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