Sister Ellyn Adams' email 5/21/2013

Hello Family and Friends,

I only have 50 more minutes, and that's too short of a time to tell you all that I want to, so I'm going to have to tell you the best things about my week!  OK, so on Wednesday we got our new golden. She's amazing. I want to be her. Her name is Natalie and she's 21 from Colorado. She's a visa waiter and is waiting to go to Brazil. She speaks a little bit of Portuguese and has to do language study for an additional 30 mins in the morning, so our studies last 3.5 hours. So during that time I can take a nap, but I haven't yet because I need to finish reading the Book of Mormon by the end of this transfer and I'm only in Alma. She is super excited about the work, and that's exactly what I lack. She is the glue in our companionship, and its so wonderful :) She was in theatre, so she's a little dramatic, but she's extremely sweet. She was studying at BYU Idaho to become a special ed/elementary ed teacher (wasn't a surprise... cuz 98% of the girls that go to BYUI do that) and you can totally tell. She calls us silly and says funny things like that. She and I get along really well. So since she's been here, we've been going on a lot of splits. And that leaves me to go and teach with  members. So I was at a lesson for a less active family and they're a big Mexican family. I was going to teach Maddie and Ana, the two teenagers that speak English. I was about to start the lesson and the door knocked. I look over and I see 2 Nametags (Elders) walk in... the Camden missionaries. So I just laughed. It was so comical... I guess the Elders are teaching the Spanish people in the house already and they happened to have an appointment at the same time. I was kind of annoyed because I felt like I was ready to do the lesson by myself, but then I realized that the Spirit was so strong and I just needed to shut up and let the Spirit guide. They were talking about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I bore my testimony of prayer. Even though they talked in Spanish most of the time, the Spirit was so strong and I knew that the family felt the Spirit...except maybe the men drinking in the kitchen haha. I left the lesson feeling so good, but it was just a funny lesson.

I'm really scared of street contacting and door approaches. They're really awkward to me, and I've only had like 3 people ever be interested in what we teach. 3 is a lot, but compared to how many people that we go and knock, its such a small number. It becomes even smaller when we call and they're not interested anymore. We had one guy that Sister Meeks and Gottfredson met while they were on exchanges. He felt the Spirit so strong as they taught him the "Family: A proclamation", and they made a return appointment. At this appointment, the Spirit was still so strong, and he wanted to be baptized... we were so excited! We made a date for June 23rd. We came back for another appointment, and he opened the door, said he didn't want to be a part of our church, and closed the door. Its just weird because when we first talked to him, we all got along and we built a friendship with him, but then when we went back it was just like he was breaking up with us! haha He just was so cold. Anyways, we're praying for him, because he's so sad.  My companions say that I'm really good at asking inspired questions.

A lot of our appointments have been cancelling on us, so I guess the Lord really does want us to find NEW people to teach :) I was having a hard time talking to people yesterday, and we had a talk in the back of our car called "His Grace is Sufficient." If you haven't read it, do it! It is the best talk in the world!!! One of my favorite lines in it is "Parents, leaders and prophets are pulling for you...and Jesus is pulling with you." I can feel the love towards me from home. It is strengthening me so much and I can't express how much everyone means to me. The random emails from the ward, my family and my friends... the packages from Grandma Sue with random things... the letters in the mail. I know that they come at the right time every time. 

Thank you all and love you all!!!

Sister Adams

Sister Adams' email from 5/6/13

Hello All,

Last Monday was Zone Unity Day and we played capture the flag, and it got really fun when I actually decided to play. I won the game for my team, but it was pretty anti-climactic because when I finally got the flag (a blown up penguin doll... super cute :)) the Elders were standing there arguing so no one even noticed. :p its ok, i still felt good. And I think I got a bruise so I was super happy haha.

After Zone Unity Day, we went to dinner with a member, Sister G, and she was sort of in a bad mood. She then got to talking about her past, and how she thinks that God is punishing her for her impatience with getting married. I got a prompting to say "You are forgiven," and my first instinct was like "What? How do you know that... that would be awkward if you told her that..." and that prompting wouldnt leave me alone, thank goodness. I tried to ignore it, and I shouldn't have, but I did. Eventually my heart was racing and the Spirit was so strong, I told her "I feel really weird saying this because I don't know you very well, but I'm trying this new thing where I'm following the promtings of the Holy Ghost, and He is prompting me to say that you are forgiven." She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said "Wow, thats really cool." Sister Meeks then said that she felt the same prompting but didn't say it. I felt so good helping her with a burden that she hadn't felt was lifted, but that wasn't because the Lord didnt forgive her, it was because she hadn't forgiven herself yet. I felt really good being an actual instrument in His hands rather than looking the part of an instrument. That experience motivated me to listen to the Spirit and not ignore it because people NEED to hear what I have to say.

I had exchanges this week, and it was kind of scary because I stayed in the area for the first time alone, and I was pretty much in charge. I had 4 lessons that day and Sister Argueta barely knew them... and so did I! So i was super nervous but I asked Heavenly Father to give me peace, and He did. I did a lot better in the lessons, and strengthened relationships with those people, it was awesome. We also got 2 new investigators, Elaine and Nadine. Nadine was walking her dog and we talked to her and of course I pet her dog. We started talking to her about the book of Mormon, and she asked what it was, so we told her. She invited us to her house, so we went. We sat on her porch and listened as she told us about her parents that died. We then told her that she will see them again and about the plan of salvation. She cried a little bit and we made another appointment for Tuesday.  Sister Argueta and I had a super awesome day and we just talked all day. It was awesome. We stayed up til about 11:30 talking about random things, and it was so nice! it was like a sleepover without any worries or cares... honestly. i know that sounds cheesy, but whatever.  Actually, I am getting a lot cheesier. Its so annoying haha.

Im always tired, but Im always trying to work harder. I'm still trying to get a hang of things and how things work, but its getting easier. 

I just wanna do a shout out WADDUP to my peeps:

Brendan, thanks for the letter. Did you serve in Camden? That place is ghetto and there are no sisters allowed there. Its so nice to hear from you :)

Ruth: write me the letter you turd! i love you.....

Sister Larsen: Thanks for the short email, long emails are sometimes hard to reply to. I am being stylish, but its hard when I only have 8 outfits :/ i make it work :)

Sister Miyakawa: I love you. Thanks for the email, it was awesome! I think that im pretty jealous of your first day handing out a book of mormon! but yeah... it probably was a member being paid :P

Sister Burch! thank you for the email of encouragement, they always help. I hope all is well! :)

Grandma Sue: Your cards are so funny and random! i love them! please keep sending them, even if i don't reply to every one of them.

Miranda baby girl! The wallet is so cute! I use it to hold all my bobby pins and chapstick. Ugh i just love you....

Oh, and happy early Mothers Day!

I love you all and I hope all is happy! <3

Our Zone

Our house on Lippincott

Pretty tree outside our house

One of the funny things that makes me laugh

ME

Me and Sister Meeks (my trainer)

Me and Sister Argueta from Cali

One example of the pretty trees

Weird, sad zebra swan in someones yard

Sister Ellyn Adams

Sister Ellyn Adams' letter from 4-29-13

Hi Mom,
Tell everyone I'm sorry I don't have time to personally email everyone this week,  but we have Zone Unity Day today and I have to go play capture the flag.  We also have to leave early from the library because one of our investigators just found out she has cancer, so we're going with the Elders to give her a blessing. She has a son whos in his 40's and he lives with her.  She wants to be baptized, but can't commit to a date. She says that she can't focus on anything other than her cancer right now, which is understandable. But we know that this is a trial that she can get through. We told her that being baptized will be  a blessing in her life and the presence of the Holy Ghost will give her strength.    
I really miss everyone, but the cure to my homesickness really is WORK. I have been working so hard. I don't think that I am ever going to feel well-rested on  my mission, but I'm getting used to being tired.  It makes it easier to fall asleep.  Another thing that has been a miracle in my life is not having anxiety when I'm going to bed. Understanding the Atonement a little better, I ask Heavenly father to take away my anxiety and let my heart rest.  I have only had ONE night where it was hard to go to bed since!!! I AM SO BUSY! But its great. I have been tracting a lot and doing stop-bys.  I've met a lot of new people this week.   Theres 3 investigators that we're teaching right now, so everyday we're tyring to find more people to teach. 

One of our recent converts, KP, is from Liberia. He just got baptized on January 13th and he is GOLDEN. Hes amazing! He retains so much from the Book of Mormon. He honestly knows more than me. I'm sort of jealous but it just makes me proud.  I had nothing to do with his conversion, and neither did the missionaries really. His relationship with Heavenly Father is amazing. We had a lesson with him on Friday and we were going to teach about Temples, but Sister Meeks was led by the spirit and asked him if he wanted to serve a mission, and what was his response?  "I'll do whatever Heavenly Father wants me to do."  Like, seriously. I have a freaking Nephi that I'm teaching. He's amazing.

Mom, I love you and tell everyone that I love and miss them too. Theres a guy in our ward and he looks like Dad, and I was staring at him the other day... I felt kid of creepy but seriously,  it was trippy.   

I also want to say to my friends that I miss them a lot. I miss being able to talk to them, but reading these emails makes me feel so much better. I know that there are prayers coming from the West Coast in abundance. I can feel them and I am so grateful for them. I am praying for you all, and I hope with any trials or burdens that you are having that they can be lifted. I know that through the Atonement that we can be lifted from our sadness and burdens and I know this because I have!  I am so grateful for a ward, friends, and my family and for all of the letters that you have written me. I cant get back to them this week, but next week I will really try!

I talked in sacrament last week, and it was exactly what I needed. I was super nervous becasue it was my first talk in a ward other than Riverbank ward. Last time I gave a talk there was like 2 rows with my friends and family and a whole ward I knew and loved, so it was a little nerve-racking talking to members that I didn't know. But I asked for peace, because I was super nervous, and I felt so much peace. I said my testimony, and it went great. 

I love you all so much and am learning to miss you all a little less. 

Love, Sister Ellyn Adams