My Bishop Wears a Tu-Tu

This past week has been a long one. I think that is just how it goes at the beginning of a transfer. Everything stayed the same Sister Earl and I are still in Seneca Falls and our district has the same
people in it too. That surprised us but we are happy about it.

We still see Jim once a week and teach him with the Yearsleys. We are getting him ready to receive the priesthood and go to the temple to do baptisms! So exciting. He is doing great and is funny as ever. We always leave his home with our cheeks hurting we laugh so hard.

We did a little language study with Sister Raines this week. She is a Spanish speaking sister and there are a lot of Spanish people (mostly from Puerto Rico) in Seneca Falls. So we learned how to tell them who we are, testify, and let them know how to get in contact with Sister Raines who can teach them in Spanish! "Somos misioneras! y ensenamos de Jesucristo. Sabemos que nuestro mensaje es verdadero. Hay misioneras que hablan espanol que pueden ayudar le. Aqui esta su tarjeta." That is from memory and there in no punctuation or accents but hey! My Spanish came back pretty quick! Thanks to the Holy Ghost :)

We had the ward talent show this week (hence the title of my email) Fayette's Got Talent! It was so awesome! Bishop Egan and his family all wore pink tu tus and pig noses and did "Swine Lake". Hahaha it was hilarious. We had some pretty cool, cute, funny talents. A little girl did ribbon dancing and another did some Native American hoop dancing. I loved that. Elder Perkins did some roping tricks (he's a cowboy from Panguitch, Utah) It was funny seeing him do that in a suit though. Sister Raines, Szuch, Earl, and I sang "I Hope They Call Me on a Mission" with helium balloon voices. Sister Szuch did a rendition of Hamlet, and Sister Raines played/sang one of the songs she wrote on
her mission, and I ate a cookie. Just sat on the edge of the stage and ate it and washed it down with a cup of water... just wishing I had milk. It was a hit so that is okay. The only talent I have I can't do
as a missionary so that is what I did. Lots of people laughed but I kept in character and didn't crack a smile. Oh! by the way Sister Raines has a website where you can download her music she wrote before her mission for free! She's legit. www.natalieraines.bandcamp.com

Yesterday was a disaster of a day and very stressful so I won't go into details. Long story short, we did service all day and I was grateful for the opportunity to help out (and to wear pants and get my
hands dirty). We painted a yoga studio that is opening in Geneva and cleaned some houses. It was good.

This week I have realized that I am so blessed to have the family I do, to have the gospel I do, to have gained the education I have so far, and to be a missionary. Sometimes I forget how blessed I am and
then the Spirit smacks me in the face with a spiritual two by four and I remember again. I have come to know that the Atonement reaches to everyone. It doesn't matter how far you drift- if you are a little off the path or even if you have fallen in a pit of sin and darkness the light of the Atonement can reach you. As we repent we become healed spiritually and come to know our Savior personally. I have been reading the Isaiah chapters in Second Nephi in the Book of Mormon lately and the way the prophet Isaiah so passionately describes the Savior and His Atonement has touched my heart in a very powerful way. In 2 Nephi 22 it says, "And in that day thou shalt say: O Lord, I will praise thee; though thou wast angry with me thine anger is turned away, and thou comforted me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation. Therefore, with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." I know this is true. God is sad when we choose to turn away from Him, but no matter how far we
are off the path, all we have to do is turn back to Him and He will come to us and lead us back to the path that brings true and lasting, eternal happiness.

I love my family very much. Thank you for your example and your love. I hope you have a wonderful week.

Love, Sister Adams

Rockin the nun skirt and Jesus tag + Pictures!

Hahahahaha okay I am dying laughing over Dad dressed up as St. Valentine and crying over the pictures you sent me. It is soo good to see everyone! even the horses and dogs! It looks like you all had a great week. This week someone asked us if we were nuns... I almost laughed because I was wearing cheetah print and I don't know of any nun that wears that- but, I guess you never know. I had a long black skirt on so I guess that could look like a nun, but I was just trying to keep my legs warm.

This week was Jim's baptism! He was baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday. Everything went great. Jim's daughter, Polly, even came to support him and she was very nice. I hope she felt the truthfulness of the words spoken and the ordinance that her dad received. She lives in Waterloo so we want to ask Jim if Sister Raines and Sister Szuch can go visit her and answer her questions and teach her a little more. All four of us sisters sang at his baptism too. It was fun. We sang "I Know That My Redeemer Lives". Everytime I sing that hymn I really feel like I am bearing my testimony. It was a sweet experience for me. Jim got teary-eyed during it, but he does everything in his power not to cry so he just smiled at us. On the other hand, Elder Breinholt was in the back row bawling his eyes out... haha we love the Brienholts. Elder Yearsley performed the baptism and the water wasn't quite high enough so he really had to dunk Jim down good. But hey! It was by immersion so it was true. I cannot even describe the way Jim glowed when he walked back into the room for the rest of the service. It was like night and day. Then the next day he walked into sacrament meeting for his confirmation just glowing! And he even bought a suit and tie to wear and looked so nice. Sister Earl and I were so proud. He was confirmed by Elder Yearsley and many priesthood holders in the ward participated. Seriously, everyone loves Jim. Then he came back and sat next to Sister Earl and I and partook of the sacrament for the very first time. I was thinking it would be a profound, special moment haha no not with Jim. The bread gets to him and he goes, "Just one right?" Then he pauses for a sec and goes, "Can I have yours too?" Hahaha I started to laugh as quietly as possible and then he goes, "Mmmm that's good!" Oh Jim... he is a crack up. Our banter back and forth with him is ridiculously funny. I wish I could video tape it sometimes. But he is baptized and on his way!! So so happy.

We did service at the Seneca Lake Girls' Camp this week helping clean and open cabins. I was glad to help the Breinholts because they do so much for us and it's fun to wear pants and get dirty sometimes. We had dinner at Bishop Egans house this week too and it was a blast. It always is though. Their kids are hilarious. It is fun to laugh and play with them and joke with Bishop and Sister Egan. They really make us feel right at home.

Valentines Day was great! But we had a "Galentines" day. First we went to teach Jim before his baptismal interview then we visited Mary, and had dinner with Julie, and then visited Pamela- all single women (well not Julie... or Jim haha). Dinner with Julie was awesome! She is a professor at the community college here and her husband is a professor in Idaho, so they have a long distance marriage. So we got to spend Valentines dinner with Julie. She took us to this Mexican restaurant where the food is actually made by Mexicans! IT WAS AWESOME. When Sister Earl and I walked in everyone stared at us for a long time. Some people were even mid-bite! Seriously I felt like I was in a movie! It was crazy! Eventually they stopped staring and we sat down to enjoy our meal. They stared again when we left though...hmmm I guess that is what happens when you are rockin' the nun skirt and Jesus tag.

When we saw Pamela we read the Book of Mormon with her. We read 1 Nephi 11 and we paused randomly on verse 29 because Pamela wanted to know how to apply the scriptures to her and bridge the stories to her life. So we began explaining that to her and showing her with verses we had previously read in the chapter. Then randomly she told us this story about when she was little... she was severely abused as a little girl and her mom locked her up in her room. She described an experience when she was locked up and she looked outside and could see three outlines of people but it was blurry. And she could hear them talking but she couldn't understand what they were saying. But the thing she remembered the most was the peace that came into her heart. That has really stuck with her and she believes that it was angels coming to comfort her. THEN we decided to read on and this is what verse 30 says, "And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the heavens open again, and I saw angels descending upon the children of men; and they did minister unto them." ....all of our mouths just dropped and we looked at each other and the feeling in the room was incredible. It was a neat experience. Pamela really is coming along. I hope she comes back to church soon. She told us last night when we dropped by her house that she "feels God's presence when we come to her house". I am so glad she feels that way because that means I am doing my job as a servant of the Lord.

Well that is it for this week! Sure love all of you so very much. XOXOXO
-Sister Alexandra Adams

Our district! (L to R) Elder Perkins, Sister Raines, Sister Szuch, Sister Earl, me, Elder Pascual

Sister Park and I had the same planner cover we made without knowing it. I knew we were meant to be :) ..my dancing buddy.

Jim's baptism! with Jim and the Yearsleys

 

 

Burrrrrrrrr... AND PICTURES

Happy Birthday Mom! I hope you have a crazy awesome day full of laughing and really good food! This week has been a longer one for me. Partly because I was sick and couldn’t work for a day. We went to the Hill Cumorah and I slept in one of the back theaters for a while because we had a shift. Luckily there was only one tour so Sister Earl took it. Then the rest of the day I slept and ate soup. Sister Raines came home that night and asked me what I needed and I said, “a guillotine… just chop my head off and I’ll be great.” (I was super congested and sore throat and plugged ears) I’m good now though.

This week we went to the girls’ camp and the Breinholts trained us on family history! It was fun! Our district wants to start finding new investigators with it and helping our recent converts find family names to take to the temple. The spirit of Elijah is so powerful!

We had a zone conference this week that was AWESOME. I love learning from President and Sister Christianson. I am always so exhausted after zone conference days because I have been so spiritually engaged the whole time. Something we learned about was how all the ancient prophets were cast out and rejected, but they saw our day…and even though they knew they wouldn’t succeed, they did the work because they knew we would. They knew that we would be playing in the last and most important inning of the game (preparing for the second coming of the Messiah). And we are! We are in the last inning and we are first string, on the field doing the work of God. So we all must give 100%. When have you ever heard a coach say, “Just give me 25%! Just give me 50%!” NEVER. We have to give the Lord 100%... go as hard and far as we can and then go further. Luckily we have Him on our side to help us do that. I am so grateful for the prophets of old who did the work so we would have the tools and knowledge today to finish it. I love learning from their inspired writings in the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I feel like Lehi in 1 Nephi 2:12 “And it came to pass that as he (she) read, he (she) was filled with the Spirit of the Lord.” And being filled with the Spirit is like nothing else. “Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore it is the most desirable above all things... Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.” (1 Nephi 11:22-23)

Sorry spiritual tangent. Back to my week now. When we got out of zone conference it was a blizzard. A hardcore white out blizzard. And we had a 40 minute drive home to Fayette. So the Breinholts followed us home and we drove REALLY slow. It took us and hour and fifteen minutes to make it home. But we made it! It was snowing over 2 inches an hour. Craaaaazzzzyyy.

Saturday we woke up to a winter wonderland. It was beautiful but freezing cold. We went to the temple with Bill and Beverly to do baptisms! It was such a sweet experience. They have so many family names to do because Beverly is rocking the family history so we will go back in a month or so to do some more!

Jim is doing great! He hasn’t missed church once since he started coming. He got confused and thought he was getting baptized last Saturday (the 9^th). We reminded him he is getting baptized on the 16^th and he was like, “ooooh yeah!” hahaha Sister Earl and I are really looking forward to this Saturday! Jim is ready :)

Last night we got to celebrate Chinese New Year with the Liu family in our ward! Brother Liu made 6 different kinds of stir-fry! It was so cool!

Well I love you all very much! Thank you for the pictures you sent me. It is great to see all of your faces :) Keep being happy. There are so many reasons for us to be happy and to find tender mercies every day! ‘Til next week!

-Sister Adams

 

 

with Sister Aiello. She is from Italy!

 

 

Cayuga Lake... totally frozen over

driving home in the snow

 

 Outside the temple with the Yearsleys, Breinholts, and Bill and Beverly! My wet hair froze haha

Angel Moroni with snow all over 

 

 

 I live in a beautiful place

 

Thanks for All the Birthday Wishes + PICTURES!

This week was great. Why? Because Jim has a baptism date! YEAH! This week we taught him about inquiring of the Lord and the Holy Ghost and his role to lead and guide us, to reveal truth, and to comfort us. Well Jim has really been praying and listening for the whisperings of the Spirit. We went to his home with the Yearsleys to visit him and we started following up with him on how his praying and reading was going and he said, “Well I got an answer to my prayer! Right now I am in the Book of Ether and I should be done with the whole Book of Mormon soon. I want to finish up this Book and then I want be baptized.” It was so exciting! We just smiled and told Jim we were so happy he got his answer! Then he goes on and says, “but really, I should be done by the 10^th of February… so any day after that! You choose the day!” Haha so Jim will be baptized on February 16^th. I am so happy for him and excited to see how his life improves after he becomes a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This was probably the highlight of my week!

We had a great site meeting at the Book of Mormon Publication Site this week. I love being at the sites with all the sisters and senior couples- it is so fun to be all together. Sister Park and I danced again but this time President and Sister Christianson saw it and Sister Park got so embarrassed haha! They both laughed so hard. So anyways, back to site meeting. President always gives a little training at each one of them and he used a letter from a recent convert that he received in the mail that really touched his heart. And who might that recent convert be? … of course.. . Lea. He read it and Sister Earl and I both got teary-eyed to hear her sweet testimony. Lea is doing wonderful and I am so proud of her. President said he would give Sister Earl and me a copy of it for our journals so we can always have it.

We went to visit this old man this week who is a former investigator and we took Mary with us. It was good but he isn’t really interested in the gospel. He is more interested in having visitors because he lives alone. His trailer was full of smoke and he had burn holes all over his furniture and carpet. Then he had this long haired cat that had hair EVERYWHERE. My asthma and allergies were not happy with me after that appointment. His cat’s name was Smokey too. Haha ironic much?

So you asked me what I do right now at the sites because they are so slow. That is an understatement… they are dead right now. So whenever we have a shift at a historic site or at the visitors’ center we are usually on the computers doing work. The New York Rochester Mission is the only one where every single missionary does online proselyting. So all of us have Facebook and use social networking to keep in contact with investigators and less active members, to find friends of people that would like to be taught online until they are comfortable with us coming to their home, to post uplifting messages, videos, scriptures, pictures, etc. It is really great and we see a lot of success that way. Also while we have no visitors we use them to do Mormon.org CHAT. Anyone who goes to Mormon.org can live chat with a missionary. And that is me! So we answer questions, invite people to have missionaries in their area bring them a Book of Mormon, or just teach them online until they are ready for the missionaries. It is cool because I teach people all over the world that way.

My birthday was good. I got lots of phone calls from the missionaries and senior couples and President and Sister Christianson. Our phone was ringing all day haha. The chocolate covered strawberries were delish :) thank you family! Sister Earl made me a brownie cake and the members of the Fayette Ward dropped off treats too. Sugar overload! I loved the package that you sent me so thank you for that. It doesn’t seem real that I am 22. It’s weird. Sooo old. Mary told me she called you, Mom, and when she came to church she hugged me and kissed my cheek and said, “That is from your mama!” Jim was at church again. He has been for 5 weeks in a row and loves it. Lea was back at home for the weekend so she came too! It was so great to see her again. Love that girl. I sent her mom a thank you card for letting us teach her. Lea’s mom was not happy about her decision to be baptized but she was anyways. I felt prompted to send her a card in the mail and now Lea says her mom wants us to come over for dinner! She has break from school late this month but transfers are coming up in a couple weeks so I am hoping I stay for one more transfer here in Seneca Falls so I can go and talk to Lea’s mom. It’s up to the Lord though!

Well I just want you all to know that I am loving my mission. It has really shaped me into such a better person. I feel so grateful for the knowledge that I am a daughter of God and He has a plan for me. I know this is true for all of us. “He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation. Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his goodness? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and NONE are forbidden.” (2 Nephi 26: 24&28)

Love, Sister Alexandra Adams

One time I got a letter from my best friend in Africa...

And this is what happened, it suprised me!!

Birthday brownies!!!

Sunrise out my kitchen window

My funny companion

Chocolate covered strawberries. I shared with my roomies, don't worry I didn't eat all of those that fast. I probably could though.