This Week March 14, 2016

Dear Family and Friends,

So this week was so so interesting. Full of so many ups and downs. Started out well, talked to a few crazies.. One that wished the force would be with us..(60 year old granny that thought she was funny) and the another would have probably started having a heart attack soon because she was getting all worked up about Joseph Smith and us being a cult (she was playing a guitar for money near downtown). That's Spokane for ya :) Anyone want to come up here with me??  

 

 

Amanda was baptized this week! Whoo!! So great! It was the best baptism I have been to on my mission! Her testimony at the end was the greatest!! She said how at first she wasn't really into church, but then she just started coming and reading and praying about the Book of Mormon. She finally was able to gain her own spiritual witness that it is true! And has such a strong testimony. She said and I quote. "Joseph Smith is amazing, I cannot even pick out my own outfit in the morning--I don't even understand how he established this church. So I know he was a prophet of God." That's a new one huh? She is so sweet and we would be best friends if we could just hang out all day.. haha mission life. But she is great! Super happy for her and this choice she made! She also spoke how she faced lots of opposition from friends about her choice. She took comfort in the scriptures telling her to trust in God and everything would work out. So she did! 

I also had a great experience at church this week. All six hours of it was great! Every class and talk seemed to be directed at me. I have learned a lot about trials and how they help us grow. I was able to reflect on my life. In high school, my life was great and easy and happy. But that didn't lend me to much growth. Hawaii was also great, but there were some struggles so I was able to grow and learn. Now on my mission.. its like trials and struggles on steroids and a swim or die type environment.. But don't get me wrong, its been AMAZING and the best choice I have ever made, but it's hard. But I'm so thankful for my growth. I'm about of time, but its been an interesting week, but great at the same time!! LOVE YOU ALL!

Love,

Sister Adamson

Celestial March 7, 2016

Dear Family and Friends,

So my new word for about everything is celestial. How are you? Celestial. How was your day? Celestial. How was church? Celestial. You get the hint. But as for this last week if you would ask me how it was, I would say..... Celestial. Yep you guessed it! So many miracles and opportunities to share the gospel! 

To start out, our last P-day we just ran! We ran a few miles and it was the best, but boy am I out of shape! Sacrifice for the mission right? So that was a great start to the week! We had two lessons this week at Froyo (a frozen yogurt place). They were with students from a college here named Moody Bible School. It was interesting and brought me back to Moscow a little bit teaching Shadrack and Danny and other super Christian people. We have return appointments with them both, so we will see how that goes this week! 

While we were doing some YSA work, YSAs literally fell in our laps. We had an address that didn't exist for a Less Active and I was about to leave and try someone else, but Sister Smith wanted to knock on a door and ask if they knew them. Sure enough, he points us across the street where they really live. We had a great conversation with his girlfriend who isn't a member. We will see if we can start teaching her, but it was even a miracle we found her. Next there were these two punk teenagers on bikes and we talked to them. One said, "Hi sisters!! I'm less active!" So we invited him out to the YSA that he didn't really even know was a thing. He was telling us how much he knew he needed to come back to church! So that was a miracle to just run into him! (Coincidence?? I THINK NOT)

Next, we had a lesson with a family we tracted into a few weeks ago. They are so open and have had Mormon friends that they have loved! It was a great lesson! A little hard because they had two two year olds.. but what ya gonna do? But they accepted the invite to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it! So thats a good start :) We also had dinner with the Long family at our bishop's house! It was AMAZING! It could not have gone any better! Such great fellowship and we watched the old Easter video the church made and talked about the Atonement! The spirit was so strong! And when we were leaving, Brother Long made eye-contact with us and mouthed a sweet 'Thank You'. It was so sweet! 

One final celestial miracle! We got a referral for a YSA and we set up a lesson with him! We taught the restoration, and he really liked it! Another very open person and willing to read and pray! The members we brought too were great! I love member missionary work! :) So we have another appointment with Aaron this week! :) So many cool things happening in Spokane! :) 

Something that I really learned this week is how to love myself. I have been talking, thinking, and studying about charity these last few weeks. And I had these feelings of inadequacy and that I wasn't doing what the Lord wanted me to do, that I should be better at this or that. Just a lot of self-defeating thoughts. So we go to MLC and what does Sister Dymock train us on? How to love ourselves and being patient with our weaknesses. Such a blessing. I have learned to be patient and just try to do my best! I love my mission and all the experiences I am able to have! :) 

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Love,

Sister Adamson

Miracle Week :) February 29, 2016

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was great :) Kid you not! It was very long, but full of miracles and people being prepared to listen to our message! I'll focus this email a lot on the people here, because I'm always really bad at that and the people are great!

So first of all, we have been getting referrals from the 1st ward like crazy!! :) We have a lesson with one names Leonard this week! He has a struggling daughter and needs and wants guidance so our member referred him to us! So we will see how the lesson goes :) Also Sister Stratford in our ward has been dating a non-member for awhile. He has come to church and has had really cool experiences that have softened his heart. Sister Stratford set up a dinner for us to come and meet her whole family and her boyfriend this week. She pulled us aside after church and told us so strongly that we were sent to this ward for her boyfriend. The minute she found out sisters were coming she knew it was time! She was crying a bit telling us this! It is humbling. I know its not because we did anything special. We just simply are here serving and showing our willingness to do our best. That being said, it is a lot of pressure! But I'm excited for the opportunity to teach him!

Another family in the 1st ward. The Longs. He has been inactive for 20 years and his wife isn't a member. He has been into different addictions and has been trying for the last little bit to get on track. Mostly for his two little boys that he has. He has been going to all sorts of recovery meetings and has been meeting with the Bishop every week for about a month. (our bishop is amazing by the way, and I met him in Hawaii without knowing I did=small world!) So we heard that this family had a few hold-ups and weren't ready for the gospel because this or that.. WRONG! We stopped by and we had the most amazing conversation about the gospel with them. We were exchanging scriptures and he was telling us about his recovery and his desire to better himself for his family. We are having dinner with his family at the bishop's home next week! 

Next, we have Kaylee. Who has been working for one of our YSA members and coming to some activities! We taught her the Restoration this week! It was such a great lesson and she has been so prepared to hear the gospel. She is trying to turn her life around as well and has loved what she has heard so far. She is still not so sure about Joseph Smith or the Book of Mormon, but she is searching for the answer! She is willing to read and find out for herself! She even brought up baptism on her own and said that she would if she found it was true! :) Also, Amanda our on-date is doing really well! And took us to lunch on Saturday :) She is the cutest thing! :) And is growing so much!! But I think this was most of the cool things that have happened this week! We have been so blessed with prepared people and members doing missionary work! :) I have such a strong testimony and member missionary work! It truly is the best way to reach out to God's children that need this gospel!! I love you all and hope you have a great week!

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Love,

Sister Adamson

Spokane Craziness February 23, 2016

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been super busy! Covering two full wards is a big job! We are super busy in both wards! I just want to again emphasize how much charity has been thrown at me this last week. At district meeting, during interviews with president, personal study, sunday school, and email from Sister Halliday on her mission mentioned it, my companion. Literally ALL week! You would think Heavenly Father is trying to tell me something! So I have been praying so hard to love these people! Spokane is rough and interesting place to be. I haven't had the most love and understanding towards the people we meet. I wasn't seeing them through God's eyes. And that makes it hard to want to do your best to share the gospel with them. Good thing my companion is great and I got plenty of reminders this week of exactly "What Lack I Yet?" I have been praying for some time about what can I do to be a better missionary. And I know I received an answer! So wish me luck working on that :) 

This week was good though :) Our golden Shae dropped us.. and so did our other investigator.. for different and lame reasons.. But we have been doing a lot of finding. And with working on charity, we were able to have such great conversations with EVERYONE we met. It makes you feel so good as a missionary to really love those whom you speak with. We are all God's children, and when you try to see people that way, it really changes how you treat them and the hope you have that they will one day accept the gospel. 

We still have Amanda though! She is set to get baptized on the 12th of March. She is YSA and is facing lots of ridicule and opposition from her family and friends in her decision to join the church. So we are giving as much support and love to her as we can! She has such a solid testimony of the church and the gospel! It's been so cool to watch her growth, even in the last two weeks! So we will keep praying for her! There was also lot's of miracles with the YSA this week. A girl named Kaylee (with no-so cool of a spelling) has been coming to activities and wants to investigate, so we will be teaching her tomorrow! :)  

Church on Sunday was CRAZY!! Meetings starting at 7:30, church at 9:00, another meeting at 11:00, church at 1:00. And in between we were being pulled aside by members giving us referrals and asking us questions. We had a whole ten minutes to grab lunch before someone called us to come see someone. And Manito ward meets at the same building so all those members were saying hi. It was crazy!! My brain hurt so much after church.. It's good to be busy though :) I feel very blessed to be here in Spokane with Sister Smith! We are very alike and work hard together! So I'm excited to see what else I will get to learn here in Spokane :) Love you all! have a great week! 

--

Love,

Sister Adamson

Hello All!! February 16, 2016

Dear Family and Friends,

Its been an interesting week! Sweeping into two wards is quite exciting! Especially because one ward covers the whole stake! So its an adventure! The wards here are great though! Super missionary minded and give a TON of support! They also love having sisters in their ward. I have heard so much this week how excited everyone is!! I'm really close to my old area so I find myself wandering over there on accident trying to find addresses.. So it will take a bit to get used to!!

So my new comp is Sister Smith and she played soccer growing up too! We found out that we played soccer against each other a few times :) She likes to run too, so we have been doing that this week and I got a wake-up call about my out of shapeness :) But it's all good :) We are really similar and we will work well together! We live in member's home named the Tanners! They have a really old antique house and I'll send you a few pictures! :) So I really like it here!!

This week we just met a lot of members on the wards and are trying to find as many new people to teach as possible!! Spokane is one crazy place though, and has lots of crazy people! What has been on my mind a lot this week is charity. I need to have more charity towards the people here. We had a really cool Regional Conference here last Sunday that encompassed Hawaii and much of the Northwest. Elder Renlund spoke and he said a good way to measure our progression is how we treat other people. That was a big wake-up call for me. I reflected on how a treat and feel about my companions, people on the street that reject us, and everyone in general. I have lots of improvement there! So that will be my focus. I want to make my progression, especially on my mission noticeable.

We had a great first lesson with the most golden person I have met on my mission! She is YSA and another set of elders referred her to us! Her name is Shae and when we taught her the Restoration, she ate it right up and already accepted the Book of Mormon. It was celestial. But as always, there is opposition. She has lots of medical problems and is hard to get a hold of and she is about a 20 drive from where we usually work. So that will be a challenge. She wants to be baptized so bad! And has just been waiting for her opportunity! We also have another on-date for March in the YSA. Seems like all the work in the YSA is from members dating non-members and they become converted :) haha so it's fun being in the YSA again! I feel I can really relate to them really well :)

I also had an opportunity to share my experience with the passing of my grandpa this week with a lady in our ward that really needed it! She was really active, but then her Dad passed away of cancer and she is really having a hard time coping with it and hasn't really been able to get herself out of her house lately. So we stopped by and spoke with her. She really struggles because she feels that in the church, we aren't supposed to be sad when someone passes away, but she is really having a hard time over coming her loss. So I shared with her how sad I am that my grandpa passed away and when I get home, he won't be there anymore. Of course I was crying (because every time I talk about my grandpa, I cry these days). But I was able to have so much compassion for her that I wouldn't have been able to otherwise. So I know that we experience hardship so we can truly comfort those that stand in need of comfort and mourn with those who mourn. I could tell that what I said helped her. I just feel so blessed to be in a position to serve those that need it right now. I love my mission and everything it has been teaching me! Love you all!!

Love,

Sister Adamson

Transfers Again! February 8, 2016

Dear Family and Friends! 

So my prediction of transfers came true! I am sweeping into the Spokane 1st ward and the Spokane YSA. They meet at the came church building :) So I'm not moving too far! We have to move apartments and such and the 1st ward Elders are coming to the Manito ward! So we are just switching! Their whole ward knew I was coming there because they announced in sacrament meeting, so people in the halls were hugging me at church welcoming me to the ward :) So it will be interesting. My first and hopefully last time sweeping! My new comps names is Sister Smith from Logan. I have met her a few times before and we both will be STLs this transfer!! 

Members almost getting my last name right.

 recent converts, Thomas and Emmen!

So just a quick overview of this week.. I was exhausted EVERY NIGHT!!! Tuesday we had MLC and we talked about the Atonement using Alma 7 and my understanding of it tripled :) Sister Makovei and I did a training there as well and it was fun :) WednesdaySister M left to temple square.. so super sad.. but its ok! I will see her when I get home! So I was in a trio with Sister Bryson and Sister Stone for a few days! So we moved there things to our apartment and stayed there. We were split in between areas and it was crazy busy! On Friday we got a call from President asking if we could take another sister with us who had to leave because of a stalker.. so we had to move the sisters back to their apartment and move the other sister in. So I have four companions this week.. So that was fun. 

We also had so many cool things happen! Of course when I am leaving! So we tracted into a family a few weeks ago and we had a church tour with them this week! So I'm excited for the elders to start teaching them! Also we had a great lesson with Tammy-another person we tracted into and she will come to church next week! And last but not least, we found a secret less active and his wife that have four kids that agreed to meet with us again after a few weeks of trying them. I know that the Lord is happy with what we have done here! So I am blessed to have been in this ward! :) When I was bearing my testimony in sacrament meeting (my new favorite hobby) I was brought to tears again with the love that I feel for everyone in this ward. I have been blessed to meet amazing people and learn so much for them! :) 

So this week will be crazy and hard, but I'm excited for it! So please pray for me! I'm scared to death!! Love you all!!! 

 Brother Chun saw me on Peoples Magazine

Love,

Sister Adamson

Be At Peace February 1, 2016

Dear Family and Friends,

So short funny story. At the beginning of this transfer I decorated my planner with a quote that says, Be At Peace. And every time I saw it, I would just laugh to myself, because Spokane has been about everything but peaceful for me. However, the Lord has strange ways of working, and I know that little quote was meant to be. On Saturday as we were going about our work, I just had this huge sensation of peace. Peace about the work we have done here, all the struggles we have had, all the tears, laughs, and frustrations. Just an overwhelming sense that Heavenly Father is proud of us, and even though we aren't perfect servants, He just loves that we try our best. And as a result, he showers us with blessings. So that was irony in action right there.

This week was a cool one. We shifted to a lot of street contacting this week, and as a result we had lots of cool opportunities to walk by people and offer help. We helped carry people's furniture in their house, carry groceries home, and other things like that. It was cool to be means of helping people in such simple ways. It happened a few times in one day and I called that day the "day of miracles." haha :) We just had lots of miracles this week, being in the right place and the right time to catch people at home we have been trying to contact for awhile, and for me, I felt the Atonement working in my life so much this week. We watched the Because of Him video with a few people this week https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-00-1420-because-of-him?lang=engand it has been amazing each time. I cried each time as well.. but that's to be expected of me. Every time I watch that, I have a confirmation of His reality and that He lives :) What joy this sentence gives, I know that my redeemer lives!! I believe that with my whole heart and soul :) 

We had an experience this week that really demonstrates being in the right place at the right time. We stopped in at a recent converts house, and her husband hasn't been able to come to church because of work, he recently lost one of his jobs, and they just found out she was pregnant. We just showed up, and she was in her PJs and she said she contemplated not answering the door. But as we were talking with her, she just started crying as she was telling us the struggles and the hardships she was going through. Especially the changes that she was seeing in her husband, because he can't go to church. I shared Helaman 5:12 with her and before she finished reading, she cried again and said this was just what she needed. It was a great experience. I love being a servant of our Heavenly Father and being able to reach out to His children in such simple ways!! 

Well this upcoming week will be interesting! Sister Makovei goes back to temple square this week on Wednesday. She will be there until July so when you go to temple square, go say hello for me :) She has been an amazing companion and we have had so much fun together :) I will miss her so so much!! I will be in a trio with another ward's sisters for a few days before transfers next week! My prediction is that I will stay in the same zone, but in a different ward.. So my fear might be realized and I might sweep into an area.. yikes.. haha But we will see! Never quite know what will happen in the mission! I love you all!! :) Enjoy the 1st of February :)