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 :)