January 30, 2023

Actually sent January 23, 2023: 

(To Dad) The week has been pretty great! We actually found a couple of new friends which was sweet and one of our new friends highkey is going to be baptized this next transfer. He is mega prepared. His name is Rodney and his wife is a member. Rodney goes to church a lot and said he wants to know the church is true just like his wife does. He said he will get baptized if he knows the church is true. The best apart about Rodney is he literally just called us and left a message saying he wants to take the LDS missionary discussions. Elder Camba thought we might be getting pranked for a second haha.  So it finally rained here and our streets started to clear up, but then it snowed again haha. Last week we were in Coulee Dam and the sky was so clear and blue and the sun came out for the first time in weeks! And the temperature reached 40! 

I will not be staying in Omak... they are splitting our area into two like it's supposed to be. So I will be in the Coulee Dam area/ward. I'm super excited because there is a lot of work to be done down there and I can most likely start teaching a really cool pmf down there! Also I will be training a brand new missionary. 

That's so awesome for Sister Knudsen and Elder Evans! I'm sure they will both be great missionaries!

It is definitely good for them (the YM - Teachers in our ward) to stand out and be a light. In this day and age if we are living what we believe then we will certainly stand out and that's good. The Light of Christ is definitely a very powerful and real thing and as a missionary I get to see it in action every day! A super great verse that I read the other day is Alma 13:24. It's not really about the Light of Christ, but it talks about how people are being prepared to receive the gospel and I thought it was pretty cool.

The Light of Christ/the companionship of the Holy Ghost is essential to have as a missionary. Cause that's what actually converts people... it’s not me. 

Love you too Dad! I will be safe, smart, and obedient!

Elder Adams

Monday, January 23, 2023

Yeah the mission has already flown by and I can only imagine how much faster it is going to go. I try not to think about it because honestly it's going by way too quick. I will definitely stay ready!

So I am heading to Coulee Dam! (See Dads email for more info) and I will found out my companion on Wednesday at transfer sites because I am training a brand new missionary. 

I will be able to send out the Jocelyn swab today! I will make sure to swab both cheeks and give Jocelyn the address of the mission office. If you have Amazon deliver them (the Mineral Drops) to the P.O.Box in Omak I can pick them up from the new Omak elders on a p-day! The address for the P.O. box is in the screenshot I attached. Also enjoy the photo of Elder Camba and I! He was a great companion and will be missed. Honestly we thought we would stay together, but President Welch had other plans! 

Love you too! I will keep sleeping and eating healthy! Hahahaha! That's such a good quote! {"Get some rest. If you haven't got your health you haven't got anything." -Princess Bride} I actually chuckled when I saw it! I think you have officially cracked the code of sending memes. I will have to inform Heidi you are getting on to us. Jkjk. 

Love 

Elder Adams

Monday Jan 16, 2023

Good afternoon Madre!

So I got pretty much everything I need except for envelopes and stamps because our post office doesn't have envelopes and it's not open today, but the other elders have stamps and envelopes that they are going to bring from their apartment next week (they live an hour away). I will 100% send it next week though, and I won't have to buy stamps and envelopes so that's nice haha!

From Madre: "Thanks for those pictures of the Lost Boys. Those were so fun to see - and what a memory for you all! Makes me think of that saying, "Good judgment comes from experience; experience comes from bad judgment.'" You are welcome! That's a pretty accurate saying haha. Definitely feels like that's how I learn a lot of the time! Great to hear that everyone is doing well- especially that Gideon is getting along great! Yeah, Heidi sent me an email... or two hahaha. I'm not sure what time yet, but I'll probably call you guys later today!

Yep, I know I am doing good stuff...and we are definitely working hard haha. Saturday we had a super Saturday where we left our apartment shortly before 8am and didn't get back till 9pm! Suffice to say I felt very productive that day! It's definitely a grind out here, but I'm trying to do better good stuff and get one percent better every day. 

Love you too!

Elder Adams

p.s. I know I don't write a ton in my emails, but I am trying to get a good habit of writing in my journal every day so that I can remember what I actually did during the week haha

 Good morning Mom! 

Yes I will definitely make today a productive day! The last couple of preparation days kinda just turned into play days and weren't the most productive, but today I'm trying to really use this day to rest up and prepare for the next week so I can work harder and smarter this next week!

I'm sure Heidi was soooo excited to go back to school...not. Yep, the ice skating activity was always one of my favorite! Having youth nights on Tuesday will definitely be an adjustment! 

That's so awesome all of the different blessing you saw this year! {In 2022 Cody graduated HS and left for mission, Clayton got married and we gained a daughter-in-law, and our 2nd grandchild was born.} That is definitely a lot of big stuff! 2023 should be pretty awesome as well! Especially for me because I get the entire calendar year to just serve the Lord!

Hey no need to rub (the weather – mid 50's in MO) it in, yesterday it was a balmy like 34 or 35 and rainy haha. Honestly the winter isn't too bad anymore, I've gotten used to it, but I definitely look forward to the spring! Also the thermal underwear that I bought for like 10-15 dollars at Walmart is actually so good! It's a night and day difference whenever I forget to put it on haha. 

So this week was really great! The work continues to be a little slow, but it is starting to pick up. We set up like 7 return appointments for tomorrow and a bunch more later in the week, so we're really starting to see things pick up! On cool guy we taught I'm pretty excited about, his name was Dalton. He said he is more spiritual then religious, but he is a single dad and he thinks that it would be good for his daughter if he took her to church. We taught him the first half of the restoration and he (loved) it. After the lesson he told us that he knows that the church he should join needs to have a prophet, apostles, and the priesthood. He's in for a real treat tomorow when we tell him that our church has all three! 

I will definitely have a beautiful day and awesome week! I will definitely stay warm and keep being healthy!

Love you too! 

-Elder Adams

(Pics: One of the missionary moms made these great shirts for the boys who got stuck in the snow.)

Hello Madre! 

Yep it's another year... crazy how fast time flies by! 

Yo that's a super sweet poem and I loved how it can apply to those eternal principles. (shared below) 2023 is definitely going to be a fabulous year! I get a full year to just serve the Lord! It's gonna be great! It has been a wonderful p-day! I look forward to more photos of Gideon. Yooo that picture (below) is so sweet! Lil Elder Stuart and I! 

Hope you guys have a great week!

Love you too!

Elder Adams

Here's a little Ralph Waldo Emerson for you on this fine Pday: 

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.
He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety. 

Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in. Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.

This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations,
to waste a moment on the yesterdays.”

That poem makes me think of 2 eternal principles: 

1. Don’t take counsel from your fears. “Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail. … Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not” (D&C 6:34, 36). 

2. Repent and move on. “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more. (D&C 58:42) Okay, thank you for letting me share those thoughts with you, I saw that poem and really liked it. And I fully believe that 2023 is going to be a fabulous year!