine our area with another nearby area. I was struck, I told Presidnet well we are only moving about 3 minutes away. I was hoping this would be enough information for him to make the decision. No way, he wanted me to decide and was persistant. I told him yes. I essentially had to convince President to get this place. It was such a deal. President approved it, and the Assistant to the President were set to be at our apartment the next day witht he truck and trail with Checks and a signed lease aggreement. I had more phone calls to make and then paperwork that I had to fill out. It was deffinately and experience. I never want to make that many phone calls ever again. By 6:30 we had the lease agreement faxed to the mission office and everything taken care of. We rushed home ate something real quick, and then rushed out to the teaching appointments we had that night. When we got home we had entire apartment to pack, not just our suitcases. We were up until midnight and got most of it done. In the morning everything was piled on the floor. I got up at 5:45 to exercise and then begin the day. Moving was intense because we had Eddie's baptism at 3:00 and needed to be there at 2. We were running up and donw the stairs, filling the elevator with couches and things. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to baptise Eddie after all of the moving. We got everything dumped in the New apartment and changed for the Baptism. It was a great service. Lots of members came out. The Lord did give me the strength to baptise Eddie and it went off flawless. Eddie commented on how quick it was. Eddie bore a powerful testimony at the end of the service. He was crying completely broken down, and was pledging and pleading "I know that this is real...I will never not be fired up to come to church... This is real... I'm never letting go I don't care what anyone else says." He was just crying, he tried to fight it at the beginning but eventually let it all go. Here was a full grown black man completely broken down. He was so happy, he had found the truth. It was almost like someone would try to take this away from him, like it was a childs treasured toy. He wanted to hold onto it forever. It was so powerful. When he sat down next to me, I put my arm around him and tld him, "Don't ever let it go, it doesn't matter what anyone else says." This is that same man who at the begging of December, through a miracle of God, we were led to. We shared spiritual moments with him. The spirit was so strong and now he is baptised, he is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He has traveled the road of finding this great Gospel. I wish you could have seen him as he held his new set of scriptures in his hand stroking them as he bore his testimony, and weeped. He is a changed man, one of God's Children who has been prepared by the Lord. A complete miracle at God's hands, he is my brother. He has taken the step to entered into God's kingdom. This is what missionary work is about, to see people change. This is why I came out here. To serve my Lord and my Savior, and to help his Children. To help those who are in darkness as I once was. This is the reward when you are a missionary: to see people change their lives. This makes tracting in what ever temperature it is worth while, because there are people like Eddie in this world who need this and who are searching. And when they find it they want to hold onto it, it is there most prized possession and they don't ever want to lose it. They need this, there are more of them like Eddie out there, and they will break down like Eddie and never want to let go. This is God's work! After the baptism we went out to eat with a couple and with Eddie, since Elder Brown and I had eaten only an apple since breakfast. The rest of the weekend was a moving, organizing, washing dishes, putting things away, and getting situated. Moving is a hastle, especially when you do it as fast as we did. We went from not moving to deciding to move, looking, finding a place, and then moving into it, all in 24 hours. Eddie also bore his Testimony on Sunday. This time it had the African American culture touch to it. "The Blackness" The ward all laughed when Eddie said, "Joseph Smith IS THE MAN!....You've known about this your whole life." Then he conclude by saying, "Touch me and you gonna get this." It was great, deffinately a different spin on things, but the ward loved it. The bishop and whole ward love Eddie. Everybody needs to meet Eddie. Just yesterday we finally finished cleaning the old apartment. It took us 3 hours yesterday!!!! OH it was nasty, Elder Brown did the kitchen which had a lot of the biohazard in it. I did the bathroom and closet and vacuumed. I am so glad that it is done. We weren't able to do much missionary work except those appointments we had set until yesterday afternoon. It feels horrible not doing missionary work, I felt like I needed to do something so I was really glad last night when I was able to knock a few doors before our dinner appointment. Well there you have it, we are now in a new apartment at 1930 Ridge #C-212. Oh it is nice, everything is new, a washer and dryer in our apartment that you don't have to put quarters in, new appliances, stainless steel sinks, a dishwasher, modern look, no mold, mildew, body odor, or cigarettes (In fact the whole place smells like coffee which is quite nice). The place is just amazing, we even have underground parking that has a key card to get in, and the doors roll up and you drive in and then they close. It's like some kind of James Bond pad. Best of all......WE HAVE A FITNESS CENTER!!! 3 treadmills, a bike, and elyptical, dumbells, a bunch of weight machines, all for free. The only tough thing is there are 3 T.V.'s satan has strategically placed in front of the treadmill to tempt young missionaries with. I have to stare at the ground to avoid the evil. The first day I glanced up a caught sight of a man in a helicopter, but since then these past 2 days I have been able to not look at the TV. It really makes for and interesting little challenge to only look at one spot for 45 minutes in the morning. I love it though, it's so nice to be able to run!!! This place is incredible, wait till I send you pictures of this place. Life sounds great for the family. Good Luck with T-Bone and Chelsea and her family. I'll do some study on your talk. Love you tons.

Here's the scripture for the week, Alma 7:8

Love Elder Adams

From the beautiful new place of residence.

I'm going to check the mail right now to see if I got the package yet. I love you tons, sorry I can't stay and chat today. I love you and wrote you a long letter to read. JOsh's situation with Chelsea sounds interesting, having a girl before your mission is not a bueno thing. It's given our mission president a lot of headache. You want to be totally focused on the task the Lord has trusted you with, because you only get to serve this once, so every minute counts. Love ya mom