Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii + PICTURE UPDATE!

Hey family! Thank you for the emails they make my week! B-Hoff sent me one too and said that our little horse Honey girl bit her in the butt! That little stink! But you just can't get mad at her because she is so cute! Every time I see horses out here I just want to pull over and love them because I miss our horses. The colts are going to be HUGE when I get home. Weird.
Well this week has been the bomb dot com! We have been working a lot at the sites as usual and just loving every second of it!  How did I get so lucky to be called here to the Cradle of the Restoration?? SERIOUSLY. We had Zone Conference this week at the Palmyra Chapel. It's a few hundred yards from the Sacred Grove. Who gets to do that?! It was such a great meeting.  President Christianson teaches us so much, and he is funny.  We have fun one second and the next we are all in tears at what he is teaching us. If you get a chance read "Understanding our Covenants with God" in the July 2012 Ensign. It is a great article. President Christianson elaborated on it and it was so eye opening.
Well, Bethany and Lindsay are off to college! I am excited for them, but I am going to miss them. Teaching them and getting to spend so much time with them was a privilege. They are both still here in New York, so when they come home to visit we will still get to see them. Unless I get transferred- we'll see! Now we are teaching Jina! She is so awesome. She is this big black lady and her six year old daughter Jinaia is an angel! They are so funny and fun to be around. She lives down the street from this girl in our ward and so that is how we came into contact with her!  We love going over there and teaching them.  They have three cats though so I have to take an allergy pill before I go there and pray that my eyes won't get swollen shut. So far I have been okay! No allergy emergencies.
This week we also had dinner with the Hargarther family.  We made pizzas! It was so much fun. They are such a cute family. They have four kids under the age of seven! So it is a crazy house, but always so much fun. When we go over there all the little kids come and grab my legs and hug me!  I feel so loved! I really do love them. We had a family home evening night with them and all the missionaries in our district. So Sisters Hawkes and Correia came and Elder Erekson and Southwick were there too. Good times!
I had a miracle at the sites this week too! This guy came into the the Book of Mormon Publication Site and he heard about the Church just three days ago. He was talking to one of his friends about religion and his friend asked him if he could join any church which one it would be. He said, "Well the same Church Jesus Christ set up while He was on the earth." And this friend said, "Well then I have the church for you."  She brought him to her singles ward and he could not believe the feeling he had there.  Afterwards one of the members of the bishopric was telling him about the historic sites just a few hours away.  He asked him if he would like to go and he said, "Yeah! Can we go today?" So this member just dropped everything and brought this guy to the sites! Well I got to take him on tour at the BOMPS. I taught him about Jesus Christ coming to the Americas, the Book of Mormon where it comes from, and how you can find out for yourself if it is true. He just said, "Sister Adams, I know it is true already and I haven't even read it yet. It is like I have known all these things my whole life. All the things you are teaching me are true- I know it. God brought me here for a reason and I am where I am supposed to be." WOWWWWW. What a cool experience I had. But it is so true! This is the church for EVERYONE. And it is the SAME church Jesus Christ himself set up while He was living on the earth. And it was He who restored His church again to the earth through His servant and the prophet, Joseph Smith. And it all happened HERE. Right where I stand each day.
Last Sunday in the Lyons Ward, I was just sitting there and looking at all the people and families coming in and I really felt at home! I know most of the people in the ward now and have great relationships with them. It is so fun! Bishop's mom is in our ward and she is this sweet old lady. I went up to her and said, "Hey Juney Mama!" (Her name is June, and her grandkids call her that). And she goes, "ohhh I just love it when you call me Juney Mama! It reminds me that I am sassy!" Hahaha I almost died laughing. I love her so much. She wants me to come over and teach her how to make goulash. Things are just going great in Newark and Sodus, and in the Lyons Ward, and at the historic sites.  I absolutely LOVE my mission. No words can even describe how I love being here and serving.
I love you all so much and pray for you daily. Thank you for your prayers on my behalf. I know dance is starting next week at the Dance Barn! Good luck with everything and give all of my sweet students my love! XOXOXO
-Sister Adams

Sister Adams and President and Sister Christianson

Sister Adams at Alvin Smith's graveside.

Sister Adams and Sister Barrus - first companionship!

Sister Adams doing what she does best. :) Being funny.

Another Week FLEW By!

Hi Mama :) I did not get a chance to read your email so I will have to print it and then read it later. But I love you :)
This week has been great! Just doing the usual... working at the sites, teaching people in my area, going and finding referrals from pageant. Missionary work is so fun! Last Friday Sister Butters and I had a day where we did not have to work a site.  So we spent the whole day is Sodus!  Well we forgot to plan lunch and dinner and we worked allllll dayyyy long. Haha we collapsed when we got home we were SO EXHAUSTED. Note to self: you should take breaks to eat and rest sometimes so you don't wear yourself down to almost nothing. (Mosiah 4:27) The Lord kept us going though thank goodness.
We have still been teaching Lindsay even though she is baptized!  She is now preparing to go to the temple to do baptisms there and also she is getting her patriarchal blessing soon! I am so happy for her. She is nervous to go off to college in Buffalo, and she really wants her patriarchal blessing to help her when she gets there. Oh Lindsay, she is a gem.  She came to the Smith Farm and Sister Butters and I got to take her on tour and walk through the Sacred Grove with her.  It was so special. I can't even describe the feeling that is there in that Grove.  It truly is Sacred and you can feel that as you walk through it. It is neat to see how we hear stories about the Restoration of the Church all our lives, but then you come and see these places and you realize, "These are real people. These are real events that happened; and because of the Spirit, you know it is all true." Bethany came to church again this week! She is moving to Syracuse for college this Friday. So we are contacting her branch president and the sister missionaries down there to help make this transition a smooth one so she can keep progressing.
At church last Sunday something way cute/funny happened. We have this sweet little autistic boy in the Lyons Ward and he heard a baby crying during the Sacrament. So really loudly but so lovingly he goes, "Don't cry... It's just church...." haha he is so sweet. We got to go to the Grahams on Sunday too! Sister Graham feeds us the best food ever! They're family is like ours. Just say it like it is, telling jokes every ten minutes, loud laughing, but yet, they are so close to the Spirit. The Graham kids inspire me. They are SO GOOD. I love going to their house to be with them, but most of all to teach them and Brother Graham.
Yesterday we worked at the Peter Whitmer Farm. I just finished a tour and I was just chatting with this family outside, when the senior couple sister comes and says, "There is a young couple in the Visitors' Center requesting you for their tour." I was so confused. I have had a few people that I take around and I tell them where I am working the next day and they show up and want me to take them through the other sites...but I could not for the life of me remember if I met a young couple the day before. So I finished the conversation with my group and sent them off and walked back to the Visitors' Center.  Well I walk in, and GUESS WHO I SEE.  SHELBY AND MICHAEL!! It was so cool to see my cousin!!! They totally surprised me. I guess they have been living in Ohio and are stopping at all of the Church Historic Sites before they head back to AZ! It was so fun to talk to them and catch up, share funny mission stories with them, and take them on a tour! That was such a nice surprise and it made me SO HAPPY. Getting to teach and testify to my own family at these sacred, special places is such a privilege. After that I got a tour of freshmen girls from BYU-I.  After the tour they asked me questions about serving a mission and I had a group of like 20 eighteen year olds around me.  By the end of our conversation they are were saying, "we want to go on missions!" "I am making a goal to serve a mission."  Stuff like that. So cool. It made me feel good knowing that I was a good example to them and they looked up to me and to the sisters in our mission. I am not perfect. Never have been. But by serving my mission I feel that the Lord is shaping into my best self. Although I am serving Him, I am getting way more blessings in return.  I am growing so much each day. Shelby and Michael told me that I am different, still me, but different in a good way.  That was the nicest thing anyone has said to me. I want to be different, I want to be better. I am so thankful for my mission and for all the opportunities I get to teach and testify. I know it is all true. And the beauty of the message is that you don't have to take my word for it. Anyone who wants to know can ask God, and He will tell you that it's all true.
I love my life! I LOVE being a missionary. And I love you my family. XOXOXO
Love,
Sister Adams

The End Of The Trio

Hey Mama :)

 

Not going to lie, hearing about Tim and Jo being out in the ocean all day in San Diego made me miss the beach so much! I love swimming in the ocean all day long! Can we go when I get back next September? That would be a dream come true. So Sister Barrus just left us a few hours ago... she is on her way home! So weird. So our trio is now back to a companionship. Just Sister Butters and I!

 

Lindsay was confirmed this last Sunday! She is such an amazing girl. I can't wait for you to meet her someday. Bethany came to church too! We are still trying to help her feel comfortable setting up a date for baptism but she comes to church when she can!  We had a site sisters and senior couple BBQ this week and it was SO FUN. We grilled some chicken and put some "Sweet Baby Rays" barbeque sauce on it. MMM! We also got to work at the Peter Whitmer Farm and watch "Saturday's Warrior" one last time before Sister Barrus left. She is so obsessed with it. She knows every word to every song and the dance moves too. Let's just say it is more entertaining to watch her watch it, than to actually watch it.

 

We also got to watch one other cheesy movie this week- "Labor of Love".  I guess in our mission it is a tradition to watch this 30 minute gem the last district meeting before a missionary goes home.  So since Sister Barrus and Elder Hallam (our district leader) are going home we watched it. When Elder Hallam told us a couple weeks ago we would be watching "Labor of Love" I said, "Who's bringing the cake!?" Wellllll, Elder Hallam thought I said, "Who's bringing the keg?!" Haha that made for a funny moment for sure. So Elder and Sister Fowler, our awesome full proselyting senior couple, brought cake- and the blonde trio, Sister Barrus, Butters, and I brought ice cream.  So I am guessing by now you can tell it was a pretty great meeting.

 

Bob, the keeper of the Sacred Grove, also takes care of the Hill Cumorah.  So he took us on a Hill Tour before Sister Barrus left.  It was AWESOME.  We felt the Spirit of that sacred Hill Cumorah and of the events that happened there.  Bob took us through the ancient forrest, the part of the Hill that has never been cleared or touched and showed us some really neat things. There are a few trees in there that are over 400 years old. They are HUGE and still healthy and strong. Thanks to Bob who takes such great care of these special places. Bob told us that he doesn't just GIVE Hill Tours.  He only invites about six to eight sister missionaries on a Hill Tour each year. WOW, did I feel special knowing that Bob loves Sister Barrus and I and wanted to take us around the Hill and tell us about the history, trees and plants, and the sacred events that happened there.  He told Sister Butters he just had to take a chance on her because he doesn't know her too well, but she passed. That is because she is awesome! Aaand I get to train her. Lucky me. Also we got to wear jeans! After wearing a skirt all day er' day, it is fun to wear pants! I felt kind of... well, normal!

 

This week has been such a wonderful one! I have been sick but I have been okay. The senior couples out here have been taking care of me as we work at the sites. I am so honored to be a part of this mission. My testimony grows every single day. I read this scripture yesterday and really loved it and thought I should share it with you. Open your Book of Mormon to Alma 37: 44-47.  I love this scripture because it is so true!  We have all the tools we need to follow Jesus Christ! Especially in verse 44- "...it is easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land."  We have the church, we have the Bible, we have the Book of Mormon, we have the power of prayer, we have the Spirit that can teach us all things, we have the living prophet who leads and directs us today, we have the priesthood power, etc. We have EVERYTHING we need to follow our Savior. We are so blessed. All we have to do is appreciate and use all of these things to help us.  If we will come unto Christ and do as He did and obey his commandments, we will know exactly what to do in our life here on earth and we will end up back in His arms on the other side. We have it all right in front of us. Why wonder in the dark when we know what to do to have the light? He loves us, He has taught us the way, He has prepared the way. It is up to us to do it.

 

I love you family! Erika, I know school is starting soon and I am so excited for you. Just rock it sister! You will have a great senior year! Mom, I love you and thank you for all your funny/sweet emails. Dad, I love you and think of you often- give the horses and dogs a love for me. I just wrote you a letter so you should get it soon. XOXOXO

-Sister Alexandra Adams

MY FIRST BAPTISM

Hi Mom! Just read your email and it sounds like your summer has been BOMB! I would be jealous but I am so happy here doing the Lord's work! How fun that Greg and Tim and their families are going to San Diego too! Give them all a huge hug for me! I saw Cory and Deb and Dal John, Maddie, and Ally Jo at the Hill Cumorah Visitors' Center. I took them on tour and talked to them for a while. It was fun! I got some good stories first hand from the Big Lake reunion! Hahaha I was laughing so hard. I LOVE our family! Never a dull moment. I was going to take them on tour at the Book of Mormon Publication Site the next day but my shift ended at two and they couldn't get there until a little after two so it didn't work out.  I was really upset about it at first but they must have needed to hear one of the other sisters' testimony that day- so it happened the way it was supposed to. The cool thing about families that come and visit the historic sites is that not only is it a fun vacation but you get closer to Jesus Christ when you come here.  The Gherkins and I had a really good spiritual experience in the Christus room at the Hill. I felt the Spirit so strong and it was a wonderful opportunity to teach and testify to my own family. 

This last Sunday I got my first baptism!  Lindsay was baptized by Logan Graham on Sunday and the whole thing went PERFECTLY.  The Spirit was there in abundance and Lindsay said that she felt like she was "buzzing on the inside" haha she is so cute. She told me that it was like "that part on a roller coaster when you get to the top, and you are right about to drop and your heart pounds, except it's not scary." Even though her parents are not interested in the Church, they came to support Lindsay.  That meant a lot to her, and afterall, they raised her to be the awesome girl that she is today. Sister Barrus and I sang the musical number.  I can't sing as high as Sister Barrus can so I made up my own harmony and wrote it in the music to make it a duet. I didn't know I was capable of doing that but it worked out great!  Sister Butters played the piano for us and it all pulled together nicely even with our lack of time to practice. I still can't believe we even had the time to teach Lindsay with Pageant and everything that went on.... man, just makes you realize God is in control and He makes things happen when they need to.  Lindsay will be going to University of Buffalo this fall and found the singles ward she will attend there and met some of the people in that ward too. Who knows, maybe after I train I will get transferred out there to Buffalo and be with Lindsay again! 

I need to introduce you to Sister Butters! I am training Sister Butters and she is a rock star. I just love her to pieces. She is been here just a week and she is rockin' it.  She is from North Salt Lake, UT and attended University of Utah for journalism before the mission.  She wrote for Deseret News too! She was in the same MTC branch with Sister Carolyn Kindt and met her there too! So that was fun! Our companionship is great.  We are in a trio right now with Sister Barrus for just one more week and then Sister Barrus is going home and going off to school at BYU-I. We work extra hard but we also laugh and have fun too :) We drove to Rochester twice this week for new missionary meetings and had Panera Bread both times :) So it was a good week! We don't have any restaurants worth going to in Newark so that was a treat. 

The sites have slowed down so we can actually give people good tours. Peagent is so crazy that people have to get the abbriviated version of tours.  During the Hill Cumorah Pageant we had roughly 65,000 people come through the historic sites. WOWWW. Now we are just contacting like crazy, meeting the people that referred themselves at the Pageant! It is giving us many opportunities to teach and it's awesome! 

Here is a cool quote that I heard this past week that I love about the New York Rochester Mission and Hill Cumorah Historic Sites: "What happened here changed the world. Let it change your life."  The restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is here. It is not going anywhere and will continue to spread until the Savior comes again.  Let it change your life. It has forever changed mine. I love you so much and pray for you always. 

XOXO, Sister Adams