This Week Was Great :) April 26, 2016

Dear Family and Friends! 

So this week was so so great! Still challenges, but soo good! The Lord truly blesses us for just trying our best! I learned even more that it is not us that does this work, its the Lord, we just help! So a few blessings this week:

We had a day that was empty.. no people to see, just contacting all day! So even though we weren't super pumped, we went out anyways! And after we were out for over an hour, one of our former investigators saw us and pulled over and said, "I need to meet with you again! When can we?" So we set up a time and after she left we had a little spas attack of pure happiness! :) So her name is Janice and she is a little crazy.. haha but she still want's to learn the gospel! She is in her 60s, but has some learning disabilities so its really hard to teach her and its a slow process. So we had a lesson with her and then she came to church. And yesterday, we had another lesson with her and she put herself on date for baptism on the 7th of May!! AHH!! It was soo cool to see her connect the dots! What did it for her was just going through the last two paragraphs of the introduction to the BOM. She knew it was the word of God, and believed in Joseph Smith so of course she would get baptized! However she has a Word of Wisdom problem so we will see how it goes! So pray that she can make it to May 7th! It's a special date for her! 

While we were out that day, we also got a call from a member confirming an appointment for another former investigator that he committed to take the lessons again. This time in the member's home. I think I might have mentioned him last week, but his name is Issaiah! He is 16 and is going down a wrong path already. He wants to change his life and just be happier. So we had a lesson with him last week and it was soo great!! Super powerful and we all felt such a sincere love and desire to help him. He almost started crying. He didn't come up from the best background. So having people that love and care about him I'm sure is very overwhelming! We also had a lesson with him yesterday! He is already in chapter 18 of 1 Nephi! We committed him to baptism as well for May 28th! So I'm excited! The Lord truly blesses us when we try! We can already see him change. Little by little, the gospel truly changes us! 

Sister Empey and I also had the privilege of having dinner with Sister Dymock! It was awesome!! She is go great and is the happiest person I have ever met! She is such a great example to me! Us being all sisters.. of course we cried! Some of happiness and some of sadness. Sister Empey is having a really hard time on her mission right now, so while she was speaking to Sister Dymock, Sister Dymock said, "Just think of what Heavenly Father is trying to teach you right now." After she said that, I was overwhelmed with love for Sister Empey. I saw her through Heavenly Father's eyes. I saw her potential, and what she is capable of. I know that that's how Heavenly Father sees us. We can only see the here and now, but He can see us for who we really can become. It was such a great blessing to experience. I was crying because of what I felt. I have never felt so much love for a companion so quickly. We help each other so much. I really see the Lord helping us in this work together and we are not alone!

So even though are area is small, and not a lot to work with we are doing our best to make the most of it! The ward is great and we have seen such a change in them over the past month! I love this work and being here in this ward! I love you all! have a great week! 

Love,

Sister Adamson

I don't even know! April 18, 2016

Dear Family and Friends,

I don't even know what the theme of this week would be.. hah It was another up and down week! Seems to be the theme here. We will have a few great days and talk to lots of good people, then a few bad days where plans and everything just doesn't work out. But that's life right? Prepares you for the future! So this week we had a few great moments and a few sad ones.. 

First the sad, (get those out of the way) so remember Patty and Bill? I mentioned them about two weeks ago. They said they wanted to take the lessons, just needed to figure some family things out first. So we gave them some time and went back this week. We had a great talk with Bill and he said after our last visit he asked his Mormon friend he grew up with about the Book of Mormon and started reading it a little. We also talked to Patty and set up a time the next day to teach them. They are the sweetest people and I wanted to teach them soo bad. Sister Empey and I could just see them being baptized. So we came back and rang their doorbell. No one answered even when all their cars were at home. So we got back in the car and drove away. We called Patty to just see what happened or if they didn't here the bell, and she nervously just told us that they weren't ready for the gospel yet. It was SOO sad.. Urgh.. Satan is the pits.. The other sad thing was just the rainy weather.. hard to find when no one was outside! But we did our best :) 

So happy things! Because I have found, that no matter how many bad things happen, the happy always stands out so much more! :) So first of all, we picked up a former named Lily. She is from Vietnam and has no Christian background. We had a lesson with her and it was the BEST lesson Sister Empey and I have had so far! The spirit was so sweet and Lily really opened up and was excited to learn more about God and Christ. We will teach her slowly, but she is happy :) We invited her to come to church and she was so excited! Texting us about what to wear and whatnot. But she had a family thing come up.. so she couldn't, but she hopefully will next week! :) 

Another happy thing was we have been focusing a lot on working with members to find. We have been giving them a talk called Creating a Gospel-Sharing Home by Elder Ballard and committing them to think of ways they could share the gospel. I am continually amazed at the strength of members. We were meeting with a family yesterday and this is a little of their story. Parents are both converts and their families are super Catholic and give them a hard time for being Mormon. They had two kids on missions at the same time and during that time, the mom was diagnosed with Leukemia. So she has been going through treatments for awhile. Despite all the opposition they face, they were the happiest family, and they love the gospel. They use the gospel not to fix their problems, but to help them with them. Its just amazing to me. I love the members of this church who have testimonies of Christ. It makes a world of difference in their lives. I love you all :) Have a great week living the gospel of Christ :)

Love,

Sister Adamson

Life's like a jump rope!! UP DOWN UP DOWN!! April 11, 2016

For those of you who know that song.. Don't ask where it's from because my missionary mind is blocking me.. haha

Dear Family and Friends,

So like my lovely title, this week was an up down week! This week started off really well, had a few lessons and had a good time talking to people and trying to find new people to teach. But in the middle of the week, we just hit a wall. We were having a hard time finding the most productive thing to do, struggling with getting the members involved--the works. It just wasn't flowing as it did before. To get out of that, something I have learned on my mission is, if you want things to change, or get better, the only way to do that is work. So on this last Saturday we had a few people to see, but not enough to fill up a whole day. So we decided to bike all day. 

In the morning after I woke up I remember thinking.. Ugh.. Today will be the pits.. But hey I got out of bed, had a nice run, great study that really pumped me up and off we went!! We biked at least twenty miles that day! And let me tell you! It was sooo fun!! :) I think I have mastered the bike-skirt thing.. haha :) But we talked to soo many people! One person in particular stands out, and the story goes like this:

We had planned to go a see a potential, but we felt we needed to go the other way so we were just biking along and saw this young mom in her front yard playing with her daughter. We started talking to her and she was so nice! Turns out she met with missionaries before and her mom did as well. She believes in God, but hasn't gone to church in awhile. She told us how her gma that passed away didn't really believe in God, but was still a good person and that she hopes she is in a good place. She was taught about just a heaven and just a hell. I felt prompted to share Alma 40:11. That scripture really impressed on her heart and she kept referring back to it during the remainder of our conversation. She never heard about the spirit world before and we taught her about the Plan of Salvation. I know that the Lord directed us to her that day! She however, doesn't live in our area, but we sent missionaries (My old comp Sister Bryson by the way) her information and she will gladly have then over, and we might start teaching her mom :) So that was a cool little miracle. I'm so grateful for the spirit and how it guides us in this work! :) I know that this is his work and we need to do it in his way! :) I love this gospel and am so grateful for it everyday! We have so many experiences of feeling the spirit guide us! I love that about being a missionary! 

I was also able to talk to Kara from Moscow this week! She is doing really well and is still active in the church! :) AHH!! I love her soo much!! Heavenly Father blessed us this week, even though it was hard at times, he helps us get through it! Also my companion is awesome and I love being able to serve here with her! Hope you all have a great week! 

Love,

Sister Adamson

Evergreen April 4, 2016

Dear Family and Friends,

Well my new area is called Evergreen. Its SUPER TINY!! the smallest area I have ever served in! Its about a half mile-wide and a few miles long. We also have a big boonie area, but we don't work out there much because the houses are so spread out. But its beautiful! We live with a cute old lady named Sister Francis. She lives by herself and treats her dogs like humans.. haha She is really nice, but also is randomly really grumpy.. But she is sweet for letting the missionaries live in her basement :) I'm sure I will have good stories about her :) already do! My new companion, Sister Empey is from Bunkerville, Nevada near Mesquite! She is great and has been out nine months! She has a great testimony and I have loved getting to know her this week! I love the relationships we gain on missions! No where else do you become so close so someone so fast! :) I have seen so much growth in myself in how I get along and get to know people. I am so grateful for that :)

Saying goodbye to Spokane was bitter-sweet! The work there was great. We were finding so many people to teach and so many miracles were happening. Its hard to leave somewhere that you worked so hard to build up, but its not about us or getting the credit, its about the people we help. I loved and treasured all the relationships I gained! 

So my new area, the work is pretty slow. The missionaries here covered this ward and another ward before and most of the work was in the other ward.. So now we have a slower area. But its been good this week because the weather has been really nice! We have been out walking and contacting people a lot! We found this sweet couple in their 50s with a teenage daughter tracting named Bill and Patty. They have had contact with the church before which softened their hearts. They had however, a bad experience with a member of the church that didn't treat them very well. So that might be a little road block for them. We asked if they would like to take the lessons and they said yes!! But they have a few things in their family they need to work out before, so we will try again with them in another few weeks! But what I really learned from them is just how important it is to always be an example. People are watching and it really matters how we treat others. So I just want you all to try your best to be an example of Christ! It helps bring others into the church and into this wonderful gospel! 

I like my new area and the people here! Conference was great and I received so much guidance for the rest of my mission and what to do when I get home! I loved what President Monson said, "Choose the harder right, rather than the easier wrong." That really spoke to me and how I want to live my life! I love this gospel! Have a great week!

--

Love,

Sister Adamson

Goodbye Spokane!! March 29, 2016

Dear Family and Friends,

So it is time that I finally leave Spokane! It has been a crazy time here. So full of ups and downs, but I have seen it help change me and point out even more weaknesses. I am still trying to overcome them. A life-long process right? Well I'll be going to Spokane Valley which is about thirty minutes away from here and is close to the temple. My new companion's name is Sister Empey and I'll meet her tomorrow!! :) She is my tenth companion on the mission.. haha I guess people just can't handle me for that long! :) I'm excited for a change. Sad to leave Sister Smith. We both liked similar things and I've never had a companion like that! We would wake up early to run and we even worked up to about six miles one day! :) (still super out of shape.. haha) So I will miss her! She has been a great example and friend!! So off I go!

This last week was good though! We had more appointments cancel this week, than my whole mission. It was crazy. We have a nice little teaching pool of solid people, but everyone was sick, on spring break, in car accident,s or something else crazy came up. So just a weird week in that aspect. We still were able to have a good lesson with Krysta. She is a single mom and just really wants the gospel. She is still pretty nervous about it all but I'm excited to see her grow and progress. Even though now it will be at a distance! :) 

We just have been able to meet so many great people lately and people with really hard backgrounds and struggles. I really don't know how people get along in life without the gospel. We talked to this girl for about 40 minutes about her struggles and trials. They were everything from dealing with false charges, fired from her job for being honest, growing up in a broken home, people stealing from her, getting beat up, having no support system near by. Everything. I asked how she gets by and what helps her. All she said was sleep. There is soo much more help and comfort that can be given through the gospel. The gospel isn't a problem-fixer or quick fix when we cry for it. Its a life-changer, hope-provider and enables you to access strength beyond your own. She doesn't believe in God right now, but Sister Smith will continue to work with her and get her involved with the YSA. 

I will miss all the amazing people I have met here in Spokane. I have had so many tender mercies and people reaching out to me when I was struggling and hurting. I have gained such a testimony of service. I really loved the Woman's Broadcast. We were able to get two less actives there! I was crying for the first ten minutes.. Haha just felt to much love for this gospel and church. I felt so unified and that I was really apart of something so much bigger than myself here in Spokane. The choir that sang had over 50 languages represented!! So cool! :) Their messages were really what I needed to hear for these last few months of my mission. Just to really love and serve others. And think to myself, "What if your story was my story?" and have compassion for other's struggles. Well I love the gospel!! Glad all is well at home! Love you all! 

Love,

Sister Adamson