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.

Another Week Has Flown By

Hello my family! This week went by so fast I can’t believe it. Sister
Earl and I got our flu shots. Mine left a huge bruise on my arm or
Sister Earl beats me I don’t know which haha. No I am kidding she is
an angel. Really she is, I love being her companion because she has a
corky sense of humor. Picture my friends Zoe and Carolyn in one
person and that is Sister Earl.

We went to see Bill and Beverly this week and taught them about the
temple. Beverly has been rockin’ the family history lately. She has
so many family names! Her and Bill will be going to the temple on
February 9th. They have asked Sister Earl and I to be baptized for
their sisters. We are very excited for that. They are both solid and
love coming to church, studying and praying together, and growing in
the gospel!

Jim is doing great! We had two lessons with him this week. We invited
him to be baptized but he is nervous to commit to a date because he
doesn’t feel ready. So Jim is praying to receive confirmation on his
baptismal date. Whatever he decides to do that is okay- I am just
glad he is taking this very seriously and knows the significance of
the ordinance of baptism and the covenants it entails. So many people
rush to get baptized and fall through the cracks and end up being less
active so I am glad Jim is so genuine about it. Every time we teach
him he does something funny when he greets us and the Yearsleys at the
door. This week he was wearing nice clothes and Homer Simpson
slippers. Jim cracks us up all the time. He is an amazing person so
we are just trying to help him feel that he is ready to be baptized.

We had a shift at the Whitmer Farm from 9 to 5 on Wednesday and then
site meeting at the Whitmer Farm there too so we were there ALL DAY
LONG. It was nice to see all the sisters in our mission though that
night. Sister Park is my friend from Korea and she and I dance
together- it’s pretty awesome. Usually it is salsa dancing or the
waltz but this week is was Michael Jackson moves. She even did the
Michael Jackson, “WOOOO!” once we got outside ahahaha. I love Sister
Park.
Thursday we went and had dinner at Mary’s house. We hadn’t seen her
in a while and were really worried about her but she is doing okay.
Just going through some hard things with her family and such. But we
shared a talk from conference with her and that really helped. She
made this really yummy shrimp pasta stuff and then we had our usual
desert with her… pumpkin ice cream. MMM!

We had interviews with President this week and that was really good.
He let me know that we have 10 sister missionaries coming in March and
from those he will determine who the cast trainers will be. So I will
either move in February to get into my new area and prepare to get a
trainee or I will be flush training in March! I asked President about
it and he said he has no idea what he will do. But that is okay! I am
just along for the ride! Whatever the Lord needs or asks of me I am
willing to do it.

This week we got permission to watch “Emma Smith My Story”. Sister
Earl ordered it online and it came to us in two days! So we watched it
for our less active and recent convert movie night. That movie is so
amazing… Emma Smith endured so much it’s insane. Anyone who bashes on
Emma needs to be kicked in the face because she was the epitome of
pressing forward with faith. I hope I can live up to be half the
woman she was.

Ambrose took us out to dinner with the Waterloo sisters this week. It
was fun! We went to Magee’s Diner. We all love that place- he is the
sweetest old man and we are like granddaughters to him. I just wish he
would read the Book of Mormon and get baptized! One day, one day. The
Searles are our site director and wife and they were working at the
Whitmer Farm that night so they came in and joined us at our table so
it was Ambrose and 4 sisters and a senior couple all around him haha.

Yesterday Sister Earl and I had some neat experiences of being at the
right place at the right time. We really were led by the Spirit to
know who needed us and when because we had no set appointments. One
of the people we visited actually said, “You sisters always have such
great timing. I don’t get it!” Haha it is the Spirit of the Lord! He
gets us to where He wants us and needs us to be. I love the feeling
of being an instrument in the hands of the Lord to do His work. I
love being a missionary! I never want it to end. I can’t believe I
am over half way over with my mission and I am turning 22 this week.
It’s weird. Well I love you all very much and pray for you each day.
XOXO

Love, Sister Adams

Hello my family!

I hope all is well in Mesa town! Everything here is good. It hasn't been too cold here mostly in the 30s and 40s again this week, but I guess this week it's going to drop to subzero temperatures... whoa yikes. (Bewitched) Elder Perkins in my district gave me an Arizona Highways calendar this week and it made me miss that promised land. Enjoy the warm sunshine for me this week. I have noticed that my hair is getting really dark lately. I think it is the lack of days the sun shines here. Plus if it even does decide to come out it never gets very high in the sky.

This week we went to go help a recent convert in our ward pack up some of his stuff so he can move and it was a disaster. He has SO MUCH STUFF. His house is falling apart... literally it is falling apart... he has fallen through his floor twice so we are trying to help him get out of there and his social worker is doing nothing at all to help. Craziness. So yeah that was fun. We ended up having our van full of stuff for Salvation Army. Then we had to trash some of his stuff but he doesn’t have trash pick-up so we called Ambrose. I don’t know if I told you about Ambrose yet… maybe I have. He is this older man who has been investigating for years and years (eternagator) but he just loves to feed and help the missionaries. So we called him and of course he comes to the rescue and we load up the back of his truck with trash so we can go dump it. I feel like we didn’t even put a dent in it either so we are going to recruit people to come help us next time because the elders and us can’t do it all. Afterward Sister Andrew in our ward had us over for hot chocolate. That was so nice because I thought my fingers were going to freeze off from working outside.

We’ve had some great lessons with Jim this week! And he has been to church three weeks in a row. He is progressing well and learning so much. He told us he knows it is all true :) Sister Earl and I are going to help him set a date to be baptized tomorrow and we are excited for him.

This week we had Rand Packer come to our mission. He is the author of “A Lion and a Lamb” and the grandson of Willard and Rebecca Bean. He did a presentation for our site meeting that was so cool! He showed us tons of pictures of the sites and Palmyra area from the early 1900s. I didn’t have my copy of the book with me and I was sad because I wanted him to sign it. Well yesterday after church we were working here at the Whitmer Farm and guess who came down to get a tour? …Brother and Sister Packer and their son! I got to take them on tour here at the Whit and it was such a cool experience. The Spirit here at the Whitmer Farm is so powerful I can’t get over it! And I live here! Brother Packer ended up signing my book before he left. YAY!

I went to the temple this week and it was so great. We went to be there for Brother House in our ward. He has been baptized a year and was so ready to go through. Sister Earl and I started teaching him temple prep but then the Breinholts took over because we just didn’t have time. So much work to do! It was such a neat experience to be there with the Fayette Ward and all the missionaries who taught him. We got to the temple early so we went walking in the Sacred Grove for a while. I sat down and did a little personal study there on a bench and it was a really profound experience for me. I love that I can go to the Sacred Grove to find peace and get answers… not very many people can do that so I feel very fortunate.

I know that what Joseph said happened in the Sacred Grove really did happen. I know it like I know my heart beats. I know that because of the sacred events that happened at these sites that the Church of Jesus Christ is on the earth in these last days and that the fullness of the gospel has been restored. I love that I get to teach these things to people and share my testimony so often. It’s all true!

Love, Sister Adams

Doin' The Work in the Mama Van

Helloooooo family! Thank you for the letters you have been sending me. I love it! They always make me laugh and I need to laugh here and there. Guess what!? I got to take three tours this week. So awesome. I forgot how much I love showing people around the historic sites. I can't wait for spring break time so that the sites pick back up. Yes, we still drive the van.. I don't know if I told you this but we named the van "Isabella" and when she gets feisty she is "Izzy". Haha the Waterloo sisters got a Chevy Cruz... sooo jealous. I love that car. But Sister Earl and I are super fly in the big mama van- as always.

This week Sister Earl and I have still been busy, we got to see almost everyone we needed too finally... now that we have Sister Raines and Sister Szuch in Waterloo our work load is possible and not as overwhelming. We prayed they would come here and I am definitely grateful the Lord answered that prayer. We went and saw Sister Woodward this week. She is this old lady who is in the Geneva hospital and she is a hoot and a half! We got there and she likes to be called "Sister Woody" and she told us, "I am grumpy today, no I am just sassy… no I am just mean." Haha she has therapy she hates and some medications that make her say funny things so she gave us a good laugh.

Pamela is a less active member we are working with and she is a sweetheart. She smokes and Sister Earl and I smell terrible when we get out of her appointments but she is now reading the Book of Mormon on her own. She feels now that God is trying to reach her and she wants to be closer to Him. I almost jumped for joy! I love it when people desire to do the right things, to be close to their Father in Heaven and then they DO something about it! So wonderful. We are still teaching Jim, would not suprise me if he gets baptized soon. He has been to church twice in a row now! And he stayed for all three meetings! Haha it was so funny because when we asked him if he was going to come to church this week he said he would come with bells on... well he shows up and Sister Earl and I go to shake his hand and he whips out this bell and starts to ring it! Haha we laughed so hard that he actually did it. Little do we know but President and Sister Christianson came through the back door of the building and were walking down the hall and saw him do it. Sister Christianson said, "Oh he must have told you he was coming with bells on!" haha they got a kick out of that. I was so happy to see President and Sister Christianson! They brought the new senior office sisters to church where the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized. Their names are Sister Harris and Sister Allred. Sister Harris is actually Sister Christianson's sister! It was fun to meet them too. President and Sister Christianson also got to meet Jim and Lea and Bill & Beverly! It was fun seeing him get to know the people we work with so often.

Lea is back to school is Olean... Sister Earl and I really didn't want to say goodbye but it was time for her to go back to her studies and get back in the swing of things. What is up with my recent converts leaving me for college!? Haha that's okay... Lea and I have such a bond it is hilarious. We both feel like we have known each other for so much longer than just a month or so. She will be back to Fayette Ward to visit often though she said so that's good.

So the guy who saved us from the snow filled ditch with the Breinholts... well remember how I told you the story on Skype how Sister Earl and I found him after we prayed? Well his name is Phil and he and his wife came to have dinner with us at the Seneca Lake Girls Camp last night! It was so cool! Sister Breinholt made a beautiful meal and they came and stayed for two hours. They are evangelical priests and so we asked them about their ministry and they asked about our missionary work and how our church is set up and the restoration and everything! They walked away each with a Book of Mormon, pamphlets, and a Mormon Tabernacle Choir CD. They told us they were excited to read it. So cool! At first I thought it would be a little awkward, but it wasn't at all! I loved the Spirit that filled the room when Sister Earl and I told them about the work that we do and why we left behind so much to come out here. I shared a spiritual thought with them and Phil got really teary eyed and could not stop talking about what I taught them from the scriptures. He said it was neat because it added onto the very thing he preached about in his church that morning. That was quite the experience and one I will never forget.

So that was pretty much my week! I am so happy and loving the work I do each and every day. I know that it is true and that is changes and improves lives. It is just amazing that as I do the Lord’s work to see how He is changing and improving me in the process. It has been hard at times, but the most rewarding thing is to see that change in others and that change in me. D&C 24: 7 “For thou shalt devote all thy service to Zion; and in this thou shalt have strength.”

I love you all mucho mucho mucho! Xoxoxox –Sister Adams

Transfers + PICTURES!!!!!!

Hi everyone! Transfers are tomorrow and guess what?! WE ARE GETTING ROOMMATES! Finally! Sister Earl and I have been in over our heads taking care of two areas. Sister Raines is flush training in Waterloo. We don't know which one of the new sisters she will be training, but she arrives to New York today! So exciting. New Years was awesome. We had a huge sisters sleep over here at the girls camp. I made a legit snowman and we tubed in the snow all day. It was a blast.

This week Sister Earl and I have been just holding our breath until Lea's baptism... So many things went wrong in her life this week. But we know that was just the adversary just trying to stop her. And he almost succeeded but Lea just plowed through like a champ. The baptism was wonderful. Even though Lea's family didn't come, the whole Masino Family was there. They traveled from Buffalo and Rochester to be there for her. I'm sure Elder Masino is so happy too. He had his first baptism the day his dad baptized Lea. We had a good turn out for her to let her know that she has a ward family. So many of the senior couples came from Palmyra too! We took Lea to all the historic sites in Palmyra the day before she was baptized and she met a bunch of them and they all wanted to be there. We had such a sweet experience with her in the Sacred Grove... it was amazing to get to take her around those sacred places to feel the power of the truthfulness of the events that occurred there. It was freezing cold though. We were trekking in the 2 feet of snow at the Smith Farm... it looked like the arctic and the snow drifts from the wind were brutal. But that didn't matter because we still had a special spiritual experience. Lea's baptism was beautiful. She went through so much to be baptized and she was so strong. God has great things in store for her and her posterity.

Good news! Our other investigator Jim, who is afraid to come to church (or any church function really) came to Lea's baptism!!!! I was so glad. Then at the end of the baptism he told us that he wanted to see the other half of the story so he CAME TO CHURCH to see Lea's confirmation. AHHH! yeah.. I can't even tell you how full of eternal joy my heart was. My heart was just pounding and tears running down my cheeks. Elder Breinholt did the confirmation and the blessings that were pronounced upon her head were amazing. I am just so full of gratitude that I get to be a missionary-- to be a part of and witness Heavenly Father's children turn back to Him, repent, and receive ordinances and make covenants with Him. It is just a beautiful thing! The Gospel of Jesus Christ is true! I know it.

I finished the Book of Mormon and so now I am reading through the New Testament. Yesterday I was reading in Matthew chapter 8 and of all the miracles Christ performs to heal these people. As I read the story of the leper who is healed at the beginning of the chapter my mind kept drawing the parallel between the story and repentance. Are we not all lepers? Do we not all need cleansing from the Savior? All of the many miracles He performed during His ministry were a type for what He still continues to do for us today through His Atonement. Through Jesus Christ we can be cleansed from our sins. We can have our hearts healed. We can forgive others and forgive ourselves and know that everything will be okay. We can be spiritually "raised from the dead." We can cast our all doubt and fear and have faith in our future. I could go on and on! Just like Christ did for the leper, if we come to Him and show Him our faith in Him, he will say to each and every one of us, "I will; be thou clean." (Matt 8: 2-3)

I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real... everything that we can't make right ourselves will be made right through the atonement. "I do know that Christ shall come (has come) among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall (did) atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it." (Alma 34:8) "And I would not that ye think that I know of myself--not of the temporal but of the spiritual, not of the carnal mind but of God." ( Alma 36:4) This is my testimony.

I love you all very much. You are the best family in the world. You lift me up when I am down and you make me laugh right when I need it. Thank you for being perfect for me :) Heavenly Father sent me to the right place :)

Love, Sister Adams


Christmas corner: like my roaring fire I drew?

In the ditch

Sideways in the ditch

Our devotional in the Log Home at the Whitmer Farm on Christmas Eve with the Yearsleys

Opening Christmas! Slippers and mangos, yes!!

My cute pj's that I love so much.

My cute new necklace that I wear every day!

Christmas Morning Snow

Girls Camp House!

The Breinholts at the Seneca Lake Girls Camp

Sister Missionary's New Year's party - tubing train!

At the Smith Farm with Lea!

Book of Mormon publication site

Crazy weird sisters on the Hill Cumorah!

Lea's baptism! With Brother Masino!