What an Emotional Week + Pictures

My mission has officially turned me into a bawl baby... this week was President Christianson's last week here in the New York Rochester Mission. I cried so much!  He will be switching off the keys to President Francis in a few days.  I am sad he and Sister Christianson are leaving... I have served with them as my leaders for the majority of my mission and they've seen me go through everything that has made me into the missionary I am today.  I am excited to meet President Francis too though. I know I am still here serving when he is coming because I have more to learn.  I am excited to learn from him and get to know he and his family. 

We had site meeting that President and Sister Christianson got the entire time to teach us.  It was SO GOOD.  President told us stories about running away as a boy and hiding in the horse trailer and coming home smelling like crap haha.  He also told us a time when he was on top of a mountain with his horse and was lost so he let the horse have his head and lead him back to camp. (the horse always knows where to find the grain) It made me so happy to listen to it, not just because I love our horses and spending time out with them and Dad, but because President Christianson tells the most entertaining, funny stories and then somehow ties them into power gospel applications.  If you were wondering, yes, I did cry.  But President said he comes to Arizona to visit Sister Christianson's side of the family and he will see me for sure.  That made me feel good. 

This week we went and ate dinner at Brother and Sister Becker's house.  It was so fun! Their dinner appointments are always crazy with a lot of laughing.  When we get there each time their dog, Wharf, runs as fast as he can in a figure eight motion around the room.  This dog has the shortest legs I have ever seen so it really is quite the sight.  As he started to calm down he came to me and I started petting him and he peed on my shoe!  The Beckers felt so bad but I just laughed.  We put my shoe in the sink and rinsed it off and it is fine!  So now the Beckers joke with me and tell me I am the chosen one because Wharf marked me. It was great because the next day we went to the temple as cast trainers before our cast training meeting and the Beckers were there!  Haha it was funny to see them the next day and then have Sister Becker whisper to me "you are the chosen one".  It was so hard not to bust up laughing. The temple was great. Yes, I cried there too. 

We went to the Seneca Lake Girls' Camp this week to teach a lesson with the 4th levels!  It was a blast!  They were a stake from Pennsylvania and they were just good girls.  The lesson we taught them was about "dare to stand alone".  We taught it all four of us together,  Sisters Tipton, Szuch, Rosemore, and I. It went really well.  Instead of a lesson we made it more of a discussion and the girls really opened up.  The Spirit was very strong and it was cool knowing we were teaching right where the first baptisms were performed right after the Church was organized.  As I shared my testimony at the end I noticed some of the girls crying and I teared up too (surprise, surprise).  I hope what we discussed and shared helped them. Afterwards we ate lunch with them and so many of them came up to us wanting our picture and asking us questions and telling us their desire to serve a mission.  It was so fun to be with them and remember what a fun, crazy, yet spiritual experience girls camp is. 

This week we had early morning meetings with Sister Cottam from the Missionary Dept. for the visitors' centers.  We had to have all four of us showered, ready, and out the door by 6 a.m. because the meetings started at 7 a.m. sharp in Palmyra at the Hill Cumorah VC. Then because of our site meeting and our shift at the Hill Cumorah we got home around10:15 p.m. each night. Two late nights and early mornings in a row was definitely interesting.  By the time we were driving home last night all of us were not thinking straight we were so tired-- but we did have some good slap happy moments.  We got 5 buses at once at the Hill Cumorah VC. 350 people all on tour... How we pulled that off with the way our brains were functioning?  I will never know.  All I know is that the Spirit obviously quickened our minds so we could do it. And for that I am grateful. 

Did you all watch the worldwide leadership training on Sunday?  That was the first time in the history of the Church the prophets and apostles have let us in on the mission presidents' seminar and made it a worldwide thing.  So if you didn't watch it you should.  It was so good!  It was crazy to be watching it in the very place the Church began and was organized.  As I watched I was overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity the Lord has given me to serve a mission.  My heart was filled and it brought tears to my eyes. (told you... I'm a cry baby now!) Something I realized as I was watching is that our purpose as missionaries is to "invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel."  Well, that is the same thing every member of the Church should be doing!  Heavenly Father has one thing He is doing.  In Moses 1:39 it says, "For behold, this is my work and my glory-- to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."  I'm sure I have probably shared this with you and you've read it multiple times as I have... but the gravity of this scripture hit me this week.  God isn't just twiddling his thumbs!  He is doing everything He possibly can to get all of His children home to Him.  That the the ONLY thing He wants.  That's it. It goes back to the most popular scripture in all the Christian world... John 3:16.  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son."  Anything that is worth it is paid for in advance.  Haven't we been paid for in advance?  Wasn't the atonement "prepared from the foundation of the world" (Alma 18:39)?  Oh yes it was!  I know that is true. This is the work of God.  He needs us- every single one of us to help Him help His children back home. And being able to help him with that has been the most humbling, rewarding, most exciting thing I have ever done.  And you don't need to wear a nun skirt and a black Jesus tag to do it :)  Today's Prophet and Apostles have reaffirmed President David O. Mckay's statement: "Every member a missionary."  Wow that was a long spiritual rant, I just have such a fire and love for this work.  It is so fun and so happy, and it feels so good to be exactly where God wants you doing His work. 

Sunday night we went to Sister Andrew's house and watched "Finding Faith in Christ" with Pamela.  She is doing really good and is letting the gospel bring light and joy back in her life.  Well when we watched the movie, again I fell to pieces. (so embarrassing...) I felt so much gratitude for the Savior and His Atonement.  I know He lives and the atonement is real. It has helped me more than I can even say.

I love you all SO MUCH!  I promise even though I was a wimp and my tear ducts were acting up this week, I am SO HAPPY.  I love it here in upstate NY.  Hope you all have a great week!  Tell Christiaan I say hi when we see him at his homecoming talk!

Love, Sister Adams

Look at my cool cheetah toes! Thanks Mom! don't mind my "nasty on your feet all day sister missionary feet."

After President and Sister Christianson' s last site meeting with us!

Me and my companion and roommates on the Hill Cumorah!  They already have the lighting towers up for Pageant!

This is from JUNE 21st

Hey family!!! Sister Tipton and I had a great week this week! So many miracles happening- I love it! We had a mission wide transfer meeting with President and Sister Christianson at the Hill Cumorah. So it was basically a mission conference and we took a picture with all the missionaries in our mission. SO MANY PEOPLE. It was crazy to see how much our mission has grown since the age change. It seems like our mission has doubled in numbers. President and Sister Christianson were so emotional and of course all of us missionaries were too. Not a dry eye... it was just the coolest thing to be there on the Hill as a mission. Every mission around the world shares and testifies of the Book that laid there for centuries, just waiting to be brought forth for us in the last days-- the Book of Mormon. And here we get to actually meet in the very place it happened. I LOVE MY MISSION. Our investigators are doing well. We have a new investigator named Newt. Guess what his last name is? Haha it is Backus. Same name and spelling of the road we live on in Mesa! He is so cool. We have taught him three lessons so far and he is reading the Book of Mormon and praying. He is a little nervous to come to church right now but he told us once he knows this is true that he wants to be baptized! The way we found Newt was completely by God. We walked a different way then we usually do for no special reason and there he was! I know we were supposed to meet him and now he is so excited to learn about the restored gospel. We taught Jim one of his last new member lessons on his porch this week. We showed up and sat down in our usual seats and he gets up and says, "I'll be right back." Then he comes out with ice cream sundae glasses (the legit ones), filled with vanilla ice cream fudge and whip cream, peanuts, and even a cherry on top! He goes, "MEXICAN SUNDAES!" Haha I about died laughing and it was delicious! He told us that we are his granddaughters and so he is going to spoil us the way he spoils his own grandchildren. Jim definitely has been a highlight of my weeks serving in Seneca Falls. Sister Tipton and I have been working on cast training a lot this week. We are getting down to the wire! The days and weeks are flying by and they are only going to get faster once the pageant cast arrives on the 5th of July. Sister Tipton and I have been having so much fun these past few transfers and I am so glad we get to stay together for a third! She is now driving the van so I officially made it through my mission without being pulled over! Yeah! That is a good thing too... New York cops are s-n-e-a-k-y. We had a mini dance party in our drive way the other night (to efy music of course). It was so fun! And since we live in the middle of nowhere we don't get caught! Dance parties aren't against the rules.. they just aren't "missionary like". We show decorum all day long so when we get home, all of our quiet dignity goes out the window. It's great. Hmmm... I think that is all I have to say! I love you all very much and I hope Dad had a Happy Fathers Day! I sent him a little card so I hope he got it. Peace! -Sister Adams

Pictures

1. Sister Tipton and I underneath the original Grandin Building! "Shortsville" is what we call it. 2. Two baby owls we found on the Hill Cumorah with Bob. 3. One of Bob's favorite sitting rocks on the Hill. 4. Elder Howell and I. His son is sending us gloves and a ball to play catch on p-day! We're good buddies. 5. The Hargarther Family! Sealed together for eternity.

Rain rain rain

I have some really really REALLY happy news!  Okay so the Hargarther Family that I met when I served in Newark got sealed together as a family in the Palmyra Temple last Saturday!  I was not able to make it to the sealing of Brother and Sister Hargarther a few weeks ago so they told me I better be at the one where they were bringing their kids to be sealed to them.  So I did! I was able to work it out in our busy schedule to go!  I was so happy to be there. When the kids walked into the temple little Nick their son runs up to me and hugs me and says, "Sister Adam I missed you so much!  Guess what? I am five years old now!" Oh my gosh that just melted my heart.  Seeing their beautiful family all dressed in white to be sealed together was more wonderful than words can express.  They went through so much when I was with them in Newark... but because they endured and relied on the Lord they made it to the temple and are now a forever family :)

We've been getting so many bus tours at the historic sites it is insane!  Yesterday we had six buses at once here at the Whitmer Farm.  It will just get crazier and crazier until Pageant gets here and then after Pageant we will start to slow down again.  Cast training practice is going well so far.  It is kind of crazy because we are not authorized to have personal computers as missionaries.. but the Pageant presidency gives us one to take home so we can practice our slide shows and get them down for our trainings with the cast.  When we brought ours home our roommates came in and saw us with a computer in the house and were so confused haha.  Missionary life is so weird sometimes.  I think I am finally realizing just how different it will be when I am not a missionary... yikes.

It has been raining and raining all week long.  The cheetah print rain boots you sent me are getting a lot of attention.  Almost every tour I take at the sites comments on them!  But I love them a lot because they keep my feet dry. 

We had zone conference this week and of course that was good.  It was President and Sister Christianson's last zone conference and they cried so of course I cried right along with them.. I will miss them so much.  I swear my mission has turned me into a bawl baby... I GOT TO SEE LINDSAY!  She was my first convert baptism.  She is doing really well and we spent about an hour together at the Hill Cumorah talking and catching up.  She is home from college for the summer and she told me she would squirt the anti-mormon people at the Pageant (who yell in their megaphones false information about our church) with a super-soaker and then come sit with me to enjoy the spirit of the show.  Atta girl Linds.

Here is a scripture that I read that helped me this week.  It is 1 Nephi 21: 14-16.  This is the prophet Nephi quoting the prophet Isaiah. "But, behold, Zion hath said: The Lord hathforsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me—but he will show that he hath not. For can a^awoman forget her sucking child, that sheshould not have ^bcompassion on the son ofher womb? Yea, they may ^cforget, yet will Inot forget thee, O house of Israel. Behold, Ihave graven thee upon the ^apalms of myhands; thy walls are continually before me." 

We are never forgotten.  Sometimes we feel insignificant or that the Lord has too many other things to worry about and our struggles and our lives don't matter.  That is not true.. He is very aware of each and everyone of us.  He has graven us upon the palms of his hands.  So go to Him, trust Him, and follow Him. 

Love, Sister Adams

Where did the month of May go? Is time flying for you guys too?

Hey family! Can I just say... being a missionary is the funnest thing in the world! I love it so much. I can't get over how much I have been learning and all of the miracles I've seen. I have 2 transfers left and I decided instead of being sad this adventure is coming to a close, I am going to live it up and find joy in my journey. So for now I am pretending I am not anywhere near the end and I will just let the cold reality of my missionary service ending slap me in the face when I get there. Then I will make you, Mom and Dad, drag me out of here because I really don't want to leave this wonderful place. THAT is how much I have enjoyed my mission. This week Sisters Jones, Hawkes, and I presented our first training to the new cast trainers, Sisters Davis, Steel, and Tipton. It was a little rough and we have forgotten a lot over the past year, but as we practice I know we will be ready to go. I am so excited for this cast to arrive. Being a cast trainer is such a privilege and there are only six of us in the entire mission. We are the only missionaries who work directly with the pageant and sometimes I wonder how I got so lucky to be called to this special assignment. I feel more confident this year having been doing missionary work for a year now. Last year I was like, "Whhaaaat? You want me to teach these people how to do missionary work when I am just learning to do it myself?" But now I feel like I have a better hang of things and pray the Lord will help and guide us to adjust and make this year the best it can be for the people who are coming. We went on a Hill Cumorah Tour with Bob this week and it was so refreshing. Being so heavily involved with others salvation can be stressful. So when I get out in the open air and feel the Spirit at these sacred sites I feel like I can breathe again. Bob teaches us so much and has really profound insights that he shares. We also got to see two baby owls that were sitting on the walking path. Bob thought they must have gotten a little to confident and couldn't fly as far as they anticipated. They were so small and so cute! So that was fun. With all of the sites getting crazy and cast training meetings starting we don't have very much time in our proselyting area. It is really hard because sometimes we go a day or two (and sometimes three) without being in Seneca Falls. As we drive south through Waterloo to get back home to the Whitmer Farm, I find myself wanting to turn and go east to Seneca Falls just to check up on our area. We have so many people we are working with and not enough time to see them all. We were in a meeting and someone read this part of Preach My Gospel: "When you have faith in Jesus Christ, you trust the Lord enough to follow His commandments—even when you do not completely understand the reasons for them. You accomplish what the Lord wants you to accomplish." When I heard that it just hit me that I need to trust in the Lord more and develop more faith. I don't completely understand why He has called me to a visitors' center and to a proselyting area and to be a cast trainer. I do not fully understand why I was chosen to do this... but I know that I will execute everything he asks of me with stronger faith and diligence. I cannot worry about my area when I am clearly needed in two other places as well. I am only one person, one who has weaknesses and fears at times, but He knows that. That is why He wants me to have faith. So that His arm can be revealed. I know He watches over the people I work with and love when I am not in my area to be with them. So I shouldn't be worrying. And I know He carries me and strengthens me to do things I could not do on my own. I can feel that. Last thing are some lyrics to a song that Sister Rosemore showed to me the other day. She came upstairs into my room and said something to the point of "Sister Adams, this song reminds me of you because of that one time you told me about how much the mission changes you." I listened to the song and I think she was right. The song is called "I'm Changed" Sorry I don't know the artist. I see a difference I'm not the same, I'm so much better than yesterday. All I can do now, and all I am is so much better because of Him. Once I was blind, but now I see, once I was broken but He healed me. When reason was lost, hope still remained, and life is so beautiful, I'm changed... I see a difference I'm not the same, I see the world in a different way. And life is better than it's ever been cause I am trying to be more like Him. Once I was blind, but now I see, once I was broken but He healed me. When reason was lost, hope still remained, and life is so beautiful, I'm changed... I see a difference, I'm not the same, I've been forgiven of my mistakes, and all my weakness and all my sins. Whatever happens I will follow Him. This is exactly how I feel and I am grateful to my Savior for healing my heart and allowing me the opportunity to serve Him. I love you all very much! Hope your week is the greatest ever! Love, Sister Adams

This is from MAY 31st.

HELLO EVERYONE! Okay I'm just going to jump right in. Last Friday night we had dinner with Ambrose, one of our investigators at Magees Diner and of course I ate too much. I always do that! But the food was BOMB. Ambrose is the sweetest old man and we just love him so much. His grandkids all live in different states outside of NY so he likes to feed us. Mom and Dad you will get to meet him when you come! Saturday we worked at the Peter Whitmer Farm all day and it was BUSY. I love it like that. We didn't sit down from 9am -7pm. Just gave tours the whole time- it was great! I gave a tour to a family that Grandpa Pete home teaches in St. George! It was so fun to meet them and I took a picture with them to give to Grandma and Grandpa when they get home. I also took Elder Smith/ former Senator Smith of Washington State on tour with his wife. He is our area seventy now and it was fun to spend some time with them at this sacred site. We had a BBQ at the Seneca Lake Girls' Camp for Memorial Day weekend. The Breinholts and Millers made tons of food and we invited our investigators and less actives to come. It was a blast. Sara came and her and I laughed and laughed talking about the most random things but we had a good time. On the way home we were in Sister Brandon's car and we were inches away from hitting a deer! This was a huge deer... and it was scary. Sara was in the back seat with Sister Tipton and after the shock of the "almost accident" was gone she said, "Man, Heavenly Father is totally looking out for us." I think Sara was right. We got home safely. Monday was Dad's birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! You have a ghetto homemade card coming in the mail. But that day was one that was full of miracles for Sister Tipton and I. We had a lesson with our investigator, Kat, and she accepted our invitation to be baptized! She is so excited and the Spirit when we teach her is just such a sweet one. She has such a pure heart and I am excited to help her progress towards being baptized. You know, the more I think about it this is not about being "Mormon". This work is about receiving ordinances and making covenants through the proper priesthood authority and that authority is found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. OH! Guess who I got to see! Dustin and Lindsay my cousins! I had no idea they were coming and they called President Christianson and got permission to take us out to lunch! It was a blast being with them and seeing Jackson. He has grown so much! They are living in Brooklyn now so they drove out of the city to see the sites in western New York. It was a good time. After that we went to go see a less active woman named Jayme. She called us from someone else's phone because she doesn't have one and told us she wants help coming back to the Church. So she gave us her address and we have been trying so hard to contact her. So we dropped by her house and again she wasn't home... so we decided to walk around and talk with people because there were lots of people out on the streets for Memorial Day. (Just for your gee wiz collection: Waterloo is the birthplace of Memorial Day. So it is a big deal around here.) We ended up finding ourselves in an area with some benches talking to a veteran named Newt. He was such a great guy and we taught him the whole Restoration and gave him a Book of Mormon. We thanked him for his service to our country and as we were about to leave, this woman sits down on the bench next to us. We started talking with her and asked her what her name was and she said, "My name is Jayme." Sister Tipton and I asked her if she was the one that called us about a month ago and she said she was! I feel like we couldn't get her at home so Heavenly Father just picked her up and dropped her off right where we were so that we could find her! It was miracle! I know that the Lord leads us to people who are ready to receive the restored gospel, but he also leads them to us. There are no coincidences. God is in complete and total control and He is going to help us always. Well I am out of time dang it. You'll have to read the rest of our miracles in my journal sometime. But I love you all and hope you have a great week! Love, Sister Adams