March 18, 2009

Well bud, I'm glad that you liked the BOM, and it's good to hear that mission prep is going great. While I was on exchanges with the Zone leaders, I talked to a guy yesterday in Chicago, who lives in Lincoln Park. He served his mission in Austria and he DID BAPTIZE!! He said you have to apply yourself. Now you can't measure your success by how many notches you have on your stick, because he didn't have a lot of baptisms. I asked him for the one bit of advice that I could give to you and he said, "Endure to the End." That's what you have to do, people are tough and you have to be strong and bold. There were a couple times this week when my companion was in a bad depression and he didn't want to talk to anyone so I talked to the people at the doors and he would stand there. Sometimes you have to do hard things, you put up your shiel, gird up your loins, and get in the battle. Even if your companion doesn't want to. Stay strong, fight hard, this is our battle, the Lord saved us for this dispensation to fight the war. This Church and Gospel are so true, you don't realize the severity of it. We have a Prophet of God on this earth directed by Jesus Christ. This work is of God, may I ever reiterate that. I know these things to be true. In Jesus Christ's name. Amen.

PS Good to hear from you finally.

I'm online,but today is going to be quick because we are going downtown for p day. There's only this one and one more left in this transfer.
Well done bud. I love your determination to succeed. That will take you far. Keep pushing, but stay humble and recognize the Lord's hand in all things. How far are you in the BoM. Your testimony was great, you taught some important doctrine there and testified of it. It was powerful, thank you so much, I needed to hear that from you. Things are going great. I have a bunch of stuff that I'll put in my letter to mom. Thanks for writing me bud. Keep working on the soccer stuff and I want to hear how things go for you. Oh and yesterday it was in the 70's but today it has cooled down again, oh it was a glorious day.

Love your big Brother Elder Adams

No this transfers is going to be scary, that's why we are spending the next 2 p days in the city to make them good ones. We aren't entirely sure, but we might be hooking up with the zone leaders. Sorry I took so long to write you back.
Wow This week has had a lot of stuff happen. We had an incredible lesson with a lady that we tracted into from China. Her english isn't perfect so we brought a member who served in Taiwan, and when we got there this other guy, a roommate wanted to join in. A third joined by the end. It was a completely different experience teaching the gospel. I started with prayer. We had to teach basics, the very simplicities of the gospel. They were so innocent and childlike, and they had questions. They didn't know really anything about Christ or our Father in Heaven, so it was great to teach them these simple truths. Then to be there and hear the Chinese language spoken, that was really neat. We gave them BOM's in Chinese, and the one lady came to church. Both of them should be at church this week. Then there's the Hatian family that we are teaching with member who speaks creole, which I have learned a few words or phrases. This is so cool, who would have thought that I would be in this position when I got my call a year ago to Chicago. Then we have also began teaching and guy who is Indian, but from South African. He's really cool!! He's competed at collegiate and national levels in Karate and Ballroom dancing. The diversity is incredible here, and the experiences are enthralling. I couldn't believe it when I walked out of that lesson with those 3 Chinese immigrants. I know one of them had only been here since last October. The others probably less than that.Great news, we set a Baptismal date for Beverly Williams for March 28. The thing is though that we did it as a way for her to excercise her faith. She wants us and the member that was present to pray hard. She doesn't want anyone else at church to know about it. This is just her stepping out there and doing a test of her faith. She's going to pray and if she doesn't feel comfortable then she'll pull out of it. The other part of setting her conditional date was that she would have a baptismal interview to help her prepare and help her feel comfortable. I think some of President Stoddard's wise and kindly advice would do her well. She needs that peace and comfort from someone older. We are also going to have her talk to a member that is a baptist convert. The thing is Beverly feels that by getting baptized this again she will be erasing all that she has loved before and those things she held dear are gone. We are having dinner over at her place tomorrow. We are all going to be praying hard for her, and I'm sure there will be some fasting in there. I was glad when Sunday night Elder Brown came out of 4 day block of depression. Saturday and Sunday were the worst. His depression started on Thursday and there were ups and downs, and night I thought he might be getting better. Then there was Friday which was when we called and talked to you so you know how most of that went. Saturday it hit hard. He was laying on the floor during part of Personal study. He told me in the car that day that he was scared about life. Other voiced thoughts including he was trying to "live day to day without dying." This was deffinately tough on him. I had asked him at one point if he felt like talking to people and I was fortunate to get a head shake. I tracted door to door while he stood at the bottom of the steps or stood in the background. I think he did talk to one house while I was talking to someone in their car, and then he did the last door of the street, after an hour of tracting. We went to the Lake Front to try and change scenery and get him to snap out of it. He tried talking to a couple people and then he sat on a rock on the beach while I walked and talked to people with their dogs on the beach. (One of the creatures bit me: makes for a great story). He told me how he had thought "What if I need to go home." We stopped while we were tracting and talked about this, and he started crying a bit. He was confused and didn't know what he needs to do. Sunday it continued, even at church. I tracted for a bit in the morning by myself, before church. Then I tracted door to door again by myself after church before our dinner appointment. He started to lift a bit at the end of the dinner appointment. At the end of the night he was acting a little better. Monday brought sunshine and a new Elder Brown. I had prayed for this because Monday was our appointment with Beverly and I needed him on par. Things went well and he was happy. So that was the longest endurance yet, 4 days, I was glad when that was over. Monday night we started our exchanges with the zone leaders. I went to the Logan Square area in Chicago. We were on bikes all day and it was glorious. It was in the 70’s and I was loving it. The bike seat made my butt a little sore though. It was so much fun though with all the traffic dodging and the excitement of the city again, and the warm weather. It was the best exchange yet. I went running outside in the morning also. I need to get going though but I’ll have to tell you about that dog bit story sometime. I was down on the beach on the Lake front when it happened. I started bleeding and dripping blood in the sand. It was a good time.Oh, and Bill wrote me and told me that he has had his Patriarchal Blessing and he is going to be sustained for the Melchezidek Priesthood at stake conference after General conference. He wants me to confer the Priesthood on him!!! He is also going to be coming to salt lake for the oct conference so maybe you can connect with him. Things are going well. I love you so much mom. Thank you for your testimony, I love to hear it, it is a strength. You know when you bear your testimony your sins are forgiven and it is recorded in heaven for the angels to look upon D&C 62:3. There’s the scripture for the week. I love you and I’ll see you next week. Keep us in your prayers.
I gotta get going if we want to have some time in the city. I love you so much mom and thank you for your testimony. I loved it, there's power there, and I love hearing it from you. Your testimony is strong. Remember a grain of mustard seed can move mountains. Hold strong, and do the hard things even when you stand alone. Love and Prayers,

Elder Adams