January 6, 2010

Read Galatians 5:16-17, it talks about how we can always walk in the spirit. That's really our quest in this life, because if we can walk in the spirit we will be happy, and if we have the spirit we will make right choices and we will be able to overcome the temptations that satan places in our path. We have to always seek to have the spirit to be with us. Yeah it's been super cold here, small numbers for temperatures, if we were playing golf we'd be pros as far as numbers go. We're not though. I have to bundle up a ton, and use the pile of handwarmers I have. I'm so excited that you are a high priest now!!! That's awesome!!! I've heard that you've been working a lot lately, I admire that you do that. Did you get an extra long weekend after Christmas and new years since it landed on a friday? Anyway, I'm being moved out of Byron!! My time here has gone by so fast. It was hard to say goodbye to the Cromes, I wrote about it in my main email to mom. I only got to see Chuck yesterday, but he called me son as he wished me luck on my way. He really is thankful to me and admires me, he said that I've been there from the beginning with him and Marissa. It really is a neat experience to play a big part in someone elses life. I told him I would deffinately be out here to see him and his wife go through the temple. Wow I love them, I'll miss and worry about them. I love you dad thank you so much for your support to me. You're the greatest, don't let anyone tell you any different.

 Love, Your son
 Elder Adams

Hey mom I'm online for a little bit. I still have to finish packing today. We had an unexpected call come yesterday. There's a missionary going home 2 weeks early from his mission so that he can be home in time to start school. This causes a lot of jumbling in the mission. The transfer doesn't end for another two weeks, but president had to do some moving. He called us yesterday and I'm being moved. I had expected to be moved at the end of this transfer, so I guess I'm just doing it two weeks early. I had to pack most of yesterday. I'm going to Elgin (Wherever that is????) The transfer van is coming to pick me up at 4:45 today. Elder Bryner is going to get this kid that is not actually even a missionary. He's a 17 or 18 year old from the Chicago 5th ward, that is going to fill in for 2 weeks until the end of the transfer and then President will reevaluate things again. It's shaken things up deffinately. I was ok with it as I started to pack yesterday, but then I had to go and say goodbye to the Cromes. Marissa wasn't there, she was out shopping, so it was just Chuck. It was hard though, that's when it hit me. Especiall when he told me that if it was just him and Marissa that I help come to this gospel on my mission then I've been successful. It was really hard also offering the last prayer with him, which he asked me to offer, I got really choked up and I had to fight it back. Anyway I still have a little packing to do today, but most of it is done. Hurry and jump online.
This is part of what my mission president wrote to me this week.
I have confidence that you can really make things happen in your life. You have already shown that you are a hard-working, diligent missionary. I want to send you home In May a well-rounded person who can have success in his interpersonal relationships. There's no way we can get by in life without having good relationships with other people. We do this by serving them in seeking what is best for them and losing ourselves as we do it.
Here is the Fomby's address. Keep in touch with them. They are my favorite family from my mission. Forward some of the stuff that I write home to you about.

sefomby@gmail.com (susan fomby)
mrfomby@gmail.com (matt fomby)

8661 Hilltop Dr.
Byron IL, 61010

815-713-3295 (home)
904-556-2396 (cell)

Also you should have gotten an email from Bro. Challis who is selling my backpack for me. The bidding ends on Thursday, so then when he gets the money from whoever buys it he will send you a check in your name and then you can deposit it in my account. Thank you so much mom, you're amazing. I also gave him your phone number, he doesn't have to pay for long distance.
Ok so did you send out some of my christmas cards to people, and keep one for us, because I didn't save one. I wrote back to the Sandbergs, but you'll have to tell them that I'm not in Byron anymore and not to write to that address.
Oh and yesterday as I was packing things up, I decided to send home my short sleeve shirts and the holiday pillowcase that I got this year. It has a message and a bell attached to it so save these also. I sent the package yesterday so let me know when you get it.
So how are things going. I've sent a lot more emails to you just barely. This week has been cold, and we've been out in it a lot.
It just has a lot to do with the fact that I'm not supposed to push my companions over the edge. I have to love them and incorporate their ideas also. Which will be one nice thing about this new area hopefully, that the 8:00-9:00 hour when we can't knock doors will hopefully be available. We could only stop by members during that time here in Byron, so it felt like waste of time hour, slacker missionary.
No worries, I'm going to send you my email. It sounds like you have had a lot going on. No I have not received my release date yet. I think I should still get to talk to president about it.
Saturday night it was -7 air temp. This past week has been really cold, we haven't seen much of double digits lately. With windchill factor, probably definately not. We have been out in it a lot, at least since Saturday. I've had to bundle up like something ridiculous, but you feel so good having conquered and shared the message with people even when they reject you. You just keep going and you endure the cold.
On New Years Eve we went and had dinner at the Fomby's and then we left to go out and do some tracting. We actually taught one lady on her porch, she came and stood outside and then we prayed with her. Then a few doors down a lady let us in and listened to us. She asked for out names, and said that we had been helpful. It was such a blessing, we prayed with her too. Two lessons in a half and hour!!! However as soon as we went outside to head back to the car since it was after 8:00, the police were out on the streets and stopped us. Apparently the Elderly couple that we had knocked on a few doors down had gotten spooked and called the police. Elder Bryner wasn't happy with this when I looked at the phone that had been in my jacket while we were eating dinner and found a text. I hadn't checked anything when I put my jacket on to go back out tracting, but apparently President had issued that he wanted everyone in at 7:00. Elder Bryner wasn't happy, but the way I see it the Lord isn't going to let anything go wrong with the work, this is his. I saw it as a blessing that we were able to touch two people that night. You can't please everyone. We ended up going back to the Fomby's and we played a mad lib game. I got nice and warm by the fire. So that was our new Years eve.
Anyway, my time here in Byron has gone by so fast, almost six months gone in the blink of an eye. It seems like I just got here yesterday. I truly enjoyed the assignment. Elder Bryner has been a great companion, Hear my new companion is Elder Matheson. I always hate packing up, I wonder how Josh is enjoying his first experience of picking up and moving. He at least had a long stay in his first area, I had six weeks.
Jared Ashley has been taught all but maybe one commandment and is ready for baptism!!! He'll be meeting with President Merrill this Sunday to see how things are going. So I'll miss seeing that baptism happen. He told me that he was going to miss my teaching.
We have had a lot of people that we meet, then turn around and not want to meet with us. They leave messages on our phones. It's like they get hit with anti-mormon literature when they meet us. Satan is really opposing the work here in Byron. However we did have a miracle at Church this Sunday. I was fasting for among other things the work and the finding efforts here in Byron. Then at Church this lady with her 3 young children all under the age of 3 showed up. Her name is Laura Zimmerman, she said that she had talked to a friend of hers that told her about the Church. She then went online and looked up our church and found that we believed similarly to what she did, so she decided to find out where the nearest meeting house is and attend. She actually is married and has three older children as well. It was incredible. I sat by her and helped to entertain one of the little boys. After the block of meetings we were able to set up an appointment to meet with her and her husband this Friday, and she is planning on attending Church again this Sunday!!!
Since I found out I was being transferred yesterday, as I made some calls to members of the Branch, I made sure to let them know how much I appreciated them, things I had learned or admired about them, things I would remember or miss about them. It makes you feel good when you show love to them. The members really do appreciate me as well. I had no idea that President Merrill and I had as good a relationship as I found out yesterday. He really wanted us to stop by for dinner or to at least say goodbye, but we were unable to. I'm gong to miss these members. Especially the Fomby's. I think they are my favorite family of my mission. I have a lot of great memories with them. It was hard to say goodbye to brother Fomby over the phone. I mean spent Thanksgiving, Christmas morning, and New year's Eve at their home.

I'm looking forward to my new area, companion, and the work there. Forward we go!!!
my one request to president doll was that he ensure that whatever missionaries serve here in this area watch over the Cromes. I asked him to keep a close watch over them, and help them to stay strong, and to make sure that the missionaries that serve here know this. I love the Cromes very dearly. I love you all so much, and thank Josh for the tie. You are all in my prayers, daily.

Love, Elder Adams

I forgot to tell you in my email, that on New Year's Eve, the sister missionaries serving in Dekalb decided to call us at midnight and wake us up. They left some message on the phone. It was insane, but I guess that you could say that we got to see 2010 come in.
You'll have to email josh some of my pictures that I sent to you of Christmas and what not. That's Josh, it's always good to see him.
Well mom I probably better get going. I'll enjoy the last moments here in Byron, and then I'll be off to my new assignment. The work will go forward, I'm ready for the next challenge and to get the work going. Pleasure hearing from you as always. I love you and keep me in your prayers as I travel.

Love Elder Adams

P.S.- How do they do transfers for Josh, travel etc. The transfer van is just coming to pick me and my things up and take me to my new area.