Happy New Year!! December 28, 2015

Dear Family and Friends!

I hope you all had a great Christmas! It was one of my favorites! Talking to you all was great and I loved it! It was great to see all your lovely faces!! Such a blessing! :) 

So just to summarized this last week a bit. We recieved a lovely gift from one of our recent converts in our ward! They are from the Chuk Islands. (don't know how to spell it). She sewed us pillow cases and dresses that we wore at church! I felt like a sister in Hawaii for a day wearing it :) it was awesome! The Sams are older and have very little, but almost every time we go over there they give us something! And she was slaving away trying to make gifts for people in the ward. They are great and I will send a picture! 

We were able to find a part member family in the boonie part of our area! She is wanting to come back to church and cried during our simple lesson with her. It was just another testament to me that when people become inactive, they miss it. They may be happy and doing ok, but they know something is missing. The gospel really does fill holes we don't even know were there. It fills us with such peace and knowledge. So after our visit, we drove away on the ice roads in our dumb little car (which the kind of car we drive still escapes me). Sister Adamson may have been driving a bit too fast and drove into a snow bank.. we were so deep in it that I couldn't get out the driver's side... Whoops.. So there was only one house within a mile from where we were. So we got out and ran there! It was a nice young man that owns a farm, but her husband wasn't home. So she warmed up her huge Ford truck and tied some kind of scout knot and pulled our car out. It was amazing. The Lord takes care of his missionaries that's for sure! I also learned I need to learn how to tie knots like a scout does.. but that will be for a later time I suppose.. haha :) 

So we did lots of caroling and dropping of gifts to potential investigators, recent converts, and less actives! It was fun to see how happy people got after we gave them something so simple! It was really a happy time :) I love the feeling of giving! I felt that a lot this Christmas! So it was great!! 

So after we went to normal life, we contacted a media referral we got named Judy. It went something like this. She had a Target name tag on with the name Judy on it. We asked if she was Judy and she said no. I said, "Do you work at Target?" And she, "Yes" I said, "Oh well your name tag says Judy," And she said, "Oh well I had to borrow a tag," LIKELY STORY!!!! It was so funny. Sister M and I have a thing now where we go oh Judy from target. It makes us happy :) Haha But this week was great!! We are both staying here until February and both are STLs here. So that will be fun!! :) Well love you all!! Happy New Year!!

Love,

Sister Adamson

Christmas Pictures!!

Spokane Falls!

Christmas tree with pictures and the handprints of Harper and Ryder

New Convert Kara

Merry Christmas! December 22, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

Well it has been an interesting week. Lots of blessings and hard things. I will always agree with the statement that a mission is the worst best thing you could do to yourself. With the passing of my Grandpa yesterday I have learned a lot about the healing of service. We missed a call from our Mission President and I knew what that meant.. So we pulled over in the blizzard we were having and called him back. He was so sweet about it and we took a little bit to cry before our next appointment. At that appointment and all the others we had that night, I didn't think about it once. I was just focusing on the people and making them happy. It didn't hit me until later that night after our day was over. I will miss him so so much, and it will be weird without him there when I get back, but I know I'm closer to him now then when he was alive. Its not easy being away from you all at this time, but I know this is where gramps wants me to be. Like my mom said to me, now he is just serving alongside me now! So that will help give me strength. I feel so much better when I focus on others and their struggles rather than my own. I'm not perfect at it, but I have felt the difference of it.

I also had a lesson this week about how when you are in a rut, the only way to get out of it is to work. Sister M and I had an awesome start to the week. Then it all went capoie. We went on exchanges and when we came back, we lost our grove. We had a few hard days. Tracted a TON. Met some nice and not so nice people. We were getting frustrated about how slow the work was moving along. We were talking about things we could do to change it and make it better and work smarter. We had a few ideas, but then just went out and worked. We had a few little miracles with some less actives on our ward list that we had no idea who they were and had awesome conversations with people. At the end of the day we felt so much better about what we were able to do. As long as we are trying and working (doing our part) Heavenly Father will bless us. Whether its with baptisms or our personal growth. 

I love this time of year and am so happy to be a missionary now! Its sad when we see all the many people who celebrate Christmas and don't even believe in Christ. Its been mind-blowing! So always keep the real meaning behind it. I know Christ, our Savior, was born for us. I know He loves us and has experienced all our pain and struggles. I know that He personally knows each and everyone of us. My testimony of this grows each day. So Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy your families and the true spirit behind it all! 

I just got back from the temple! While I was praying for comfort in the celestial room, I was trying to focus and think about grandpa and grandma. I was trying to picture them there with me! I was comforted to feel and picture how they were reunited in heaven. I know that they are so happy to be together again. I'm so grateful for the knowledge we have of eternal families and what it means to all of us. I love the temple so so much! 

Manito is good! We are getting ourselves around here a lot better and the ward here is amazing. I've never felt so much love so fast! I can't wait to talk to you soon!! Be safe!! 

Love,

Sister Adamson

Manito :) December 14, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been one of the hardest of my mission, but I have grown and learned a lot. The teaching pool we have here is super small, but Spokane is one of the highest baptizing areas in the mission. They just baptized a few people before I got here so that's what they were focusing on. So we are starting at ground zero. So its been a lot of tracting street contacting and having fun getting lost over and over again! I often think to myself, what is a girl from Utah and Ukraine doing driving around with our heads cut off! But its fun!! We were able to find a few people this week, but they aren't too solid yet so we will see!!

We had a training from our mission president this week about planning and goal setting--story of a missionary's life! But it really pumped us up to fix everything is this area. So we went back home, rearranged our apartment and began to fix the area book. We have lots of work to do, but we learn something new every day! 

We have an awesome ward here! I already feel apart of their family! Its cool how no matter where you go, there are awesome members of the church. I can't imagine how hard it was to pick just a few stories to fit into the Meet the Mormons movie. So i'm so grateful for that. I have also grown a big appreciation for fasting and prayer. I of course was having a hard time this week, and was brought to my knees. I was getting too comfortable in Moscow and as a result I got booted out of there! So missions keep you on your toes!! 

We saw a few little miracles this week with some less actives and inactives. We found a single mom with five kids. She is divorced and has been inactive for years because of questions that she has had that she could never find answers too. While we were they you could tell she wanted to come back and raise her daughters in the church. None of them have been baptized and it would be amazing to bring them into the church!! The spirit was so strong during the lesson and we testified of God's love for her and her family. It brought tears to her eyes. It's amazing what the gospel and God's love can do for everyone of us! Sometimes thats all we need to know. That we are loved by God. So this Christmas season, find opportunities to show God's love to others. We all need it. So i'm excited to see where she will go. 

Our areas covers downtown Spokane, to the boonies of farm land. So this week we went out to Spangle, WA and got lost there. Haha missions are fun. We didn't find anyone out there to teach from us tracting the whole town. haha It was a tiny place. So the mission keeps us on our toes! Hopefully this email made sense. Missionaries are surrounding this Family History Center and making it hard to focus.. haha so have a good week! Love you all!!!  

Love,

Sister Adamson

Holy Cow! December 7, 2015

So uh.. Sister Adamson is no longer in Moscow..

We got the call late Friday night that I was leaving and Sister Bryson was going to be a trio in the family ward. We were bawling... So that was insane. We had to pack and be out Saturday at 2. Two other sisters in our zone left as well. Its because we are all university and the work is really slow during the holidays. And I took a sister's spot here that was going home. So now I'm in Spokane in the ghetto/super rich area and my new companion is an outbound temple square--Sister Makovei! She's from Ukraine and absolutely adorable and super excited to be here! She will be here until February! So make sure and go see her while she is there! We found out that we were in the MTC at the same time, but had no idea! So that's cool!

So a little more about where I am now. I was able to got the ward yesterday and the ward is awesome! I got to bare my testimony and I think the ward really liked that being my first time there and all! But can I tell you.. We have the weirdest combination of people here. Part of our area is super nice and rich and we have a few ghetto areas that we can't go at night.. and lots of our ward is rich and super put-together people, then we have some hipsters that have the pink-gray hair look, and then some really poor people. Its been interesting. And it smells like marijuana quite often. I don't quite know how to process the information. 

Leaving Moscow was rough. I had to say goodbye to Kara.. She said when we told her she cried for an hour.. But when we said by to her, she bought us yummy drinks and pound cake at Starbucks! It was the cutest thing. I'm going to miss her a lot.. Its also really sad to leave Sister Bryson.. urgg.. She's my baby.. She is the sweetest, most genuine person I have ever met. So its sad, but I know everything happens for a reason! 

Before I left I was able to go on an exchange with a sister in our zone thats had a hard time adjusting to the mission. It was AMAZING! We were able to talk about her struggles and she opened up during one of our lessons and she told us about some hard things she has gone through. I feel like such a weakling sometimes because my life has been so easy I feel like. Even Sister Makovei. Her dad died when she was 2, then she joined the church when she was 16 and sacrificed so much for her mission. I can learn a lot from people like this! :) So I'm grateful for that!! Well that's about all the time I have left today.. I love you all! And keep me in your prayers PLEASE! This has been a crazy few days and I haven't quite recovered yet. Hopefully this email kind of made sense.. hahah. Oh and If you want to send me anything for Christmas, just send it to the mission home for now! I don't have my new address yet!

Happy Happy Frozen Fog!! November 30, 2015

Dear Family and Friends!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! I just want to say how much I have learned about gratitude on my mission! Months ago when I was having a hard time I started writing my gratitude journal every morning, and it always amazed me how many things I had to be grateful for. That has changed my thinking and no matter what is happening, I always have something to be thankful for. I'm so grateful for that lesson, and I know that way of thinking will bless me later on and help me be happy NOW rather than waiting for a future point in order to be happy. Wow that was a tangent.. anyways on Thanksgiving we got to go to some members for dinner and it was great! They have a little boy that reminds me soo much of Ryder! So that was a little mercy :) a bit of home away from home!! Oh and then after we had our early dinner... Sister Adamson went on a 4 mile run while Sister Bryson biked alongside :) (Because that was apart of our approved holiday activity list) It was awesome :) I LOVE RUNNING!! :) whoot! 

So we University peeps made it through the first set of holidays! The campus was more empty than it was in the summer! Almost no cars and no movement.. So we had to be pretty creative in order to be productive and not discourage us! For example we went out to the community and Moscow and raked random people's yards. We prayed before we left to be led to someone who needed that service and boy were we! We ended up (miraculously I might add) at a disabled ladies house and raked 10 bags of leaves from her small front yard, we then shared with her the Christmas video that the church has out now! :) It was awesome! We are truly led by the spirit to help those in need!

Other than that, we had a few lessons. We were at the institute at a meeting and someone comes in and tells Sister Bryson and I that some girls are waiting for us outside. So we went to see who it was and it was our friends from Nepal! We weren't able to get a hold of them, but they just showed up! So we taught them the Restoration and they both loved it! They couldn't believe that we could pray to God AND get answers! It was a great lesson, but then they dropped of the face of the earth again. But I know we will find them again soon! 

We had a lesson with our ward mission leader and his family and we shared the Restoration. Its my favorite message to share with members! While I was reciting the first vision, Brother and Sister Johnson started crying. Man I love it when that happens! They bore such strong testimonies about the restoration and we all were just pumped for missionary work again!! I love it when people just really feel that the gospel is true! We are not converted by what we know, we are converted by how we feel! :) 

So I went on my first exchange as an STL! It was fun! I went to Pullman to be with Sister Rogers! It was on Saturday and man was it DEAD! To bring in the title of the email there was so much fog and frost EVERYWHERE! It looked like it snowed, but it was just frost from the freezing fog! So that was something I have never experienced! The good old northwest though! All and all things are good here :) thank you for everything and all the support. Oh and by the way you better put me on the list of holiday greeting cards! :) I want to see all your faces!! Happy December tomorrow!! :) 

Oh the Holidays!! November 23, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

So this week was FULL of finding and looking for new people to teach. Campus is less busy so we have been knocking on apartment doors all the day long! Its been fun! I've noticed my increased faith in finding people. I'm much more bold and proud of the message we share, and if they don't except, I keep on going. So that's been cool to see my growth that way. We had an experience this week where we were thinking about which apartment complexes to tract out. One came to mind that we haven't been to in awhile so we went. A few unanswered doors later these people from Nepal opened theirs and we have met them a few times before just on campus. So they let us right in. She said that she hasn't been raised to believe in God but she's been thinking about it a lot lately. So it was quite timely that we showed up. That Spirit. Such a tricky fella. Its cool to have experiences that show me each that this is NOT our work its the Lord's. So we will see what happens with Simran this week :) 

Also Kara is doing soo great! Her BOM is so loaded with highlights and markings!! Man I love it! :) Thats what missionary work is all about! I love seeing the growth and change in people when they let the gospel in. She is so much happier and smiles so much more. Its not that her circumstances has changed, but her attitude and ability to handle life has changed. The gospel truly is what we need and be truly happy. Its won't change our situation, but it will give us the ability to change it ourselves! 

Guess who got transferred to Pullman WA? SISTER MILLS! I was able to see her this week and man was I pumped! So good to serve around her again! I've missed my Mills!  So I'm grateful for that! I was able to go to Spokane this week for the new leadership meeting and since I was the only new STL, I got to spend about an hour and a half with just me and President and Sister Dymock! The best ever! :) I'm so blessed to be here at this time with them being here! They are such good examples of service and living the gospel. So I learned a lot from them! 

So this week was pretty standard. I know I've said this a million times before, but I LOVE this ward. I've watched this ward go from all these new families coming in, knowing no one to supporting, serving and loving each other. On Sunday we were talking with our bishop and before he gave us assignments for this week, he just went through the ward list and started saying ways that us sisters have impacted that family. It brought Sister Bryson and I to tears. Every time he brought up a new member I would instinctively say, "Oh I love them!" My heart has been so opened to befriend so many people that are different from me. So I'm so grateful for that. Missions are great! I wish I could share more about this with you.. but dang email.. haha can never say enough of the things I'm learning and experiencing! This week will be interesting because school is out, but we will be creative and productive with our efforts in bringing people closer to Christ! :) Also the church is coming out with a video for Christmas on the 29th! I (having missionary VIP access) have already seen it and its so good! So watch it and share it with friends :) Love you all! Have a Happy Thanksgiving! :) 

--

Love,

Sister Adamson

Baptism and Moscow :) November 16, 2015

Dear Family and Friends!

So this week was awesome! It was really long though! I feel like I haven't emailed in a month. So to fill you all in on the wondrous happenings of this last week we will start with the lovely opportunity I had to go to dinner in a sorority house on campus. We were on exchanges and the sisters teach a less active that lives there. So I got to go in! Man.. I would not want to live in one of those! So loud and so much going on! Peace and quiet does NOT exist so that's not ok. So that's was interesting! 

Next I learned more about not judging people. (Something that I constantly need help with) There is a sister I have been serving around for these last two transfers and I always think she's judging me, or thinks she's better, or is a know-it-all. Things like that. But I was able to work with her this week, and man.. I'm always so wrong. She't just one of those people that makes you feel good when you talk to her. Being with her at that time was exactly what I needed. I don't know how many times I'm going to have to learn that lesson, but good thing Heavenly Father is patient! 

Kara got baptized this week! :) It was so good! Her testimony at the end was the best :) I'm just so happy that I was able to teach her and help her grow in the gospel! She know's that God loves her and wants her to be happy. She knows that Book of Mormon is true and is reading it and loves it! Its so cool! So she went from pagan to a Mormon :) That's what I'm talking about :) Her baptism was everything I could have asked for! I thought that when I had a baptism that I would feel successful, and I do, but I realized that talking to people on the streets, inviting them to learn more, teaching the restoration, trying my best every day, and being proud of the effort I put in that day makes me feel successful. As long as we do our best, we are successful. So that was cool to learn :) 

We also had the primary program this last Sunday. We have a whole eight kids in our primary and the oldest is six! A part-member family had two kids in it and the mom was speaking as well so the dad came to church to watch his family. It was soo cool to see his face while watching his kids sing I Am a Child of God and quote scriptures. It was probably one of the best primary programs I have ever seen! I was crying of laughter and happiness :) It was great :) Its amazing to see the power kids have :) Brother Pearson will be baptized soon :) I don't know if its when I'll be here, but he will :) 

So as a result of our transfers, I'm staying with Sister Bryson in Moscow! I'll be here for six months! :) Whoot whoot! So that's cool! I'm also the new Sister Training Leader in my zone. So yay.. haha more responsibility! But I'm excited to learn more and to grow! :) I'll be super busy because We have three sets of Sisters in our zone so I have to go on an exchanged with each one of them in six weeks.. so I'll be busy! I'm very excited! So not too surprised we were staying! Our bishop may have called our mission president a few times to put in his two cents on the subject! :) He's the best bishop ever and I'm so thankful that I'm able to work with him! 

So life is good in Moscow! This next transfer will be interesting because of all the school breaks and no one being here, but all will work out :) thank you all for all the support and love! :) Love you all! :) 

Love,

Sister Adamson

Hello All!! November 9, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

So this week was just stupendous. As always. So it was the first snow of the winter.. ahh!! Its here! And the sun sets at like four.. so ya.. thats super fun for missionary work :) haha but tis life!! 

So this week we had a lesson with Danny and Shadrach again. Taught the first part of the Plan of Salvation. It went pretty well, but right at the end Shad was like well still you believe in a different Jesus.. and you believe you can earn your way to heaven. So he has lots of things to work through. We are going to refocus on the Book of Mormon and hopefully as he reads, his issues will be resolved. We went to a bible study of theirs at their church members house. It was super fun! I feel like the people there really respected us and I commented as much as I could! So hopefully we will be able to go there each week with them! 

Kara is still doing well and is set to be baptized this Saturday! So hopefully all goes well this week! :) AHHH!! WHOOT WHOOT! So I'm excited for that! Also our bishop sent us over to an inactive family in one of the family wards here. So we went over and he and his kids let us in. We talked for awhile about his history in the church and why his family doesn't come anymore. It was a really good talk, he feels like he never had a testimony of the church. He even served a full-time mission and has never felt the spirit testify to him. Apparently the missionaries in that ward have given up on his family. So bishop has tasked us to try and get them back! So we will stop by this week and see how it goes. 

So Finn and Daya are gone! When Finn left he asked us for our contact info so they can invite us when/if they get baptized. But he paused before the if.. so really he went when.. haha :) so we will see about them :) I have high hopes :)

Also our transfers are this week.. yikes. Our bishop has put in his order to the mission president to keep us here, but at the same time I feel like I'm done here. But we shall see. The next transfer here would be hard because of the Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. But you never know! I really would love to stay as well. Moscow has really grown on me! And Sister Bryson is a cutie. So we will see! Wish me luck :) Love you all!! :) 

WHOOOOO!!! November 2, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was awesome!! I loved every bit of it! We found new investigators named Tali and Garrett! They are super Christian, but are willing to listen! They invited us over to lunch yesterday and we brought members and had chili! They are great! So we hope to see them again this week and begin teaching them all the lessons. They are like Danny and Shadrack and are very faithful and not ready yet to change all their beliefs. But I'm confident that the more we teach them, and the more they read the Book of Mormon, they will have that desire to change. So we are excited to work with both these couples!! 

Another amazing thing that happened this week was Kara (the former pagan) is on date to be baptized on November 14th!! WHOOOO!! I tell you WHOOOO!! She has grown and changed so much these past few weeks! She is praying to God, she loves what she reads in the Book of Mormon, and she goes to church and loves it. So we have lots to still teach her and lots to plan! So we will keep praying that all goes well for her! 

Also remember Greg? The sports psychologist that loves us? So he got us a package and dropped it off at the institute and it was full of food!! It was sooo heavy!! So Sister Bryson and I are set for food for awhile! He also left funny notes for us! I'll send you pictures of what he said! He is great! :) 

So this is Finn and Daya's last week here! We had members give them notes with their goodbye's and testimonies in them. We will miss them so much! But we know they will be members when they are ready. They grew so much these past 3 months I was able to work with them. I'm excited to stay in contact with them when I get home from my mission. I'll send you pictures of them as well!

I just want to say how much I love this ward. I feel like I love it so much more than Sandpoint. That's saying something. The members here are so good at fellow-shipping and reaching out to us and those that need it. We had a Halloween trunk or treat and how the ward came together for that was great! We also had several non-member families there that the ward invited! We have transfers in about two weeks and I'm internally struggling.. haha Moscow and the U of I have been really hard, but I fell such a connection to this place and all the people I met here. So I don't know what to think! I just have loved the time I have been able to spend here! :) Love you all!

-- 

Love,

Sister Adamson

PS We had fun on Halloween after we were done for the day :) We made videos of us dancing in the dark with flashlights! :) You will have to wait until I send a flash drive home to see it though :) Be ready :) haha 

Moscow Idaho!! October 26, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

I hope you all know it still hits me randomly and A) I'm even on a mission in the first place and B) that I'm serving in Moscow, Idaho of all places. You just never know where life takes you!! 

So this week we went to Shadrack and Danny's with some members and went over the Restoration again. They have lots of questions and concerns, but they LOVE having us over. They are really motivating me to learn the scriptures better so I can help answer their questions. We won't be able to meet with them this week because they are really busy, but I'll let you know what happens with them!! Next we have the cutest Asian award--Emma. She is married and has a little girl. She has been interested the church since they lived in Salt Lake a few years ago. She has been coming to activities and even church on and off for awhile! But she never has wanted us to teach her, but she asked us to come over this week! So we did and taught her the Restoration! Well see how she progresses. It takes her awhile to learn since she doesn't know English that well still. But she is just the sweetest lady!

We had a day this week were we did not leave the Institute building on campus because we were teaching so much! We taught Kara (she came to a baptism this week and is more open to the idea of being baptized herself) the gospel of Jesus Christ and she came to church this week again! So she is progressing really well! We also taught a few others who we will pass off to the elders to teach since they are YSA peeps. I love the spirit I am able to feel when I teach people about the truths of the gospel! 

Remember Greg from last week? Well when we were at the farmers market he saw and and said, "What is the best way to get a package to you?" I was like uh.. drop it off at the institute?? Haha so it will be interesting to see what my BFF Greg gets us. Haha I'm convinced that I have been sent to Moscow to soften Greg's heart. He gave me his email so I can ask him career advice and such when I get home. 

It was also U of I's homecoming week this week! We heard that U of I won their game this weekend so its like their third win of the season so far! So yay! They had fireworks and a parade and marching band doing a serpentine around campus. So it was cool. We were also in the same sandwich shop of the U of I homecoming queen. Can you say we were star-struck??? Just kidding we really weren't. I love how the gospel really puts life into perspective. Are we really doing the things that matter most each day? Or are we merely surviving and getting by? That thought really struck me this week. I'm so grateful for the gospel and I love being a missionary for this church. It really has blessed me and will continue to bless the rest of my life! Love you all!

Love,

Sister Adamson

Moscow Life October 19, 2015

Dear Family and Friends!

So this week was awesome! It started out with the funniest and greatest street contact rejections ever! We seriously went through like 15 people right in a row that wouldn't even say hi. Sister Bryson and I called that part of campus Engineering Death Valley because thats where all the engineering classes are! Those kind of things just make me laugh. But sometimes it can be a little rough! But tis a life of a missionary! 

We got some referrals from our bishop this week! Six out of the seven said NO no! But the last one we tried let us right it! And guess what?? They are married students! They actually fit the criteria of our ward! Its a miracle! So his name is Shadrack and her's is Danny. Isn't that an awesome name?? But they are super Christian and have TONS of questions! We taught them the restoration right there! They are by no means golden, but its going to be fun working with them! They have lots of potential! So we will see how it goes with them this week!! 

Finn and Daya are doing well! They are still moving in about two weeks :( But we have really built a bond with them and their little boy Sam. I'm going to miss them. The spirit that we feel when we go teach them and their comments during lessons really have helped me build so much love for them! I know they will be baptized. Just a matter of Finn committing to it. But I'm looking forward to keeping in contact with them when I get home! I just love them!!! Daya also teaches us yoga on Mondays :) so its fun!!

Also we had a really great lesson about the restoration with a guy named Zechariah! He's "atheist" but mostly because he is too lazy and defiant to believe in God. We find that a lot on campus. Most people grew up Christian, but don't even believe in God anymore! Thats why it's so important to teach the gospel in your home and live it each day!! This world is nuts. But we will see if Zechariah progresses. He's missing a lot of desire right now!

So we did something that Sister Adamson just loves this week.. Biking in skirts.. We were going every where in Moscow! It was fun! Sister Bryson didn't like it.. Because she's not the most athletic. We are working on her touching her toes. So if any progress is made I'll be sure to inform you!!

So another awesome thing happened! There is this guy named Greg. He's probably in his early 40s and works as a sports psychologist on campus. I met him my first few weeks here in Moscow and we talked to him for about 15-20 minutes. He wasn't super interested, but he has some Mormon friends in southern Idaho. We got along really well because of my sports background. We saw him again a few weeks ago and just said hi and he met Sister Bryson. We saw him again this week and he was chatting our ears off for about 45 minutes on campus. We were laughing and he said how he always sees missionaries and NEVER will speak to them, but he speaks to us! Him and I get along super well. I love finding people that I can make good connections with! He is one of them! He was talking with us about how we could get a better reputation on campus. He had this idea that the should tour us through the Kibbie Dome (which in just the athletic center). So we walked us through there, we met the volleyball team, the football team. Sister Adamson was in heaven!! Seeing all the athletic stuff again really made me miss soccer.. but it was super cool and we were able to met a lot of people on campus and start planting more seeds! It was awesome!! So we were very blessed this week! The work here is Moscow is picking up! :) Its fun to see how hard work really starts making a difference! I love you all!! have a great week :) 

Love,
Sister Adamson

You Never Know October 12, 2015

Hello Dearest Family and Friends!!

This week was just delightful! Another week on the U of I campus! I love this place, but at the same time missionary work in HARD here!! But I'm excited for another few more weeks here! I'm really loving the ward and Moscow in general. It was hard coming from celestial Sandpoint to here.. but now I love Moscow and all the amazing people I've met! Sister Bryson and I just talk to people all the day long and keep each other motivated and pumped to talk to dozens of people every day! The rejection gets hard, but you really do learn to love the little moments. I think that's one thing my mission is teaching me. Just to be grateful and be positive when life isn't going like planned. Which is often! 

So this was the week! We had a great lesson with the Carmacks about repentance. I love how the more I teach people, the more I learn myself! The Lord is cool how he set things up. He knows much he does. The Carmacks are coming back to church slowly but surely. They have made some mistakes in the past, but are ready to start changing and coming back! Its exciting to see how the gospel motivates people to change. 

Speaking of change, Kara (the YSA we have been teaching) who when we found her was an acclaimed pagan in now praying to God! And came to the two sessions of stake conference! She is making friends with the YSA and we are really working with her to be able to feel God's love for her! Its really cool to see how much happier she is becoming!! We also met a few crazies this week, hence the double application for the "You Never Know" title. This guy, named William, is a guy we street contacted at campus. Turns out he has met with missionaries a few times, but just has some problems with little things that prevent him from being baptized. But he does love the church, and severely dislikes other ones. So I asked him, if he were to be baptized in a church, which one would he chose. And i quote, "The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monsters." So yep. apparently thats a thing now. Man this world is NUTS!!!!

So this week the spirit was a little sneak! We planned to read Alma 34 with Finn and Daya this week, but before we even started he saw something in the italic section that he had a question about. So we went on a little side rout to the original plan, asked some inspired questions (its a missionary thing) and found out that after over a year and a half of investigating the church, Finn has never prayed to ask God if Joseph Smith was a prophet! Like what the noodle?? Excuse my slang. So we taught the restoration instead and committed him to do so. A few days later we stopped by and he did it! Now he believes Joseph Smith was a prophet. He just has commitment issues. Both with marriage and baptism. When we asked him about baptism, he said he believes he is getting closer. So we'll see. We keep telling them that they can't move to California.. But we know its best for them. And they will join the church soon. Of that I have no doubt! 

Also our bishop is the best ever and has a pumpkin patch up at his house so he has the whole ward come up! I love love love this ward! They are becoming my family now :) Its taken a bit for me to get used to, but I love it :) Also my PONDERIZE scripture for the week is Matt 18:4. Be humble and like little Ryder. :) I hope you know how much of an angel Ryder is!! The kids here make me want to pull my hair out sometimes.. haha. Well i love you all!! :) Also small challenge: please write to me a time where you have been blessed for keeping a commandment! Any commandment! I would love to hear :) Have a great week! 

--

Love,

Sister Adamson

Huge Changes! October 5, 2015

Dear family and friends,

So hello again!! So Conference was amazing!! I loved it so so much!! So much revelation and awesomeness! So I hope you all enjoyed it and if you didn't watch it you better :) It was good :) While watching I felt inspired to write and letter to myself and a few things that I didn't want to forget that I wanted to change and accomplish when I get home! So I did and I'll read it in about nine months from now! Crazy I'm almost halfway! I still feel so new! 

Transfer results... I'm staying in Moscow with Sister Bryson! I finally get to keep a companion for more than one transfer.. haha its only my second time doing so! I swear.. I'm not that bad most of the time!! But I knew I would stay and I'm excited for it! I love the people here and I wasn't quite ready to leave it! 

So this week we had a meeting in Spokane and almost half the mission was there. They told us it was for Ipads because the guy who gives them to missions was there. But they tricked us.. he was there, but no Ipads.. We don't know when we will get them! But it was an awesome meeting! President Dymock is so inspired and dedicated to the work. He is making some amazing changes to the mission. He wants us to focus on the things that matter most. Our mission has strayed a little bit and little distractions that keep us from whats most important. I have such an increased desire for missionary work! The next day while we were out working, I was probably the happiest Sister Missionary in the world! Remember a few weeks ago when I was struggling to find my individual purpose on my mission? Well I'm finding for real this time. I feel myself becoming more converted to missionary work. Especially in the last few days! I love how Heavenly Father can change and soften our hearts! We just need to be willing to change!!

So I just wanted to say how amazing the scriptures are. I know you have heard this a million times from missionaries, but I'm really so grateful for this opportunity I have to study the scriptures and nothing else. They fill me with joy and knowledge that is so much greater than ANYTHING the world could ever offer. I know the world is crazy and it scares me. Some members told us about the shooting in Oregon. Not cool. But I know that if we trust in God we need not fear. I love this work and I love this gospel. I wish everyone would realize the truths and true happiness that lies within it! Well that was my week :) 

Another Week in Moscow! September 28, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was good! Went by so so fast!! Like they always do! So sad news first.. Finn and Daya are moving to California in a few weeks.. bummer huh? But I have no doubt that they will join the church in their lives! They have grown so much in the gospel and their knowledge of our Savior. So no matter where they end up, they will get married and baptized! I sure will miss them though! 

We have a few other investigators that are going well. All for the YSA though! Max is really progressing! He is praying and reading the BOM. Its awesome! Still hasn't come to church yet, but he will soon! We also have the pagan Kara! We gave her a BOM and meet with her about twice a week! We hope that she will start getting a relationship with God and start believing in Him soon. Our other investigator Sam is a professor here on campus! He agreed to meet with us and he took us to the Starbucks here on campus! It was funny :) But he is Hindu, but not a very dedicated one! So we will see he progresses! He is very open minded!! So its been a fun week! Still talking to people on campus every day!! Its hard, but really fun at the same time :) 

So I was able to to go Pullman for exchanges!! Guess who was there? None other than Bayliegh Steed and Emily Lowrimore! It was so fun to see them!! And to work on the WSU campus! Its really big and so many more people to talk to! So that was awesome!! We also met with some girls at the hang-out place on campus called the Cub. There we basically taught them the restoration! It was cool to see how comfortable I am as being a missionary. There were so many people there and I have no problem answering their questions and telling them what I know to be true and invite them to know the things I know. I'm really grateful that my mission has solidified my testimony of the gospel! So I was very blessed with the opportunity to do that this week! It was a nice change from Moscow! 

So we taught the Pearson family again! We used cards to help explain the Plan of Salvation! We think Brother Pearson is ready to start having the lessons specifically for him. Lately we just have gone there to teach the family together. So we are having bishop talk to Sister Pearson this week and see where she feels he is at! So I'll keep you updated!! 

Also the Carmacks!! So they are both excommunicated. I don't know why but it doesn't matter! They are becoming my favorite people here! They just got married a few months ago! Every lesson with them is super spiritual and they have such great insights and comments. They are so humble and have strong testimonies. They love having us over and thank us every time! They came to church two weeks in a row! Its a long road to get them back! But we are ready to help them to! :) I love love love them!! 

So Moscow is good! We get our transfer calls next week. My prediction is that I will stay and second train Sister Bryson! So we will see :) I really am loving Moscow! I would never live here, but its growing on me :) Also I'm so so excited for conference! I can't believe its been six months since I watched it with Sister Mills! :) Time does fly!! :) Love you all and have a great week :) 

-- 

Love,

Sister Adamson

PS I can make a laser gun with balloon animals and I went to a Chinese gathering thing and man authentic Chinese food is soo gross! 

Oh U of I September 22, 2015

Hello all!!

Well time is short this week! So let me be quick!! 

We had an AWESOME lesson with Finn and Daya! We were reading the Book of Mormon about Ammon and Aaron teaching the kings about God and His plan for us! And Man that was so inspired! They haven't agreed to baptism yet, but they are so much closer! Finn's heart is softening and we are going to their house for dinner this week! So excited for them!!

So we found this random named George. Super spiritual and had tons of questions for us! We sat down right where we found him on campus and taught him the restoration! We met with him a few days later at a coffee shop and gave him a BOM. He's not golden yet. But we are excited to see what he thinks of the BOM! 

Soo... At church during sacrament we had an extra few minutes.. so what did bishop do? Ask Sister Adamson to come up there. Not to just bare her testimony, but he stayed at the pulpit and did a little Q&A right then!! Hahah he was asking me questions about my mission, the spirit, missionary work! It was soo funny! But man was I impressed with myself!! I have gotten so much better at public speaking!! It was pretty great. Everyone got a kick out of it! Bishop Schoenberg writes his own rules!! 

So we have awesome things happening here!! We are working with a less active couple named the Carmacks!! They came to church on Sunday!! They then texted us later and asked us when we were going to come see them this week!! They asked US!! It was great! So we love them and they have a long road back! But the Atonement is real :) Also the part member family we work with--the Pearsons they ALL came to church!! Brother Pearson listened the whole time and we are going to teach them later this week!

Last person that is in need of update, Kara. YSA that believes in Athena.. interesting.. huh? Well we had a great discussion with her and bore powerful testimony to her about her identity as a daughter of God. Man I love feeling the spirit work through me!! We are meeting with her this week and she is even bringing a friend with her!! So thats exciting!! 

Well Moscow is Moscow.. haha I love it but honestly hate it sometimes.. haha but tis life. This is the lot the Heavenly Father has given me to work with!! I'll make the most of it!! Love you all!!

Love,

Sister Adamson

Blessings :) September 14, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was great :) It was full of blessings and a lot of lessons learned :) So first of all, I neglected to inform you last week that Elder Dallin H. Oaks came to see us!! Not our whole mission but just three zones :) so that was a huge blessing :) Got to shake his hand and he spoke to us in the primary room!! He was so funny, humble, and passionate about the gospel! He has such a booming voice. Oh and my the way, he is speaking on the Atonement at conference.. hahah he leaked it to us! But he really talked a lot about the difference of being a missionary and just doing missionary things. It made me really want to re-commit myself to be better and repent all the time.. haha nothing like being calling to repentance by a loving Apostle!! 

So this week we meet with our new investigator Max. He is from China but was living in Australia for the last seven years. So his accent is crazy!! haha But he is so humble!! I can so relate to Alma and Amulek (I think that's who they are haha feel free to correct me!) when they just rejoice when the people are humble!! We taught him who God is and he said his first prayer ever with us! It was so cool! I love seeing people pray for their first time! Its so humbling! So we hope to meet with him again this week before we have to pass him off to the YSA elders.. :( sad day... But thats ok :) Its crazy how people just simply don't know who God is. They don't know that he has a body and about His nature. We NEED to teach people about God. Without a knowledge of God and His plan for us they will never feel the need to change their life and follow God!! God wants us to become like Him. That's why we have commandments! They do more then make us happy, they help us become like God!! What a blessing:) 

So many mini miracles happened this week! We got in touch with some less actives we haven't been able to, we got a referral from our bishop who we feel will start taking the discussions soon! We had so many appointments on Saturday, but then they all got canceled, but we still had an awesome day :) We were able to do service on campus with a guy who completely rejected us street contacting the day before. So we were able to explain to him our missions and the gospel and his attitude towards us and the church changed! Even though I'm not getting baptisms on my mission, you better believe I'm planting seeds, helping people see us in a better light, and helping people feel the spirit! I know as long as I do my part, be obedient, and keep working on the things that are in my control, the Lord is proud of me. That knowledge is priceless to me :)

Well I love my Savior, I love repentance, I love helping His children know who He is. I love being a companion, and learning how to love people who are so different from me (to this day NONE of my companions like to work out.. so they think I'm insane when I do haha) I love helping my companion overcome similar problems I faced when I was new, I love teaching people about the gospel, and sharing the light of His love :) Can't wait to see what Moscow has is store this week :) love you all :)