March 31, 2010

This week we had the incredible experience of making contact and then having an appointment with a couple, one is from Thailand and the other is Laotian. We watched Finding Faith in Christ in Thai. That was an interesting experience. When we were talking to them they were so excited and they want the Book of Mormon in Thai. We had to contact the mission office to request some copies of it. She used to be Buddhist and then 11 years ago became Christian. She is now trying to work with her friend to show her about Christ, so that is why she wanted the movie from us, and she was so excited that we had it in Thai as well. We are going to be meeting with them again. Also she had been on the Church website and was so excited about all of the things we had on there. She said there is so much. “It’s so koo!” she would say. She really is excited about General Conference and we told her that hopefully she will be able to hear it in Thai online. She speaks English fairly decent, but Thai is better for her. Reading Thai is deffinately easier for her. I told her Troy, my uncles brother, was a missionary like me in Thailand and speaks Thai. I told her I’d give him her email address and then he can email her and then get phone numbers and then be able to contact her and talk to her more and help her understand, because there isn’t anyone in the area anywhere who speaks Thai. So tell Troy it’s time to bust out his missionary lessons and his Thai again so we can help this lady and her husband see how this Church is different and help them accept baptism. Here’s her email: nok1219@yahoo.com . Her name is Jenny and his name is Sommay. Her Thai name is Sasithorn. Their last name is Keobouavanh. This is so cool!!!!!! We even started talking about Thai food, and I remembered a couple names. Then surprisingly enough, last night a member took us out to a Thai restaurant!!!

Anyway, Helen Lockett is continuing toward baptism. We taught the Word of Wisdom to her and follow the Prophet and she’s also learned the Plan of Salvation. She has no problem with the Word of Wisdom. She also came to Church her first time this Sunday, and I was so relieved and my heart just jumped to see her come out of her apartment building in her purple dress when we went with our ward mission leader and another member to pick her up. We taught her after Church and she said, “ I love it there… I want to be there, you like to feel like you’re welcome.” She said, “I don’t never miss church (she said she always went to some kind of church on Sunday) I just had to find the right one.” Her testimony is growing and she is having good feelings. She added, “I never felt relaxed, but I felt that today I want to make this my home….Everybody has God in their heart.” I love being around this woman she’s incredible.

We've began working closely with the Composano's a part member family. Art, the father is a member, but his daughter Alicia and his wife Kathy are not members. So we have taught them twice already and will teach them today and Friday as well. They come to church as well and Alicia attends young womens. A lot of progress here as well. The father of the Ortiz family has accepted to read the Book of Mormon, so progress going forward here as well. We have a baptismal date set for April 10 with Helen Lockett, which we set in a first lesson when Mike was with us. This is going really well. She came to Church on Sunday and met a lot of the members and participated in Relief society. She loved it. So far she has 100 percent attendance for church. She is excited and is planning on coming to all the sessions of conference with us. We taught her the Word of Wisdom and she doesn't have any problems with it. She loves it, especially the Book of Mormon. She said, "I believe this book is right just like I believe this Bible." She's great, and we've had several different members over to her home to teach her. She's just soaking everything up. The only question bishop Gardner has is if she will have made enough friends and be fellowshipped by April 10 with conference being right in the middle. He's thinking we might have to push it back, but we haven't told Helen yet. I'm sure she'll understand. She has it marked on her calendar though. Will and all our other investigators are doing great as well. There's just so many to talk about now. These are the highlights.

There's just so many things that I want to and need to study that there isn't enough study hours in the week. Especially with studying to prepare for lessons and the needs of investigators. I'm thinking I'll make a list of the things that I want to study but can't right now and have a lot to then work on after my mission.

So Mom, I had interviews with President yesterday and he said that you had called the mission office and had been talking about plans to come and pick me up or something, and he asked me and I had no idea. He said that I need to find out what the plans are. I was thinking that it would be better to be able to plan this out after the mission and not have to think about it now. Also if you come out here before I’m released then that means I’m still a missionary I’m not going to be able to go to all the places in the city you’ll want to go in and see, all the same rules apply. I think it’s important to have the whole missionary experience of the plane and everything. At first President Doll was indifferent as to what I did, but then today he sent me this email.

Elder Adams – After we spoke on Tuesday about your plans for going home, Sister Doll reminded me that both the Mission President’s Handbook and the Church Handbook of Instructions (your bishop and stake president have copies) strongly advise against parents travelling to pick up their missionary. It tends to be a disruption to the other missionaries in the mission and to the group of missionaries going home. And, I’m sure you’ll be anxious to get home and report to your stake president and be released. You and your family may find that you would have more time to see the mission if you were to return to the Chicago area at another time.

So I don’t think that you are going to be coming out and picking me up. I’ll have to go home like all the other missionaries the normal way and then we can come back out later. It will have more meaning that way as well to be able to see people again. Ward members here already want Elder Layton and I come back and see them. Elder Layton’s parents wanted to do the same as you, but he has told them to wait and that he’ll go home first. So that’s what my companion is doing. I need you to write me back on this. So I can report back to President.

Also my slip on black shoes they have stretched and so I have to wear ski socks so that my feet don’t slosh in them. Even still I don’t like to wear them. So I was wondering if You want to give me a Happy Easter to me present and I can go out and buy some new shoes here. I was going to go and try Burlington coat factory today because I saw they had some. I don’t want to get a Wal-mart special but at the same time I don’t want to spend a lot, but I do want a decent pair that I can wear, because lately I’ve just been wearing my boots or on Sunday or Wednesday I’ll wear my brown ones, but I only have my one brown suit. Anyway is that ok for a Happy Easter day Present from you to me. Let me know if that is ok.

I love you all and I look forward to hearing from you.



Love Elder Adams


P.S-Our numbers this week were incredible, the success we are having!!!! BLessings from the Lord!!!!! I couldn't believe it when we tallied up things.

Yes I'm on have you read my letter?? Maybe jump to the End and read some of the things. I need to know your thoughts. Especially on the Flight plans. I hope you understand. We will just have to postpone it looks like.

I hope you're still online but I don't have a lot of time we have T time at a golf course today. My comp is going to play. A member got us into a golf course.